Favorite Products for Puppies

Getting prepared for a new puppy in the home is extremely exciting as well as stressful because you have to not only get the house puppy proofed but also make sure you have all the right supplies. Customers always ask me for advice on products, food, toys, and books so this year I wanted to ask the experts= fellow Cockapoo owners, and they happily shared what products they use. I may not be familiar with all of the suggested products so I have also added a few tips on things that I like to use or am familiar with.

CHEWS:

Puppies like to chew and I even have a few adults that will destroy any toy that isn't made strong enough so make sure that you have things in your house to keep them busy.

Roasted Pig ears and Bully Sticks were the most recommended product to help with teething and to also use as a reward or item to keep dogs busy. When I bought my first batch of Bully Sticks I couldn't believe how smelly they were and didn't even want to touch them but once the dogs got a whiff of that smell they were all over me. Thankfully you can buy odor free sticks and you can also screen for ones that are specifically made within the USA. You can also buy less greasy Pig ears in various sizes that are specifically made in the USA.

Himalyan Dog Chews and Elk Anters were also recommended several times.

TOYS:

Treat Balls were also highly recommended. You place special treats or food within the ball and your dog has to roll it around in order for some of the treats to fall out. I recently purchased one for my adults and they spent the entire afternoon playing with it.

Go Dog toys with "Tough Chew Guard Technology" these are made to withstand the extra wear and tear that other stuffed toys can't and even come with a guarantee.

http://www.godogfun.com/chew-guard-technology

The Wobble Wag Giggle Ball was recommended by a Cockapoo owner and they said it has lasted 3 years and their dog has not grown tired of it. My dogs love toys that make noise and this too is one of their favorites.

Kong brand toys. I have purchases several types of Kong toys and can say that they stand up to a lot of play and chewing. Some are built extra tough for chewers, some are softer for seniors, and some have options to add treats or peanut butter to them to help keep your dogs busy. (If you feed your dog Peanut Butter be sure not to use any brand that contains Xylitol, it is toxic and deadly to dogs!!)

My adults personally love the Kong Jumbler Ball

My puppies do great with the Kong Senior because it's softer and easier for them to chew on

Fluff and Tuff Dog Toys were also suggested due to extra durability and longer life span

https://www.fluffandtuff.com/

GROOMING:

The Tangle Teaser was the #1 brush recommended for Cockapoo Coats

Zen Clippers for clipping toenails

Earthbath Ear Wipes

If you're going to tackle grooming your dog by yourself I have always used, and been happy with, the Andis Ultraedge 2 speed clipper. In the summertime I use a #10 clipper blade to completely shave off their thick Winter coats and if I want to leave a bit of hair on I use a #7 blade.

POTTY TRAINING:

Cockapoos are extremely smart and are people pleasers so Potty Bells are a great way to teach your dog to let you know when they need to go outside

FLEA & TICK

If you're not comfortable using the standard flea and tick topical or pills recommended by your vet someone suggested chemical free flea and tick like Petzlife Herbal Powder, Essential Oils, and Springtime Garlic Powder.

TRAINING BOOKS                                                                                                                             

Over and over again I have had several people recommend a book called "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete                  

                                                                         

Also very popular is the Cockapoo "Owners Guide from Puppy to Old Age" by Alan Kenworthy

Cockapoos and Itchy Skin

If your dog is showing signs of itchiness, chewing at their paws, scratching their ears, or has developed a rash or small red bumps on their skin they may have allergies. Here are some tips to help remedy the problem :

-Change their food to a chicken free formula, it is common for this breed to develop allergies to Chicken. Completely erase chicken from their diet, no treats, chews, scraps, or bones that contain chicken.

-Use Oatmeal or Chamomile based shampoos that are gentle and soothing to their skin.

-Ask your vet if your dog could be suffering from Pyoderma which is a bacterial infection in the skin that can be quite common in dogs.

-Ask your vet about a medication called Apoquel (or similar product,) I've heard great reviews and my vet also said that he uses it for many of his customers.

-Ask your vet if your dog could be having an allergic reaction to the flea/tick topical that you are using.

-If you don't treat your dog with a flea/tick medication could they have fleas?

-Pay attention to the time of year that your dog becomes itchy, just like humans they can have allergic reactions to dander and pollen that are seasonal and medications can help relieve their symptoms.

-Pay attention to when their reactions are most prevalent, did you just do the laundry? Did you just burn a scented candle? Did you just use a cleaner in the house? Do you use essential oils in the house? Dogs can have reactions to ingredients found in many household products.

-If they are scratching at their ears check to see if they have ear mites or a yeast infection. Ear infections are quite common in floppy eared dogs.

A popular product that may help is called Coat Defense, here is a link to their website:

https://coatdefense.com/collections/for-your-dog

As with all products, check with your vet before using them to be sure they are safe for your animal.

Beware of Puppy Scams!

