About Us

Michael Hughes and Leslie Werner

Michael Hughes and Leslie Werner are a husband-and-wife team who started raising miniature labradoodles in 2019. Michael has been training dogs for as long as he can remember, and Leslie has never lived in a home without a dog. Michael and Leslie own three businesses together. With each business, they strive to set themselves apart from others in the industry by going the extra mile for the benefit of their clients and employees. They incentivize their employees by empowering them to use their natural talents to excel in a career they will love, and they are dedicated to providing services or products to their customers that exceed expectations and instill a “come back” mentality.

Michael and Leslie fell in love with doodles, after meeting a friend with a miniature multigenerational Australian Labradoodle who stole their hearts. They knew they had to get one, and the idea of getting into breeding began. They started doing all the research about the best practices for ethical breeding and have followed them verbatim. The results were fantastic, with every new puppy owner to date being overjoyed with their purchase, and multiple clients sending friends to reserve spots for future litters.

After needing to adopt a family member’s miniature Australian Shepherd, Michael and Leslie thought, “wow, if you combine this breed with our Australian labradoodles… these dogs would be freakin’ rock stars!” We had our first litter of Australian Aussiedoodles in the Fall of 2023 and have stayed in touch with the owners of all the pups. The combination of these two breeds brings highly intelligent and active (but not restlessly active) pups with humanlike personalities.

Jack Passmore

Jack Passmore is the proverbial “Dog Uncle” for our doodles in Victoria, Texas. Jack is available 24/7 for the needs of our mommas and puppies. Though he is available 24/7, that does not mean he gives them attention 24/7. We do not want the puppies to go to their new homes expecting to be around someone all the time, as many of our new families will need to leave their puppies at home while at work.

Jack is responsible for feeding, training, deworming, puppy transportation to veterinary appointments, keeping records of behaviors, taking pictures and videos, socializing and supervising the pups around bigger dogs and our cat, and following the latest trends, laws, and veterinary health advice for puppies and adult dogs.

Though none of our pet owners usually speak or see Jack, he plays a huge role in each puppy’s development, and is one of the many reasons we have not had a single dissatisfied customer to date. We will be forever grateful for Jack’s presence in our, and our animal families’ lives.

Maria Velasquez

Maria is the guardian mother of our stud, Millow, and momma Frieda; both are miniature Aussiedoodles. Millow and Frieda came into Maria’s life during a particularly trying time, and she is a walking testimonial to the powerful emotional support our doodles bring to the lives of their owners. Some of what potential owners hear about Aussiedoodles comes from our research done on the breed. However, because Aussiedoodles can be a cross between Australian Shepherds and Poodles, or Australian shepherds and American Labradoodles, or Australian Shepherds and Australian Labradoodles – all with different personality traits –  general information on the internet about Aussiedoodles can be misleading. We strive to educate our potential owners about our Aussiedoodles; and there is no better source of information than the empathetic dog mother, Maria, who is acutely in tune to her dog’s behavior, personality, and needs.  

For 25 years, Maria was a practicing attorney in Venezuela. While still working in the world of Immigration Law in Texas, her time outside of the law firm is spent being a research hound on dog ownership best practices. She is our resident cocinero de comida para perros, which loosely translates to “dog food chef” in Spanish. Every 10-14 days, Maria spends hours making homemade natural dog food for our mommas, puppies, and studs in Texas. It’s not just dog food Maria makes; she also makes healthy treats and dog food toppers – all with natural vitamins that make our adult dogs and puppies thrive. Though all our dogs still eat 25-40% high grade kibble, which definitely has its benefits, since the introduction of Maria’s homemade dog food, our dogs have had more energy, healthier looking coats, and an unmistakable enthusiasm when it’s dinner time – which would melt any dog parent’s heart.

Judy Coles

Judy was a perfect choice for a guardian mother in our breeding program. After a very busy life raising three boys, teaching, and hosting dozens of foreign exchange students, Judy’s innate nature of teaching and nurturing has now transitioned to grandparenting and doodle raising! Judy has a miniature multigenerational Australian Labradoodle momma, Eowyn, and a toy golden doodle, Paddington at her home in Houston, Texas. 

Judy’s home is a revolving door of grandkids, adult children, and senior friends, which makes it a eutopia for puppy socialization. Just like the puppies raised in our home in Victoria, at Judy’s home, puppies get cuddled, stimulated, and trained by people of every age, shape, and gender.

Judy also cooks her own dog food and treats in her home for our breeding doodles and puppies in Houston. All new puppy owners go home with recipes from Judy and Maria.

They say two heads are better than one, but when you have a true team of heads collaborating, researching, and executing, it gives a new meaning to the phrase, “breeding excellence.”

If you’d like to be part of our team, shoot us an email at TheDood@TexasDoodleDood.com