We highly recommend meeting some doodles
before making a decision to get one!  We feel the best way to
do this is to attend a 'Doodle Romp.'  This is a get-together
for doodles, doodle owners, and doodle enthusiasts.  We host
them, occasionally in the Spring or Summer and so do others all

over the country.  If you
would like information about romps, or want help locating a
romp in your area, please contact us.

If we do not have pups in home, then we welcome visitors to come

and meet our adults,

and If we have remaining pups after they are vaccinated you are also

welcome to meet specific

pups of interest

 

Many people doing reading about choosing an Australian

Multigenerational   Labradoodle breeder  from which to purchase 
will encounter articles and websites that contend that visiting

a breeder before making a decision is imperative.  

The implication is that breeders that do not allow visits are lower quality,

provide less customer service, or have something to hide.

Most of those opinions were arrived at decades ago,
and have not been adjusted to the current state of canine
health.  Parvo virus did not even exist until the late 1970's,
and became epidemic in the last 10 years.  This virus is deadly
to young puppies, who are in the delicate process of being
weaned from their mother's immunity to this contagion, and
developing their own immunity to it.  There is a period of time
during which they are very vulnerable, and exposure to this
virus causes vomiting, diarrhea, and ultimately death.  It is
impossible to treat in young puppies and uniformly
fatal....whole litters are usually lost if one puppy contracts it.

One thing that makes protection from this virus so difficult is
that it is extremely hardy.  It can live in an outdoor
environment, even among blistering or freezing temperatures,
for up to 7 months.  Practically the only thing that can kill it is
bleach, and it is easily carried on clothing and shoes.

So any Labradoodle breeder that
allows visitors at any time is risking infecting their puppies.  
Someone could walk through a parking lot at a mall with a pet
store the week before visiting, pick up the virus on their shoes
and then bring it into the breeder's environment.  This event
could even occur months BEFORE the puppies are born, and
the puppies could still be at risk when they reach that
vulnerable age.  Everyone needs to weigh the risks and
benefits, and some breeders do choose to allow visits.

Obviously it is impossible for any breeder to completely
eliminate their risk, but we do the best we can.  We don't
wear shoes in our house or yard, and our dogs wear booties
when they leave our house or yard, in order to avoid, as much
as possible, bringing anything in.

We try to minimize the traffic in an out of our house by
limiting visitors to those times when pups have been immunized,

or there are no pups in home nor pregnant girls ready to deliver.

So, instead of indicating something to hide, or an uncaring
attitude, a breeder that limits visitation is just putting the
health and welfare of their puppies first.  We hope families
considering working with us will see that as an attribute!

 

Melorich is a home breeder, not a professional kennel,

and our family clientele prefer it that way as they

know that each pup is given the attention he or she needs

to properly socialize. We allocate pups based on our

observations, assessments, and your application. We encourage

you to come by and pick your pup up when he or she is ready to leave

however, we do not allow people to come as though we are a pet shop

and they   come and "browse" and pick the pup they think is the

most suited based on their limited exposure. If by chance we have pups

remaining after others have been allocated then we will send you pictures

and other pertinent information about pups assessment. Once your application

and deposit are made then you can schedule to pick up your pup.

 

Please respect our philosophy and if this does not work for you

then you should continue your search. Every time we have several

large back to back litters there are those who are either local or

within a few hours drive that wish to disregard our policy and can not

understand our reluctance. We are always happy to provide references,

even in your area if possible and you can arrange to meet their Melorich

dogs if allowed. Don't ask to come and pick!

 

Richard Martel

EMAIL: RICH@OHIOLABRADOODLES.COM