Testimonials
Charlie
Hello Gail, Long time no talk so I thought I'd update you on how Ozzie is doing with his diabetic service training. In a word, fantastic! He is just turned 8 months old and is fairly consistent being able to smell when Alex has a diabetic low. He is less consistent with the highs but still gets some of them. We are training him to scent blood sugars between 90 and 200 and it is amazing to watch. He was able to do this starting at less than 6 months old. We are also working hard on the obedience work, he is super smart and the star of the class. Our trainer is so happy with this breed for diabetic work that he is now looking at acquiring labradoodles because they have good noses and are so darn smart. Anyway, we start the real training here in a few weeks when he is 9 months old but he has made a great start. We love having him although I must admit he can be a naughty puppy at times so it is like having another child. I hope you are well. As usual, your puppy photos are so cute. Of course, we like the black ones. Here is a picture of our daughter with Ozzie. He is now about 21 inches tall and 33 pounds! Regards, Charlie
Hi Gail, Charlie came home the first day and adjusted as though he had been here forever. He did not cry or whine one bit his first night and still is exceptional in his crate at bedtime. He definitely loves attention from whomever enters our home. He even got lots of unexpected attention from my Dad when he was here over Christmas.(I must tell you this) My Dad was not too pleased to hear we were getting a dog. His belief, growing up on a farm, is that animals do not belong in the city! They should have space to roam! But Dad got in the door and a instant friendship bloomed. Charlie is my new best bud. He follows my every move. He will be waiting for me outside the bathroom door to staring at the stairs until I come down. This makes me feel sooo special to have this bond with him. I can hardly say it enough about how pleased I have been with the whole process. As a reminder this is my first pet EVER and I feel that It would have not been as great of an experience had I not pick Prairie Doodles. Michelle and family, Briggs
I cannot tell you how wonderful Briggs is. He has the most amazing temperment and is highly trainable. Vance and I have not had one moment of regret about adopting this wonderful puppy into our lives. He is 13 weeks old this week and he has enhanced our life beyond recognition. He is enrolled in puppy classes at "Sit Happens" and has met "Abby", "Buster", "Boone" and "Leilah". 5 of us from Prairie Doodles/Earth Angels....Everyone is delighted with their pup and it is great to see them interact. It is beyond wonderful to watch them all blossom and flourish. Briggs sits, goes down, comes, fetches and loose leash walks about 80%.... He is only 13 weeks old this weekend!! I love him more than I could have imagined. His temperment is amazing and he is so respectful of Vance's limitations. He loves to go under his wheelchair (when it is stationary) and obviously sees it as his den. He runs in every morning (after his business) to find Vance and commune with him and a bully stick. I have had 6 dogs in my lifetime and Briggs is by far the most lovable, smart, trainable and gorgeous dog I have ever had! I keep trying to take pictures of him, but he is a challenge (as all black dogs are). Thank you Gail and Tammie for your breeding program and attention to these young pups in their formative stages. You are so clearly doing it all right....because Buster, Boone, Abby and Leilah are amazing pups....just like our Briggs. mm Barley
I could not have asked for a better puppy than one from Gail and Prairiedoodles. Our little girl Barley, an Ellie Mae daughter, is now 9 months old. Gail made a perfect match of Barley's personality with us and for a puppy in New York City. Our experience with Barley is evidence of Gail's thought and consideration in how she raises and breeds her dogs and matches them in a way that is best for the dog and the families. Barley is absolutely gorgeous and has the most adorable personality. She is almost 30 lbs at 9 months and has a perfect wavy coat. Barley is loyal, sensitive, and loving with a fabulous mischievous side at times. She loves all people and all dogs. Although we don't have children, Barley is great around all the children she meets. Barley loves playing with her friends and constantly has a tennis ball in her mouth. Labradoodles are a smart breed and Prairiedoodles doesn't disappoint as basic training for Barley has come easy. In addition, I think Gail's work with the potty training made house-training Barley run smoother than any other