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Why do Australian Labradoodles cost so much?
 And what do I as a breeder do?

      There are many reasons why an Australian Labradoodle costs what they cost.   If you check the ALAA and the WALA and the ALCA, you will find that my puppies are not as much as most of the other  breeders in the organizations for this developing breed. Until I purchased my first intact male, (the last one I bought cost over $14000.00 I would travel to find the perfect sire for my litters. The stud fee I usually pay is $3000.00. .  The progesterone testing and artificial insemination comes at additional expense. Some of our breeding dogs are purchased at 8 weeks old with the average cost of a prospective breeding puppy being ten thousand dollars (this is the cost of best of the litter, unaltered, but an unproven, untested dog).  Because they are so young, we wait until they are almost a year to start their health testing. If the dog does not pass ALL of the tests, we refuse to breed him/her and we ensure that the dog is found a quality home. Only the very best of the best dogs are used in our program. Over the last 2 years,most of the other ALAA breeders have changed their puppy prices to $3200 or higher.

 

All of our potential breeding dogs undergo extensive health tests that surpass the  minimum requirements of the Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) These tests include an eye exam clearance from a certified ophthalmologist, EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse), prcd-PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) clearance, heart testing, Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) testing, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) hip and elbow testing, I sometimes do  PENN hip (PennHIP is a multifaceted radiographic screening method for hip evaluation. The technique assesses the quality of the canine hip and quantitatively measures canine hip joint laxity.  a DNA profile, and other testing for genetic diseases.  We do these tests in order to produce the healthiest puppies possible, improve the Australian labradoodle breed and minimize genetic disease.    You can be assured that your pup has parents with wonderful temperaments and the highest of health scores!  We love our dogs and want them to live healthy, happy lives.

 

In order to be the best breeder possible,  I belong to the ALAA and WALA and pay their fees to be a member in good standing. I want to better the breed, and work hard to try to produce a better, healthier puppy each time I have a dog bred. I attend ALAA conferences and participate in a variety of trainings to raise the healthiest and smartest puppies  I can. . I follow the Avidog breeder techniques and also the Puppy Culture techniques.  There are expenses to get this education. I have our puppies evaluated by professional trainers to ensure the best aptitude. and by professional dog handlers to ensure the best structure (choosing the best of the best to keep in our program). Often, the handlers are amazed at the quality of our puppies, making it difficult for us to choose which puppy to keep. I use veterinarians for our vaccinations (instead of doing it myself) to insure the vaccines are fresh and high quality; and so the puppies get an additional health check by the vet.

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EllsWORTH Labradoodles is not a kennel.  We are a family and our dogs live in our home as our beloved and pampered pets.  There is no way to have all of our breeding dogs with us and give each of them the pampering we desire for them, so many of our breeding dogs live in Guardian homes nearby.  A guardian home is a family that has one of our breeding dogs as their own pet, but I retain breeding rights. More information on the guardian program is on the page called "Guardian Opportunities"   However, all puppies are born and raised in our home until they are picked up or shipped to you.

 

As explained, our fully health tested parent dogs have their puppies in our home. I stay with the laboring mother for the entire delivery, frequently all through the night. The puppies are handled a few minutes after birth for a quick check up and tying off umbilical cords, then returned to their mother. The puppies go in for a vet check within a few days of birth. By the time the puppy is ready for their new family at 8-9 weeks, we have spared no expense on everything a puppy needs from veterinary care, to high quality food, to toys, to training.   The puppies come to you microchipped (with the microchip already registered in your name), with hormone saving tubal ligation or vasectomy, or with a spay/neuter contract that includes a rebate from me, deworming treatments, health checks, and first set of vaccines.  We consider ourselves responsible and caring breeders and saving money at the expense of our dogs is not part of our program.  We do everything we can to assure our puppies will have happy and high quality lives!

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We raise all of our puppies here in our home where they are well attended to.  We begin socializing them and getting them accustomed to every day sounds, being handled, and other pets. We work on sitting, potty, and crate training, and some leash experience.  We having been raising these puppies the "Avidog Way" and have started using the "Puppy Culture" way in addition to Avidog.. I spend hours each day working with the puppies and I have the puppies handled by both myself, my husband and a variety of people, including young children, so the puppies will be prepared to enter any family dynamic, both old and young, male and female. It is fun to watch  them grow and learn at such a young age!

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We also include a puppy packet to aid with the transition from our home to yours. This puppy packet includes a litter toy, blanket or towel with the litter scent on it, a collar, a leash, and a small supply of food they have been eating, and personalized records book,  vet information ,training ideas and other helpful information.

 

We ship our pups around the world! The puppies are crate trained before they leave our home and feel comfortable traveling in the crate.  Shipping via air is not included in the puppy price (we use SLC airport in Salt Lake City, Utah), please see SLC website for a list of airlines. We are now sending most puppies home in cabin with a puppy nanny, or clients come and meet us at the airport to take their puppy home. The puppies do really well in the soft sided carriers under the seat. 

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  • You are more than welcome to pick up your newest addition right here at EllsWORTH Labradoodless!  We would love to show where and how your puppy has been raised.  We can also spend some time going over care and grooming questions you may have.

  • If you wish to have your puppy shipped to you via airplane domestic flights are $500 This fee covers airfare, crate, vet health certification to fly and transportation to the airport. Out of the USA the costs to fly them are much higher and needs to be done through a professional pet courier.

  • We will also hand deliver your puppy free of charge if you live within 1 and 1/2 hours from Provo, Utah.

  • In cabin hand delivery is also available if prearranged.

  • You are also welcome to fly into Salt Lake City, and I can have your puppy ready for you to fly home in cabin.  I would be happy to spend up to an hour and a half with you at the airport going over any questions or concerns. There is no charge for this unless you would require me to bring a pet carry-on bag for your pup.                                                                                

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Feel free to contact us with any questions.

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