You’ll see photos of gorgeous Labrador puppies in a loving family home, raised in a picturesque yard by a happy mother dog. While some of the puppies sold on the net WILL be exactly that, others won’t be. From the other side of the country there’s no way for you to check that what you’re seeing is the truth. It’s obviously preferable if you can go out and see the puppy you’re buying, where they’ve been raised, meet their parents and so on. That isn’t always possible, so be careful when purchasing anything advertised on the internet. Ask for regular photo updates, ask for a particular pose, or “can you photograph the puppy with a teddy bear in the photo?”. Something that has to be done right there and then and can’t simply be ripped from someone else’s website or advert. The “proof of life” shot, if you will.