Why do some breeders let pups go at 6 weeks and others not until 8 or more?

In some states it is illegal to take a pup away from it’s dam before 8 weeks of age. They start eating gruel at 3 weeks, but most will still be sneaking a sip off mom for a good month after that. So for proper nutrition, and to maintain their immunities (which they get from Moms milk) until they can be vaccinated, allowing them to nurse is essential. Shots shouldn’t be given before 6 weeks and it takes time for the pups body to respond to the shots after they’re given.
Another major factor in my opinion is that during that extra 2 weeks, the pups are learning from mom how to be decent well adjusted dogs. If you’ve ever watched a pup attack it’s mother too roughly and seen her reaction you know that mother dogs will discipline their pups. They teach them when to back off, that they are NOT in charge and they have limits and expectations. After the pups leave mom they already understand when you say no to them that they must accept that. They have a good foundation to deal with the natural pecking order between themselves and other animals, and are more willing to be submissive when needed rather than become little bullies.
My pups don’t leave mom before 8 weeks and she decides when it’s time to wean them. The result is happier, healthier dogs. Usually toy breeds are older when leaving Mom because due to their size they’re more fragile and need that extra time.

How do I know what type of personality and temperament my puppy will have?

I interact with and spend a lot of time observing each litter from birth. I handle them every day and I watch them closely so I know which ones are more dominant, passive, playful, rough, affectionate, etc. I also usually see one or 2 that are the quickest learners and tend to reach all their milestones first and often lead the others into new things.
In our fall 2007 litter there was a single pup out of the 12 that always stood out from the rest. He was more curios, reasoned things out days before his littermates, and was by nature a leader. There was also a female that wanted nothing more than to cuddle and be pampered. She needed a bit of extra help when it came time to start eating puppy food because she was constantly pushed out by the more assertive pups. Both pups loved people, yet their basic personalities were very different. Only because I spent so much time with them was I able to see their place in the pack pecking order and help the correct families get the specific type of pup that best suited them.
Some breeders will tell you that’s it’s impossible to determine the basic personality type of a pup at this age… but I’ve had very positive feedback from those who’ve gotten my pups that what I saw in their pup is what they got. So I’m convinced it can be done… you simply need to spend the time with them to see it. This is one of the big reasons why I limit the number of litters I produce. I want to be able to spend this time with all of them and help to direct them into the right home where they’ll be enjoyed and spend their entire life. If their basic temperament and personality are a good fit, that is much more likely to happen.

What advantages are there to DNA testing dogs?

DNA Fingerprinting
A DNA fingerprint is literally your pet’s genetic serial number.
Having a record of your dog ‘s DNA fingerprint can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your pet is “your pet”. Even if your pet is a mutt, DNA testing can tell you many of the breeds in it’s ancestry.
DNA testing can screen for dozens of inherent, genetic diseases.
INCLUDING:
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Hypothyroidism with Goiter (HTG)
(Congenital Hypothyroidism)
Cystinuria (CYST)
Globoid Cell Leucodystrophy (GCL)
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL)
Phosphofructosokinase Deficiency (PFK)
Von Willebrand Disease (vWD)
Narcolepsy (NARC)
Cone degeneration (CD)
Canine Leucocyte Adhesion Deficiency (CLAD)
Hemophilia B (HmB)
Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
Myotonia Congenita (MC)
GMI Gangliosidosis (GMIG)
Retinal Dystrophy (prad)
SCID (DNA-PKc & DNA PKc2)
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VII (GUSB_NOSVVIII)
Thrombasthenic Thrombopathia (THROM)
Most dogs will test negative. This means they don’t carry the gene that causes a particular disease. Obviously, this is good news. Its also good information, particularly if you are a breeder, to know absolutely that your pet will not get the disease in the future.
Unfortunately, some pets will test positive or as a carrier of a bad gene. A positive result means your dog definitely has or will develop the disease in the future.
A carrier means that your pet does not have the bad gene(s) but could pass them to future offspring if bred with an animal also being a carrier of the particular disease.
As a breeder these are things I need to be aware of to be able to offer healthy pups.
DNA Color Traits
DNA tests can also show me for certain which color traits each of my dogs carry. With this information, I am able to take the guesswork out of producing litters with a good range of color. Some prefer white dogs, some chocolate, or apricot, etc. With this information I can better predict whether my black dams will produce anything other than an all black litter and whether my male is a good genetic match for my females.

Why are hybrid dogs priced just as high as purebreds?

It takes 2 purebred parents to produce a purebred pup. It also takes 2 purebred parents (even if they’re of different breeds) to produce a hybrid. Since hybrid breeders like myself are on a mission to eliminate a lot of what we object to in purebreds, it costs us to do the testing, we have to learn a basic knowledge about genetics and be able to screen out any dogs that don’t fit the criteria. I don’t take “just any” purebred dogs and put them together like some opponents of hybrid breeding believe all hybrid breeders do. I take this business very seriously and put my heart and soul and long hours into doing it the right way.
In the past year I’ve gotten 2 pure bred poodle males… one had to be put down because of a genetic defect.
I’ve bought 4 pure bred lab females… One was barren, 2 were not old enough to breed yet. After purchasing and caring for all these dogs I’ve had one litter to show for it.
I still need to feed them, vaccinate and worm them, house and care for them, am in the process of DNA/OFA/CERF testing them and have to keep learning all I can about them to be sure I’m doing the best I can to make this a good life for the dogs while providing quality pups to my buyers. I offer guarantees so if I mess up I will be paying for it. The majority of pure bred hobby breeders don’t go to the lengths that I do to raise good pups. It all comes with a price, and still I charge less than many for pups out of health tested parents.

