FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are your dogs registered with the American Kennel Club?
Yes! All of our breeding dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). They are purebred dogs.
All standard poodle puppies will come with a limited AKC registration.
(If a full registration is requested, other terms and conditions will apply. Please inquire directly.)
Have your dogs been health tested?
Yes! All of our breeding dogs have health clearances through the OFA for their hips, eyes, elbows, and hearts. They have all had genetic testing via DNA panels to test for the most common genetic diseases for their breed.
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You can find more information about the OFA standards here.
How often do you have a litter?
We currently plan to have two litters per year. Once our females have reached two years old and have passed all of their health clearances without concern, we breed them once a year until they are about 6 years old. At that time they retire from our breeding program, but continue to be valued members of our family.
Join our puppy waitlist here.
Do you provide a health guarantee?
Yes, we do provide a health guarantee! It is detailed in our puppy contract. You can find it here.
Have the puppies been to the vet?
All puppies have had their first visit to the vet, including their first vaccine, deworming, and microchipping. You will receive your new puppy's medical records when you pick them up to take them home.
What should I feed my puppy?
We have been feeding our puppies Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Rice Puppy food. We recommend either sticking with this until your puppy outgrows it, or slowly switching to your preferred puppy food.
How do you determine if you're going to breed a dog?
The first thing we consider is the dog's health. If a dog does not pass their health clearances, we will have them fixed and they will become a family dog only. We do not further any lines without stellar health clearances. Our dogs come from lines with proven health records, ensuring that our puppies will be as healthy as possible.
We are dedicated to breeding dogs with excellent temperament. Our dogs are selectively bred with an emphasis on their disposition, making sure they are friendly, sociable, and intelligent. This gves our puppies the best chance of having these qualities. We work hard to ensure that our breeding is ethical and produces the best results possible.
Do you recommend spaying/neutering?
All puppies from Maloney Family Dogs come with a limited AKC registration or limited contract, which requires them to be spayed or neutered.
Ideally, we would recommend waiting to spay/neuter for full maturity of your dog at two years old. This decreases their risk of certain diseases and conditions (risk is increased with spaying/neutering before one year old). We encourage you to discuss this more in depth with us and your veterinarian.
Do you recommend a gastropexy?
Many standard poodle and doodle owners choose to have a gastropexy procedure for their dog at the time of spaying/neutering. Gastropexy is an elective surgical procedure in which the stomach is tacked to the abdominal wall or diaphragm to prevent torsion and bloat. We recommend you research and speak to your veterinarian about the best option for your dog. Our breeding dogs do not have any history of torsion or bloat.
How do I pick my puppy?
About two weeks before the puppies are scheduled to go to their new homes, we will host a puppy playdate for the new owners. All new owners will be able to meet and interact with the puppies. You will submit your top three puppy picks. We will work with each family to match a puppy with a temperament that is most suitable to your lifestyle and home environment. The picking order will be determined by the order in which deposits are received.
Can anyone purchase a puppy?
We emphasize finding homes for our puppies where they will be treated as valued members of the family. Building a strong bond and providing a loving environment is crucial for a happy and healthy dog. As such, there are a few requirements that need to be met in order to purchase a puppy from Maloney Family Dogs, all of which are outlined in our puppy contract. You can find it here.
Where are you located?
We live in a small town on the southcoast of Massachusetts, between New Bedford and Cape Cod. It's about 50 miles from Boston and about 35 miles from Providence.