Our breeding program may seem large at a glance, but we only breed each dam an average of 2 times, to two separate studs selected specifically for what we are looking to produce in each litter (either our boys or outside studs). Our studs are typically only bred 1-3 times within our program and are available selectively to other breeders with similar philosophies and breeding goals.
Due to the multitude of health issues prevalent in Standard Poodles which do not express until mature adulthood, we lean towards waiting until our dogs are older and demonstrating their ongoing health prior to being bred. On average, our girls are 4-5 years old for their first litter and bred again at 6-7, then retired. For studs, we pick the best match available based on the female and the traits we are trying to bring in (increased genetic diversity, more confidence, sturdier forequarters, minimizing a health risk in the line, etc); when the option exists we lean towards males who are still active and healthy at 6-12+ years old, but we do make exceptions for younger males with good family histories, especially in situations where the home of the male would like to have them neutered before long.
Many of our breeding dogs live in guardian homes around Massachusetts and come to visit when boarding or grooming is needed, repro vet visits, if we’re borrowing them for training or showing opportunities, and for actual breeding plans. Our guardian females stay in our home from later pregnancy until the puppies are ready for their own families. Often our guardian homes become a guardian for our keeper of a future generation as well, either a daughter or other relative born years later.
