•   One 8-week old healthy, well socialized Labradoodle puppy with age appropriate worming and shots.
•   Puppy will be “desexed” (spayed or neutered) at 7 weeks old, saving our customers $150-200 in the future. This also saves our families the risk of losing a puppy after they have grown to love him/her.
•   Puppy will have an AVID microchip inserted under their skin so they can always be tracked back to you (or Naper Doodles).  I also paid the registration fee for each of my customers.
•   A puppy folder that includes information about the puppy in his/her first few weeks of life, including immunizations and worming records, and a 3 generation pedigree.
•   A good size sample of the puppy food he/she has been eating, enough to get your puppy through the change if our customers switch food. Please see our Bringing Puppy Home page for details on how to switch foods.
•   A soft toy that smells like puppy's siblings to help with long nights.
•   A Nylabone chew toy that has been infused with flavor-- this is our favorite item to distract pups from chewing on the house!
•   Two year (24 month) health guarantee (see Contract for details).
•   $100 Gift Certificate to use on an Invisible Fence purchase, if you are interested in having one installed.   

Current research shows that obese dogs increases their risk of getting hip dysplasia by 50%.  Please do your best to raise a dysplasia free dog by keeping your dog at a healthy weight.  Naper Doodles will not warrantee hips on a dog that is more than 25% overweight.  Research has shown a dog at a healthy weight lives 2 years longer on average than a heavier dog.  Please love your dog enough to keep him/her at a healthy weight.   

The Idog.biz site has a great article about Responsible Breeding of Labradoodles and Goldendoodles.  Spring Creek Labradoodle's website has a great page on Finding a Reputable Breeder.

   

•   RESEARCH:  Potential owners should read over our website and contact us with any questions.  Once you have decided that a Naper Doodle is right for your family, please submit an application.
•   APPLICATION:  Your application is reviewed thoroughly.  If approved, you will be invited to submit a $250 deposit fee to hold a place on our Wait List for the next litter with availability.
•   WHELPING DAY:  You will be notified when the litter is born and updated with individual photos of puppies, identified by collar color and gender, on a weekly basis via the Naper Doodles website.
•   WEEKS 3, 4, 6, 8:  Puppies will be wormed and receive their first two immunizations while in our care. The Puppy Room is just off our kitchen and they are cuddled and played with many times each day. Pups' eyes open at 3 weeks, they are introduced to water and kibble at 4 weeks, and solidly on kibble by 6 weeks.
•   6 WEEKS:  Customers that are listed on Naper Doodles Wait List are invited to visit after the pups turn 6 weeks old.  Payment of your $1750 balance is due when the puppy turns 6 weeks old, along with a signed contract.  If your puppy needs to be shipped by air an additional $300 is also due. Disposition and coat characteristics are clear and we will finalize which puppy is assigned to each family by 7 weeks. 
•   7 WEEKS:  Puppies will be spayed/neutered (ESN) at 7 weeks.  They will also be Micro-chipped at 7 weeks.
•   8 WEEKS:  Puppies can be picked up by their owners, or shipped by plane to your closest major airport, when they are 8 weeks old.
•   Puppies need to see a Vet for a Healthy Puppy Check within five days of ownership transfer.  Your puppy will also need to be scheduled for 12 and 16 week shots and should not visit public areas (especially dog parks and pet stores!) until they have received their final shots.   

•   It is MUCH easier on the puppies to have a 1/4" incision and a quick snip at 7 weeks, than a 3 - 4" incision and fairly major surgery at 6-12 months.
•   ESN decreases a tendency toward one gender type, whether that means marking or other disagreeable behaviors.
•   ESN ensures that the puppies we have so carefully bred, with fully tested parents, then placed in loving homes, won't create potential pound dogs.
•   ESN is not negotiable as it is required in the contracts of the breeding dogs we own and in the stud contract.
•   Another plus is that it saves my customers a future spending of $150-200 for Spay/Neuter.  It also saves a small but potential risk that your pup will die on the table after you have grown to love him/her.

We are extremely conscientious in every part of this breeding endeavor-- if we felt that someone was going to be just as thorough, and they wanted to purchase an intact dog at a Breeder's price (which is double the pet price) we would consider it.  Otherwise we don't want any chance of these pups being bred.  Here is an overview in support of ESN from the University of Illinois Veterinary School.  Here is a link to a super article with many links provided by the Columbus Dog Connection of Ohio.  Lastly, an article on a Bengal Cats website that clearly highlights the advantages of ESN.   

•   Transmission: The virus is easily transmitted through a fecal-oral route.  The highest risk is tracking it in on your shoes, and you will never know if a puppy has been exposed until it is too late.  Parks that have many dogs are a high-risk area, as well as unknown dogs that may be shedding the virus.
•   Symptoms:  The symptoms are lethargy and listlessness, proceeding rapidly to uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting.  This can kill an entire litter in a few short days.
•   Treatment:  The puppy must be seen immediately by a veterinarian, monitored round the clock and be treated with fluids by I.V. for the fluids he is losing.  If he survives he will make a full recovery and be immune to Parvo thereafter.
•   Prevention:  Prevention comes in the forms of vaccinations and extreme caution.  Naper Doodles will begin with a Parvo vaccine at 4 weeks, then a combined Distemper/Parvo/etc vaccine at 6 weeks.  Customers will not be allowed to visit until after the pups are 6 weeks old.  Our family is also extremely careful before the pups are 6 weeks-- taking off shoes outside, changing into washed clothes and washing hands before handling the puppies.  We ask each of our customers to use with caution when they receive their puppy, avoiding public places where there are/were animals, until the puppy gets its 8 week, 12 week and 16 week puppy vaccines.

