Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Australian Labradoodle? An Australian Labradoodle is a multi-generational Labradoodle that originated from Australia bred specifically for therapy work and companionship. Despite the name this breed does not contain an Australian Shepherd. Several generations ago they infused a few other breeds (spaniels) to improve size, coat, health, and temperament; and have since been bred those dogs together to create this purebred multi-generational Australian Labradoodle... it seems like a mouthful and a bit confusing with the name but all of our dogs' lineage traces back to the two original breeders in Australia. When someone asks, my quick answer is, "they're a multi-generational labradoodle that originated in Australia".
What sizes do you offer? We specialize in a smaller medium. Our "sweet spot" is between 25-35lbs at maturity. We will occasionally (depending on the pairing) have larger or smaller puppies but the majority mature right around 25-35lbs.
How do you raise your puppies? We raise our puppies with the Puppy Culture program. This process starts at 3 days old with Early Neurological Stimulation and the program continues for the entire 8 weeks the puppies are with us. Puppy Culture includes crate training, clicker training, beginnings of housebreaking, noise and touch desensitization, and many other confidence builders. Our puppies start going potty outside at least 3 times a day once they start eating solid foods. By 8 weeks old puppies are going outside every 2 hours and are napping in their own crates. We rarely have potty accidents when kept on a strict schedule. Puppies know that outside = potty. We start leash training at 8 weeks old as well as teaching "sit" for attention and introducing them to the "lay down" concept. Our goal is to send you home with a well-rounded, happy, and confident puppy.
What is your selection process? We match puppies based on temperament first and foremost. Once your specific litter is born (that you chose and have a reservation on) we ask that you love each puppy equally in order to proceed on this specific list. We also ask that our families are open to a range of colors/markings/eye color etc. as we cannot guarantee what nature will give us. We will take your preferences into consideration (size, color, gender) but I would never want to place the most rowdy puppy in the litter with a family that wants to do therapy work, or a more reserved puppy with a family that wants a running companion. Personality is very important... so as much as you have physical preferences, with us, temperament matching with your lifestyle is my main priority. If you are looking for a specific look (color, markings, eye color) I am happy to refer you to a breeder friend that allows you to choose based on where your deposit is received. Normally I will give you 1-2 puppies that I think would be a good match for you. If for some reason I don't think one is a good match, I am happy to transfer your reservation fee one time onto the next available litter. We put as much time and consideration for the first family on our lists as we do the last family. Nobody "ends up" with the last puppy.
Should I expect a "perfect" puppy? I am sure you already know the answer to this question, but no! Our puppies are just that... puppies. They will still get into mischief, nibble on hands, potty on the floor, and test boundaries. I do everything I can to give them the best start and a solid foundation but your training, time, and commitment is needed to grow your dog into what you want. All of our training and direction are tools to help you raise the best dog you can. We highly recommend group puppy classes, beginner classes, and advanced classes. Finding a positive reinforcement trainer is going to help continue the training that we have already started. Puppies will be puppies! I always say, a tired puppy is a good puppy!
How are your puppies with kids? Our puppies are very well socialized with young children. That being said, puppies are puppies. They need to have boundaries, proper handling, and training. I always tell my puppy families, it is more about training your kids how to behave around the puppy than training your puppy to be gentle with your kids. As long as the puppy is respected, is given a kid free zone, proper boundaries, and the child is behaved - our puppies do amazing in families with children.
Are your dogs hypoallergenic? No! No dog is truly hypoallergenic; however, our dogs are selectively bred to be very allergy/asthma friendly. Most of our puppy families have mild to severe dog allergies and do amazingly well with our puppies. We do suggest meeting up with a current Bunji Family in your area (we can help) prior to reserving your spot on a litter if you have any concerns about your allergies.
How much are your puppies and what is the process? Our puppies are $3,500 (total) on a spay/neuter/non breeding (a vasectomy or ovary sparing spay are acceptable and encouraged) agreement. Our reservation fee is a non-refundable $500 and that will hold a spot on the litter of your choice. We accept 5-6 families on each litter prior to them being born and will start a waiting list for any additional puppies after they're born. Full payment is due by 4 weeks of age. Reservation lists fill fast and available spaces cannot be reserved until the fee has been received by us, since we receive so many inquiries, we cannot hold spaces without a reservation.
