Updates on our Rescued Doodles

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Samantha - pet store (I know!! I didn't know then what I know now!) - she came home to us when she was 11 weeks old. She was 3 in February. To this day, whenever I go to take the hose out to water plants, she runs into the house like I was going to beat her with it! We have worked with treats, hugs but nothing works. I can only imagine she was 'water boarded' in a cage. That is her only issue - TG!

Charli - Amish Puppy Mill - I was told she was 9.5 weeks old when I adopted her. I believe the PM added 3-4 weeks to her age and she was younger that 9.5 weeks. She spay incision was almost healed when I picked her up. She has quirks but when really excited, she leaks urine. She just can't control it. I pray she won't fall into the super early spay category of being incontinent at a younger old age.

Mickey, my GrandDoodle. 'Almost Heaven' Puppy Mill to Pike County Shelter to me. He was afraid of everything! 2 years later, he still is shy around new people but if his parents (my daughter and son-in-law) are nearby, he tries to be brave and not run away. If Samantha loves someone, Mickey tried to follow her lead and lets them pet him. When he is here for a visit, he is the happiest doodle! The change in him has just been incredible!

 

They look dirty in the beach picture because they were - covered in sand but they couldn't have been any happier!

 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Samantha, Charli, and Mickey are beautiful beach doods!

Clancy has burrowed into our hearts just like he burrows into the pillows on our bed in the RV.  He really doesn't have any issues except when he is at an open wire fence he will run and bark at people hanging around outside it.  He used to do it in a territorial get-out-of-my-space way, but now it is in a come-play-with-me way. However he has a very big dog bark and scares the heck out of the person he does this to.

Well he does have one other issue!  He must have missed a puppy snuggle stage because he thinks he is a tiny little puppy dog (not 65 pounds) and just wants to  curl up and snuggle on your lap.

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

Connor (along with 5 sibs) was a PA puppymill surrender @ 13 weeks. When I met him, he was too sick to come home with us and we finally got him when he was just short of 5 months old. He was sweet, precious, wild and fearless. Only issue was not liking water. That grew into a real fear of running water. I bathed him in the tub, even got in the tub with him, but he still whined. As he got older and larger, I sat on the side of the tub. I thought maybe it was being so enclosed that bothered him and, unknowingly, made the biggest mistake ever. It was a beautiful warm day so Connor and I went out on the deck for a bath. The ground water was warm, but he got almost hysterical with the hose. I, too, think Connor was "cleaned" with a high pressure hose at the miller's. About a year ago I started bathing him by putting him in the tub, rubbing him down with diluted shampoo (kind of like a massage), then waiting til the last minute to turn the water on. It's the sound of the rushing water that scares him so bad. He is still not happy, but does not shake or cry with this method.

I didn't realize until we started doing therapy dog visits that Connor has a terrible fear of people dressed in black clothes at night. Poor baby shakes, trembles and does a heartbreaking low-pitched whine. Needless to say, I try and avoid this situation at all costs.

Other than those two issues, he is the most amazing, loving, kind, gentle-spirited dog imaginable. Connor is also incredibly funny and when exceedingly happy or feeling sheepish, he does a big toothy grin. Even by goldendoodle standards, his kindness is outstanding. He is my heart dog and I cannot imagine my life without him. <3

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Look at Connor's precious face.  You can see the love just ooozing out!

[Lynette Main]

Just like little kids. Thats how my three doodles are. My Aja was adopted by us in March. Her other name was Olivia.She was so scared of everyone. Now she is still a little skiddish around strangers but not us.She has finally learned we love her and we are not going to hurt her.One of my friends went to a dog whisperer,a woman that tells you what your dog is thinking and talks to them. NO I'm not nuts. This friend has a bassett and a cocker and the bassett told this woman that he lived with a dumb dog. And my friend new she had REALLY got the vibes from her dog because she really did live with a dumb dog. I would love to take Aja to this woman just to find out what she went through and if she is happy now. This woman spoke at a Bassett Hound rescue meeting in Dayton Ohio.How cool would that beI'm going to try to find out more info.on this subject.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Lynette, by NEXT March you will notice unbelievable changes in Aja. Now that a year and a half have passed, I am really amazed at the change. Day by day you don't really notice much and you do see progress after a few months, but when you look back after a year - WOW!!!