The Great Escape

[Pat and Traveler]

I brought Traveler home on Christmas Eve day, 2009.  It was serendipity–when I woke up that morning I didn’t know that by nightfall I’d be under new management--by a puppy!  I’d been checking doodle websites for months, and that morning found what sounded like the perfect breeder just 15 miles from my house, and she happened to have three adorable, chocolate, eight-week-old puppies!   The more I read, the more excited I got.  Everything sounded perfect–the puppies were raised in her home, thoroughly health tested and well socialized, both parents were on site and could be inspected–and yes, we could visit that day to see them. 

This was my First Dog, and it would be months before I discovered DK.  I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was in love from the moment I saw those puppies.  Trav made me laugh from the very beginning.  When his mom came into the kitchen, he gamboled over to her and tried to grab a little afternoon snack--she set him straight in no uncertain terms! 

By the time we got home, the stores were closed and I couldn’t get the items on the breeder’s list of necessary puppy gear.  His sleeping place was a blue towel by the side of the bed.  He seemed  quite content there, and I took him outside for potty breaks several times in the night. 

The day after Christmas, when the stores were open, I went shopping.  A crate was at the top of the list.  I’d done my research, had instructions from the breeder, and I was determined to do all the right things for this charming little member of the family.

Who knew that crates came in so many different types and styles?  Some research seemed to be in order, but in the meantime the X-pen or puppy pen caught my eye, and I came home with that, along with a cart full of other necessities and fun doggie stuff.  Sheeeeesh!  Puppies need almost as much gear as babies!

I set the puppy pen up in the kitchen, 16' of 4' high wire panels, ends tucked neatly into a corner, padded it with blankets and furnished it with toys.  I installed Trav in his new digs for the night, left the folding doors to my room open an inch or so and went to bed, feeling quite pleased with myself.  Everything I’d read said puppies need to be crated at night, and they’d probably fuss a bit for the first couple of nights in the crate (or puppy pen), so I was prepared for that.

Did I say ‘prepared for that’???  Chaos ensued.  I’d never even heard this pup bark, but oh, he knew how!  And he knew how to howl like a wolfling, whine, crash, thump, rattle, scrape and bump.  Just as I got up, realizing I simply couldn’t take it any longer, I saw Trav trotting across my room!  Oh, that adorable, wobbly puppy trot!  He’d actually managed to scoot the puppy pen across the kitchen floor far enough to get one of the sides and ends away from the wall and corner, then somehow managed to pry the folding doors open enough to get through them!  I have absolutely no idea how a not-yet-coordinated, eight-week old, 10-pound puppy could have managed to do either of these things.  He went straight to the towel by the side of the bed and collapsed.  That’s all he wanted.  His own familiar little bed.  For about 15 minutes his breathing had that sad little after-hard-sobbing catch in it.

I did get a crate, a classic black wire mesh one, which Trav now sees as his own private sanctuary and toy storage depot.  But back there at the beginning, he had already settled on a night-time spot, his beloved bedside towel, and he was just fine there until he got big enough to jump up and find an equally cozy spot on the bed.

[Maggie Palmblad]

I love this story!!! I feel like I was IN the bedroom, peering out at Traveler, the escape artist!  I laugh when I think of him moving that x-pen across the floor :-) I have seen that done many a time!  Traveler is one lucky doggie to have you as his 2 legged forever friend and visa versa.  It was a match made in heaven!!!!  XOXO

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

I love your "Twas The First Days I Had Trav" story.... It is hard to believe that such a little one can be so much work at first..

When we got Bailey, I felt like I had a newborn in the house...up every two hours for potty breaks.  And now she is the love of our lives!!!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

We had Quincy's crate by our bed the first few nights, then in the hallway outside the bedroom for awhile.  bringing it up and down the stairs was a pain, so we eventually had the crate in the kitchen.  he cried a bit at first, but soon was going right in without any whining.  then hurricane sandy hit, and we could not leave him alone so he wound up in bed with us.  can't undo that!  he now sleeps in our bedroom either up with us or next to us and sometimes goes into the tile floor bathroom.  we do have a gate so he cannot go roaming downstairs on his own.  

My very favorite is early morning after DH takes him for a short potty trip when he comes BOUNDING up the steps and jumps on top of me in the bed and licks and wiggles.  The sound of his racing up the stairs is the best.  

His crate is still downstairs and we do put him in during the day when we are at work.  He goes into it very readily as he always gets a filled Kong and some treats to pass the time until either one of us or his dog walker comes home.  He is always asleep, too.  

[Richard Crowe]

When we first got Holly, I had her sleep in a puppy pen at the side of our bed.  She got me up just about every hour to go potty for several nights running.  Then one night, for some reason, I placed her in our bed next to us...  Holly slept the whole night through and has done so even since.  Of course, at 55 pounds she takes up a bit more space than she did as a ten pound puppy!

[Donna K & Quincy]

That is so sweet! 

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

oh I love your new baby story..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What a great puppy story! Trav, you were a smart guy from day one!

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

I just posted a picture of my dog when he was a baby on Instagram, came to doodle kisses and saw this sweet baby story! Love!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Pat ~ Love your story!  We are so lucky to have the loving doodles! 

[DJ & Chance]

I love this story!  My pup managed to make his way onto my bed at 9 weeks, and we both slept soundly after that with no night time accidents!  I knew that we were breaking the rules I had established for our relationship . . but he still loves his crate during the day and we are both happy with the compromise.