allergy and coat question

[Laney Gliser]

We are getting our F1b mini- labradoodle puppy in January.  She will be 8 weeks old.

Our daughter seems to have slight sensitivity to dogs so we are hoping that this breed will be fine for her.

http://www.diamondcountrydogs.com/AvailableMiniatures.html  One of these will be ours!  Can you tell from the pictures what kind of coat they may have?

I prefer the look of a straighter or slightly wavy coat instead of a super curly one.  But will a curly one be better for allergies and shedding?  Does anyone have a more flat coated one that doesn't shed much?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Laney, I hope you are reading all the answers that people here have taken the time to post. Members here on  DK take doodle ownership very seriously indeed and you asked a question that threw up some red flags to those who have huge experience with both allergies and bad breeders. It would be good if you could now come back and let us know how you feel having read all of the opinions offered.  I think it is the least those who gave you advice deserve.

[Laney Gliser]

Nicky, Riley, & Boris,

Of course I am reading!  I replied a while back, did you see?  I'm copying my post below.  And again I say that I am extremely grateful for the replies.  We are talking things over currently.  We don't want to support a puppy mill and I have a call in to our doctor for some possible allergy testing.

Can I  say first of all, a huge thank you for your honest answers and opinions.  And thank you for telling me honestly and kindly what you think.  I know things like this can be hot button issues, and I do understand.  After all, the question is very valid - what will happen to the dog if our daughter can't cope with it.  My parents would take it so thankfully we won't need to worry about it going to a pound or rescue or something.  

She has not been tested.  When we go to our friends house (they have 3 boston terriers) she gets a little stuffed up and slightly itchy eyes.  Nothing horrible.  I don't know much about allergies.... do you think this sounds like actual allergies and could it get worse?  I have talked to people who say that their allergies have gotten better as they get older... but I know that is not always the case.   We have been to other people's homes with dogs and she's had no reaction.  So... I guess getting her actually tested would be good.

Do my research on this breeder.... how?  I looked them up and I don't really see anything other than their site.  When I first contacted them, I did ask them a number of questions, like how are the puppies raised, what have they done to decrease defects in their dogs, etc.....  She had good answers.  What more could I be doing to check into them?  And if they are not good, then how can I find a good breeder?  (we are in the Kansas City area).

Thanks again - I really do appreciate the advice.  I don't want to do the wrong thing.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

that's great my apologies. I'm home with a chest infection and my head must be a bit foggy. I think taking some time to isolate the allergens and then looking for a puppy is a really good idea. You will see that with a little bit of detective work the breeder you originally chose is far from reputable but it is really hard to know if you are not experienced like a lot of the people here. Believe me they are telling you from bitter experience and some of the people who answered you rescued dogs that were originally bred in places such as the one you mentioned.  Those dogs presented with enormous challenges that only a truly dedicated owner could possibly deal with. We often have dogs being given up, often they were bought (unwittingly) from BYBreeders or Puppy Farms and sometimes from reputable breeders where enough soul searching and thought didn't go into the purchase of a puppy.  Unfortunately the stories are always heartbreaking. I wish you well in your search for answers and hopefully for a puppy that will become a wonderful member of your family.  I wish you best luck for the answers you need. 

[Laney Gliser]

:)  I am SO grateful that I found this site!  I very much appreciate the pros discovering this for me.  I would absolutely be ashamed to be one of those tragic stories :(

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Hi and welcome to DK.  Run, don't walk, away from this puppy mill!  In addition, to your allergy concerns, you may end up spending thousands of dollars on a sick pup. Please don't reward these people.  You might have more luck with a an Australian Labradoodle - because they are more consistent in coat type.  But as others have pointed out, the allergy question is complicated. No dog is truly hypoallergenic for everyone. My grandson has asthma and allergies but he lives with his two dogs and mine without any problem. Other things trigger the attacks. I'd have my daughter tested before I put a pup at risk.  And because dogs can bring in other allergens on their coats, be prepared. It's a lot of work to keep them clean :)

I googled "labradoodles kansas" and in a quick search found several promising Australian Labradoodle breeders you could investigate. I can't mention the names here. They do all the required health testing, socialization, etc. It's listed in detail on their sites. Yes, it will cost you much more than $500, but you have a better shot that it will be far less in the long run.  And a good breeder would always take the dog back, if you find you can't keep him.  That would give you 2 contingency plans. No dog should ever end up in rescue, but a doodle bonds so tightly with their people that it's especially awful to see them lose their homes.   

