Hi Everyone :)

[Melissa Lowman]

Hello! My name is Melissa and I'm pretty new to this site. I'm very excited to announce that I will be a new mom to an ALD puppy in May or June 2014. Thank you to those who offered advice and shared stories of their e experiences with their beloved doodles. My family and I met two breeding mom dogs who were gorgeous and had the best temperaments. SO, I have been reading up on puppy proofing, grooming, training, etc. Suddenly I feel like I'm about to become a first time mother (mom of 9yr old) all over again. I'm feeling  overwhelmed and anxious for spring to hurry up an  get here! This website has so much useful information, it has already become my go-to site for all things doodle related. Hope you don't mind lots of questions in the future from a new puppy mommy to be.

[Pat and Traveler]

Welcome, Melissa!  So glad you're joining us!  I'll bet that wait for a puppy will seem like a long time, but you're sure to be entertained, amused and informed here while you wait. :)

[Melissa Lowman]

Thank you! Yes, this wait feels like forever already..tick tock. At least this time around I actually get to sleep whole night thru and don't have to worry about a baby kicking.g my bladder, etc ;)

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Congratulations, a very exciting time! You might want to check out the Puppy Madness group for all kinds of puppy info! The Food Group and Training Group are must haves too! Have fun!

[Melissa Lowman]

Thank you for the tips. I joined them all as you suggested.

 All advice welcome lol.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Welcome to DK. We have a great search function at the top of every page and you can always ask about anything you can't find.

[Melissa Lowman]

Thanks so much for warm welcome. Loving this site and everyone seems very supportive, helpful and entertaining.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

How exciting!  Welcome!  You'll have lots of fun here and get a lot of good info and support!

[Melissa Lowman]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

[Ginny Nightingale]

[Melissa Lowman]

Thank you. I love the welcome. RIO is adorable!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Melissa ~ Congratulations!  So much fun and it will not be long and you will be receiving a birth announcement!  It is so great that you have lots of time to research this site and you will be more than prepared for your new arrival.  Looking forward to seeing photos of the homecoming!

[Alex/Mindy/Georgia/Coral]

Congrats Melissa! This will definitely be a decision you will never regret! You are SO wise to come here and do research well before getting the dog. One thing we did before getting out ALD puppy is to read Cesar Millan's "How to Raise the Perfect Dog, Through Puppyhood and Beyond", and Dr. Ian Dunbar's "Before and After Getting Your Puppy". Those books were great for us and we had the book filled with highlight marks and tabs. We also watched a lot of The Dog Whisperer and that actually turned out to be a great teaching tool. I executed all of his techniques when around my parents very misbehaved Yorkie and in a week he was a perfectly mannered dog(he was an intense barker, licker, undersocialized, and just a general terror around people).