Imagine a dog that's sweet enough, and gentle enough, and smart enough to be the daily companion of a child or an adult with disabilities, and you're imagining the incredible family companions bred by Paradise Labradoodles.

In July of 2005, two years after we began breeding Australian labradoodles, we became the first labradoodle breeder to be designated an official service dog breeding program. Everything that goes into breeding and raising a potential service or therapy dog, however, applies equally to raising the ultimate family companion.

Every puppy is socialized and imprinted from the moment of birth to maximize its potential as a service dog. The pups are then temperment tested at six weeks of age to select the ones that will begin service dog training. Often the only factor distinguishing the ones who will go into training from those that will go to families as pets is which ones have a natural retrieve ability.

Co-owners Summer Harrison and Linda Nuland-Ames both came to the world of the labradoodle through their experiences with children with disabilities. Both are moms of children with disabilities and met in 2001 through their advocacy on behalf of children's medical, educational and civil rights.

In 2001, Summer began looking for a therapy dog for her then-two-year-old daughter Hannah. Hannah had seizures that couldn't be controlled, sensory integration disorder, and cerebral palsy -- all medical issues that Summer felt a therapy dog could benefit. The search was a futile one, however, until Linda told her about the Australian labradoodle, and the rest is now history.

At Paradise Labradoodles, we are very honored to have been designated the official service dog breeding program for Hawaii Fi-Do, one of two certified service dog trainers in the state of Hawaii.  Hawaii Fi-Do is a non-profit organization based on Oahu, and trainer Susan Luehrs is the only certified service dog trainer in Hawaii working to provide assistance animals to children with disabilities.

Our success can perhaps best be measured by the fact that four out of Coco and Rex's first litter of ten puppies, three of seven puppies from May 2005, and three of eight puppies from our November 2005 litter, are currently in training as therapy and service dogs. 

Congratulations to two very committed and dedicated mothers on the island of Kauai, Hawaii on the commencement of their special breeding program for Labradoodle Therapy Dogs for Children with Disabilities. Linda and Summer will rely on the sale of some of their puppies to provide free Therapy Dogs to families in need of an allergy friendly Therapy Dog for families with special needs. Rutlands Coco Pops arrived in whelp to Hawaii during August 2003 to Summer, and her future breeding mate a big handsome Red puppy from Rutlands Omah and Majestic Ultra Redd arrived home to Linda. Best wishes to these very special people for a great ministry in the making.

--Beverley Manners, Rutland Manor Labradoodle Breeding and Research Center, Victoria, Australia