The Bautz family and the dogs they love.
A breeding and training family on a seven-acre Tennessee ranch — building healthy, loyal Australian Labradoodles for families across the country.
"Quite frankly, this is a dream — and we are just so honored and excited to invite you to share that dream with us."
— The Bautz Family
Quality dogs to quality people, so both can live their best lives — together.
At Best Life Labradoodles, we believe dogs aren't just pets — they're family. Our mission is to match quality dogs with quality people, so both can live their best lives together.
The work traces back to a deep-rooted passion for animals, a lifelong dedication to breeding and training, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We breed exceptional Australian Labradoodles with focus on health, temperament, and companionship — because a well-trained, well-bred, well-loved dog enhances life in immeasurable ways.
Three decades as entrepreneurs.
One pack we're proud of.
The Bautz family spent over thirty years building businesses before buying a ranch in 2012. The Labradoodles came in 2014. The two have been inseparable ever since.
John Bautz
Breeder & Trainer
John began dog training at age twelve and has spent more than 25 years working professionally with animals. After a career as a design engineer, he transitioned to ranching, animal training, and breeding. His approach is to train both dogs and their human handlers — together.
Janis Bautz
Breeder & Educator
Janis describes herself as the ultimate dog lover from childhood. With a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and Behavior Analysis, she brings teaching expertise to training methodology — and creates educational content for clients and the wider Labradoodle community.
Mitchell Bautz
Family + Pack
Mitchell, the family's son, earned a Bachelor's from Columbia College Chicago before joining the family business. Families consistently describe him as carrying a calm, trustworthy presence around dogs and people alike.
Seven acres in Arrington, Tennessee.
The story started in 2012 with a ranch purchased for horse boarding, training, and breeding farm animals. In 2014, the family welcomed their first Australian Labradoodle — and launched Best Life Labradoodles in Chicago.
Today we live and work on a seven-acre property near Nashville with a beautiful home and on-site training facility. Our combined backgrounds in training, education, and entrepreneurship inform everything we do — and we still believe a well-bred, well-trained, well-loved dog enhances life in ways you can't measure.
Want to meet the pack?
Get to know our breeding dogs, see what's coming, or start an application to join the family interest list.
