FAQs

Darling Doodles of Texas FAQ's (Along with questions that should be asked)

(This document is copyrighted and may be used only with permission & DD of Texas must be cited as owner)

What is a Doodle?
A "Doodle" is a cross that originated with the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Cross but has been adopted for many doodle crosses. Typically, "Doodle" is assigned to medium and large poodle crosses, whereas "Poo" is assigned to smaller crossbreeds (Cavapoo, Cockapoo, Maltipoo, etc.)

Why cross with a Poodle?
Most are interested in the Poodle cross because of the "hypoallergenic" properties of a Poodle. However, no dog (even the Poodle) is truly hypoallergenic. Most poodle crosses will be low to non-shedding, but there's no way to guarantee a non-shedding cross. Poodles are also a desired cross because they are one of the healthiest breeds. Some miniature and toy breeds can live well into their 20's. With proper health testing and selective breeding, adding the poodle into the mix can produce the hybrid vigor many desire.

What does F1, F1b, F2 and Multigen mean?
 

• An F1 is two pure breeds together (i.e. a Golden Retriever + a Poodle).

• And F1b is an F1 Doodle bred back to a Poodle (Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Aussiedoodle + Poodle).

• An F2 is two F1 Doodles bred together (Goldendooodle +Goldendoodle).

• A Double Doodle is a Labradoodle + Goldendoodle.

• A Multigen is anything beyond the F2 breeder.

• You will see the designation F2b or F1bb, but it technically doesn't tell the buyer anything but what the parents of the pup are. For instance, an F1BB is an F1b bred back to a Poodle. Typically, an F1bb is curlier and non-shedding. Some people think F1bb's are mostly Poodle--it's true they will be more than 50% Poodle, but how much more can only be determined by DNA testing. 

Every pup in the litter will be a different percentage of its parents.

 

Do Doodles shed?

Some people believe an F1b Doodle (a Doodle crossed back to a Poodle) will be 75% Poodle and therefore have less shedding. This is not the case. Shedding is determined by GENETICS not GENERATION. We have had F1b's that shed and F1's that don't. In any case, a Doodle will shed less than a pure Retriever, Cavalier, Australian Shepherd, etc. Most Doodles shed in tumbleweeds rather than single strands of hair. 

 

Are your puppies hypoallergenic?

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Even if a dog doesn't noticeably shed hair, the dander and oils can be a problem for allergy sufferers. For severe allergy sufferers we recommend a purebred Poodle or t-shirt testing.

 

What is t-shirt testing?

If someone in your household has severe allergies, but wants a puppy, we can offer t-shirt testing. We take a t-shirt and wrap the puppy in it several times a day. We then mail the t-shirt back to you so you can wear it for a few days. If there's no reaction, you may determine the puppy will work in your situation. Though there's never a guarantee that someone won't develop an allergy, this at least adds an extra prevention for allergy sufferers. If you are interested in this service, private message us for more information.

 

Do you have a breeder's license?

We were licensed by the state of Texas until 2021 when we significantly reduced the size of our program. Our dogs are raised in our home and continue to receive a standard of care that exceeds previous state expectations.

 

Why do I have to pay sales tax?

Any licensed breeder is required to pay sales tax (those that aren't licensed are required as well but aren't held accountable).

 

What exactly is health testing and do you health test?

Health testing includes genetic testing as well as OFA certification. Genetic testing determines whether a dog has a disease or is a carrier for one. Yes, we health test and can show you testing results upon request. We do not publish this information to avoid fraudulent misuse. 

 

What is OFA certification?

OFA stands for Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. OFA offers hip, elbow, eye and heart testing as well as DNA tests. Dogs hips and elbows are x-rayed. OFA reviews the x-rays and submits a rating of Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. Hip dysplasia has a genetic component, but environment plays a factor as well. Not only do we test specific dogs for hips and elbows, we also provide puppy owners with guidelines to help ensure their pets will not develop hip dysplasia early in life (overfeeding, overexercising, allowing a pup to climb stairs or jump off of furniture, poor diet--all can contribute to hip dysplasia).

 

How does your application and waitlist work?

Once your application has been filled out and completed with the $10 fee through Venmo, you receive an auto response email letting you know the application was submitted. Then once a waitlist opens, we notify applicants five at a time, giving them 24 hours to respond with a $250 deposit to reserve a spot on the waitlist. We move through the list of applicants until five reservations are filled. Choosing and pickup day are the same day, 8+ weeks after birth by appointment, in order of deposits received. We do not guarantee color or gender, but deposits can be transferred to a friend or future litter. Deposits are only refundable if fewer than five pups are born.