dog I've ever had. From day one, Barley never wanted to go to the bathroom in the house. Gail has also been a wonderful resource for my many questions prior to and since Barley's arrival. There are many labradoodles that we see in New York City, but people constantly praise Barley's look and personality relative to other labradoodles they meet. Even our vet thinks she has the most gorgeous coat, body structure and temperament. I looked at numerous breeders before I decided Prairiedoodles was the one. With the experience I had with Gail and Barley, I wouldn't consider a puppy from any other breeder! We have enjoyed each day with Barley and look forward to all the future happiness she will bring us. Up to date pictures of Barley can always be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/barley.gilley Sara, MaggieI finally made the decision to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a dog breeder. I knew that I had to purchase a non shedding breed as my daughter suffers from allergies and asthma. I was initially attracted to the Australian Labradoodle for those reasons but what SOLD me on these dogs was Gail Groeneveld. She is always prompt with her email response, answering all my questions from breeding to nutrition. Her knowledge base is obvious as she always offers great advice. She truly is a professional! Our whole family has fallen in love with our Prairies Maggie and look forward to meeting her puppies in the future! Thank You Prairie Doodles. Sincerely, FarleyHi Gail – just thought I'd give you an update on our wonderful puppy Farley. We were at the vet last week and he weighed in at 28 pounds and 18 inches high from the floor to the top of his back at 4 months – incredible, huh? His coat is still a beautiful soft, curly black and, of course, he still has his huge paws and bumb – what a cutie! I have taken him to school twice now (I bring him in once a week). He is wonderful with the kids – they absolutely LOVE him and he is very well behaved. He is also fabulous with other dogs and will play for hours! We have been doing lots of training with him. He now knows: sit, down, come, shake a paw, roll over, and he is learning sit stay and down stay, release and heeling on his leash. He enjoys going to doggie daycare and we are hoping to start taking him to the off-leash areas soon. His favorite games so far are fetch, hide and seek, and find the treat (we hide a treat under 3 tupperware containers and he has to find which one it is and put his paw on it). He also likes to dance. He is happy to sleep in his crate at night and we don't even have to close the crate door. He is crazy about water and when I have a bath he likes to sit right on the edge of the tile around our tub. He is very smart and the other day one of his toys was on the table and he couldn't reach it. He looked at the table then gently pulled on the tablecloth until the toy reached the edge. Then he let go of the cloth, grabbed his toy and was on his way. Such a smartie pants! I can't wait to start agility with him. Anyhow, that's all my news for now – hope everything is great at your end. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Bente
2 years ago Bente and her sister Noa came to Holland. Holland is a small turbulent country with lots of people which Bente adapted to very well as of day one. She loves her friends and is a real family dog. She is outstanding in obedience and already has 4 diplomas of her doggy school. She is very easy to train. Now she is taking lessons in agility. She likes it very much. Bente was born on July 2nd 2007. She is a daughter of Lindy and Sebastian. We are very curious what has become of her brothers. One is called Wolsey and he and Bente were look-a-likes when they were puppies. Bente is a medium and has a very nice curly fleece coat that feels so soft. And as Gail jokes: she is Labradoodle perfection. We are so excited about Bente that we started, together with the owner of her sister Noa, the Australian Labradoodle Club in Holland. It started with a local romp with 10 Doodles. At this moment we have registered 250 Doodles. So Bente has a lot of friends! If you can read Dutch than visit our website www.labradoodleclub.com Otherwise just look at the pictures :-) Gail and Gary, thank you very much for our Bente and the friendship with you guys that she gave us. Love from Holland, 2 jaar geleden kwam Bente en haar zus Noa naar Nederland. Nederland is veel kleiner en drukker dan Canada,maar Bente paste zich erg goed aan. Ze houdt van haar vrienden en is een echte familie hond. Bente doet het erg goed op gehoorzaamheid training. Ze heeft al 4 diploma´s gehaald. Waaronder het landelijk diploma