This year has been notorious for puppy scams aimed at Cockapoos. It seems like every week I am contacted by a family who did, or almost, got ripped off. I constantly am reading posts on Facebook from families that lost their money and I keep seeing new "fake websites" and "fake Facebook sites" popping up online. To me some of them are obvious-bad grammar, incorrect spelling, pictures that have already been posted on other fake sites, prices that are too good to be true, free shipping, etc. but to the first time buyer or super excited family they may look past all of that because they simply want to add a beautiful puppy to their home, so they fall for it and lose their money. 
I'm not sure why the Cockapoo has become the main focus this year but I have a feeling that the scammers are most likely a group of people working together. I personally know a couple real breeders that have their text/photos/videos stolen from their websites and used on fake ones, they were used on multiple sites making me think that these scammers are sharing their material or just producing multiple fake sites to rip off more people. I have been trying to keep up with the names of fake sites and have them posted on my website but if you know of any that I have missed please share so that we can possibly help someone out. 
I fear that with the holiday season coming things are going to get worse because sometimes people wait too long to start looking for a puppy and they then become desperate and overlook all the warning signs. If you are looking for a puppy please beware of: Prices that are too good to be true! Free Shipping! Bad Grammar! And most of all anyone that asks you to wire them money because once they have it, it is gone!
I have spoken to several people that have either been ripped off or were in contact with some of these fake sellers and they have reported that they mostly contact you through text and once they receive your deposit via wire transfer you never hear from them again. Others have reported that once they send the deposit the seller demands a huge amount of additional money for a specialty crate that the airport requires or they will not ship the puppy, this is not true, I ship all the time and you don't need super expensive 'specialty crates.' Another lady told me that the scammer told her she is offering free shipping because she has 'coupons for free flights from the airline.' I don't know about you, but I have never received a coupon from any airline offering me a free flight, so again, a claim that is too good to be true because it is!
As of right now (10/12/17) most of the scammers are claiming to be in Virginia, I have no idea why they are using this location but this again makes me think that it's a group of people working together. 
I promise you that there are good breeders out there, we work very hard to raise our puppies the right way so please do not take the bad actions of a few out on the rest of us. Due to all the scams going on I don't blame people for being extra careful about who they are dealing with but I've had a few phone calls from people who were obviously very untrusting of anyone they were contacting and that makes me feel uncomfortable too.
Good luck to all of those that are out there in search of a puppy, please do your homework to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate breeder, I really hope this recent phase of scams comes to an end soon.

Slideshow: Watch the Puppies Grow!!

Last year I started using a program that lets me create a slideshow of the babies so that my customers can watch them grow. When it's all put together it is really fun to see how much the babies actually change over time.
For those of you who have read my blog and website I realize that I preach about how much time it takes for the puppies to develop, their personalities to come in, their coats to grow in, eyes to open, etc. but I still get people asking me questions about coat styles and personalities when the puppies are only a few days old, hence the reason for this latest article. I am hoping that these slideshows will help people see how the babies change over time and to realize how long it actually takes before you really see coat styles and personality come out. For those of you that already know all of this I still think the slides will put a smile on your faces :)
Here is a slideshow of a Black and Tan Male for the first 6 weeks of his life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b334e6a453d0d0a&blogview=true


Here is a slideshow of a Red Merle Female for the first 6 weeks of her life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b334e7a513d0d0a&blogview=true

Here is a slideshow of a Red Male for the first 9 weeks of his life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b334f54493d0d0a&blogview=true

Here is a slideshow of a Chocolate Merle Female for the first 11 weeks of her life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b344d54553d0d0a&blogview=true

Here is a slideshow of a Buff Male for the first 5 weeks of his life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b344d6a453d0d0a&blogview=true

Here is a slideshow of a Sable Female for the first 6 weeks of her life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b344d7a493d0d0a&blogview=true

Here is a slideshow of a Black Male w/a White chest for the first 6 weeks of his life:

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44517a4e546b344e44453d0d0a&blogview=true

I hope all of these pictures have helped everyone see how the puppies change over time. One of the things that I really want to stress is that the babies simply need time to grow before I can tell you what their personalities are like, what their coat styles will be, and what color eyes they will have. I know I've already said this a million times to people on the phone and posted on my website but if you are very specific in what you are looking for in terms of color, coat style, and eyes please wait and let the babies grow before you adopt one! Even though I am the breeder, own the parents, and have lots of experience with this, I am still human and am not able to predict exactly what a newborn puppy will look like as an adult. Just like human children, baby puppies take time to develop and grow, so at 2 days old or even 2 weeks old I cannot tell you what style of coat they will have or what their personality is like. One of the neat things about Cockapoos is that they can have three different coat styles: super curly similar to a Poodle, smooth and flat similar to a Cocker Spaniel, and a fluffy wave that is a good mix of both parent breeds. The look that a Cockapoo puppy will take on all depends on genetics and which relative they take after more. In human terms think of two people having a baby, the child can look more like their mother, more like their father, or closely resemble a grandparent, all based on genetics. Cockapoos are the same way and nothing is ever guaranteed when you are 'mixing' a breed, sometimes I will get babies that have the color and look of their direct parents, other times I will get puppies that have the color and look of a grandparent.  As you've seen in the pictures above, coat styles take several weeks to develop and even at 7 or 8 weeks when a puppy goes home they will still continue to grow and change.
 The last thing I want is someone to have buyer's remorse because they picked out a puppy at a young age and they didn't turn out to have the type of style the family was looking for. If you are very specific in what you are looking for please let me know that and feel free to ask questions to be sure you are getting what you want. I will try to answer your questions as best as possible but remember this is a two way street, you need to do your research on the breed and make sure you realize what Cockapoos are all about and make sure you are ready for the responsibility of a dog. I have tons of information on my website and blog and I encourage you to read it over and do some additional research online, through friends, ask a vet, ask a trainer, etc. to make sure you are fully educated on the breed.  It's very important to me that my puppies go to forever homes and are not loved simply based on their coat styles or eye color.
Deposits to reserve a puppy are non-refundable so before placing one please be sure that you are 100% sure you want the puppy you are reserving. If you put down a deposit on a puppy and later change your mind you don't get a refund.

