Breeding Doodles

[Denise Rollins]

 Anyone have any idea if there is a desire for Labradoodles. We are planning to breed our female.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

 

I am not going to repeat everything that has already been said. 

 

Denise you have hit a "hot" botton here.

 

Please re-think your idea about breeding.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Hi,

In fairness, I agree with what everyone said, but a reputable breeder has to start somewhere. My  breeder who is very, very, very reputable started out wanting to breed her dog as well. It was just going to be a hobby. She now is a larger breeder with a very long wait list for her puppies.

A lot of things you need to learn are what the others posted. People especially doodle people who are going to pay a lot of money for a dog expect a lot of things. It is very difficult for a breeder to actually make money for quite a while once they decide they want to start breeding, There is the health screenings, stud fees, health fees for all puppies. The list goes on and on and on. A lot of people misunderstand and think that the breeder clears that money that they ask for when breeding a dog, So wrong.

You really need to be mentored by a breeder and that takes a lot of time. It is not impossible, all breeders have to start somewhere. Like I said my breeder is amazing but she had to be mentored years ago, she did not make money for a while and she still puts a good percent of her money back into her breeding program.

The thing that is the hot button around here and where I usually duck when I see posts like this is so many of the people on here are so passionate about responsible breeding, (myself included) because we see the devastating results of people who want to breed their dog and do so irresponsibly. In no way am I implying you would be irresponsible. I am just saying. the people who are the most passionate about it are up over their heads in foster dogs, adopted dogs and dogs with all kinds of health issues because of irresponsible breeding.

Who knew?? I sure didn't. I almost bought a puppy from a back yard breeder, I had no idea what I was doing, Someone taught me.. as the saying goes, you do better when you know better.

Please don't feel like we are jumping on you.....It just doesn't work like the old days when the neighbors let their dogs make puppies... or at least it shouldn't.

Best of luck to you as you embark on becoming a responsible, dependable, reliable breeder. As the others have said if that is not your intention. Please don't breed it is like contributing to the mess we already have.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

well said Jennifer! I agree, all good breeders have to start somewhere, and it must be with well bred, health tested dogs with good lineage. As long as its done right, then we are not saying dont breed. We are just saying if you are going to, go into it with all the information necessary. its not a simple process as many think. the links Karen provided have some really good info in them as to what needs to be done to be a good breeder

And you are right with the money aspect Jennifer, it takes time for it to become profitable. Even reputable well established breeders take a loss on some litters - Coopers doggy Mom had complications. She was fine, but needed a c section half way through labour. I think one pup was lost during delivery. My breeder took a loss, even though she sold 6 or 8 pups (I cant remember) at $2500 a piece...

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

 

Yes many times breeders do take losses.  Mariner's breeder is a prime example.  Mariner was injured as a 7 week old puppy.  The breeder spent alot of money on an a puppy that she would never be able to sell.  Doggy ICU, vet bills, etc.  When we adopted Mariner, we offered to pay for him but were told that she would not accept payment - they just wanted him to have a good home.

The breeder could have saved a lot of money by just euthanizing him but thankfully she is a kind responsible person.  Responsible breeding carries risks of losing money and one must have the resources when things don't go as planned. 

 

 

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Jennifer,

Well said!  Ditto.

[L.M.]

There is certainly a desire for doodles, but often it's for the wrong reasons.  The number one thing people say to me when they see my 2 doodles is "Oh they don't shed, right?"  The public is SO misinformed about our so called "designer dogs" because of the media hype they have gotten in the past couple of years.  Many potential buyers don't realize that these dogs are TONS of work because of their energy levels, grooming requirements, and (I hate to say it) often poor breeding practices that lead to health problems.  So please consider this, and the other AWESOME advice others have already given you, when you think about breeding your labradoodle.  Please don't use the so called "public desire" for our "designer dogs" just to make some money.    

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is so true. Just yesterday I was looking at a breeder's site that had just about every misleading bit of hype you could think of about goldendoodles. Don't shed, hypoallergenic, healthier than purebreds, they all have a calm easy going temperament, they're all great with kids, yadayadayada.

Then the dog fails to meet one or more of these ideals and gets dumped.

Which brings me to another point: Responsible breeders always take their dogs back if a purchaser cannot keep the dog, throughout his lifetime. Anyone who is contemplating breeding dogs should make sure they are willing and able to assume responsibility for every dog that they choose to bring into the world.

[Becka]

Thanks, Karen, for all your wise words about this issue. I really hope that the original poster (and anyone else thinking about breeding their pets) takes them to heart. I've seen several episodes of "It's Me or the Dog" where Victoria Stilwell has successfully talked people out of breeding their dogs--in one case, she took the guy to a kill shelter and they had a very serious and sobering conversation with an employee who talked about how many dogs they had to put down every week. So sad.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think that sometimes, people just love their dogs and think their dogs are so cute and so wonderful that they want that dog to have puppies so they can have another one just like it, and their friends and family members can have one, too. But there are over 9300 members here on just this one website alone, who feel that same way about our dogs. What if we all bred them? What if everyone on the poodle websites and the West Highland White terrier websites and the Dachshund websites and every other breed specific website who loves their dog and thinks their dog is perfect decided to breed him or her? What if even 10% of these people did that?

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I really hope Denise comes back and posts here regarding our advice. I would love to get more info from her regarding her planned breeding details. I hope she doesnt think we are ganging up against her - if she plans on being a responsible breeder with health tested dogs then she will have our support, Im sure.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think that it's "ganging up" on someone to express your opinion when someone invites you to do so, which is exactly what you are doing when you post a question in a public forum. Everyone here has been exceedingly polite in giving their opinions and also providing information. I also agree with Ricki's question on the previous page. If someone has three doodles and "plans" to breed one, wouldn't they already have an "idea" if  there is a "desire" for Labradoodles? To me, it seems more like someone feeling out the market, i.e., "I'm going to breed my Labradoodle, is anyone here interested in buying one?"  Which is of course against the DK Guidelines. If it were just a question about the market for Labradoodle puppies, wouldn't it make more sense to post it in a breeder's forum?

The question itself seems ingenuous to me. But even so, I think everyone here has given Denise the benefit of the doubt.  

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I agree with you Karen, but Denise may see it differently as we are probably not saying what she wants to hear