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Founded
in 1996, Turning Point Labradors (TPL) is located in a far-western suburb
of Chicago. Our name comes from a very near and dear to me idea
that all things eventually come back around to where you originally
started. I, Jan Norton, owner and breeder, grew up around animals
on the family farm raising pigs, chickens, cows, goats and horses.
I actively participated in 4H throughout my childhood years, earning
numerous ribbons for award-winning entries. I also showed
horses in the jumping ring most of my life, including earning the 1992
World Championship with Buster, a wonderful horse that I raised and trained from a
colt. Although I was raised around dogs (my parents raised Collies
and we always had farm dogs), I did not get my first Labrador Retriever until
1996 when my good friend, Cathy, gave me "Rebel", a
stunning black male. Rebel and I learned a lot together and he retired
with his CGC, AX and AXI titles, and three out of ten legs on his MX
title.
Since
my first years with Rebel, I have tried to be an excellent
Labrador Retriever breeder, trainer and handler with my dogs ... all of them
champion quality
Labs with top blood lines, including American, Finnish and
Canadian domestic and international champions. Their combined
litters have produced over 45 purebred offspring, including Luke with
his conformation championship title, Elliot with his six working titles,
and many more of which are pointed in competition as well.
I take great pride in calling myself a breeder. I
firmly believe in a Labrador that can work and do his job. Yet I
also believe in taking the dog into the house at night and enjoying him
lying at my feet. Our dogs are not only great competitors and
breeding stock, they are also important members of the family. I
think that all dogs have a special calling in life whether it be a
conformation champion or a family couch dog. I think every
Labrador should have the benefit of all the health testing we can do to
afford him a good life free of seizures, allergies and temperament
problems. I work very hard at making sure my dogs are free and
clear from any health issues. I
also try hard to make people understand that, although that "puppy
in the window" is cute, it very likely is a genetic
nightmare. There are a lot of people calling themselves
"breeders" and you really have to do your homework to find a
good one. I will be happy to refer you to friends of mine that
follow the same strict guidelines in raising puppies that I do.
Please also beware of "breeders" selling dogs of a so-called
"rare" color. There are NO rare colors in our breed
... just black, yellow and chocolate. Labrador Retrievers
are not capable of producing "silver" puppies as they don't
have a color gene for silver. More than likely, any silver puppy
has some other breed in it to produce that color. Just be careful. |
