We offer our companion and therapy puppies at $3500 plus 5.5% Maine sales tax.  Our puppies go to their forever families:

* Lovingly handled and nurtured from day one

* Socialized with children, adults, and other dogs

* Started on house training and basic manners training

* Micro-chipped with lifetime registration

* Up-to-date on vaccinations and deworming

With:

* Four Generation Pedigree

* Wellness Exam and Health Record

* Starter Kennel

* Premium Puppy Food

* Collar

* Leash

* Security Blanket with littermates' scent

* Favorite toys

* Two year health warranty

* Lifetime support for your puppy

1. Complete our on-line application.

2. Once your application is approved and we feel that we will have a pup to meet your needs, we request a $500 non-refundable deposit to get on our puppy reservation list.

3. We keep you posted on mom-to-be and expected whelping dates and notify you as soon as the puppies arrive.

4. We care for, nurture, feed, groom, bathe, play with, and love the puppies from birth.  We gently and frequently handle the puppies so that they have a close connection with humans from day one.  We introduce them to age appropriate sights, sounds, and textures, and encourage their curiosity for the world so they become well-adjusted family members.  We get to know the puppies intimately, and routinely assess each puppy with your requests in mind.  

5. We provide you with updates and pictures of the puppies every two weeks.

6. At five weeks old, final puppy payment is due.

7. At seven weeks old, the pups have their first immunizations and veterinary wellness checkups.  The puppies are started on crate, house, and manners training.  After daily assessments of each puppy and temperament testing at seven weeks old, we have a very good idea of who the pups will become.  We suggest candidates to you based on temperament and your wish list.  We invite you to share your preferences with us, and we work with you to help you find your perfect match.  

8. At eight weeks old, the puppies are playful, eager to learn, and all ready to join their forever families!

Australian Labradoodles have allergy friendly coats, but they are not truly hypoallergenic – no breed of dog is.  Allergies can be triggered by dander, which is made up of protein materials found in the skin and saliva.  Non-shedding breeds leave less dander and so many people with mild allergies do fine with this breed.

If you have asthma and/or allergies, we recommend that you consider allergy testing from your medical professional.  If testing indicates that you are not allergic to dogs, then meet and interact with as many friendly Australian Labradoodles as you can before deciding to bring a new puppy home.  Pet them, hug them, have them give you kisses, and watch for signs of a reaction.

It is best to determine if you have a sensitivity to dander before deciding to bring a new puppy home.  There is nothing more heart breaking than having to give up your puppy after falling completely in love with him.

No, we do not have visiting hours available to the general public.  Our nursing moms and vulnerable young puppies live with us in our home.  Our first obligation is to protect them, keep them safe, and provide the healthiest puppies possible to our customers.  Many serious canine illnesses like parvovirus and distemper can be inadvertently carried in on shoes, clothes, and hands from the outside, and can devastate a litter.  Thank you for understanding and for helping us keep our precious dogs and puppies safe.

That being said, we do love to show off our dogs and older puppies, meet prospective puppy families, get to know you, and invite you to test allergies or see if the temperament of the breed would suit your lifestyle.  We schedule meet-and-greets in the park when we do not have dogs in whelp or young puppies at home.  Feel free to contact us for details, and we hope to see you there! 

Sorry, we are no longer able to ship our puppies.  Federal regulations have changed, and puppy adopters must see the puppy in person before the puppy can be transported.  This is to protect adopters from unscrupulous dog sellers.

If you adopt your new family member from us, you must pick up your puppy at our home in Southern Maine.  We love to meet our puppy families and answer any question you may have.  If you wish to transport your puppy via your chosen airline, please check specific airline temperature restrictions, carrier requirements, height and weight restrictions, and cargo vs. in-cabin travel options.   We are happy to help you coordinate your plans for safe travel.

A good time to bring a puppy home is when all members of the family are eager, ready, and committed to training and caring for a new puppy.  It is important for the family to be available to the puppy to help him adjust, learn basic manners, and become a part of the family.  Your puppy will quickly bond with you and adapt to his new home.

We understand that bringing a new puppy home is a big decision and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.  We love our puppies and want to be sure that they have a long and happy relationship with their new families, offering joy and companionship for a lifetime.

