Australian Labradoodle coats are known to be quite high maintenance. At Lily Hill, we focus on fleece coats as part of our programme, and while this coat type is less tightly wound than wool coats, weekly brushing is the minimum requirement. If regular grooming doesn't take place, it is likely that the dog will end up developing matts which can be incredibly uncomfortable for them. If they are a water loving pooch, staying on top of brushing is also a must! Some people may choose to get their ALD professionally groomed every 6-8 weeks to maintain the teddy bear look and appearance, while others may visit the groomer less than this and request a short cut and maintain the coat themselves over a longer period of time. We will socialise your puppy during their time with us to get used to all the elements of the grooming process e.g. getting them used to scissors around the face area, ear cleaning, brushing, practice with nail trimming and experience in the bath. The average cost of a groom is usually £40 - £60 depending on your location and the experience of a groomer.

For puppies, we recommend limited exercise as their joints are still developing and this needs to be protected as much as possible e.g. keeping to a minimum the amount of hard surface walking the puppy experiences, utilising play as forms of exercise, and training too. As they mature, ALD's should be getting a minimum of 1hr walks a day, and should be provided mental exercises (stimulation) on top of this! Classes such as agility, flyball and scentwork can also be fun for both owner and dog to do as a team. When you go home with your Lily Hill puppy, as part of our puppy pack we provide a range of training support and information, and provide lots of different activities you can engage in with your dog to ensure that their minds are being exercised as well as their bodies. These dogs are so clever, and offering them healthy ways to put their problem solving minds to use will bring such enjoyment!

There is no definitive answer for this question. Individuals who have allergies to dogs may not simply be allergic to fur, but dander (skin flakes- like dandruff in humans) or saliva. Therefore, it's important for anyone with an allergy to discuss with a specialist to identify what 'elements' of dogs you may be allergic to and test for this, and meet an Australian Labradoodle if you're able to do so. It also depends on the severity of your allergies- some people find that their bodies get used to the allergen over time or have very minimal reactions, while for others the reactions may be much worse and will not ever be alleviated. Earlier generations of these dogs were more likely to shed, however multigenerational Australian Labradoodles (what we breed) are far likely to be low to non shedding, but will still produce dander, and we can't promise they'll never try to give you a lick and a kiss.

Our puppy pack includes: - A folder with 50+ pages of information, covering topics such as; Health testing information from mum and dad, pet puppy contract, details of microchip, 2 year health guarantee, insurance details, preparing for your new puppy, acclimating to life with your new puppy, feeding, training, socialising, grooming, general canine healthcare and exercise and enrichment. - Vet card with all vaccination information, information on their worming and flea treatment schedule - Blanket and toys that puppy has grown up with - Grooming tools - Collar and lead - 2 weeks worth of food that puppy has been weaned onto - Treats and chews You will also benefit from our commitment to supporting you and your puppy from the moment they leave our home, for the rest of their lives. Day or night, if you need help and/or support, we will be there to answer the phone, respond to a text and swoon over updates you share with us.

Whatever the circumstances may be, we will ALWAYS accept a puppy/ dog back if you are no longer able to care for them. While many may see giving a dog up as cold-hearted, we instead view it as the ultimate show of love. Acknowledging that you are no longer able to give the dog the life it deserves, and doing something about it is no easy thing, but we will be there to support you all the way through the process. In the Lily Hill puppy contract, it is a stipulation that the dog must be returned to us. This is because we want to ensure that if we are able to place the dog in another home in the future, they have been matched appropriately, and comprehensive support can be provided. We also do not ever want one of our dogs to end up contributing to the stress and strain rescue centres up and down the country face on a daily basis. We recognise that in our role as breeders, we must be responsible for every life we create, and take this seriously.

All dogs are highly social, especially Australian Labradoodles. If we had all of our breeding dogs living with us, we would never be able to provide them all with the time, love and affection they deserve to be complete, happy and healthy dogs. A Guardian Home is a partnership with us, providing a forever family to our breeding dogs while they participate in the programme, and after they retire. The partnership part is that we still officially own the puppy, and have sole right to breed the puppy (subject to health and behaviour testing) for the term of the contract.

Due to the nature of the guardian scheme, we are looking for specific families that are willing to work with us to ensure the continued development of our programme. - We ask that Guardians live within an hours drive of us, as when it comes time to breed, timing is everything! This also means that we need a commitment from you that you will not plan to move 1hr+ from us during the dogs breeding career. - Main caregiver of the dog should be based at home, and dog should not be left at home alone for more than 4hrs on a regular basis, - Both parties must feel comfortable with the arrangement,

We ask that our girls in the Guardian Scheme come back to Lily Hill 3 - 4 times before they turn 2 years old in order to ensure that they are relaxed and happy in our environment, and our resident dogs are familiar to them. At around 12-14 months of age, we will complete their health testing which may require a trip to us to take them to the vet, and a photoshoot (this will be combined on the day). If you have a girl, we will ask you to keep track of, and update us, whenever she comes into heat. When the time is right, we will ask for you to bring her to Lily Hill for her tie (usually over a couple of days, but you can take her home in between!). If the tie is successful and she falls pregnant, she will stay with you until 3-5 days before her expected due date (EDD). She will then be returned to us to ensure she has a few days to settle in before whelping, and we will care for her as she raises her puppies for approx 6-7 weeks. Once the puppies have been weaned, you are able to take her back home (where she will likely be thankful for the peace and quiet!). During this time, you will be welcome to visit as much as you would like, and we will send countless updates to you. We hope that our girls will have 3 litters while in the programme, and we space these litters out so that our girls have no more than one per year. When they retire, we will have them spayed and they will be returned to you with no further contractual obligations. If you have a boy, we ask that he be brought back to Lily Hill when he is needed for a tie. We will usually be able to provide a weeks notice, but sometimes flexibility will be required if a girl decides that she's ready sooner rather than later! We will usually utilise studs until they are 6 years old, at which point the term of the contract will be complete and he will be neutered and returned to you with no further contractual obligations.

Guardian's will pay for all general costs associated with having a dog, e.g. insurance, food, general vet trips, grooming etc. Any costs associated with breeding will be covered by us, Lily Hill Australian Labradoodles. We will also cover the cost of spaying and neutering when the time comes.