Smarter Breeding

We at Seaspray Australian Labradoodles strive to breed the highest standard of dogs, and use the highest standards of breeding practices to do so.  In addition, we understand that safety comes first.  There are many horrible stories that people read about where kennels go wrong and "puppy mills" emerge. Therefore, we want to be as transparent as possible in our breeding practices. There are a two main areas of our breeding program that we focus on that help us a maintain safe and smart breeding program. 

Guardian Homes
Guardian Homes allow us to "own" many dogs, however these dogs live with their own families. The dog is raised in the home, and carries on a normal happy life, just like any other dog would. If it is a Dam (girl) we then may breed her, and we would simply have her come and stay with us for an eight-week period, while she whelps her puppies.  For Studs (boys), it a much shorter time they may be gone for, but sometimes we do use them more frequently.  Peggy and Leslie both have a number of their own personal dogs, but having Guardians allows us to be able to breed more dogs, less frequently, and thus never 'over-breed' a dog. Currently, we have about 30 breeding dogs between Leslie, Peggy, and our Guardians. We have about 25 Guardian families. Dogs that are part of our breeding program are given to families at no cost, and they continue to live with their Guardian families even after they are retired from the breeding program. To learn more about Guardian homes and how to apply, please click here!

Health Testing
Health testing is an extremely important part of breeding. As members of WALA, we are required to test for certain genetic/hereditary diseases, as well as eye testing, and hip and elbow dysplasia. If a dog does not pass health testing, it does not enter the breeding program. In addition to our dogs, we also only breed our dogs with dogs that have passed the same health testing.  We test for the following:
  • Hip Dysplasia (sent to OFA for Certification)
  • Elbows Dysplasia (sent to OFA for Certification)
  • Eye Testing through a Physical Examination Submitted to OFA CAER (Companion Animal Eye Registry)  
  • pcrdPRA (Progressive retinal Atrophy, progressive Rod-cone degeneration (PRA-prcd)
  • vWD (Von Willebrand disease type I)
  • EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse)
  • DM (Degenerative Myelopathy)
  • IC (Improper Coat)
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is the organization that is responsible for certifying the Hip and Elbow, as well as CAER Eye Exams for all of our dogs. The OFA's mission is to  promote the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease.  All of our genetic testing is currently tested through PawPrint Genetics.  

In addition to the health testing of our breeding dogs, we insure that the puppies born are given the proper health care from the moment they are born.  Three days after birth, the puppies receive an initial health exam, to insure they are healthy. We continue to care for them, in a safe environment, and before they go home, they receive another vet exam, where they will receive a State of Florida Certificate of Health.  At this appointment, they are also given their first set of puppy vaccinations.