How We Ship our Cockapoo Puppies

I am a licensed Cockapoo breeder so I am able to ship my puppies to families living throughout the United States. Quite often I have families from out of state adopt puppies from me and sometimes they are so far away that shipping them via airplane is the only option. Some people are totally fine about having their puppy travel this way while other people get really nervous about it so I thought I'd write this post to help answer some common questions and better explain the shipping process.

When I ship a puppy they need to be a minimum of 8 weeks old, that is the legal age that they can fly, and I plan their trip on the date they are old enough. I prefer to ship out of Appleton, Wisconsin, it is a little over an hour away from us, but if necessary we can also ship out of Green Bay, WI and as a last resort Milwaukee, WI. Out of our local airports we can use Delta Airlines or American or if shipping out of Milwaukee we can use Delta, American, or United.

When someone calls me about the cost of shipping a puppy I give them a standard price that includes the cost of the flight, crate, and health certificate. The crate that the puppy comes home with is a travel crate only, it is not to be used for training purposes. A health certificate is required to ship a puppy and I take care of that when the puppy is examined by my vet.

Depending on which airline I use flights can be arranged between 10-30 days in advance. United allows bookings to be made up to 30 days in advance but no later than 5 days in advance, Delta requires bookings to be made 13 days in advance, and American allows bookings to be made 10 days in advance. When a puppy is reserved I will look up a flight schedule with the possible airlines and will call as soon as I can to arrange the flight and then email the details over to the receiving family. I am very picky about how long a puppy is traveling so I always aim to get the shortest flight that I can. Unless you are receiving your puppy in a city that is a layover destination like Detroit, Minneapolis, or Atlanta they will have a flight with a layover, the only direct flights out of Appleton are in the cities I just mentioned. Unless your puppy is traveling late at night and there is a time/date change, your puppy will arrive the same day that they leave.

When arranging a flight I ask that the receiving family give me two International Airport options to choose from and I will try to book the flight for the airport that they prefer, but will ultimately choose the one with the shortest flight option that meets the restrictions of the airline that I am using. Some airports are too small and do not take pets so I always ask for larger International airport options to ship to. 

Once the flight is booked I will email the receiving family the flight details, directions on where to pick up the puppy, and also a tracking # so that they can watch the flight status online. I ask that all families who are having their puppies shipped keep a free schedule for the day that they are receiving their puppy, be open to traveling to an airport a little farther away if necessary, and realize that their puppy may be arriving later at night if I have to avoid warm temperatures or make travel changes.

All of the airlines have a lot of rules for shipping a puppy and not all of them are the same! Often times I've had families look up flight schedules online and question why I am not using one flight versus another and, trust me, it's not that simple! Not every flight you see posted online is 'pet friendly,' some planes are not equipped for pet travel, some flights have layovers that are too short, etc. All three airlines mentioned require that pets be checked in 2 hours in advance for flights.  When shipping I have to allow time to drive to the airport, wait in line, do the actual check in paperwork, and have everything done before that two hour mark. Delta has it set up so that if you arrive late, or the attendant is slow or makes mistakes, and you don't have the puppy checked in by that 2 hour mark they will lock you out of the system and deny the flight! The Delta desk in Appleton does not open until 4:30 a.m. so with their 2 hour check in rule it limits the use of early morning flights that they may have available, for example I cannot book a puppy onto a 5:30am flight because the desk is not open 2 hour in advance for me to get them checked in on time. There is a lot more involved in the process so that's why I always tell people to let me handle the research on the flights.

Delta Rules:
It has to be between 20-80 degrees to ship a puppy and the flight has to have a minimum of a 2 hour layover. Puppies need to be checked in at least 2 hours in advance. No double connections.
Flights can be booked 13 days in advance.

United Airlines:
They do not have temperature restrictions but puppies are not able to fly on planes operated by Air Wisconsin. Puppies need to be checked in at least 2 hours in advance. No double connections.
Flights can be booked 30 days in advance and no later than 5 days in advance.
I can only use United Airlines when shipping from Milwaukee, WI.

 American Airlines:
It has to be between 45-85 degrees to ship a puppy. Puppies need to be checked in at least 2 hours in advance. No double connections.
Flights can be booked 10 days in advance.

