• $3500 plus sales tax
• $200 non-refundable deposit to be applied to the remaining amount due
• Spay/Neuter is required by legal agreement; it is not optional
• If at any point you are unable to care for your puppy, it must be returned to Best Life Labradoodles; sending your dog to a shelter is not an option
• The buyer must purchase the dog for their own family; resale is not permitted
• Payment options: Venmo, Cash, or Check

We invest in extensive testing and maintain processes to create GREAT pups, so we can send families home with a healthy puppy who is not just cute but can contribute to your life in more ways than you can even imagine. 
Best Life Labradoodles:

• Is Accredited by both the World Australian Labradoodle Association (WALA) and The Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) and has achieved the highest ranking offered by both organizations: “8 Star Breeder All Star” from WALA and “Platinum Paw Breeder” from ALAA!
• Completes temperament testing to reduce the risk for potential undesirable behaviors
• Implements extensive testing for hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, genetically inherited diseases or defects, companion animal eye registry certification to screen for eye disorders that may cause vision issues later in life. We also contribute our testing to research and registries that support future healthy breeding by completing final hip and elbow xrays and OFA certification after our dogs are full grown.
• Maintains strict health protocols to ensure all breeding parents are given the best opportunity for healthy breeding experiences and all pups are given the best opportunity for a healthy start on life
• Provides the beginning stages of potty training and foundation puppy skills during their first two months of life.
• Offers optional intensive foundation training to get your pup started on the right path with potty training, crate training, sleeping through the night, traveling in cars, socializing with people and dogs, leash walking, and more.
• Commits to feeding only the best in nutrition: Life’s Abundance dog food and treats. Their safe and reliable processes offer the best quality nutrition. This ensures quality of ingredients and a protected formula for the specific nutrition needed at each stage of your dog’s life, which sets the stage for optimal brain development and overall health.
• Completes all recommended vaccines, worming treatment, flea and tick treatment, heart worming, dental care, ear cleaning, and regular nail and coat care for all animals in our breeding program
• Reviews and verifies testing results for all parent dogs that are utilized in our program
• Researches parent dog ancestry to ensure the integrity of a healthy breeding program
• Maintains records, pedigrees, and registration for all parent dogs and pups
• Provides a two-year minimum health guarantee (with an optional extension plan)
• Assumes responsibility for requested re-homing for families with life changes that prevent them from keeping their pup for the extent of the dog’s life and commits to NEVER placing puppies in shelters, pet stores, or in the hands of any wholesale buyer. We place pups only in homes we know we can trust.
• Provides support and multiple resources for new puppy owners to ensure great health and a successful transition to their family home
• Conducts breeding, boarding, and training services in a home setting that follows important health and sanitation protocols to protect both parent and puppy health
• Commits to community education for a better understanding of the Australian Labradoodle breed as well as the importance of reputable breeding
• Microchips and maintains records for all dog parents and puppies
• Responsibly screens all buyers to ensure a safe and successful lifelong placement for each puppy
• Provides the highest quality and most ethical care for all animals participating in our breeding and training programs
• Respects all provisions of the WALA and ALAA Code of Ethics and Rules and Regulations with complete dedication to preserving the future of not only our puppies but also preserving the potential for healthy future generations of puppies that will result from our breeding practices
• Engages in continuing education because our learning is never done
• Consults with other reputable breeders to both mentor and receive mentoring support that provides each puppy with the collective knowledge of individuals who are excellent at what they do!
• Does not hesitate to seek the support of multiple specialists as needed, because our dogs deserve the best care available from the most knowledgeable and reputable sources in the field
• LOVES every dog and pup like a family member
• Intends to provide you with a pup you can brag about and to become a trusted source for your future puppy family members that you can confidently recommend

Your vision of a perfect puppy most likely has a certain look or personality. We take puppy-family matching very seriously and will consider all of your requests to assist you in finding a dog that will be able to live its best life while contributing to yours for many years to come.

You can trust that your priorities are ours.

When a litter of puppies is ready for selection, we will ask buyers to communicate with us about their top three preferred dogs from the litter. Family-Puppy matches are made based on these preferences in the order of which deposits were made. There are no “last” pics of the litter. Every puppy is a good pick. If there are any differences in temperament or any minor variance from our standards, that information will be disclosed to all of the buyers prior to selection.

We ask you to tell us your “top three” choices so that we can try to ensure that at least one puppy from each buyer’s favorite list is available when it is their time to choose. If you are the last to submit a reservation deposit, we cannot guarantee that one of your favorites will be available to select, but we will do our best and we can usually predict (based on other reservation preferences) whether the size, color, or gender you are looking for will be available!  Please trust our process. We have yet to have a disappointed buyer. 

If the puppies available at the time of your selection are not what you were hoping for, you will have the option of waiting for the next litter when an earlier selection of the litter may be available. We advise all of our buyers to fall in love with ALL of the pups in the litter, rather than one, and we ask each family to try to stay open to the idea of either gender because the large majority of stereotypes associated with gender are simply not true. However, if you have a strong preference for gender, we will certainly take that into account and try to honor your request. Your perfect match will be ultimately be determined by God and we believe He knows what He’s doing. 😊

“Stork” delivery is typically available, depending on location, for those unable to pick up their puppy from us here in Arrington, TN. We personally deliver our dogs by car or plane rather than using “flight nannys.” Our puppies fly in pet carriers at our feet (per airline guidelines)…NOT in a crate in the bottom of the plane. A $550 fee plus agreed-upon travel expenses will apply.

We also freqently provide free delivery to Chicago (where we visit our family members often). Total transport fees including the transporter fee, the cost of the flight, parking at our airport, and the airline’s pet fee (usually $125) are typically $1200 or less total depending on the cost of the flight (which increases with short notice or specific date requests, etc). Alternatively, we will meet you at the Nashville airport if you choose to transport the dog by flight on your own. The charge for airport drop off is $150. If you choose this option, we are happy to talk you through the process to make sure you are prepared and we will practice airline carrier use with your puppy before the flight.

The World Australian Labradoodle Association defines size in this way: 

Miniature
Height: 14 to 16 inches (not over 17) 35cm to 43cm
​
Medium
Height: 17 to 20 inches (not over 21) 43cm to 53cm
​
Standard
Height: 21 to 24 inches (53cm to 63cm)

This is the measurement from top of the shoulder to the floor (not from the top of the head). 

There is a range in weight for each height, depending on the build of each dog. Some are lighter on their feet and have a bouncy walk and others are a little more solid. There are no definite outcomes on how each dog will develop of course, but most of our litters will be full-grown between 25-40 lbs. Height will most likely vary between mini and medium as most of our parent dogs are between the large end of the mini range to an average medium size.

Size depends on the combination of the genes that each dog inherits. Just like children born to the same parents, the weight and height of puppies born to the same parents can differ quite a bit.  

The good news is that they are all AMAZING dogs, because Australian Labradoodle breeding has been very responsibly handled over multiple generations. There may be some degree of inability to predict the size with great accuracy but you won’t be disappointed regardless! 

If you are thinking about using the dog as a service animal whose service requires a specific height, we would encourage you to inquire further so that we can try to narrow down the expected height and weight for the specific litter you are considering.

We absolutely test every pup for temperament, but on an ongoing basis instead of at a set age. We are not huge fans of standardized testing for humans…nor for dogs. That’s because the way they respond to specific test items on that day could be impacted by a number of things including whether they slept or ate well that day. We like to measure and evaluate the pup’s temperament over time instead. Since we interact with the pups A LOT, we have plenty of time to observe and take notes so that when it’s time to match buyers to puppies, we have a lot of information to work with.  We expose them to various sights, sounds, textures, take them for car rides, expose them to children, handle them in a multitude of ways to make sure they can be touched all over, and more. When it comes time for selection, we can tell which dog is busy and is likely to need a fenced yard and plenty of room to run (not a good choice for an apartment living buyer), which dog might be a bit of a loner (not a great choice for a family with kids who are going to want that dog to be near them and the environment might be busy…but a good choice for a buyer who works full time and needs the dog to be comfortable on his own while they are gone)… etc. We like our buyers to be part of the selection process, but we will share this information and help steer each buyer to the perfect pup for their lifestyle. 

The other thing to know is that MOST Australian Labradoodles have amazing temperaments and all of the pups are being raised in the same environmental conditions… so if we just do basic testing, they are most likely all going to perform exactly the same or very close to the same on the test items.  Gathering the info over time gives us a lot more information to work with.

During the first week, we assist mom just enough to make sure that each pup stays healthy and strong, but we try to stay out of her way and let her bond with her puppies so that they will grow and get that most important nutrition from her.  Beginning in the second week, we are VERY hands-on with our pups, exposing them to as much as we possibly can.  This includes car rides, crate training, handling, exposing them to young children, letting them hear and see noises that are typical for most households, and having them walk on and explore various surfaces. We also expose them to a multitude of smells and toys that allow for safe mouthing and exploration to build confidence and satisfy curiosity.  

Additionally, our Mother dog remains on duty to continue nursing and to teach them how to be a dog throughout their time with us.  This means that she teaches them to lay down and sleep when they hear piano music, that it’s ok to bark when someone comes to the door (but not carry on barking for no reason), that humans are safe and they can feel confident around them, and more.  Our other adult dogs are also in on the raising puppies plan.  They are introduced after the first few weeks and are allowed to mingle and play with them quite a bit so that when our pups go home they are ready to greet and bond with any other dog.

The timing of each litter is dependent on many factors including heat cycles (which can vary), the optimal health of our Mother dog and her readiness to mate, and a successful “honeymoon” mating. Best Life Labradoodles will confirm pregnancy as soon as possible and provide expected due dates and puppy go-home dates for upcoming litters after each pregnancy is confirmed.  Depending on timing and availability, Best Life Labradoodles reserves the right to hold back one or two puppies for our program as potential future breeders or future trained dogs, before puppies are assigned to buyers. Best Life Labradoodles may also replace the planned stud if necessary or if beneficial based on the desires of our buyers on the reservation list. It is also important to note that litter size can vary greatly, so we cannot guarantee the availability of a puppy from a specific litter. It is best to avoid getting your heart set on a specific gender, color, size, or parent dog. We ask our buyers to help us love on ALL of our puppies until their selection has been made and to be willing to wait for another litter if the match is not what they had hoped for. Best Life may also limit the number of puppies that each buyer can choose from so that we can try to ensure that at least one puppy from each buyer’s favorite list is available for their selection.

We are blessed to have three great options for our dogs and puppies. Each setting allows the opportunity for our Best Friends to be loved, meticulously cared for, nurtured, and trained. We utilize a limited number of guardian homes for some of our breeding animals. Our guardians are most commonly one of our friends or close family members. These guardians treat our dogs as their own, allowing them the greatest opportunity to experience a normal and happy Best Life in a home setting. We also have dogs that live full time in our home in Arrington, TN. Additonally, we have a boarding and training facility on our home property (just steps away from our home). Our facility provides the opportunity for the dogs to train in a focused setting as well as time to play outside and receive the exercise and carefree lifestyle they deserve. If we aren’t onsite at our home, one of our adult children is there providing the same consistent care and training that we would. We rotate dogs and puppies through these three settings, making sure all receive plenty of time in our primary residence with us so that we can train house manners, which we believe are the most important skill to be learned. Rotating dogs through these settings provides the greatest opportunities for them to be comfortable and ready to transition to a permanent home when they retire (or to stay with their Guardian family for life). Additionally, it allows us to KNOW our dogs temperament and health which helps us make decisions about which dogs have the desired personalities we want to breed, which dogs are ready to retire, which dogs may need a break between heat cycles, and more. The “littles” are always under our 24 hour personal watch in our home during their early critical weeks. This Best Life living plan is unique to our program and it was intentionally designed to produce dogs that are independent, confident, social, flexible…and most importantly… healthy and happy.

How have Australian Labradoodle breeders produced such consistently great animals for decades?

Australian Labradoodle breeders prioritize choices that support great health. The integrity of the breeding selection process allows this breed to stand out from other variant breeds that were more recently developed. As poodle-mix dog combinations have understandably grown in popularity due to interest in a non-shedding pet, inconsistencies have developed. Non-regulated breeding without extensive genetic testing or attention to important actions that reduce health risks often pose safety risks, high veterinarian bills, and unnecessary stress for families. This can result in a situation where buyers unexpectedly find themselves with a difficult to manage dog in the home. 

Australian Labradoodle breeding is responsibly managed by members of the World Australian Labradoodle Association (WALA) and American Australian Labradoodle Association (AALA). Accredited breeder members of WALA and AALA must adhere to rules and guidelines that are designed to protect the health and behavior of what we believe are the best dogs on the planet.

WALA and ALAA accreditation is reviewed and renewed annually, as reflected on each member’s WALA and ALAA logo, for ongoing accountability. Members must adhere to bylaws as well as a code of ethics. They also receive extensive support, education, and resources to further ensure the integrity of the breed.