Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes, Big Rapids, MI (2026)

We produce quality Standard Poodles in our home from health tested and proven parents using evidence-based protocols. Welcome to Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes, where we take immense pride in our role as preservation breeders dedicated to producing top-quality standard poodles. Our poodles excel in various arenas, whether it's the show ring, performance sports, or simply as loving companions within their families. Our journey with standard poodles began in 2003 when our family discovered their exceptional qualities. Since then, we've added to our "pack" every few years, and we currently have 10 standard poodle family members across three households. Our dogs enjoy the sprawling 20 acres of our home and relish the warmth of the lake during summer days. Standard Poodles are renowned for their remarkable intelligence, sensitivity, patience, loyalty, and affection. They're exceptionally clean, non-shedding dogs, making them an excellent choice for families with children. Thanks to their hair (not fur), they are often considered "hypoallergenic." Regular grooming is essential for their health and happiness, and we offer a beginner's guide for those interested in learning grooming skills. Our commitment to showcasing the exceptional qualities of standard poodles extends to the show ring. We ensure that our poodles conform to the breed standard set by the national breed club, emphasizing structural soundness and stable temperaments. Furthermore, we employ genetic diversity testing to carefully select sires and dams, continuously strengthening and improving the breed. OFA health test results are readily available on each dog's page on our website. We also provide AKC DNA profiles (where applicable), 5-generation pedigrees, and comprehensive veterinary health records for both parents to approved purchasers. Our poodles are vet-approved for breeding, based on genetic and health testing, physical condition, and temperament. Our puppies receive the utmost care and attention. They are wormed four times, vaccinated, and thoroughly inspected by our veterinarian. Puppies join their new families at 10 weeks of age, having received two sets of puppy immunizations. We believe in giving our puppies the best start in life, which is why we've implemented Puppy Culture and Early Scent Introduction (Avidog) to enhance their development and socialization. Temperament testing at 7 weeks assists us in matching puppies with their new families. Our beloved foundation dam, 'Gigi,' hails from a venerable line of UK-bred standard poodles with a 70+ year history. Gigi embodies the timeless elegance of the breed, standing at 24 inches at the shoulders and weighing 57 pounds. Romeo, Gigi's son, boasts an impressive title as a UKC Sapphire Grand Champion. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey with our standard poodles. We look forward to sharing our passion and commitment to this remarkable breed with you.

09/12/2026

𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗔 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬, 𝗕𝗨𝗬 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗨𝗬

This may ruffle a few feathers, but puppy buyers need to hear it.

If you are considering paying thousands of dollars for a deliberately mixed-breed puppy, or for a purebred puppy from someone doing little more than putting two dogs together, stop and ask:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿?

Because a $3,000 price tag doesn't make someone a responsible breeder.

And an expensive puppy is not necessarily a well-bred puppy.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟-𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬

Responsible breeders invest in the generations behind that puppy.

They study pedigrees. They complete appropriate health testing. They evaluate temperament and structure. They prove their dogs in meaningful ways. They research prospective mates rather than simply breeding whatever two dogs happen to be available.

Then comes reproductive care, veterinary care, nutrition, puppy raising, socialization, grooming, training and evaluation.

And when those puppies leave, the responsibility doesn't disappear.

A responsible breeder remains available and is prepared to take responsibility for a dog they produced if that dog's home ever falls apart.

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 is what a premium puppy price should be supporting.

Not a trendy name.

Not a rare color.

Not clever marketing.

Not simply two dogs capable of reproducing.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬

A mixed-breed or poorly bred dog can be an absolutely wonderful dog.

It can be intelligent, beautiful, affectionate and deeply loved.

None of this is the puppy's fault.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Every time someone successfully sells a poorly bred puppy for thousands of dollars, buyers have given that breeder a powerful reason to produce another litter.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗜'𝗠 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬…

This is where good intentions can have unintended consequences.

Someone sees a puppy living in conditions they don't like.

They worry about what will happen if nobody buys it.

Or they see a female puppy and think:

“If I don't buy her, they might keep her and breed her.”

So they pay the asking price because it feels like they are rescuing that individual dog.

I understand the impulse.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺.

If you hand the breeder $2,000 or $3,000, the breeder hasn't experienced a consequence for producing that litter.

They have experienced a sale.

The puppy you purchased may indeed have a wonderful life because of you.

But the money you handed over may help make the next litter profitable.

And another puppy takes that one's place.

That is how the cycle continues.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.

