# Breeders in Texas - Fiona Grace Kennels?



## pooderqs (Sep 21, 2020)

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum, so my apologies for any mistakes. I am looking to get a standard poodle puppy sometime within the next few years, so I have started looking for reputable breeders in Texas. Some seemingly reputable ones I have found are Donnchada Poodles, Bar-None Poodles, Figz Service Dogs, and Rose City Standard Poodles. (Please correct me if any of these are not reputable breeders.) 

I came across a breeder that I'm not too sure about, so I wanted to ask if anyone has had experience with them. The breeder is Fiona Grace Kennels in the Dallas, TX area. They seem fine for the most part, but I'm wary because it seems like they have a lot of litters each year (maybe like 3-4 per year?). Is this normal? Any thoughts? 

Thank you everyone!


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Welcome!

Donnchada and Bar-None are well known names to me and I have no doubt their dogs are excellent. Figz also looks good based on a quick website perusal. Rose City looks pretty good after a website skim but I'm not finding enough documentation on health testing to satisfy my desires. Doesn't mean it hasn't been completed, but I would definitely check with them to make sure that they are completing OFA recommended health tests. There are some of their dogs listed on the OFA website but not all recommended tests and some dogs are definitely not listed at all. So it's a potential thing to check on.

So I did look into Fiona Grace however I'm not finding a lot of info on them so I don't have a whole lot to offer you. I don't see any mention of titles on the dogs on their facebook, but they post so often that it's impossible for me to do a super thorough search. They do seem to have some of their dogs in continental clips so it is possible they have been shown, but I have no idea. On OFA I see one of their dogs listed with hips and eyes tested, but none of the other dogs. So I would definitely be asking about this. They seem to focus mainly on red dogs, which is a super trendy color which would make me extra cautious. I can say that I would personally prefer to go with one of the above mentioned breeders. Based on the little info I have on their operation, I do get the feeling that Fiona Grace may be more profit based which isn't my ideal breeder.


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## Luluspoo (Jul 27, 2020)

I've seen them on a red and apricots group on Facebook. I believe they show in ckc (not too sure if it’s the Canadian kennel club), but I might’ve read that wrong?


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Luluspoo said:


> I've seen them on a red and apricots group on Facebook. I believe they show in ckc (not too sure if it’s the Canadian kennel club), but I might’ve read that wrong?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Maybe UKC? If they are in TX it's unlikely to be Canadian kennel club.


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## Luluspoo (Jul 27, 2020)

Fiona Grace Kennels


Fiona Grace Kennels, Льюисвилл (Техас). Отметки "Нравится": 4 142 · Обсуждают: 194. We are a quality Standard Poodle kennel striving towards perfecting the AKC breed standard. We have show quality...




www.facebook.com






^This is their page. But if I lived closer to Texas, I would snatch up a Donnchada poodle in a heart beat! The breeder seems really nice! 

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## dogsavvy (Mar 6, 2015)

I had the same read on Fiona Grace as Raindrops did. I'd be skeptical at best. They could be legit & bad at providing info or just making things

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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

My miniature poodle, Zoe, is from Donnchada. Betty Brown, the owner of Donnchada, is a professional dog show handler. I have known her for over 40 years (she was a teenager then - I wasn't  . If Betty does not happen to have anything that would suit you, she has excellent connections to other reputable Texas breeders (other states, too). 

Above all, be sure any breeder you consider is diligent about genetic testing. The appropriate genetic tests for each variety are found at Health Concerns - The Poodle Club of America

You can check at https://www.ofa.org/look-up-a-dog to see if a breeder usually certifies their dogs. Just type the kennel name (Donnchada, for example) in the orange box to see a list of dogs from that kennel who have been certified.


