Choosing a Good Australian Labradoodle Breeder

Does the breeder seem knowledgeable?

Check out their website. Do they provide good information about Australian Labradoodles? Have they been able to answer all your questions thoroughly, and are you comfortable with those answers?

Are their puppies sold with a pedigree?

All Australian Labradoodle puppies should have a pedigree. Just because they are not registered with the Kennel Club doesn’t mean that the breeder doesn’t know the lineage and the history of the dogs they are breeding. You can read more about this here. Don’t accept excuses such as “they’re a crossbreed, so they don’t have a pedigree” – it is NOT true!

Have the puppies’ parents been health tested, and can you see the certificates?

All Australian Labradoodles should be hip scored, elbow scored, prcdPRA tested and eye tested at the very minimum prior to being bred from. This is extremely important and there is no excuse for not having these tests carried out. You can read about our health testing protocols here.

Does the breeder provide a contract of sale and a guarantee?

If the breeder provides a genetic health guarantee, this shows that they have confidence in the health of the puppies that they are producing.

Ask if you can meet your puppy’s parents.

The mother should be available for you to meet and if she isn’t you should ask yourself why. In some instances, the mother may live in a Family Care Home and you cannot expect her family to give up their time to meet with you. However, you should be able to meet her at the time when you have your first visit to meet the puppies (before they are fully weaned). The father should also be available to be seen, providing he is owned by the breeder that you are buying your puppy from and lives on site. Often though, the father is owned by another breeder, and in that case you cannot expect to be given the opportunity to meet him. However, his health test certificates and photographs should be available for inspection.

Some breeders will be proud to show you where the puppies have been raised whilst other will not allow you to enter the area in which they raise their litters.

In the former scenario, the majority of customers would feel more comfortable because they can see for themselves that their puppy was in a suitable and clean environment. However, there is a very legitimate reason for breeders disallowing customers to enter the area in which they raise their puppies, and that is to reduce the risk of infection. Young puppies are very susceptible to picking up infections and many good breeders will not allow you to enter the area where they raise their puppies because they don’t know where you have been, and they don’t know what you cold be carrying in on your hands, feet and clothing. Don’t be offended if you are asked to stand on a disinfectant mat and to wash your hands before handling puppies. This is simply good practice. If you are concerned that you have not been allowed into the area where the puppies were raised, ask the breeder to see their license. If they hold a current license, the local authorities will have inspected the premises to ensure compliance with their strict regulations on hygiene and suitability.

Does the breeder breed full-time, or do they have another job?

The thought of your puppy being raised by an in-home “breeder” who has just one or two litters in the year may be very appealing but ask yourself this – does the breeder have another job? If they do, are their puppies being left home-alone from 8am – 6pm, and are you comfortable with that? At Lomond Hills, we don’t have other time-consuming jobs, breeding Australian Labradoodles is what we do full-time.

Has the breeder asked you many questions?

Caring breeders will ask prospective customers quite a few questions to make sure that they are going to be able to provide a permanent and loving home for one of their puppies. This may be done by phone call, in person at the time of a visit, or possibly by means of an application form or questionnaire. If you haven’t been asked any questions, beware!

Have the puppies been regularly wormed?

By the time puppies reach the age at which they are ready for collection, they should have been wormed at least two or three times, and the breeder should be able to provide information detailing this.

Will the breeder provide you with advice on how to look after your puppy?

This suggests that they show a degree of care for the future of their puppies.

Has the breeder asked you to keep in touch and let them know if you have any problems?

Again, this shows that the breeder has a genuine interest in their puppies as they mature.

Does the breeder provide a contract of sale and a guarantee?

If the breeder provides a genetic health guarantee, this shows that they have confidence in the health of the puppies that they are producing.

If you’re buying an Australian Labradoodle puppy as a family pet, will the breeder have your puppy speyed/neutered prior to you taking him or her home?

If not, we would suggest that you be very cautious as the breeder may not be selling you the genuine ‘article’. The vast majority of good Australian Labradoodle breeders have all their pet puppies speyed/neutered before they leave them – this is how the lines are protected and the only fool-proof breeders have been making sure their dogs don’t end up in the hands of ‘puppy farms’. If in doubt – give us a call and we will be happy to offer advice.