Newbie - HELLO!

[Dolores O]

Good Morning Ladies and Gents,

My name is Dolores and I am from PA, and it's nice to meet you.

I found DK while researching GD Forums and wanted to join to learn more about the breed, and to find information about breeders (I know you have to PM me - I learned this while lurking until my account was approved!!!) in the PA, NJ, DE or NY area.

I am loving all of the posts I am reading, and I'm learning a lot!  I hope to continue to learn, and hope that you don't mind questions if I ask them!

Dolores

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Hi Dolores...I just joined this site a few days ago.  I got my Toy Doodle (Teddy) in September and now he is almost 6 months old.  I got Teddy from ********* in Indiana but I have run into a bunch of people in the NY area who got their doodles from PA breeders.  Seems like there are alot of Labradoodle and Goldendoodle breeders in PA.

I'm a novice on dogs in general and Goldendoodles in particular but I've done my homework the last year or so. No regrets with my 1st dog.  It's been a learning experience but everyone from the breeder, online groups, Petco/Petsmart, and local pet stores have been great (they're a great resource don't be afraid to pick their brains).

Not sure of your experience with dogs but a Goldendoodle is a great choice and a smart dog to train.

Are you looking at a Standard, Mini, or Toy doodle ?

[Jo-Anne Smith]

Hi Dolores.. 

I am also from PA and I got my Goldendoodle F1B (Chase) he will turn 7 months in mid January.  I got Chase in PA from a breeder in Coatsville PA and while he is a goofy, clumsy, and smart he is an absolute joy to our family.  I get compliments all the time on how handsome and well  behaved he is.  In fact we  are talking about adding another GD to our family.

Our breeder just had pups on Dec 26th so if you are interested I can PM you with more information and a picture she just sent me.

You cant go wrong with a Doodle :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Dolores, welcome to DK. 

Personal recommendations are nice, but they don't mean much. Everyone loves their doodle, so everyone thinks their breeder is wonderful, lol. I have seen people recommend puppy mills and brokers here. Please be sure to read our wonderful guideline on What To Look For In A Breeder and use it as a checklist for any breeder you consider. :)

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Welcome to DK.  We are basically a bunch of dog lovers, and particularly doodle lovers.  We have thousands of years of experiences collectively and a very few of us really know about dog nutrition, training etc.  We are all happy to offer advice.  What we especially good at is a being an attentive listener,  empathizing, and encouraging.  We hope you love us all.

[Dolores O]

Thank you everyone for your responses, and I will try and respond to each individually.

Is it possible for someone to answer me personally about a particular breeder I'm interested in if I list them here?  I do not want to break any rules.

ETA: I just looked up the name of this breeder, and I found a local news video that kind of put me off from this MO breeder...will continue to do my research...Back to the drawing board.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You can list names of breeders, but people cannot comment on them here. They will have to send you a private message. Please do read that guideline I linked above and eliminate anyone who doesn't meet the criteria. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, breeders in certain areas of the country require more scrutiny than others. MO is the puppy mill capital of the USA. PA and parts of OH are filled with Amish puppy mills. In general, it's a good idea to avoid any breeder who advertises on multiple listing sites and doesn't have their own website, although having a website is in no way an indication of a good breeder.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I will second the recommendation to read "What to Look for in a Breeder". It provides invaluable information. I'd suggest that you do your research on Early Spay and Neuter before you start selecting your breeder. As the "Breeder" article stated, ESN is controversial. When we got our first doodle, she was spayed before we brought her home. The breeder provided several studies explaining the benefits so we didn't question anything. However, Sedona began leaking urine at a very young age. Our vet suggested that it was likely related to her early spay. More research suggested other possible complications of ESN. Other than the leaking, Sedona was a wonderful dog, but she died at age six. When looking for our next doodles, we ruled out any breeder that practiced ESN.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Cindy's Rippley was an ALD whose breeder did ESN, and he died of lymphoma at less than 2 years old. I believe Charlotte's ALD Paz, too. 

However, ESN seems to practiced only by ALD breeders; I have not seen any goldendoodle breeders who do it. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I think we should add this to "what to look for in a breeder." At least reference it, so people can do their own research. This is just 3 dogs that we know of...but seems worth mentioning. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Adina did add something about it. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I just sent you a message and a friend request.