Eloise is my own personal service dog and is the most natural, easily trained service dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She is incredibly reliable and easy-going in public and has never had any issue with environmental stability. Despite being a very mild-mannered dog, she will wake up from a dead sleep and instantly go to work, which is very important for any medical alert and response service dog. Beyond all that, she is patient, kind and incredibly loving. She loves to be touched, squeezed and walked all over by everyone in her family (humans and dogs). She is just the right balance of intelligent and biddable; she always uses her brains for good, not evil. Overall: She is an excellent foundation that I intend to continue to improve upon in future generations.

While I do value some AKC titles in proving service dogs (rally obedience, canine good citizen and trick dog especially), to me the most relevant information when selecting a bitch to breed is how good she is at the job itself. Therefore, in addition to the titles she has listed behind her registered name, I have put together a small collection of videos of Eloise working in a variety of challenging public access contexts and tasks. These are areas that can’t easily be tested in a trialing environment; as someone who has purchased many prospects in the past, this is the proof of workability I would be pleased to see on any litter I evaluated.

• Public access

• Training and tasks

• General temperament

• Link to OFA profile

• CHIC #191170

• OFA Hips: Good LR-271018G24F-C-VPI

• OFA Elbows: Normal LR-EL118245F24-C-VPI

• Advanced Cardiac: Normal LR-ACA4158/19F-VPI

• DNA Embark: EIC Carrier, otherwise clear

• Dentition: Full

• Eyes ACVO certified yearly: Normal LR-EYE27654/18F-NOPI

• Skin: Never experienced an ear infection or hot spot, is not sensitive to food or environmental allergens

Eloise’s Results

I do know that the C-BARQ is of limited value as it is self-reported and very subjective. But I’m sharing as a breakdown of my general impression of these various temperament traits.

Chino was produced by Cindy Ellis of Spirithawk Labradors in California. He produced two of our trained service dog program prospects, two in our owner-training program and more puppies that we follow closely. All puppies are doing exceptionally well in their training, with those from the first litter on track to graduate within 3 months. He and his progeny are level-headed Labradors who still have a decent amount of work ethic and joy for the job. While he is not a service dog himself, he has the temperament that we look for in all our prospects.

Chino and his daughters that are in my program are intelligent, level-headed and have strong work ethics. While Chino is not a proven service dog himself, the puppies he has produced who are in service dog training are all thriving.

One of the main reasons I chose Chino as a stud for this litter is that his excellent conformation balances out the weaknesses in Eloise’s, which is the primary thing I wish to improve in the next generation.

• Link to OFA profile

• OFA Hips: Good LR-245827G24M-VPI

• OFA Elbows: Normal LR-EL94796M24-VPI

• Advanced Cardiac: Normal LR-ACA1598/18M-VPI

• DNA clear:#V847111

• Dentition: Full

• Eyes: ACVO certified yearly: LR-EYE15957/59M-VPI

While my breeding program is just starting, it is being built on a foundation that is 30 years in the making. Three years ago, I purchased Eloise who was produced by Jan Lopez of B.E.S.T Service Dogs. Jan, who has been producing service dog puppies since the 90s, received her masters degree from Bergin University of Canine Studies and therefore has a thorough and personal understanding of the type of temperament that most excels in service dog work. Since first meeting Jan in 2021, she has supported me in learning hands-on as much as I can in whelping and puppy raising, as well as information and introductions to make the best pairings possible. She will be flying out from California in November to support me in my first personal whelping.

I am also incredibly fortunate to learn from many experienced service dog breeders and directors of service dog breeding programs who are personal friends and supportive colleagues. In 2024 I had the privilege of attending the first ever Assistance Dogs International Breeding Workshop, where I learned so much from people who run the largest service dog co-op in the world and who have been improving upon their lines for decades.

Eloise comes from Jan Lopez, who is also my breed mentor. Since meeting her in 2021, I have had the pleasure of adding three of her puppies to my placement program and three more to my owner-training program. I also follow along with many more of their littermates. One of the things I am most excited about in using Eloise as my foundation is the fact that she is not a glowing standout in her family; most of her siblings and half siblings are either graduated service dogs or are thriving in their service dog training. That kind of consistency is not commonly found in the private breeding world and has strengthened my belief in these lines and my intention to continue building upon them after Jan retires.
Having access to health and temperament data regarding her family is also extremely important in tracking trends within her lines. I can see what is unique to Eloise, as well as what is strongly genetic and consistent in her family. This information helps me make good pairings and select breeding candidates in future generations that will keep what I like and improve what is lacking.

