Hi! I am so glad to have you here! My name is Celina and I am the labradoodle breeder behind Raising Doodles. I would love to take a moment to share more about my story and my why for starting my breeding program.
Growing up, I don't remember a time where we didn't have a dog. My very first dog was a yellow Labrador Retriever named Daisy. We got Daisy when I was just two years old. She truly was the most amazing family dog and taught me how much love a dog can bring to someones life. Although I've had several dogs over the years, she will always be my first "fur baby."
In 2016, my sweet Daisy crossed over the rainbow bridge after almost 14 amazing years together. Her loss was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life. She was truly an irreplaceable dog. Although Daisy could never be replaced, I knew adding a new puppy into my life would bring so much joy and help to mend my heart. After all, puppies do have that special little power!
I began my search for a new puppy not really knowing how to go about it. My search started out as I'm sure many people do - a quick google search. I stumbled upon several different websites and grew more and more excited about adding in my new fur baby with every adorable puppy picture I saw. However, I was clueless and didn't know what to look for. My budget was very low as I was unaware of what went into responsibly raising puppies.
I finally found what I thought was the perfect puppy. An adorable Chocolate Labrador. A quick glimpse at the listing and everything looked perfect. The "breeder" was only a short drive away and offering an unbeatable price. Filled with excitement, I headed to meet that sweet puppy. Upon my arrival, things looked great. I met the breeder outside her home where she met me with the two cutest little Labrador Puppies. I instantly fell in love.
After asking a few simple questions, the breeder went to get the mother of the puppies. As I waited outside for her to return, I began to look around and hidden behind the barn were cages upon cages of dogs and puppies. There must've been 100 cages full of dogs. Dogs and puppies who have seemingly never been taken care, entire litters and moms crammed into cages, and left alone outside. As someone who has such a huge heart for dogs, the site of this just brought me to tears.
The breeder brought out the mom and the condition of her was just as heartbreaking. She looked extremely malnourished and her coat was long, grey, and straggly - nothing at all like a purebred Chocolate Labrador. She looked as if she had also spent her entire life locked up in a cage outside. As cute as those two little puppies were and as much as I wanted to save them from their horrible living conditions, I knew supporting this kind of horrendous breeding was NOT something I was going to do - no matter how great the price seemed. Those who continue to support these kind of horrible breeding practices are exactly why they continue to breed and I wanted no part in that.
After many more weeks of searching for the perfect puppy, we finally found our girl, Ellie. This experience was unlike anything I had previously encountered. I got to see where she and her littermates had been raised - indoors in a very clean environment with lots of puppy enrichment activities. Her parents were extremely well kept and well mannered. Ellie and all her littermates were just as cute, if not cuter, than those two puppies I had previously seen. However, the difference between how they were raised was drastically different.
As you can imagine, the price was also drastically different. Almost 3 times what my initial budget had been. However, after weeks of searching, I had learned a lot about what is involved in responsibly caring and raising puppies and decided that my number one priority when getting a new puppy was not going to be the price, but ensuring it was healthy, properly raised, and given the very best start in life. And just like that, Ellie became part of our family.
The journey of finding Ellie ignited a fire within me to become the breeder I so desperately was searching for. I wanted to be and produce just what I was looking for when I began my puppy search. I wanted to give families the option of a puppy that had been loved and cared for from the moment it was born. I wanted to produce amazing family dogs that have been raised in my home, NEVER left alone outside in cages. I wanted to be the breeder that truly cared about my puppies. And I did and became just that.
I created Raising Doodles to give families a better option. To produce happy, healthy, confident puppies raised in the absolute best conditions on a curriculum that sets them up for a lifetime of success. I pour my heart and soul into raising my puppies and spare no expense to provide them with the best start in life. Our momma dogs are members of our family first and foremost and live with us in our home. After all, happy healthy mama dogs = happy healthy puppies!
Being a breeder definitely comes with its challenges and criticism, but nothing brings me more joy than being able to provide my families with the quality puppy that they deserve. A puppy that has been nothing short but a labor of love and commitment since the day it was born. I strive to be the breeder that my families feel comfortable communicating with, asking questions, and sharing updates on their puppy. I often get updates weeks, months, and years later about how happy they are with their labradoodle puppy and that they chose to invest in me and my program. Many come back to get a second or third puppy from us which lets me know I am truly making a difference in their lives and the lives of my puppies and that makes everything SO worth it.
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