What do you think about this breeder- Lakeshore Doodles?

[K Frey]

You guys have been so good about giving me wonderful advice. I have another issue I need some help with. I 've been looking at this breeder in NY called Lakeshore Doodles. Here's their website http://www.fortheloveofdoodles.com/index.html It's a family breeder. I've talked to them several times and they are very responsive with all of my questions. One of the things that has me a little hesitant is that the mom of the litter that we're interested in has not been health tested. I was told that she has had litters before, and all of the pups have been healthy. The dad has had some health testing done and is all clear. They offer a 2 year health guarantee too. What do you think?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Which sounds like the exact opposite of what this breeder does, lol.

[Kathie and the gang]

I would only purchase a puppy from a breeder I can go and visit. I want to see/meet the parents, both if possible and the facility setup. Health clearance is important, even though things can still happen. I have always done this with my dogs (6-Springer’s, 1- Rottweiler (and 1 was a rescue) and now my Goldendoodle). I have walked away from kennels/breeders that I didn't feel good about.
I started in the day when there was no Internet. You either went to the pound, answered newspaper adds or you went to dog shows and started looking at breeders. You asked questions, lots of questions and hoped in the end that you had gathered enough information to give you a good foundation for making a decision on the right puppy.

[K Frey]

Boy is that hard to do, though! I would much rather be able to visit a breeder than to have to rely on what is shown on a computer screen. I live in PA, so finding someone that is breeding reputably around here is hard. I was referred to Barleycroft Doodles, which is about 1 1/2 hrs from us. I called them to see if I could come out and visit and was told that they don't allow families to do so unless they are picking up a puppy. Mind you, the rationale was valid- she didn't want people bringing in diseases that her pups could pick up. AND, I was told, that her reputation was so good that most people didn't feel the need to go visit. Well, I was turned off right away! I want to see the facility for myself. Not to mention if you go on the PA Dept of Agriculture website and search breeders' kennel inspections- there were some reports of them having 45 or so dogs at one time, some of them with matted fur. That certainly doesn't give me the impression of a breeder who is providing the attention and care to her "beloved" dogs. I was also referred to Little Mountain Doodles in PA. I started looking through their website and came across a page of info on there that says almost verbatim what the Barleycroft page said. Why, I don't know. But it seems a little suspicious to me.
Anyway, my point being that it's been alot harder to find a breeder that I feel comfortable with than I thought it would be!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Dept. of Agriculture governs anyone who is breeding animals, including enormous commercial puppy mills, and they have overlooked some of the most egregious animal cruelty violations imaginable. There is absolutely no point in even looking at their website if you are looking for a quality breeder. The fact that any place has a satisfactory rating from the USDA means absolutely nothing, don't waste your time.

[K Frey]

Boy am I glad I asked for opinions! My gut really was telling me to avoid this breeder. It's been really hard trying to find a breeder who seems to be doing everything right. There are so many websites out there that make these breeders look good on the outside. But, man, when you start digging for more info and asking questions, the truth comes out!!
So the litter I was interested in was one from Zeke and Brandi. If you look on the "Upcoming Litters" page- http://www.fortheloveofdoodles.com/upcominglitters.html- you'll see pictures of both the sire and dam. There are test results for Zeke, but none for Brandi. I noticed the same thing with all the other litters they have available- one of the parents has no health test information. In Brandi's case, I was told that she is 4 years old and that they have no plans to do any testing on her at this point. That she'd had litters before and that the puppies were all fine. I guess if that helps them sleep at night...
This forum is so great... I don't know what I'd do without all of you! I just can't wait to actually have a puppy to speak of!:0)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Can I ask why you are not going through our Owner Recommended Breeders Group, and the Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Puppies for Sale groups here on DK? If you click on "Groups" up above, you will see all 3 of those groups at the top of page. To me, that would be a better place to start than just searching the internet; there are an awful lot of internet puppy mills out there, and unless you know what you're looking at, it would be very hard to know what kind of place it is just from looking at photographs; there are websites that use photos of dogs they don't even own.
We have a lot of great breeders here on DK, and the above mentioned groups require that the breeders test the parents. That would be a good place to start.

[K Frey]

Yeah, I have searched alot of the recommended breeders as well as Goldendoodles.com recommended breeders. The latter is where I found a lot of the ones I'd looked into. It all comes back to the fact that the breeders that I think seem to be reputable are too far away for us to travel to by car. It would require the puppy to be shipped, which I have hesitations over. I would rather be able to visit and see for myself, but I'm having no luck with breeders within a reasonable driving distance. That's not to say I've given up! It's just been harder than I thought it would be! I know our little furball is out there somewhere!;0)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with you, I would not want a puppy shipped, either. But I'm certain there must be a good breeder within driving distance, although it may require you to take a weekend and stay over somewhere. Goldendoodles. Com is not a good reference. There are good and bad breeders there, it is not a guarantee of quality. Just an ad site.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

We and many breeders will hand deliver puppies! Don't let your geography force you to get a puppy from a less than desirable breeder.

[K Frey]

That is why I started looking at Lakeshore, because they provide the option to have someone drive your puppy to you. That sounds better to me than having the puppy flown. But, then I still don't have the option to see the breeder's facility, which is why I asked about them on here. I'd feel okay going with a breeder who I couldn't visit if I found enough people testifying that they were reputable.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

I agree if you cant visit get references of those who have!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I understand your reluctance to be unable to see the breeder's personally and to ship pups. I did get both my dogs from distant breeders and they were both shipped to me. I could not be more satisfied but I understood I was taking a chance. I did check out the breeder's, spoke with them and researched the parent dogs. I know there are labradoodle breeders in your area, including one in your town I think who do health testing, etc. I unfortunately don't have any familiarity with goldendoodle breeders.