Ethical Practices
Being an ethical breeder means prioritising the health, well-being, quality of life and proper socialisation of both puppies and their parents while maintaining transparency and providing ongoing support to new owners.
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Illawarra Groodles offers top-quality puppies that meet Groodle breed standards and make lovable companions. We use a variety of behavioral and socialisation tools, including Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and scent introduction, to ensure each puppy develops a robust central nervous system. This training involves exposing puppies to various physical, visual, and auditory stimuli, allowing us to identify their personality and temperament.
We also provide introduction to crate training - for safe space and sleep, and toilet training. Toilet training begins well before Go-Home Day, using a specialised litter tray for 3 weeks old and introduction to grass. With consistent reinforcement, puppies can adapt to their new environment and routines at your house quickly.
Standard vet checks, microchipping, vaccination, and worming are conducted at the appropriate ages, with guidelines provided for ongoing health checks.
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At Illawarra Groodles, the health and wellbeing of our dogs is our top priority. We conduct rigorous health testing on all our dogs, including DNA screening, Pennhip x-rays, and elbow scoring. We never breed dogs with genetic conditions or high-risk scores.
We follow strict breeding practices, ensuring our Groodle mums are never overbred, with a maximum of four litters in their lifetime. We adhere to veterinarian advice and provide optimal nutrition throughout pre-conception, pregnancy, and whelping.
All our dogs and puppies are wormed, microchipped, vaccinated, and treated for fleas and ticks in accordance with veterinary recommendations. We offer a health guarantee, a 3-day cooling-off period, and lifetime rehoming for any dog from our program. Our puppies receive thorough health checks and a balanced diet before joining their new families. -
Illawarra Groodle puppies are raised in our loving, busy family home, exposed to a variety of people and everyday household noises. This helps them adjust to normal home environments. They receive enrichment through indoor and outdoor play, and are introduced to different surfaces, textures, sounds, and smells, including our backyard chickens.
Puppies are gradually exposed to potentially frightening sounds like baby cries, thunder, and fireworks to create robust central nervous systems and build their resilience. Our temperature-controlled home ensures a comfortable environment for whelping and raising puppies. Additionally, they enjoy playtime with a variety of healthy pets in our home, ensuring they are well-socialised and confident. -
We provide new owners with all the necessary information and support for raising a puppy. Groodles are a long-term commitment, often living over 15 years. To help you get started, we offer introductory free pet insurance, a puppy training guide, and personalised support before and after you take your puppy home.
You’ll get a certificate of vet check, relevant health records, and DNA results of the parents upon request. A Go-Home Bag includes a toy and blanket with familiar scents, a starter food pack, and a suggested shopping list.
We also organize online littermate social groups for those who wish to stay connected with other puppy parents.
Health Testing
Elbow Displasia:
We’ve had x-rays taken on our breeding dogs to assess the quality of their elbow joints. Dogs with very low ‘elbow scores’ are less likely to develop elbow problems in the future and less likely to pass hereditary elbow problems on to their puppies. We only breed with dogs with below breed average scores.
Hip Displasia:
We’ve had x-rays taken on our breeding dogs to assess their ‘hip score’. Dogs with low hip scores have better hips and are less likely to develop problems in the future. Most large and medium sized dog breeds benefit from hip scoring to ensure they are unlikely to pass hereditary hip problems on to their puppies. We only breed with dogs with below breed average scores.
PRA:
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in dogs is a type of genetic eye disease causing deterioration of the retina and eventually, blindness. There are a variety of sub-types of PRA, which can occur in various breeds. There are various DNA tests available to identify whether a breeding dog is carrying this condition. With our genetic screening results, we can ensure our parents and pups are free of this disease.
Additional Testing
There are many additional health tests available for the Groodle. We ensure all possible testing is completed and clear prior to breeding. Here is a small snapshot of just a fraction of the DNA tests that are performed on our breeding dogs.
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Genetic Test
Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is a congenital skin disease that causes fragile skin, blisters, ulceration, and skin scarring.
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Genetic Test
This is a disease affecting the spinal cord of older dogs, initially causing wobbliness and eventually hindlimb paralysis. It can affect a wide range of breeds.
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Genetic Test
This is a serious genetic skin disease that causes flaky dry skin and footpad problems. It can occur in many breeds but is fairly common in Golden Retrievers.
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Genetic Test
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a neurodegenerative disorder found in many breeds of dog. 7 varieties have been identified so far, affecting different breeds.
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Genetic Test
GM2 gangliosidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder that causes neurological problems. There are a few different types of this disease affecting different breeds.
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Genetic Test
Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE) is a brain disease that can occur in Standard Poodle puppies.
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Genetic Test
Osteochondrodysplasias are a group of rare genetic diseases that cause problems with connective tissue, cartilage, or bone development. They commonly cause dwarfism and movement disorders.
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Genetic Test
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also known as ‘brittle bone disease’, is an inherited disease in both humans and animals, causing bone fragility and fracturing.
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Genetic Test
Congenital eye malformations in Golden Retrievers result from a mutation of the SIX6 gene. These malformations can present as a range of different eye conditions, ranging from poor vision to blindness in one or both eyes.
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Physical Test
A heart certificate indicates that a breeding dog has been screened for heart disease such as DCM or MMVD. Auscultation alone is only accepted as a screening method if performed by a veterinary cardiologist or a GP vet certifying an OFA Basic Cardiac Screen. Echocardiography is an accepted screening method via GP or cardiologist.
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Genetic Test
Mucopolysaccharidosis is a genetic lysosomal storage disease that can cause various problems including stunted growth and bone deformities. There are a few different variants of this disease that have been identified in different breeds.