What is meant by multigeneration Labradoodles?

When first introduced to North American breeders, multigeneration Labradoodles were given this Lab-Poodle breeding program as the breeding model. It suggested that Poodles should be reintroduced into the early generations:
Original multigeneration program (Standard terms)
Poodle X Lab = F1 Labradoodle
F1 X F1 =F2
F1 X Poodle =F1b (b means they were bred back to poodles)
F2 X F2 = F3
F2 X Poodle =F2b
Above this are multi-gens…
In Australia where Labradoodles originated, they were infused with several different breeds. The Austrailian Labradoodles are quite different from the American Labradoodles, which include only Lab and Poodle lines. It can get very complicated once you get past the first few generations and that’s where controversy can start, so I will just stick with those. It’s unlikely most will ever need to know more, but if you do there’s plenty of information online to check out; unfortunately, according to Beverly Manners, one of the original Australian Labradoodle breeders and the woman who was instrumental in getting them recognized as a breed therre, much of the information is false or inaccurate..
Most North American breeders stick with only Poodles and Labs, but a few are venturing out into the multigenerational breeding. Of course as the generations rise, so do the prices of the pups since it takes many years to breed more generations into them.
I personally prefer to stay with the original generation, so offer only F1 Labradoodles.

What’s the advantage to hybrids rather than pure bred dogs?

As evidenced in MANY pure breeds, there has been a lot of careless and thoughtless breeding that has led to a lot of genetic problems being rampant. Liver shunts, renal disease, blindness, deafness, bad backs, elbows, hips and so on are often the result. The dogs suffer, the owners are heartbroken, and everyone loses.
Since many genetic problems require that both parents carry the faulty gene in order to pass it on, if you’re breeding 2 distinctly different breeds you can eliminate a lot of that. For example with Juvenile Real Disease… which is what stole my poodle Moses; JRD requires both parents to carry the gene to pass it on and thank God Labradors don’t get it. So even though Moses died of it, his pups are safe. If I had bred him with a poodle it could have been devastating.
This is one reason why I require my pups to be spayed or neutered before they can breed. With them being half poodle, they might carry the disease but won’t get it. They could however, pass it on to their pups if they were bred with a poodle who was also a carrier. Sadly, there is no test yet to prove who carries it and who doesn’t, so we must act on the side of caution.
The same is true of other genetic issues, so in eliminating them through hybridizing we can guarantee healthier dogs who will live longer and happier lives. This is what’s known as “hybrid vigor”.

Why are dog breeders so afraid to speak out?

Between PETA and other various animal rights organizations, dog breeders are painted to be some cold-hearted money-grubbing bottom feeders who make a living off the abuse of animals.
Farmers raise cattle, pigs, chickens, and so on and are seen as the “salt of the earth” types. Their lifestyles are glorified in movies and most often they’re portrayed as humble, honest, loving folk. Horse breeders can sell their animals for huge prices and gain world wide acclaim for it. Not so with dog breeders.
So why is it different for dog breeders? PETA’s goal is to eliminate pet ownership entirely. If they can convince people that breeding dogs is shameful, their battle is half won. If they had their way, no one would own a dog… no dogs would exist! Does that sound like a group that loves animals?
They scream about the huge number of dogs that are in shelters and have to be euthanized each year… but don’t advertise the fact that their shelters are among the highest kill rates known. They’ve been proven to kill dogs before their owners have time to even pick them up or anyone has a chance to adopt them. Their kill rate is over 90% in many areas!
A responsible breeder health tests their dogs, carefully chooses the parents for health, temperament, personality and intelligence. If you’re looking for a puppy, isn’t that the kind of effort you WANT put into their breeding?
Most dogs aren’t show dogs or working dogs. Many more are simply beloved family pets .
The dogs in shelters aren’t there because of over breeding, they’re there because of careless, thoughtless owners who either haven’t trained the dogs so can no longer stand to live with their bad behavior; who have neglected to spay or neuter their pets so end up with unplanned litters; who’s life has taken an unexpected turn so they can no longer keep the dog; etc. HAD they gotten the pup from a reputable breeder who always takes back any dogs produced in their kennel, they would never have gone to the shelter. The responsible breeder would have gotten the dog back and found a decent home for them or kept them themselves.
Dogs have been family companions for longer than any of us can remember. When properly cared for, they live happy lives with people who truly care for them.
So what happens when responsible breeders are afraid to speak out? Puppy millers flourish! They do everything on the cheap, including the food and medical care the dogs need. They crowd the dogs into wire pens and treat them like items rather than beloved beings. They sell to pet shops and other mills so they never have to deal with the public reaction to their way of raising dogs. For each responsible breeder that hides, a puppy miller is able to grow their business.
I don’t work my dogs; I don’t show them; and I am a responsible breeder. My goal is to produce healthy, well tempered animals that can be therapy dogs, and wonderful family pets. I SELL them and try to make a bit of income because I put a lot of time and effort into doing things the right way and deserve to be paid for that. I refuse to hide and am proud of what I do. I encourage others who have been shamed into hiding to step up and speak out too. We do provide a valuable service that can change lives and improve a system that’s really fallen into bad hands.
Stand tall beside me. Be proud when you do the right thing . Lets work together to educate and correct the MISinformation that’s being stuffed down peoples throats. It’s high time the record was set straight.