[Unitedrn]

Hi,
We are about 9months to a year from getting our first family dog We have looked at many breeds and I think we have now focused primarily on the Labradoodle! We have a 3 year old daughter and a 5 year old son who would make awesome caregivers to a new addition. We are in the Rockford, IL area and hope to find a breeder nearby. I have spoken with Theresa from Wilson Creek Kennels in Wisconsin and was very impressed with her answers and demeanor overall. I have always been a cautious person and realize that you never really know if you are getting the real truth on a subject. I am looking for anyone out there who may have bought from her and what your experience was like. Pictures of your dogs would be wonderful to see! I was also wondering about barking. We have about an acre of land that we would get an electric fence for, but at the end our property we have a walking path. We have lots of people walking in the summer and I don't want a dog that will be barking at them. Any help with how to train them not to bark or if you find that barking is not much of issue would be great. Thank you in advance!
Kim

 

[dixiedi]

Hi Kim, I can't comment on Wilson Creek Kennels since I haven't heard of them but that doesn't mean they aren't reputable. Just make sure you check their references and get their veterinarian's contact info. Good luck in your search for a Labradoodle, they ROCK!!

 

[Unitedrn]

Di and Niki,

Thanks for the info. Would the vet be able to disclose information regarding the breeders dogs? Is their a confidentialty thing like with hospitals? What sort of questions should I ask the vet? What would be a 'red flag'? Thanks.
Kim

 

[dixiedi]

Hi Kim, if the breeder seems the least bit irritated that you have asked for references, that is a red flag. They should be more than happy to supply you with references of past puppy buyers and their vet. A breeder has to have a veterinarian that they work very closely with and any veterinarian should be very willing to recommend a breeder that has done health testing on their dogs, kept their breeding dogs up to date on their shots, has their dogs on heartworm preventative, etc. The vet will have done puppy checks on the puppies and can tell you if there have been any health issues with the parents or with any of the puppies. I hope this helps

 

[K9Summer]

Kim-
I'm sorry but I haven't heard of Wilson Creek Kennels. You said that you're in the Rockford area- I'm from Aurora/Naperville. We got our F1 caramel colored labradoodle from a woman in southern Illinois (Cedar Hill Labradoodles) and we had a wonderful experience with her. You can private message me or e-mail me at [email protected] if you'd like more info. I'd be happy to talk to you. Good luck and welcome to the labradoodle family!

Bridget and Summer

 

[CindyB]

Kim,

I, too, have talked with Theresa of Wilson Creek, but for a different reason. I have a litter due (any day!) and wanted some thoughts from an experienced breeder. She was extremely helpful--even though I could have potentially been a competitor for her market. She is very knowledgeable and truly seems to care for her dogs.

A friend of ours bought one of Theresa's dogs in September. The experience they had was great, and their doodle is a real sweetheart.

Good luck!

--C

 

[Tinaweena]

Seems nobody really touched on the barking issue yet, so I will.
My mom just babysat my little Boone for a week while we were in Florida. She said that he is the quietest dog she's even been around.
We are very hard-pressed to get him to bark. They just don't seem to be a vocal breed.
Also, you can help keep them this way. If/when you get your pup, if it barks, pay it no attention. Dogs generally bark to get something they want from you, be it affection, that snack in your hand...etc. If you do the opposite, which would be to immediately ignore the dog when it barks, they will soon realise barking gets them nowhere.
I've been around a few doodles, and can't really say I remember what any of them "sound" like, since they just don't seem to bark! ....but you can never forget those faces!