On the day of the flight I have to arrive 2.5 to 3 hours early to the airport to check in the puppy, fill out the paperwork, and pay for their plane ticket. After the puppies are all checked in and the paperwork is done I then email the family to let them know their puppy is checked in and ready to go. If there is ever a delay or cancellation I keep in touch with the receiving family so everyone knows when to expect their puppy. All of the airlines are really good about shipping puppies but occasionally there will be a flight change, delay, or cancellation and I just ask the family to stay in touch with me throughout the day and check their emails. All of the airlines also have a really nice option on their websites where you can track the flights and check on status of your puppy the entire time that they are traveling.

   (This little boy was getting snuggled by a Delta employee while we were checking him in!)

Because of all of the above I ask that everyone keep a free schedule on the day they are receiving their puppy just in case there are temperature issues or changes in flights. I realize it may not be the most convenient to pick up a puppy late at night  or at a different location but sometimes I don't have a choice if it is too hot or too cold- the weather and flight changes are the two major things I cannot control in this process. Just to clarify: the temperature restrictions are set up because the airline does not want to expose your pet to extreme hot or cold while they are being transported from the plane to the airport. While traveling inside the plane they are always in an area where it is either heated or cooled depending on the season.

When a family picks up their puppy at the airport everything will be prepaid by me, they will simply have to show their I.D., sign some paperwork and take their puppy home. The puppy will arrive to them in their travel crate and there will be an envelope attached to the top of that crate that contains all of the necessary paperwork including a copy of their health guarantee and the puppy's health records, etc. I greatly appreciate it when they notify me that they have received their puppy as I do watch their flight status online to be sure everything is going o.k.

For families living in Canada the airlines no longer offer shipping puppies to Canadian Airports. I realize this is inconvenient, but we have found a solution, and that requires anyone living in Canada to pick their puppy up at the nearest U.S. airport and drive them across the border. It is totally legal, we do it all the time, and the only additional requirement is an International Health Certificate which you will need when crossing the border. So, if you live in Canada and are willing to drive a bit, please do not hesitate to contact me about getting a puppy.

Quite often I have families ask me if it is traumatic or dangerous to ship a puppy. Honestly, it can be a long day, but I do not think that it is dangerous or something to get really nervous about. I am picky about the flights I choose, I will not ship in dangerous weather, and I will not ship a puppy if I do not feel they are ready for it. Over and over again I have had families who have had their puppies shipped contact me and tell me that they were way more nervous about it than they should have been and that the entire process was much easier than they had thought it would be.
If you live far away from us and are nervous about shipping a puppy you may want to consider flying here to pick up your puppy. We have had several families fly to Wisconsin, pick up their puppy, and fly home with them. When traveling with a puppy they are allowed to ride in the passenger area of the plane with you but must be placed in a crate below the seat in front of you. I personally have done both, I have had purchased puppies shipped to me and I have also flown out of state to pick up and take back a puppy home with me, either way works out fine but I personally prefer to have them shipped to me.

I hope this helps better explain things and if you have any additional questions about shipping a puppy please contact me.

Visiting our Cockapoo Puppies

Happy 2016 to everyone, I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
I received an email the other day from a prospective buyer who asked if her family could come over to see my dogs before they put down a deposit to reserve one. She explained that her husband has never seen a Cockapoo and they thought it was a good idea to come and check one out first. I get requests for visits all the time from people for various reasons and over the years I have learned that I can allow some visits but there have to be some established rules so that everyone is on the same page and knows where I am coming from. Before I started writing this blog post I got online and read a few forums where other breeders brought up the topic of allowing visits and here is what one lady wrote to get the conversation started:


What are the arguments for and against a breeder allowing a prospective buyer to visit their kennel? If you're a breeder, would you allow it? If you're a buyer, would you expect it?
I hope this doesn't turn into a contentious topic, because I think there are good arguments to be made for both sides. A breeder recently told a friend that, no, she doesn't allow it because of the risk of introducing disease to her kennel. She doesn't know what dogs the prospective buyer has been around, and she refuses to take the chance.
On the flip side, how does a prospective buyer know if they're buying from a puppy mill or not without seeing the facilities?
No wrong answer here. I'd just like to see what people think.


I thought she wrote the questions very well because I am aware that there are very different ways to address this topic, both from the buyer's and seller's perspective.

Here are some of the answers that other people replied with:


1.) I am a breeder, I don't have a kennel, but I feel that people need to see where their puppies are coming from, as soon as my puppies get their first shot I allow prospective parents to visit with me and the pups, i keep the pups in an enclosed pen with mesh so they can see the puppies and watch them interact with each other. I feel is important for me to get to meet them in person and ask questions that we both have about the dogs.

