Do you Get What You Pay For?

[StaceyW]

We have been researching labradoodles and have figured out what we are hoping for (F1B or multigen, light coat, fleece). Here is the dilemna. We have found a well established very knowledgable breeder. Puppies are about $2300 which seems about average for metro Atlanta - we are confident that we would get what we paid for and would be happy - two year health guarantee, hip testing, heart testing We have also found a family that breeds labradoodles F1B- no health guarantees - they are their family pets that they have bred before - cost is $600 for a puppy - 1/4 the cost!! Now given that our last two dogs were pound puppies (one which had medical issues) and that we had them and loved them for 12 years - we are having a hard time contemplating spending thousands of dollars on what is essentially a mutt (a loveable non shedding mutt but still . . .). We have no need for papers etc. We just want a great family pet. Thoughts on this? thanks

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would rather get a puppy from a place I saw with my own eyes than one I didn't see. I think we can be fooled by websites and their claims. However, I would feel comfortable using a breeder that is an active member of this site because I would have read many of their comments over time and gotten to "know" them. Ned had to undergo "outpatient" surgery to remove foxtails embedded in his ears and throat immediately after we got him. I was very angry that he came to us with this problem, however I have to say that the breeder reimbursed us for this cost.
Perhaps I am out of date, but isn't $2,300 kind of high for and F1B?

[Adina P]

I wonder if the $2,300 was actually for a multigen...she did mention she wanted an F1b or multigen, perhaps that was the cost.

But I think even $600 is extremely costly for a dog that was bred by a family just for the sake of breeding something popular.

[Pamela-Pambriella Goldendoodles]

I also agree with Adina.....a good breeder is worth her weight in gold...so to speak. They will always be there for you if there are any issues and I don't believe in EVER buying from someone that won't back up their puppies. Please, to better the breed, buy from a good breeder. It only ruins the breed when they are bred irresponsibly. I encourage you to please keep looking for a good breeder a little closer to the price range you need. I do know of a good breeder that has a litter of F1B's right now and she has reasonable prices. You're welcome to contact me if you would like her website address!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Boy - as you can see there are a few of us who have some strong opinions about this. Puppr mills are out and there are puppy mills who have web sites and "family breeders " who have too many dogs to do a good job. I think you are pretty safe buying from a next door neighbor who you personally, although I would prefer that they did not add to the dog population if I got my total druthers.

You do need to be sure of who you are buying from. How many litters do they have at one time? How many times and how often do the momma dogs have puppies. IMO, it is terribly naive, at the very least, to breed and retriever and a poodle or an F1 and poodle without a hip and an eye check. It is terrible to watch a dog age with even moderate to mild hip displasia, especially when it is one that you love. Why have they not had the hip and eyes checks and why are they doing a repeat breeding?

Truly, truly you can find a good doodle, from a reputable breeder at a lower price. Maybe it is the last puppy left in the litter. Maybe it is a little older, five to seven months, because the puppy was held by the owner as a possible mommy or daddy to improve their or someone else's program. Maybe it is a return from someone because they lost their job and house. Just keep looking. If you have had good luck with pound puppies, why do you want a doodle?

You asked us - pretty much we seem to be saying - "Beware" - be wary of buying for $600 a dog with no thoughtful breeding or testing behind it. Be wary of a "family" raised puppy from a family you do not know personally.

Good Luck and take care

[Sharon, Boo & Cricket]

I agree with Adina- I would either buy from the reputable breeder that does health testing or get a rescue/rehome. I wouldn’t want to support a breeder that doesn’t do health testing on their dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I love all dogs, no matter where they came from. But I think that intentionally breeding dogs without doing health testing isn’t fair for the puppies they bring into the world. Especially if the puppies end up having irreversible health problems that could have been avoided with testing. Just my two cents. ;)

[fergie11]

