Reference for Good Dog breeders

[joy15]

Hey Guys - I am looking to bring a puppy into my family, preferrably a Goldendoodle, Cavapoo or a Cockapoo. Am afraid of falling vicitim to one of those puppy mills and looking for advice/recommendations for a good dog breeder. So your reference will be very helpful. I live in Buckinghamshire and happy to travel a bit for the right breeder. I was told that online searches might not always help me find the right breeder!

Being a first time to-be dog owner, any other advice would also be great.

Tx, A

There is not a list of breeders who breed mixed breed dogs and you will have to do your research very carefully. SOme people who breed the "fashionable" mixes eg doodles are in it for the money so may not health test and be aware of the detailed socialisaiton that is required before the puppies go to their new owners.

The best way in my opinion is word of mouth.

Doghouse BE KIND it is Christmas

I would normally suggest contacting the secretaries of the relevant breed clubs for advice on finding members who may be planning litters but of course, with mixed breeds like you’re looking for, there are no breed clubs as they are not recognised breeds. Sorry.
You need to be very careful though. At present puppies are selling for ridiculous amounts of money so many are jumping on the band wagon who don’t know, or care, about dog genetics or puppy welfare.

golden doodles are totally different to cockerpoos so what is it you're looking for in a breed ? just fluffy hair?

First thoughts - those are three very different mixes! The goldendoodles I have met have turned out bigger than either of the parents and are truly enormous dogs, several times the size of either of your other two options. Cockapoos can be enormously variable in temperament, size, coat qualities and appearance and plenty are caught out with a 'hot', switched-on dog when they wanted a quiet fluffy pet. Is there a companion pedigree breed that might fit the bill and give you a better chance of achieving the look and temperament you're after, with fewer variables? What is it specifically that you are looking for in a pet?

As above unfortunately the poodle mixes are so popular that, even providing you can avoid the true puppy farms, other hobby or backyard breeders jump on the bandwagon to breed them without always necessarily taking care with health and socialisation and may try to promise you something you might not get in terms of coat quality, hypoallergenic properties, 'hybrid vigour' etc.

The Puppy Contract summarises the absolute minimum you should look for when approaching a breeder.

Hi All - Thanks for the inputs...our DS is allergic to few things and we are looking for an hypoallergenic breed. Hence these choices..having said that even poodle crosses are not guaranteed to be shed-free. But speaking to few breeders, I learnt that they wont allow us to choose the puppy once the puppy started feeding properly and their coat identified, which is a little reassuring. We dont mind giving them the required exercise as we anyway go out for walks on a regular basis. As some of you said, looking for a word of mouth for the breeders...any reference would be great

Raffles Cockerpoos seem to be highly thought of..

Why not just go for a poodle or a cocker spaniel

This way you can actually look at breed specific clubs and look at kennel club. You’ll be able to see the history of the history of the patents, dna results if they parents etc.

There’s also comprehensive guide to buying puppies

Be prepared to wait. Reputable breeders gave a waiting list, which at this time of pandemic is even longer due to everyone wanting a puppy. We’re on a two year wait list with the same breeder we used for our now 8 year old cocker. Out of curiosity, we contacted other breeders from the breed club and all have similar wait list

“our DS is allergic to few things and we are looking for an hypoallergenic breed.”

There’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, most people who have dog allergies react to their skin and saliva.

If non shedding is important, you want a non shedding breed, not a mix between a non shedding breed and a shedding one because 2 non shedding parents means non shedding, 1 means unpredictability.

But he might still react to a non shedding dog...

If you want a guaranteed non-shedding coat why not just go with the full poodle? They come in three different sizes, and when bred to standard have wonderful personalities. Keep in mind that anything mixed with a poodle and the poodle itself will be high maintenance on the grooming front, regular brushing and trips to a professional groomer (unless you learn to clip yourself) every 1-2 months.

And Raffles is just a posh puppy farm, don't be fooled by the plush house they claim to bring their litters up in. They are licensed for 48 breeding bitches!! Look up the group 'Raffles - Have Your Say' on Facebook, the volume of puppies they have produced within just a couple of years is jaw-dropping.

@Esse321

Raffles Cockerpoos seem to be highly thought of..

They're a glamourised puppy farm.

If you want non shedding (which isn't hypoallergenic), then get a poodle from a good breeder. You'll also want your ds to spend some time with poodles to make sure he is OK.

@joy15 there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.

You would be much much better off to look at pedigrees. They have a much more predictable coat and dander.
Wait until you can get your allergic child to meet lots of the breed to check for allergies.
Then go through the breed club for breeders.

I think a breed that is known to be low impact allergy-wise is a better bet than a cross which could turn out anything but

So if you like poodles, go for a poodle. And yes, if you go for a breed not a cross, your DS needs to spend time with the one/s you are considering. Because no breed is truly hypoallergenic

I don't think you can determine whether they are non shedding or not as puppies. If you have a child with allergies you really ought to go for a pure bred 'hypoallergenic' dog to minimise the risk of a reaction, as I think some people do still react to them.

I've got a Chinese crested, they are hypoallergenic, but I wouldn't say they are ideally suited to children. Certainly not children under 10.

As others have said there won't be breed clubs etc for crosses, but I would set a timeline in your head if a good few months to do some research and contact breeders. Find one you like and get on their waitlist, don't be tempted to get one next week because you're excited.

My ex had a standard poodle. He was super energetic but a gorgeous dog.

Even the breeder who created the first ever labradoodle says “ it’s his life”s regret.“
Regrets

Have a look on breed specific Facebook pages. I'm on one which has a list of breeders they recommend.

There's loads of pedigree breeds that are non/low shedding, although as pointed out depends what actually allergic to, but you could perhaps test out spending time with the breeders dogs.
Can filter the breeds A-Z by requirements
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/
I'd then do further research into any that are of interest with breed clubs & breed rescues usually offer an honest viewpoint.

I find the size of house/garden part daft, as someone that's lived in a flat with 3 large dogs& without using garden much can say it really depends how much space you wish to share with dogs (unless they can't actually turn around like a great dane on a narrow boat ), small but active breeds can be more noticeable indoors from experience.