A little introduction

[Sophia Kelly]

Hi guys, I hope this is the right section to be posting in. I just joined yesterday, and I'd like to share my little doodle's awesome journey. 

We adopted Lucy (who's foster named her Misty, but we decided to change. Already responding to her new name) about two and a half weeks ago. I've always been incredibly dedicated to rescuing animals. I was the type of kid who was always bringing home stray cats, and even once a bird with a broken beak and wing. Almost 3 years ago we adopted a two year old tortie cat from the spca. It was kind of a gamble, I was six months pregnant at the time, but thankfully it turned out amazingly. About three months ago we started talking about adopting a dog. We wanted to take in a dog that probably wouldn't have a great chance of being adopted at the humane society, a large or older dog. In my googling around I found an amazing rescue. They were a no-kill that pulled dogs out of high kill shelters and placed them in foster homes while working to find forever homes. Best of all, they ONLY worked with large or older dogs. After about a month of emailing back and forth with the adoption co-ordinator without being able to find the right match, the co-ordinator casually asked who would be taking care of the dog during the day. As soon as I told her I'm still at home with my daughter she excitedly told me that they had just pulled two doodle puppies out of the emergency shelter after having been seized from the paws r us puppy mill bust. Since doodles are a "designer breed" they hadn't listed them on the website for fear that they might get swarmed with people searching for a cute puppy, but not interested in taking on the responsibility of a rescue dog. They had been waiting to find someone with the time to invest in a puppy, and a stay-at home with a toddler seemed like a great fit to her. A few weeks later we brought Lucy home. 

Lucy is one amazing little dog. She is a golden, with an exceptionally beautiful coat. She has a tight poodle curl, but very very soft and she appears to be non shedding (of course it's a puppy coat, so we'll see). When we first brought her in the door we were a bit concerned with how she'd react to the cat and baby, but sure enough she and the cat touched noses and calmly interacted, and she slept at the baby's feet that night. It hasn't been without challenges, she went from the horrible conditions of the puppy mill straight to a foster home out in the country. We live in an apartment in a very urban environment. It took about a week to get her to walk into the elevator, I would carry the poor shaking puppy down for every walk. She's still timid outside. She isn't quite sure how to react to the cars and people everywhere, but the circle of her outdoor comfort zone is getting bigger everyday. Unfortunately it turned out she loves our cat a little bit too much. She had never met a cat before ours, and seems to think she's another puppy. She spends all day chasing her around and whimpering when the cat decides not to play with her. She's also a little too timid to tell us when she needs to go out. We've been on a very consistent walking schedule, but since she's uncomfortable in the neighbourhood she doesn't always 'go' at the right time or in the right place. Pretty small sacrifices for an awesome pup though :)

There's Lucy's story so far. Looking forward to getting to know all of you.

[F, Calla & Luca]

What an inspiring story. Enjoy Lucy, she is one lucky pup.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Welcome and congrats on finding a great rescue! Lucy will come around once she has time to adjust.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I am so happy for Lucy and so happy for you and your family. Continue to enjoy getting to know one another. There is a group here called Puppy Madness which can be especially helpful for members with dogs under 2 years old. I found it invaluable when my second doodle was little. There are tons of great suggestions to get you through the puppy stage. 

[Sophia Kelly]

Thanks for the tip! I'm still navigating my way around the site. This is such a great network, really glad to have found it. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks for sharing your story! I also adopted a tortie kitty from the SPCA back in the spring. When Sophie was younger, and sometimes till, she chased her everywhere too. The wonderful thing about torties is that they are known for their extremely social and easy going temperament. The cat will get used to it, and eventually Lucy will outgrow the chasing. I found using the "leave it" command helped a lot.

 

I am so excited to meet you and Lucy in the park! I am there with W&S every day approximately between 6pm and 7pm like clockwork.  

[Sophia Kelly]

Super excited too! I'm so glad to have found you. My husband and I have already been talking about when we'll get a second dog, since Lucy thrives so much in the company of other dogs. It'll be great for her to have some doodle pals in the neighbourhood. You have an adopted tortie cat too, my god if I didn't know any better I'd expect to run into a mirror image of myself at the dog park :) I'll make an effort to swing by some time during the week between 6-7 for some play time between the doods. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Welcome to DoodleKisses, Sophia and Lucy.  This is the best website for doodle lovers everywhere.  Your story about finding Lucy is great.  She sounds like a lovely pup and I'm sure she will be a welcome addition to your family.  Look around here at DK and find some groups that have interests the same as yours.  You will find this is a great place to just hang out when you have a free moment (which is probably not too often with a baby and a puppy).  Enjoy!!  These days are over tooooo soon.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

How great that you are here and already have some DK friends nearby.  I look forward to seeing lots of pictures and hearing all about how Lucy is getting on.  I used to bring Riley everywhere before his shots were complete.  I would carry him in my arms and sit on a bench outside the school when all the children came out.  I also downloaded sounds like fireworks and fire trucks from You tube and started playing them softly then turning up the volume.  Go everywhere you can to socialize Lucy as much as possible while she is so young it really helps in the long run.

[Sophia Kelly]

It's funny you mention that. One of the best tools I've found so far is taking her out front of the elementary school across the street when the kids are leaving for the day. She LOVES children, in fact whenever she sees a child on the street between 1 and 5 she runs to them immediately, probably mistaking them for my daughter. That seems to be a really great quality shared between just about all doodles, they are so unbelievably kind to children. I'm glad you mentioned taking yours near the school, I've been thinking I should be more consistent with taking her by since the kids seem to ease her stress and get her accustomed to city noise. Now that I know it helped with your dood's socialization I'll be sure to try more often. Besides, nothing excites a pack of elementary school kids like a curly little puppy. Thanks for the help :)

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Congratulations!  She sounds perfect!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Welcome to Dk to you and Lucy. What a wonderful story. I am looking forward to watching her grow and learning her way.

Congratulations!

[Lorraine Bromley]

You have come to the right place for support, knowledge and fun! Welcome