Edited to reply to the "business": The only reason Tripp won his suit against me, is because he sued me person to person. The reason I lost my countersuit was because I sued Tripp back, when I should have sued Labpups.com LLC instead for the false advertisement that led to the purchase of a dog that gave me hell for the last year, before having to be rehomed due to detrimental behaviors with my other animals and young children. It was a technicality that Tripp played all too well with his court room experience. The judge stated for the record (which I can provide proof of), that I do indeed have a case against Labpups.com LLC for the issues I've stated, so do with that as you wish. Please heed my warning on not doing business with these people, as I should have done myself from the multitude of bad reviews dating back even before mine (some going as far as a decade ago). Thank you for reading. -------- I had a very troubling experience with LabPups.com LLC and Tripp Wood Jr. and I strongly urge anyone considering this company to proceed with extreme caution. I would not recommend this breeder based on my experience. I was sold a puppy at around "7" weeks old, while federal guidelines recommend 8 weeks minimum for separating a puppy from its litter, and in hindsight I believe the timing may have contributed to some of the issues I experienced. The dog was advertised as an "AKC non-hyper family" dog, but that description did not match reality at all. My dog was extremely high-energy, difficult to manage, and nowhere near the calm, family-friendly temperament that was promised. It felt very misleading compared to what I was told before bringing him home. Raising a puppy always requires effort, but this went far beyond normal expectations and made the transition much more challenging than it should have been. This being said, Tripp Jr. offered a board and train 3-week program. While my dog was in their care for the program, my dog returned with injuries that were not communicated to me at any point during the training process. This was extremely upsetting, and I will be attaching photo documentation so others can see exactly what I observed upon my dog's return. In addition to that, the training itself fell far short of what was represented. Based on my experience, the results did not meet reasonable expectations and did not align with the agreement that was discussed beforehand. Within a month he was back to prior behaviors, if not worse than before. I would also strongly recommend that any business dealings be handled directly through the LLC with clear written agreements and documented terms. Based on my experience, it's important to avoid informal arrangements or side agreements with individuals and to keep everything structured, documented, and transparent from the start. When going to court, it's easy to deflect blame to the LLC instead of the individual, as I unfortunately learned myself today. Because of these concerns, I encourage others to do thorough research before moving forward. You can search publicly available records here and just search "Tripp Wood" where you'll see results of litigation on both the father and son that run this business: https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/Home (spoiler alert, not the first time they've been to court!) I recommend asking detailed questions, getting everything in writing, and carefully evaluating whether this company is the right fit before trusting them with an addition to your family, or any level of obedience training. read more