2.) I do not allow it. I am not a commercial breeder with a "facility" or a "kennel"...this is my home, and I do not allow tours of my home any more than you would allow strangers into your home for tours. I have experienced people bringing parvo into my home when I USED to allow the buyers to come visit with puppies and walk around. There is not only a real and present danger from diseases being spread all over your property on shoes that have walked goodness knows where, there are personal safety issues! People come to case out your home, what you have, where it is located, and by questions asked, they can even determine who is home and when! THEY STEAL THESE DOGS RIGHT OUT OF YOUR ARMS!! They would have NO qualms doing home invasion and taking your dogs from your home! I establish a "close" relationship with my buyers and they can tell from the application interview, my visits with them, my relationship with my buyers - prepurchase, during purchase, and on going after purchase for the life of that baby, as well as what my babies look like, this is not a puppy mill operation. I only have 2-3 litters per year, I own the parents, and my babies are usually sold before they are born! Most (80%+)of my parents are referrals or repeat parents, back for a sibling for the baby they already have...my reputation is solid and I work VERY hard to maintain it. I will not jeopardize my safety, my family's safety, or the health and safety of any of my dogs, by allowing "facility tours"....I will stop breeding before I do that again! PARVO IS ALIVE AND WELL AND EVERY WHERE.....BUT NOT ON MY PROPERTY!!!!


3.) I hope breeders who are concerned about allowing strangers into their homes, get to know the people well enough and have plenty of references so that they are not "strangers". You wouldn't want to sell a puppy to someone who you didn't trust enough to have in your home. Also, there are precautions you can take so that the clients are not spreading disease. I know one breeder who makes people take off their shoes and wash their hands before they can touch a puppy. This is one of the best ways pet buyers can stop supporting puppy mills, if a breeder wouldn’t let me see her home, I’d guess she had something to hide, I might be wrong, but I wouldn’t take a chance. Closing down puppy mills should be a priority for all of us, pet owners and breeders alike.


4.) I would have to be able to see where my pup was born. I have to know what that person really feels about their dogs & one way to tell is to see the facilities with precautions taken to protect the dogs.


5.) My "parents" do come after the puppy is 10 weeks old and can see the babies, but they do not walk around my home. They come into my front room and that is as far as we go....since my home is an "open concept" style, they can see 4 rooms from their place in the dining room....but when people call and want to come see puppies that are available, no I do not do that at all. We have a relationship very well established before anyone comes to the house! When they enter the house, they walk on rugs that have been saturated with Virkon.


I thought everyone's answers were really good because they both addressed the goal of a breeder trying to keep their animals safe and healthy but also brought up the fact that some buyer's feel the need to see a place before they buy an animal to be sure that they are not supporting a puppy mill or bad breeder.
I have decided not to show the puppies before they are ready to go home for a number of reasons that I will explain. The majority of my customers have either adopted from me before, have met someone that has a puppy from me, or have spent lots of time on my website checking me out to be sure I am the right person to deal with so lots of them do not find it necessary for them to come over before their puppy is ready for home. Once in awhile I will have someone contact me that feels it is necessary to visit before they adopt and I can understand that so I have some set rules in place to help keep my animals safe. I do not allow visits before the puppies are vaccinated and ready to go home. I am sure the reason for this is obvious but some people don't understand how easy it is to come over to my house and get my puppies sick simply by having germs like the Parvo Virus on your hands, clothes, or shoes.
(What is Parvo: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/parvo-parvovirus-dogs)
A young puppy does not have an established immune system so therefore it is vital that they are vaccinated, and to let that vaccine have some time to kick in, before you expose them to strange people, places, and things. I would be absolutely devastated if someone accidentally came to my house and made my puppies sick. So if someone wants to meet my puppies they first need to be vaccinated and ready to go home.
I do not allow visits if you are simply browsing and have visited other breeders that day. Please do not feel that it is a good idea to take a day to tour breeders to pick out a puppy or find a breed that you may possibly interested in, this is just asking for trouble in the form of potentially spreading diseases. I have had several people call me when they are 'in the area' looking at puppies and I absolutely will not let them come over! When visiting multiple breeders in one day you can pick up germs from one persons puppy and then accidentally spread them to the next persons puppy and cause major problems all around. If you call a breeder and they ask if you have visited another kennel that day or have plans to please be honest with them!
I work from home, live on a farm, and do not give people tours. If you do set up an appointment to visit my puppies you will be limited to one room I call the 'puppy playroom' where you can see and interact with only the puppies who are vaccinated and available for adoption. This is not because I have anything to hide, it is because I want to limit your exposure to my animals and once you have left I can thoroughly sterilize everything you have come into contact with. I've had people come over and ask to see my newborn puppies or want to walk around my farm and meet all of my puppy parents, etc. and that is just not going to happen. Again, it's not because I have things to hide, it's because I want to keep my animals safe. Also please keep in mind that this is where I raise my puppies but it's also my personal home and think how you would feel if someone came over to your house and wanted to take a tour. This is my business but I do deserve a level of privacy as well.
If all of my puppies are sold I do not make appointments to show them. Sometimes someone will call and want to come over to meet a Cockapoo before they buy one. I understand that if you are not familiar with a breed you will want to spend some time with one but I do not show puppies that are sold. Again, this is due to me wanting to protect them from potential germs and also potential harm. Once a puppy has been adopted they live at my home until they are old enough to leave, but are technically not my dogs anymore. If someone came over and spread a disease or accidentally hurt a puppy that was already sold I would be held responsible since I am the one raising and selling them.
Because of my rules it may be hard to view my puppies before they are adopted. It is pretty common for me to have a waiting list for puppies so they are sold as soon as they are born, or if I do post them online they are often sold before they are old enough to be shown. I realize this may be frustrating for someone who finds it necessary to see them before they buy them but I am not willing to jeopardize their health and my business for a showing. If you are interested in a Cockapoo but have not seen one or have not had any experience with one I would suggest asking around to see if you know of anyone who has one, or even find a friend of a friend who may have one that you can spend some time with. Maybe even call a vet or boarding facility in your area to see if there are customers who would be willing to let you meet their puppy.
Once in awhile I will have someone with allergies contact me to see if they can come over and see if they are allergic to my dogs- this is the last place to do such a thing! I live on a farm and I have cats, dogs, horses, cattle, chickens, guinea hens, peacocks, and peahens (at the moment, who knows what's next to arrive :) All of these animals means that there are all different kinds of fur, hair, and dander floating around so this place is a nightmare for those who have allergies.
Last but not least I've had families reserve a puppy several weeks before they are ready to go home and they request a visit before pick up day. I ask that you respect our policies on wanting to keep them as healthy as possible and wait until the babies are ready to be picked up. I really try hard to keep everyone safe and healthy and ask that you respect and understand that. Please do not be offended if I say no, it's my duty to be a good breeder and I have to do things as I see fit. On top of all of that I sometimes just don't have the time to entertain lots of visits. Taking care of the puppies, managing customers and my business as well as taking care of this farm keeps me on my toes so sometimes my schedule is just too busy. I only allow visits by appointment, I have set hours and I take Sundays off so that my family and I have one day to ourselves to catch up on all the things we didn't get done that week.
Rest assured, I am not a puppy mill, my family and I work really hard to raise our puppies the right way and that means that we won't always be willing to say 'yes' to all of our customers requests.


