About Labrador & Labradoodle Puppies Chicago
We are located in Mundelein, IL, an hour northwest of Chicago and close to Indiana and Wisconsin. We have been breeding the highest quality puppies for over 25 years! Our recipe for success begins with full panel DNA testing through Embark, & OFA hip & elbow certifications. These are two key factors that dictate the quality & health of a dog! If a breeder is not doing these tests, it doesn't matter if you spend $5 or $5000 on a puppy. Price does not dictate quality- Genetic and Orthopedic testing does. A breeder should be able to provide these reports. If they cannot- regardless of the excuse- the tests were most likely not done & you have no way to determine the quality & health of the dog.
Sadly, about 90% of breeders do little or no genetic testing or orthopedic testing on their breeding dogs. The main reason is due to the fact that it is very difficult to find genetically & orthopedically sound dogs to breed. another reason is that the breeder just doesn't care enough to look for dogs with clean genetics & orthopedics. Sadly, these breeders blindly breed and bring puppies into the world that have a 30% chance of being born with a genetic condition which will service, or average, between the ages of 4 & 8 years of age. I have heard every excuse as to why a breeder has not done the appropriate testing- things like, "I don't do the testing, but I don't have any problems with my puppies." Roughly 60% of dogs in the general dog population are carriers of at least one genetic disease. When you breed similar dogs- labradors, labradoodles, etc... you are now breeding two dogs together that are prone to the identical genetic conditions which now increases your chance of having a dog with a genetic condition to half- or roughly 30%. This number does not reflect orthopedic issues such as hip dysplasia, which is very common in labradors & Poodles. Emb ark is the only company that performs full panel DNA testing & their tests check for about 250 genetic conditions.
We are rated the Number One Labrador and Labradoodle breeder in the Midwest & in the top 5% in the country. We have a 5 star Google rating with hundreds of reviews. We encourage you to read some to get an idea of who we are. We have achieved this for a couple reasons- solid DNA & orthopedic testing & exceptional customer service. We not only give copies of both DNA & orthopedic reports to those who adopt our pups, we go over the report, explaining ever detail, as well as explaining why DNA & orthopedic testing is absolutely critical in breeding the highest quality pups possible.
Breeding high quality Labradors and Labradoodle pups for over 20 years has been rewarding and exciting! Many of our dogs have gone on to be professionally trained therapy and service dogs. We have done television segments, made public speaking appearances, & are always out to educate people about real & true dog health. We are extremely transparent, professional, & will give you the answers you are searching for. We take a lot of pride in our pups! We have established an outstanding reputation not only in the Midwest, but throughout the country.
What You Will Receive with Our Pups
- Copies of both parents DNA reports which are 17 pages minimum- our breeding dogs are clear of ALL genetic conditions.
-A three year written genetic & orthopedic health guarantee
- Copies of both parents' OFA orthopedic reports- Our dogs range from Fair to Excellent
-A vaccination record listing all vaccinations, dewormings & heartworm schedules
- Dew Claws removed- unless you state otherwise- pup must be under 4 days old to request non-removal
- Microchip- We microchip your pup too!
-Lifetime support- our relationship never ends- we are always here to answer any questions or concerns.
-We also offer boarding & training services. See more details in website.
-We offer continued vaccination, deworming & grooming services too.
Trusted by Families Across the Country
Why Our Puppies Stand Apart-
Our puppies are premium quality which begins with full panel DNA testing through Embark, & OFA hip/elbow certifications. These are the only things that determine the quality of a dog. Sadly, the majority of breeders (about 90%) do absolutely no DNA or orthopedic testing & are blinding breeding puppies. Other breeders may do a limited DNA panel- which consists of about 6 conditions- but both Labradors, Labradoodles, & Goldendoodles can carry over 20 breed related conditions. There are also many breeders out there that claim they do both DNA & OFA testing, but if you ask them for copies of the reports, they will give you every excuse under the sun as to why they cannot produce them for you.
I have dealt with these types breeders many times throughout the years, which is why I know these things. Experience is our best teacher! Embark is one of a couple DNA companies that always checks for over 200 conditions. A minimum of 35% of puppies that come from parents with no DNA or orthopedic testing will be born with a genetic/orthopedic disease- or both! 60% of puppies are born as "carriers." This means that they carry one copy of a recessive disease. Every human & dog carries two copies of every gene. Some diseases are recessive- meaning that two copies are needed for the dog to have the mutation for the disease. This happens when each parent carries at least one copy of a specific recessive disease. 25% of the offspring will be born with a bad copy from Mom & a bad copy from Dad & will have a 90/95% chance of that disease surfacing between the ages of 4 & 8 years of age, on average. A dominant disease means that only one copy is needed from either parent for the puppy to be born with the disease. Sadly- most people search by a puppy by how cute it is & the price. NOT GOOD!!
When it's time for the pups to go home, toy selection, food, basic training and housebreaking tips are gone over with the pups new family, & they are given a couple puppy handouts that we have prepared detailing complete & efficient puppy care. We also will email puppy care handouts once a deposit is given for a pup. This gives the new family time to go through the handouts & reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
MEAT & POTATOES
Once our pups are weaned off Mom at roughly 4 weeks of age they are given a high fat, high protein food. This is CRITICAL in ensuring the pup begins development away from Mom as strongly as possible! We deworm our pups every two weeks up until 8 weeks minimum, & all vaccinations, dewclaw removal, & microchips are done in house. Once the pups reach four weeks of age, we allow those that have been adopted to have visitors. It is crucial to wait until this time to ensure the puppies immune system is a bit stronger. Breeders who let people see or handle puppies under the age of four weeks are careless! The pups health can be greatly compromised. We personally oversee every single step & detail until our pups go to their furever homes.
