quartersnpaints

Hello all. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a breeder on the West Coast (Oregon, Washington, Northern CA or Idaho). I prefer apricots, but am open to the other colors (including parti's) as well. Black is my least favorite color. Of course, good disposition is really important too... I have a young daughter and 3 house cats.

Or, maybe you have recommendations about who to stay away from?

Would you say reputable breeders list their dogs with OFA? I'm getting really frustrated looking at some nice dogs online, but then not finding any results listed with OFA. Is that reason to scratch them off my list, or not?

Fluffyspoos

Find someone that actually does something with their dogs, not just testing.

Anyone can test, but someone that's really devoted to the breed will prove it by titling their dogs in either conformation or preformance. Avoid people that don't do this.

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ArreauStandardPoodle

I do not agree with this statement, at all! As a woman with agoraphobia (fear of crowds) I know there can be extenuating circumstances which can make it difficult or seemingly impossible for some people to get out to do these things. I have recently become friends with a breeder who suffered a brain injury in a car accident which makes it hard for her to travel in a vehicle because of vibration and light. If she is doing everything else right, should she be discounted? Not in my opinion.

There are also people who do not put a ton of value in a show title. Knowing the cheating that can and does take place, well... it can leave one a tad jaded. Performance titles are different because it is the dog's performance being judged, and it is quite a bit more difficult to fudge results. If you find a breeder you mesh with, whose dogs appearance pleases you, who does their testing with good results, who does not have titled dogs, ask them why. Ask too if any of their dogs offspring is titled and in what and if that can be verified. If their dogs are not titled for a legitimate reason, but their dogs offspring are, there is value in that. It proves that their dogs produced puppies capable of winning which would indicate their brains are where they should be and their conformation is not lacking.

Our old boy who just passed away is a perfect example of this. He was my Mother's beloved dog until she died in a car accident. He moved in with me at 9 1/2 years of age. Not titled in anything, he is sire to MANY champions world wide...conformation, field, agility, obedience, Rally. He also played a huge role in the world of silver Standards as we know them today. His passing has left a hole in the world of silver Standard Poodles, acknowledged this week the world over by many different breeders. And he did have so much as a CGN.

Anyone CAN test. Not everyone DOES though. It is enormously expensive, and not all breeders turn a lot of their puppy money back into their dogs. I would ask if they post their results on OFA, and if not, ask the see copies of the OFA certificates which should be in the breeder's possession and be sure you understand what the results mean.

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quartersnpaints

Thanks! I am looking for someone who does things with their dogs, although I wouldn't necessarily rule them out if they don't. I show horses, so I understand that sometimes there are good reasons why good animals don't get shown.

I'm just curious why so many websites claim their animals are tested, but then I can't find results on the OFA website. Does it cost money to list them there, or is there some other reason why people don't always have them listed there.

Thanks for the input. It's been 14 years since I was looking for a pup, so a lot of things have changed! Plus, the standard poodle is a new breed for me, so I've got a lot to learn!

ArreauStandardPoodle

Yes, it is costly to list, and after the expense of testing, some people just opt to retain the certificates and share them on request. I would not put any value in testing unless it is certified.

Hips to post- $35
Heart and patellas- $15 each plus postage
S/A- $15
CERF- $12.20 (CDN)
DM- Test is $65 and part of this cost includes posting and postage
Thyroid- $135 and part of this is the cost to post
vWd- $15
NE- $15
So, it is well over $100 just to post the results on the OFA site. The CHIC number (if the dog earns one) is free, provided you do the recommended testing, which is very breed specific. I never felt posting on OFA was important or necessary until now. Now that we search for suitable stud dogs, I realize how much the posting of test results eases the entire process.

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quartersnpaints

Thank you so much for the explanation! I was wondering why so many dogs weren't listed. That really helps.

And Arreau, your dogs are gorgeous! We would really rather not ship, or else I might be giving you a call...

ArreauStandardPoodle

Thank you VERY much!

BTW...In Canada, the total for testing, posting and postage for each dog is around $900 and we had to shop around to get such good prices.

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truelovepoodles

Hi Quartersnpaints.

The only breeder I am familiar with in your area is in St. Helen's Oregon. Jac Harbour of Tudorose Standard Poodles. She is an amazing woman and although she primarily breeds blacks..she does have browns and creams occasionally.
Tudorose Poodles - Home

Fluffyspoos

This is a great example of what to look for in a breeder. They have conformation as well as performance titles on their dogs with health testing, and plenty of pictures to prove this. This is someone very active in the breed.

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Fluffyspoos

Furthermore with this breeder, or any breeder, you should look at the pedigrees. This way you can see the health information of the dog you're looking at, as well as the health of the previous dogs and the accomplishments down the line.

Here's the pedigree of one of the sires from this breeder
Pedigree: INT CH Tudorose Knight Of The Whip WC, CGC, HIC

Not only has she worked her own dog, but she's also continued down a line of obviously sound dogs. Does this mean you would have to show/do performance? Absolutely not, but it gives you a good idea that these dogs are what they're suppose to be.

You asked what to avoid? I would pedigrees that lack proven dogs, here's an example. This is the pedigree of my rescue bitch whom I spayed.
Pedigree: Zikia

However, shelter dogs have no titles, but can be just as good as a pet, so a breeder should title something to prove they are worthy of being bred.

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