What is the difference between being on a reservation list vs a waiting list? A reservation list ($500 fee) is basically a guaranteed spot on that specific future litter. We accept only 5-6 families per litter prior to them being born. Once the puppies are born, they will go to the families who are on the reservation list.
A waiting list (after $500 is placed) is if we end up with more puppies than that initial 5-6 puppies we took reservation spaces on. Since our girls tend to have larger litters (average is 7-10) we then can move to the waiting list so there is a good chance of getting a puppy sooner. Although you can only have one reservation space, you can be on several different waiting lists.
How can I get my puppy if I live in another state? We will not ship our puppies. We work very hard to ensure their confidence, adaptability, and easygoing nature and would hate to break that trust and confidence that our puppies have gained in the last 8 weeks. You can come to our home or we can meet you at the local airport in Grand Rapids, MI (GRR). We also have an option of the puppy being flown to you via the best puppy nanny (aka my mom) around. There is a $550 fee on top of travel expenses (goes straight to my mom for being so amazing) for this service (space is limited and this will not always be available). We will get your puppy used to our soft sided airline carrier prior to going home, this will not only make it easier for you, but it ensures as little stress as possible to your puppy. We try to be as flexible as we can with helping you get your new family member. We understand that there may be situations where you are unable to pick up your puppy on the go home date. When possible, we are more than happy to keep your puppy for $50 per day after our go home date until you are available to get him/her (maximum of 5 days when available).
Do you have older puppies or adults available? No, we never have opportunities for an older puppy or adult available. We have amazing guardian homes for most of our breeding dogs (except Riley and Happy that live here with us) and do not rehome them ever. We do have an option of additional training with our Puppy Head Start program. This would give you an option of bringing your puppy home at a bit of an older age while being trained.
What happens if you don't have enough puppies for your reservation list? Unfortunately, this does happen on occasion and it's something we cannot avoid. We are more than happy to transfer your deposit to the next available litter but this is also one instance I will refund your deposit if you would prefer.
Where can I find your application? Click here to submit your application prior to contacting us.
What sizes do you offer? We specialize in a smaller medium. Our "sweet spot" is between 25-35lbs at maturity. We will occasionally (depending on the pairing) have larger or smaller puppies but the majority mature right around 25-35lbs.
How do you raise your puppies? We raise our puppies with the Puppy Culture program. This process starts at 3 days old with Early Neurological Stimulation and the program continues for the entire 8 weeks the puppies are with us. Puppy Culture includes crate training, clicker training, beginnings of housebreaking, noise and touch desensitization, and many other confidence builders. Our puppies start going potty outside at least 3 times a day once they start eating solid foods. By 8 weeks old puppies are going outside every 2 hours and are napping in their own crates. We rarely have potty accidents when kept on a strict schedule. Puppies know that outside = potty. We start leash training at 8 weeks old as well as teaching "sit" for attention and introducing them to the "lay down" concept. Our goal is to send you home with a well-rounded, happy, and confident puppy.
What is your selection process? We match puppies based on temperament first and foremost. Once your specific litter is born (that you chose and have a reservation on) we ask that you love each puppy equally in order to proceed on this specific list. We also ask that our families are open to a range of colors/markings/eye color etc. as we cannot guarantee what nature will give us. We will take your preferences into consideration (size, color, gender) but I would never want to place the most rowdy puppy in the litter with a family that wants to do therapy work, or a more reserved puppy with a family that wants a running companion. Personality is very important... so as much as you have physical preferences, with us, temperament matching with your lifestyle is my main priority. If you are looking for a specific look (color, markings, eye color) I am happy to refer you to a breeder friend that allows you to choose based on where your deposit is received. Normally I will give you 1-2 puppies that I think would be a good match for you. If for some reason I don't think one is a good match, I am happy to transfer your reservation fee one time onto the next available litter. We put as much time and consideration for the first family on our lists as we do the last family. Nobody "ends up" with the last puppy.
