Don't get me wrong; there's a whole lot to be said for the right initials being in the bloodline of any pup you're considering. As long as those initials read AFC, CFC, NAFC, CNFC, HRC, GRHRC, MH, etc.....
My comment was directed toward the quote from the breed standard book. That statement merely pertains to factors which would eliminate a dog from participating or placing in AKC sanctioned SHOW events, where form and conformation to a breed standard for looks is being judged and function is not even considered. These shows move a dog toward the title of CH.
Some folks out looking at lab pups from show stock get fooled by the designation CH all over the pedigree, and may be led to believe that they are getting some sort of CHampion hunting dog....doesn't mean a thing when applied to what we want our dogs to do. Means the parents of your dog look good. Nothing more.
Labs responsibly bred from field stock are coming from actively working dogs selectively bred to pass on the traits they have displayed in the field: eysight, memory, exceptional marking ability, a good nose, disposition, sound body structure that allows them to keep going after long hours in harsh conditions, etc, etc. The letter titles designating field champion titles show that these dogs have demonstrated the things we want in field trials or hunt tests that mimic hunting situations. That had to take some dedication to training them.
Of course there are probably lots of great dogs without titles who can do the work (I believe that's one of the reasons the HRC movement started - but now even though you can compete and title a dog, they have requirements that protect ethical, responsible breeding and prevent bogus use of those titles). But I feel the best bet for getting a pup is going to be finding solid field stock, and more than likely that means finding trustworthy breeder/trainers (amateur or pro) who are hunting as well as field trialing.
One thing we all need to realize is that having a good retriever never simply involves paying for the pup with all the credentials or finding one from parents who you have seen do the work --and then just adding water. It's like someone on the forum is fond of saying: "You get out of a dog what you put into a dog." The proper field breeding just insures that the potential is there to work with. There's a guy who lives near me who is an avid fan of the Retriever Field Trial News. For a while, every year or so, I'd see him with a new pup, and hear the story about how the last one just never worked out. Problem was, he never did enough with the dogs. Occasionally, he'd accept the offer to come along to train with us, and was disappointed when his dog couldn't begin to do what the dogs of others in our training group were doing.
I'll be the first to agree that backyard breeders who misrepresent what they're selling you are never O.K. But really didn't get the impression from the original post that the guy with the silver lab was "selling" anything. Just classifying his dog's odd coloration for whatever reason.
