All of our parent dogs have been chosen for their quality genetics and excellent temperaments. They live here with us as family pets, not as kenneled breeders. In certain cases, we may turn to outside sires that are the family pets of other reputable, like-minded breeders. Because we keep our volume low, we are able to focus on giving your puppy an excellent start in life. Litters are whelped and raised in our busy home from day one, so socialization begins early and often. Socializing your puppy is our greatest pleasure.
We perform Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) exercises on our puppies from day 3 to day 16. ENS is a method developed by the U.S. Military to optimize the performance of its working dogs. Very young puppies are introduced to a series of very mild, controlled stressors in order to gently stimulate the neurological system earlier than would generally be normal. Performing these simple exercises is believed to bolster the immune and cardiovascular systems, and to increase stress tolerance. If you are interested in learning more, the internet contains a wealth of detailed information on this subject, or, ask us to demonstrate the exercises for you.
Our dogs are fed a high-quality, biologically appropriate raw diet which we prepare here ourselves. We know that raw feeding may not be for everyone (after all, there can be an inarguable “ick” factor, as well as inconvenience), but we feel that investing in this premium feeding program pays dividends when it comes to the health and vigor of our animals, which is especially crucial for the demands of a breeding program.
Puppies begin weaning onto raw food starting just prior to four weeks of age. We feel that the raw food really gives them an edge during that critical weaning period and makes the transition from nursing so much smoother. For families who do not wish to continue with raw feeding (which has been, by far, the majority), we will transition the puppy to quality kibble before they are ready to leave at eight weeks.
Our Dams
Margeaux
Margeaux is my 62% poodle/38% Bernese mix. She has very curly hair, like Tara. Structurally, she favors her poodle lineage, but the ace up her sleeve is the Irish-spotting gene she’s inherited from her bernese parentage. Irish spotting makes for gorgeous, symmetrical facial blazes in bernedoodles. She will have her first litter in 2023, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what she will produce. She is sweet and loving and comes in a small package.
Tara
Tara is my F1B curly girl. She has great tan-points and a nice, compact body, especially for having a higher percentage of poodle DNA. The poodle DNA shows up in her coat, which makes for less shedding and hopefully, more hypoallergenic puppies. My personal preference is for the looser, wavier bernedoodle coat, but we try to produce F1B pups at least once a year for families who are concerned about allergies. I have been thrilled with the cleanliness of the 50/50 dogs in our home, but for true allergy sufferers, the non-shedding coat of the poodle backcrosses is a safer way to go. Tara is a little more stoic and independent, which are qualities that I’ve come to admire, particularly because we have so many dogs! She loves to cuddle and is very affectionate, but is also prone to getting lost in her own world with a toy. She loves to play fetch and soccer and will never quit as long as she has someone willing to play ball.
India
India, “Indy” for short, has a soft, straight coat that I love to keep long and shaggy, as well as a stocky, low-slung body structure more reminiscent of the Bernese, just in a tinier package. She is very bright, affectionate, and incredibly mellow. She is about as floppy, lazy, and complacent as a dog can be, which is a comfort on some of my busier days, especially with a houseful of doodle dogs! Something of note about India is that, though she started out as a crisp, deeply saturated tri-color pup, within a few weeks, there were indications that she was a silver. Indy most likely has two copies of the poodle fading gene. So often when she and I are out, people ask if she is an Olde English Sheepdog. At only a few months old, she had exhibited dramatic fading, or clearing, as it’s often referred to, resulting in her beautiful silver coat. Silver coloring in poodles is one of the rarest and most sought after colors, and I think it’s easy to see why. Onyx eyes peering out of a platinum face make for a beautiful combination. Silver is still a very unpredictable, as yet untestable gene, so it’s impossible to know whether her pups will be traditional tri-colors, or silver as herself.
Our Sires
Hugo
Margeaux is my 62% poodle/38% Bernese mix. She has very curly hair, like Tara. Structurally, she favors her poodle lineage, but the ace up her sleeve is the Irish-spotting gene she’s inherited from her bernese parentage. Irish spotting makes for gorgeous, symmetrical facial blazes in bernedoodles. She will have her first litter in 2023, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what she will produce. She is sweet and loving and comes in a small package.
Nacho
Nacho is my blue-merle stud. He is a friend to all and loves to work on obedience training. He is bright and affectionate and never takes a bad photo, as you can see. He’s got great tan points and a nice blaze, as well as a more compact body style, which is our preference here.