Our Philosophy
Raised With LOVE...
From Our Home To Yours!
Just as it should be. Quality breeder of health tested Goldendoodles serving Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee, and all 50 states
Welcome to Our Ranch!
Welcome to The Mustard Seed Ranch, Home of Quality Goldendoodles in Georgia.
I have had a lifelong love for dogs. We have had several different breeds during our lives. We have loved each of them, but not every breed is for every home. We decided we wanted to find a breed that would be good for various situations. One that is at home in an apartment and out on the farm. One that would be friendly and social with kids of all ages. A dog that could adjust from home with just adults to incorporate children later. The Doodle! What a glorious combination. The intelligence and athleticism of the standard poodle with the loyalty and eagerness of the golden retrievers. And a bonus, low to non-shedding and the ability to live in some homes where allergies are a concern.
We strive to produce healthy and social puppies that will live a long life and provide years of enjoyment to their families. Much of our breeding stock is from WORKING dogs, dogs that hunt, retrieve, and do what they were bred to do.
How We Raise Our Puppies
All our dogs are raised on premium foods with human-grade ingredients. We feed grain-free and non-poultry as we have found most doodles do best on this diet and have fewer allergy issues. All dogs remain current on all vaccinations and year-round parasite and heartworm protection. Our dogs are all now in Guardian Homes. This is a home where they live and are loved daily by a family. They come to us to be bred, deliver and raise their puppies, and then return home. Except for the Mustard Seed Ranch Mascot, our Giant Irish Wolfhound Shamus that many families have met over the years!!
A Blended Family
We are a blended family of 7 kids and 6 grandkids ranging from 1 to 34. Our puppies are born and raised indoors and handled daily by our kids and grandkids. Everyone helps out in one way or another (even if it’s just receiving puppy kisses). Pups are generally born in the bathroom and then move to another room until they begin weaning. They are moved to the nursery we built that was attached to our home at that time. It has central air and heat and allows each Mom some privacy and access to come and go outside as she needs to. Pups are then introduced to a doggie door and "going outside." It is covered and protected, but they still learn to go outside to do their business. Both indoor and outdoor play areas give them extra space to play.
The pups become a part of our family's lives, and we interact with them EVERY DAY! The children have been involved in all aspects of puppy raising, and our pups are very socialized to children of all ages. At birth, our pups are named and receive individual collars to track their health and personality during their development. This helps us to help you in choosing a pup-we can give you an idea of their personality-not, just their color, and coat. Our puppies are wormed at 2,4,6 and 8 weeks of age. We vaccinate at 5 weeks of age, and our vet comes out to examine and vaccinate them at 7 weeks before going home. She also administers their first flea and heartworm preventative at that time. Our pups come home with a health record, a supply of food, a care sheet, a health guarantee, a toy and a blanket that smells like his littermates to ease the transition, a puppy contract, and a two-year health guarantee.
We are responsible for all pups we choose to bring into this world, so we are available by phone or email to any owners with any questions or concerns. We thoroughly encourage professional obedience training. The benefits of a well-trained dog are enormous, and you will enjoy your dog so much more!
We also provide lifetime placement for our pups. If you are not able to care for your Mustard Seed Ranch pup for ANY reason, we will take them back at any time!
Why Choose a Mustard Seed Ranch Puppy?
What a great question! We know so many dogs, puppies, and breeders to choose from. Thanks to the internet, you don’t even have to look in your home state. Just as there is a puppy for everyone, I believe there is a breeder. A breeder with the same opinions and philosophies that you do. Here are some of the things I think set us apart from others.
Health testing! It always starts at the beginning. Healthy pups come from healthy parents. Our dogs are first, and foremost health tested. Unfortunately, Golden Retrievers are plagued with many inherited diseases, which can be passed to your doodle. “Hybrid Vigor” does not prevent them. If you are buying a pup whose parents are not tested or only one parent (and it’s usually the poodle because they have a better chance of passing!), then you are taking a significant risk. We continue our commitment to health by feeding our dogs some of the best foods available. Our dogs are on year-round heartworm and parasite control. Parasites rob their hosts of much-needed nutrition. We work very closely with our veterinarian to ensure all our parents are healthy. There is a link to our vet Below-Feel free to contact them for a reference. We test our dogs for Hip Dysplasia, Heart disease, eye diseases, and much more. But don’t take our word on it. Ask for proof!! We will gladly email you copies of all their results. (And you SHOULD ask for evidence from any breeder!)
All our pups are born in our house, and we attend the birth. Each puppy is identified uniquely when paid, and we monitor them all to make sure each pup nurses and has access to that much-needed colostrum (there is a limited supply, and in a large litter born over several hours, it could be gone and the last pups do not receive the maternal antibodies that they need to ward off disease.)
Pups are raised in our house, right smack in the middle. I could not give my dogs the attention they need and deserve if they were out in a kennel. Pups are raised around kids–screaming kids, vacuums, dishwashers, the theme song to Sponge Bob Squarepants, all the things we expect them to encounter at your home. They are not raised with only the sounds of barking dogs. Pups are held and played with daily. The kids take them to their rooms, on their beds, we all sit and watch TV with puppies. They have even been known to sit at Christmas Dinner with us. It takes a lot of extra time to raise pups indoors-it disrupts our whole life and alters the dynamics of our family, but we feel it is SO important!!
We keep records of each pup as they grow and get to know their personalities. We have Picture Day once a week, and we email you a new picture. You don’t have to call or email and beg for new pictures–we promise a new one every other week.
Building a relationship, we work hard to contact our owners. If we don't, how would we know the health and temperaments of the pups we are producing? We send questionnaires, we hold contests, we send emails, all to keep the lines of communication open, to get feedback, and to offer support for a lifetime!
Our awesome vets here in Georgia
Royston Animal Hospital
Dr. Doris Cato