I have purchased two dogs over the year from this very knowledgeable and experienced breeder. I have referred many co-worker, friends, family as well. It is surprising how many people do not understand that NO breeder could predict cancer, addisons or any other unforseen illness like this. Needing someone to BLAME is more what I am reading. As far as deposits being non-refundable- that is CLEARLY STATED when you put in the deposit on their website. If people were refused a dog - good on the breeder for screening owners. I suggest visiting them in person. They actually have in person visits and answer the phone when you call unlike MOST OTHER BREEDERS. They are amazing at education and helping you through the process of raising your dog. I have heard so many horror stories from friends about scams and poor temermented dogs they bought on kijiji or from a puppy mill. The cost of a unhealthy dog from a home breeder just about bankrupted a friend of mine. So many of these reviews seem like they are people who are fake or unreasonable hard to please people. read more

Yes. I absolutely recommend them! Professional, experienced and knowledgeable. Great experience. I know many people with their dogs. They came highly recommended. read more

We got our puppy in 2022. He recently had an Addisonian crisis that he barely survived and is now diagnosed with Addison´s disease. This disease affects poodles, retrievers and doodles, among other breeds. Crisis are very often fatal, and diagnosed dogs need meds for life. Our vet suggested to contact the breeder so they take this info into account for breeding practices due to Addison´s disease being almost always hereditary. Lakewood Ranch responded with a defensive message, comparing Addison to cancer: bad luck and unpredictable.This is not true. While cancer in dogs can be hereditary, it is usually multifactorial; Addison´s is the opposite: it is usually hereditary and only occasionally multifactorial. Furthermore, the breeder did not ask us about the litter our puppy came from, which indicates they don't keep a record of Addison´s cases, as a conscientious breeder would do to act accordingly and minimize future chances of puppies inheriting the disease. This disease is difficult to diagnose until dogs have a crisis (usually when they are young adults). Our dog suffered from GI issues since day 1, and it turns out that is one of the vague symptoms Addison´s disease manifests. The scare, the suffering of the puppies, the enormous expense!!! For Lakewood to be a holistic breeder they need to become accountable (give information about this disease to buyers, keep a public record, ...) and start being proactive on this issue as there are breeding practices that minimize the chances of transmission. read more

My wife put in a deposit yesterday to purchase a dog from this breeder and within 24 hours I called them to receive a refund of our deposit. They told me that due to the admin fees incurred by them they are unable to refund the $500 deposit. I would strongly urge people against going to this breeder as Linda has now instructed me to read the fine print of the deposit and that they will not be refunding us any of the deposit. read more

The facilities are clean, the dogs are all happy and well cared for. I observed a few people tending to the needs of the dogs and facility. It most certainly is not a puppy mill. Vanessa is truly a down-to-earth honest, extremely knowledgeable and a very compassionate breeder of beautiful pups. I wouldn't hesitate recommending The Doodle Ranch to anyone looking for an adorable healthy pup. read more