That's painful to think about, but puppy buyers need to understand the economics.

If you believe animals are being neglected or kept in unlawful conditions, purchasing one isn't the solution to the larger problem. Appropriate animal-welfare or law-enforcement authorities are the people who can investigate those circumstances.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦?

This deserves more thought than “mixed breeds are healthier.”

Crossing two breeds does not magically erase the health concerns of either breed.

If you deliberately breed Breed A to Breed B, a responsible breeding program should understand the relevant inherited and structural health concerns on 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 sides.

That means understanding the health-testing recommendations for Breed A.

And Breed B.

And considering what happens when their genetics meet.

Some variants or disorders may be uncommon or absent in one breed but present in the other. The fact that one parent comes from a breed in which a particular problem isn't normally a concern doesn't mean the offspring automatically have nothing to worry about.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

If anything, they require the breeder to understand the health considerations and genetics of 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 breeds.

So if someone is charging several thousand dollars for a deliberate cross, ask:

Have the parents completed the appropriate health testing for their respective breeds?

Not simply a DNA panel.

Not “vet checked.”

Not “my dogs have always been healthy.”

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛𝗬 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗.

𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘'𝗦 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗦

This is one reason puppy buyers need to understand the limitations of DNA ancestry testing.

Merle is not an historically established Poodle color.

Yet people sometimes point to a modern breed-ancestry DNA result and say:

“See? It says 100% Poodle.”

That does not establish that there was never another breed introduced farther back in the pedigree.

Breed-ancestry testing works by comparing segments of DNA with reference populations and estimating ancestry. Its ability to identify another breed diminishes as that contribution becomes more distant and smaller through successive generations.

𝗔 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱-𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲.

If another breed was introduced generations ago and descendants were repeatedly bred back to Poodles, a present-day ancestry result should not be treated as definitive proof that no historical cross ever occurred.

And that matters for more than the argument over what color to call a dog.

𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵.

If another breed was introduced, what breed was it?

What health concerns occur in that breed?

What genetic variants might have entered the population along with the desired color?

Were the appropriate health considerations for that breed understood?

Were they tested?

If you don't know what breed contributed a trait, answering those questions becomes considerably more difficult.

Selecting one visually desirable gene doesn't mean that was the only piece of DNA that came along for the ride.

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥

Responsible breeding isn't simply producing puppies that look a certain way.

It's knowing what you're breeding.

Knowing what is behind it.

Knowing the strengths.

Knowing the weaknesses.

Knowing the health risks.

And making informed decisions about the next generation.

No breeder can eliminate every risk. Biology doesn't work that way.

But there is a tremendous difference between accepting unavoidable biological risk after doing the homework and simply not doing the homework.

𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗗

Backyard breeding doesn't necessarily look like a $200 puppy being sold from a cardboard box anymore.

It can have a gorgeous website.

Professional photographs.

Thousands of social-media followers.

A fancy contract.

“Health tested” splashed across the homepage.

And a $4,000 price tag.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

If you have several thousand dollars available for your next puppy, you have choices.

Use that purchasing power wisely.

Learn what health testing should have been done.

Verify it yourself.

Research the breeder.

Research the parents.

Ask why the breeding was done.

Ask what the breeder knows about the pedigree.

Ask how the puppies are raised.

Ask what happens if you can't keep your dog.

And if the answers aren't good enough?

𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣. 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥. 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬.

Wait.

Research.

Find the breeder who has actually made the investment that a premium price should represent.

Or, if pedigree isn't important to you, consider giving a dog already in legitimate rescue or a shelter the home it needs.

But don't spend thousands of dollars supporting breeding practices you wouldn't want repeated.

Because every puppy purchase makes two decisions.

𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄.

Choose both carefully.

𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗬𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 & 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚

© 2026 Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes, LLC. All rights reserved.

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𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲.

09/12/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗩𝗦. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗

“I really want a red female.”

“I've always had males.”

“I definitely don't want a black puppy.”

“I want the calm one.”

“I want the puppy that always runs to the camera!”

I hear things like this all the time.

And here's something that might surprise you:

𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁.

Color matters. S*x matters. Your preferences matter.

But they aren't the 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 things that matter.

Because my goal isn't simply to put a beautiful puppy in your arms.

𝗠𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲.

𝗜 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨

When a family joins my reservation list, I create an index card for them.

Then I listen.

Children? Other pets? Active household or quiet one? First Poodle or experienced owner? Companion or performance prospect? What activities do you hope to do together? How much dog do you actually want to live with every day?

