Frequently Asked Questions
Please review this page prior to filling out an application!
Will puppies be potty trained upon go home?
The short answer is no, and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. An 8 week old puppy does not have the brain development, let alone the bladder to be potty trained. Now with that being said, we start to teach them at 3 weeks that they can potty in a designated area away from their sleep and play area. Most puppies use this area 80-95% of the time with few accidents at 8 weeks. It is up to you upon go home to teach them that this spot is now outside on grass! We do NOT recommend having an inside potty area at their new homes.
Are Doodles hypoallergenic or do they shed?
Again, short answer is no they are not hypoallergenic. No dog truly is. People are allergic to the proteins in a dogs skin, saliva, and urine, which can cause an allergic response. Doodles are less likely to cause reactions compared to a German Shepherd, but again, nothing is guaranteed. As far as shedding, all dogs shed to some degree. Even our pureblooded Poodles loose their hair. You'll most likely only notice hair loss when being bathed or brush. We rarely find hair even on our clothes.
Can you guarantee how big my dog gets?
We can offer our best educated guess on what size your puppy might be but we cannot guarantee the size your puppy will grow to be. Several factors are at play. Food, exercise, as well as genetics that can be pulled from the past three generations of the parent dogs.
Can we see/visit with the puppy in person before go home day?
At this time we do not allow in-person visits. First and foremost these puppies are raised inside our home, are apart of our family. We have young girls and we do believe their well-being comes first. Our home is their safe haven, and with the world we live in we just do not feel comfortable doing this. Second and also an important aspect is, the health and safety of the puppies. Disease and parasites can be brought onto our property through shoes and clothes, we want to protect them while they are in our care and prevent infection while their immune systems are weak. HOWEVER, we post pictures and video content almost daily, and as long as you have filled out an application we have no problem scheduling a video meeting for you to see the puppies in real time!
Does my puppy have to be spayed/neutered?
Yes, every puppy is sold on a strict spay/neuter contract. We discuss this during the interview process and you agree to spay/neuter your new family member, BUT not a juvenile surgery. What do we mean by this? Early(Juvenile) Spay/Neuter is an old way of thinking, mainly started for population control. While I do believe these practices have a place in our society, especially high populated areas like the one I live in, I also know the many risks of early spay/neuter are not communicated to pet owners. Some complications that could arise from early spay/neuter would be delaying the closure of growth plates, meaning growing continues and this can lead to terrible confirmation. In many large breeds this increases the risk of orthopedic problems(hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and luxating patellas). Additional increased risks known are: Cancer, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and behavioral problems. At LCF we want the best for our puppies and that's why we choose to educate and prepare our clients for the best choice in this area.
What is the differences between coat types?
Since Doodles are hybrid dogs, they can end up with coats from either parent. Some may not even look alike from the same litter, it all depends on the genes that specific puppy gets. Coat does not guarantee a "hypoallergenic" or "non-shedding"coat. Here are some references on the different coat types you may see.
Curly-very much like a poodle. May be even courser than a poodle and I have seen this coat shed. Will need to be brushed daily.
Wavy-this coat is usually easier to manage than the curly, but still recommend brushing several times a week.
Straight-often confused with the flat coat. This type isn't produced as often because it can be harder to produce. Usually less maintenance than Curly or Wavy.
Flat-this is a coat I have never produced and don't plan to. It's usually the easiest to manage and is known to shed heavily. The looks of a flat coat are more like the shedding parent(ex. Retriever, Cocker, Bernese, etc).
Can you guarantee my puppies coat?
No, we can't guarantee that your puppies coat color will stay the same nor the coat curl. I've seen puppies from the same litter who held color while others didn't. I've also seen some puppies I thought to be wavy and they ended up curly as an adult. We will however, give our best educated guess. There is just nothing guaranteed when it comes to coat color/curl without advanced testing.
What does generation mean and is it important?
There will be differing opinions on this topic but also a lot of misconceptions. Honestly generations can get confusing and hard to explain.
An F1 generation is where the parent dogs are a Poodle and a shedding parent(ex. Golden Retriever). Some people claim this is a healthier generation but the coat quality and shedding factors are there.This generation tends to be blockier in appearance.
An F1b is usually an F1 bred back to a Poodle, but I have also seen where they breed and F1 back to the shedding parent so this is always an important question to ask. This generation has the misconception that they do not shed at all, but any dog that has a shedding breed in them has the chance of shedding. This generation tends to be thinner and lanky like the Poodle in appearance.
Then you have Multi-generational which is where both parents are a Doodle, and I'll be honest this is my favorite generation! The coats I've seen produced from Multigenerational lines have been softer and more desirable than that of the other generations mentioned. While again, nothing can be guaranteed, I prefer producing Multigenerational lines for coat quality and structure.