To see the Cockapoo Puppies that we have available please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale

Posting Business Reviews Online

This Fall we retired some of our adult dogs to pet only homes and I had to begin my search for some new ones. Generally I raise my own puppies that are meant to be future breeders but eventually you need to get new bloodlines mixed in with your crew and that requires purchasing  from other breeders. I often really struggle when I have to buy a dog from someone else because I am extremely picky and I want to be sure I am getting a quality animal and also that I am avoiding supporting a puppy mill and not working with someone who is dishonest. There are several steps I take when I start my quest for a puppy and that involves doing a lot of research when I do finally find someone I am interested in working with. If I find a puppy I like generally the first thing I do is to view the breeders website, some breeders out there have excellent websites that are full of good information and pictures, but I was amazed at the amount of low quality sites I found out there. If I was unhappy with the work on the website I usually moved on to a different breeder. Another thing I do is to look at reviews posted online from other customers and that is what has prompted me to write this article. The internet is an amazing tool that has changed all of our lives, back in the day we simply advertised our puppies in the newspaper and people would have to come out to physically see them, now the second a puppy is born I can make it visible to the entire world. With all of the power the internet has given us I feel that one major downside to it is that it has made people very quick to be mean and judgemental. I’m not sure if it’s the feeling of being anonymous or the ability to post your thoughts before you’ve had some time to really analyze them but it’s quite sad how nasty some people can be, not just in the world of dog breeders, but basically on any subject. To see my point all you have to do is log onto Facebook and read people’s comments or read reviews about any business and you’ll always see a negative one, more often than a positive one, because it seems that angry people are more likely to post a review over someone that is happy with their experience. If you have had a legitimately bad experience with someone, no matter what type of business, I don’t blame you for wanting to share your experience but I would suggest that you first try to deal with the business directly to fix the issue before posting a rant online that can hurt their business in a big way. Also make sure you are fully educated on what you are mad about, some of the negative reviews I read online about dog breeders really made the buyer look uneducated as they were complaining about things that didn’t make sense at all. If you’ve had a good experience with someone please do them a favor and post a good review online, it will make them feel good and will be helpful to those of us out there looking for some guidance on who is good to work with. Thank you to those of you who have posted positive reviews about your experiences with me online, I greatly appreciate it. Also thank you to those of you who have kept in touch over the years and have sent me pictures of your puppies, I truly appreciate seeing how they have grown and it makes my day knowing that they are in a loving home.

Here are a few examples of reviews on dog breeders that I have found while on my search for a new puppy, these are not reviews posted about me, I’ll get to that later:

 

1. Someone wrote:  First off this is a puppy mill. They say they are hobby breeders but they have around Fourty dogs on the premise's. With these two breeders it is all about the money.
    
   I don’t know the breeders that this person was reviewing but I did do a search on them to see what people had to say and this was one that I found. I cannot confirm or deny how many dogs they have but the use of the phrase Puppy Mill offends and frankly, pisses off, any breeder that is good at what they do. There is a HUGE difference between a puppy mill and a breeder and I have found that upset customers love to throw that word out there no matter if it’s true or not just to hurt the business that they are mad at. We are USDA licensed and inspected and my inspector told me that people call her all the time to report a ‘puppy mill’ simply because of the number of dogs a breeder has. It’s not the number of dogs one has that defines it being a puppy mill, it’s the conditions that they are raised in, how they are treated, and their overall health or lack of, that will determine if it truly is a puppy mill.
    