And yes, what s*x and colors do you prefer?

I keep adding to that card as we talk. By the time puppies arrive, I have a pretty good picture of the dog you're hoping for.

Then I spend the next seven weeks getting to know 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

I watch who is bold and who is thoughtful. Who is independent and who constantly checks in. Who persists when something is difficult. Who recovers quickly from surprises. Who wants to be in the middle of everything and who occasionally wishes everyone would just settle down. 😂

We introduce new people, sounds, surfaces, grooming, challenges and experiences.

Then we add formal temperament evaluation.

𝗜 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗬 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 THE END OF 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝟳.

And this is where it gets interesting.

Our reservation families have access to our puppy cameras, so they watch the puppies grow every day.

Naturally, they develop favorites!

You may spend seven weeks watching Purple Collar and decide:

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. 𝗜𝗦. 𝗠𝗬. 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗬. ❤️

And Purple Collar may be wonderful.

But what if Purple develops into a confident, intense, busy puppy who would happily have a job every waking minute...
..and you've spent months telling me that what you really want is an easygoing companion to enjoy retirement with you?

Meanwhile, Green Collar may have quietly developed into exactly the dog you've been describing to me all along.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻.

I'm not going to tell you color and s*x don't matter. If you've always wanted an apricot female, tell me. If you've had males your entire life and want another one, I want to know.

You are hopefully going to love and live with this dog for the next 12–15 years.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

But temperament and lifestyle compatibility matter too.

The highest-energy puppy in a litter may be phenomenal for someone looking for a serious performance partner and completely overwhelming for another household.

The quieter puppy isn't “better.”

The energetic puppy isn't “better.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀.

And sometimes the most responsible thing I can tell a family is:

“I don't think your puppy is in this litter.”

I'd rather disappoint someone today than knowingly send home a puppy I don't believe is right for them.

If I don't have an appropriate temperament and lifestyle match, my families can move to another litter or receive a refund.

𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗚 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨.

Matching is collaborative.

You tell me what matters to you.

I spend seven weeks learning who these puppies are.

Then we put those two pieces together.

Because the puppy who catches your eye at two weeks still has to fit your life at two years...and hopefully at twelve.

Sometimes 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 isn't the puppy you actually need.

And sometimes?

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆. ❤️

𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗬𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 & 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚

© 2026 Standard Poodles of Forest Lakes, LLC. All rights reserved.

I’m happy for you to use Facebook’s Share button to share this post in its original form. Please do not copy and paste this article, reproduce it on another page or website, remove the attribution, or use my original photographs or graphics as your own without permission.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲.

09/12/2026

Need a few more titles before the end of the year? 🐩🏆

Providing Pawsable is running a BOGO Title Sale! Submit your titles before November 1 and work toward those year-end goals for half the price.

Available for:
🐾 Trick Titles
🐾 Virtual Home Manners
🐾 CGC titles

This is a great opportunity to put some recognition behind the skills you and your dog have already been working on. And if you’ve been saying, “We really need to finish those titles…” here’s your excuse. 😂

09/11/2026

The Puppy Went Home. The Breeder's Investment Didn't End.

In the first two (and a half) posts in this series, we talked about the expenses responsible breeders incur before puppies are born and then the considerable expense of whelping and raising a litter until go-home day.

But there is one more part of the cost of responsible breeding that is particularly difficult to put on a spreadsheet.

My responsibility for a puppy doesn't end when that puppy leaves my home.

When I place one of my puppies with a family, I am making a commitment to that dog for its lifetime.

That may mean 10, 12, 14 years or longer.

And supporting that commitment requires both money and an enormous amount of time.

Lifetime Support Requires Infrastructure

One example is our website.

I maintain a detailed website for my breeding program and puppy families. The website itself costs approximately $55 per month, or $660 per year.

I spend approximately another $100 per year for the AI system that helps people navigate information and get answers, plus approximately $100 per year for hosting.

That's about $860 every year just for that portion of the infrastructure.

And that doesn't include the most expensive part:

My time.

Someone has to create all of that information.

Someone has to update it.

Someone has to write the puppy guides, training information, educational materials, recommendations, FAQs, and other resources.

Someone has to make sure that information remains useful as veterinary recommendations, training practices, products, and our own breeding program evolve.

That someone is the breeder.

"Lifetime Breeder Support" Isn't Just Something Written in a Contract

You've probably seen breeders advertise:

Lifetime breeder support.

But what does that actually mean?

