Common Questions

Breeding rights are available to approved, state-licensed programs at an additional $5,000 premium.

A $500 reservation fee (plus applicable sales tax) is required to secure a waitlist position and applies toward the final purchase price.

Before confirmed breeding, 90% of the deposit ($450, excluding sales tax) is refundable. Once breeding has been confirmed through documented live cover or artificial insemination, the deposit becomes non-refundable, but remains transferable to another litter for up to 24 months.

Any applicable Wisconsin sales tax is calculated, collected, and remitted in accordance with applicable law, and is non-refundable except where required by law. Each litter requires its own deposit. Deposits placed after a litter has been born are immediately non-refundable.

The POL fee is $500, non-refundable, and does not apply toward the deposit or purchase price. Stokeshire reserves the right to retain any puppy for the breeding program, and some puppies are designated exclusively for full breeding rights.

POL is recommended only for families confident they want first-choice access from a specific litter. If unused when puppies become available, the fee is forfeited.

All card transactions include a flat processing fee of 3%. Klarna is integrated with Stokeshire's secure Stripe checkout, allowing qualified U.S. buyers to split into installments or finance over time. Full payment must be received before transport is scheduled.

The discount must be applied at the time of deposit and cannot be retroactively applied to existing reservations. Verification documentation may be requested.

Testing is breed- and pedigree-specific and may include evaluation for degenerative myelopathy (DM/SOD1), progressive retinal atrophy (GR-PRA1 & GR-PRA2), von Willebrand's disease, ichthyosis, neonatal encephalopathy (NEwS), cardiac function, hip and elbow dysplasia via OFA or PennHIP where appropriate to the lineage, patellar luxation, and coat-trait markers (RSPO2 furnishings, KRT71 curl, MC5R shedding, FGF5 length).

Before any pairing proceeds, Stokeshire runs the cross through Embark Pair Predictor, which calculates the probability of each genetic outcome across the offspring (health markers, coat genetics, color, and traits) and reports the projected Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI). We do not breed pairings whose COI or genetic risk profile fails our standards.

The full Embark panel results for each breeding dog are published on its respective dog profile and on every litter page. Families may request the complete DNA panel and Pair Predictor report for their specific litter at any time.

Every Stokeshire litter page lists the dam and sire, links to their full breeding dog profiles, and shows the genetic test results that informed the pairing. Coat genetics (RSPO2 furnishings, KRT71 curl), health markers, and breed composition are visible at the litter level so families can review what they are reserving before placing a deposit.

The full DNA Embark Panel for any breeding dog is available on request. The Pair Predictor report for your specific litter, which models the probability of each genetic outcome across the offspring, is also available to reserved families on request.

Coverage is support-based. The guarantee provides educational guidance, specialist referrals, program credit, and in exceptional cases, waitlist access for a future puppy. It does not provide cash refunds.

Not covered: parasites (Giardia, Coccidia, worms), common viral illnesses, minor conditions (cherry eye, umbilical hernias, underbites), size, coat, color, temperament variation, lifestyle-induced conditions, injury, and cosmetic concerns.

The guarantee requires compliance with care standards, including the 7-day veterinary exam, Trupanion insurance activation, annual wellness visits, and the spay or neuter timeline. Full terms are in the Health Guarantee and Terms of Service.

Stokeshire Doodles carry Poodle heritage, which typically produces lower dander and reduced shedding. Many families with mild to moderate allergies find these crosses compatible, but individual immune responses vary significantly.

Families with severe allergies are strongly advised to spend time with Doodles in person before reserving. F1B generation dogs (approximately 75% Poodle genetics) generally carry stronger non-shedding traits. This guidance does not apply to unfurnished puppies.

Two genes govern coat expression: the curl gene (KRT71) and the furnishings gene (RSPO2). Embark testing and Pair Predictor analysis predict coat outcomes before each pairing.

