ARE YOU THE RIGHT FIT FOR OUR GUARDIAN PROGRAM?    

We are on the hunt for that perfect guardian family… for this perfect puppy!  We’ve nicknamed her Breezie or Breeze and she’s quite a head turner!  Breezie is a lovely, comical, sweet, smart Australian Labradoodle.  She will be a medium when full grown, which means her adult weight will be around 30lbs and she’ll be around 18” tall at the shoulders.  Her coat is what we bred her for, she will have a gorgeous, long, non-shedding, fleece coat and her stop is nice and flat, the look we’re after.  She’s very blocky in shape, the lab is apparent here; she’s just a stunning model of an Australian Labradoodle!

What a guardian family does basically is receive this puppy at 8 weeks of age (she’s almost 6 weeks now) when all her littermates go to their new homes.  You receive this puppy “free of charge” in exchange for the rights to breed her.  You raise her as if she were your own, name her, train her, love her, feed her, but when she comes into heat (or season), and is over 1 year of age, she is bred to a pre-determined stud in our breeding program.  After she is bred she remains with you and your family during her entire pregnancy.  A day or two before she is about to deliver she is brought to our home and delivers her puppies in our birthing room.  She will remain with us in our home for the timeframe of 4 to 5 weeks, until the puppies are weaned from her (some families love to schedule their vacations around this time and save on boarding costs), then she is returned to her own home to resume her life with you.  We breed our dogs 4 or 5 times over a period of 2-4 years and then she is spayed and legally signed over to you for the duration of her life.  Some families would love to have one of these non-shedding, allergy friendly dogs, but the cost is too much for their budgets to allow, this is a wonderful way to actually own one of these wonderful dogs and not incur the cost.  If you are interested in learning more about our guardian program, please click on the tab “Guardian Families” on my main page of my website, or feel free to call me (262-628-3522) to learn more about this opportunity!   We’re sure to find a permanent home for Breezie soon!    

I am so excited to say I’ve found a new, nutritious, DELICIOUS, (our dogs just love it), premium dog food!  It’s called “Life’s Abundance” and I’m so thrilled about this product I’m offering it on my website.  In fact, I’ve created a new web page that will list my favorite products that we use here at ALMC.  You can purchase some of these directly through my website, some you might have to go to the manufacturer’s web page to purchase.  I’ve tried many, many dog foods over the years, but this brand by far surpasses any others I’ve tried and recommended in the past.  Another advantage to purchasing this product is it is shipped directly to your home from temperature controlled warehouses, it’s just so convenient!  Also, if you were to use “autoship” you will receive a substantial discount on price.   All my dogs, the mother’s staying with us, and all our puppies will be fed Life’s Abundance; I hope you’ll give it a try and see the difference in your dog for yourself!

At ALMC we begin potty training the day they are born.  What I mean by this is we keep the puppies in a “child’s size” swimming pool that they are born in until they are 3 weeks of age.  During their stay in this confided area they have a small blanket that they all sleep on and the rest of the pool floor is covered in newspapers.  They begin at this early age to pee/poop on the newspaper, as they won’t naturally eliminate where they sleep, which again is the blanketed section of the pool.

After 3 weeks of age the puppies are big enough to crawl out of the kiddy pool so they are moved down into our sun-room.  We push the furniture in this room off to one side and lay down a fake linoleum floor, this area is then fenced.  Newspaper is placed in front of the patio doors and about 5’ out into the room from the first day they spend there throughout that 1st week.  Each week thereafter the newspaper is moved closer to the door, leaving less and less newspaper each week for the pups to eliminate on.  The puppies, again from the previous set up, head for the newspapers to do their business on, albeit an occasional miss…, thus the beginning of controlling themselves till they get to the newspapers.  When the weather is nice the puppies are taken out as a group to the grass in our backyard and told to “go potty”.   They begin to get the concept that “outside” is where they should be doing their business and the newspaper is their backup plan.

