Cornerstone Purchase Process- FAQ’s

Application approved? Make your puppy reservation.

At Cornerstone Labradoodles we only breed genetically sound Australian Labradoodles. We have achieved the highest honor given to a breeding program by the ALAA which is the GOLD PAW for extensive health testing on ALL our breeding dogs. We do genetic testing, hip, elbow, eye, thyroid, and breeder panel testing with various other blood tests, alternatively, a breeder that does not put time or money into the care of their dogs and puppies or does not spend any money on health testing will have the ability to sell puppies at a lesser cost.

All Cornerstone puppies, regardless of gender, color or markings, are 3,500.00 plus MD sales tax. (210.00)

Step 1:  Email us about the litter that interests you, we have alot of information on our website and we are happy to speak with you.

Step 2:  Fill out an application form, the tab is on the top right. After we receive the application we will contact you on the phone to discuss your application.

Step 3:  Once the application is approved, you will be able to submit the $500 non-refundable reservation and consultation fee, this will hold your place on the litter reservation list, if the puppy with the characteristics you desire is not in the litter, we can transfer the fee to another litter.  This fee is non-refundable.

There are a few times a year we will hold back a puppy from one of our litters and train them for 4 weeks and 8 weeks.  If your family is interested in a trained puppy please email us.

Please do not send in the reservation fee with the application, that is not how the Cornerstone process works.

Once your application is approved, you will be able to send in your deposit.  Payment can be done via Zelle or Square, there will be a small admin service charge added from Square.​​ The balance will be due when the puppy is 6 weeks old.

All our puppies come with a two (2) year health guarantee.  Please email us and we will gladly email you a copy.

We reserve the right to refuse sale at any time to anyone and refund the fee at anytime.

Ready for a Cornerstone pup? Check out our current and upcoming litters by clicking on the “Litters” link in the navigation bar.   We look forward to hearing from you, on our contact us form with questions.

The Adoption Journey

It’s hard to contain the excitement when you get the email that mama is pregnant and your family is on the list to take home a new puppy!  It may seem like it will be forever before your baby is ready to be picked up, but there is alot you can do to to prepare in the weeks to come before you can take home your new family member.  You will experience the journey with news of the birth, and milestone emails, video’s and photo galleries to see how your puppy is growing.

Learn about how the adoption journey goes:

  • Once puppies are born, we will let you know via email and you will continue to receive updates and pictures every week. 

  • At 6 weeks the final invoice will be due.

  • At 7 weeks the puppies are evaluated with a trainer and allocated to families.  After temperament testing we will contact you to match a puppy that will be the best fit for your family, temperament will be the primary consideration, that followed by color or gender. It is our goal that the best puppy be matched to your family. It is important to understand that personality and not appearance determine the best puppy for your family. 

  • Click here to learn more about how our puppies are placed.   

  • All puppies will have had age appropriate vaccinations, been dewormed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks, have been microchipped and vet checked.

  • At 6 weeks of age, we will confirm if the puppy will meet the vet’s weight criteria for surgery, and if so, they will have their spay/neuter surgery at 7 weeks, if not they will go out a legally binding spay/neuter contract.                                           
  •   This is non-negotiable and strictly enforced.

  • Puppies have started on potty training and crate training at 5 weeks, and are sleeping through the night in a crate.

  • We start neurological stimulation at 3 days old and introduce early scent therapy, they are well socialized with young children that live in our home, many friends and and other dogs. They will be accustomed to household noises, city sounds and driving in the car.  We follow Dr. Sophia Yin’s socialization guide till 8 weeks of age.
  • Health record, food sampling, and “litter-scented” toy from home
  • ALAA “Official” Pedigree
  • We have partnered with Trupanion Pet Insurance and they offer coverage for your puppy’s first 30 days completely free of charge, we will supply you with the information so you can benefit from this valuable offer.                                                                                                                                 
  • We offer you 25% discount on the Baxter and Bella Puppy Training School. Code: CORNERSTONE                         
  • At 8 weeks old your puppy is ready to be picked up in our home, where they were born and raised.                              
  • We also teach a basic puppy 101 training class, that is done on Zoom prior to puppy pick up and we require you to attend.                                                                                                                                                                                                    
  • There are times we can hold your puppy after the litter pick up date and deliver your puppy. Please contact us as this is planned on an individual basis.  There is an additional charge for these services.                                                   
  • A life time of support from us.

FAQ’s 

 

  • What sizes do you offer?  We specialize in a mini’s and mediums. Our “sweet spot” is between 20-30lbs at maturity. We will occasionally, depending on the pairing have larger or smaller puppies but the majority of our puppies fall in that range.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  • Should I expect a “perfect” puppy?  I am sure you already know the answer to this question, but NO! Our puppies are… well, puppies. They will still get into naughtiness and mischief, nibble on hands, potty on the floor, and  test boundaries.  We do everything we can to set them up for success and give them the best start and a solid foundation, it is your training, time, and continuous commitment that is needed to grow your dog into well behaved and treasured member of your family.  All our training and directions are valuable tools to help you raise the best dog you can. We highly recommend group puppy classes, beginner classes, and advanced classes that are age appropriate.  Finding a positive reinforcement trainer is going to help continue the training that we have already started. Puppies will be puppies, as they should be.  I always say, a tired puppy is a good puppy, just like a child!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  • How are your puppies with kids?  Our puppies are very well socialized with young children, however  puppies are puppies.  The adults need to have boundaries, proper handling, and training.  This is where Baxter and Bella comes in and having that as a guide and resource is critical.  We let our families know what our trainer tells us,  it is more about training your kids how to behave around the puppy than training your puppy to be gentle with your kids. We ask that the puppy is respected, is given a kid free zone, adequate down time daily, proper boundaries, and that the child is behaved.                                                                                                                                      
  • Do you have any older puppies or adults available?  No, we rarely have opportunities for an older adult available. We have amazing guardian homes for most of our breeding dogs, we have Pixie and May that live here with us.  We do have an option of additional training, please email us to learn more about those options.  They offer you an opportunity of bringing your puppy home at an older age, crate trained and potty trained, with basic commands.                                                                                                                                                                 
  • Why do they cost so much?  When a  program does such extensive testing, as ours does, to all our breeding stock, we do this to ensure you are getting a healthy puppy to bring in to your family. There are stud costs, veterinary care for mom and puppies, vaccinations, and microchipping among other costs. We offer a lifetime of support and a 2 year health guarantee.  We have to cover all of the expenses and ensure the quality of puppies we are raising.  All reputable Australian labradoodle breeders fall in the same price point in this part of the country.  If you find a puppy for a lesser cost, you are getting something very different, so please do your due diligence research.