 

How long are your waitlists?

We try to estimate expected litters to minimize wait times. Typical wait time from deposit to puppy in-hands is 6-9 months, though we've had some applicants wait as little as two weeks. Since nature plays the dominant role, we have no way of knowing exact dates, number of puppies or gender. Waitlists are not static either, as many applicants apply with several breeders in hopes of minimizing their wait times. Others pass on puppies due to unexpected life circumstances. Many factors are involved, but we estimate to our best ability.

 

How many litters do you have per year?

Again, nature plays the dominant role, so it varies year-to-year. As of 2021, we have two Cavapoo, two Cavapoochon, and two Mini Aussiedoodles planned, We may also have Standard Double Doodle litter before year end. 

 

What is a puppy mill?

Typically, a puppy mill is a large facility that has dozens of breeding dogs and breeds hundreds of puppies a year. The facilities are rarely sanitized, and often the dogs are treated inhumanely. Most pet store dogs are purchased from puppy mills. If you find a purebred or designer breed pup priced significantly less than others, it could be a pup from a mill. Mills produce puppies in quantity at lower prices. We encourage all prospective buyers to visit our home and reach out to previous buyers. It's important for buyers to do their research in order to prevent abuse and cruelty to animals. 

 

What is a backyard breeder?

A BYB is a person who breeds dogs for extra money without consideration of health or temperament. Many breeders will throw around the term BYB to disparage other breeders. At Darling Doodles of Texas we do not police other breeders or speak badly of them. We do however, encourage buyers to do thorough research and know with whom they are dealing. 

 

What is a responsible breeder?

A responsible breeder is one who treats their breeding dogs as pets. The dogs are given good nutrition, regular grooming, fresh air and warm/cool places to sleep (like in our beds!). A responsible breeder will research and learn as much as possible about breeding, always seeking to better his/her program. A responsible breeder will health test and learn the temperaments of puppies, carefully matching them with potential buyers. Buyers will be screened and must show proof of the ability to provide a safe, loving, forever home. Also beware of brokers. Brokers don't actually breed the dogs, but buy from other breeders and sell to others.

 

Why do you breed more than one type of Doodle?

We are Doodle lovers. We started breeding Double Doodles and have begun adding smaller Doodles to our program. More and more people are breeding standard size Doodles so we are limiting our standard litters to only 2-3 litters per year as we have no desire to flood the market with unwanted puppies!

 

Why are your puppies priced as they are?

Breeding the right way takes an enormous amount of time and money. While there are less expensive puppies to be had, there are more expensive ones as well. Our prices are based on our program (health testing, hip testing, temperament testing and ENS) as well as market demand. We set prices once puppies are born. We are not interested in price gouging, nor do we wish to give our puppies away. Breeding is not our primary source of income (we have college degrees, jobs, and other small businesses) and "big money" has nothing to do with why we breed. In fact, with what we re-invest in our program every year, the actual profit is much less than what we could make in most other professions. We have begun incorporating our children (ages 7-15) in the process, teaching them to raise healthy puppies while allowing them to earn income to save towards college.

We breed because we love dogs and enjoy the happiness matching puppies with their families brings. The market needs educated, ethical breeders to provide quality pups to quality people. 

 

Why breed when there are so many dogs in shelters?

The reality is there is no correlation between ethical, responsible breeding and the number of dogs in shelters. Most shelter dogs are the result of irresponsible pet owners who do not spay/neuter. For more information on this, please read this article: 

While the "adopt don't shop" folks are passionate about their cause, true dog lovers see the value in both rescues and ethical breeders. Breeders who selectively breed for both health and temperament and who screen applicants never contribute to the shelter population. Most ethical breeders will take puppies back upon request. In the years we've been breeding, we've only had one return request; we took the puppy back and found another loving forever home for it within a week. In addition, we have donated to Poodle and Doodle rescues in the past and plan to continue doing so. Taking a negative and even hateful position against all breeders can drive "good" breeders out of business leaving only the undesirable ones in the market. Consider the ramifications and let's all work together to do what's right for the entire dog population--not just those in shelters. There will always be a market for purebreds and designer crossbreeds, so let's support the breeders who are doing things the right way, as well as encourage fostering, adoption and rescue of dogs in need.