Care is conducted in partnership with Medford Veterinary Clinic. The first vaccine combination is given at approximately 6 weeks. Deworming with Fenbendazole begins at 2 weeks and continues at 4, 6, and 8 weeks, with the 12-week deworming completed by the family after placement.

Any go-home involving travel across state lines, a flight nanny, ground transport, or family travel from another state requires the Travel-Ready Health Certificate Package (CVI), $295, which includes the veterinary wellness exam, the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, vaccination updates if due, and the official health record packet. All documentation is included in each puppy's take-home packet.

This policy protects the health of puppies and breeding dogs. Parvovirus, which is often fatal to young puppies, can be carried on clothing and footwear without visible symptoms, surviving on surfaces for months to years. Parasites including roundworm, coccidia, and giardia present additional biosecurity risks.

Families may schedule a documented virtual tour before reserving. Stokeshire does not conduct parking-lot transfers or anonymous exchanges.

This standard supports neurological, behavioral, and social development. Each puppy is assigned a Go-Home Eligibility Date, the later of the 8-week birthday or the day after purchase is completed in full, followed by a 3-day pickup window beginning on that date. Your puppy's dates are posted on its litter page and confirmed to you in writing.

Puppies enrolled in Doodle School or Bootcamp remain at Stokeshire for the duration of their program. Any transported go-home, by flight nanny or ground transport, occurs at a minimum of 8 weeks of age in accordance with federal animal transport regulations.

Your puppy's Go-Home Eligibility Date is the later of the 8-week birthday or the day after your purchase is completed in full. Your 3-day pickup window begins on that date. Both dates are posted on your puppy's litter page and confirmed to you in writing before checkout.

If you choose a go-home date after your window, for travel, work, or any other reason of your own, Bootcamp is billed from the Go-Home Eligibility Date through the day before pickup. The pickup window is a scheduling allowance for your family's travel. It carries no cash value and is not deducted from enrollment. If you did not choose a later date and simply were not able to collect, billing begins the day after your window closes.

Why this exists. A puppy who stays past go-home is not sitting idle. Those days are structured work: crate confidence, housebreaking foundations, leash skills, routine, and social exposure, carried by a trainer. That is a program, not storage, and it is priced as one. Families planning a longer stay generally choose the 4-week Doodle School program, $5,600, which covers 28 days of the same work.

Enrollment is prepaid, is subject to trainer availability, and is not guaranteed. If no program slot is available for your dates, you take custody during your pickup window.

Coordination covers transporter verification, acceptance and custody-transfer paperwork, go-home preparation, handoff scheduling, and one schedule change. Additional schedule changes are billed separately. Your transporter must meet applicable federal and state animal transport requirements, and any transported go-home occurs at a minimum of 8 weeks of age.

Why this exists. The go-home work on our side is the same no matter whose team makes the trip. Your transporter serves as your authorized representative at handoff, the person who observes, accepts, and takes custody of your puppy on your behalf, so verification and acceptance paperwork have to be right. Travel documentation is also date-bound: the veterinary exam and health certificate are issued against a specific departure window, so a schedule change generally means re-coordinating the veterinary visit, the certificate, and your puppy's preparation.

Booking transport that departs after your pickup window closes does not satisfy the window. Any go-home involving travel across state lines requires the Travel-Ready Health Certificate Package (CVI), $295, regardless of who transports your puppy.

The contract outlines health guarantee terms, return requirements, care standards, and spay or neuter agreements. The guarantee reflects the program's long-term responsibility for structural and hereditary soundness, supported by comprehensive health testing of all parent dogs. Full terms are in the Terms of Service.

You, or an authorized representative you designate, are physically present with your puppy and have the opportunity to personally observe and evaluate it before taking custody. Final sale and transfer of ownership occur at that in-person handoff, not at online checkout.

Online checkout, deposits, selection, and matching reserve and prepare your placement. They do not, by themselves, complete the sale or transfer ownership.

At pickup or delivery, you or your authorized representative are present with the puppy, may review its records, and may accept or decline before taking custody. Title, ownership, responsibility, and custody transfer only when you or your representative accept the puppy in person and take custody.

