[Tink]

I see very few labradoodles advertised in my area, so when I do of course it sparks my interest. I decided to call and introduce myself and get a feel for what's happening with doodles in my area.

One breeder seemed very well put together. Her dogs were tested, she's had previous litters and has pictures and a website for me to see. She's breeding for f1s and has had a tough time finding buyers at $500 a piece.
She offers a 2 yr guaratantee

Another was asking $250 per pup. She has 4 pups that are 4 months old, admitted they've got a bit of a spaniel look to them and she's started questioning the parentage of her dam (who isn't registered). Her dogs are not checked for eyes, hips, etc and she offers no guarantee.

For the huge difference in what they're offering, the price difference is minute. That they're both finding it difficult to sell their pups was the common theme. They both offered me to come visit and said they'd make me "a deal" if I was interested.

Do the rest of you network in your area with other labradoodle folk? How do you find them? I didn't find either conversation terribly encouraging as I sit here with possibly 2 bred dams.

 

[holly]

I would not take them up on their

offer to let you have their puppies - how can your possibly offer a health guarantee on puppies that you do not raise yourself - this could end up hurting you in the long run. I know that we wish that we could rescue all the doodle that are popping up from inexperienced breeders, however I would simply suggest that they contact IDOG and she will help find them good homes. As far as, the market on F1 Labradoodles I think it just depends upon the color and the sex and if your doodles end up with the "doodle look" - so many experienced breeders have moved up in generations due to the inconsistent looks that F1 Labradoodles can have and the fact that the majority do shed and are not as allergy friendly as we would have liked to see. I think the average price for a F1 Labradoodle from tested parents has gone down I see the majority of them being listed for $500.00 and lower and even then they take much longer to place especially for new breeders.

Good luck and if you have any other questions or I can help in any way feel free to call or email me anytime
Holly
http://www.fourpawsdoodles.com

 

[FredAnderson]

Portland area prices

I have seen F1Bs advertised in our paper from $500 to $1200. I did not check out the web sites. The last few days there were no Labradoodle ads.

It would be interesting to check the paper in your area and see what's out there, i.e. price, color, background or parents, CKC registered with AKC registered parents, testing and warranty.

I will check Sunday's Oregonian and make a few calls between gruelaritas if Roxy will get of the phone long enough for me to use it. (She's trying to get a job at the DMV or Bank of America in customer service, either place she would raise the collective IQ.)

 

[MaxandMe]

here in western (buffalo, Rochester, syracuse) NY Labradoodles are less then Goldendoodles now

Labradoodles go for $500 to $1000 and Goldendoodles $750 to $1500
on the average

 

[gracielou]

The problem I see here is these people did not do their homework before they started breeding which is a big No No. To me it sounds like another breeder or breeders thinking lets jump on the money wagen and now they are finding out the money wagen has no wheels and they are actually going to have to :shock: work!

Sorry :roll: I've just heard this story way to many times in the last few years.

I would not buy or take their dogs I agree with Holly you have no idea what you are getting no matter what they look like. I would suggest IDog for them also. You could ruin your business trying to fix theirs.

 

[Tink]

Thanks all. I have no intention of buying pups from either of them right now.
I don't think the one is bad, she's had the testing done, and seemed to know what she was talking about. She offered the guarantee, was quite able to answer my questions and was willing to have me visit to see her dogs.

I have my hands plenty full right now with what I have. I just find it interesting to talk with others in my general area to see how it's going for them and what they have to offer.

 

[movistar]

I did probably two years of research before breeding my first litter. (and still needed Jac!!!!) I am always amazed at the lack of planning that people put into researching and raising a litter. I surely wouldn't open a business without a sound business plan and researching the market prior to.

call 10 labradoodle (dare I say breeders) in the paper and ask what generation they have, do they shed, and what generation makes a full blooded labradoodle. my bet is one MAYBE will know the answer. pretty sad.

 

[Maureen]

Tink, I love to network with breeders in my area!
I may have said this before, but I have a motto: We can be competition, or we can be colleagues. I prefer the latter. Some ARE more competitive, and talk with me so they can get info from me, and others are truly team players and not threatened.

I hope you can network and encourage each other, with the breeder who tests. I tend to agree with Linda about the one with no testing, and even questioning the background of her breeding stock.

Spending time in research and looking at advertising is a big deal. So is setting up a website to get clientele beyond the classified ads.

Email me if you like, anytime!

 

[Tink]

Thanks all
I'm told I tend to overthink things, so am glad to know I'm not alone in how I feel about this. Luckily dh agrees with me that "anyone can do it, but it takes a bit of effort to do it right".

I have a friend who builds websites professionally, and she's just waiting for my pics etc to get mine started for me. At this point I only have pics of my Labs and my SP, so have put things on hold til we have some actual pups to show off.

My vet's given me a bunch of literature on breeding, whelping, after care, and timelines, etc. A bit of a refresher course since it's been a lot of years since I bred dogs. I wanted to make sure I have a good working relationship with him and that I have his support should I need it.

 

[gracielou]

Having a good Vet is so important and one that will listen to you, not one who just wants you to listen to them. I know they are very smart but they don't know our dogs like we do, so they have to be willing to listen as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Tink]

I agree whole heartedly Linda. I'm not one to just sit back quietly, so they have got to be able to listen to deal with me. lol

I've raised 3 kids, and always had dogs, cats, and usually horses, so have learned to give my opinion and ask what ever questions I have freely. My fav vet has known me for at least 15 yrs. He's a really caring, good guy who I trust and can talk to easily.

 

[gracielou]

My Vet I have now I've had since 2004 the Vet I had before that didn't like the fact I started breeding Labradoodles :x :roll: so I started looking of course!

I found him purely by just picking up the phone book and looking and thought I will keep looking till I find one I can deal with. I got lucky and found him the first pick! :wink:

 

[Maureen]

you have a great vet!

Now, I do have good vet experiences and I even have 2 that are very reasonably priced! How's that for a big deal?

I actually tell puppy clients that it never hurts to have your pup in the files of more than one vet....you never know when you will be needing one, while the other isn't available. That happened to me when I had a mom-dog who was dying from a uterine infection, so I don't hesitate to have more than one vet with my files.

 

[Tink]

Maureen, that's a really good idea. The clinic where my 2 fav vets are is about 3 miles from me and as I said I've worked with them for many years.

I've also contacted a vet who I think I like about 20 miles away. He will hopefully be my back up if the other 2 aren't available. I have to say though that I have yet to need help with an animal and not be able to get one or the other of my regular guys. It's lucky they're in the same clinic. There are 2 more there as well who I just don't know as well... I believe they deal mainly with larger farm animals, which I no longer have.

 

[Tink]

This week there were 5 ads for Labradoodles that I found. They range from $350 - $750 for F1s. I really enjoy calling and introducing myself to others and finding out where they're at in their breeding. I figure the more people I talk to, the more I have a chance to learn.