Choosing a Breeder -- Give your feedback on this Info Sheet

[Adina P]

I shared this on our DK Facebook page and the only thing anyone objected to was the statement about not having multiple litters at the same time.  The objection was because some breeders have guardian homes.  However, I'm not clear on how the guardian home makes a difference since dams come to the breeder's home for whelping and pups stay with the breeder till they go to new homes.  So how does the guardian home situation make a difference if a breeder has 5 litters to care for at the same time, for example?  Sure the 5 dams are getting individual love and devotion when they are not whelping or raising babies...but is the FIVE (example) litters at one time I have concerns about.  Please talk me through this.  Is there a better number to aim for?  No more than 2 litters at once? No more than 3 litters at once? 

If you have other suggestions for changes, please let me know!  It's also kind of boring without doodle photos, so I may add some.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd say not more than 3 litters at one time at the very most. There is no way anyone can be properly looking after, caring for, evaluating, feeding, cleaning up after, etc., etc., etc. that many puppies along with multiple adult dogs. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

I would say one is ideal, 2 is ok, 3 would be max. In 3 litters you are talking 3 moms, maybe 18 puppies, give or take and maybe 1 or 2 sires. So you could possibly have 23 dogs on site at any given time. That is a lot of dogs to take care of, and haul and forth to the vet. I would say with each additional litter, the quality of care goes down.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"I would say one is ideal, 2 is ok, 3 would be max."

Exactly! 

How could you even know who is eating and who isn't? Who might have loose stools or digestive issues? Who has a pushy temperament and who is a little bit shy? (Really important for those who depend on the breeder to choose the "right" pup for them!) And I can't even begin to think about trying to supervise all those pups outdoors!! No wonder so many come home with giardia. 

[Adina P]

Okay, I'll make it 3 MAX.  23 dogs is A LOT -- not to mention I imagine a breeder has a handful of their own dogs too. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've seen doodle breeders with that many adult dogs on the property. 

I've also seen standard doodle litters with 13 puppies; 10+ in a standard litter is very common. So 23 dogs might be just a fraction of what some of these people have. 

[Adina P]

How's this?  Anything you'd add/change?  I have space!  (Not sure what happened to my bullets...I need to edit of course).

Save

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Keeps pups till at least 8 weeks.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Requires you to use their specific food or vitamins to validate the health guarantee.

When looking at website, breeder dogs are not listed/pictured.  Or, when they are listed, there are so many dogs that there is no way that they live inside their home and guardian homes are not mentioned.

Websites that are actually brokers.

I might suggest that they physically check (I use Google Earth if I can't drive by) the address - I have found it often takes me to a picture of a barn or that there is that the address isn't valid. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

I 2nd the requires specific food or vitamins to validate the health guarantee.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

YES!!!! 

[Amy and Annabelle]

If you see them listed somewhere other than the breeders website, like on Puppy Find

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes! Reputable breeders do not advertise puppies on multiple listing sites like NextDayPats, PuppyFind, etc. Broker listing sites. Greenfield Puppies and Lancaster Puppies are both broker listing sites for Amish puppy mills. And then you have Purebred Breeders LLC, the worst puppy mill listing site of all.