Prodigy Acres
WELCOME TO PRODIGY acres
Bred with Care.
Raised with Love.
Cherished by Families.
Located in Pella, Iowa
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The Prodigy Acres Difference
We are a family and so we understand that you want nothing but the absolute best for your family. At Prodigy Acres, we are committed to producing the outstanding companions, therapy and service dog prospects. Our commitment begins with the dogs that we choose to be our puppy parents. The health and temperament testing performed on them, is the first step in ensuring physical health and mental well-being for future generations. And with every new birth begins a promise. A promise to prepare every puppy for a lifetime of love from one very special family. But our commitment to our dogs and their families, does not stop there. We are here to support you for the lifetime of your dog, and beyond.
WHAT SETS US APART?
We have a commitment to the health and well being of every puppy that is produced in our program. This commitment shines in the health testing that is performed on our parent dogs, as well as our engagement with each and every puppy during the weeks that we are blessed to spend with them. Our program was built with a focus on temperament tested and titled dogs to not only produce the most magnificent family pets but too also raise puppies to serve as personal therapy and service dogs.
HEALTH TESTING
Our puppies' long-term health is one of our highest priorities. Every breeding dog in our program undergoes extensive health testing well beyond the recommended breed standards. By screening for hereditary conditions and evaluating structural health, we work to reduce the risk of inherited diseases and help ensure our puppies enjoy long, healthy lives.
Our health testing includes:
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PennHIP Evaluation
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OFA Hip Evaluation
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OFA Elbow Evaluation
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OFA Cardiac (Echocardiogram)
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OFA Patella Evaluation
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Annual CAER Eye Examination
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Comprehensive DNA genetic testing
By carefully evaluating each parent before breeding, we can make informed breeding decisions and give our puppy families peace of mind.
TEMPERAMENT TESTING
Of utmost importance to us is the temperament of the puppies that we are producing. So we started our program with some of the best breed representatives. Our parent dogs all originated from lines bred for intelligence, structure, and biddable temperaments. As puppies, Volhard temperament testing was done on our parent dogs with all of them receiving mostly scores of 3 and 4. We perform the same Volhard temperament testing on every puppy we place to ensure the best possible fit with their new family. (To read more on Volhard Temperament testing, visit the Volhard Testing page on our Dog Blog.)
HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPPIES
Our puppies are all raised in our home, experiencing all of the sights, smells, and sounds of being a family. Beginning on the third day of life and continuing through the sixteenth day, our puppies undergo Early Neurological Stimulation exercises (ENS). The U.S. Military developed this program to reduced lifelong stress and improve performance in their working dogs. ENS is a series of five simple exercises that are performed on each puppy, once per day during the specified time frame. The exercises are short, but the benefits are seen throughout the dogs lifetime. (Read more about ENS on our Dog Blog). We are committed to properly socializing each one of our puppies in the weeks that they are with us and we begin this process using Puppy Culture as our foundation curriculum. Incorporating PC into the raising of our litters ensures each puppy that we raise is going to have a wide variety of experiences in the time that they are with us to prepare them from the world ahead.
We understand that a puppy's temperament is both nature and nurture, so we do our best to get both right. While we chose the very best temperament tested parent dogs, we know that our work does not stop there and so we nurture the inborn potential of each and every one of our puppies in a variety of ways while they are with us. The methods that we use in the first few weeks, is just the beginning of proper socialization for our puppies. To ensure proper socialization will continue when our puppies go to their new homes, we do require a plan to be in place for the puppy to attend puppy socialization classes and beginning obedience. The window for proper puppy socialization is short, closing when they are around 16 weeks of age. We provide each new family with the tools to be successful in continuing their puppy's socialization when they go home. To encourage that our puppies mature to their full potential, we do have a reward system for those that pursue further training and earn AKC or UKC titles, in conformation, therapy dog, obedience and agility.
The commitment of our dogs also shines in our commitment to continually educating ourselves on all things canine.
Our English Labrador Retrievers are known for their calm, affectionate nature, blocky build, and eagerness to please. They make wonderful family companions, loyal friends, and versatile dogs that excel in a variety of activities.
Our Standard Poodles combine intelligence, elegance, and athleticism with affectionate, people-oriented personalities. Their highly trainable nature and low-shedding coats make them a favorite for active families looking for a devoted companion.