Don Bates passed away peacefully at home August 5, 2021. He spent a lifetime studying dogs so he could breed mentally and physically healthy dogs. And he succeeded.

As a legacy to him, his daughter Brenda Bates Macdonald has decided to keep breeding his wonderful dogs. For more information please email: double_b123@hotmail.com.

The information on this site is still relevant and will remain posted.

This site is meant to provide information about the various inherited health issues affecting Labs. Puppy buyers will learn about the various medical checks and certificates that should be available about the pup's parents.



We are still finding our footing after Don's passing. We encourage all Doindogs owners to share with us their dogs' stories and pictures. As usual we will remove all personal information and post the rest. This is meant to be a way to keep the Doindogs community in touch. Thank you.

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Dog Profiles

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The importance of a pedigree is very low, unless you know how healthy or unhealthy these ancestors were. A written guarantee is valuable but proper health clearances are of much more value.

- Don BATES

In the last decade or so, studies have pointed to some of the adverse effects of neutering in dogs on several long-term health parameters by looking at one disease syndrome in one breed or in pooling data from several breeds.

from Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers by Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, Neil H. Willits (Plus One)

Field Trial Dogs For Hunters?

I get a lot of phone calls from hunters seeking gundogs. Most of the phone calls begin with the statement. "I am looking for a hunting dog, not a field trial dog." That is a good sign. The American hunter is becoming much more aware that good field trials dogs frequently make poor hunting dogs.

from 'There is an Elephant in the Room' by Robert Milner (American Waterfowler Magazine)



This site is also meant to promote the use of retrievers, by hunters, as a more humane way of hunting and an effective conservation tool.

Doindogs Kennel is permanently registered with the CKC

 

Doindogs Kennel's order of priorities are:

  1. Health
  2. Intelligence and Temperament
  3. Working ability
  4. Beauty (Breed Standard)

I believed that dogs that prove themselves in obedience and in the field have demonstrated acceptable levels in the first three. Please note that beauty is still on the list! The show ring turns this order, judging a dog merely according to its beauty. Yet, this judgment is problematic and very subjective since the interpretation of "beauty" is based on man-made Breed Standards. Having said this I believe that all titles are valuable, a dog without them is unproven.

- Don BATES

Don acknowledged and thanked Lori & Kerry CURRAN (Whistlinwings Kennel). In his opinion they have set an example for all breeders. The CURRANS have been the only people in North America to produce a triple champion. To make this even more remarkable, they did it three times, with their own breeding, training and handling. The CURRANS are no longer breeding but are still very much involved with Labs.

The following Labradors have reached heights often thought un-attainable, Show, Field, and Obedience Championships PLUS. These Canadian Labradors are the only ones to have achieved this level in the world:

  • Ch, FTCH, OTCH Kenosee Jim Dandy WCX, BF, Lori Curran, Sask. 1987 (FT,AFTCh Pelican Lake Andy x Kenosee Jo)
  • Ch, FTCH, OTCH Whistlnwings Kitty MaGee WCX, BF, Lori Curran, Sask., 1992.(Ch Monarch's Black Arrogance CD WC x Triple Ch Kenosee Jim Dandy WCX)

Don Judged, trained and qualified dogs in all classes thought Eastern Canada and USA in all Hunt and Working Certificate Tests as well as various retriever trials and tests. While judging a CKC Hunt Test during the summer of 2000 in Quebec, He discovered that the CKC had not translated their WC or Hunt Test Rule books to French. We have since done this, and have made them available on this site.

Don hunted waterfowl since a teenager but spend most of his time later in life hunting pheasants. He bred, trained and handled dogs for both conformation and obedience, earning HIT (High In Trial) on most, if not all.

He arranged this site in the normal order that would be undertaken,

  1. Obedience
  2. Working certificate
  3. Field tests/hunt tests