Happy birthday Scarlett, Lily, Galaxy, Penelope, Leo and Ariel

Happy fourth birthday to Garnet’s second set of pups!

I can hardly believe that Leo, Lily, Galaxy and their sibs are going to be FOUR!! How time does fly! This was the litter that seemed to take forever to find homes – the first pups were four months old when they went home, and Leo and Ariel didn’t find homes until they were about 10-11 months old. But no matter what, we keep the pups and look after them until they find their forever family. It just wouldn’t be right to do anything else.

Leo, Lily and Galaxy are relatively frequent Doodle Romp attendees, so we get to meet them a couple times a year, which we always enjoy. Penelope lives nearby but we haven’t had the privilege of seeing her since she went home. Scarlett lives close to New York City, and Ariel is in Nova Scotia, so they are far away.

Ariel is also a breeding dog with Scotia Doodles. She has had several litters of lovely phantom, parti and solid coloured pups for Rhonda. She was a lively and friendly girl and we had contemplated keeping her ourselves but decided at that time not to, but we’re happy to keep up with her online.

Happy fourth birthday! 

Have a great time now, in the coming holiday season, and beyond!

 

Ariel is all settled in Nova Scotia

I received a lovely e-mail today from Rhonda of Scotia Doodles, who purchased Ariel as a breeder and welcomed her just two weeks ago. Here is what she had to say:

"Life is funny. I had posted an ad for (Ariel) and got many replies but none that jumped out at me as the right one. She is so easy to have around, I thought I'd just wait and make sure the right match was made. Then Friday night, a couple came to my house to pick up my friend’s Goldendoodle whom I was helping take care of while she is away. They were taking her for the weekend. They had lost their male Golden Retriever a few weeks ago.

"The wife asked if she could meet the other dogs I had in the family room behind the gate, so I let them all out. She was immediately taken with the smaller ones – Daisy and Ariel. I placed Ariel in her arms and she just sank in – it was LOVE! They stayed an hour, discussing the guardian situation and we made plans for me to bring her over the next morning to see how she did with their 2 cats.

"So Saturday morning I took her over, they live only a few streets away. As you might have guessed, she was perfect. The cats had no issue with her and she had none with them. I had to get (my son) to hockey so suggested they keep Ariel for the afternoon. I swear the wife was like a kid at Christmas at that suggestion!

"I called them later that day. They had already taken her shopping and bought sweaters, collars, feeder bowls and a raincoat for her. I met up with them again that night to deliver her crate and she was already bonding with both of them. They are lovely people in their early\mid 50's. Nice home with a large level lot for Ariel to play in and stretch her legs for some running. She is so fast!

"The best part is that because she lives so close, they are going to drop her off 1 day a week for playdates with my dogs so that she remains socialized and comfortable here when she delivers her pups. So I still get to see her  :)

 "Anyway, I just thought you'd want to know she is settled and doing great. She is such a sweet girl. Thanks again for sending her my way."

I'm hoping to get a few photos to share too. It's always great to hear a dog has settled so well and has found just the right family!

A visit from Labradoodles by Design and good-bye to Ariel!

Sue Wilde, of Labradoodles by Design, paid us a visit over the Thanksgiving weekend. She is the breeder whose dog, Sunsethills Ranger, we used for Mo’s second litter, producing Sapphire, Zircon, Carnelian and Oliver Jasper (notice a naming theme?). These were all great pups and we have loved to keep us with the three boys who remained in the Ottawa area, as well as Sapphire who went to Holland.

Sue used to raise llamas in Alberta but moved to Nova Scotia about three years ago and began breeding Labradoodles instead. When we were there she was in Liverpool, but has since moved to a property in the Annapolis Valley with a great view of the Bay of Fundy. We’ll have to head back and see her new place some day!

Anyhow, Sue arrived Saturday morning and spent most of the day with Linda of Canadian Doodle Puppies before coming to our place for the night. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning we spent doing some touristy things in the area – visiting the Byward Market, hiking in the Gatineau Hills, and just enjoying the sights and scenes of the canal and downtown Ottawa.

Monday afternoon Sue, Linda, my family and Martin & Carole who are (Galena's Guardian family enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner together with turkey and all the trimmings. We talked dogs and lots of other things too!

Early this morning, I took Sue to the airport along with Ariel. Sue is taking Ariel back to Nova Scotia and will pass her on to Rhonda of Scotia Doodles, Ariel’s new owner. There was a bit of a kerfuffle as Sue had thought she was on an 8am flight but it was actually 8pm - so she arranged for a different flight (via Toronto) so as to get home before too late in the day. Also, Ariel simply was not comfortable in the soft-sided zipper crate - it was a tad small for her - so we put her in cargo in the bigger plastic crate, which she was fine with. She will have a comfortable ride with lots of room to move around and not be bothered by all the sights, sounds and smell in the cabin.

We are so glad Sue's visit coincided with the timing for Ariel to go to Nova Scotia, as that facilitated things greatly for all of us - despite the flight mix-up.

Ariel is heading home on Tuesday!

Ariel will be flying to Nova Scotia this coming Tuesday to be a breeding mama at Scotia Doodles.  Rhonda contacted me about two weeks ago, asking about Ariel’s availability, and we worked out an agreement that will see Ariel joining her program as Rhonda’s second “micro-doodle” parti girl.

