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Choosing the right breeder is the most important decision you will
make when purchasing your labradoodle puppy. Here are a few
suggestions to help you choose the best breeder possible.
Make
sure first of all that your breeder is a registered breeder with
one, or both of the accredited
Labradoodles are very social and
interactive dogs and do not do well when raised in a kennel or run
environment. The ideal situation for labradoodles is a breeder that
raises their labradoodles as members of their family in their home.
Ask the breeder where the dogs lives, what their daily routine is,
where they sleep and so on. The ideal breeder will tell you this
information freely and will not be putting their labradoodles into
any sort of pen/kennel/run arrangement on any regular basis. In
order for labradoodles to be well socialized, the breeder needs to
have a small enough number of dogs that they are able to provide
full attention to each individual dog on a regular basis. If your
puppy has been raised in a kennel environment, he will not have the
advantage of being fully socialized with people and will not be on
his way to being housebroken when he is delivered to you.
 If you visit the breeder's
web site, or premises and find that there are multiple litters of
puppies available immediately, be suspicious of whether or not this
breeder is operating a breeding facility or "clean" puppy mill.
Labradoodles are very much in demand and most litters are either
booked fully well in advance of the puppies' arrival or soon
thereafter. A breeder with anything more than two litters of
puppies on the ground over the age of 12 weeks and available is one
you may want to be cautious of. Ethical labradoodle breeders are
breeding their dogs with much consideration and thought and not
simply producing as many puppies as possible in order to try and
sell as many puppies as possible.
Be
wary as well of breeders who offer you a Labradoodle puppy for less
than the pet price of $2,500.00. Generally these puppies are either
very early crosses and so lack consistency and reliability in terms
of their temperament and non-shedding attributes or they are puppies
that have been bred without regard for the labradoodle breed and do
not carry the proper multi-generational labradoodle qualities.
Puppies should never be offered at a "sale" or "discounted" price.
Occasionally a reputable breeder will have a puppy that is an
anomaly and may shed or look slightly different, in those
circumstances a breeder may offer that puppy for a slightly lower
price to a family who is not concerned with the allergy friendly
aspect of a labradoodle.
Ask
the breeder to see all the test results for the breeding dogs in
writing and don't rely on the breeder simply saying that they do all
the necessary testing. You will want to see a breeding dog's OFA
and Penn Hip scores at a minimum to ensure that the dogs have been
tested for hip dysplasia. You will also want to see a current (that
year) eye exam result for the breeding dogs. Most breeders will
have performed many other health tests and those results may be
conveyed to you verbally, but the hip and eye tests are ones that
you want to be sure and see in black and white.
The
breeder's health warranty and contract for purchasing a puppy from
them should be available on their web site and clearly state what is
and isn't offered. A breeder who does not offer these two items is
one that you want to stay clear of. Be sure that their business
practices are ethical in terms of the arrangements they have for
deposits on a puppy and any refund policy they may have in place.
Above
all, talk to the breeder you are considering purchasing a puppy
from. This is a decision that will impact your life for the next 12
to 15 years and you want a labradoodle breeder you are comfortable
with and who will produce a dog that exceeds all your expectations.
A breeder should be knowledgeable enough to answer any questions you
may have regarding the labradoodle breed, health, et cetera. A
breeder should be happy to answer your questions and not trying to
"sell" you on their dogs. A good breeder will offer you referral
information to other breeders who may have puppies that match your
requirements if they themselves do not. A good breeder will be
there for the lifetime of your dog and will want you to keep them
informed of your dog's progress and remain a part of your dog's
extended family.
At
Whipple Tree, all our puppies are members of our family and we pride
ourselves on our lifetime commitment to our puppies and their new
families. We pride ourselves in meeting all the criteria for the
Gold Paw breeder designation by performing every health test
available for our breeding dogs. Our puppies are our joy and we
feel blessed to be able to share that joy with other families.
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Labradoodle Associations: IALA
(International Australian Labradoodle Association) and/or ALA
(Australian Labradoodle Association). Whipple Tree Labradoodles is
a breeder member of both Associations. If the breeder you are
considering is not a member of either of these groups, you will want
to ask why and be sure that there is a valid reason. Members are
required to sign a Code of Ethics, breed responsibly, complete a
comprehensive health testing regime for all their breeding dogs and
generally behave and breed in a manner that is for the betterment
of labradoodles as well as offer a two year health guarantee for
every puppy they sell. Any breeder who is not a member of these
organizations may not be due to a problem with being able to comply
with the requirements. Be very wary of these situations.