 

[Unitedrn]

Thanks everyone! We have spoken with so many wonderful breeders (at least from a personalily standpoint), and plan on doing some visits here in the next couple of months. Chicago Labradoodles is planning a litter of mini/medium multi-gen that might look interesting to us. Shauna has invited out to visit and we are going to go out there soon. There is so much to learn about these dogs and what to expect. We are so glad we are waiting for a while so we don't make any impulse decisions and know exactly what we are getting. Thanks for the info on the barking. This a huge concern for us, but it appears that it is a minimal concern if controlled early. Thanks again,
Kim

 

[dixiedi]

Hi Kim, what an exciting time for you! You are being very wise to take your time, visit with different breeders and make sure you get the doodle you want. Be sure to let us know when you make your final decision. Have fun

 

[IllinoisBob]

Hi. I am close to Rockford and also am beginning to look at breeders. The first place I noticed on the internet is Burr Oak Kennels in Endeavor, WI. I have written a couple times to them to get ideas. One thing I noticed in another thread here is that it is hard to find labradoodles for under $2500. Whereas, they were listing them from $900, $1200, and higher.

Best,
Bob

 

[dixiedi]

Hi Bob, the price of a Labradoodle will vary with the generation you are looking for. The higher prices of 2500.00 is for the multi-gen Labradoodles. You can find F1's usually from 800.00 up and F1B's from 1,000.00 up. Good luck in your search for a Labradoodle, they are the BEST

 

[Unitedrn]

Bob,

Welcome to the forum. I also looked into the breeder you mentioned in Endeaver,WI, and felt they weren't the right breeder for me. The lady at Wilson Creek Kennels (Teresa) in Wisconsin was wonderful. She breeds F1 Labradoodles for $750. We decided we wanted a mini Labradoodle so we choose to go with a lady in Seattle (Less Shedding in Seattle Labradoodles) and have since placed a deposit for a litter due at the middle/end of summer. Her cost was $1800 and we went with the mini F1b generation. We are extremely happy with our decision and can't wait to be puppy owners. We live in Poplar Grove (not too far from you). You can email me at [email protected] if you want to know more information about the breeders I have spoken with (likes and dislikes). I don't want to post anything negative about anyone on an open forum! Good luck with your search. There is lots of information on this forum! Take care,

Kim

 

[IllinoisBob]

Thanks,

I am patient and still studying.

 

[gracielou]

Hi and welcome I'm a breeder but one comment you made I did not understand you said (Less shedding in Seattle Labradoodles) am I missing something here is it a joke? Just wondered if you could let me know. :?

 

[gracielou]

Okay now I know someone PM me and told me that Less Shedding In Seattle is a breeder I guess that just wnet fright over my head sorry wasn't trying to be mean or anything just didn't understand. :?

 

[Unitedrn]

Hi,

It's actually 'Shed Less in Seattle Labradoodles"-
http://seattlelabradoodles.com/index.html I mixed up the name a little

 

[laroesch]

Wilson Creek Kennels in Wisconsin

I just joined the forum, mainly so I could reply to the inquiry about Wilson Creek Kennels. I know the message was posted a while ago, but are you still looking for information? We just got a labradoodle puppy from Teresa three weeks ago, and I'd be happy to discuss my experience. He is an amazing puppy already and has the most wonderful temperament. He rarely barks and is very mellow, even with 5 kids ranging in age from 7 to 18 coming and going. We're very pleased with our decision and our new puppy.

 

[Maureen]

hey Kim did you ever find your perfect Doodle?

 

[Unitedrn]

We did end up rehoming a year old white labradoodle( 45 pounds). She is excellent. She came to us housebroken, crate trained, not food aggressive, doesn't chew and is excellent with our kids. We got her in April- Belle is her name. Thank you to the previous post about having a great experience with Teresa. We live close enough for me to let others know about your experience and to contact you if they plan on adopting a puppy from Teresa. Thanks everyone for your continued support and advice. Belle has been a true blessing to our family. We are going to try to get to a romp here soon with all the other Illinois families. Our kids soccer, baseball, and swimming schedules are hard to work around. Take care,

Kim

 

[lisarundell]

Kim, where are you in Illinois? we have been to two of the romps and Lani love it. We just got our 2nd doodle last Monday, Toby is 12 weeks old and Lani is 6mo today. Would love to meet you and Belle at the next romp! Enjoy doodles are absoutely wonderful, congratulations!