Your Chance to Meet the Puppies

We welcome adoptive families (i.e. families with deposits) for one visit. Families are invited for a Family Visit Day when the pups are around 7 to 8 weeks old. The visit is outdoors and so is weather dependent.

Unfortunately, given the number of adoptive families we are managing combined with the demands of our own family life and caring for our dogs and pups, we can only accommodate one visit per family. Visits will take place on a family visit day (usually a Sunday) when the pups are around 7 to 8 weeks old.

Finally, arranging a visit to ‘select’ your puppy is not possible because it is not advisable and is difficult to arrange. Although many puppy buyers think meeting the pups is the best way to select, it is in fact the worst way. Puppies change from moment to moment – depending on whether they are hungry or have just eaten, whether they are tired or just woke from a nap, whether they have just had an active play session or a relaxing snooze, whether they have had visitors/activities that day or not. The pup you see at the moment of your visit is not necessarily reflective of the pup overall. The best way to select the pup is through the temperament assessment, which is why I invest in having those done by a professional. Further, arranging such visits is very difficult as each family is given 6 hours to select their pup. For the process to be effective it requires strict management of each family being assigned a 6 hour period to make their selection so we can move onto the next family, who is waiting excitedly for their turn. We are unable to coordinate a visit within your 6 hour time slot.

Why We Only Accept Visits from Families with Deposits?

We sometimes get asked why we only allow families with deposits to visit our pups. This is not surprising given the number of ‘what to do when buying a dog’ websites that advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the pup’s parents first. The problem with these sites is their priority is the buyer, not the pups’ or breeders’ health and safety. Below are the reasons we don’t allow visits from families that have not placed a deposit. Please remember that our pups are home raised – in rooms in our house. This means you can’t come visit the adult dogs or me, without also ‘visiting’ my pups and their Momma.

Safety of the Puppies

  • Pup’s immune systems are very immature. Many unsuspecting visitors have brought disease (parvovirus, distemper, etc) with them when visiting pups, the result of which is the death of the entire litter. I personally know several breeders that have lost entire litters to parvovirus brought in by visitors.
  • Stressed out Moms create stressed out pups. A new mother is emotionally charged and in hyper protective mode. When a stranger comes to visit, Mom becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol, which goes into the milk. The puppies consume this cortisol rich milk and become stressed themselves.
  • Panicked Moms hurt pups. When a stranger comes to visit Mom’s state of mind changes rapidly. She feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat. Many Moms have unintentionally stepped on or crushed a pup in their urgency to get out of the whelping box to assess the threat.
  • I don’t ‘own’ the pups. All the pups are sold to families. I am simply the guardian. However, I have been entrusted with the care of these pups for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them. If one of the pups was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your pup.

Safety of My Dogs and Family

  • People that email me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you emailed me with basic information (which may or may not be true) about yourself and your family. I am inviting you, a stranger, into my home. This creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family.
  • We have a normal family life. We have family activities, responsibilities and commitments. Inviting strangers into our home interferes with our ability to live as a normal family.
  • Time spent with visitors is time not spent with my pups and dogs. Raising puppies and dogs is a very demanding 24/7 job. Every minute I spend with visitors is time not spent working with and caring for your pup so that you have the best pup possible or enjoying and caring for my own dogs, which is why I breed to begin with.
  • We are not a petting zoo. Some people think visiting pups is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my pups, my dogs and my family so someone can snuggle with pups. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise.

So, how can we help you have confidence we aren’t a puppy mill or a fake website asking for your $500 deposit?

  • “Like” our Facebook page. There you will find pictures and stories from our adoptive families Canadian Doodle Puppies on Facebook.
  • If you aren’t on Facebook, follow Doodle Talk our blog. Where we regularly post photos of our pups.
  • Go for a walk at Bruce Pit in Nepean or the Conroy Pit here in Ottawa. We have loads of Australian Labradoodles in the city and they regularly walk at various off-leash parks. You will almost certainly run into one.
  • Ask for references. We are very happy to provide references from adoptive families as well as our Vet (who knows us VERY well).
  • Attend one of our semi-annual Doodle Romps. We host Doodle Romps (each spring and fall) where you can come and meet many of our adopted dogs and their families as they have a giant Doodle party.

What happens if you place a deposit, come visit us and the pups and don’t like us?

We will refund your deposit. Please understand we would NOT want one of our pups going to a family that doesn’t want one of our pups. We love our dogs too much to put them somewhere they aren’t wanted.

We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our pups and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder.