As a long-time breeder of standard poodles, I was intrigued when I first heard about standard poodle/golden retriever hybrids. Goldendoodles were rare back then, so I bred one litter to see for myself if those early rave reviews were warranted. It was love at first sight! We had a litter of adorable little stuffed toys that grew more beautiful each day. They went to homes around the country, and each little dood developed a fan club. With lots of requests for more doodle puppies, I carefully chose gorgeous, healthy golden retrievers to add to our already successful poodle breeding program, and Hey Dood was born. We’ve been getting constant positive feedback from our families ever since, as each one falls utterly in love. As one of the country’s earliest professional goldendoodle breeders, we’ve bred and retired some amazing goldens who have made hundreds of Hey Dood families happy for more than a decade. I don’t over-breed my girls and thank them for their “mommy” years by retiring them into wonderful permanent homes. Of course, we’ve also owned golden retriever studs over the years. For the past several years, our adored “man about town” has been Gambit. He is everything you could want in a golden and then some - regal, smart, loving and loyal. And he passes it all down to his gorgeous Hey Dood puppies.

There are a few theories as to how goldendoodles developed, but it seems to have evolved over time and in different hemispheres. Here in the states, for instance, there were stories of the adorable “woopsie” litter that Natalie Woods’ dog produced in California. Down under, goldendoodles were a natural offshoot of Australian labradoodle breeding. Clearly, both mixes were an ideal choice for people with allergies who required service dogs. Regardless of the origin, the simple fact is that goldendoodles are a winning combination between two highly popular breeds. I’ve always adored standard poodles for their intelligence and their magical human-like qualities. Besides being “scary smart,” standards are also extremely loving and loyal family pets. And who isn’t a fan of golden retrievers, a favorite breed worldwide. What is problematic with goldens, though, is all the shedding. Whether you like to keep a tidy house, or have children with allergy issues, goldens just aren’t an option for many homes. However, when you mix these two breeds, you get the best of both worlds. Our doodles retain golden qualities, but our poodles add in an extra dash of intelligence and poodle magic to produce puppies that are non-shedding or nearly non-shedding, and easily trained. One of my greatest joys is hearing from our delighted puppy families who thought they could never own a dog because of allergies.

Besides being highly trainable and “practically perfect in every way,” goldendoodles also possess hybrid vigor. The lower the coincidence of in-breeding, the healthier the dog. When we cross a golden with a poodle, we’re blending completely different lines and reducing the incidence of genetic health issues from either breed. We also test all of our breeding dogs to help ensure that they will produce vigorous, healthy puppies who will lead long, healthy lives. While the initial investment in a goldendoodle is high, the savings in vet bills over the course of their lives can represent a significant savings.

We believe our Hey Dood puppies have a little extra magic because of where and how we raise them. We are incredibly fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful, peaceful parts of the country, and I am blessed to have my children and grandchildren nearby. Our ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana is so serene, and the puppies seem to take that with them to their new homes. When I do something, I throw my heart and soul into it, and I’m confident that I’m raising these babies in the best possible way. Not only do they have a beautiful, safe, clean environment, I give them lots of love with the help of my mom, children and beautiful grandkids who live just down the road. By the time you get your puppy from us, it’s been cuddled daily, nicknamed at least twice, probably pulled around in a wagon, and possibly even dressed up a few times. It’s seen our horses from a safe distance, learned a few things about “respect” from our cats, and learned to use the puppy door to potty. I can’t promise your puppy will be completely potty-trained, but it’s definitely had a great head start with our mommy door/puppy door training system. We just ask that you continue with our investment of love and attention, so that our babies can grow up to be the awesome doods they were born to be. Our goal is for every family to have the most perfect puppy from the litter. We hear that all the time, and it’s because we provide puppies with well-balanced temperaments. Each one wants to become the exact type of dog its family requires, be it an agility champion, therapy dog, or just a big soft cuddly bed hog.