At Southern Oak Kennels our mission is to produce British Labradors that will be an improvement to the current breed standard of working Labrador retrievers. We do this by importing, training, and breeding only the best in Labradors from the United Kingdom.
At SOK our dogs are strenuously tested for health, ability, and temperament in order to ensure that we are producing the very best British Labradors. Since 2012 through careful selection and training, we are creating a new standard for gundogs in North America. Our dogs excel in both the field and at home.
Breeding
We are a relatively small kennel, and our focus is on breeding the highest quality British Labrador Retrievers who excel in the field and the home. Because of this, we offer a very limited amount of breedings each year that support our goal of producing the very best British Labrador gundogs in North America. As a result, we have a very extensive application process if you are interested in buying an SOK British Labrador puppy. This helps us ensure that the Labrador is a good fit and that you are setup for success with your new British Labrador.
Training
Obedience and manners are crucial aspects of our Labrador training program. Whether you are looking for basic obedience or finished retriever work, our training program has what it takes to take your Labrador to the next level. Each of our locations offers various levels of training for your SOK Labrador. Depending on the level of training you desire for your Labrador we will connect you with the perfect trainer and program for you.
Our locations are one of two types – an SOK Campus or an SOK Outpost. SOK Campuses house multiple dams as well as have a full training program. SOK Outposts host only one or two dams and just a handful of training dogs. While we are spread out across the country, we operate as one team and one family.
We pride ourselves in in the highest quality British Labrador Retriever Puppies that exceed every clients expectations. At SOK we are redefining what a Labrador gun dog looks like in America.
These dogs don’t just look good. They are bad to the bone in the field and will leave your friends in awe. SOK labradors are carefully selected to produce the highest quality British labradors.
The SOK Society is a family unmatched in the dog world. The support we provide beyond puppy pick-up day will lead to success with your new labrador and almost assuredly new friends too! Join us on Facebook!
Barton founded Southern Oak Kennels in 2012, after spending a few years training labradors and springer spaniels under mentor Mark Hairfield. He has dedicated the last decade to improving the lines of British Labradors available here in the US. Barton is dedicated to keeping SOK a traditional, family-run kennel that focuses on gundogs who excel both in the field and at home.
When selecting our Labradors for our breeding program, we carefully examine every aspect of the dog. As a general rule, we do not breed any dog that we wouldn’t want to personally own and hunt over. If a Labrador has an undesirable trait, their offspring likely will, too. There are several non-negotiable evaluations that take place before considering a dog for our program, such as sound hips and elbows, a clear eye test, size within the breed standard, a proven pedigree, etc. Once we have checked all of those boxes, we look at the overall personality of the dog. We want dogs who have great social skills, good drive and style in the field, and a true off-switch when not working. This off-switch extends beyond napping in the kennel. We want to see the dog’s ability to sit behind the line and quietly watch other dogs work without making noise or creeping.
Once we know a Labrador meets these standards, we evaluate several aspects of field work. We want to breed Labrador retrievers who love the water, have a natural delivery to hand, charge hard going out and coming back for a retrieve, and are able to use their noses to work heavy cover. Labradors who are in our breeding program are team players who love to work together with their handler in the field. Essentially, we only want to breed the type of Labrador that enhances the hunting experience.