To me, it means that when you have a question about one of my dogs, you can contact me.

Sometimes it's a quick text.

Sometimes it's an email.

Sometimes it's a phone call that lasts an hour.

Sometimes the puppy is having a training problem and we need to figure out what is happening.

Sometimes a family needs help finding an appropriate trainer.

Sometimes they need a book, website, video, veterinarian, groomer, behavior professional, or another resource.

Sometimes I can answer the question myself.

Sometimes my responsibility is recognizing that someone else is better qualified to answer it and helping the family find that person.

And this doesn't stop when the puppy turns one.

My puppy families contact me throughout their dogs' lives.

That's what lifetime support is supposed to mean.

And Sometimes Lifetime Support Means the Dog Comes Home

This is perhaps the most important part.

Life happens.

People become ill.

Families change.

People divorce.

Someone loses a job.

Housing situations change.

An owner dies.

A dog's behavior becomes more than a family feels equipped to manage.

Circumstances arise that nobody anticipated when an excited family took home an adorable 10-week-old puppy.

A responsible breeder needs to have a plan for that too.

My commitment is not simply to sell a puppy and hope everything works out.

If one of my dogs needs to come back, I take responsibility for helping that dog.

And taking a dog back isn't free.

Taking Back a Dog Often Means Starting Over

When a dog returns, I first need to determine what that dog needs.

Are vaccinations current?

Does the dog need veterinary care?

Is grooming overdue?

Are there behavioral concerns?

Does the dog have reliable house manners?

Can the dog walk appropriately on a leash?

How does the dog respond to other dogs?

Children?

Strangers?

Crates?

Being left alone?

What has this dog experienced, and what hasn't it experienced?

Sometimes a returned dog simply needs a little time, evaluation, and help finding the right new home.

Other times, there is significant work to do.

Training Can Become a Major Expense

Many dogs that come back to breeders need some level of training before they can responsibly be placed again.

Sometimes I can provide that training myself.

Sometimes the dog needs a professional trainer.

And sometimes the most appropriate option is board-and-train, where the dog receives much more intensive, structured, and consistent work.

That can become a substantial expense very quickly.

But if I am going to place that dog into another family, I have a responsibility to understand the dog in front of me and address problems that could interfere with a successful placement.

Simply taking the dog back on Friday and sending it to another family on Saturday isn't responsible rehoming.

Then There Are All the Ordinary Expenses

While that dog is with me, the dog needs everything any other dog needs.

Food.

Treats.

Grooming.

Veterinary care.

Vaccinations if they aren't current.

Medication if needed.

A collar.

A leash.

Training equipment.

Crates and bedding when appropriate.

Transportation.

And, of course, my time.

Then I have to find an appropriate new home.

That means advertising or networking, communicating with prospective families, reviewing applications, conducting interviews, answering questions, checking references when appropriate, and trying to determine whether a particular home is actually right for this particular dog.

Because my responsibility isn't simply to find someone willing to take the dog.

It is to try to find a home where that dog can succeed.

There Is No New "Puppy Sale" Paying for All of This

This is something people may not consider.

When a breeder takes back a dog years later, there isn't necessarily a financial benefit attached to doing so.

Quite the opposite.

The breeder may suddenly have hundreds or thousands of dollars in veterinary care, grooming, food, equipment, training, transportation, and other expenses.

And those expenses may occur years after the original puppy went home.

Why assume that responsibility?

Because the dog is still one of ours.

This Is What You Were Paying For, Too

Throughout this series, we've talked about the question that started all of this:

Why does a responsibly bred puppy cost so much?

The answer is that you aren't simply paying for ten weeks of puppy food.

You are buying a puppy backed by an entire breeding program.

Before that puppy existed, responsible breeders invested in health testing and proving its parents.

We paid stud fees and reproductive expenses.

We traveled.

We performed progesterone testing.

We monitored the pregnancy.

We prepared for whelping.

We invested in equipment that we hoped we wouldn't need.

Then the puppies arrived.

We raised them.

We fed them.

We cleaned up after them.

We provided veterinary care.

We trained and socialized them.

We evaluated them.

We prepared them to leave.

We sent them home with supplies and information intended to make that transition successful.

And then we stayed.

That's the part I want people to understand.

The relationship between a responsible breeder and one of their puppies shouldn't end when the payment clears and the puppy walks out the door.

My puppies leave my house.

They don't leave my responsibility.

Responsible Breeding Has a Long Tail

A litter may only live in my home for ten weeks.

My responsibility for the dogs I produce can last well over a decade.

That requires maintaining educational resources.

Answering emails.

Taking phone calls.

Helping solve training problems.

Celebrating accomplishments.

Helping families through difficult decisions.

Connecting owners with resources.

And, when necessary, opening my home again to a dog I bred years earlier.

That is another reason it is misleading to look at a litter of puppies, multiply the number of puppies by their purchase price, and call the result "profit."

That calculation ignores everything that happened before the litter.

It ignores everything required to raise the litter.

And perhaps most importantly, it ignores everything that may happen after those puppies leave.

Responsible breeding isn't a transaction that ends on go-home day.

It is a commitment made to every dog we bring into this world.

For me, that commitment lasts for the dog's lifetime.

09/10/2026

# # # And Then There Is Grooming

I guess this is Post 2B in the Breeding Series

For Standard Poodles, grooming isn't an occasional expense. It is part of raising the puppies from the beginning.

We don't want a puppy's first experience with clippers, bathing, a dryer, nail trimming, or standing on a grooming table to happen after it leaves for its new home.

So grooming starts here.

As the puppies develop, they are gradually introduced to having their feet, faces, ears, and bodies handled. They learn about nail care. They experience clippers. They are introduced to bathing, drying, brushing, combing, and standing appropriately for grooming.

By the time they leave, they have already had multiple grooming experiences.

That potentially requires shampoo, conditioner, grooming sprays and products, towels, clippers and blades, blade maintenance and sharpening, brushes, combs, nail equipment, dryers, grooming tables, electricity, hot water, laundry, and eventually replacement of equipment that wears out.

And then there is the breeder's time.

Multiply grooming by an entire litter and it becomes a significant commitment. Grooming eight puppies isn't the same as grooming one puppy. And when we introduce grooming correctly, we aren't simply trying to make them look pretty for their go-home photos.

**We are teaching a life skill.**

A Standard Poodle will require regular grooming throughout its entire life. A puppy that has already learned that having its face clipped, feet handled, nails trimmed, coat brushed, and body dried is simply a normal part of life has an enormous advantage.

That makes grooming part of our socialization and preparation program, not merely a cosmetic expense.

So when we talk about what goes into raising a litter, grooming belongs on both sides of the ledger:

**There is the financial cost of the equipment and supplies, and there is the substantial investment of time required to teach every puppy how to be groomed.**

09/09/2026

The Puppies Are Here! Now What Does It Cost?

In Part One, we talked about how much a responsible breeder may have invested before a puppy is ever born.

Health testing. Titling. Stud fees. Brucellosis and thyroid testing. Vaginal cytology. Progesterone testing. Travel. Hotels. Gas. Ultrasounds. X-rays.

Then, finally, after all of that preparation and waiting...

The puppies arrive.

And an entirely new set of expenses begins.

Preparing for Birth Starts Before Labor

You don't wait until a puppy is coming down the birth canal to start shopping for whelping supplies.

A responsible breeder has those supplies ready ahead of time because when you need something during a delivery, you may need it right now.

My whelping supplies include things such as calcium for Mom, energy supplements, puppy identification collars, washable whelping pads, disposable whelping pads, and all of the other supplies needed to keep Mom and newborn puppies clean, warm, and monitored.

I also maintain equipment that I sincerely hope I never need.

That includes a puppy incubator and oxygen concentrator/oxygenator.

Those aren't inexpensive pieces of equipment.

But when you have a newborn puppy struggling, that isn't the moment you want to be searching online and discovering that the equipment you need can arrive in three days.

It needs to be sitting there.

Ready.

And Sometimes Birth Doesn't Go According to Plan

Most breeders hope for an uncomplicated natural delivery.

But hope isn't a medical plan.

Sometimes Mom needs veterinary intervention. Sometimes a puppy becomes stuck. Sometimes labor fails to progress appropriately. Sometimes circumstances mean that the safest option for Mom, the puppies, or both is a C-section.

Depending upon the veterinarian, circumstances, timing, and whether emergency care is required, that can easily mean another $1,500 to $3,000 veterinary bill.

And when your veterinarian says Mom needs a C-section, this isn't the time to comparison shop.

You go.

The priority is getting Mom and her puppies through delivery safely.

Feeding Mom Means Feeding a Whole Litter

Once the puppies are born, Mom's nutritional needs change dramatically.

Producing milk for a litter requires an enormous amount of energy.

That means additional high-quality food and, when appropriate, supplements to support her while she is nursing.