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## Fiona Grace Kennels (Nov 17, 2020)

Hello All,

I am the main breeder of Fiona Grace Kennels. I am happy to clear any uncertainties you all may have regarding our kennel. All of our dogs are genetic tested and clear through Embark. They are also OFA tested at least for hips and elbows. Some have eyes as well. You may see a couple litters a year, but that’s hardly irregular, seeing as how we have several breeding females; some of which carry our kennel name but are in foster/guardian homes. Just because a breeder focuses on a specific color doesn’t denote “puppy mill.” On the contrary, it can mean the complete opposite. We first focus on perfecting breed standard. We do also focus on producing the amazing red color we’ve become known for. This actually requires great skill set, meticulous planning, strategic breeding, and a lot of love. We have thousands of pics and even video testimonials on our pages as testaments of what we’re producing at FGK. Feel free to reach out to us directly on Facebook or Instagram for more inquiries. We’ll be expecting ya! 😊


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## Fiona Grace Kennels (Nov 17, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> Welcome!
> 
> Donnchada and Bar-None are well known names to me and I have no doubt their dogs are excellent. Figz also looks good based on a quick website perusal. Rose City looks pretty good after a website skim but I'm not finding enough documentation on health testing to satisfy my desires. Doesn't mean it hasn't been completed, but I would definitely check with them to make sure that they are completing OFA recommended health tests. There are some of their dogs listed on the OFA website but not all recommended tests and some dogs are definitely not listed at all. So it's a potential thing to check on.
> 
> So I did look into Fiona Grace however I'm not finding a lot of info on them so I don't have a whole lot to offer you. I don't see any mention of titles on the dogs on their facebook, but they post so often that it's impossible for me to do a super thorough search. They do seem to have some of their dogs in continental clips so it is possible they have been shown, but I have no idea. On OFA I see one of their dogs listed with hips and eyes tested, but none of the other dogs. So I would definitely be asking about this. They seem to focus mainly on red dogs, which is a super trendy color which would make me extra cautious. I can say that I would personally prefer to go with one of the above mentioned breeders. Based on the little info I have on their operation, I do get the feeling that Fiona Grace may be more profit based which isn't my ideal breeder.





Raindrops said:


> Welcome!
> 
> Donnchada and Bar-None are well known names to me and I have no doubt their dogs are excellent. Figz also looks good based on a quick website perusal. Rose City looks pretty good after a website skim but I'm not finding enough documentation on health testing to satisfy my desires. Doesn't mean it hasn't been completed, but I would definitely check with them to make sure that they are completing OFA recommended health tests. There are some of their dogs listed on the OFA website but not all recommended tests and some dogs are definitely not listed at all. So it's a potential thing to check on.
> 
> So I did look into Fiona Grace however I'm not finding a lot of info on them so I don't have a whole lot to offer you. I don't see any mention of titles on the dogs on their facebook, but they post so often that it's impossible for me to do a super thorough search. They do seem to have some of their dogs in continental clips so it is possible they have been shown, but I have no idea. On OFA I see one of their dogs listed with hips and eyes tested, but none of the other dogs. So I would definitely be asking about this. They seem to focus mainly on red dogs, which is a super trendy color which would make me extra cautious. I can say that I would personally prefer to go with one of the above mentioned breeders. Based on the little info I have on their operation, I do get the feeling that Fiona Grace may be more profit based which isn't my ideal breeder.





Luluspoo said:


> Fiona Grace Kennels
> 
> 
> Fiona Grace Kennels, Льюисвилл (Техас). Отметки "Нравится": 4 142 · Обсуждают: 194. We are a quality Standard Poodle kennel striving towards perfecting the AKC breed standard. We have show quality...
> ...


We’re really nice as well! Check us out sometimes 😊


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi and Welcome to PF!

Thank you for joining and speaking on your own behalf. I don't use FB or Instagram, so I hope you don't mind if I ask my health testing questions here. 

My understanding is that the PCA/OFA are considered something of a minimum standard of testing. 

STANDARD POODLES 

Hip Dysplasia: OFA or PennHIP Evaluation. 
Yearly Eye Exam by a boarded ACVO veterinary ophthalmologist. 
Health Elective (at least one of the following three tests is required for CHIC number): 
OFA Thyroid Evaluation from an OFA approved laboratory. 
OFA Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) Evaluation by an OFA approved dermatopathologist. 
Heart Evaluation by an ACVIM boarded veterinary cardiologist. 