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DO NOT trust Tripp Wood. Tripp advertised and sold us a "Brindle" Chocolate Lab for $4,500 -- a $2,000 premium over his standard $2,500 price. The dog we received is a standard Chocolate Lab. He does not have a speck of brindle coloring. When I asked Tripp to refund the $2,000 premium we paid for a characteristic the dog simply does not have, his response was: "You don't set my prices. How about you man up and accept responsibility for your own decisions?" That response says a lot about how he handles a legitimate customer complaint. Tripp has suggested returning/replacing the dog or providing another puppy. Neither resolves the issue. We love our dog and are not returning him, and a replacement would involve substantial additional travel and medical expenses. We also already own three Labs and cannot simply add another dog. The solution was straightforward: refund the $2,000 premium charged for the advertised brindle coat that we did not receive. Tripp refused to do so and told me he did not have the money to refund it. I've attached photos so people can judge for themselves: one showing an example of an actual brindle coat and one showing the Chocolate Lab we received. We paid $4,500 based on how this puppy was represented. Had he been accurately represented as a standard Chocolate Lab, we would not have paid the $2,000 premium. Based on our experience, I would not trust Tripp Wood when purchasing a puppy. --- UPDATE: In his response, Tripp attempts to explain Milo's appearance by claiming that brindle markings can change in "intensity, coverage, and visibility" as a dog ages. That completely misses the issue. Milo was never brindle. Embark Veterinary reviewed photographs of Milo both as a puppy and as he appears today. Their team stated that Milo "appears not to be brindle (currently or in the very cute puppy picture)" and explained that what was visible in his puppy coat was "what breeders call fever coat," an anomaly at birth that disappears as the puppy's normal coat grows in. So whether a genuine brindle coat can change with age is beside the point. According to Embark's review, Milo wasn't a brindle puppy whose markings later disappeared. He had fever coat and was never brindle. Also troubling is Tripp's reference to a supposed "pre-sale FAQ" explaining these coat changes. That FAQ language was added to his website AFTER I contacted him about Milo and raised this issue. It was not a disclosure provided to us before the sale. I have documentation of this. We paid $4,500 -- a $2,000 premium over his normal $2,500 price -- specifically because Milo was represented and sold as a Brindle Chocolate Lab. Once it became clear that he was not brindle, we asked Tripp to refund only that $2,000 premium. He refused. Returning a dog who had become part of our family or accepting another puppy does not correct the original transaction. We paid a $2,000 premium for a brindle dog. Embark's assessment is that Milo was never brindle. ___ Update, Since Tripp keeps changing his response: Tripp is correct that we previously purchased three Labs from him. That history is precisely why this experience has been so disappointing. We trusted him based on those previous purchases. Rather than supporting his position, our history demonstrates that we were satisfied repeat customers who had no reason to manufacture a complaint. We raised this issue because this transaction was different: Milo was specifically represented and sold as brindle at a substantial premium, and Embark subsequently concluded that he IS NOT brindle even in his puppy photograph. Everyone can see he is NOT Brindle. Dishonest people will be dishonest. Tripp and Tripper are perfect examples of that. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. read more

Labpups - Pet Training Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Went to look at puppies the other day. You can tell the Wood family loves their labs. We reached out to go see puppies on Sunday and Tripper got back within 10 mins . Tripper was amazing he was so personable and let us play with two puppies. We may come back to get a lab. They were so sweet and well taken care of. Highly recommend going to lab pups to get a lab. WE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE! read more

Labpups - One of the puppies we loved! - Pet Training Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I suppose I should add my review here. A little over 13 years ago, a friend (who knew I had a lab as a kid and that I desperately wanted another) brought me to North Carolina for a camping trip. On the way back, we stopped here and he actually bought me a black female Labrador as a gift. I named her Charlotte because, well, I was lazy and LabPups is in Charlotte! :-) Charlotte will be 14 years old in a few months. Other than a bit of arthritis in the last year (hey, girl's old, ok?!!) she has had no serious health problems. She has always been calm, cool, and collected. She much prefers humans to other dogs. Always has. We know she's much closer to the end of her life than the beginning now, but I can tell you that having this wonderful girl in my life for nearly 14 years has been absolutely incredible. I can't imagine what life will be like without here, but it's been amazing WITH her. Tripp and his family were great on the day we came to get here and in the several years after. They were always available to answer questions. I have always believed that the Wood family still considers these "their dogs" long after you leave their home. It's very obvious that they care about the dogs and who they go home with. read more

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The two sisters we received from Trip gave us the best (nearly 14 years) of our lives. Up until their last days we received compliments on how beautiful and well behaved they were. I've heard stories of hyper or destructive Labs, our were neither. Our baby girls were gentle with our human baby girls from the day we brought them home from hospital. Neither dog ever broke or chewed anything. Both Labs were extremely easy to train. Our two silly angels. Trip and Tripper were amazing! We knew nothing about dogs but they quickly and patiently taught us everything we needed to know. They instantly became like family and even visited us in California. Best breed and best, most responsible, breeder! read more

Labpups - Baby Siskiyou and Nicolette, my first babies. - Pet Training Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Cheated me out of travel money. I paid to have puppy shipped but since it was so hot they couldn't. I flew there and brought the puppy back. They said they would refund me. They didn't. They promised by the end of the year to the BBB. Never got it. The puppy had hundreds of dollars in vet bills for giardia in the first week. Buyer beware. read more