sociale huishond. Ze is erg makkelijk te trainen. Op het moment gaat Bente naar behendigheid. Dat vindt ze ook heel leuk. Bente is geboren op 2 juli 2007. Ze is een dochter van Lindy en Sebastian. Bente is een medium en ze heeft een mooie curly fleece vacht die super zacht is. Zoals Gail altijd grapt: she is Labradoodle perfection. We zijn zo blij met Bente haar komst dat we, samen met de eigenaar van haar zus Noa, de Australian Labradoodle Club Nederland zijn begonnen. Om in contact te komen met andere eigenaren van Australian Labradoodles. We begonnen met een wandeling met 10 Doodles. Op dit moment hebben we 250 Doodles en hun eigenaren geregistreerd. Bente heeft dus een heleboel vrienden. Je kunt ons vinden onder www.labradoodleclub.com. Gail en Gary, heel erg bedankt voor onze Bente en de vriendschap met jullie die zij met haar meebracht. Liefs vanuit Holland, Casey
It is Bill here, from out in Halifax. As you no doubt are aware, it was Casey's birthday this past weekend ... her second birthday in fact. We have been intending to contact you for months and months to let you know that she is doing very well and has become the perfect family member in every respect. She seems like she has been with us forever, it is so natural. Over and over again, people (after they get over just how cute our dog is) struggle to believe us when we tell her she is just two years old, the reason being that she is so obedient and friendly but calm. What we are very pleased with is how easily Casey developed an awareness of her boundaries in and outside of the house which makes it a lot easier to have a dog in an urban setting (including because it makes life a lot less restrictive, richer and easier for the dog). Our kids just love her and she is wonderfully gentle with them, especially with our little 6 year old who until recently insisted on treating Casey like another kid no matter how often we asked her not too. Anyway, late as we are, we wanted to let you know that we are very happy with Casey in our family and that she seems very happy with us. Attached is a picture (not the greatest admittedly) but like all pictures of her, I think it captures how beautiful she is! We haven't taken any great ones lately but there is no such thing as a really bad photo of Casey! All the best, Ozzy
Ozzy has turned out to be everything we had hoped for (and everything you said he would be). He has a wonderful disposition and we are enjoying him very much. He is sensitive, loyal, loving and affectionate – always willing to give kisses when we ask! We took him to puppy classes and he has learned the commands sit, down and stay quite well. Over the past few weeks he has gotten especially good at stay (especially when there's a treat involved). He loves to chew on his toys and LOVES socks! We're very happy to say he doesn't chew on anything in the house except our socks! He is 18" at the shoulders and I would say he is 30 – 35 pounds. We haven't had him at the vet for at least 6 weeks and the last time he was there he was 25 pounds. He got his first "teddy bear" haircut 3 weeks ago and we are liking the length of his coat right now. The groomer has told us (on both visits) that he was the star of the morning. She said he was an absolute angel and she could do whatever she needed to without any struggle from him. We often comment how Ozzy looks like William especially from the side profile. Patty, Dan, Garret, Taylor & Ozzy Gibson
Hi Gail! Gibson weighed 21 pounds at the vet about two weeks ago... I think he grows every night in his sleep. Some nights he has the funniest dreams – he is running and talking – I wonder what he is dreaming about?!? I can't tell you (I think you probably know) how special he is – I am just amazed by him. He is so, so, so, so beautiful, smart, kind, handsome, well behaved, potty trained, sincere – oh sorry, all my friends already know it is not safe to ask me about Gibson unless they have all day to listen... you and your dogs are doing amazing things way up there – please thank Maya and William for us again! Keep us posted on all of you! Boston
