F.A.Qs
1) What is a "responsible" breeder?
a- Has a bond with their dogs
b-Provides exercise and mental stimulation, health care, grooming, a proper diet, clean water, and a comfortable place to sleep.
c- Puppies and socialized in a home setting and are familiar with the environment they are intended to live in.
d- A breeder will provide documentation of any health visits, the parents, registration, and guidance where needed.
e- Your puppy can be returned to the care of the breeder for any reason and at any time. (This does not mean you entitled to a refund, but that no breeder wants their dogs to end up in a shelter or on the street and they will care about the dog for its lifetime.)
2) Why do poodles cost so much?
A poodle from health tested and titled parents should cost around $2000 -$3500. This will vary with location, titles, and amount of health testing. Pet shops and commercial breeders charge far more than this and have neither health testing nor titles. If you are unprepared for the cost you should consider a dog from rescue, that may cost around $800. Raising proper litters with good food is an expensive undertaking. If that is still too expensive than I suggest you get a goldfish.
3) How do I pick up a puppy from across the U.S.?
It may be possible to arrange for a flight nanny or even ground transport if you are unable to come in person to pick up your puppy. Always ask as there are several options running from $450 to 1k, depending on mode of transportation. A flight nanny will usually cost far more but get you a puppy within a day of pick up. A van transport may take a week or two to schedule and a few days to arrive after pick up. Consider this when selecting a puppy.
4) What is so special about poodles?
Poodles are the most intelligent and in tune breed I have worked with. I have other singular dogs from other breeds that have these traits, but they are not typical of those breeds overall. I consider the most well-rounded and whole package for a family dog.
5)Is the grooming difficult?
Its easy to learn but hard to master. If you want a fantastic show groom then go to a groomer that knows poodles. But an average person can utilize clippers to shave down their dog every couple months, as I normally do. And when you use a hair dryer to blow out the hair after a bath it stays nice and fluffy for several weeks. There are numerous online resources on how to groom and you shouldn't be scared of doing a bad job. I promise it grows back.
5) What is the best method of training a poodle?
I think this holds true for most dogs, but the answer is positive reinforcement. There are times that with holding a reward (negative reinforcement) is required. But I have included some links to get you started in thinking about how to train your dog. I also include a dog training book with each puppy to help you learn the basics.
HEALTH TESTING
The breed clubs have established the types of health clearances expected of members before a dog is bred. The OFA keeps track of these tests and they are available for the public to view. Aside from genetic testing for disease like PRA, most of these tests are snap shots in time and they only tell you that the dog in question, the parent of your pup, is not suffering from a disorder. They cannot guarantee that offspring will never be affected, but at the time of breeding the dogs were healthy. Health clearances are vital to maintaining dogs, however, they are not absolute. No breeder can claim that their dogs will never suffer from any disease, even a genetic one. We simply do not know enough about genetics. Good breeders do their best to minimize these issues through testing, which runs around $1,500 per dog. A good breeder wants to know about the lifelong health of the dogs they bred, so you should let them know if something occurs no matter how old your puppy is at the time. I also look at the genetic haplotypes of a dog and potential breeding as conducted by UC Davis and archived in BetterBred.
There are many environmental conditions that can cause health problems. Too much exercise at a young age, injury, poor nutrition, over vaccination, and toxins can all cause the development of issues that a dog is not genetically predisposed to such as autoimmune disease, hip displaysia, and cancer. A good place to research minimal vaccine protocols is on Dr. Jean Dodds website. Many veterinarians are seeing the dangers of annual vaccinations, and so if you are at odds with your own vet about how to properly handle vaccines you should interview another one. Find a vet that works for you, since you are paying them. You can google search for homeopathic vets in your area.
I use different vets for different things. I use a local vet for routine check-ups on my older dogs because they do not mind being handled by strangers. My two working dogs go to a homeopathic vet who allows me to stay in the room for all procedures. I utilize a larger hospital for breeding requirements or emergencies. Previously I have been lucky to have homeopathic vets that are also in a larger emergency setting. With some digging you can find the right vet for you.
There are many environmental conditions that can cause health problems. Too much exercise at a young age, injury, poor nutrition, over vaccination, and toxins can all cause the development of issues that a dog is not genetically predisposed to such as autoimmune disease, hip displaysia, and cancer. A good place to research minimal vaccine protocols is on Dr. Jean Dodds website. Many veterinarians are seeing the dangers of annual vaccinations, and so if you are at odds with your own vet about how to properly handle vaccines you should interview another one. Find a vet that works for you, since you are paying them. You can google search for homeopathic vets in your area.
I use different vets for different things. I use a local vet for routine check-ups on my older dogs because they do not mind being handled by strangers. My two working dogs go to a homeopathic vet who allows me to stay in the room for all procedures. I utilize a larger hospital for breeding requirements or emergencies. Previously I have been lucky to have homeopathic vets that are also in a larger emergency setting. With some digging you can find the right vet for you.
FEEDING
As of January we went totally raw. After experimenting with a few options, and making my own food wasn't one of them, we settled on Answers Pet Food. We have seen a marked reduction in health issues, no need to brush teeth, and better weight control. Raw feeding can be expensive, but this brand gave us the added benefit of not producing plastic trash to go in a landfill. Others we have tried are BJs raw food and RawFedK9 but they both have plastic that is not recyclable. (most plastics are incinerated)
If I had to pick a dry kibble it would be OpenFarm. First and foremost, for environmental reasons. Through TerraCycle the company pay to have their food bags returned and recycled. There are a few other high end dog food companies that utilize this service. Dog food bags do not count as number 1 or 2 plastics and are burned or placed in landfills. That means that every time you feed your dog you pollute the Earth we live on. OpenFarm takes responsibility for recycling those bags, and on top of that they ethically source all their proteins. In today's world the commercial production on meat for human consumption produces an unbearable amount of waste and causes severe water pollution. While my family no longer eats meat, our dogs need to. It matters where your products are sourced and the impact they have on the environment is minimalized.
