| What is the size difference of miniatures, mediums and standards? |
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Miniatures mature between 14 and 16 inches and weigh around 16 to 25
pounds; medium Labradoodles mature at 17 to 20 inches and weigh
between 30 to 40 pounds; and standards are 21 to 24 inches and usually
weigh between 50 to 65 pounds. It's important to note that the
Australian Labradoodle is a young and developing breed and that the
prediction of size is an approximate only.
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| Do you allow visits to see the puppies? |
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Yes, we do. We wait until the puppies have had their first set of
shots at six weeks and then we are happy to set up visitation.
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| Can we visit your kennel? |
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While we welcome a visit, we do not have a kennel. All of our
breeding dogs either live with us or they live in guardian homes.
When a mother dog is ready to have her puppies, they come to stay in
one of our homes until their puppies are ready to go home.
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| Can we come and pick out our puppy? |
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Yes, we allow you to pick out your puppy. We, of course, will have
suggestions for you. Sometimes a family can come and pick out a puppy
and they think a puppy is really calm and laid back when actually the
puppy is tired. We've had weeks of watching the puppies, and we've
gotten pretty good at matching puppies with the right families. The
order in which picks are made is based on the order in which we
receive your deposit. We reserve breeder's choice in every litter.
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| Can you ship our puppy to us? |
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Yes. Living in Houston has its advantages. It's very simple for us
to ship a puppy to any major U.S. airport and usually runs around $300 to
$350, including crate and health certificate. We use Continental's
QUICKPAK service, and they do a wonderful job transporting animals in
their climate-controlled cargo space.
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| What's included in the cost of my puppy? |
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All puppies are microchipped, spayed/neutered, up-to-date on shots and
wormings and come with a two-year genetic health guarantee. They have
seen our vet at least twice before they go to their new homes.
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| Why are female puppies more expensive than the males? |
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The surgery to spay females is more expensive and requires more
recovery time than the neutering of male dogs. Female dogs are also
in higher demand.
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| I've been on several waiting lists for an Australian Labradoodle and they never have a puppy for me in their litter. How can I get a puppy? |
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The best advice I can give to you is to choose a breeder that you like
and be patient. A good breeder will give you a realistic idea of how
long you'll have to wait for your puppy. It's important to realize
that Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate. Every time you move to a
new breeder, you are moved down to the bottom of the list. If you are
waiting for a dog of a particular sex and color, it could make your
wait time longer. Being flexible gives you more options.
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| Is there a difference between the male and female temperaments? |
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No, there is not. Both the male and the female Labradoodle make
excellent pets. Because we early spay and neuter, the males don't
usually develop some of their annoying testosterone-driven habits that
people don't like. If that's the reason you don't want a male, we
strongly encourage you to reconsider.
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| What kind of coats do Labradoodles have? |
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They can have a fleece coat (light and silky); a wool coat (like a
poodle) or a hair coat (more like a Lab than a poodle)
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| Are all Labradoodles nonshedding? |
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No. Some shed and some don't. The wool coat won't shed, and also
requires the most upkeep of all the coats. The fleece coat usually
doesn't shed, and is the most popular of the Australian Labradoodle
coats. The hair coat almost always sheds and is usually found in the
early generation Labradoodles. Most Australian Labradoodles have low
to nonshedding coats, but be specific when you're buying your puppy.
Let your breeder know your expectations and especially if you suffer
from allergies. Special care goes into choosing the right Australian
Labradoodle for you.
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| Is there a breed standard for Australian Labradoodles? |
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Yes, I would refer you to the Australian Labradoodle Club of America
to learn about the breed standard. Go to
www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/BreedStandard.html
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| What colors do Australian Labradoodles come in? |
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There are many colors to choose from - Black, Chocolate, Cream, Cream
with hints of Apricot or Gold, Chalk, Gold, Apricot, Red, Café,
Silver, Blue and Parchment. Reds and Chocolates can fade over time.
Nose colors are rose and black.
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| Is the Australian Labradoodle a good family dog? |
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Yes, the Australian Labradoodle makes a great family dog. They love
to play, they're nonaggressive and they're easy to train
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| Do Australian Labradoodles require a lot of training? |
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Because the Australian Labradoodle is such an intelligent dog, they do
require training either by yourself (if you have experience) or a
professional. One thing I've learned through training sessions is
that a Labradoodle responds well to food and affection used in
training sessions. One of our labradoodles went to training and his
owner complained that they were bored because he learned everything on
the first try and then they had to wait for everyone else to learn.