Begin training your puppy as soon as you bring him home!!!  We have introduced your puppy to manners, crate, and house training, and so he will be all ready to continue where we left off.  Your puppy is eager and ready to learn anything you want to teach him.  Use positive reward based training – reward the desirable behavior, distract and redirect the undesirable.  Clicker training is a great option.  The Clicker bridges the communication gap, and using a positive approach, lets your puppy know exactly what you would like him to do for you.  If this is your first puppy, read up and do your homework, or ask a trainer to help you.  I would recommend any books by Karen Pryor.

After your puppy has completed his DAPP series and Rabies vaccine, usually around four months old, take your puppy to formal obedience classes and training school.  Also, once your puppy is immunized, provide him with plenty of opportunities for socialization.  Introduce him to family, friends, neighbors, the mailman, children, other dogs, anyone and everyone.  Take your puppy with you in the car, on walks, to the beach, farmer’s market, athletic events, picnics, parties, a friend’s house – anywhere that puppies are welcome!

We can not overemphasize the importance of early training and socialization.  Your puppy will love it and you will be rewarded a thousand times over with a well behaved and sociable companion!

A crate is your puppy’s own private den for sleeping and resting, a safe and happy place just for her.  Your puppy will not want to make a mess of her resting place, and so the crate is a great tool for house training.

Your puppy will go home in her own crate which will accommodate her for several weeks.  It will be just her size, large enough for your puppy to stand in, turn around, and lie down comfortably, but not so large that she thinks one end is the restroom.  This first crate will be a cozy plastic den to help her feel secure.  As your puppy grows, she'll need to move up to a larger size kennel.  We recommend the open wire kennels for older puppies and dogs, as they have better ventilation and visibility.  A kennel pad is a nice comfort after your puppy is housetrained.

By the time your puppy goes home, she will be sleeping in her crate, staying quiet, clean, and dry through the night.  Continue to encourage your puppy to sleep through the night at home.  Limit water intake before bedtime and be sure she does her business before you put her in her crate for the night.  If she whimpers or wants your attention, soothe her with your fingertips through the openings, or use your voice or music to calm her.  She should settle right down.  Only take her out of the crate if she needs to eliminate, then put her right back in.  As tempting as it is to cuddle with her, you don’t want to teach her to wake you up in the middle of the night.

When you get up in the morning, first thing, take your puppy out to eliminate.  Her excitement and joy to see you and greet you may overwhelm her and make it hard for her to control her bladder, so keep your voice low, calmly carry her outside, ask her to get busy, and THEN give her the enthusiastic greetings!

You can also use the crate for short periods of time during the day when you can not attend to your puppy.  Be sure to take her collar off before putting your puppy in the crate.  And never put your puppy in her crate as a punishment.

Make the crate a fun place to be.  Offer treats in the crate, and plenty of praise, and your puppy will love being in her “private den”.

Puppies instinctively prefer not to eliminate near their eating and sleeping areas, and they have a natural inclination to eliminate after meals and napping.  Use this knowledge to start house training your puppy as soon as you bring her home.

Follow these basic principles diligently and your puppy will be housetrained quickly: (1.) Watch your puppy like a hawk, (2.) read her signals and cues, (3.) anticipate her needs, (4.) take her outside before she needs to eliminate, and (5.) establish a cue word like "Busy!".

Take her outside right after drinking, eating, napping, crate time, when she’s sniffing, circling and looking interested, and every two hours when she is awake.

Do not give her free run of the house until she can be trusted.  Keep a close eye on her at all times.  Keep her contained in the room you are in, or tether your puppy to you while you go about your work.  Tethering will teach your puppy to follow your lead, bond with you, and listen to your direction.  You will also know exactly what she is up to!  If you can’t be with her to watch her for short periods of time during the day, put her in her crate.  She will not want to soil her private den.  If possible, roll up and tuck away throw rugs until after your puppy is housetrained.

Don’t keep your puppy’s water dish down for free access until after she is housetrained.  Provide food and water at scheduled times throughout the day so that you know exactly when she will need to eliminate.  Also, limit water before bedtime, and ask your puppy to get busy before putting her in the crate for the night.  When you take your puppy out of the crate after naps or first thing in the morning, pick your puppy up and carry her outside in case she just can’t wait to empty her bladder.

