Honey, I Found Our Dog! Huh?

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

 

Well, it seems everyone has 15 minutes of fame.

 

Last weekend when friends and I went to a large horse show and country fair.  Finnegan happily tagged along.  We go every year, but this time it was really crowded and I think Finn found it stressful to be lost in a sea of knees, Jack Russell Terriers and Labrador Retrievers.  A number of people stopped to say, “What a beautiful dog!  A Wheaten, right?”  Not one person guessed “a doodle!”  Not one!

 

There was a shop where you could buy cute little flat shoes and/or pocket books with a gold charm that had a picture engraved of your breed of dog. A salesperson offered to help me, and I asked where are the labradoodles?  She said the AKC licenses their shoes and wouldn’t let them sell doodles. OK, I wasn’t seriously going to wear dog shoes anyhow.   

After several hours of watching the show and more pats on the head than Finn could count, we decided to leave.   Standing near the exit gate, a woman came up to us and asked “What kind of dog is that?”  I was going to give in and say “a Wheaten Terrier “– I mean why not just go with the flow?-- when she added, “a Labradoodle?”  She said she was looking for one and asked where I got him?  It turns out she had been doing a lot of research and had already contacted Finn’s breeder.

She asked his name? Well, when I said Finnegan you would have thought I said Brad Pitt!  She got so excited and called her kids –2 adorable little boys – “Kids, come here, I found OUR dog. It’s Finnegan!!!  The two little boys were just as excited and asked to pet him and before I knew it, they were lovin’ on Finn who was loving them right back and the one little boy kept asking, “Mommy is this really Finnegan?  Is this really our dog?”   Huh??  Obviously, they knew Finnegan!

Then she yelled to her husband across the way buying hotdogs – “Honey come quick I FOUND our dog!!” And he asks me –is this REALLY Finnegan?  Yes, it is but WHO are you?  Does Finn have a secret life I don’t know about?

By this time a small crowd of people was gathering around us probably thinking I stole HER dog!  She even had me confused but I figured if she tried to grab the leash, she’d be trying drag 50 lbs of one super uncooperative doodle away.  Then again, he really did like those little boys…

Turns out they were really a lovely family and in her research she had looked through all the pictures on the breeder’s site and had decided they wanted a little Finnegan.  They couldn’t believe they were meeting him in the fur!  And Finn was surprisingly charming amid all the craziness and hugs! How “random” and funny!  When we got it all sorted out, I guess we made their day and I know that one very lucky doodle pup is going to get to call this family his!  I hope they find him soon.

And best of all -- at the end of the day, Finnegan is still mine!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Hey, Ned's owner!  I like that story.  Once when we lived in Germany near an army base, I picked up a couple of guys (obviously army) in my little Volkswagon.  When they got into the car they saw my dog and said "Oh, hi Barney."  Everyone on the post knew Barney.  He was a miniature poodle that made his rounds all over post.  He grew up in the Recreation Center and the Arts and Crafts Shop.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks Janie, Karen, and Deanna!

LOL Donna!  Finn loves groupies but I sometimes I suspect he'd rather have "staff." Someone to carry his toys, his ball, and his treats --  and take him for umpteen walks a day.  Oh wait, that's me!  

[Donna K & Quincy]

That is so sweet, Finnegan has his own groupies. :>)

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Love "small world" stories!  How awesome for those boys to meet the superstar doodle they'd only seen on a computer screen! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What a great (and confusing) story! LOL

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

How sweet! I can imagine how excited they were!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Diane, what a nice thought :)

Bonnie, I would be over the moon too if I met up with some of the doodles that I've grown to love here on DK and their people! 

Nancy, when you said they asked for "Ned's Owner" it made me laugh because I just realized the woman never asked my name. I guess I'm "Finnegan's owner."  Works for me. That's cool that there's a little Ned out there.

Traci, I was too confused to be worried LOL  

Thanks everyone! Glad you enjoyed the story of our meeting.  My friends are still trying to figure it all out LOL   

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I love this story Cheryl!   It really touched my heart and what a lovely family.  They are definitely going to be a great Doodle family.  I will say for a moment when I was reading it I got a little nervous about "it's Finnegan" and they all came running like they knew the dog or it was theirs:) Truly amazing they met up with you!  Your picture with Finn is beautiful and I can see why they went "crazy" for him!

[Pat and Traveler]

Love it!  Finnegan found!  He's adorable, and what a marvelous meeting!

[Carol and Banjo]

What a great story!    Who wouldn't want a Finn of their own!