Get to Know Us!

At Tailwind Labradors, we are a small, novice, in-home dog breeding family dedicated to preserving and reproducing AKC-registered Labrador Retrievers. Nestled in the charming college town of Middlebury, Vermont, our passion for Labradors runs deep. I’m Heather, and my lifelong love for animals, especially dogs, blossomed into a specific affection for Labradors during my young adulthood. This passion led me to extensively research the breed, owning several Labradors, and ultimately start my own breeding program.

Our journey began with Toby, a yellow male who remains a beloved household companion, though not part of our breeding program. Libby, our first breeding prospect, joined us at eight weeks old in April 2023, followed by Poppy in July of 2024. Together, we are committed to raising healthy, happy Labradors that embody the breed's only best qualities.

Our adult dogs and puppies are truly part of our family, with their whelping area and puppy pens right in the heart of our home. Each day, our puppies are cared for, played with, and snuggled by all family members. This not only ensures their safety but also allows us to understand each puppy's personality and unique traits. This is essential because, as breeders, we personally match each puppy with a prospective family based on their needs and lifestyle, ensuring a perfect fit for the next 10+ years, whether as a companion, sporting, therapy, or show dog.

As a small in-home hobby breeder, we produce a limited number of litters each year, taking great pride in whelping the highest quality puppies possible. Our goal with each litter is to continuously improve our genetic lines, always striving to produce a litter better than the one before. We specialize in breeding what were previously known as "English Labs," characterized by their large blocky heads, wide bodies, famous "otter-like" tails, and shorter legs. Our focus is on producing healthy dogs with easy-going personalities, eager to learn, loyal, and capable of living long, happy lives with their families.

We use extensive medical exams and genetic screening tests to ensure the puppies we produce are healthy from birth and for many years to come. We also choose our sires strategically to create puppies with excellent pedigrees, temperaments, and proper breed conformation, suitable for AKC events such as obedience, agility, hunting/field trials, or as household companions. While we are candidates for AKC conformation shows and other competitive events, we are not active participants at this time due to the extensive travel required, which is not manageable with young children. If having an Dam who is actively showing is something that is important to you, we are happy to refer you to a breeder who participates in these events. (Your puppy will be AKC registered).

Please follow our social media accounts for updated photos, videos, planned breeding's, expansion of the Tailwind program, and, of course, puppy announcements!