Establish a potty area outside and take her to this area each time you want her to eliminate.  The scent in the potty area will stimulate her to do her business.  Puppies usually need to sniff around a little before getting to business, and many do not like going if they are on a tight leash, so give your puppy a little sniffing and exploring room.  Immediately after she eliminates, enthusiastically praise your puppy, associate a cue for this behavior “Busy!!”, and offer up a treat.  She will quickly learn what “Busy!!” means.  Be sure that you wait until she is finished before offering up this praise, or she may get distracted and not complete her business until she is back indoors!

If you know that your puppy has to eliminate and you have taken her outside with no success, then put her in her crate and try again in a few minutes.  Allow her the privilege of running free indoors only AFTER she has eliminated outdoors.  The key is not to give her too much freedom before she is ready for it.

If she does make a mistake in the house, don’t scold your pup.  She is not trying to defy you, she is just not sure what you are asking her to do.  Just clean it up without much ado.  Use Nature’s Miracle or another odor neutralizer to completely remove odors, and make sure she does not see you clean up after her.  Just try to watch her more closely, read her cues, and take her outside earlier next time.

If you are diligent, your puppy will be housetrained in a very short time.  You will be able to point, say “Get Busy!” and she will do your bidding on request.

Maine Light puppies are introduced to water during bathtime and playtime starting at four weeks old, and so they get a happy start to the pleasures of water before they even join their forever families.  Many of our dogs have gone on to be swimmers, kayak and paddle board companions, and boat dogs!  

Most puppies can be trained to love swimming and splashing in the water, especially if it's a comfortable temperature!  Some have a natural affinity towards it, and some may need to be encouraged.  Introduce them early on - a pond, a lake, the beach, a pool, a hose, a sprinkler, a bathtub.  Keep the introductions short at first, and always fun, with treats and praise.  Splash around yourself and be happy.  As with everything, they will learn from you what is pleasurable and what is not, so keep it fun!  

Puppies need to chew in order to relieve teething discomfort and also assist with the adult teeth development.  Pups also chew to explore the world around them.  Offer your puppy plenty of chew toys like stuffed animals, rubber kongs filled with peanut butter and kibble, orbee balls, rawhides, bully sticks, and porky chews (not brittle pigs’ ears).  Large raw bones are okay, but never offer small bones like chicken wings which can cause obstructions, and never offer any kind of cooked bones ever, as they can splinter and damage the digestive tract.  Only keep two or three toys out at a time, and rotate them to keep your puppy interested.  Discard the chewy if it becomes a choking hazard.

Be sure to puppy proof your house, removing tempting puppy level chewable items like slippers, plants, wires, small toys, or other choking hazards.  Bitter Apple can work to deter chewing on some fixed objects.

Never let your puppy chew on clothes, hands, furniture, or other off-limits items.  If he makes an attempt, give a sharp “Yelp!” to let your puppy know it's not okay, immediately distract him and offer him an acceptable alternative, then provide lots of praise when he does so.  If he persists with nipping or chewing the off-limits item, or is just over-excited, then give him a little time-out with a chewy in his crate.  This gives him a chance to settle himself and calm down, and is not a punishment.  Your puppy is very bright and he will respond well to positive reinforcement, so offer lots of praise for doing the right thing, and calmly redirect him when he is not.  Clicker training is a great tool for teaching him what you want him to do.

If your puppy is chewing incessantly, then he is not getting enough exercise and mental stimulation!  Give him more attention, exercise, training, and play time!!

It is important to establish yourself as a leader and set firm and consistent rules for your puppy.  This is especially important for families with young children.  Children are full of happy excitement and energy and sometimes normal happy play like running, squealing, and waving arms will incite a young puppy to join in on this fun, in puppy style, with playing, nipping, and jumping.  Strongly discourage your puppy from doing this.  Instead, make sure your puppy has plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, which is a great way to burn off that puppy energy.  When playing with children, put your puppy on leash and/or tether him to you, and teach him to respect the smaller members of the household.

It can be difficult for very young children to be firm canine leaders, simply because of their size or experience, so supervise all interactions, and of course, step in when needed.  Also invite children to attend puppy kindergarten and obedience training with you, so that they too can learn how to be clear leaders and set firm rules.  Your puppy will pick up on your family's calm and confident energy.

Like humans, your canine friend may get tired of the same old food, and so it is fine to change it up every so often.  Just make the change over a few days, gradually increasing the new formula so her system adjusts to the change.  Offer a wholesome product supplied at your natural pet food store, a food with no additives or fillers.  We like Earthborn Holistic, Wellness, California Natural, Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and Orijen.  Here is a link to some food brands, rated 5 stars is best: www.dogfoodadvisor.com.

