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Big Rock Labradoodles

Health Testing

Ensuring a Future of Health and Happiness

Our dogs are more than just pets — they’re cherished family members. We understand this, which is why we’re committed to ensuring your new addition is not only a part of your family but also enjoys a healthy and happy life for years to come. While perfection isn’t guaranteed, we have confidence in the quality of our dogs and offer a warranty against the development of genetic conditions.

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Health Guarantee

Our Pledge to Our Puppies and to Our Families

With a three-year health warranty and a lifetime genetic guarantee, we affirm our confidence in the lasting health of your Labradoodle. This pledge is our commitment to you, offering peace of mind for your companion’s future.

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Your New Family Member's Health is Our Top Priority

We treat our dogs as family members, not just pets. That’s why we invest time and effort to ensure your new four-legged family member will be healthy for the long run. Although we can’t promise perfection, our deep dive into genetic studies and screening allows us to confidently offer a warranty against genetic conditions. We’re continually exploring new ways to enhance the health and longevity of our dogs.

Why don’t all breeders screen their dogs for genetic health?  The tests are expensive and can exclude otherwise fabulous dogs from a breeding program.

Genetic Diseases We Test For

In collaboration with Paw Print Genetics, a trusted laboratory, we stay updated with the latest advancements in genetic testing. They continuously refine our panel to ensure its relevance, removing unnecessary tests and adding new ones as needed.

These tests are our minimum. In cases where we have introduced new parent breeds, we extend our testing to include breed-specific panels such as those for Standard Poodles or Labrador Retrievers.

  • Degenerative Myelopathy (Aliases: Canine degenerative myelopathy, DM)
  • Exercise-Induced Collapse (Aliases: EIC)
  • *Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis (Aliases: HNPK)
  • *Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures (Aliases: NEWS)
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cone-Rod Dystrophy 4 (Aliases: Progressive retinal atrophy – cord1, Progressive retinal atrophy – crd4, Progressive retinal atrophy – crd4/cord1, PRA-cord1, PRA-crd4, PRA-crd4/cord1)
  • *Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (Aliases: PRA-PRCD, PRCD)
  • *Von Willebrand Disease I (Aliases: Pseudohemophilia, Vascular hemophilia, von Willebrand disease type 1, von Willebrand’s disease, VWDI)
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Rod-Cone Dysplasia 4 (Aliases: PRA-rcd4)
  • Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1 (Aliases: Dwarfism with retinal dysplasia 1, Inherited retinal dysplasia, Oculoskeletal dysplasia 1, Retinal dysplasia, DRD1, OSD1, RD, RD/OSD)

Physical Genetic Disorders We Test For

Eyes

All our breeding dogs pass OFA CAER eye exams and are re-tested every 18 months. These tests are done by certified veterinary ophthalmologists to check for heritable eye diseases.

Hips

Our breeding dogs have hip ratings that fall under Excellent, Good, or Fair categories. These dogs undergo X-rays for both hip and elbow joints. While we aim to breed dogs with excellent joints, we also consider genetic diversity. According to OFA data, breeding outcomes can vary but often don’t cause noticeable issues until the dog’s senior years.

Elbows

Elbow ratings are simpler — either ‘Normal’ or varying degrees of dysplastic. We only breed dogs with a ‘Normal’ elbow rating.

Note: Breeding is complex, involving multiple genes and environmental factors. The quality of joints in a dog’s family can also be important. We strive for the best while maintaining genetic diversity.

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Our Approach to Ethical Dog Breeding

Balancing Health and Genetics in Breeding

Breeding Australian Labradoodles, or any dog breed, is a complex balance of maintaining and improving genetic lines. As breeders, our primary goal is to ensure the health and quality of our Australian Labradoodles, improving the breed with each litter. Meticulous in our approach, we breed with an eye on lineage to prevent narrowing the genetic pool, a challenge that can heighten health risks more than any single inheritable condition.

Our breeding decisions are informed by large-scale studies encompassing diverse dog breeds, providing us with a robust data set that guides our selection process. We understand the difference between ‘clinical’ dysplasia, which affects a dog’s mobility, and ‘sub-clinical’ dysplasia, detected through x-rays without impacting the dog’s quality of life. Our health guarantees are therefore focused on clinical conditions, ensuring that every puppy we place is primed for a full and active life.

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Ethical Dog Breeders

Choose a Breeder Who’s Committed to Health and Ethics

Be part of the solution in the fight against poor breeding practices that cause unnecessary suffering for puppies and dogs. Choose a breeder like us, committed to investing both time and resources in comprehensive health tests for all breeding dogs. Your choice makes a difference!

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About Us

When your pup comes from Big Rock Labradoodles, you're choosing a breeder who values ethics, health, and the well-being of every furry bundle we bring into the world. Get to know us and see why a pup from us means you're choosing a lifetime of love and quality care.

Our Code of Ethics

We aim to maintain the highest standards, blending science, top-tier veterinary care, and a whole lot of love to raise healthy, well-socialized pups. Learn more.

Enrichment & Socialization

From diverse environments to new faces, we carefully introduce puppies to the world, ensuring they grow into sociable and confident companions. Learn more.

Our Holistic Approach to Neutering

Our neutering policy prioritizes puppy health and is based on extensive research — balancing the benefits of mature neutering. Learn more.