I'm a fan of private training where the dog can learn at his/her own
pace. Another thing I've learned the hard way is that you can spend a
lot of money on training and if you don't come home and practice it
with the dogs and if you don't learn it yourself, you will have wasted
your money. Training is a lot of hard mental work, but it pays off in
the long run.
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| What kind of product do you recommend for cleaning up accidents on the carpet? |
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Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution.
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| Do Australian Labradoodles need a lot of exercise? |
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No, they don't. Every dog needs some kind of exercise every day. I
recommend a 30-minute walk. You and your dog will both feel better if
you commit to this. If you absolutely don't have the time, hire a dog
walker. It can even be a kid in your neighborhood. If you have a dog
park nearby, I highly recommend it. These dogs love to play with
other dogs. Throw the ball in the backyard. Try to spend some kind
of quality time with your dog every day - even if it's a ride in the
car.
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| What should I feed my dog? |
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Everybody has a different idea about what the best food is for their dog. While raw feeding is very popular, it just doesn't work for me; and several of my dogs don't like it. I have experimented with a lot of different foods and now I'm feeding our dogs Canidae dry dog food. It's very highly rated in the Whole Dog Journal, and our dogs are doing quite well with it. I then supplement with canned food or homemade cooked dog food, and I have a great recipe from Dr. Michael Fox. My dogs love it. You can e-mail me if you'd like a copy of it. Some other brands I like are Innova, Wellness, Evo and Eagle Pack. You can get these brands from premium pet food stores. If you live in the area of The Woodlands, Humble, Conroe, Tomball, and Kingwood, Texas, Natural Pawz of The Woodlands is now offering a pet food delivery service.
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| What reading do you recommend? |
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LABRADOODLES. A COMPLETE PET OWNER'S MANUAL by Margaret H. Bonham;
THE LOVED DOG by Tamar Geller; THE ART OF RAISING A PUPPY by the Monks
of New Skete; THE DOG WHISPERER by Cesar Milan.
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| What should I buy for my new Australian Labradoodle? |
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We have a great puppy shopping list that we will send to you when
you're ready to shop for your new puppy
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| Where are you located? |
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Kelly lives in Port Neches, Texas and Lanie lives in The Woodlands,
Texas. They are about two hours apart. Most of our litters are born
in Port Neches where our vet is located, but some are born in The
Woodlands. Most people choose to come and choose/pick up their puppy
from The Woodlands, but you can also choose to go to Port Neches for
your puppy visit.
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| I live in Dallas. Does the puppy have to be shipped to me? |
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No. We are happy to meet you half-way between Dallas and The
Woodlands. We charge $100 for this service.
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| I live in Austin. Are you able to meet me half-way? |
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Yes. We are happy to meet you in Brenham for puppy delivery. We
charge $100 for this service.
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| Why should I buy an Australian Labradoodle from you when there's a Labradoodle for sale in the paper that only costs $500? |
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Labradoodle for sale in the paper that only costs $500?
The American-bred Labradoodle is a very different dog from the
Australian Labradoodle. The founders of the Australian Labradoodle
carefully infused other breeds at specific intervals to create this
dog and this formula cannot be replicated by breeding poodle/lab and
then breeding that cross with a Poodle. Some believe they can breed
up to an Australian Labradoodle with this formula, but it's not the
same dog. Not only do they have a different coat and conformation, but
also a different temperament. That doesn't mean they're not a good
dog. They're just different. You also have to take into account the
quality of the breeding stock. It costs a lot more to purchase and
import the genuine Australian Labradoodles from Australia than it does
to use a Poodle and a Lab. The expense of health testing and two-year
guarantees also factor into the cost of your Australian Labradoodle.
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| What is the life expectancy of an Australian Labradoodle? |
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The life expectancy is generally 12 to 15 years
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| Do Australian Labradoodles like water? |
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Most like the water, but introducing them to it at a young age makes
all the difference. If you're introducing them to your pool, make
sure they know the way out.
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