If you are up for offering a home cooked diet, that is also a good option.  Provide deboned skinless chicken, beef, egg, rice, veggies, fruits, oatmeal, and plain unsweetened yogurt.  Your puppy’s primary intake should be meat based, but he will also love fruits and vegetables – apples, blueberries, raspberries, carrots, pumpkin, squash, and kale are some of their favorites.  Cooked veggies are digested better, but raw is good for teething and chewing.   Just be careful not to offer small hard pieces (like carrot rounds) that your puppy can choke on.  Here is a recipe for meatloaf, kindly provided by a Maine Light Family.

Dog Meatloaf

3 cups of ground beef or whatever meat you prefer

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats

3/4 cup of grated mixed vegetables

1/2 cup of cottage cheese

Mix all and bake at 350.

Avoid toxic foods like grapes, raisins, avocado, onions, chocolate, and any fruit pits or seeds.  To learn more about toxic foods to avoid, check out www.peteducation.com and www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Dirt and mud can often be cleaned up with a regular brushing.  If your puppy needs a rinse, use plain warm water.  Frequent shampooing can strip the natural oils from your puppy’s skin and coat, so shampoo only when needed.  Use a gentle shampoo formula with a moisturizing conditioner to replenish the natural oils you are washing out.  Make sure any tangles are brushed out prior to rinsing or bathing in order to avoid matting.

To make bath time fun, spread peanut butter on the sides of the tub for a little bath treat, use warm water, and be sure to keep water out of your puppy’s nostrils!

Maine Light puppies are introduced to grooming as early as one week old when their nails are clipped.  We continue to prepare them for later grooming by constantly handling and touching them, asking them to "wait" while we bathe them, trim around their eyes, tail, and paws, clip their nails, and clean their teeth.  

Whether you take your puppy to a groomer or trim her yourself, it is imperative that you continue this work to help her learn patience and be comfortable with grooming.  As soon as your pup goes home, touch her everywhere –back, front, legs, tail, tummy, teeth, tongue, ears, face, nails, in between the toes, all over and under her body.  Everywhere and often.  Ask her to "wait" while you do so.  Short sessions, even 5 seconds at first, will contribute to success.  Offer plenty of treats and praise as she holds for you, and release her only when she is not pulling away.    

Teach her to stand on a table quietly while you work with her.  Use a grooming table or a sticky mat on a stable table so she feels secure.  Offer treats and praise and keep the grooming sessions short at first.  Offer a calm voice and reassurance that you are in control.

Once your puppy is relaxed and at ease being handled on the table, you will be able to do routine grooming like brushing her coat, trimming around her eyes and face, and cleaning her ears and teeth.

Weekly, brush you puppy’s coat with a pin brush, clean her teeth with a canine enzymatic toothpaste (not human toothpaste), and clean her ears with a gentle ear cleaner (we like Epi-Otic Ear Cleanser).

Every three weeks, trim around your puppy’s eyes and face so she can see.  Take care, use small blunt end hair scissors, and always keep the point/blunt end of the scissors away from your puppy’s eyes, with a firm hand on her muzzle to keep her steady.

Every six weeks, take your puppy to the groomer for a full body trim.

The puppy coat is so soft and fluffy, that I personally like to keep it long for as long as possible.  I usually break down and give our dogs their first body trim around 4 or 5 months old, and then every 6 weeks thereafter.

Grooming is a personal thing, so you can give your puppy whatever kind of trim you prefer.  You can ask your groomer for a "Teddy Bear Cut" (one length all over body and legs).  One or one and one half inches is a good length, but you can go shorter or longer to your preference.  Ask your groomer to trim shorter around your puppy’s eyes so she can see, and keep the eyelashes long and a nice fringe on top.  Scoop out hair with clippers between pads on underside of feet to keep her from tracking in dirt and debris.  Also trim shorter (<1/2 inch) (1.) the chest and belly (to keep your puppy cool and clean in summer and free from snowballs in winter), (2.) armpits (where coat can mat), (3.) under earflaps (for circulation), and (4.) under tail (to keep backside clean).  These areas are not generally visible, and so your puppy will appear to have uniform coat length but with the added benefits of cleanliness and circulation.  The tail can be trimmed up but kept fairly long.

Your groomer will also clip the toenails and clean and trim or pluck the hair in the ear canals.