We got our Australian labradoodle puppy from Gail at Prairie Doodles. Gail was wonderful to work with. She was very professional and caring, and it was obvious throughout the process that she truly cares for the well being of each puppy. Since we live near Boston, far from Alberta, Gail made arrangements to have him flown to Boston. We were amazed by how well he handled the flight, and by how well he was treated by the airlines. His entry into our home was also very smooth. He was very sociable and very sweet. He slept all night from the very beginning. Potty training was well under way when he arrived. He has been quite easy (and fun) to train. My kids have taught him all of the basic commands, such as sit, down, freeze, come and so on. They have also taught him some fun tricks such as Super Dog and Spin Around. He is a 10 months old now and is absolutely gorgeous. His coat is non-shedding and is the softest, wavy fleece coat – exactly what we were hoping for. He is loveable, very athletic, and quite funny, too. He is very gentle with children and is great with other humans and dogs. We take him with us everywhere we go. He is a real show stopper. The Isaacson family in Boston Tucker
There are three areas that stand out to me when I think of our great experience with Gail at Prairiedoodles. The first was her openness to her farm and home. While some breeders won't let you come and see their place until you put down a deposit (beware!), Gail encouraged us to come and visit their place so we would feel comfortable about their dogs and that they truly had good temperaments and lived in the family home. One benefit of having the puppies in the house allowed Gail to watch them closely and get to know their personalities. In the end we chose our puppy on personality, not colour, and are so happy with our choice. A real snuggler we wanted, and a real snuggler we got! The second area was Gail's commitment to her dog's health checks and temperament. On our first visit we were interested in one of the males she had just received. Although he passed his health tests, he did not get a 'perfect score'. Although it meant losing on that investment, she decided not to breed him because health was very important. The same went for temperament. Gail had been considering one female to add to her breeding program but once on the farm she discovered that she didn't have a great temperament. And so she wasn't added to the family. With her honesty it became clear to me that day that her investment was truly in healthy and happy dogs. The third was Gail's fast responses to any questions we had. She was committed to get back to us within a day on any question you might have had. We've experienced breeders in the past that only seemed to respond when they thought there was an opportunity to sell a puppy – but wouldn't answer any other inquiries. The final touch I discovered on puppy's first night home. We had been prepared for a long night of wailing from our new puppy in his kennel. Our puppy went into his kennel without a peep and went right to sleep. I found out from Gail the next day that she had already spent the time getting the puppies used to being in their kennel – what a nice touch! Our relationship hasn't ended once we took Tucker home. I know that Gail will be a constant source of information for us and those are reasons why we're more than happy to recommend her as a reputable breeder! Leila, Craigh (and Tucker) Hyslop Bentley
Hi Gail, How are you? Just wanted to send you an update on our Bentley. He is now 9 months old, and VERY large to say the least. But what a nice boy he is. We love him so much and cant imagine our lives without him. He is completely trained. We have trained him to go potty outside on a gravel spot and he goes only there, not on the grass. He doesn't chew or bark. He only barks to alert us if someone is here. Our kids just adore him, Bentley truly believes he is not a dog. He plays tag with them and hide and seek and swims in our lake! His coat is beautiful and he doesn't shed or smell. He loves a shower, and I shower him every week! He has become my best friend. He knows my emotions and puts his nose on my foot when I am sad. He knows the word hug and wraps his body around you if you ask for a hug. His disposition and personality are amazing. We want to thank you so much for Bentley, he has brought so much joy and love to our lives. We have attached some pictures of him. One of him at a few weeks and the other two are recent. Warm Regards, Angel
It has been over four years since my daughter and I started trying to convince my husband that our household needed a dog. Although he loved dogs he was adamantly opposed to the fur around the house. After researching low or no shedding breeds online we found the Prairiedoodles website, and I called Gail right away to arrange a time when we could stop at her home to see her dogs. Her family was very warm and friendly, including her dogs. Our daughter Becky sat on the floor and Ellie Mae stretched out on her lap right away. Of course she fell in love and so did we, within a half hour of being in the Groenevelds' home we had decided that we absolutely needed one of Ellie Mae' puppies. Gail was bombarded with emails from us for the months we waited for