Paying the higher price for better food will decrease your vet bills by promoting a healthy immune system. The best food is that one you can afford, just be aware that there is always a trade off.
If I had to pick a dry kibble it would be OpenFarm. First and foremost, for environmental reasons. Through TerraCycle the company pay to have their food bags returned and recycled. There are a few other high end dog food companies that utilize this service. Dog food bags do not count as number 1 or 2 plastics and are burned or placed in landfills. That means that every time you feed your dog you pollute the Earth we live on. OpenFarm takes responsibility for recycling those bags, and on top of that they ethically source all their proteins. In today's world the commercial production on meat for human consumption produces an unbearable amount of waste and causes severe water pollution. While my family no longer eats meat, our dogs need to. It matters where your products are sourced and the impact they have on the environment is minimalized.
Paying the higher price for better food will decrease your vet bills by promoting a healthy immune system. The best food is that one you can afford, just be aware that there is always a trade off.
Cost
Breeding dogs is expensive. Breeding health tested dogs that have a great temperament and proven background is even more so. You should expect to pay between $2500-$3500 for such a puppy. You may be shocked to find that even puppy mill dogs in pet stores, without selective health testing or breeding cost the same.
An average standard poodle litter is 7, lets say.
Minimally health testing the dam is at least $1500. It would be impossible to calculate the money spent on training and titling, but lets just say by 2 years old you've spent $200 per event and it takes 6 events to get a single title. If you went to one training seminar it was 2k.
Progesterone testing during the heat cycle is $150 a test, and you need at least 4-5. Then there is the stud fee, usually the cost of a puppy, and more if you have to collect chilled semen and have it shipped, which is $800 and then the vet fee to preform the AI which is around $500. Then there is the ultrasound to confirm and an X-ray to predict number of pups. Another $400.
If nothing goes wrong you have a poodle momma who is eating a lot more, and then 7 little pups eating food. They will need a vet check and round of vaccinations, $100 a puppy. Lets not start on the grooming of 7 poodle puppies... Since I feed raw and the pups get raw and fresh cooked food like goat milk, the grocery cost during pregnancy and whelping is around 2k. Breeders, even if they don't feed raw will give the best available food and supplements to ensure health and recovery of their dogs.
All in I am looking at $12,350 just to breed my dog, minimally health tested with only a single title. This does not include the cost of my dog's or the puppies' food. Nothing about my time, gas, supplies, or sanity. It doesn't account for emergencies and there is no dog health insurance that covers breeders, so its all out of pocket in the hopes I will find proper homes for the puppies. Then there is what the tax man will want from any earnings I may have.
If I have 7 puppies, then I could presume to recover around 5k. If I have only 5 puppies then you can see where the margins shrink to nothing. Breeding is far more a labor of love than a business. And I use the word "recover" because in actuality I have paid far more than that to train my dogs. I do more than minimal health testing, and I spend countless hours working out the best matches and talking to potential puppy homes. Sometimes a breeding doesn't take and you just have to move forward and try again.
The only way to make puppies a successful business it to forgo the health testing and assume no responsibility for puppies you produce, which is the case in all pet stores, puppy mills, and bark yard breeders. Thus, responsible breeders are not making money. They breed for the love of the dog and the breed. You should expect to pay for the hard work and lifetime support that a good breeder provides. In reality, you make out far better from a responsible breeder than from any other source.
An average standard poodle litter is 7, lets say.
Minimally health testing the dam is at least $1500. It would be impossible to calculate the money spent on training and titling, but lets just say by 2 years old you've spent $200 per event and it takes 6 events to get a single title. If you went to one training seminar it was 2k.
Progesterone testing during the heat cycle is $150 a test, and you need at least 4-5. Then there is the stud fee, usually the cost of a puppy, and more if you have to collect chilled semen and have it shipped, which is $800 and then the vet fee to preform the AI which is around $500. Then there is the ultrasound to confirm and an X-ray to predict number of pups. Another $400.
If nothing goes wrong you have a poodle momma who is eating a lot more, and then 7 little pups eating food. They will need a vet check and round of vaccinations, $100 a puppy. Lets not start on the grooming of 7 poodle puppies... Since I feed raw and the pups get raw and fresh cooked food like goat milk, the grocery cost during pregnancy and whelping is around 2k. Breeders, even if they don't feed raw will give the best available food and supplements to ensure health and recovery of their dogs.
All in I am looking at $12,350 just to breed my dog, minimally health tested with only a single title. This does not include the cost of my dog's or the puppies' food. Nothing about my time, gas, supplies, or sanity. It doesn't account for emergencies and there is no dog health insurance that covers breeders, so its all out of pocket in the hopes I will find proper homes for the puppies. Then there is what the tax man will want from any earnings I may have.
If I have 7 puppies, then I could presume to recover around 5k. If I have only 5 puppies then you can see where the margins shrink to nothing. Breeding is far more a labor of love than a business. And I use the word "recover" because in actuality I have paid far more than that to train my dogs. I do more than minimal health testing, and I spend countless hours working out the best matches and talking to potential puppy homes. Sometimes a breeding doesn't take and you just have to move forward and try again.
The only way to make puppies a successful business it to forgo the health testing and assume no responsibility for puppies you produce, which is the case in all pet stores, puppy mills, and bark yard breeders. Thus, responsible breeders are not making money. They breed for the love of the dog and the breed. You should expect to pay for the hard work and lifetime support that a good breeder provides. In reality, you make out far better from a responsible breeder than from any other source.