If you are going to get a Labrador, this is the place! They are the most professional breeders I have ever met. If you are in the Charlotte area they provide boarding that will keep your dog happy. They also provide training, we did the training with our pup and are so pleased with the outcome. If you have a big dog they also make their own natural dog food called Jax Max. Our dog is hooked and we are hooked to our dog!! read more

Labpups - Our awesome pup Pluto! Thanks lab pups! - Pet Training Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I bought my Lab, Sarah, nearly 7 years ago. This company claims they breed non aggressive family dogs. This is completely true. My dog has never shown one bit of aggression or violence. She mostly enjoys eating cookies and playing fetch. What else is important to know about this company is that when i lived in NC several years ago they had events and party's for you to attend. This family still cares about its costumers even after you buy a dog, and thats a rare thing these days. If you are looking to buy a Lab, this is the place to go. I would not trade my dog for another in the world. If i ever decide to get another this will be my first and only stop. read more

We have had Annie for 11 years and still if we have any question we call Tripp or Tripper for an EXPERT opinion. We love the whole family Gail also she keeps Annie in JAX MAX. Annie is so laid back with our grand kids it is unbeilable, Follows them everywhere and is like a mother, just blows my mine. We have said over and over if you want a Lab that is non hyper this is the place to go right away. Annie is family and has been since day one, BTW we live in TX a long ways away from NC but The Woods guided us through the process and helped us name the love that is unbeatable to my entire family. You can bet our next one will be from the Woods as well. We love LABPUPS.com, I mean love them, Annie has taught me the meaning of companionship and love I have never experience from an animal......... Gil Fort Worth TX read more

Well since I last posted about Labpups, we have added a fourth generation to the family. We love our new lab as much as the other 3 we have had. All of our girls receive compliments every time they go anywhere about how beautiful and well behaved they are. These are extremely smart dogs and as long as owners are consistent with training, the dogs train very easily! read more

Anyone who knows the Wood family knows they love to have long chats and because of this I've spend many many hours at the Lab Pups facility over the years. Going to Lab Pups isn't something that happens fast for me. The place is very nice and you want to hang around and observe what's going on, meet other dogs, talk to other families and talk to the owners. You do tend to get to know the owners and how they treat the dogs. They treat the dogs like I'd treat my own, like family members. Every time I go to pick up food, attend one of the special events, use the boarding services or just stop by for a friendly dog play date I have observed how the Wood family treats dogs. I've observed Tripper training dogs. I've seen Tripper show the training results to the owner(s) picking up the dogs at least 5 times. I've never seen any evidence of abuse in even the slightest way in the training or anything else going on at Lab Pups. This isn't just my observation either; I've spoken to over 3 dozen other dog owners at the facility when I visited or at the jamboree events over the years. All the other dog owners glow with praise about how great the dogs are. I've heard tons of stories about how the Wood family goes out of their way to help dogs and families with dogs. I have been so impressed with them that I am considering having my son apply and work his first teenage job for the Wood family because I know how much they care for and love dogs. Back to what this other person posted. Bottom line here is I think the negative post below is filled with lies and wild assumptions. Assuming a dog was abused just because you don't understand dogs is one thing but to attack a family and a business like you have done in such a public way is just plain unjust and vindictive. read more

This breeder is unresponsible and does not tell the truth at all. I got taken in by him. My puppy is 12 weeks and is very dominant and signs of aggression. Mr. Woods was fraudulent and is a very smooth talker. Do Not Trust Him or His Son. The dogs are not at all what his advertising states. read more

