Breeder review?

[Steph]

Where can I go to check out the reviews on a breeder that I found? The name is: Pride and Prejudoodles. They are located in Virginia?  If they are not certified, is it best to stay away (they might be a puppy mill)? Just wondering how I can know for sure.

Thanks in advance.

[Stacy]

I don't know anything about them, but that name makes me laugh!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

One way to help ensure that you are dealing with a reputable breeder is to use our guideline What To Look for in a Breeder. 

Use this as a checklist for any breeder you consider, and run from anyone who can't meet these basic standards. Genetic health testing of the parents is the most important, but all of the guidelines should be taken seriously.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

While breeder recommendations and reviews are prohibited here in the open forums, I can tell you that I see several red flags on the breeder in question's website, beginning with the false & misleading claim of "hypoallergenic". No mention whatsoever of genetic health testing of the breeding dogs, and the health guarantee is substandard and unacceptable. 

[Adina P]

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I don't like this breeder's guarantee, especially because they give themselves so many ways not to honor it and you would end up going to quite an expense to force them to do so.  I also don't like that they are promoting you purchase specific products that they get credit for. 

[Kelly]

Oh, I've been there! The breeders are excellent and definitely not a puppy mill. Everything is clean, tidy, and all the dogs are healthy and well-loved. They have monthly open visitation days where you can visit and play with their puppies. They also have a ton of 5 star reviews on Google.

[Stacy]

Can I be outspoken for a moment? I know nothing about this breeder. They may be everything anyone ever wanted in a breeder. I have no idea. This isn't about them. (I know this is an old post anyway, but I think it's still pertinent)

This comes from my own hurt and naive thinking. I think we all have this idea of what a puppy mill is. A horrible place with dying dogs, and cages and cages with dogs stacked inside, living in their own filth. But I challenge people to broaden their definition to include places that breed dogs only for profit, with no thought to the health of their breeding stock or their puppies in the future.

I didn’t think Katie came from a puppy mill. I visited her when she was 6 weeks old, and went back a second time at 8 weeks to pick her up. The property was lovely. Nice people. Personable. Beautiful website. Great reviews! And I came home with a puppy that I adored. It wasn’t until later that I realized that they don’t do any health testing on their dogs. And when Katie’s mom came to live with me after she was “retired” I found out that this beautiful, wonderful, sweet dog was so sick.

She had one definite type of cancer, and then another mystery illness (most likely cancer) that ultimately claimed her life. And at the same time all of that started I found out that her puppy, my sweet 3 year old Katie also has cancer. Perhaps it was something that health testing could have predicted. Or maybe it wouldn’t have. But I live with guilt that they weren’t given the best possible chance to have a long healthy life.

Now, looking at the breeder’s website, I see that they have been successful in breeding parti-colored doodles. She says that she’s been working for years to get them. If she had been working as hard to breed healthy dogs as she has to breed “fancy” dogs she might actually be a good breeder. But as she works toward this goal of parti dogs I see more and more puppies on her website. I think she tries to hide the number of dogs she has. There used to be a page for each of the moms, and now it’s… different.

On the website there’s a whole list of wonderful things about their dogs. Health testing is not one of them. But I didn’t notice. Or maybe I decided not to notice. But whatever they’re called - a puppy mill, a backyard breeder, an unethical breeder, or just a bad breeder; I wish I had based my puppy buying decision on more than just they had a nice house, cute puppies, and good online reviews.

My hope is that someone will see my experience and really pay attention to the ‘Choosing a Responsible Doodle Breeder’ info on this page. I now know that there were multiple red flags that I should have seen when Katie first came into my life. I wish that I had realized it then.

[Kelly]

That makes total sense, however according to Pride & Prejudoodles' website, they do a ton of health testing. (For like 100+ different genetic diseases?) Perhaps they've updated it since you've seen it last.

[Stacy]

I never saw their website - like I said, that wasn't about them personally. It was just a "big picture" kind of discussion. More of a don't do what I did, and get taken in by the wrong breeder sort of thing.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I find it very odd that someone who has never posted on this website before would suddenly post a rave recommendation for a breeder in a discussion that is more than a year old and was not active. How did you even find it? Are you associated with this breeder in some way, or did you get a dog from her? 
BTW, breeder recommendations are not permitted here in the open forum. 

[Kelly]

Hi, Karen! I Googled Pride and Prejudoodles' name and it popped up. I have been to their home and cuddled their dogs! Does that count as being 'associated'? I do hope to get one of their puppies some day.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd do a bit more research if I were you. For one thing, ask to see copies of the genetic health testing on the parents, don't just take a statement on a website as gospel. (In fact, I don;t think OFA even offers 100+ genetic tests on these parent breeds, so something is fishy there.) There are some false/misleading statements on the website such as "hypoallergenic" and "guaranteed non-shedding", so obviously everything that is said on the website is not true. Ask for proof. 

  This breeder also has a substandard health warranty, in both length of warranty and reimbursement, which is especially odd if she really does do the proper testing.  Reputable honest breeders offer a minimum of 24 months, not 12,  and reimburse up to the full purchase price, not half.
Most reputable breeders don't allow visitors to come "cuddle" the puppies until they have a purchase agreement and a deposit, (and sometimes not even then) for fear of parvo, which is deadly. 
And I have to wonder how someone who lives in IL happens to be allowed to cuddle puppies in VA, unless of course it would be a visiting relative.