In 1982 the original Diamond R dog, Diamond R Sexy Sophie, encompassed all the qualities Peter Rothing found ideal in an American Labrador. Hard working, aggressive entry to brush and water, 'birdiness',  willingness to please, and an extremely easy going temperament. Most importantly she had the ability to produce the same or better in her offspring.  Sophie’s bloodline was one of very few bloodlines in the country to contain chocolate and to this day consistently produces top-quality performance dogs that are a joy to have in the home.  

 

We select our dogs not only on temperament and ability, but also on their ability to pass on those traits. We don’t breed titles to titles, because at the end of the day most of us don’t need champions. We need a healthy hard-working hunting dog that will retrieve a bird. We produce all three colors of labs in mixed litters, which gives us more freedom in breeding to concentrate on working ability, conformation, and temperament.

 

To line breed, we own a mix of outside breeding dogs, and breeding dogs with one Diamond R dog and one outside parent. This allows us to maintain what we find desirable in the Diamond R line, while continueing to have a healthy breeding program.  The puppies produced are all different combinations of our line, and we are happy to help you pick the best dog for you. 

​

Line breeding is how we consistently produce top quality dogs, without crossing genetics too closely. Line breeding is best described by an excerpt from a Ducks Unlimited article:

​

           "...Total outcrosses, matings of unrelated genetics, may produce the occasionally exceptional offspring, but this is an unpredictable undertaking. The only way to gain predictability of traits is to seek an experienced breeder with proven bloodlines which produce successful progeny. This will usually involve some form of line breeding. The mating of similar genetic relationships (line breeding) is conducted to intensify qualities within the line and to improve upon the predictable traits within litters. Line breeding is successfully practiced in all forms of livestock. Line breeding itself produces nothing, good or bad, it merely intensifies what is genetically there in the bloodline. Most professional breeders use some form of line breeding as soon as they find a successful combination. In other words, outcrosses, random matings, despite the parents' apparent abilities and or titles, will not assure that the traits of the parents will be passed to the offspring. Only line breeding can offer this possibility.”   - Ducks Unlimited "Puppy Selection Tips".

​

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via our Contact page.  Thank you!