our puppy, as we were extremely excited and wanted to be prepared for everything. Gail was always pleasant and quick to respond. We especially loved the weekly pictures we received of the puppy while she grew until the time we could adopt her. Angel came to our home on March 20th, 2008, she has not left our sides since. The apple definitely did not fall far from the tree, Angel is just like her mother and adores affection. She is just over 3 months old now, and although she has those bursts of energy much like all puppies, she is really quite laid back. We bath and blow dry her, and she loves it! Looking at her you would surely think she would shed (as she looks like a teddy bear), but with all the times I have brushed, bathed and blow dryed her we have only found 4 hairs in her brush! She will do anything for a treat, and has already learned to sit, stay, lay down, shake paw and high five. Since she is so young we haven't done a lot of walking off our property yet, however, just having her outside draws anyone off the street to pet her and ask what kind of dog she is. The Vet couldn't even believe how mellow Angel was, and said we had found a great puppy. Getting Angel has been the best thing we could have ever done for our daughter and our family as a whole. We are very grateful to the Groenevelds for our Sweet Angel! Christina and family Jackson
I wanted to tell you about the puppy (Labradoodle) I purchased from Prairedoodles. Our puppy (Jackson) is now 4 months old and you have never seen a better pet. When we went to pick him up he was already to big to fit on the plane with us. We were flying from Calgary to Kelowna and were able to fly him in the cargo. I was so nervous – I have 5 children and was never that nervous for them!!! When we picked Jackson up in Kelowna he was just laying in his crate as though nothing had happened! Just as calm as could be. Okay, I thought fluky, just a one time thing. He should have been up tight right! He goes about his day just as laid back as could be. He is in obedience class and definitely the head of the class. He picks up the things we are teaching him much faster than the other dogs. He already sits, stays, heals, shakes a paw, circles, lays and rings a bell to let me know he wants to go outside. Oh, if we could have had children that picked things up this fast!! The vet has given him a clean bill of health. His coat is like one big fluff ball. I have not found a single hair in the house nor is my husband sneezing like he usually does when a dog comes around. The breeders from Prairedoodle certainly knows how to breed dogs with great temperaments and the most beautiful non-shedding coats. We certainly would recommend them to anyone looking for a great family pet. Suzan Luca
My husband and I had always hoped to have a dog but with Alec's asthma and allergies always thought it an impossibility. A few years ago we learned about labradoodles and were lucky to find Prairie Doodles and Gail. The rest is history. Luca came to us August of 2007 and he is absolutely the most loving, intelligent, happy dog we've ever met. And Alec is doing so well allergy-wise, virtually no reaction with the help of Singulair. We don't know other labradoodles but I would highly recommend the breed. Luca's intelligence knows no bounds. He is so keen to listen and learn, I must say that sometimes I feel he is beyond human. We don't have children but when kids to come to our house Luca seems to sense that they deserve respect. He doesn't jump on them but very gently plays and runs. He is wonderful with all dogs we meet, quickly learns the pecking order. At the same time, he's not a push-over, he will stand his ground. Our life has been so enriched since getting Luca and we look forward to having another labradoodle in a few years. Alec and Geraldine Gundy
We received "Gundy" on December 6, 2006. She was 3 months old and we had purchased her as a breeding dog as we would like to one day have our own set of these beautiful puppies. When we opened the door and saw Gundy in Gail's arms, my husband and I just melted and we knew she was "the one". We had wanted a Labradoodle for about a year and after much research, we loved Gail's website and called her up. Lucky for us, Gundy was available and as of now, we have had her for just over 5 months. She has beautiful non-shedding fleece fur that is cream in color with apricot colored ears. Her eyes are green and she has the softest rose colored nose. When we take her for her walk, we often have people come up to us to ask about her. Even our dog sitters have said "She is definitely an attention getter!" She was already house trained when we got her and it only took her a day to learn to use the pet door. She has the sweetest personality and wherever we are in the house – there she is. I can't even take a bath without her lying beside the tub. She loves our boys and is trying very hard to bring some life back into our old lab. We are so thankful to have this sweet dog that we love so much. By the way, this will be our first time breeding a dog and Gail has answered every one of our questions and she is helping us to find the "perfect boy" for our Gundy when she is old enough. Thank-you Gail. Vicki and Kevin in Cranbrook Zoe
