Preparing for a long wait for our ML pup.

[Jackie B and family]

My family and I have just made the leap and put a deposit down on a ML pup.  We plan on adopting in the early summer, but it all depends on whether there is a pup to be matched with our needs.

Also, my husband and I can't decide which size to get. (medium or standard)  We have room for either...but really don't know if there is really much of a difference?  Your thoughts???

I would love to know your experiences with adopting from Manor lake as I am very nervous.  This is the first time we have done anything like this and having the right pup for our family is so important to us.  I feel so nervous leaving that decision up to someone else to decide.

Any thoughts and info is much appreciated :)

[Margaret Spears]

If I had any advice, it would be to research Giardia and push for a pup that has tested negative. ML has great pups, we love our Stella to bits, but the Giardia has been a nightmare.

On a positive note, and there are many, her personality is perfect. Beyond perfect. She is a total love, and so smart.

Hope that helps. :)

[Jackie B and family]

Thank you Margaret, I have been reading the latest posts regarding the Giardia and I plan to speak to my vet regarding the problem and hopefully prepare for it just in case.  I am sorry to hear that your Stella has had problems with Giardia as it sounds horrible for both you and your pooch.

I do love your positive note about Stella, she sounds wonderful. :) 

Did you communicate with Kim via email or telephone?  I have yet been in contact with her rather I have been emailing with one of her employees (Melissa) who has been great. 

[NS]

Hi Margaret, 

Do most breeders test for Giardia before they leave for their new homes? 

[Margaret Spears]

I communicated mostly with Melissa as well. She is very nice to work with.

As far as giardia is concerned, I feel like we are getting a handle on Stella's with Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. It kills all forms of giardia. We also have used Panacure and Metronidazole. After reading the thorough info on Metro I decided not to use it again....

Also, I have read a lot of reports of giardia and humans and I get conflicted information about it passing from dogs to humans. I read one report that said that the type of giardia found in dogs is different than the type found in humans. Another report said that they are all the same. I do know that the coconut oil kills it in any form, so that is a relief. Poor stella was so skinny when she came home, and had terrible bowel issues.

I am not sure what breeders can do to assure that their dogs and pups are not infected, I have read some information that makes it seem impossible in a breeding setting.

We are grateful for our vets here in WA, and grateful that she seems to be getting better.

[Jackie B and family]

So, I called my vet this morning and discussed the possibility of our pup having Giardia when we get him or her so that we can do early intervention.  :)  They said that it is common and sounded quite confident that we will have nothing to worry about. (I love our vet)

We are located in BC, so who knows, maybe it is common out here since I did see some mention about it being a west coast thing.

Thanks for the info, I will be sure to keep your pointers regarding the coconut oil in mind just in case.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Jackie, I have two Manor Lakes puppies - they are both medium size.  We had a standard poodle for years and decided a medium size would be better as we travel south 2 months a year.   Charlie Brown is a chocolate fleece medium size (38 lbs) and he will be two Dec 18th.  Charlie is the sweetest boy in the world and just seems to have a very old soul!  He is my heart dog for sure! Charlie did not have Giardia, or any issues and never has up to this date.  We picked up Charlie from Kim's home in Lynden so we could see her operation.  

When we decided to get another doodle, I did not feel comfortable going to any other breeder, so I called Kim and told her what we wanted in temperament and a match for Charlie.  At the time they had just bred Charlie's father to a parti female and the puppies were to be parti so we put a deposit down.  They were born Aug 5th and we met Melissa in Seattle in October when it was time to pick up our second one.  Beau is now 4 months old.  Beau came home with Giardia.  My vet caught it at our wellness exam 3 days after we brought him home and was treated with panacur and then metro.  I was told tha once he tests negative, he would have to test negative three separate times over a period time to be completely sure he no longer has it.  We are still in the testing stage, but I think is ok now.  Beau is everything we hoped he would be and he is so smart!  He and Charlie are inseparable.

All that being said, I believe Giardia is very common in the Pacific NW because there is so much moisture and the mild climate is conducive to keeping it alive.  I lived north of Seattle for 20 years and have talked to other dog owners that have had issues with it, including my daughter's malamute who has contacted it by drinking from mountain streams when they are hiking.   