I initially made contact with Linda, the owner of Lakewood Ranch Doodles in April 2020, shortly after we out down our 15 yr old goldendoodle. Needless to say we were not yet ready to get a new puppy but I requested a quote. Linda provided the following information not me: "You can reserve your spot in a litter on the deposit page. TOTAL PRICE FOR ALL Colours IS $2500 Keep in mind- we breed calm dogs. They are all 45-55 lbs. f 1 is a loose curl coat (50% poodle) F 1b is a curlier coat (75% poodle) best for allergies. Neither have shedding issues." On April 13th I placed a reservation, her full application form, in response to the quote above but advised that we would be waiting a couple months as our family grieved. On November 15, 2020 emailed Linda advising that I placed a deposit of $500 and inquired when the next litter would be available with our requested colours. Linda contacted me in December offering us a puppy but it was not the colour we requested so we declined. At this time Linda seemed very agitated and was argumentative but we stood our ground wanting our specific colour combinations. Later, again in December, we were sent a photo of a female puppy who matched our request so we agreed to move forward. At this time no information had been shared with me about pricing so I assumed that our original email contract held firm. 8 weeks later we arrived to pick up Koda bringing the necessary "cash only", $2000 for a total payment of $2500. To our shock and dismay, the price was now $3500 but because our puppy was born in December she would honour pricing of $3200. We had a written contract for $2500 and cash in hand. Linda was not there on the day of pick up, which I have learned is her MO to avoid confrontations it appears of this kind. So I telephoned Linda and forwarded the email contract we had. She claims it was my responsibility to go on her website and review the fee updates on a regular basis!!! Who updates their fees so frequently except those breeders taking advantage of the COVID inflation prices for dogs!!! Not once was I informed of the price increase and because I have owned dogs my entire life I didn't feel the need to constantly read her website to prepare for our puppy to come home. It is the vendors responsibility to inform the buyer of price changes NOT the other way around!!!! So since we were there I offered to pay the difference between her original quote and the November price of $700; so I transferred her an additional $350 on top of the $2500 we already paid. I expect a full refund of this amount, $350, and for the BBB to hold Lakewood accountable to their original quote. On a lesser note, I had contacted Linda via email with a number of questions trying to honour her holistic breeding practices. She was exceptionally rude, almost calling my stupid, and was petulant and demeaning in her response. Linda has not business working with dogs and people. She is vial in how she treats people and can't be believed for anything she says. And it would behoove anyone interested in using her as a breeder to determine the kickbacks or commission she makes by insisting we purchase TLC dog food. TLC may be convenient but doesn't compare to scientifically formulated and tested daily prescription dog food. With Lakewood and Linda specifically, I say buyer beware. (I feel bad for the kids that work with her...move on and get a better breeder with morals and values!) I intend to post on Better Business Bureau to get my money back and to breeders sites, and other sites to get this story out. She is disrespectful and clearly runs a puppy mill for all the out posts on the property and the number dogs being delivered. She should be shut down. Don't ask her anything...she will call you stupid, tear a strip off you and tell you to read her poorly copied and pasted over and over again emails and website (website design and deployment sucks btw) read more

Great breeder. People need to realize they get what they give. I'm glad to see they will refuse to sell someone a puppy. Thats the sign of a good breeder. I find it surprising someone would put in a deposit and suddenly change their mind so suddenly on making such a big commitment to a live animal. Obviously they didn't think through the plan. Or read any of the information provided on their website. I did and had a great experience with this breeder. I laughed about the one where the person waited 7 months to put in a deposit and didn't read the page they put their deposit in on to see the price. People need to take responsibility for their own research and actions! Stop blaming this good family breeder for your own mistakes. read more

We had been counting down the days for our new puppy to join our family. Our daughter's birthdays are April/May and having a puppy has been our family's main wish for last 2 years. With the COVID travel restrictions we had some inquiries on how the delivery accommodations could work. Linda became furious with our questions and accused us of being dishonest. We were expecting to bring our dog home at the end of next week but Linda decided to suddenly pull the dog from our family over email. I pleaded that she speak with us and not break my children's heart. My daughter begged her to change her mind. Instead she simply sent back our deposit on Easter Friday leaving our family heartbroken and in disbelief that such an impactful decision was made by Linda with no empathy . Her only reply was a text message to stop contacting her or she would call the police. She already had another buyer in place and our requests were in vain. Not once did Linda speak to us! All the warning signs were there, whenever we had a question we were made to feel like a bother and directed to her website, there is very little information regarding the lineage and certifications of each litter. Perhaps the most telling warning sign is that Linda accepts no responsibility and places 100% of the blame on her clients on all reviews. Take your time to read her replies to the comments below, her reply to this comment will most certainly again be filled with blame and accusations. We will never be able to understand how a few questions over delivery resulted in such a mean spirited and vengeful reaction. This is the behaviour of a real life Cruella de vil. BEWARE !! read more

We brought our golden doodle puppy home April 2021. We were so impressed with the entire process, it all went very smoothly and our beautiful new puppy was a healthy, happy boy! He adjusted so well, slept through the night after just a couple of nights and was very easy to potty train. He turned one in February 2022 and now we get to see what a loving, sweet and gentle dog he is. I see lots of goldendoodles these days, but I must say they don't all have the same temperament as our guy. One of the reasons we chose to go with Lakewood was because they strive to breed for calm temperaments. We have three children and he is amazing with all of them and he is so sweet with other dogs too. He loves his walks, camping trips, swimming, and loves car rides! He is the perfect addition to our family and I would only buy from Lakewood! They know what they're doing and we couldn't be happier! read more