Since Ariel’s future hinged on whether Topaz passed her health screening (in other words, whether I would keep Ariel as a breeder myself or place her elsewhere), and I was just obtaining the last of Topaz’s results, the timing couldn’t have been better. Too, my goal had been, if possible, to have both Ariel and Topaz placed and gone by the end of September so I made it with just a bit of a delay.

During the month she’s been with us after coming back from her mama’s home where she’d been fostered since spring, Ariel has shown herself to be a loving, cuddly girl who is very active. She has been the smallest of the dogs in the house – even somewhat smaller than Topaz, despite being six months older, and a lot smaller than Phoenix – and not much into tussling likely because she’s the one who is most likely to end up on the bottom. She prefers to play chase as she is super-fast! She is used to sleeping in her crate at night and goes there readily during the day as well, but has recently – if we leave the crate door open at night – taken to jumping onto my bed and snuggling me for a good part of the night.

We wish Ariel all the best in her new home and hope she does well by Rhonda and produces some great pups.

A home for Leo!

We sent Leo to his new home yesterday morning. He has a loving family living on a good-sized country property out near Embrun, with two girls age 5and almost 8 to play with, and a Mom and Dad who have always had dogs and whose last dog passed away sadly after they'd had her only 2 months.

We know Leo will be well-loved and cared for with this family. To help make sure he has a good transition we took him for a visit to his new home before he went there permanently, and other than taking off to chase a squirrel he was a well-behaved and boy out there. He spent some time investigating the yard and the house- bedrooms, living room and all. 

Once again we forgot to take a going-home photo, but we hope to get some pictures of him soon so we can post something on this blog. 

Happy new family, Leo!

WANTED: A family for Leo

Finding a forever home for Leo has become a priority now that little Obsidian has gone home.

  

Leo is a very sweet and loving dog. He is 9 months old so very close to full-grown. Right now he weighs about 17 lbs and stands about 15-16” at the shoulder, so should mature to about 20 lbs and just a tad taller. Leo has a mostly short, flat coat though since late June he has developed a bit more of a wave, giving him a rather ruffled appearance. His ears, legs, and tail have more fluff and when the white tip of his tail gets going (as it so often does) it looks like a little white flag flying through the air! His muzzle is half white, half black, and the colour of the whiskers matches the colour of his fur, giving him a cute but wise expression.

Leo has very soulful eyes with a hint of wistfulness to them – one glance and you just know he is full of love and gentleness, the desire to be close to you and to be reassured that you love him back as much as he loves you.

When we are out romping through the nearby forest and fields, Leo loves to run and give chase to the other dogs (or, occasionally, to a squirrel or bird who ventures too close). He loves to play ball or Frisbee, or just play tag with dogs or kids. Leo comes readily when called and doesn’t stray far from the pack or from his human.

Leo is a bit of a nervous dog. When strangers come to visit he may growl a bit and be a bit wary, but with a proper introduction and reassurance that all is well he will quieten down and eventually make friends. Likewise, when out for walks he is prone to barking at other dogs and sometimes people, but he can usually be distracted and usually comes when called. This is an area that will need some work.. He seems not necessarily to process all cues as readily as other dogs, which makes him more prone to being stressed out by new and unfamiliar situations, but with reassurance and guidance as to how he should behave, he will adapt and become more settled.

Despite the above description, in general Leo is quite a quiet dog, not prone to barking, whining, destructive behaviour (other than chewing, which he still does a fair bit – the favourites being books, magazines, and underwear, along with more acceptable things like Kongs, bones, and squeaky toys), or mess-making. He is normally calm and a bit “clingy” – he LOVES getting snuggles, tummy rubs, ear scratches, and the like.

The ideal situation for Leo would be a fairly quiet and calm environment where he can benefit from a fair bit of attention. This could be a senior couple / single where someone is home most of the day, a working couple / single where one person works part time, works from home, or can come home during the day to give him a walk and playtime, a family with older kids where someone is home a good part of the day. I would not recommend Leo going to a family with young children (under 6) unless the kids are exceptionally calm and quiet ones.

Leo is in excellent health. He is already neutered and has had all his vaccinations to date. He has been receiving heartworm and flea/tick treatment over the summer. He is registered with the Australian Labradoodle Association of America and comes with a health guarantee. Owing to the nature of his coat, he coat is prone to shedding slightly so he would not be suitable for a family where anyone has bad allergies to dogs or furry creatures. For this reason, the price on him is significantly reduced.

If you are interested in providing Leo with his forever home, or know someone who might be, please contact me at roma@dragonramdoodles.com.

Sad news

Unfortunately, Leo's placement didn't work out. He was having trouble adapting to his new home and showing fear of strangers - something he never exhibited at our place. So he is back with us. He was happy to see us but obviously had already formed a connection to his new owner. She was sad to part with him, too, but didn't feel able to help him overcome this fear. 

He spent the evening playing with Amore and Phoenix. Come bedtime, he stayed close to me while the kids went to bed - which was his former routine. 

We hope to place him in a home with experienced dog people who will be able to help him transition and overcome this fear issue, if indeed it persists. He is a loving boy, very snuggable and generally friendly and playful. He is definitely a people dog who likes to be near his person. He isn't fond of other big dogs, but has normally (with us) been good with dogs his size. When we've had people over or taken him places he has been calm and friendly, so I think his fear issue was at root a transition issue. He has always been good with my kids and other children he's met. 

It would be ideal to find him a forever home in the next two weeks, before we leave on our summer holidays. But it needs to be the right home, so if it takes longer then so be it. 

If you know anyone who might be interested, then drop a line to roma@dragonramdoodles.com.