Once the puppies go to their forever homes, I suggest placing a few sheets of newspaper at the door you will be using to take your pup outside for potting.  If you choose to use the “bell system”, this is the time you would hang your bells on that door and each time you take your puppy outside you’ll tap the bells with your pup’s front foot, till puppy gets the idea himself, (this will take some time, but be consistent, it does work).   I’m often asked how often should I be taking my puppy outside to potty, the following schedule is pretty close to accurate!  Puppies will need to go out to eliminate after eating, drinking, playing or after waking up from a sleep, plus some extra times in between. Carry your puppy outside each hour and a half during the day, and put him/her in the spot where you want puppy to eliminate. Give puppy a few minutes to get over the excitement of being outside, and then puppy should go potty.  Say your phrase that you have chosen for your puppy to hear when outside going potty, i.e. “go potty”, or whatever you decide on as a family to use.  THEN PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!

If your puppy happens to have an accident inside the house do NOT put puppy’s nose in it. Your puppy learns nothing from doing this except to possibly fear you!

Restrict the area your puppy has to run about indoors to one room or part of one room, unless you are prepared to watch him every minute. Utilize the crate that we’ve already trained your puppy to use, (at least at night).  Begin crating for two to three hour periods during the daytime to help the puppy to strengthen its bowels and bladder and to teach it that it does not always get to go immediately when it feels the inclination.  Don’t be afraid to crate the puppy whenever someone isn’t playing with the pup or watching it.  Remember you’ll be crating your puppy whenever you leave for errands during the day, so brief periods of time during the day while you’re home will soon become the norm to your puppy.  Once your puppy is “trustworthy” you can just leave the crate door open and your puppy will find solace in going in and out of his create on his own when he desires to do so.

Beginning with our 2011 litters, we are going to start teaching your puppies to “sit” and “lay down”.  I’ve decided to offer this service in the hopes that families will see and take advantage of the IDEAL time to train your puppy, which is between 6 weeks and 16 weeks of age.  It is a proven fact that puppies between this timeframe learn and copy; they imprint everything, their brains are like sponges, absorbing everything, good and bad; that’s why it’s critical to only expose your puppy to positive experiences, especially during this timeframe.  I’ve enlisted the aid of an experienced dog trainer, Rose, of “The Doodle Nanny” to help me with the training of the litters.  Rose has helped me in the past with raising litters, but now we’re going to take this up a notch to beginning training your little babies!  All this is included in the price you’ve already committed to pay for your Australian Labradoodle; this is just another service we will be offering.  Rose will also be available for “extended stay” or “dog sitting” if the need arises, as well as “advanced puppy training”.  Please send me an email if you’d like to learn more about this new service! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

With the holidays just around the corner, many people will consider adding a new pet to their home. According to recent statistics, more and more Americans are adopting not only their first companion animal, but their second and even third. The pervasiveness of multiple pet households indicates just how important pets have become in our lives, and that we want our existing pets to have companions of their own.

Having multiple pets increases everything: the joy, the cost, the work, and the cuddles. As a dog breeder, I am often asked for advice on how best to integrate a new pet into a home that already has resident animals.

In a Dog-Meet-Dog World

When seeking to add an additional dog to your family, be sure to choose a breed, gender and personality that compliment your current canine. For example, it’s unwise to match a mini Australian Labradoodle puppy with a large or giant breed dog, especially an active one. Even if no harm is intended, the puppy could easily be injured. Similarly, be conscientious if you already have an older dog with arthritis, as a puppy could prove overwhelming. In general, opposite genders get along better, as do spayed and neutered pets. I would also recommend the adoption of a dog younger than the resident dog; if the ages are reversed, tension could result, leading to recurring fights over who claims dominance. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, personality is an important factor. You know your resident dog’s disposition and it’s essential to take that into consideration when bringing a new dog into your home.

It’s always a good idea to have your existing dog as well-trained as possible prior to bringing a new dog into your home. Trust me, it will make your life easier and may even help facilitate the training of your new dog. As pack animals, dogs instinctively pick up the habits of their pack members. If you have a well-trained resident dog, then he or she can show the newcomer ‘how things are done’.