The larger and more demanding the litter becomes, the more food Mom may require.

Eventually the puppies begin transitioning to food themselves.

Now we aren't feeding one dog.

We are feeding Mom plus an entire litter of growing puppies.

And Standard Poodle puppies don't stay tiny for very long!

Then Comes the Daily Cleaning

As puppies become mobile, their environment changes too.

In our program, puppies begin learning appropriate potty habits while they are still here.

That means litter training.

And litter training means buying litter.

Lots of it.

It also means cleaning and replacing that litter multiple times every day.

Add disposable pads, washable bedding, cleaning and disinfecting products, paper towels, laundry detergent, and the seemingly endless amount of laundry that comes with raising a litter.

Anyone who has raised puppies knows there is a period when the washing machine deserves to be listed as a member of the breeding program.

Veterinary Care Begins for the Puppies

The puppies also begin accumulating their own individual expenses.

They receive veterinary care and examinations appropriate for their age.

They receive their first vaccinations.

Depending upon the breed, breeder, veterinarian, and individual breeding program, there may also be early procedures such as dewclaw removal or tail docking.

For my Standard Poodle puppies, for example, tail and dewclaw procedures currently run approximately $150 for two puppies, or about $75 per puppy.

Multiply individual expenses across an entire litter and seemingly small numbers become substantial very quickly.

A $75 expense isn't just $75 when there are eight puppies.

It is $600.

A $50 expense per puppy becomes $400.

A $100 expense becomes $800.

That is something that is frequently overlooked when people calculate the supposed "profit" from a litter. Nearly every per-puppy expense has to be multiplied by the number of puppies being raised.

And Puppies Eat. A Lot.

As the puppies grow, they gradually transition from depending upon Mom to eating puppy food.

At first, their portions seem tiny.

That doesn't last long.

By the time a litter of Standard Poodles approaches go-home age, you have multiple rapidly growing puppies eating several times a day.

Food becomes another significant expense, particularly when the breeder is committed to feeding the puppies well during this critical period of growth and development.

And again, this isn't food for one puppy.

It is food for the entire litter.

Every Puppy Leaves With Supplies

Our responsibility doesn't end when someone arrives to pick up a puppy.

I want that transition from our home to the puppy's new home to be as easy as possible.

That's why our puppies leave with a go-home package containing familiar things.

That may include some of the food the puppy has been eating, litter the puppy recognizes, potty pads, familiar toys, treats the puppy already knows, and other items intended to help the family get through those first days at home.

There is a practical reason for this.

Think about what go-home day is like from the puppy's perspective.

Everything changes.

Mom is gone.

The littermates are gone.

The house smells different.

The people are different.

The sounds are different.

The sleeping arrangements are different.

Even the water may taste different.

Providing familiar food, litter, toys, treats, and other supplies gives that puppy a few things that still smell, taste, and feel familiar.

So yes, those things cost money.

But they serve a purpose.

And We Haven't Even Talked About the Most Expensive Part

There is another enormous investment involved in raising a litter that is much harder to put on a receipt:

Time.

Whelping a litter can mean staying awake through the night.

Newborn puppies require monitoring.

Mom requires monitoring.

Bedding has to be changed.

Puppies have to be weighed.

The whelping area has to be cleaned.

As puppies grow, the amount of work doesn't decrease. It changes.

They need increasingly larger spaces.

They need feeding.

They need cleaning.

They need litter boxes maintained multiple times a day.

They need grooming.

They need individual attention.

And, most importantly, they need experiences designed to prepare them for the rest of their lives.

That brings us to something I consider far more important than toys, puppy food, or go-home bags.

Raising puppies isn't simply keeping them alive until they are old enough to sell.

Those first weeks are an extraordinary period of physical, neurological, behavioral, and social development.

What breeders do with those weeks matters.

A lot.

So Part Three isn't going to be about another veterinary bill.

It's going to be about what may be the greatest investment a responsible breeder makes in every litter:

the time and work required to raise puppies intentionally.

Socialization. Early neurological and scent work. Enrichment. Grooming. New surfaces. New sounds. New people. Problem solving. Crate preparation. Potty training. Individual evaluation. Temperament testing. And ultimately, matching each puppy with the family where we believe that puppy has the best opportunity to thrive.

Because producing puppies and raising puppies well are two very different things.

And that's where we'll go next.

Address

Big Rapids, MI
49307

Telephone

+12316797218

Website

http://standardpoodlesofforestlakes.com/

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