Desert Reef Poodles (A Breeder Spotlight)

Experts say if you must have a purebred dog, working with a reputable breeder is a must. When it comes to a popular breed like a poodle, you may come across several breeders whose scruples may be lacking. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across a place like Desert Reef Poodles.

A Look at Desert Reef Poodles

The name Desert Reef Poodles may sound a little quirky, but it makes sense once you get familiar with its location. The venue can be found near Capitol Reef National Park in the southern part of Utah – the community of St. George, to be specific. Even though Utah is famous for its ski slopes, the state’s southern portion is desert land.

As the name also suggests, this small scale breeding program solely concentrates on breeding poodles. They have built a solid reputation amongst the breeding world because they aren’t committed to simply producing these pups. Rather, their goal is to produce poodles that are happy, healthy, and with proper temperament.

Ultimately, their goal is to breed poodles that follow AKC Standards. They achieve this goal by raising the pups in a comfy home setting that acutely simulates what may be experienced in a typical household. They also provide them with a carefully crafted diet and gentle training and socialization exercises.

Their approach to breeding these popular pooches seems to be working rather well. Desert Reef Poodles has earned a pretty strong reputation for producing beautiful show dogs that have hauled in some impressive hardware.

A Look at Desert Reef Poodles at Play

The pups produced by Desert Reef Poodles are allowed to thrive in frolic in a warm environment that only has two adult dogs present. This creates a calm, chaos-free atmosphere for the pups to be raised by the mother. In other words, it allows pups to be pups.

A Reputable Breeder vs. a Pet Store

If you’re a potential first-time dog owner, you may wonder what the fuss is about getting a dog from a trusted breeder such as Desert Reef Poodles. After all, you can always find mainstream breeds like poodles at a pet store. Why not just get a breed there?

Unfortunately, there are several reasons why a pet store is a poor choice to pick up a pooch. Firstly, most pet stores tend to treat pups as inventory rather than animals. This mindset makes it easy to have several holes in the dog’s backstory to be present.

What this means is, you may not have an accurate account of the poodle's upbringing regarding several important metrics, particularly regarding socialization. It also means that you may not have a proper bead on their living conditions prior to them coming to the store.

Additionally, most pet stores work through brokers to get their pets and do not have a pinpointed idea from where the pups came. In some cases, this means the dog came from a puppy mill; a “dog factory” with a reputation for horrid, filthy, and thoroughly unacceptable living conditions that can severely damage a pup’s spirit and personality.

Aren’t All Breeders Basically the Same?

Simply assuming that a breeder is a breeder is a breeder is another dangerous trap that would-be dog owners may tumble. Some breeders can be completely unscrupulous; merely in the business of dog breeding for the money without any regard for the proper long-term well-being for the canines they raise.

As is the case with pet stores, an unscrupulous breeder may have ties to puppy mills, which means that they are essentially in the market of peddling broken dogs to the masses. It’s not just pet stores that these breeders have ties to, either. The power of the Internet has made it possible to pick up a pooch online.

Even though reputable breeders like Desert Reef Poodles do have a strong online presence, the difference between them and unscrupulous breeders is that they can provide you with certain information that the bad guys cannot.

What to Look For with a Reputable Breeder

A good breeder like Desert Reef Poodles will always have an abundance of vital information associated with each dog they sell. Of course, you should be prepared to have a discussion with the breeder in question to ensure that they have all the info you need regarding the pup in question.

Some of the key questions you’ll want to ask a breeder regards documentation to prove your potential pup’s pedigree. A reputable breeder will have no problem producing detailed information on key canine metrics including bloodline, health, socialization, and surrounding environment. Think twice if the breeder struggles to provide you concrete info.

A good rule of thumb to use to help indicate the viability of a breeder is to see if they are registered. This essentially means that they are listed on an aggregate breeder site, complete with recommendations from other dog owners and basic info on their dogs. Breeders that aren’t registered could be hiding something.

Don’t Discount Pet Adoption

If you don’t want to work with a breeder to obtain your pup, then dog adoption may be right up your alley. Indeed, there are scores of rescue dogs in shelters or local Human Society chapters just waiting for a loving home. If you go this route, there are a few things you should know.

The typical shelter dog you’ll come across will be a mixed breed. The benefit here is they tend to have a calmer temperament. If you still have your heart set on rescuing a purebred, don’t fear – there are rescue groups out there dedicated to specific breeds.

You may also need to undergo an interview process to make sure you and your potential pup are a good match. Also, while adoption dogs will most likely be spayed or neutered and will have received essential vaccinations, you will still need to pay an adoption fee to take your new buddy home. And while puppies are cool, don’t forget adult dogs need love, too.

The Most Important Thing

Whether you work with a breeder like Desert Reef Poodles or go through a shelter, the important thing to note is that you’re providing a loving home to a dog. That should make you feel very good. It will certainly make your new pooch feel wonderful.