MEETING THE NEW DOODLE ON THURSDAY! :) (double posted to Multiple Doodles group)

[Jennifer Goaring]

(sorry for the double post -- didn't realize we had a guardian group)

 

I am so excited about going to meet our (hopefully) new labradoodle (that we would become guardians for) on Thursday.  He is a 1 year old large mini ALD who is about 16 inches and 25 pounds.  He is a stud dog for a local breeder and needs a guardian home (forever home).

 

I am pretty sure my husband still thinks I am nuts.  I am bringing Sammy with me to meet the dog.  Since it is just a meet and greet, we'll let the dogs visit and play for a bit in the yard, but won't be taking Mojo home with us that day.  I work all weekend and then I have just 1 shift the next week and a whole week off so I would pick up the dog next Tuesday.  She said it would be fine if we trial things for a week or so and if it really isn't working out, they will take him back.  So a very "risk free" venture for us.

 

I think she is pretty sure that once we have him, we will fall in love with him and want to keep him though :)  He is apparently quite charming ;)

 

Has anyone else gotten a doodle via a guardian program?  My Dad is all worried about us signing a contract like that -- wondering what happens if the dog gets sick or injured and who is responsible.  I will ask her about that as much as I can -- but I feel like generally the dog is ours and the breeding rights are hers and then at some point she will pay to have him fixed and he will remain ours forever.  He has already been bred several times.  They usually only use them for 3-4 years.

 

I am SO very curious to see what Sammy thinks of him.

 

After I decide for sure on the plan Thursday (seriously, the only reason I would not take him is if he is just wild and doesn't get along with Sammy at all...) I will go pick up a new crate and feeding bowls and leads and such for the new guy.  Probably new chew toys for both of them as well.

 

Are there any questions I should be asking the breeder about?  Anything I should look out for or be concerned about when I meet this dog.  It will be different meeting a 1 year old vs. picking out a puppy... but I think on the plus side -- his personality is already well developed, so we should get a really good idea what we are getting into.  On the negative side -- he may be really excited about meeting a new dog and new people so it may be hard to tell what he is like overall.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated!   THANKS.

 

Any other tips or advice?

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

Jennifer, one of the things I did was have the breeder email the contract to me so I could look it over and list questions.  She or He may have restrictions for where you can go, what food to feed, what treats.  Who pays for what?  Are there restrictions re: immunizations or flea/tick treatments.  My breeder has rules about these things and we had some discussions about areas we had different ideas about.  Hope it all goes well.  Remember, when you bring a new dog into the house there will be a transition time where one dog may not be happy with the other....  Good luck.

[Jennifer Goaring]

The copy of the contract in online on the breeders website:

 

http://www.evergreenmanorlabradoodles.com/files/Guardian_Family_Agr...

 

I have read it all.  It isn't really very specific about where we can go or what to feed.  I already asked some about food and it seems she feeds similar food to what I do -- but does leave kibble out all day, which I don't do.  She seems pretty easy going about it... I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.  She is very good friends with the breeder we got Sammy from -- which again, could be good or bad ;)  (we got a great dog, but the circumstances seemed a bit fishy to me when I got him -- we didn't drive all the way out to her place because it was a long ways -- but also I think because she preferred to come to me instead which seemed weird to me at the time).

 

Any other warnings?  Anyone?  I am a bit anxious/nervous about the whole meet and greet because I know I will probably fall for this dog... but I want to be objective and careful about the decision process in terms of working with this breeder long term.  She seems fine via phone and e-mail... so we will see.

[lyn cederholm]

How did the meeting go?  I hope that all went well, but fill us in on the details! :)

[Jennifer Goaring]

I tried posting about it here but my computer crashed... I put it here:

 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/multipledoodlesordogs/forum/topic...

 

It went through that time.  If you can't get to it, I can copy and paste here.  It went REALLY WELL.  Can't wait to bring him home. :)

[lyn cederholm]

Just wondering how things are going with your new doodle Jennifer!  We brought Annie home on Saturday and she is a total sweetheart. We are totally thrilled!  So far, so good!

[Jennifer Goaring]

Oooh -- do you have a blog or pictures posted... I will go investigate. :)

 

Things are going REALLY well.  If you had asked me at the 1 week mark I would have said I was having buyers remorse a bit.  He chewed up my blinds while trying to see out the window when my son was supposed to be keeping an eye on him (but clearly wasn't) and he started digging holes in our back yard and it is so rainy that mean cleaning up a MUDDY doodle on a daily basis.

 

But it is getting better... and the two doods are doing really well together -- they sometimes both go into Sam's crate (the bigger crate) and nap together which is cute.  For the first week it was funny how they would always have to be on opposite sides of the room and it was a big competition to see who could get to me first when I walked in the door and now they are both mellowing out more.  Sam has always been mellow so having him being so overly worked up all the time was really weird (and part of why I was questioning the whole decision... I felt like I had broken my perfectly good dog!)  He is back to himself now :)

 

Mojo has been to two training classes so far and I think having that one on one time with him is really great.  He is doing really well.  The trainer is very impressed with how much he has learned already.  He is a bit more stubborn then Sam was -- but Sam was in training classes at 5 months and Mojo is 13 months old so I think that has a lot to do with it.

 

I have started walking them together daily (couldn't deal with it at first because Mojo had ZERO leash training and would just pull and freak out -- got a gentle leader on him and he still freaked out a bit trying to get it off -- now he is fine with it).  They have done really well together -- I tried it as an experiment at first, but now I really like it and it way better for me than taking them one at a time... especially with all this rain!

 

They wear themselves out walking... not because we go forever or even very far or very fast -- but beacuse they are trying to keep pace with me and each other and see what is going on but still pay attention and listen to other dogs in the neighborhood and all that... they are definitely INTENSE when walking... I would love some day for it to be a casual, boring, easy experience -- but for now it is all about training -- learning to heel, follow my lead, not get ahead of me.  It is hard because my DH will just take Sam and let him pull on the lead, walk out in front, etc. and doesn't care so then Sam has to remember to behave when I take him.... SIGH.  DH doesn't really see what the point of heel is I guess.  I'd LOVE to have dogs that are so well trained that I could walk them without a lead right by other people and dogs and distractions and they would still heel!  But realistically, a calm, easy loose leash walk would be great.

 

We'll get there.  They are young and I admit, I have not been walking Sam daily... he is so laid back and easy and I am cold weather adverse when it comes to things like that...  so he would be WAY better if I had been taking him out daily from the start... before Mojo we probably took him out 2-3 times per week in the winter / yucky weather and more like 5-6 days per week when it is nice.  And of course, he always gets to run around the back yard (though he is terrible at fetch... Mojo is great at it!)

 

Sorry -- very long and rambling and probably more than you bargained for!  Thanks for asking!  Gotta go see if you have Annie pics somewhere.