If you are able to visit when the litter is 6 weeks old we will ask that you tell us your top three favorites, in order, by the time you leave.  We will finalize placement decisions when the pups are 7 weeks and let you know.  While everyone has their favorite photos, it's just not possible to visit once, or to judge by pictures alone, and know which puppy suits your family best.  Some families have specific needs and we take these into account while we watch the puppies grow and interact.  We will honor the wait list, and if we feel there are multiple options for families we will make the offer of 2-3 different pups in the order of the list.

If there is a puppy for your spot on the list, but not meeting your preferences (color, gender, coat type, disposition), then you will be given the option to accept a puppy with different characteristics or you may wait for the next litter.   

•    Dog Friendly Dog Training by Andrea Arden
•    The Canine Good Citizen, Every Dog Can Be One by Jack & Wendy Volhard
•    Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents by Pia Silvani & Lynn Eckhardt
•    Puppy Preschool, by John Ross and Barbara McKinney
•    How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Ruthford and Neil
•    How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Kalstone
•    The Dog Whisperer book and videos by Cesar Millan. Cesar talks more about established bad habits of dogs, but his shows on DVD are great to watch to see what to *avoid* in training your dog.

Instead of shipping, you are welcome to fly in to pick up the puppy yourself.  For a $100 gas charge we'd be happy to meet you at either Chicago's Midway (MDW) or O'Hare (ORD) or the St. Louis airport (STL).  Your puppy can fly back in the cabin with you, nestled into an airline approved soft crate.  Please note that some airlines charge $50-75 to fly with your pet as a "carry on".    
 

•    Start with references from your friends on Vets they would recommend. This is the best way to find a good veterinarian!
•    How far is the vet's office from your home?
•    The front office staff will make a huge impact on how you feel about your vet. Did you have to sit on hold? Were they friendly and genuine or were you made to feel like they were doing you a favor? 
•    How many permanent doctors are in the office?
•    Do they see other hybrid breeds, like Labradoodles and Goldendoodles?
•    What is the charge for a basic checkup?
•    What are their office hours, and are these days/hours convenient for you?
•    Can you schedule appointments with a specific doctor, or is it first-come/first-serve?
•    What emergency service are offered during and after business hours?  If there is a local animal hospital they are associated with, how far is it from your home?
•    Once you have narrowed to 2-3 vet offices, I would definitely visit the offices.  Make sure the waiting area is clean and orderly and the front desk staff is responsive and knowledgeable.  Ask to speak with the vet briefly-- are you comfortable talking to this person? Is he or she responsive to your questions?
•    Make sure the vet has no plans to retire soon.  It would be best if you could have the same vet for the life of your Doodle.
•    Do they offer boarding?  If you ever plan to board your Doodle please make sure they only accept office clients and that standard vaccinations are required for boarding.
•    Do they have a website?  It's not mandatory, but it does demonstrate progressive thinking.  

•    Narnia Pet Behavior and Training serves the Naperville area and comes highly recommended by past customers and my veterinarian's office. They offer small classes (limit 9 dogs with 2 trainers), private training and behavior consultations. You may visit their website or call them at (630) 904-0895.
•    Dog Gone Good Training has multiple sites around the Chicago area.  They were recommended by a recent Naper Doodles customer family which includes a young child with autism.  Their family really likes the positive approach to training that Dog Gone Good uses.
•    Amy Saletta is "The Puppy Professor". Her specialty is puppies and she works with the puppy's new family for consistent results. She does "Getting Ready for Puppy" consultations, puppy daycare, boarding, training and small group classes. She will work with your whole family on Basic Obedience, crate training and housebreaking.  You may contact The Puppy Professor by email or call her at (630) 853-9272.  
  

For Naper Doodles customers we have a great network of Naper Doodles puppy families that take care of one another's dogs, and we are happy to help set it up.  We've also had success with our customers boarding our dogs in the past!

If you don't want to deal with regular brushing you can keep your Doodle's coat cut to 1-2 inches.  You can do this yourself, or you can pay a groomer.  If you choose to keep your Doodle clipped shorter, you can expect to do this every 3-4 months.  If you like the shaggy look, you'll want to leave your Doodle’s coat as long as possible.  Leaving this amount of hair requires some maintenance in the way of brushing, combing, and keeping tangles from forming.  If your Doodle gets badly matted, you will likely need to have a groomer remove their coat and then grow it out again.  De-matting at a groomer can be uncomfortable for the dog and very expensive.  Regular brushing will keep you away from this problem!

Shampoo: Our favorite canine shampoo is called MinkSheen from Touch of Mink.  We purchase it by the gallon and it comes with a great pump spout.  Our dogs smell wonderful and their fur is beautiful because of this shampoo. Customers receive a 2oz sample in the puppy kit.

Trimming Nails: If you intend to clip their nails yourself, it’s best to get a quick training session from your Vet or a groomer so you understand the location of the vein/nerve inside each nail, and how to clip only the excess nail.  I’d also recommend buying styptic powder just in case you clip the nails too short-- this stops the bleeding quickly.  Goldendoodles.com provides a link to a great article about trimming your dog's nails that includes good photographs and explanations:  "Clipping a Dog's Toenails" from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.  If this all sounds like too much to handle then your vet or groomer can easily take care of clipping the nails for you!   

•   Goldendoodles.com is a great site for researching Doodles and finding breeders, with many articles and photos of Doodles.  They have a great children's section, too!
•   Online forums such as Doodle Discussion Forum, The Doodle Zoo and Doodle Lover's Chat are popular for discussion of Doodles by their owners.
•   Doodle Depot offers terrific Doodle products.  My favorite item is the neck bandana that says "I'm a Doodle, what are you?"