Even if your dogs seem to hit it off great from the get-go, don’t leave them unsupervised until you are certain that they have fully accepted each other. To that end, some experts advise that the dogs have time away from each other, as well as time off from you, too. This will help foster their bonds to you while also teaching them that it’s okay to be alone.

Feeding time can be a challenge with more than one dog. If the dogs compete for food, it may result in snarly spats and possibly overeating (at least, for one of the dogs). In addition, the dogs may develop the habit of ‘bolting their food’, or eating too quickly while not chewing their food sufficiently. Bolting may lead to serious problems like chunks becoming lodged in the throat, or cause GI distress like vomiting or diarrhea. The simplest way to avoid these problems is by feeding the dogs separately. One of the reasons we endorse crate training and hope you’ll continue using the crates once you’re home; consider feeding them while they’re safely inside their individual crates. Short of that, consider feeding in separate rooms, but be sure to close the doors! Whatever method you choose, make sure the feeding areas are places where your dogs will feel safe and will be able to eat undisturbed.

Lastly, make sure that you purchase separate bedding, bowls and toys for your new dog. Some experts believe that it’s vital that each dog has his or her own property, as this will help your resident dog feel less threatened by the newcomer. Good luck!

..… Drum roll please!                  

Pat, what should I feed my puppy?  Actually there’s two ways you can go with this, feeding raw or feeding Kibble.  I’ve fed my dogs both; however as of the last few years I’ve switched totally to feeding very nutritious dry kibble.  For me it’s just so easy, no other reason.   You have to understand, we have 3 dogs in the house, so feeding this gang can get pretty time consuming doing it any other way!  There are so many healthy, good, dog foods being produced and sold locally now that finding one is relatively easy.  Many times my clients will contact me and ask me what I’d recommend they feed their puppies.  I’ll tell them what I’m using, (I vary depending on if I’m planning on switching puppies over from “mother’s milk” to puppy food).  I usually choose from one of the following, Orijen, Acana, Innova, or Natures Variety Instinct, but occasionally I’ll check one of these sites and try a new one to offer something different to my dogs.  The sites I like to go to that are easy to use and offer oodles of information are:  http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/8 or http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com (click on “Reviews”).  You can print out these lists and take them with you to your pet store to purchase.     

Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing based on the name of a dog food, some sound very enticing…Science (sounds like a smart choice), Beneful (must have some benefits to it), you get the idea, buyer beware.  Most of these “grocery store brands” are rated the lowest on the reviews listed above.  Purina, (very popular, must be good); if you look at the ingredients listed on the bag, if they begin with anything other than meat, chicken, beef, turkey, don’t feed it to your dog.  If it begins with whole grain or whole grain corn, don’t feed it to your dog, it’s like feeding potato chips or some other “filler” type food to your precious puppy.  Would you feed this type of food to your child?  I’d hope not!  Science Diet is often offered by your vet, PLEASE check out the ratings on Science Diet and make your own decisions.  Vets’ don’t just sell manufactures’ products out of the goodness of their heart; they’re getting a kick back with every bag they sell.  BUYER BEWARE, do your homework.  The first year of your puppy’s life is when all their bones are being formed, when they need the extra protein for energy, and unless you’re feeding them a good dog food, they’re just not getting what they need.

Feeding raw is how I used to feed, when I had the time.  Many people swear by it, it IS a very healthy alternative to kibble.  There are many articles on the web about feeding raw, about the BARF diet, you may just want to investigate this way of feeding and avoid the uncertainty of feeding kibble, again, just do your homework.  I still feed my dogs raw, meaty, frozen bones, they’re great for their teeth and breath, great for exercise, and keeping their gums pink and healthy.  They also entertain a puppy for hours at a time and the adult dogs just love them.  So, even though you might decide to feed kibble, it’s ok to occasionally offer your canine companion a wonderful treat like a raw, meaty bone.

