FAQs
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions, already answered for you! If you still have questions after reading through them, please reach out to us directly!
Waitlist
Why should I get on the waitlist for a litter instead of waiting to see which puppies from a litter are available?
When you join our waitlist for a specific litter, you secure your reservation on that litter. This means you are involved in all communication (and excitement!) leading up to go-home day. You also get to participate in our thorough puppy matching process with our trainer. We conduct an in depth review of what each family with a confirmed reservation on the litter is looking for in a puppy and take time to understand their lifestyle. We provide all this information to our trainers, who are able to use their unbiased expertise to help find the puppy best suited for you in the litter. If you wait to see which puppies might be available in the litter after the matching process has already taken place, you miss out on that wonderful opportunity! We still are highly selective of where we place each puppy and will make sure you get a puppy suited for your lifestyle, but it is much better to be involved from the beginning.
Location
Where are you located, and do you ship your puppies?
We are located in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, just a few miles outside of Washington, DC. Our central Mid-Atlantic location makes us easily accessible to families throughout Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, New Jersey, and beyond.
We are less than an hour from Baltimore, Annapolis, and Frederick, Maryland, as well as Leesburg, Virginia. We are under two hours from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and under three hours from Wilmington, Delaware; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia; and southern New Jersey. We are also within approximately four hours of New York City; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Of course, our puppies don't just stay close to home! They live with families all across the United States—from California to Florida to Maine and many places in between. We do not ship our puppies as cargo. Families are always welcome to travel to us to pick up their puppy, but if traveling to Maryland isn't possible, we also work with a trusted flight nanny who can accompany your puppy in-cabin and personally deliver them to your local airport.
Rehoming
Will you take the dog back if it needs to be returned?
Yes - in fact, we require it. If you can no longer care for your dog, our contract requires you to let us know ASAP so we can either take them back here if it is an emergency, or rehome them for you directly from your care (which is our preferred way to do it, to minimize the number of transitions the dog needs to make).
Puppy Allocation
Do I get to pick my puppy?
With a background in rescue before we began breeding, puppy allocations are something we take very seriously because we've seen what happens when families adopt puppies whose temperaments are not suited for their lifestyle. Ultimately we choose which puppy goes to which family, based on the temperament evaluations conducted by our trainer and everything we've learned about them by spending 8 weeks with them. We ask you which puppies in the litter you prefer and that does factor into our decision, but ultimately we know our puppies best and we will not place them in a home they are not suited for.
Allergies
Are Australian Labradoodles hypoallergenic?
There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. While ALDs tend to be good for folks who have allergies, this is highly dependent on the individual. We encourage folks with allergies to consult with their doctor to assess if adding a dog is possible before beginning the process of bringing home a puppy.
Grooming
How often do ALDs need to be groomed?
They should be groomed, at a minimum, every 6-8 weeks. If you want to keep your dog's hair longer than about half an inch on their body, you will need to get them groomed more frequently. It is important to expose your puppy to the grooming process as soon as they finish their shots, and discuss with your groomer how often they want to see your dog based on their coat, your desired hair length, and how much home maintenance you intend to do between grooming sessions. Your groomer is going to be a big part of your dog's life, and they are the experts-- they will appreciate you being proactive and working with them to keep your dog well groomed!
Sizing
How big are your Australian Labradoodles?
Most of our Australian Labradoodles are miniatures and mediums, depending on the parents of the litter. They range from 15-35lbs and stand 14-18" at the shoulder, with the majority of our puppies falling right in that 20-30lb and 15-17" window.
Lineage
What generation labradoodles are your puppies?
Our puppies are all multi-generational Australian Labradoodles. There have not been labrador retrievers, poodles, or cocker spaniel infusions in the lines in most cases for over 10 generations. This means your puppy's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. are all Australian Labradoodles.
Shipping
Do you ship puppies?
Our puppies live all over the country, but we do not ship our puppies. If you live out of state, we are happy to meet you at the airport here with your puppy for you to bring them home in-cabin as your carry-on. If you are not comfortable doing this, we also have trusted flight nannies that we work with who are happy to transport your puppy to you.
ALAA
What is the ALAA?
The Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) is the premier breed club and registry for the Australian Labradoodle. They have existed since the mid-2000s and offer a lot of support and continuing education for breeders, and maintain a registry database with every puppy their member breeders produce. They set the health testing standards for the breed, and ensure breeders are held to those standards before a dog is bred. They also have a program for pet parents!