Just learned of our place on the waitlist

[Anita Lee]

The breeder just let us know we'll be 8th out of 12 spots so we will have five to choose from.

The breeder guides the choosing but it's ultimately up to the families. It's our first dog and we want a dog that's mellow (so I can bring to work) and is naturally great at obedience work. And, as a big bonus, a dark apricot color.

Pics of the litter at 1 week below.. How many of these will be apricot (either light/dark)? I'd also love to hear everyone's thoughts on the likelihood of getting the perfect puppy with our place in the waitlist.. I'm sure they are all great but don't know how many mellow dogs you can have in a litter! We're definitely somewhat worried about getting a dog that is hard to train or unruly.

[Rhoda and Asta]

The puppies are so cute.  But I think they are way too young to know what their final color will be or their temperament.  My Asta is 17 weeks.  His original color was ultra cream.  Now he is 2-3 different colors in different places---ultra cream, apricot on his ears, and champagne.

[Jenny and Cooper]

Rhoda, just wanted to say your Asta is sooooooooooooo cute!!! :)  I'm seeing a bit of my Cooper and hope his coat will turn out just like Asta!

[Anita Lee]

He's adorable! F1?

[Jenny and Cooper]

Just wanted to say, when we got to our breeder on our picking day, we had originally wanted the lightest cream color.  We walked out with a darker cream color because the lightest colored one at that time seemed to have too much Alpha in him.  Don't worry too much about the coat color, you will decide the perfect puppy once you actually meet all of them!  Good luck!

[BG and Gavin]

For a first time owner, my advice is to pick a dog that is confident/fearless.  That does not mean alpha, just outgoing.  I think it is much tougher to train a pup that is shy. You will fall in love no matter what the colour ;)

[Anita Lee]

Middle-of-the-road is perfectly fine. We're looking for confident and mellow - definitely not timid! :)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

i agree with BG.  I think it's easier to train a confident outgoing pup than a shy one.  Most active pups will mellow out over time.  And I wouldn't worry.  They usually pick you :)

[Christy&Riley]

We just crossed two years and are still waiting for the "mellow out" stage. LOL

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Welllllll…I guess the term "mellow" is all relative when it comes to doodles :))  Don't lose hope.  Finn stopped the nightly zoomies at about a year.  He was a little over 2 when he started to mellow.  Now at 5, he's happy to be more of a couch potato if he gets one good walk - or run- a day. 

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

Loki, my first doodle, is very shy and reserved, also very fearful and was challenging to work with as a puppy. I was looking for a calm mellow puppy and he is very calm and mellow but working with him on training was very challenging and still is a bit. He was one of 10 and I had 7th pick. Like the others said he kind of picked me, he came over and played right away and snuggled- ironically he was the puppy that the breeder figured would fit for me. Moose, my second doodle who I just picked up came from the same breeder and is completly opposite in personality. He is completly fearless and very outgoing and it is much easier to work on socialization with him. I had first pick of the litter this time around but again I really counted on the breeder helping me out in choosing him. Having had one shy puppy and one fearless puppy I think Moose is more to fuss over because he gets into everything were as Loki was my shadow and hesitant to do much else at first. However Moose is much easier to train. Hope this helps! Both of their personalities are great and I love them to pieces so I think either way you will have a great pup! :)

[Anita Lee]

Wow, thanks for sharing! I would have guessed that the puppy that comes right over would not be described as shy. When did you realize Loki was harder to train?

I'm conflicted - I'd love a dog that can be trusted to not get into everything (lol) but isn't terribly shy. Just calm. Does that make sense? Not shy, but mellow and moderately outgoing. Sounds like it will be hard to tell at 8 weeks.

[BG and Gavin]

I would say it is a very rare puppy that can be trusted not to get into anything without training. You need to keep a close eye on them and be consistent in enforcing the rules to begin with. Once they learn what you want and are old enough to develop some self control, you won't have to worry. Plus enforcing these boundaries early sets the table for all other training down the road along with the bonus of increasing the bond between you and your pup. If you are meeting your puppy's needs for exercise, training and security he will mellow out just fine. Just remember that these are athletic, smart dogs and need alot of time put into them. Totally worth every minute though.