If a material health, identity, or documentation issue is observed at handoff, you may decline before taking custody, and any refund or remedy is handled under the Purchase Agreement and Returns and Reservation Policy.

Your representative may be a family member, friend, or a courier, handler, or transporter you select and authorize. Whoever transports your puppy, the in-person observation and acceptance are performed by you or your representative.

Your representative's observation, acceptance, and receipt of the puppy have the same effect as if you were present, and you remain responsible for their decision.

Beyond state licensing, Stokeshire is certified by Good Dog, the third-party vetting program that audits breeder health, welfare, and breeding practices. This certification is independently maintained and is the standard against which our breeding decisions, health protocols, and care practices are measured.

Every puppy is placed at a minimum of 8 weeks of age, exceeding Wisconsin's 7-week legal minimum, and goes home with complete health and vaccination records.

Transport is by in-cabin flight nanny or approved ground transport. You or your authorized representative are present at the handoff to observe and accept the puppy before custody transfers.

The 7-day veterinary exam must include written documentation of the puppy's overall health and wellness, signed by the veterinarian, and submitted to Stokeshire. Failure to complete this exam voids all guarantees under the agreement.

Trupanion insurance is activated using the code provided in your take-home packet. If your puppy is enrolled in Doodle School or Bootcamp, Trupanion must be active before that program begins. If your puppy is enrolled automatically because you did not take custody during your pickup window, we will notify you and coverage must be active within 24 hours of that notice. Insurance is a required condition of placement, not a recommendation.

No rotation or substitution of protein sources (including chews, toppers, or supplements) is permitted without written approval from Stokeshire. The only exception is a documented veterinary emergency, in which case the attending veterinarian's written instructions supersede this protocol.

Premature protein changes are thought to be among the leading contributors to gastrointestinal and dermatologic disruption in young dogs. This protocol exists to protect the puppy through the window of greatest developmental vulnerability. After the 90-day period, protein rotation can be reintroduced gradually in consultation with your veterinarian.

Research indicates that very early spay and neuter can increase the risk of certain joint disorders and cancers, particularly in larger dogs. For this reason, Stokeshire will grant written extensions to 18 or 24 months for large-breed dogs and for medical necessity, in consultation with the family's veterinarian.

Extensions must be requested and approved in writing before the 12-month deadline. Stokeshire dogs are sold strictly as companion pets with no breeding rights. Unauthorized breeding carries liquidated damages of $25,000 per unauthorized litter under the Purchase Agreement.

Required throughout the guarantee period:

Annual wellness exams with a licensed veterinarian, age-appropriate vaccinations maintained on schedule, and monthly heartworm and parasite prevention. During the first 12 months, families are asked to protect growth plates by avoiding repetitive high-impact exercise, jumping from heights, and forced exertion before the dog is structurally mature.

No food purchase receipts are required. The standard is simply that the puppy is fed a quality, size-appropriate diet formulated for its life stage.

Delaying microchipping allows all identification and veterinary records to be registered directly to the new owner from the outset, supporting continuity of care and long-term health management.

Stokeshire retains a right of first refusal on any rehoming, transfer, or sale of the dog. You may not surrender the dog to a pet store, broker, laboratory, shelter, or rescue without Stokeshire's written consent. Lifetime return is always accepted; no refund is provided on return.

This policy ensures ongoing welfare accountability for every dog we produce. Full terms are available at wisconsindesignerdoodles.com/returns-policy.

Raising two puppies together significantly increases the risk of littermate syndrome, which includes bonding difficulties, training delays, and long-term behavioral instability. The program prioritizes healthy psychological development. Exceptions may be considered for select clients on a case-by-case basis.

Scented bandannas are rubbed on littermates and the dam to ease the transition home. Bags weigh under 3 lbs. Doodle School graduates receive additional materials. Flight Nanny clients receive a complimentary soft travel crate.