My puppies are whelped and raised in my home, with daily care and integration within the household. Their first 2-3 weeks are in our quiet spare bedroom where Eloise can feel safe and comfortable to provide nourishment and care needed. As the puppies grow, they graduate to weaning pens set up in both my living room and basement, so they can be where most of the activity in my household occurs. I have built a “puppy yard” with turf that can be easily sanitized that provides outdoor enrichment time when the puppies are old enough.

I use Puppy Culture protocols to socialize and begin the “Communication Trinity” that lay the foundations for strong, confident and handler-oriented dogs who have easy bounce back from stress and frustration. I use Early Neurological Stimulation when appropriate in the first two weeks, and start early litter box training and crate training as the puppies grow. They are worked with and handled individually every day, and their weaning pen is always filled with new and stimulating enrichment and confidence building toys and activities. I have an excellent team of volunteers who come to visit often to provide new distractions and socialization, and host a couple of “Puppy Culture Parties” with specific focus on bringing in diversity the puppies haven’t been exposed to otherwise. I also have multiple older dogs who are quarantined so they are safe for the puppies to see and interact with when developmentally appropriate.

Finally, when puppies are old enough, they go on field trips (with extensive safety measures) to see new environments and experiences that cannot be replicated in the home.

As someone who has researched and purchased from many private breeders, I understand that it can be difficult to trust a written description of breeding stock or puppies, especially when looking for a service dog prospect. Because of this, I welcome anyone who is accepted to my wait list to visit myself, my dogs and my puppies before joining the family. To prevent too many people coming into my home, you will need to complete an application and be formally accepted to the wait list before you visit. You can, however, visit before putting down a deposit.

While you won’t be able to meet the sire of this litter (he’s a California boy), I have two daughters of that stud to introduce you to, and can do so in public away from the house as the safest meeting option.

Anyone who comes into my home/where the puppies live will need to follow some strict biosafety measures to keep our puppies safe, as they may not have had a full set of vaccines at the time of the visit. Each potential buyer will be limited to one pre-scheduled visit to avoid flooding the puppies with too many visitors, but will also be invited to attend one of our “Puppy Culture Parties”. Those on the wait list will be invited to join our private Facebook group to follow along with daily updates!

Yes, and because most of my demand is for service dog prospects, those who are waiting for a pet are likely to get a puppy sooner (the line is shorter). Not every puppy will enjoy the work, so I would prefer to place them in a home that matches their needs and preferences.

Most of my dogs don’t have the drive to make exceptional sport dogs, but all would enjoy the activities (they just might be slower than the competition). I do however believe some puppies would make great “starter” sport dogs for less experienced handlers because of how easy they are to manage and train.

While any evaluation done on an 8 week old puppy is unlikely to be entirely predictive of adult temperament, I have another trainer come in to perform the GDBART on the litter, then score each puppy using the Behavior Checklist (BCL). These are the testing protocols that were developed by and have become the gold standard in Assistance Dogs International service and guide dog programs. It is far more specific to service dog temperaments than any other tests available.

This is not to find the “best” puppy, but is important information for any new puppy owner to have in order to work with the puppy appropriately to support their weaknesses and maintain their strengths. This is also useful information in matching each puppy to a household that will most set them up to be successful.

There are a few reasons my price is set at what it is:

• Raising and proving the dam, health clearances, stud fees, reproductive care (progesterone testing, insemination costs, shipping costs, ultrasounds, x-rays, possible c-section etc) as well as raising puppies, neonatal supplies, training and enrichment supplies and vaccinations/health clearances all adds up to tens of thousands of dollars. Breeding ethically and responsibly means no cutting corners, which unfortunately gets quite expensive over time.

• Additional expenses result from “washed” dogs, failed pregnancies or small litter sizes. These still cost quite a bit but yield no return on the investment, so I factor those costs when weighing the total numbers.

• In addition to the out-of-pocket costs, I spend a LOT of hours tending to the puppies needs, raising them in a clean and enriching environment, training and socializing them.

• The average cost of a well-bred purebred Labrador Retriever is currently $3,500-4,000. This is what I’ve been paying for the puppies I’ve purchased in the last couple of years

• I do believe that ethical breeders who produce sound dogs deserve to make a profit with the amount of thoughtful time they put into their dogs and puppies. I, however, did not set my price at a point to make a profit or pay myself for the hours I’ve put in. Not because I don’t think that is ethical, but because I am primarily breeding to add puppies to our training program, rather than as a second form of income.

