Taylor was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions for us for a new Breeder Spotlight! These are always so much fun....check out what she had to say!!!
***Please know this is not an endorsement of the breeder, their program, or their dogs. If you are looking to purchase a puppy/dog do your due diligence and research your breeder.
What do you breed and how long have you been breeding?
I have been breeding purebred poodles & aussiedoodles (miniature & standard size) for almost 8 years.
What made you choose that breed?
My husband grew up breeding working australian shepherds and had some when we got married but I wanted a more laid back house dog for our family -- poodles fit that mold. Combining our love of aussies & poodles was a natural fit to breed aussiedoodles.
What drew you to breeding in general?
First and foremost, my love for dogs! I always had animals growing up and started college with a major in Animal Science (pre-vet) but decided against going to vet school. Breeding has given me the opportunity to work closely with our vets and grow in my knowledge of dogs.
What’s everyday life like for you?
We live on a 300 acre farm in Pennsylvania. My husband does all the farm work and I help out there as needed but mostly take care of our 3 kids (ages 5, 3, & 1) and our 9 dogs. Breeding is a whole family affair for us. My husband and I work really well together - each of us having certain aspects of breeding we enjoy & strive in. My kids love helping to socialize & play with the puppies. The oldest one is very helpful with little chores like feeding the dogs or helping to bathe puppies.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started breeding?
I wish I knew more about genetics when I started out. I did not understand color genetics when we got our first few dogs so our foundation dogs, while lovely in temperament & structure, were maybe not the best pairings to achieve the colors I have grown to love.
If you could go back in time to right before your first litter, what would you tell yourself?
Things don’t always go as planned
What are you most proud of in your program?
Two of my previous puppies have gone on to be service dogs and multiple have gone on to be general therapy dogs. I love that my dogs are able to impact the community for the greater good!
What makes you keep coming back for more....what’s the best part about breeding for you?
It’s hard to pick just one thing. I really love the whelping process. There is just something about seeing God’s creation come into the world and taking that first breath! The thrill of seeing what color & gender the new puppy is! Watching that puppy grow and develop over the weeks and then getting updates from the new family about how healthy, smart & loved that dog is as an adult.
What’s the easiest part of breeding for you?
Having my whole day revolve around dogs. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!
What’s the best thing you’ve purchased for your program?
Quality dog food. I tried a few different foods when I was first starting out and had some trouble with my heat cycles. There is not a lot of info on nutrition for reproductive dogs so it was difficult to find something our dogs thrive on but I finally found one that they all do excellent on.
An ultrasound for confirming pregnancy and checking that all puppies are out after whelping.
What’s one thing you’ve discovered that saves you the most time and energy when you have a litter?
Having a website with all my available puppies, pricing, policies, etc. cuts down on the amount of time I spend responding to messages of people who are not seriously interested. Implementing an in depth application has also helped weed out unfit buyers.
If someone reading this is just starting out, what do you want them to know is the best part of what you do?
It is such a rewarding job!
What’s one thing that just grinds your gears in the breeding community?
Breeders who look down on new breeders. We all started somewhere - be kind & offer advice!
What’s your biggest pet peeve in regards to breeding?
People who think I “just do it for the money”. I live in an area saturated with puppy mills so my prices reflect the higher quality of my breeding program. I get a lot of flack for that.
What do you stress over most?
Self doubt - Am I good enough? Are my dogs good enough? Am I doing a good enough job? Am I charging too much? Too little? What if (fill in the blank)?
What’s one mistake you’ve made in your program that you wish you could go back and change?
Not having clear goals at the beginning of my program. Like I said, I did not know anything about the genetics of coloring so I bought some dogs for my program that I probably would not now.
What has been your biggest failure?
I finally had my “goal” puppy (color wise) that I would have kept for breeding but she was stillborn. Losing a puppy is hard regardless but to lose one I’d been striving for was heartbreaking.
What’s the most difficult part of breeding for you?
Dealing with people. Some people can be down right nasty and I don’t handle confrontation well.
What’s something you keep doing because you think you have to in order to be taken seriously by other breeders, but deep down really want to stop?
1. I probably don’t ask enough questions. Facebook is such a great resource tool for discussion but I feel unqualified when I get crucified for asking a question.
2. I honestly wonder if my “color goals” are actually MY color goals or just what is popular with everyone else
If someone reading this is just starting out, what do you want them to know is the worst part of what you do?
It can be very stressful and lots of things can go wrong - stillborn puppies, sick puppies, missed heats, unexpected vet bills, unhappy buyers..
What’s your goal for the next couple of years?
Build a better setup so it is better for my dogs and easier for me to manage. I would love to work with a service dog non-profit training programs to get more of my puppies into the field.
What’s one thing you wish you knew more about in regards to breeding?
I am continuing to learn more about genetics and how to make informed pairings to achieve my goals.
How long have you been breeding with color in mind?
Phenotypically from the beginning but genotypically only the past few years.
What’s one thing you just don’t understand about genetics?
How do the OFA/PennHip scores genetically transfer? Excellent hips in parents does not always transfer to offspring so is it actually the end all, be all in breeding dogs?
If you could shout one thing at the top of your lungs to all breeders...what would it be?
Never stop learning and asking questions!
What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen so far when it comes to breeding?
My kids have seen the breeding & birthing process many times so they have been known to say factual (& hilarious) things to various people.
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