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Frequently asked questions
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What is an Australian Labradoodle?While Labradoodles have been around for more than 50 years, the Australian Labradoodle was introduced by Wally Conron to the Royal Guide Dog Association in Victoria, Australia, in the late-1980s. Wally wanted to combine the best aspects of the Labrador Retriever (steady temperament) and the Poodle (low-shedding coat) to create an allergy-friendly service dog. Breeders in Australia were determined to produce litters with consistent stature, coat type, and temperament. During the ’90s, several other dog breeds were added into the Labradoodle line to assist in this effort. Most often, the English Cocker Spaniel and American Cocker Spaniel were the breeds used, though DNA profiling suggests that other dog breeds were also introduced to certain lines. The main difference between the Australian Labradoodle and the Labradoodle: • The Australian Labradoodle is usually a cross between a Poodle, Cocker Spaniel and Labrador Retriever • The Labradoodle is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle We feel very strongly about continuing the heritage of the Australian Labradoodle and protecting the quality and genetic health of the breed. For this reason, all our puppies are de-sexed at around 9 weeks of age, except for our Guardian puppies (For more information on our Guardian Programme, click here [insert link to Guardians page]). For more 101 on Australian Labradoodles: • Australian Labradoodle colours: http://laa.org.au/index.php/about-labs/colours • Australian Labradoodle coats: http://laa.org.au/index.php/about-labs/coats • Australian Labradoodle sizes: http://laa.org.au/index.php/about-labs/standards
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How long is the wait list? We have puppies available from November 2024, contact us for detailsIt will depend on what your perfect Labradoodle looks like. It is best to make contact so we can narrow this down with you, placing the right pup in the right home is crucial for us. Over Summer 2024/2025 - Autumn - Spring 2025, we have some litters confirmed and some planned. We will plan a litter when we have 4 families join a litter-list. Feel free to send a message or make a call and have a chat.
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How can I join the waitlist?Please complete the contacts form on this website we will email the application to you. Once we receive this completed form, with a $100 admin fee. We will call you to confirm receipt of your application and discuss the next steps, including the litters we have planned and how our waitlist works. We will create a profile just for you to help us find your perfect Labradoodle.
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What is the cost of a puppy - and what does that include?Our puppies are $4000 including GST. A healthy Australian Labradoodle puppy clearance from our vet Microchip DeSexing (unless your pup is a Guardian – see more here) We can share a white paper study if you would like more information on early age desexing, please just ask One dose of vaccinations: Vanguard Plus 5 B-Oral, Kennel Cough (given just before 8 weeks) Droncit worming every 2 weeks (from 2 weeks old) Nail clipping every 2 weeks (from 2 weeks old) Puppy passport including their health record Black Hawk gift box, which includes 3kgs of the food your pup is weaning onto along with a Labradoodle Lovers care pack with some other goodies that may be helpful (total value over $250) Puppy insurance cover for 6 weeks Baxter & Bella puppy dog training guidelines, as well as a 25% discount voucher for a lifetime membership
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Do you send puppies outside of Christchurch?Yes, we can assist with the transport of your puppy. Rebecca is a registered agent for Pet Travel and would be happy to coordinate your puppy’s journey for you. POA.
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What health tests do you carry out on your breeding dogs?All our breeding dogs have a full breed DNA profile report filed, which we are happy to discuss with our customers. We are confident we will not pass any of the 28 genetic diseases tested for in our breeding dogs onto our puppies, however while there are some health issues that we can not test for, we do our utmost to ensure our puppies are healthy and robust. We work closely with our Reproductive Vet at K9HQ who assists us in all health and temperament tests. All our breeding dogs have PennHIP* and elbow x-rays at age 1, we are confident that our puppies will not inherit any hip or elbow dysplasia. Hip dysplasia and other joint problems are 30% genetic and 70% environmental, we do our best to ensure our puppies are healthy and robust by using our best breeding stock. * PennHIP score to be no more than 0.60 in either hip; AVA score to be no more than 16 in total, or greater than 8 on an individual side and/or OFA GoodElbow Dysplasia to be 0+0 or OFA Negative
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What about temperament?All our breeding dogs have a sound temperament, which we are confident will be passed down to our puppies. Our hands-on approach with each puppy includes training and socialising, which are also important aspects of character development. How your puppy grows into a well behaved, kind natured dog will be the love, time, connection and effort that is given to him in his transition from puppy to dog and beyond.
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Do you offer a health guarantee?Yes, we do. We take health testing seriously. Although we cannot foresee every potential problem, we are doing all we can to minimise the chances of any health issues in our Australian Labradoodles. We offer a limited 3-year health guarantee* against the 28 genetic health issues we test for to give our customers peace of mind. You can view the fact sheet.
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How do you raise your puppies?Our puppies are gently raised with a lot of consideration for their many needs. Our mummas whelp (birth) their puppies in our home, near to our own beds, so that we can take the care needed in the birthing process and early weeks of the puppies’ lives. Between 4 to 5 weeks of age, they graduate to the cosy weaning room for night-time, which has been built with the Canterbury Plains climate in mind. By day, they spend time slowly exploring the great outdoors and experiencing exciting new sights, sounds and scents on our acre of puppy heaven. We support and follow the ethos of the (research-backed) Puppy Culture method and the Baxter & Bella online puppy school. This covers our pregnant and whelping mummas and carries through to the last day with our litters, when our puppies are between 9 - 10 weeks old and have socially adapted to the many experiences that we present them with during their brief time with us. We strongly encourage every puppy parent to pick up where we left off using the wonderfully supportive online training platform from Baxter & Bella.
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Can I visit?Yes! We encourage you to visit us. Please contact us so we can coordinate a suitable date and time.
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How do I prepare for our Australian Labradoodle puppy to come home?Bringing home your new puppy is one of the greatest joys. Ensuring that you plan adequately to have what your new puppy needs is the key to successfully integrating the puppy into the family. While it is great fun to get toys, pet beds and cute collars for your new family member, the greatest gift that you can give this furry baby is to prepare yourself with the knowledge of raising a dog. It is very important to think about your puppy’s first week with you in the most quiet and peaceful manner possible.
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Should I put my puppy into school or do online training?The average cost for a four-week puppy school course is around $400. We have done research and discovered that puppies tend to learn much more in a one-on-one environment. Puppy schools are very busy and can be distracting for a learning pup. Online training with BAXTER & Bella (a lifetime membership investment is $260) will help to establish a good foundational relationship between you and your new pet. Don't forget to use Labradoodles Lovers code: LABRADOODLELOVERS We advise signing up for a lifetime membership, which gives many options to follow the style of training that best suits you. You can organise Zoom meetings with a trainer and work through whatever challenges you might be experiencing, in real-time! There are also countless stimulating exercises available that are fun for both you and your dog.
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What is a Guardian Family?You can read more about our Guardian Programme here
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