I do understand that this is a price point not accessible to everyone, especially those on disability income. I do have a fundraising guide available for those who will need to fundraise to purchase their puppy, please Contact Us to request that guide.

Yes. My contract includes an 18 month health warranty against heritable traits such as hip and elbow dysplasia, but that warranty will be void if a dog is spayed or neutered too early. The current research supports waiting until boys are at least two years old or girls at least 18 months old (or after their first heat if they have not had it by 18 months) before spaying or neutering to support healthy growth and development. This is vital in preventing hip and elbow dysplasia, which can still develop in dogs who come from health tested lines. Therefore, the 18 month health warranty will be void if neutered prior 18 months.

As none of my dogs are sold as breeding prospects, they will then be required to be spayed or neutered between 24-36 months. Buyers may opt for an ovary-sparing spay or vasectomy if advised by the vet or preferred based on their research.

Note: There is some room for discussion on whether it is best to spay a girl directly after her first heat (to prevent a second) or wait until she is 18 months at least. This is a risk-benefit analysis that is best discussed with your veterinarian and is a topic to follow closely as further research is published. I will not penalize anyone who makes a decision based on very careful research supported by experts in the industry and their own veterinarian.

YES. Puppies will go home with their first set of vaccinations and a clean bill of health from our veterinarian, but I require buyers to bring their puppy in for a wellness exam within the first five days of purchase. There is a full refund policy in those first five days, so it is recommended that puppies are evaluated by a second veterinarian to ensure good health before the unconditional return/refund policy expires.

Puppies must then follow the vaccination schedule advised by their vet. Some vaccines are optional based on the prevalence in your area or lifestyle of your dog. After completing their puppy vaccination schedule, buyers may opt to routinely titer their dogs to verify immunization as the dog matures.

No. Once you purchase your puppy, it is your puppy; the requirements I do have only apply to the upholding of specific heritable health traits warranties. You are free to make decisions regarding the care and upbringing of your dog in whatever way you see fit.

I do, however, have strong recommendations regarding both and do prefer applicants who choose research-based nutrition and science-backed training methods.

While it is not a requirement, the future of my program is reliant on the collection of good data. I will be sending out a yearly survey to ask various health and behavior related questions. This will help me keep track of trends in my foundation’s progeny in order to make the best and most informed decisions possible in future generations.

I welcome and enjoy any follow-up communication offered, and encourage buyers to join and post in our Facebook group. There you can share triumphs, ask for advice or just keep track of your puppy’s family in general.

There are no guarantees in any service dog breeding or training program, and my contract is very clear that I do not guarantee the success of any promising service dog prospect. My program requires that any dog who needs to be rehomed for any reason must be returned to me, however, I will prioritize those applications that have a plan to keep their puppy if the training doesn’t work out. Life does change and plans don’t always work out, so if it does come down to it I will happily welcome an older dog or puppy back, or help facilitate a connection to another appropriate home or career.

I do not offer any kind of guarantee that would result in a refund or replacement puppy if the cause of the wash is not related to a health concern specified under warranty. If a rehome facilitated includes an adoption fee, the fee would be collected by the puppy buyer.

Yes, all puppies will be sold on limited AKC registration and cannot be bred.

Yes. I believe (and have observed) that dogs regularly use their dew claws for many reasons. I have not been convinced that there is any need to remove them that outweighs the benefit of keeping them.

Eloise is 21.5” tall and weighs 61 lbs. This is within the standard for Labrador Retrievers. Her siblings and half siblings are also within the standard.

I do not recommend downward pressure mobility tasks, but most should be large enough for guide, forward momentum pull and counterbalance tasks for average-sized people.

I do not recommend or allow shipping puppies in cargo. I have always had good experiences purchasing a pet ticket and flying with puppies in a carrier in the cabin, and will be introducing puppies to the carrier before they go home. My home is 5 minutes from Bradley International Airport, so puppies can be delivered directly to the arrivals curb if necessary. I can help you with the process and offer tips and advice if you’re nervous about flying with a puppy for the first time.

If you are interested in a puppy from a future litter, fill out this interest form.

A more thorough application will be sent out when pregnancy is confirmed, and applicants will be accepted after the litter is born (to confirm numbers). Applicants will be asked to schedule an interview after their initial application is reviewed and will need to be formally accepted before paying a 25% deposit.

I have a Facebook group where I post regular updates and is open to anyone who is interested in following my program for any reason.