Australian labradoodle

[Girlintheframe]

I was just having a look at a couple of breeders sites and was really shocked.

General consensus is the going rate is £3200 with a £400 deposit given straight away to go on the waiting list.
I understand these are a sought after breed with a lot of careful breeding and not the same as a standard doodle cross however what I was really shocked at is that all puppies are neutered before being homed!

Is this normal??

It's not a breed I would get tbh but just wondered if this is normal practice for this breed??

they will be neutered too young,m from a development pov but they do it to protect the lines that they have created.

they have worked hard to create a new standard- where the pups conform to a type. If you just mixed a span, poodle and lab you could end up with all sorts, so they want to protect the type.

with most designer crosses there is a fear the unscrupulous will get puppies to breed and just sell for profit without and thought or planning so they want to avoid that. Some pedigree contracts forbid breeding without approval, but in reality it just means that those dogs couldn’t be KC registered. This goes a step further and prevents you from breeding.

the problem with this for me is that dogs need certain hormones to develop properly it’s why most vets now recommend not to neuter or spay until 6-9 months and in larger breeds 18-24 months.

in boys for example testosterone is a confidence hormone and helps successfully navigate the fear stages and grow into a well rounded dog. It also helps with joint development-especially important in breeds like labs which are predisposed to hip dysplasia.

personally I think this is unnecessary and with a decent vetting and selection of homes wouldn’t be needed, but it is difficult to be highly selective about homes when you are charging over 3 grand- there just aren’t that many people out there.

I wouldn’t buy from someone doing something to compromise the health of my dog because they didn’t trust me. You don’t trust me…don’t sell me a dog!!!!

Absolutely not normal in the slightest. Both birches and dogs need the hormones in order to mature and grow. And to be honest, I’d be shocked at any reputable vet doing that so young.

What this breeder is doing, is protecting their “line” but because it’s a cross breed there is no other way.

we have a miniature dachshund who is KC registered and our breeder places an endorsement on her pups so you can’t breed from them. She is protecting her line and her KC name. Her view is “don’t be the breeder that you yourself wouldn’t buy from” as in don’t buy from an inexperienced backyard breeder

we were absolutely fine with that, our pup is a family pet. We don’t want to breed from her, we don’t want to show her - she’s part of the family.

but this is exactly what this breeder is trying to do - but it’s not in the best interests of the pup. It’s the interest of the breeder! Avoid!!!

also £3200!!! That’s ridiculous.

but they do it to protect the lines that they have created.

I'm afraid I am far more cynical than you. They do it to protect their 'brand' for the people who are daft enough to pay these prices.

Well it's not a breed really is it? It's a crossbreed. I have no idea if it's normal, but why people would buy one when they can buy a similar looking pedigree dog with similar characteritstics that are predictable from long lines of health tested dogs, for less money, I do not know...

I'd run a mile! I wouldn't pay that for a dog with potential problems, just because there is a promise that it can do somersaults backwards- if you get the training right!
Puppies need to grow into adults. Neutering to early can lead to all kinds of problems, from joints over coat issues to mental development.

Neutering that young is little short of abuse. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

My dog has a restriction on his pedigree so any progeny can't be registered with the Kennel Club unless his breeder is sure that he and the bitch have had the same suite of health and genetic testing that she does

Oh I'm glad the general consensus is that neutering at that age is wrong.

I was really surprised to see that they do this and tbh don't know who would want a dog neutered before they'd even had a chance to develop

I personally wouldn't pay £3200 for a dog either but it was the neutering aspect i found most concerning.

Most ALD breeders in the UK don't do this, they sell on a no breed contract which specifies spay/neuter by a certain age. Just look around a bit more. I know not everyone sees the appeal, each to their own, but I can confirm they are amazing dogs

Wouldn't touch them if you paid me! They spay and neuter their animals prior to homing at 9 weeks. How they find a vet willing to do this amazes me. This is potentially hugely problematic for behaviour, especially in the larger animals. You don't pick your own animal, you get "matched" to them. You don't get free access to bond with pup prior to collecting. You get one visit to the litter as a whole with everyone else who has paid their deposit for an animal from that litter. You may not even meet Mum. This is a puppy farm with sensational marketing. Please don't get sucked in by the cute staged photos. This is no way to come by your pet.

Just saw that the post is 3 years old.