Where to Get a Dog

We got our golden doodle from Quart Mountain Doodles and Poodles in Placerville and she is the absolute best dog. They don't have cavapoos, but do have small and mini goldendoodles. They were wonderful to work with and have a large family home where they breed the dogs. 

Your family seems like a good candidate to work with a shelter to foster likely candidates, rather then go right to adoption. If everyone in your family is on board with the fact that the dog may not be your forever dog, I would think you'd want to do that this time around. When we first dipped our toes into dog life, we started with fostering a dog who was absolutely insane and even the shelter ended up having to rehome him multiple times. Sometimes dogs just have problems and need very experienced families. I was really happy we didn't adopt first.

We adopted our dog from the Solano County SPCA four years ago and he's had no serious health issues, so yay, but maybe we got lucky. He's a low shedder, relatively allergy-friendly (I am allergic to many types of dog but get virtually no symptoms from him), and chill around most other dogs - occasional barking at big male dogs. I would never ever patronize a breeder due to the unethical nature of the industry (as you are aware), no matter what individual ones say about their business practices. That's why the shelters who do foster to adopt are worth a look for you.

Have you tried Petfinder.com?  It's mostly a rescue site BUT it includes every rescue site in Northern CA and beyond and you can search by location, breed, size, temperament, rescue org, etc. There are so many purebred rescues on there and just rescues in general that will match you with the perfect dog for your family!  We found our last rescue through petfinder in Redwood City and honestly we would have never search that far normally. She is a small pittie mix but we weren't picky about breed.  We have friends that have a purebred golden retriever that were linked up with a golden rescue in upper Northern CA through Petfinder.  There are so many options!  I don't know why more people don't know about it!  Give it a try, I'm sure you will find a pup you will fall in love with.  Shelters are overflowing right now, there are so many great rescues out there!

When you're not in a position to deal with dog issues (separation anxiety, fear of kids/bikes, dislikes car travel, etc) it's extra important to NOT get a puppy or a dog directly from a shelter because it's impossible to know what the dog's personality is. The worst thing you could do is adopt a puppy or dog, discover you can't handle his issues, and then further traumatize him/her with another abandonment. The ideal way to find the right dog when you need a very specific personality and type of behavior is to contact a few rescue organization that have dogs in foster homes (not in a kennel) so the foster parent can tell you exactly what the dog is like in different situations. In the Bay Area I would suggest Rocket Dog Rescue, Family Dog Rescue, and Furry Friends Rescue.

I've been fortunate to live with dogs most of my life. The sweetest, easiest, most gentle Dog I ever had was Bella. I looked for 6 months. I fostered and was so GLAD I did. From fostering I was able to discover the nature of the dog(s) and also realize that I should not adopt a large, female shepherd under a year old....which was exactly what I had asked for. Also, upon returning the dog(s) I didn't feel guilty. It was a win-win. That experience pushed me to explore other avenues outside the immediate bay area....and I had looked from Sacramento to Marin and all cities inbetween. I found my girl on Petfinder. She was located in the Tulare County Shelter. 4 hour drive. High kill shelter. I was there the next day. She had been on the street, she was malnourished. We drove immediately to Micky D's. Haft Aussie, half Shepherd, 1 year old. Adored everyone. Wanted to engage with every dog she met. Smart as a whip. I tell everyone to look outside their comfort area. This is a creature that will be a member of your family for Years. Yes, there are many needy dogs in the Bay Area, but it's like finding a partner, you want the one meant for only you. Best of luck...

Hi - chiming in to disagree with a poster who advised against getting a puppy. Bottom line - every dog on the planet will have some behaviors that you don’t like and ALL will be an adjustment. I am an extremely experienced dog owner, and dog foster parent. You run more of a risk with an adult dog having issues like separation anxiety or fear aggression - and these can be unsolvable in an adult. Dogs aren’t born with high anxiety any more than humans are - it’s created by their lived experience. A puppy will for sure go thru periods of anxiety bc they’re developmental, just like kids do, but with your training and consistency and loads of puppy socializing, they’ll grow into a great fit for your family. All the most calm easy dogs I’ve ever owned I’ve raised from puppyhood. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t luck out with an adult foster - you could. But with a puppy you can also create a happy calm dog too. I wonder whether you should really consider getting an actual service dog? They can be amazing.

I think dog rescue / dog adoption are great but would like to offer an an alternative way of getting a dog. Guide Dogs for the Blind (in San Rafael) have a program called “breeder custodians”. After puppies return to GDB for formal training they select certain dogs to use as breeders. As a breeder custodian you agree to care for the dog while it is a breeder and once they “retire” you have the opportunity to adopt. We are on our third breeder and the relationship with GDB has been wonderful and rewarding for both us and our kids who have grown up with these dogs and learned about the important function they serve. 
For more information: https://www.guidedogs.com/volunteering/breeder-custodian