I will occasionally get a call from a family asking my advice on what they can do for their puppy to help it through its teething stage. I’ll hear, "my puppy chews up every one of its toys", or "my puppy chews any socks or underwear (yes, underwear) they can get their tiny paws on!" Well…there’s no getting around it, puppies teethe and puppies chew. My advice is as follows. First and most important you should be using your crate anytime you leave that puppy alone so there’s not a “window of opportunity” in which this destructive behavior can take place. So, ALWAYS put him/her in the crate when you’re gone. Drop a yummy treat into the crate each time too, so that puppy starts to look forward to going into its crate. Second, purchase from a butcher, (if you can find a local butcher), some RAW, MEATY, MARROW BONES, these have to be RAW, not cooked and not flavored. These are cow leg bones, and the middle of the bone is filled with delicious, yummy cartilage that is extremely healthy for your puppy. Just the motion of chewing on a frozen bone to get at that cartilage is great for your pup because it involves grasping the bone with its two front paws, holding it for a long period of time (great exercise), and patiently chewing, chewing, chewing on the frozen bone to try and get at the delicious cartilage inside the bone. Make sure your butcher cuts the bones into about 1 ½” to 2” pieces so your dog can eventually get at all that marrow inside the bones, you don’t want the bones to be any bigger than this. When we buy bones from the butcher I purchase about $50.00 worth of bones and place the whole box in our freezer. Then each dog gets a bone right out of the freezer, maybe two times a week. They can be messy as they thaw out, so some people choose to have their dogs only eat these inside their crates, or outside. This is also a great treat to give your dog after you’ve placed him in his crate and you're walking out the door, he’ll be busy for hours! One last trick I do sometimes is after your dog has cleaned off all the marrow from the inside of the bone, I’ll boil the bone (to disinfect it), and then I’ll fill the hole in the middle of the bone with peanut butter, place the bones in the freezer and freeze, essentially recycleing the bones, now using a totally new treat inside. The dogs just love them!

Dog Theft…Could This Happen To You?

Purebred dogs are often targets for pet theft.  The Australian Labradoodle puppies being born now are 9^th generation Australian Labradoodles and are considered “Purebred”, thieves are quickly learning the dollar value of these much sought out gems…   Learn how to protect your dog from the hands of thieves.

Most victims of pet theft are taken completely by surprise.  A small dog is lifted over the fence in its own backyard; a large dog is taken from a car while the owner dashes inside a store.  Even adoption centers have reported cases of people grabbing puppies and bolting out the door.

According to the American Kennel Club, the number of reported pet thefts in early 2008 was almost three times higher than usual.  Often, actual numbers are difficult to pinpoint because pet theft typically falls under the general category of property theft.

What drives a person to steal a dog?  In most cases, dog thieves are after a financial incentive, particularly with purebreds.   Sometimes there’s a black market, there’s such a need for a specific breed.  The thief will track the dog down and steal it, knowing they’ll be able to sell it.  Others are using the dogs in puppy mills to breed them and make money from the litter.

Regardless of the reason, pet theft is a heartbreaking crime that owners can take action to avoid.  The most effective thing people can do is microchip their dog.  A microchip is a tiny chip injected under the dog’s skin between the shoulders.  The chip contains contact information that can be read by a scanner.  A thief will rapidly dispose of a dog’s collar, so a permanent method of identification can be the key in recovering your dog.  Any dogs that are purchased from Australian Labradoodles Midwest Connection are microchipped with a universal chip at 5 weeks of age.  The chip has a correlating number that when scanned traces back to a data base that has the orwners contact information, which then allows a match to be made with the dog to the owner.  Our dogs also go home with a tag that is worn on the pups collar which identifies each pup in the same way.  This tag has the phone number of the company that houses the database on all our dogs, so if someone found your dog they could just call the company listed on the tag, read them the ID number on the tag and a match would be made...no scanner needed in this case!  The universal chip we use at Australian Labradoodles Midwest Connection is the type of chip that all veterinary clinics and humane societies’ scanners can read; this would include scanners used in Europe, Australia, Asia, Canada, as well as the United States.  Some chips used by other breeders are only readable by certain scanners.   A microchip would provide strong evidence of ownership in court, should you fall into a dispute.  It is advised to use both a microchip and a collar, however, if your dog is friendly and responds when called by name, print your family’s last name, rather than the dog’s name on its ID tag.

