Our Passion

At Rocky Mountain Australian Labradoodles our passion is to produce happy, healthy Australian Labradoodles that are exceptional examples of their breed.

Every breeding dog is chosen for their great disposition, intelligence, allergy friendly, low shed coat and overall composition.
Prior to breeding, our Labradoodles are extensively tested for genetic defects and general health.
Our Labradoodles are part of the family and live as pets in a loving home.

We adore our Labradoodles and are proud to be an Australian Labradoodle breeder!

The Rocky Mountain Labradoodle Way

The health and emotional state of our mothers is of great importance for ensuring healthy and happy puppies. Our mothers live in a lifetime home as family members. They live a life like most happy family dogs and are surrounded by love. This is great for their individual health and for the health of their developing puppies. They are fed high quality dog food, providing the best nutrition for them and the puppies.

Before mothers are due to give birth, they either stay in their own home or come to our dedicated home nursery which was designed specifically for our mothers and their puppies. Each birth is supervised, which allows us to provide help and encouragement to the mother. We then spend the next 7-8 weeks interacting constantly with the new family, monitoring the mother's health and the progress of the puppies.

Our Story

Karen Elliott started Rocky Mountain Labradoodles due to her love of the breed. For over 15 years she has personally produced quality Australian Labradoodles on a small-scale. Success came from only breeding the healthiest parent Labradoodles with exceptional dispositions and conformation according to the Australian Labradoodle breed standard. Puppies have always been raised in a home environment with love, and specific attention to physical and mental health. Each mother and puppy receives an abundance of care, personal attention and love.

About Karen:

Dogs have been part of Karen's family her whole life. As a young woman, she worked in veterinary clinics and studied animal science at college. When she researched dog breeds to bring a new dog into her adult life, she was compelled to become involved with the labradoodle breed. In no time at all, she found these dogs to be absolutely amazing and the passion of labradoodle breeders and owners was contagious!

That is where our story began. In 2023, we entered a new chapter as Karen decided to scale back her involvement. Sarah Daley, a RMAL Guardian, is gradually taking over the operations (read more about our Guardian Family Program).

About Sarah:

In 2016, Sarah and her family welcomed one of Karen’s breeding females, Tiki, to their family as part of the Guardian Family program. The Daleys enjoyed the Guardian Family experience so much that in 2019, they added Tiki’s daughter, Ponyo to the family.

Sarah has recently assumed a more active role with RMAL and looks forward to continuing the superb genetic line Karen has carefully developed through the years.

Sarah has been passionate about animals from a young age. More recently, she has spent 5 years as a trained volunteer with the local animal shelter and has fostered 300+ young animals for them. Because she has family members who are allergic to dogs, she was thrilled to find the Australian Labradoodles' ability to co-exist with most allergic humans. Finally, she could have a dog and still invite her family to visit! Sarah appreciates the support of her husband, daughters and extended family as she pursues this passion.

We are a registered Australia Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) breeder. Both Karen and Sarah are passionate about their dogs, love them as family members and are very proud to be contributing to the Labradoodle legacy one happy family at a time!

Karen adventuring with her dogs

Sarah and Tiki

Puppy Raising

From the moment the puppies are born they are handled. Throughout their developmental stages, our puppies are handled and exposed to new experiences and stimulating objects appropriate for each stage.

Developmental stages and experiences we include at Rocky Mountain Australian Labradoodles:

Neo-natal Period (1-14 days) –

Eyes and ears are closed.
Puppies nurse, sleep and crawl.
Puppies start with basic daily handling to chart the puppies’ weight and check their health.

Day three –

Neurological stimulation starts and lasts 14 days. This is a once a day handling program that has increased benefits for:
- cardiovascular health
- adrenal glands
- immune system
- nervous system

Transition Period (14-21 days)

Eyes and ears open and puppies begin to walk.
Puppies are given toys with different textures and sounds.
They are individually handled daily.

Awareness/Identification Period (21-28 days)

All senses are functioning, puppy teeth erupting.
Puppies are moved to the main room to experience household sights and sounds.
Their whelping box is opened to create designated sleep, play and potty areas.
Puppies are introduced to new toys.
Throughout the day puppies are exposed to different sights and sounds such as; plastic bags being shaken out, ringing bells and popping bubble wrap.

Second Awareness/Identification Period (28-35 days)

Improved depth perception and more physical play.
Puppies start eating softened food.
They begin to have play time outside with different objects to walk, run and play on.
Daily handling continues in addition to being groomed.

Curiosity Period (5-7 weeks)

Puppies become more investigative and are weaning from their mother.
The whelping box is replaced with a large crate and inside pen, along with access to an outdoor pen. They have separate eating and play areas with the crate for sleeping.
They begin to use dog door to potty outside.
Puppies start eating dry kibble.
They are meeting and interact with visitors.

Behavioral Refinement Period (7-8 weeks)

Learning at full capacity and dog to dog behavior.
Puppies receive a vet exam, first vaccinations and get their microchip.
Crate training is introduced.
Puppies spend time with the big dogs exploring additional areas of the yard.
They continue meeting and interacting with visitors.
Puppies go to their homes at eight weeks.

Adding a labradoodle puppy to your family is a big decision. Like any breed, there are many breeders with different ethics and varying qualities of labradoodles. We encourage you to educate yourself about the breed by considering various breeders and speaking with labradoodle owners. This will help you decide which breeder you can trust and what kind of labradoodle is best for you!