When I was looking for a breeder I had a lot of questions. I could not and probably would not even if i could pay $2300 for a puppy. I contacted quite a few breeders although there are not that many in my area. I did not want to go rescue as i wanted a young puppy and i had no idea about fixing problems created by someone else. Anyway, when i called my breeder - she was telling me about her puppies and she answered all my questions the way I wanted before i even asked them. I was very impressed. She had lots of pictures of past puppies that had grown up. (Although when you think about it, those could have been any puppies) She had some guarantees but she didn't go crazy. I agree with the women about guarantees - most health issues don't show up in 2 yrs. and are you going to give back this puppy that you've come to love anyway. I paid $950 for Fergie and that was enough. She turned out so good that i just went back and got her a sister (1 yr later). That does say something. I would check out the parents of this $600 puppy. Are the size you'd like? What are the coats like? How were the coats of the past puppies. Are you picky about colors? Are they in your area in case you have any problems and are they willing to help you out? You've had pound puppies before, doesn't sound like you're that picky. There is a shelter in WI that gets in litters of doodles and they charge $600 for them. (OK they do it to offset their other costs but to me that's crazy). I'd rather buy from a family and just loves their dogs and believes others should have them too. A lot to think about. I know, I've been there. What does DH think?

[Adina P]

You mentioned "are you going to give back this puppy that you've come to love anyway" in response to health guarantees. Just wanted to clarify that when I encourage people to look for that health guarantee... I'm referring to a health guarantee that does NOT require return of the dog. EVER. What I consider a good health guarantee is one where the breeder will reimburse the cost of the puppy so that the owner can use that money toward vet expenses to treat the illness.

[fergie11]

Another thing is - Stacey - I don't know your financial situation. Is $2300 a bit of a stretch for your family or is this not a issue? Seriously. I'm doing the whole dog food study right now. I can't afford $75 for a bag of dog food. Can I get good quality for a lot less without sacrificing my dog? I think so. You've just got to do "the study". This site is a great place to do it. But there are no real guarantees - except for taxes and death.

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

We got Shiloh from a breeder.....I did all the research and everything....much like everyone else. I was about to go down that road again to get our second doodle....when I was introduced to IDOG and how many doodles there really are out there for rescue. Fenway came to us that way, we still made a 5 hour drive to pick him up...excitement and fear leading us the whole time. I was just driving to a shelter instead of to a breeder's house. I have to tell you, I love both my doodles....but the feeling of reward that our family has from rescuing Fenway from that shelter is something I would never trade in a million years! I also don't think I will ever be able to buy another animal from a breeder when there are so many great doodles out there to be rescued. I really want to meet the new owners of Fenway's two brothers that were also in that shelter that day, hopefully IDOG will be able to make that happen for us. I am not down on breeders....I bought Shiloh from one....but for a feeling like no other.....adoption is amazing!

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

I'll throw in my 2 cents here :)

First it's nice to see this debate stay so civil...the question is a good one, but sometimes these discussions lead to not so civil debates :)

We knew we wanted a F1B for better chance of being allergy friendly, however we were not prepared to spend what some breeders asked for. We did our research and found a small breeder who had tested parents, gave a health guarantee but since this was only their 2nd or 3rd litter were charging $1000.

We had to drive 4 hrs to pick up Dexter, but we felt happy getting to see the environment where he was raised (they only had the 1 litter) and we were so happy to see a nice clean house with a yard and a breeder who clearly loved the puppies.

Now we (knock on wood) haven't had any problems with Dexter (besides him being naughty) so I don't know what would have happened if we needed to use our health guarantee, but basically my opinion is if you do your research, you can find a doodle puppy for a more reasonable cost. In addition, I think our willingness to drive a bit helped...the cost of living where we got Dex from is likely much lower than in NJ and that probably also played into our favor.

We got Kirby as a rehome and the cost for him was very minimal...so you may also want to look in that direction.

[clancy's mom]

We got Clancy from a breeder in Ohio -- we live in Virginia. We thought the cost of doodles in Virginia was WAY too much ($1,500-1,800 range). We paid $800 for Clancy, drove over 8 hours to pick him up, and we received the health guarantee, etc., etc. We had spoken with the breeder by phone several times and had seen pictures of the litter on the internet, but we were pretty much going into it on faith. We could have turned him down once we got there, but who could turn down a doodle puppy? Both parents were on the premises and we "met" both of them. But, as someone else pointed out, if we discover something wrong with him after investing up to two years in him, would we take him back to the breeder? Not a chance. Like the others, I think you should check around and should definitely check out the rescue or rehome options.

[Adina P]

A good guarantee would NOT require you to return your dog. EVER. When I talk about health guarantees it is always the assumption that the guarantee offers monetary reimbursement up to the cost of the dog. So no, I would never return my dog....