What are your thoughts on this color?

[DJ]

Hi, I'm new and we have been planning on getting a doodle for a year now. I'm sure we all have in our mind what the typical doodle dog looks like. After finally finding a breeder I trusted the dog mom and dad finally had pups. It was a white doodle mom and red miniature poodle dad. I though for sure one of the pups would be that beautiful light tan color. All the pups came our medium apricot, which looks very dark to me. Also the breeder recently changed her allocations to 100% temperament testing. So she matches the puppy up with the family. So we no longer get to pick gender, coat, size. We can pick one characteristic but she said mainly we will get the puppy she says fits best with our family. So now I am having reservations about this litter. Not only it isn't the color I like but I'm paying $ 3,000 and get no say in what puppy I get. What is everyone's thoughts on this process? Thanks in advance!!

[Kamela & Beckett]

This is just my personal opinion, but I would not want to deal with this breeder. I think you are right when you say breeders can be a bit quirky, but what you've described from yours would be a deal breaker for me. The breeder we got our Aussiedoodle from doesn't meet all the DK criteria (we joined DK after we got him), but she was very nice and very responsive. Individual pics were posted as soon after birth as she felt comfortable handling the puppies and were updated regularly with color, sex, projected coat type, size, and personality traits as she saw them emerging. She sent updated pics regularly (although she did have a schedule & said she wouldn't provide others outside of schedule which seems reasonable). Just saw a video on her Fb page the other day of her latest litter. I emailed her several times before and after getting our puppy and she was very nice and answered all of our questions- there were no rules about prohibited subjects! Something seems off about the breeder you are dealing with. At the very least she's not very nice! And the early spay/neuter would be the final straw for me. If it wasn't stated in your contract, you should definitely be able to get a refund of your deposit!

[DJ]

I just asked for my deposit back!!! I have read too much in published vet journal articles about the health problems, cancer risk and shortened life spans of spaying/ neuter pups to early. I'm done with her.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You did the right thing, DJ. Good for you! 

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

When we got our first puppy, we didn't do the research we should have done and Sedona was spayed before we brought her home. She ended up having a problem with urine leakage which undoubtedly was related to ESN. She died of cancer at 6 - although we'll never know for sure, that too may have been connected to the ESN.

Good for you for leaving that breeder. Hopefully, you'll find a better situation soon.

[Stacy]

So you're not allowed to care about the color. And you're not allowed to care about the gender. I'm curious what your "one acceptable request" would actually be! 

I crossed otherwise good sounding breeders off my list for pediatric spay and neuter. I don't think it's good for them. I think they absolutely should be spayed/neutered, but at a more age appropriate time. 

I am so disturbed by the lack of transparency here. I feel that in a decision like this you should have all the facts up front. Why is she springing all of this on you long after you put down a deposit and are so invested in the puppies that you're unlikely to back out. I think she plans to pass out puppes like party favors and if you complain she threatens to not give you a puppy at all. 

I'm also curious how it was that this particular breeder made it to the top of your list. She hasn't done or said anything to me to indicate that these puppies are so special to warrant what she's putting you through. And honestly, I'm not so sure I would believe anything she's said thus far. What happens if you do have a health issue with the puppy that your warranty is supposed to cover (I think most of these warranties are junk, but that's a different subject) I bet she's even more difficult to work with at that point. 

What's going on with the backup breeder? I would be looking really hard into that at this point.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've said here, Stacy. 

Another thing that  I immediately noticed about this breeder is how she pushes Nu-Vet vitamins, (sold through a pyramid scheme in which the breeder makes commissions) which is often a red flag. But there are so many other issues here. 

[DJ]

I feel so much better! And so thankful for this sight!! Will keep you posted. She replied back and said my check will be in the mail next week. YAY!!!! I have a couple other options. I talked with the previous breeder she was my number one pick breeder but her dog wasn't getting pregnant. She has 2 females available May 20 from one other of her dogs. I love this breeder and only left because the parent dog I wanted pups from wasn't getting pregnant. All the parent dogs live with her and she posts tons of pictures of her dogs all the time! I trust her! The only hang up is we have a schedule vacation June 4-9 I can't move. So I would have to find someone to stay with the puppy which I'm a little worrried about. Here are their pictures

[DJ]

Good to know. So I shouldn't do those vitamins? Do you do any vitamins with your dogs?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You absolutely do not need to give any puppy or dog any kind of vitamins if they are eating a good commercial dog food. All AAFCO approved foods have all of the vitamins and minerals any dog at any stage needs, and if you do want/need to supplement, there are much better, less expensive products than Nu-Vet. 

[Stacy]

And Life's Abundance dog food. It's just a way to keep getting a little bit of money out of the owner long term. It's interesting that in the contract it states that the puppies have to be altered by 8 months and now she's doing pediatric spay/neuter. In the contract states if you breed your dog that you aren't supposed to you owe them $40,000. This is just a breeder I would stay far away from. 

[DJ]

I'm so sorry Deanna to hear you lost your dog at 6 years! There is too much published studies that state there is not benefit to early spay. Data is even supporting only partial spay and more like a vasectomy for the males.. This is something I will talk about with my vet once I finally get a puppy some day!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Thanks. Losing Sedona was devastating, but Desi and Cori are doing their best to keep things happy and goofy around here. They're only seven months apart so we've been in the puppy stage for quite awhile!!!