2. Someone wrote: I bought the puppy and it turned out to very sick, had worms and giardia. Within 3 days. I told her (the breeder)  and she said "I'm sorry but I can't give you a REFUND," and hung up on me. I think she is running a puppy mill.
   I don’t know the breeder that this person was reviewing but again I can tell you that having worms and giardia does not mean that they are running a puppy mill. I don’t agree with the breeders behavior if it’s true that she hung up on her customer and I don’t agree with the buyer throwing out that puppy mill phrase simply because she was mad. Giarrdia is very commonly found in puppies, especially if they are stressed out from moving but both giardia and worms are easily cured with medications and pastes and you’ll see in a lot of puppy contracts that breeders do not include either one in their health guarantee. It was not very realistic of the buyer to request a refund for their puppy.
    
3. Someone wrote: The puppy screamed for 36 hours and our existing pet growled at that puppy. As per contract we returned the puppy in 48 hrs.
   Shame on the person who wrote this review, they obviously were not adequately prepared for the work of a puppy and certainly were not committed to taking care of it because they returned it within two days. They also go on to state they got their puppy from a store and most, not all, but most pet stores are supplied by bad sources like puppy mills. Please make sure you are 100% ready to commit to a pet before getting one and please be sure to do your research so that you do not buy from someone that is a legitimate puppy mill or supplied by one. An animal is not a disposable object and a puppy coming to a new home needs time to adjust to all of the new changes so a buyer should expect some whining for the first few days.
    
    
    
4. Someone wrote:  We got Charlie home and noticed that he had a lot of worms in his stool. Ken told us he had been wormed and we had no reason to doubt that a 4 month old was wormed. The pup also was loaded with fleas and tape worms and the little rice grainy worm dropped all over my house. We took Charlie to our vet on Monday and the vet was appalled at the condition of this puppy coming from a reputable breeder.
   The breeder actually replied to the complaint and wrote:
    Our contract clearly states that if for ANY reason you are not completely satisfied with one of our puppies, they are to be returned for a FULL refund. As stated in **’s letter, I did apologize to her, and asked her to return ** for a FULL refund. With a very elevated voice, she stated that she would NOT be returning **, and that I WOULD be refunding her the FULL amount paid for him. I said politely that per the contract that we both signed that for a FULL refund she needed to return the puppy. She refused. When I asked several times to be given the veterinarians name and address for me to contact them to discuss what had been said about our breeding practices being irresponsible, ** refused to give me that information.
    
   I do not know the buyer or the breeder so I don’t know the full story but I can tell you that I have dealt with a similar customer who made health claims but did not want to give me her vet’s information, she just wanted her money back and to keep her puppy. Some people don’t realize that when you give a puppy de-worming paste that you will later see worms coming out of their stool, this is a good thing because it means that the paste is killing the worms within the puppies system and the worms that are coming out are dead! Apparently these people had a contract for the purchase of the puppy stating that, if not satisfied, a puppy would need to be returned for a refund. This customer did not want to return their puppy but wanted their money back, I’ve dealt with people like this too and that’s not how it works, you can’t change the terms of your contract based on your emotions at the moment. Also, if you are going to make claims about a puppy having health issues a good breeder will of course want your vet’s contact information so that they can speak to them and verify what they are being told. The buyer not wanting to give the seller her vet’s information makes her sound a bit dishonest.
    
5. Someone wrote: Additionally, we received our puppy's AKC registration papers with a big discrepancy in the puppy's mother's name. Originally, the name of the puppy's mother was listed as Bessie according to our purchase contract and the website. On the AKC registration papers, the mother's name is listed as Lady Lacey
    
   For purebred dog’s most of the time when you register them you try to keep words from their parents names in the title name on your new dog’s papers. For example if the mother’s title name has the word “moon” in it and the father’s title name has the word “sparkle” in it and your dog’s every day call name is Lady you may incorporate your new dog’s title name to be something like Lady’s Sparkling Moon over Miami just to keep some words from her parents title names on her papers. I’ve had people read the paper names of my dogs before and ask if that’s really their name because it’s much longer than what I call them in their everyday lives.
    
6. Someone wrote: Also the shot records were not real. They were typed up on his computer and not from a vet. The dog has been taken to the vet and the vet said he did not believe the shot records so we had to pay for all new shots.
    
   A lot of people do not realize that you can administer vaccines yourself, all except Rabies, this has to legally be done by a vet. When someone gets a puppy from me they receive a health record which contains the names and serial #’s of the vaccines they were given, dates they were given, and also the names and dates of the de-wormers the puppies received. My vet does not administer the vaccines my puppies receive unless I have one old enough that needs to receive a rabies vaccine and my health records are hand written but I also include the labels that I remove from the vaccine bottles to reassure the owners that the puppies actually did receive their shots. Just because this person received a typed health record does not necessarily mean that the shot records were fake and their vet may have taken advantage of this and charged them for unnecessary shots.
    