The PCA Foundation recommends all three electives for Standard Poodles and also strongly recommends the following DNA tests from an OFA listed lab to easily avoid breeding two mutation carriers to each other and producing affected puppies: DNA Test for Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures (NEwS) and DNA Test for vonWillebrand’s Disease (vWD).

You wrote


Fiona Grace Kennels said:


> They are also OFA tested at least for hips and elbows. Some have eyes as well.


and


Fiona Grace Kennels said:


> All of our dogs are genetic tested and clear through Embark.


How do you determine which tests to do on which dogs?


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I searched for Fiona (limited to poodle) on the OFA web site. I only found two. Are you not submitting results to OFA?


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## ECleshay (Jan 8, 2022)

They are not just breeding the same poodles every time. They also have great families that care for the poodles that will be bred. The dogs are registered and if too many litters come from the same dogs AKC requires health testing. But this is something they do anyway. My spoos are not from their kennels but they send them to the same trainer and I see nothing but happy fur babies.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

ECleshay said:


> They are not just breeding the same poodles every time. They also have great families that care for the poodles that will be bred. The dogs are registered and if too many litters come from the same dogs AKC requires health testing. But this is something they do anyway. My spoos are not from their kennels but they send them to the same trainer and I see nothing but happy fur babies.


Welcome to PF!


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

ECleshay said:


> They are not just breeding the same poodles every time. They also have great families that care for the poodles that will be bred. The dogs are registered and *if too many litters come from the same dogs AKC requires health testing*. But this is something they do anyway. My spoos are not from their kennels but they send them to the same trainer and I see nothing but happy fur babies.


Welcome to PF. I just wanted to clear up a bit about the part that I bolded. The AKC does not require _any _type of health testing for dogs to be registered. You can breed the sickliest, most crippled dogs out there, and as long as they are purebreds from parents with full registration, you can register the puppies. What they _DO _require is that males who sire more than three litters in a calendar year, or more than seven litters in their lifetime, have a DNA profile on file with the AKC as part of their Frequently Used Sires program.

Registries like the Continental Kennel Club, America's Pet Registry Inc, the American Canine Association, and such are all "industry registries" for the pet shop trade, set up circumvent the AKC's Frequently Used Sires program and Limited Registration.


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## naybaloog (May 19, 2020)

I'm getting my puppy from Figz in July!

As you aren't planning on getting a puppy right away, feel free to keep in touch with me about the process!

So far, I've been incredibly impressed with them. I followed them on instagram while they raised their previous liter of pups. Feel free to look them up on instagram you can see snap shots of the socialization they do. 

If I remember correctly, 3 ended up being service prospects, 2 for therapy, and the others went to pet homes! 

They seemed really supportive when I talked to them for over an hour to see if I wanted to go with them for my new pup and they answered all my questions. They also immediately put me into contact with a son of my future poodle mama so I can see his temperament. They also told me to communicate what I thought of him so they can further refine the type of puppy I might be looking for to make sure it's a good match.

Like I said, feel free to reach out while I go through this journey! If you decide to go with them, I would talk to them early. They already have a waiting list started even seven months out!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

naybaloog said:


> I'm getting my puppy from Figz in July!
> 
> As you aren't planning on getting a puppy right away, feel free to keep in touch with me about the process!
> 
> ...


This is generous of you but the OP who was looking at Figz hasn't participated since 11m ago . 
I hope they found a breeder and puppy that they're happy with. 
If it was Figz, maybe they'll still connect with you .


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## naybaloog (May 19, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> This is generous of you but the OP who was looking at Figz hasn't participated since 11m ago .
> I hope they found a breeder and puppy that they're happy with.
> If it was Figz, maybe they'll still connect with you .


Oh HA, thanks! That's what I get for not looking at when things are posted. 🙃


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Happens to many of us


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