Hi Gail, We thought you would enjoy an update on Zoe as she approaches her first birthday! Zoe has grown into a beautiful dog both physically and in her temperament. She has the most loving and sunny dispositiion and captures the heart of all who meet her – that includes the vet, the dog groomer and the Doggy Daycare staff. She is great with all kinds of animals and people and loves to meet "new friends" on our daily walks. She is a great companion on any adventure, very adaptable and well behaved. Zoe is so bright and willing to learn that training her is a delightful experience. Gail, we can't imagine our lives without this wonderful dog! The Corson Family Darwin
Hi Gail, I would be more than pleased to recommend a puppy from Gail at Prairiedoodles. We had a wonderful experience with her when we adopted Darwin. I have never had a dog before, even as a child, so I was a little nervous about what to expect. We live in north Calgary which makes us about a 75 minute drive from Gail's place in Blackie. My family and I did an initial visit in August 2006 to see her facilities because we wanted to see what the kennel conditions were like. Her dogs are raised in her home, a busy working farmhouse and depending on the weather, outside in a large penned area. All areas were clean and well suited for ten active puppies and three adult dogs. We made three more trips to see the pups before we finally picked up Darwin in late October. The dogs all loved running around outside on the grass. As well, the pups had time inside with Gail on an individual basis and interactions with large groups; so they all enjoyed being handled by people. Our little fellow has a very happy disposition. Lucy is the mother of our puppy and she is a beautiful girl in personality and looks. Gail's two other dogs, Ellie Mae and Lindy were also very sociable animals. I still email Gail with questions and send her pictures of Darwin. It has been a very rewarding relationship. I hope this referral helps with your decision. Good luck with your new puppy. The McKinney family and Darwin Ebby
Hi Gail, We have been absolutely delighted with our experience with "Prairie Doodles" and the Australian Multigeneration Labradoodle Breeders, Gail and Gary Groeneveld. We purchased a puppy from them in the fall of 2006. She is very bright, so loveable happy and healthy. We could not have been more satisfied with the education, care and concern of her breeders. They are so very professional but also truly interested in the well being of their little ones. They have always been available with assistance on any matter we wished to discuss before or after we picked up our pup. We could not have imagined a more rewarding experience than with Gail and Gary. We would recommend them to anyone. Fred and Judy Ring, Calgary, Alberta Molly
Molly is just great!! We love her so much and you were right about the older boys falling in love with her too. Everyone plays with her so much and she just enjoys running around the house with all of them and there's always someone to take her for a walk, which she also loves. She weighed 22 lbs at the end of January. Her nose has turned almost completely brown. Her coat is a beautiful apricot color with the soft wavy fleece – just what I wanted in a coat. She has the nicest personality and is so friendly and happy with everyone. She tries to listen well and has virtually no accidents in the house. The Watsons in Calgary Berwick
He (Berwick) is beautiful, best of the litter for sure J. He is soooooo smart. Sits politely waiting for his dinner, rings a bell at the backdoor when he wants or needs to go outside. Hasn't had an accident inside for weeks and only a couple times at the beginning, and LOVES romping in the backyard snow where my boys have built snowforts and tunnels. He sleeps through the night and has for about a week now and is ecstatic when someone new walks into the room. We'll be attending Diamond in the Ruff puppy classes the next session that is available after his next set of needles. Loves to chew anything and everything including any little pebble he can find... Lori |
