Breeders! What do you wish doodle owners and puppy buyers knew about breeders/breeding?

[Adina P]

Hello to all Breeders!

I thought it might be educational and fun for labradoodle and goldendoodle owners and those looking to purchase a pup to learn some things from breeders. So here's your chance to share tidbits that prospective puppy owners might not know but you wish they knew!

Maybe a day in the life of a breeder? Or, perhaps what they should look for in a breeder? What to expect from a breeder? Or any other tid-bits that you think would be interesting! Share away!

[5a54ofb5qk1d]

I gave our breeder our blog address so she and her family (& extended family!) could check in anytime to see how Wrigley's doing and see pictures too. I wanted her to be able to see how much we loved their pup, and I wanted their 4 yr old daughter who spent a lot of time with the pups to be able to see pictures to help with her separation too.

[Tamara & Giada]

Yes, I'm sure this is true, and Doodle Kisses sure makes it that much easier for updates and continued connection.

On the other side.......the weekly pictures of our soon to be family member is oh so important to us. I know our breeder Trina (Trina's Doodles and Poodles) was so good at making sure we had pictures to look at every week, and information about their growth and development:)

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Good morning ~ I still have not met my morning caffeine quota, so I am sure I will think of more later BUT I can not second the updates enough. I got a note yesterday with pictures and it truly made my whole day! My children even look forward to the updates from home because they invest much of their time and love into our doodle babies too.
Which leads me to again thanking Adina for her efforts, what a great way for families to share their doodle not only with the world but also with their breeder and the other families of the litter!

Dianne
http://www.trinitydoodles.com

[April Cliber]

WOW, great question!

My day begins at 6 AM when my GR puppy (someday goldendoodle mom) wakes me up barking to get out of her crate to go potty. (probably pretty typical of many owners too.) Everyone goes out and then comes back in. If I'm lucky, I get to sleep an extra hour. If I don't have puppies my day is spent being a mom, wife and taking care of the dogs. They are all my babies and each one thinks I love him/her best. :o)

If I have puppies they sleep in my bedroom for the first two weeks and I get up every two hours to make sure they are all eating and are all OK. After two weeks they move out to our puppy play area, AKA dining room with no table. We pick up poop, interact all day, feed, pick up poop, socialize, pick up poop, and give each pup one on one each day. Oh, and did I mention, pick up poop? This is a HUGE job especially from 5-8 weeks. At 4 weeks we litter train them, but the box still needs to be cleaned several times a day. From 5-8 weeks pups get bathed once a week. If it's a litter of 8-10 this takes at least an hour.

Brushing, cleaning out ears, clipping toe nails & bathing dogs takes on a whole new meaning when you're doing it for 5-8 dogs. All this still needs to be done even when you have litters of puppies. Females who live together will usually cycle together, so it's very common to have a couple or a few litters at once and then none for many months.

One thing many breeders do for the families who have a deposit on a litter is take weekly pictures of the litter. I think this is fun and do enjoy it BUT when you see 6 great pictures on a website, it most likely took 40 pictures to get those 6 good ones. It's very time consuming. If we are a day late, please be patient. We ARE trying. :o) Also, a good picture depends so much on the angle and lighting. A pup that is darling in life can look less then, in a picture.

They money that is spent on vet visits, health testing, quality dog food, grooming, stud fees, heart worm, tick & flea preventatives, ESN (if done) & quality breeding stock is monumental at times. If you pay $1200 for a puppy, remember that is not all profit.

The birth of new puppies I think, is one of the most exciting things! A breeder is partners with the mom & this is when having a good relationship with her really pays off. One of the most heartbreaking things is when a puppy doesn't make it. It doesn't get easier with time. One of the greatest things is when you revive a pup that otherwise wouldn't have made it. I once had a pup that was born not breathing. I worked on him for 10 minutes. His first breath and whine made me cry. It was amazing. We named him Lazarus. He is now a healthy, 7 month old pup. :o)

I agree, and also LOVE pictures & updates. Each puppy always holds a special place in our hearts. It makes my day when an update/picture is sent.

When you visit a breeders house it can be overwhelming to see many dogs in the house. They are all happy to meet you and they think you came to visit them. During the day, for the most part they are quiet and sleep on the floor or play outside. It's not always as exciting as it is when you visit.




Lastly, EVERY breeder does things differently! We all have found things that work for us. Research and find a breeder that does things the way that you agree with. Just because things are done different doesn't make another breeder bad or less than. If we were all the same we wouldn't be meeting the needs of all doodle owners. If possible, visit the breeders home & check references. Hopefully your breeder will love what he/she does and it will show.

[KJ]

oh wow thanks...that reminds me...I should send my breeder a picture :)

[Adina P]

Isn't that amazing? I do think about breeding in the future...and then read these descriptions and get a little scared! It's a lot of work!