7. Someone wrote: Our dog may be ill because he has not had his first shot. We have no idea and have no information on our dog. We have already spent over 200.00 on meds for his giardia and hookworm. If he had his first shot he would not have gotten these things.
   Incorrect: “his first shot” is a vaccine and would not have protected your puppy from Giardia or Hookworm. Clearly these people have a few things to be upset about but they made a huge mistake by bringing a puppy home without any paperwork or health information and are also not properly educated about what vaccines and de-wormers are used for.
    
8. Someone wrote:  PUPPY MILL! OWNER SHOOTS AND KILLS STRAY DOGS! Do not give her a single penny of your money.
   I really, really hope that the person who wrote this is wrong about what they are claiming online. If it’s true that’s beyond horrible but if it’s something that was posted for revenge purposes that they can really be affecting this persons business.
    
    
   Back to me: I read tons and tons of reviews online while trying to find someone I would buy a dog from and I had a hard time. Some of the reviews were truly believable, some of them I could tell were written for the sake of revenge and the good ones that I read really helped and I am sure made the breeders feel good to see. I have a slight advantage when looking for a dog because I am very informed about what to ask and what to look for and in my quest I did find several people that I would not do business with. There are also states that I wouldn’t ever consider buying from, no matter how wonderful the puppy looked, simply because I know about their lack of regulations against animal treatment and puppy mills and have been personally warned by inspectors and veterinarians to avoid them. I did manage to find a few breeders I felt comfortable with and have four snuggly puppies running around outside right now, enjoying the 50 degree weather we are having here in Wisconsin in December! After I received my new babies I of course had them vet checked and also submitted their blood for the genetic testing I require for my breeding program and I am happy to say that everyone is healthy and have passed all of their tests! I will definitely be posting positive reviews online for the breeders that I have purchased my puppies from.
    
   After looking at all these different reviews I of course decided to look up those that were written about me, Cute Cockapoos. I was happy to see that some people did take the time to post positive ones which I really appreciate because I know that they truly help those out there who are seriously trying to buy from a good breeder. Unfortunately I did also find a couple of negative ones which will upset anyone who takes their business as seriously as I do. One review called me a Puppy Mill because their puppy had worms, this was so upsetting in so many ways. Clearly the buyer was upset that their puppy had worms but that was no reason to instantly throw out that phrase ‘puppy mill’ and I wish they would have contacted me and really considered what they were typing when they posted that review. A puppy having worms does not mean a breeder is a puppy mill, for more information on puppies and worms I have written an article on my blog that can be found here: http://cutecockapoosinwisconsin.blogspot.com/2013/11/puppies-and-worms.html
    
   Another person posted a negative review complaining that I wouldn’t return their deposit because, after reserving a puppy, they decided they wanted me to dock its tail and I clearly state on my website that I do not dock tails. After I explained several times that I do not dock tails they tried to pay me extra to change my mind and I would not- I do not dock tails and will not be paid off to do it. This of course upset them and they backed out on the puppy and demanded a refund. I did not refund their deposit and this prompted him to write a negative review and also call me a puppy mill, even though he was from a different state and had never been to my house. I have a feeling that if I had docked that puppy’s tail and sold them the puppy that he wouldn’t have dreamed of associating my business with the phrase “puppy mill.”  If you are curious as to why I do not dock tails I have also written an article on my blog about that: http://cutecockapoosinwisconsin.blogspot.com/2014/03/tail-docking-long-and-waggy-tails-are.html  I guess the whole point of writing this article is to ask people to think twice before you post something negative online, especially if it's untrue and you're only doing it for revenge. A negative review can greatly affect a business, especially if it's a small, family business like mine. On top of affecting someone's business it can be really hurtful to the business owner. My family and I put a lot of blood, sweat, time, money and tears into this business and it's so upsetting when we see a bad review or get a phone call from an angry customer, I take all of that personally, and someone calling me a puppy mill is heartbreaking. I realize that in life nothing is perfect, I will never be able to make everyone happy no matter how hard I work, but I will certainly try as hard as I can to make things right if there is a problem. As a customer please be realistic in your demands and expectations, especially when dealing with animals. An animal is a living being and no matter how hard a breeder works to make a quality puppy they will never be able to fully control nature, DNA, and genetics so not every baby will be perfect and an issue may come up. If your puppy comes home with worms it is completely unrealistic to call up a breeder and demand a refund.  If your puppy screams for two days because it's nervous about their new home it's irresponsible to get rid of them and blame the breeder like you read in one of the reviews above. A breeder definitely has responsibilities that they have to follow through with but so too does the adopting family and in this day and age it seems like some buyers are way to quick to throw all the blame at someone else when they are unhappy. Please think twice before you make a nasty post or comment about someone or something online. Please think twice or take some time to cool off before you send out an unkind email. Please be kind to those that you do business with and if you've had a good experience with someone please take some time out to post a good review about them online, it will make their day :)