# Looking for toy poodle breeder in California



## Canadian who Cares (7 mo ago)

I am relatively new to poodle forum. I live in Canada but will be in California for 3 months this coming winter. I am wanting a companion toy poodle from a reputable breeder. I have found comments on Gail Zamora, Clarion and Ash’s Mystical poodles. The forum has been very useful to me. Thanks to all of you it is becoming clearer to me what questions to ask and what to look for.
In my search I came across a site called WE GOT PUPPIES, also known as Santa Barbara Poodles.
Do any of you know of this breeder or have one of their poodles?
Thanks for your feedback.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Canadian who Cares said:


> In my search I came across a site called WE GOT PUPPIES, also known as Santa Barbara Poodles.
> Do any of you know of this breeder or have one of their poodles?
> Thanks for your feedback.


I would avoid this breeder. definitely a backyard breeder and maybe puppy mill. They have three dogs having puppies in July… that’s an awful lot at one time. They are missing some important health testing on the breeding pairs. They do nothing with their dogs to prove they are worthy to bred, no conformation or other dog sport.

I was looking at their photos and shocked to see puppies so close to a horse being ridden. I always keep my dogs away from horses when visiting my daughters horses.

You can do better. All the other breeders you mention are worth checking


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

It looks like they also cross their poodles with Cairn terriers: Cairn Poodle – Just another WordPress site


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'm copying this from another recent thread.

We'll always encourage a member to ask about breeders by name so if we have a member with personal experience, great. If not, we may be familiar with their reputation, or look at available online info and offer opinions on why we would or would not consider that breeder for ourselves.

Things we do are look thru the website, if there is one, to see how they present themselves.
Do they talk about their goals with their breeding program?
Do they focus on their achievements?
Do they not only refer to health testing, do they display or link the results on their site?
Do they feature their adult dogs, giving the registry name or name so you can do a bit of sleuthing yourself?
Are they members of a local PCA club?

Not all breeders have websites, many that do might seem neglected because they're working a regular full time job, looking after family, and looking after their dogs.
Breeding isn't a livelihood for these folks. It's a calling.

Moonstruck's website is a good example. You'll see that their site lists much of what's noted above.

If a website doesn't have much of that info, you can always go to the OFA site and search for yourself using the kennel name or the poodle's registry name or number.
Your goal is to see if they're publishing test results.

Advanced Search | OFA

Proper health testing is my minimum criteria in whether to pursue a breeder. My reasoning is that if they're investing in breeding for health, they're likely to invest in the rest of the criteria. This is part of what separates good breeders from less than.

You'll get a feel for breeders when you start making initial contacts to introduce yourself. Sandy again makes a good point about being comfortable with a breeder. You become a bit of their family since you'll have one of theirs joining yours.

While you wait for members to respond, it never hurts to do a search here to see what has been said about a breeder.

*Look for and verify OFA/CHIC level testing at a minimum. The recommended testing by The Poodle Club of America is a mix of physical exams and, for each variety, there are also recommended DNA tests.*

The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) registers testing from other countries as well as from the US.

There are additional poodle specific DNA panels for other testable genetic conditions.
Those are companion tests with the OFA/CHIC testing, not in place of.

CHIC Program | Orthopedic Foundation for Animals | Columbia, MO (ofa.org)
Browse By Breed | Orthopedic Foundation for Animals | Columbia, MO (ofa.org)

Look Up A Dog | Orthopedic Foundation for Animals | Columbia, MO (ofa.org)

Toy Poodle recommended testing from the PCA with results listed on OFA

*Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)*
DNA-based test from an approved laboratory; results registered with OFA ➚
*Eye Examination*
Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist ➚
*Patellar Luxation*
OFA Evaluation, minimum age 1 year ➚
Miniature Poodle (just in case you expand your choices)

*Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)*
DNA-based test from an approved laboratory; results registered with OFA ➚
*Eye Examination*
Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist ➚
*Patellar Luxation*
OFA evaluation, minimum age 1 year ➚
*Hip Dysplasia* (One of the following)
OFA Evaluation ➚
PennHIP Evaluation
The PCA Foundation strongly recommends the DNA test for Miniature Poodle Dwarfism (Osteochondrodysplasia) to avoid breeding two carriers to each other and producing puppies affected with this deforming and crippling disorder. Research suggests that about 10 percent of Minis carry the mutation that causes this disease and that it is not limited to a few bloodlines.

The PRA test is a DNA test. The others are physical exams done by a qualified vet.
The DNA panels are nice and have helpful info but should not be accepted as the only health testing.

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There's no one-size-fits-all for breeders, in that there's nothing but integrity to separate the good from the not so much. This is another reason to get to know and meet the breeder and the dogs in person whenever possible.

Because breeding is not a business for them, they will each run their kennel as they see fit. There are good practices that they will follow, and if PCA club members, are required to follow, but don't expect to eliminate risk 100%.

If there's a contract/health guarantee or warranty, look it over carefully. What is and isn't in there will tell you a lot.


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## Canadian who Cares (7 mo ago)

I can’t thank-you enough for the clear and concise information you provided. I’ve spent hours researching what to look for in a good breeder and the testing that should be done. Because of you, I have a lot of information, in one place. I also better understand the process and where to look for results.
I will follow your guidance.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

This is a link to a more detailed tip list I keep, if you haven't already run across it.









Has Anyone heard of this breeder…?


Hi all, Has anyone heard of Red Teddy Poodles in Ancram, NY, If so, what has your experience been? Thanks!




www.poodleforum.com


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