Question as a breeder

[Melanie and Girls]

Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that any of you have had to go through this. Especially when going into Doodles, you would hope to not see it.

We are a breeder of English Goldendoodles. Though we haven't personally had to deal with any HD in our dogs or puppies, I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your stories with me of:

How did your breeder handle it?

What do you wish your breeder had said to you when you told them?

Was there a guarantee on your puppy?

Would you have had to give your puppy back to get reimbursed, etc.?

What could they have done to make it better?

What would you look for next time or wish you had done differently? (I don't mean about your specific puppy, but in a breeder)

Thank you to any of you willing to share with us. Hearing the human side of what can go wrong would help me to be the best breeder I can be. The less stories of HD in doodles out there, the better.

[Jersey, Jasmine, Jypsy and Diane]

When I first noticed that Jersey had a problem and mentioned it to my vet, I was told to wait until she was 2 yrs old to have an x ray taken. I explained to the vet that my breeder/veterinarian gave me a 2 yr guarantee for the dog but that the surgery would have to be done by the time she was 2 yrs old. I live 9 hrs away (one way) from the breeder/vet. She was more than willing to do the surgery in her office, but wanted me to have my vet send the x ray and the recommendation to her. The hip dysplasia was mild at the time, so I decided to do nothing. It has been 4 yrs since then, Jersey is not as active at 6 yrs old as she was but still loves to chase the ball. Now I just throw it for shorter sessions several times a day. I would have preferred a 3yr health guarantee so I wouldn't feel so rushed in making a decision and have the choice of vet to use, so I wouldn't have to travel that far. I carry pet insurance, so if the surgery is needed in the future, would be covered. I have another 4 yr old doodle from this same breeder. I was happy with the breeder and the way she handled the problem overall.

I just saw your post today, Melanie, hope you are still interested in a reply even though it is almost 2 years late.