Should I expect a "perfect" puppy? I am sure you already know the answer to this question, but no! Our puppies are just that... puppies. They will still get into mischief, nibble on hands, potty on the floor, and test boundaries. I do everything I can to give them the best start and a solid foundation but your training, time, and commitment is needed to grow your dog into what you want. All of our training and direction are tools to help you raise the best dog you can. We highly recommend group puppy classes, beginner classes, and advanced classes. Finding a positive reinforcement trainer is going to help continue the training that we have already started. Puppies will be puppies! I always say, a tired puppy is a good puppy!
How are your puppies with kids? Our puppies are very well socialized with young children. That being said, puppies are puppies. They need to have boundaries, proper handling, and training. I always tell my puppy families, it is more about training your kids how to behave around the puppy than training your puppy to be gentle with your kids. As long as the puppy is respected, is given a kid free zone, proper boundaries, and the child is behaved - our puppies do amazing in families with children.
Are your dogs hypoallergenic? No! No dog is truly hypoallergenic; however, our dogs are selectively bred to be very allergy/asthma friendly. Most of our puppy families have mild to severe dog allergies and do amazingly well with our puppies. We do suggest meeting up with a current Bunji Family in your area (we can help) prior to reserving your spot on a litter if you have any concerns about your allergies.
How much are your puppies and what is the process? Our puppies are $3,500 (total) on a spay/neuter/non breeding (a vasectomy or ovary sparing spay are acceptable and encouraged) agreement. Our reservation fee is a non-refundable $500 and that will hold a spot on the litter of your choice. We accept 5-6 families on each litter prior to them being born and will start a waiting list for any additional puppies after they're born. Full payment is due by 4 weeks of age. Reservation lists fill fast and available spaces cannot be reserved until the fee has been received by us, since we receive so many inquiries, we cannot hold spaces without a reservation.
What is the difference between being on a reservation list vs a waiting list? A reservation list ($500 fee) is basically a guaranteed spot on that specific future litter. We accept only 5-6 families per litter prior to them being born. Once the puppies are born, they will go to the families who are on the reservation list.
A waiting list (after $500 is placed) is if we end up with more puppies than that initial 5-6 puppies we took reservation spaces on. Since our girls tend to have larger litters (average is 7-10) we then can move to the waiting list so there is a good chance of getting a puppy sooner. Although you can only have one reservation space, you can be on several different waiting lists.
How can I get my puppy if I live in another state? We will not ship our puppies. We work very hard to ensure their confidence, adaptability, and easygoing nature and would hate to break that trust and confidence that our puppies have gained in the last 8 weeks. You can come to our home or we can meet you at the local airport in Grand Rapids, MI (GRR). We also have an option of the puppy being flown to you via the best puppy nanny (aka my mom) around. There is a $550 fee on top of travel expenses (goes straight to my mom for being so amazing) for this service (space is limited and this will not always be available). We will get your puppy used to our soft sided airline carrier prior to going home, this will not only make it easier for you, but it ensures as little stress as possible to your puppy. We try to be as flexible as we can with helping you get your new family member. We understand that there may be situations where you are unable to pick up your puppy on the go home date. When possible, we are more than happy to keep your puppy for $50 per day after our go home date until you are available to get him/her (maximum of 5 days when available).
Do you have older puppies or adults available? No, we never have opportunities for an older puppy or adult available. We have amazing guardian homes for most of our breeding dogs (except Riley and Happy that live here with us) and do not rehome them ever. We do have an option of additional training with our Puppy Head Start program. This would give you an option of bringing your puppy home at a bit of an older age while being trained.
What happens if you don't have enough puppies for your reservation list? Unfortunately, this does happen on occasion and it's something we cannot avoid. We are more than happy to transfer your deposit to the next available litter but this is also one instance I will refund your deposit if you would prefer.
Where can I find your application? Click here to submit your application prior to contacting us.