Very nice family who loves and takes care of their dogs. They were very willing to answer questions and open to visits.
My review is based on the experience we have had with our puppy who is just about a year now. While he is a very good dog with a lovely disposition, we have 2 issues:
1) He is not what we expected from a Doodle. I should have done more research prior admittedly so. The All About The Doodles website said something along the lines of our dogs don't shed or hardly shed at all. I visited many times and made it very clear low shedding was why we were going with a Doodle. If this was not a concern to me, we would have adopted a dog. It turns out not only does our dog shed, but he sheds worse than any lab I have ever had and that says a lot. He sheds horribly and it only gets worse the older he gets. We have even had family and friends comment that wow, your dog sheds a lot! He is the dog that moves and you see hair go everywhere. He brushes up against you and you are left with a coating of hair on your clothes. I love my dog and he is ours now, but had I known what I know now we would not have chosen this dog. I have since learned a few things: 1) You can genetically test for a shedding gene which some breeders do, 2) some breeders breed for coat 3) you had to pick your puppy before you could realistically see the characteristics that indicate whether or not they would be shedder 4) some doodles do shed but a breeder can usually tell which ones. Low shedding is not the primary reason of getting a doodle for everyone however when a client makes it clear it is, most breeders I have read about steer you towards the dogs more likely not to shed based on characteristics and experience. My dog has a wiry coat that is very straight and an "open muzzle". These are all signs of a dog that is likely going to shed. While he is a lovely dog, I am slightly allergic to dogs and hate dog hair all over. That is why when we were getting another dog, low shedding was a must have for me, We have since met 2 others that coincidently have dogs from this breeder and both said their dogs do shed so I don't think we are a one off. That being said, they are very good dogs who have great personalities and listen well. It's not bad to shed, but its bad to be mislead. I wish the breeder would have one time mentioned this during our many visits and conversations where I made it clear low shedding was the reason I chose this breed.
The second issue I have, is my 1 year old dog has very poor stomach health. He has had unformed poop most of his life and now he vomits consistently everywhere and anywhere. We have tried new foods, prescription foods, you name it. We have spent many dollars at the vet for testing and to make sure he is okay and there is just no obvious answer. In short, I have more issues with this dog than any dog I have had in my life.
The reason for the 3 starts, is despite the above issues that are not his fault, my dog is well behaved, calm, sociable, easily trainable and sweet. You can take a walk with no leash and he won't wander far from your side. He is a great boy. They would get 5 stars on breeding for demeanor. read more