IF YOUR DOG IS STOLEN…

Immediate action can thwart a thief’s progress.  If your dog is stolen, contact the local police and file a police report, which can help if an ownership dispute arises.  Provide the police a clear photo of the dog, description and microchip information.

Talk to people in the area where you last saw your dog.  If your dog was taken from a parking lot, check with local businesses to see if any video surveillance is in place.  Use the internet, emailing a number of people in your subdivision and asking them to forward on your “lost puppy” flyer to people that are local to them will quickly get the word out.  Contact your local media and your local humane society.   Get your dog’s photo and information out there as quickly as possible.  Flood the area.  A story about a stolen dog will always catch the public’s attention, and the more people aware of your story, the more likely someone will have information.

High publicity can also convince the thief to return your dog.  In many cases, these thieves don’t realize the extent of their crime—this IS GRAND THEFT!  The high publicity may bring him in.  Posting a flyer with your dog’s photo and contact information is still one of the best ways to spread the news.  Hang it in high-traffic areas, particularly where children pass by; children are more likely than adults to notice dogs.

Pay a reward or not?

Most owners will gladly part with money if it means the safe return of their dog.  But offering a reward should be a careful decision.  Most good Samaritans will be happy to reunite a pet with its family, regardless of monetary gain.  Many experts think that offering a reward only pertetuates the problem; a thief can easily pose as the dog's finder to pocket some cash.

We all know you vaccinate a puppy with “puppy shots”, or in the breeder world, called 5 in 1 puppy shots, but when it comes to vaccinating for Lepto it gets a bit confusing.  I was always of the “old school” thought that unless you had a pond or other form of standing water near where you lived, and your dog might have access to it, you should have your dog vaccinated for Lepto.  If you didn’t have standing water nearby you could skip this shot.  Well… after a frightful few weeks with one of the puppies from my last litter I have come away with a whole new respect for this vaccination.

Today Cooper came to our home to meet her new suitor... our lovable Harley!  The "pack" had a fun morning, checking each other out and playing a great game of chase as the snow slowly melted around them.  Harley paid particular attention to Cooper, SIZING her up and wondering just how he was going to accomplish the "deed".  There was lots of sniffing and circling and tail wagging as captured by my camera.  The end of the day came with a successful artificial insemination and two very tired doggies!  A few more "dates" are set for later in the week, with, fingers crossed, an expectant Cooper in our future!  Stay tuned...

BUNS IN THE OVEN…

We’re so excited with the all the possible puppies “coming down the pike”!

Ava and Keeper were bred last month, and as “Luck of the Irish” would have it Ava is due to deliver on St. Patty’s Day! I will post here when she delivers, with pictures to follow! Ava is THE MOST attentive mommy we could ever ask for. She dotes on her puppies; her healthy offspring are the proof of her natural maternal instincts and dedication to the task at hand , making her puppies her first priority.

NOBODY SAID THERE WERE “STAGES” TO RAISING A PUPPY!!!

I’ve had numerous “expectant families” ask me some of these basic training and socialization techniques outlined below.  Take a minute to familiarize yourself with some of these stages that YOUR puppy is sure to experience…

Beginning at 8 weeks and ending at approximately 11 weeks of age, what is going on:

• Any traumatic, painful or frightening experiences can have a lasting impact.

What You Can Do:

• Gradually introduce your puppy to new things, environments and people.
• Make experiences positive (provide treats or toys)
• Don’t push your puppy into fearful situations – take things slowly and allow him to adjust and get use to the situation.
• Do not let others push your puppy or be forceful with them.
• Provide a secure comforting demeanor.
• Teach the puppy you are there to protect and lead.