I would bet your puppy will come to you healthy and you will be so thrilled with Kim's choice for you. I believe Kim has excellent breeding stock and she is a good breeder.  I am looking forward to seeing a photo of your new little one and hearing about your puppy experience.  I hope it will be a positive experience for you and your family.

 

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

I agree with the others about giardia - Pink has finally tested clear (she is now 6mos old) - no signs of giardia.  But it has cost me over $1000 (at one point, I had to treat all the pets at home).  I'd like to see Manor Lake be a little more pro-active about this in future.

Pink is a standard and will be around 50lbs or so.  My other dog is a 70lb, very tall, goldendoodle so she seems quite small to me, compared to him  :-)

I think size is a personal choice - I like the bigger dogs but didn't want to go quite as large this time around.  I think the standard AL is a manageable size - you can still pick them up.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Cynthia ~ I can feel your frustration.  Were you able to discuss the matter with Kim directly?  When I contacted her regarding Beau she emailed immediately and asked if I wanted her to pick up any of the expense.  That was not my intent when I emailed her because I carry insurance on both of my doodles.  I just wanted to let her know that he tested positive at his wellness exam 3 days after he arrived here just in case she did not know that some of the puppies were actually leaving with giardia.  I know she was very concerned.  Beau's puppy packet came with metro just in case there was issue and for that matter Charlie's packet also came with metro when he arrived in 2010, but he never had the problem.  So I know they do include the tablets to all new owners just in case.  I can only imagine what is like trying to keep control of it with a lake behind their house and all the moisture.  Hopefully they will get a freeze this winter to kill it off their land.

My concern was that Charlie our older doodle would contract it too and fortunately that did not happened. 

I am sorry you had such a difficult time with it - it is a real pain!

[Margaret Spears]

I am so glad to hear that you are finally clear of it! I get a bit hopeless at times..... what was the main treatment you used? I am becoming more and more against metro daily..... I do have panacure, and Stella is on another round of it currently. Her stools look good, so that is encouraging..... Thank you for the feedback, every little bit helps.

M

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

Last February I placed a deposit on a litter to be born in April. I honestly didn't know what to expect, prior to researching ALDs I had never heard of placing a deposit on a puppy that (1) had not been born (2) I wouldn't get to pick out and (3) I didn't get to meet until the day he came home (and had already been paid for). In fact, I think most of my friends were concerned that I had fallen for a puppy scam. Fortunately, ML was not a scam, and although I didn't get to pick my puppy, Oliver is a perfect match. I'm actually quite stunned with their matching skills, I'm not sure that I could have done any better.

Kim, Melissa, and Erin were always very helpful and responsive, and I can assume that some of my questions were very annoying! LOL My only suggestion would be that when you find a litter that you are interested in to move your deposit to the litter very quickly. Oliver's litter was fully reserved two weeks before the puppies were even born!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I agree with you Elizabeth.  We are crazy about our two doods.  I do think there is something to the bio sensor testing and that is one reason why I chose to go back to them for our second doodle.

When we were waiting for our first doodle (Charlie) I felt like you and was hesitant in the fact we were not getting to pick out the puppy.  But in hindsight, I think the breeder really knows the puppies better than anyone else and can pick the right family for the puppy instead of the other way around.  We really wanted a mellow puppy and that is what she chose for us.  We are thrilled with both of them!

[Jackie B and family]

Some of my worry and concerns have been put at ease by your replies.  Thank you so much.  Thankfully I live close enough to ML that I hopefully can set up a date to go there and meet with them and the puppies before we actually take ours home. I am not too

 I have a feeling that with having 3 kids of my own here, this 7 months is going to fly by. lol  I plan to watch the breeding pairs and move my deposit on to the litter that we choose.  Hopefully I move fast enough...regardless, if we have to wait longer, we will.

I am sorry to hear about those of you who have had to deal with Giardia.  It doesn't sound like much fun.  Hopefully like what @Linda said, the lake at ML will have a good freeze over this winter and kill that nasty parasite.

 I look forward to getting to know you all and read your stories about your pups. :)