Welcome
to Swift Creek Labradors
Swift
Creek Labradors-Labradors since 1989. SCL is a small kennel and
guide service located on 80 acres in central Missouri. We also have
land in the Missouri river valley adjacent to 5000+ acres of the
Big Muddy Wildlife Area. We have over 12,000 acres of public land
nearby to hunt and train on including a waterfowl refuge. Our goal
is to perpetuate the original traits that have made the Labrador
the most popular dog in the world. We believe that longstanding
great field bred bloodlines are the key to great dogs. SCL has sought
out NFC bloodlines throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
Our dogs possess sound temperament and great natural instincts and
excel in the home as well as in the field. We believe in the British
philosophy of breeding. You don't train out bad habits/traits you
breed them out. We only breed our best dogs. We only breed dogs
that we can train easily without using a professional.
Your
dog is the most important part of your hunting equipment. SCL only
breeds dogs that have proven themselves in the field and all of
our stock is OFA certified good or excellent Their eyes are CERF
'd annually. We also register the DNA of our dogs so that our dogs'
and your puppies' lineage can be proven. We are so confident in
our bloodlines that we not only guarantee our dogs health ( hips
/ eyes ) but that they will hunt for anyone ( with a minimum of
training ). Our dogs are used extensively for upland and waterfowl
hunting and to further prove themselves, they compete throughout
the United States. We are in the process of testing all our dogs
for the EIC(Exercised Induced Collapse) gene. EIC is a genetic neuromuscular
disease that has been found in a large number of Labradors primarily
from/in field trial stock. A new DNA test has recently become available
through the University of Minnesota (EIC
info link). As of 11-30-2008 we have the results back for four
of our dogs. Swift Creek's JJ Flash , Swift Creek's Lady Guinevere,
SCL's Tesla Coil, and SCL's Hot Tub Aella were all found to be EIC
CLEAR. The rest of our dogs will be tested and none will be bred
until the results come back. We encourage all buyers to insist on
EIC test results for both the dam and sire of their puppy/dog. This
is a double recessive genetic disease. We have witnessed it in dogs
other than our own and feel that all Lab owners/buyers/breeders
must join to eliminate this disease from the gene pool. It is an
insidious disease with no cure that causes dogs to become temporarily
lame after exercise or excitement and can cause death in extreme
cases.
Our dogs run primarily in the BDC/Tournament Hunter LLC. It is real
upland hunting with live birds being shot by the handler, after
being produced by your dog. The dog must produce the bird, mark
the fall, and retrieve to hand to receive full points for that bird.
Points are also awarded for the amount of time it takes to fill
the bag limit. Dogs are scored not subjectively judged. The most
proficient dog wins. Championship points are awarded to dogs placing
1st,2nd,or 3rd. To earn a championship title you must place first
multiple times and accumulate a total of 20 championship points
similar to field trials. We also get to compete against AKC SH,MH;
APLA GMPR's; Field Trial champions; etc. to see what dogs truly
are great hunting dogs. We only breed exceptional, natural hunters.
We do not breed litters that we would/do not keep a pup out of.
SCL dogs have participated in twelve national tournaments since
1998 being awarded two thirds,fourth, fifth, eighth, and eleventh
place prizes competing against the best tournament hunting dogs
in the USA and have been featured on the Outdoor Channel and the
Sportsman's Channel. SCL had two entries in the 2006 and 2007 World
Championships of Tournament Hunting and has two in 2009 as well.
I have had to cut back on competing recently due to personal mobility
issues. In spite of this SCL dogs continue to compete at the highest
levels.
Paul Swift has been hunting and training dogs for over thirty-five
years. Paul has been an active judge, scoring hundreds of dogs in
numerous competitions and multiple organizations, as well as five
national tournaments. He is a member of Ducks Unlimited and the
National Wild Turkey Federation and has guided hunts for upland
birds, wild turkey, and waterfowl for 18 years.
Our dogs are "possessed" with great hunting skills
and desire!
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