With the many different breeds of designer dogs in today’s world, it may be challenging to decide which one to buy. This shouldn’t be the case! There are a whole lot of reasons why the Goldendoodle hybrid dog is your best bet.
However, prior research is necessary to choose the ideal dog for your needs when it comes to buying a Goldendoodle puppy. The research should result in the purchase of a healthy and happy dog from a trusted breeder.
What questions should you direct to a Goldendoodle breeder to achieve this?
As a general rule, there are 7 questions you should ask your dog breeder before buying your puppy
- How Old are the Puppies?
- Can I Meet the Puppy’s Parents?
- Can I See the Goldendoodle Litter?
- What’s the Puppy’s Health Status?
- What Breeding Experience Do You Have?
- Are There Any Limitations?
- Do You Offer After-Sales Support?
Why a visit to a breeder is essential.
Owning a dog comes with lifelong responsibilities that require you to physically visit the breeder instead of making a call or sending an email when buying one.
A significant reason for the visit is to check where the puppies and their parents live. If the breeder is unwilling to show you this, it could indicate poor breeding conditions. You should avoid buying from such breeders.
On the other hand, certain factors may indicate a good breeding environment and condition. These include:
- Puppies living together with their mothers
- A clean and warm breeding ground
- Enough food and water is provided to the dogs
While you’re at the breeder’s place, you should watch out for the breeder’s excuses that are intended to stop you from seeing the puppies.
Let’s jump right into the 7 questions you’ll need to ask a Goldendoodle breeder.
1. How Old are the Puppies?
Inquiring about the puppies’ age might sound silly, right? However, it’s one of the most important questions to ask.
Why?
To start with, you shouldn’t visit a dog that is less than 3 weeks old. Secondly, puppies below 8 weeks old are not ideal to be moved around.
The answer to this question also determines the ideal time to take the puppy with you. For example, you’ll have to wait for 2 weeks to pick a 6 weeks old puppy.
2. Can I Meet the Puppy’s Parents?
Meeting the puppy’s parents is an essential part of your visit to the breeder. It helps you to know if you’re making a wise choice before buying a puppy.
While the Goldendoodle breeder may, most likely, not own or live with the father, the mother will most definitely be present. Observing the mother will enable you to know what to expect from the dog by considering their;
- Look
- Size
- Temperament
The mother’s temperament and interactions with the puppy will indicate if the breeder did an excellent job breeding the puppy. Every mother should be protective of her puppy. As such, you should avoid buying from the breeder if the puppy shows signs of fearfulness or aggressiveness while around the mother.
If you wish to reserve a puppy before its birth, the mother’s looks and size will be helpful. Similarly, you should ensure that the right dog was used for mating. If the stud dog is not present, the breeder should provide you with its photo for confirmation.
3. Can I See the Goldendoodle Litter?
While litter size varies from one dog breed to another, Goldendoodle litter should be 3-8 puppies. Requesting to see the litter will help you to make a more informed decision.
By observing litter, you’ll be able to ascertain the size and character of different puppies, ranging from rough and active to shy and calm puppies. Either way, you get to have a wider variety of dogs to choose from.
4. What’s the Puppy’s Health Status?
Inquiries relating to the dog’s health status will help to know if it’s best to buy or not but helps plan the pet’s future health schedule if you buy one.
Questions related to their health should include;
Vet’s Report– the Report will show you past medical history, the specific illnesses suffered, and the treatments administered.
Vaccination and Deworming- mothers pass worms and other infections to their puppies during birth. This calls for regular vaccination and deworming exercise.
Before taking the puppy with you, you should know when (and how many shots) were given during their last vaccination and deworming exercise and when it’s scheduled to be given next.
Mother’s health- various infections can be passed by a mother to her puppies. To be on the safer side, health-wise, you should obtain the Goldendoodle’s mother health certificate for confirmation and preparation for the future.
Health Guarantee- does the breeder provide any guarantee if a puppy falls seriously ill after its purchase? It would be best if you chose a breeder that offers a health guarantee, like giving back your money, to avoid unnecessary loss.
5. What Breeding Experience Do You Have?
Your questions should include the breeder’s experience with the Goldendoodle breed. They should demonstrate a strong familiarity with the breed’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential genetic diseases that can affect it. Additionally, it would help if you asked about the breeder’s involvement with Goldendoodle-specific breed clubs and organizations.
The breeder’s experience is important when determining if the dog will fit well in your family. To avoid any doubts, you should ask for references and contacts of previous buyers and ask about their experience.
The breeder’s experience also contributes to the dog’s socialization skills. There’s no doubt that every dog owner would wish to have a socially active dog. This requires you to ask the breeder what steps have been taken to improve the puppy’s socialization skills.
A good breeder should ensure the dog spends enough time with people and other pets. The dog should be trained to understand and obey simple commands like ‘no’ and ‘sit.’
While dog socialization may include several things, you should ensure that the dog:
- Has interacted with other dogs, cats, kids, and adults
- Has been exposed to various surfaces, sounds, and smells
- Has experienced a car ride
A socialized puppy will quickly adapt to its new family and environment.
6. Are There Any Limitations?
It’s worth noting that some dog breeders will impose certain limitations when selling Goldendoodle puppies, which may include the spaying and neutering of dogs.
Please note that dog spraying and neutering are only recommended when the pet’s health is at stake. It’s also given physically and emotionally matured dogs (2-3 years).
If there are any limitations, you’ll need to ask for s contract of sale, which specifies the individual responsibilities of both the breeder and the buyer. The agreement will include other aspects like guarantees.
It’s recommended that you buy puppies from breeders who provide a contract of sale. In case of a breach of contract, the piece of paper will help with your lawsuit.
7. Do You Offer After-Sales Support?
While your newly acquired pet may have difficulties adjusting to its new life and environment, the help of its previous owner, the breeder, will come in handy. As such, you should ask if the breeder offers any support after selling the puppy to you.
The breeder may assist in aspects like:
- Helping the puppy when having socialization difficulties
- Helping with poor eating habits
- Help when the puppy develops health problems after-sale
If support is available, you should find out the various communication options available to both of you.
Final Thoughts
While Goldendoodle hybrid dogs are a relatively new breed, they have become a popular choice among dog owners. These dogs have unique traits that make them blend well with many families and environments.
However, a good dog-owner relationship is only possible if you choose the right Goldendoodle. This article has shared the important questions you’ll need to ask a Goldendoodle breeder when buying a puppy.
