Last puppy has a home!

I am pleased to report that our last puppy, the big chocolate boy, found his home today! He will be going to join a family with a "Mom" and another dog, a 9-year old English Cocker Spaniel, Cody, as the newest addition to the family. They live not too far away so we hope they will join us at our next doodle romp. He will certainly be able to meet up with his sister, Tara, from time to time as she is neighbour to his new mom's sister. Lucky dood!

He will head to his new home this coming Friday, so we have just another few days to enjoy him in our home. Then it'll be down to just Mo & Phoenix again, for a few more months until the next pups come along.

Goodbye puppies!

Well, I’m a bit late with this post as it’s been a full week since we sent the first four pups home! 

Early Good Friday morning Tara Firefly’s family came, all set to have a fun weekend with their new puppy. As usual, paperwork tok a bit of time to complete but in short order they were standing at the door, ready to take her home! (They didn’t settle on Tara as her name until a day later – good choice!) 

We were busy the rest of the morning, so it wasn’t until after lunch that Matilda Nubia’s family arrived, with lots of questions and excitement as well. We spent almost an hour going over the info in Matilda’s going home packet, checking out the new toys, and imparting instructions for care and feeding. Then it was her turn to say goodbye.

Third to go was Hershey, our little chocolate boy. Just his new dad came to pick him up, as his boy was busy (& Mom had to be with boy!). Didn’t take long and he, too, was set to go to his new home and life full of adventure!

Kacey spent one extra night with us, and play time Saturday morning. Mid-morning we headed out to run some errands, and were just getting ready to head home when Kacey’s new mom called, about a half hour before we were expecting them – they were at our place already (after a long drive up from Toronto!). So we hustled and got home in about 10 minutes. They were thrilled to see Kacey for the first time! The paperwork was completed, the goody bag was gone through, blanket stuffed inside, and tips imparted for the ride home. Then it was goodbye to little Kacey girl!

Which left us with a much quieter house with just two puppies left.

Cupcake Kiera is likely going to head to her new home on Monday. 

Then big boy Apollo will be the last pup left, still waiting for his forever family to choose him. We hope he doesn’t have to wait too long!

Recovery...

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the pups went in to be spayed & neutered yesterday. We picked them up in late afternoon and they were a little bit subdued, but not for long. Everyone did just fine with the surgery and is recovering well. I find that they bounce back very, very quickly at this young age. They were hungry this morning, after not eating much yesterday, so we gave them a hearty breakfast to fill their little tums.

We’ll be keeping them a bit quiet today, not letting them out to run and play too much as we want the incisions to have a chance to begin healing well before we start sending the pups home tomorrow.

Of course Cupcake Kiera, who wasn’t spayed as she is destined for a breeding career, can’t understand why her sibs were such lazy butts last night. But they seem to be better playmates already this morning – though we’re keeping an eye on her so she doesn’t get too active with them. Which means, of course, that the others are jealous at her being allowed to run around when they can’t. Sigh. It’s a dog’s life…

Eight week update - the count-down is on!!

Well, whaddya know?! The pups are old enough to go to their new homes now!! Though they’re not quite 100% ready – we took them in for spay/neuter this morning and will pick them up in the afternoon. After a day or so recovery time, they’ll start heading home!!

These doods are a real neat bunch of pups. They’re already sleeping through the night from about 10pm to 6am. We feed them breakfast, iunch, supper and then a bit of a bedtime snack. 

They often use the pee pads in their puppy corner, and those scattered on the living room floor, when they’re out running around the house – and often don’t use them, too. We are sending them outside onto the “poop deck” in the morning and after eating – but lately they’ve figured out how to get through the little cracks between the gate and fence and are prone to venture further afield which could put them in danger from cars if they got onto the road, so we are sometimes keeping them in when we can’t keep an eye on them 

outside. They are experts by now in untying shoelaces. No boot or shoe is safe! 

Most of them have figured out how to go upstairs, but the view down that steep slope is daunting so once they get up they sit and cry until we come fetch them.

“Firefly” (final name TBD) is a gentle girl, very content to watch the others rough-house while she plays quietly, and happy for a scratch, pat, or lap to rest in.  She is joining a family with two teenage boys, and her new mom is very happy to finally have the chance to buy things in pink and have some girl company! She will be the first to leave on Friday morning.

Matilda is a daring cliff-descender and, of all the puppies, is the only one who dares to come down virtually the full flight of stairs, heading down unfazed, though she tumbles as much as she jumps from ledge to ledge (aka stair to stair). She will take her leave of us early Friday afternoon, joining a couple with a grown son. She will have the chance to hang out at the cottage every weekend, swim in the lake (once things thaw out!), and generally enjoy the big wide world. 

Hershey is a major cuddler who will snuggle into your arms and rest his head on your shoulder any time he gets the chance. He also just loves to chase balls! He will be heading to a family with a 9-year old boy to give him lots of love and attention.  Hershey will be the third pup going home on Friday. 

Kacey is a lively girl with a keen sense of curiosity and adventure. She is a pretty good kisser too and a sweet and cuddly ball of fluff. Kacey will meet her new family on Saturday afternoon once they from Toronto. 

Cupcake Kiera is a feisty little girl, ready to run, jump, play, or pounce at a moment’s notice. She is going to join Barksdale Labradoodles in Mississippi as a breeding prospect – we’re still working out how to get her there (crossing the Canada-U.S. border as an unaccompanied puppy is not easy!). She may actually leave before the others, on Thursday, or it may take until next week to figure out how to get her down to the deep south USA. 

Which leaves just big boy Apollo with us for a while longer (unless someone pops out of the woodwork in the next couple of days). I’m sure he will enjoy having a bit of peace and quiet and more time to interact with the big dogs, Auntie Phoenix and Grandma Momo. Or maybe he’ll miss his brother and sisters. But he’ll get more attention from the humans in the household, once we don’t have so much poop to clean up all the time (that’s one aspect of having new puppies that I’m very happy to pass on to the new families!!) 

Well, smell ya later!

Just one left - slight change

We do still have just one puppy left for adoption – but it’s not the chocolate female. Rather, it’s the big chocolate boy (yellow collar). The family who had reserved him decided to take the female instead as she is smaller and has a softer coat. So she will be going home this Friday and big boy still needs a home of his own.

He is a very lovable big little guy – ready to give you a kiss at the slightest opportunity! He is a bit of a wiggler and prefers active play to snuggling, though he won’t pass up a snuggle either. He is pretty laid back, a content little dood with a generally calm disposition, a little bit shy of new situations but who adapts quickly and settles right in.

This is him – don’t you just wanna take him home?!

Just one left!

I am happy to report that the second chocolate male found his forever home last night with a family that lives in the Ottawa area, with one 9-year old son. They had fun playing with the crowd of lively pups and settled upon the red-collar boy as the one for them.

  Red-collar chocolate boy - taken 

That leaves just our chocolate female (blue-collar girl) still in need of a home – and I expect it won’t take long for her to find her family either.

  Blue-collar chocolate girl  - available 

Mama Galena is going back to her Guardian Family later this afternoon, so the pups will need to adjust to life without Mama. She is not spending very much time with them anymore, as every time they see her they just want to nurse and she doesn’t like nursing them much now that they have sharp little teeth. She lets them nurse maybe 2 minutes at a time, twice a day or so, and the rest of the time she tells them to keep their distance (“or else!”). So it’s time for her to go back to the comfort of her own home with her canine brother and loving human Mom & Dad.

Grandma MoMo and Auntie Phoenix will have to stand in for discipline, playmates, and canine companions for the pups until they head to their human families in a mere 2 weeks!