This is a review I've been contemplating writing for well over a year. It is with a heavy heart that I write this post because we had such high expectations for the dog we purchased from Labpups two years ago, Webster. Having owned another black lab for close to 10 years when we decided to get a puppy, we understood all that it takes to raise a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog - lots of love, exercise, and training. Our only challenge was finding a good partner for breeding a healthy, family friendly pup, and we thought we had found this in the Woods. In some ways, we were right. Had we only purchased our Webster from them, and not used any of their boarding or "training" services, I think that Webster would still be the sweet, well-adjusted pup that we picked up in August of 2013. Since we lived in Charlotte, we loved the idea of Webster spending additional time with his breeders and their dogs via boarding and training, and planned to keep Webster intact per the Woods' request/instructions, so using their services seemed like a great fit (most reputable daycares/boarding facilities don't allow intact males over 6 months of age). At that time, Webster's issues were fairly common - leash pulling, not coming when called, etc. The training that Webster received from the Woods over their 3 week training/boarding program was laughable. Essentially, all Tripper taught him to do was not pull when wearing a pinch collar, which is something we could have done on our own. We were surprised that Webster hadn't been taught more than that, but assumed that he must have been a tough student. When we took him back for boarding a few months later, Webster immediately peed on the floor as soon as Tripper spoke to him in the building that the Woods use for storing bags of their dog food, JaxMax, completing paperwork, etc. He had just peed outside before we came in, so I should have known that something was wrong then, but went against my instincts and left him there. Webster had been potty trained for months at this point, and has never relieved himself inside a building since, so that was a clear sign from him that he was scared. Webster's issues really began to escalate after this visit. He would growl at specific dogs, seemed scared of people on bicycles, and flinched whenever my husband took off his belt. We have NEVER beaten our dogs, and didn't quite understand why he was behaving like this. Over time, his fears and reactions escalated, and it was clear that he was fearful of anyone new. After discussing this with our vet, they came to the same conclusion that we unfortunately had as well - Webster must have been abused while he was in the Woods' care as he was exhibiting all of the typical signs of an abused dog. It's easy to trace it back to the Woods since that is the only other place he had been that he was not accompanied by either me or my husband. We could no longer trust what was marketed as a family friendly dog around children, other dogs, or really, many other people. We have recently enlisted the help of the Dog Wizard for Webster, and he's now on the road to rehabilitation. He's finally able to live the life that we had originally always hoped he would live and is no longer fearful that people we trusted with his safety would abuse him. Also, it took the Woods 20 months from the time that Webster was born & 18 months from the time that we picked Webster up to get us his papers. I have a number of emails from them explaining why they hadn't had time to process the paperwork, and each one said that they would get it to my be X date, only for them not to deliver. I had honestly given up on getting our papers when they finally arrived early this spring. And finally, the black lab that they show playing fetch with a child in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTjFy90-PA at the 0:12-0:15, 0:58-1:03 & 1:07-1:08 marks is not their dog. That's my older lab who was born & bred in Columbia, SC, so essentially, the only dogs that were bred at LabPups in that video are their puppies. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it makes me question why they didn't feature any of their own adult dogs in that video. I do not mean the Woods any harm, however, I do want other people to think twice before purchasing a dog from these people, and think three times before you take your dog to them for boarding or training. And if you're still considering taking your dog there for training after reading my review, please read this before you do: http://www.love61.com/general-dog/chat-3681.html. I wish I had. Instead I'm spending lots of money to rehabilitate what once was a sweet, adventurous, trusting dog because I trusted the wrong people, the Woods, to take care of him during boarding and training. read more

I purchased my chocolate lab from lab pups about two years ago. I'm in Ohio they are in NC. My dog was hand delivered to me via airplane ride ~ I could have purchased a lab in my state,but I loved how professional lab pups were and how they breed their dogs. I get compliments all the time on his looks and his happy disposition . My dog loves dock diving, fetch and getting hugs from me :) I had a lab prior to getting this one ( first one was not from lab pups) and we dealt with allergies really bad. Lab pups informed me on how food is a big cause of allergies. They told me about their jaxmax dog food and I'm totally sold on it. I have it shipped to my house ~ My dogs coat is beautiful and he has NO allergies. My purchase of my dog, wasn't the last contact with them. I've called panicked when my dog got into something and had surgery, Tripper calmly talked to me and reassured me my dog would be ok. I've had different questions, and they also respond ~ they treat us like family~ Labpups will be the only place I buy my next lab from. read more