[Laney Gliser]

Wanted to give an update.  Because we had already had an appointment with them, we went ahead and visited these people today.  
The good news is that we spent over an hour there, our kids playing with the puppies, and our daughter didn't get at all itchy-eyed or stuffy.  I also called our doctor about allergy testing and of course she is willing to have her tested but also says that the results may not tell us much, as different dogs give different reactions and it all can really just depend.

The place though.... it seemed clean and the dogs were clean.  They had about 30 adult dogs there.  Is that at all normal?  I'm not sure how you could give good love and attention to that many dogs.  The dogs' cage/kennel areas seemed roomy and they had an indoor/outdoor (and climate control) building.

They talked of their dogs with love and said how this one slept in their bed, or that one is our son's favorite... etc.  

They do have a one year health guarantee.  Also, would there be any benefit to get the name of their vet and call and ask the vet's opinion on them?  Is that something that is done?  Or, like many of you were saying, should we just wash our hands of them and find another breeder?

Thanks again for all of the kind and helpful advice.  You guys are great!

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Laney, sorry for not responding earlier, been ill and not on computer very much.   My Meg was a rescue dog from Kentucky and somehow, even though we are her third home, her paperwork followed her through and she came from Diamond Country Dogs (the first people drove from Kentucky to northern Kansas to get her.  We called Diamond Country and let them know we had Meg and wanted some background on her which they gave freely.  Meg is the best dog I have ever had and very healthy.  When we decided to get a second one after looking around a bit we looked on Diamond's site and found they had some pups available so we called and talked to them and e-mailed several times.  They offered to meet us half way with the pup (which they gave us a very good price on) and we decided to go all the way there since we wanted to see how they were raised.  We got Polly Wolly from them and she is proving to be every bit as smart as Meg and other than a small ear infection (our vet said probably from water in her ear where they bathed her before sending her with us) she is also quite healthy.  We were impressed with their kennels and with them and their knowledge of these dogs.  One of the links posted earlier shows them as in the restaurant business which is wrong, they are very big farmers so all links don't necessarily show the correct picture.  They asked us to give them updates on the girls when ever we have time, we do and they always respond.  If we were to get a third doodle we would not hesitate to go back to them. 

I don't mean this post to be argumentative against any previous posters, I just don't consider this to be what I think a puppy mill is.  As for all the adult dogs, I think they keep their adult dogs that are no longer used for breeding, a lot of breeders sell them off.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As the owner of an adopted labradoodle with severe and incurable genetic diseases, it is extremely disturbing to me that anyone would knowingly purchase a doodle purchase from breeders who do not do health testing. I don't care how much they "love" their dogs, it is flat out wrong to breed untested dogs. Period. 

Most puppies are healthy. Genetic diseases don't show up until a dog is  a couple of years old. 

A one year guarantee is useless. Either you read and follow the guidelines in What to Look for in a Breeder article, or you don't, but please don't ask me or anyone else who has spent their time researching and trying to be helpful here to tell you that it is okay to ignore them. 

To knowingly support this kind of breeding is quite frankly like a slap in the face to me.  I hope you never have to watch your dog go through what JD does on a daily basis. Oh, and be sure to get pet insurance. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Having 30 adult dogs is perfectly normal for a puppy mill : ( I hope you find a reputable breeder.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I agree. 30 adult dogs is a big red flag of a puppy mill. 

I know it is exciting that you thought your search for a puppy was over, but everyone has given great advice in their replies. The breeder you posted about is not a quality breeder and I would highly discourage you from purchasing a puppy from her. 

Purchasing a Doodle is an investment. You are investing in your pets health during the course of their life. "Saving" on the initial cost is not a savings as you will end of paying exponentially if the untested breeding dogs pass down genetic problems. Also, purchasing a doodle from a puppy mill or BYB is only encouraging them to continue in their practices. 

Everyone is just trying to help you make the best decision for your doodles lifetime, not just the cute puppy stage!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Hi Laney.  I just want to chime in here with my own experience in selecting a breeder. Before we decided to go with Charlotte's breeder, I asked to see the actual health-testing documentation for the parent dogs, as well as reports of testing going back in Charlotte's lineage for several generations. I received everything that I requested, and only after, did I send in my deposit. A trustworthy breeder will always agree to share proof that their breeding dogs are healthy and have been cleared of the potential medical issues that others have mentioned earlier. Good luck in your quest.