It's been one week since I rescued my 8 mos. old GD.

[Alex]

Hi guys,

I just rescued my 8 mos. old GD "Bailey" and just love him to death!  I never knew these dogs can be so adorable and cute.  I owned a Doberman for the past 12 years and I was not sure how I would be able to handle another puppy.  This guy is so obedient and just a big clown. Unfortunately, this guys living situation was very bad.  I believe he was forced to live outside or in filthy conditions because when we picked him up he STUNK.  We gave him a bath and took him to the vet and once we were home we noticed he scratched a lot.  We examined his skin and thought he had fleas...it turned out to be dog lice.  How disgusting, we thought all of us and our house was going to be infested but fortunatley they only feed on dogs. 
I applied Frontline two days ago and I still see a couple of these critters on him today.  Does anyone know how long the frontline takes to kill all of these critters? 

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do regarding GD's beard after they drink water?  My floors are always soaked.  I have a towel under his water bowl. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Congratulations on your new Doodle. He would go well with my Guinness & Murphy. I have absolutely no words of wisdom on the "wet beard" issue. Even though I keep Guinness's beard trimmed, there's always a stream of water leading from the bowl. I tried the towel trick too, but the water drips go well beyond where the towel ends. I gave up, and now I just wipe it up a few times a day. I'll be interested to see if others have found a solution.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Frontline will kill fleas within 24 hours, but I couldn't find any info about the time required to kill lice. They are much, much easier to get out of your environment than fleas, fortunately. Make sure you wash all of Bailey's bedding in hot water (it's even advised to throw it away!).
Here's some info on dog lice:
http://www1.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/caninelice.htm

I have no advice on the dripping beard issue either. I keep Jack's beard very long, and it 's always dripping. I like shaggy dogs with beards and don't care if the floors & rugs are wet, it's only water. However, I might feel differently if I had hardwood, lol. Some people keep their beards trimmed short for this reason.

[Eileen Ross and Cody]

Enjoy your new Doodle. They truly are the best most lovable dogs ever. But WET beards are a constant with doodles, even if you keep it trimmed. But it's only water, atleast it's not gooey slobber like other breeds.

[Anna and Achilles]

that is such a wonderful thing that you rescued him. I have so much respect for people who do that! The beard will always drip, get used to it! It's a doodle thing LOL!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Congrats!! Don't worry--you'll get used to the dripping beard, muddy feet and the occasional mats--and you will LOVE owning a doodle! But, beware, most of us are either pining for a second one or have gotten a second one!

[Alex]

Thanks you guys! I love all your comments. And I'm already sold on getting another doodle. ;o)

We just took Bailey to get his vaccinations and everyone LOVED him! They could not believe how adorable these guys are.



How energetic are your doodles? Mine seems to be very mellow which I don't mind at all but just want to make sure nothing is wrong with him.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You may find that he gets more energetic after he gets accustomed to being in a loving home where he gets affection, attention, veterinary care, good food, and lots of love.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Our dog, Fudge, can play very hard for about an hour. I mean non stop running, etc. She doesn't have an off switch when she is at doggie daycare or the dog park. However, once I take her home, she settles right down and can sleep for several hours. In the house, she is pretty mellow, except when she spots the cat.

I think Karen is absolutely correct about Bailey being more energetic with time. As he settles in, gets comfortable with you, more of his true personality will start to emerge. He sounds like a great dog.

[Pat & "Tucker"]

I would call the vet back and ask about a treatment for the whole body. Usually with lice, a total body pyrethrin shampoo is used. Not sure if the Frontline will do it- maybe as a follow up to the medication.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Alex, Darwin is a very mellow puppy. It confused me at first, because all the other dogs he played with had much more stamina. He will lay down and take a nap after 20-30 minutes of playtime, while the other dogs keep zooming around him. He also can't run very fast and is really clumsy. I don't think there is anything wrong with him though, he's just more laid back. I think it varies from dog to dog, and it's normal.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Bailey sounds awesome! Good luck getting him settled and clean/healthy. I can't wait to hear more about him, especially once he starts to really understand he is in his forever home!
Kudos to you for rescuing =)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Congratulations on your rescue pup. You did a great thing!!