Anyone else waiting for their puppy?

[Jenn and Bogey]

I thought it'd be fun to see who else is currently waiting for their puppy.

What stage in the wait are you?
What type of doodle?
Color or gender preferences?
Any names chosen?
Any favorite puppy items purchased?

[Tanya & Piper]

Thank you!

[Nancy & Echo]

How exciting!  Please know I'll be thinking of you and your puppy.  Wishing you much joy on your Gotcha Day!

[Tanya & Piper]

We picked up Piper yesterday from the breeder's! Here is a quick rundown of our first day and night together: it was an uneventful 2.5hr ride home--she mostly slept on a towel, in my lap (in the back seat) or in a small towel-lined laundry basket. No car sickness, thank goodness--just some panting here and there. Once home, she explored our backyard and then met our two 6 month old kittens. The kittens were cautious, but no overt signs of fear. The breeder has cats in the house, so Piper was quite relaxed around them. The breeder had also introduced Piper to crate training, which I was tremendously grateful for! As soon as Piper saw the crate, she immediately crawled in and took a nap. I didn't let her explore very much of the house: just a part of the family room, kitchen and bedroom, which was plenty for a little 4 pound girl. At bedtime, I wrapped a hot water bottle in a fleece blanket and put it in the crate (which i covered the top & sides--not front--with a beach towel, to signal nighttime, as the breeder had) . Piper snuggled up to the warmth and fell asleep without a peep--it had been a very busy day for a puppy! She woke up once around midnight and again at 5am, to go potty. She didn't cry until after I put her back into the crate, after the 5am potty. She only cried for 10min before she quieted, but it seemed like so much longer! I took Doggy Dan's advice and just ignored it. Once she was quiet for 20min, I took her out of the crate--I wanted to wake her up preemptively, before she started crying again--and she toileted outside. I ate a bit of food before giving her her breakfast (gesture eating, á la Doggy Dan); she only ate a little bit before she walked away, so I picked up her dish and put it away (again, Doggy Dan). She played outside a bit, before going both pee and poo, then played a bit indoors before falling asleep in a little dog bed, where she is right now, as I type this!
I'd often thought of what it would be like to have a dog in the house again and though I know it will be a lot of work (especially as Piper acclimates to her new surroundings), I am so very happy that Piper is here!
(Now that we have her, I, too, will change my name, from Tanya to Tanya & Piper!

[Nancy & Echo]

Wow! What a great day!  Thank you so much for sharing this.

[Julie]

Congratulations!!!!!

[Tara Daukas]

Ah this is so helpful thank you for detailing it out!!! We are strongly leaning on the name Piper for our girl we will pick up at the end of November! So sweet! I'm starting to freak out trying to gather as much info as I can before we get her so just reading your "play by play" is super helpful : )

[Nancy & Echo]

Well, it looks like my wait may be longer than I thought.  My breeder's mom became incapacitated, so she won't be doing puppies this fall/winter.  (She did offer to refund the nonrefundable deposit, and if we still can't find a puppy by next spring/summer to contact her again, to be put on her waiting list.)  I'll be checking out more breeders.  Temperament and health (and size -- I don't want a standard size) are my top priorities.

[Jenn and Bogey]

So sorry to hear about your breeder's mom's health issues. Did you get a chance to look at other breeders yet? Were you looking for a goldendoodle or labradoodle?

[Nancy & Echo]

Thank you so much!

I've looked at some, but I haven't decided yet.  I know that health and temperament are the most important factors. (I'd like a mellow temperament.)  I want a mini, I'd like a female (which of course I would have spayed/neutered), and a solid, non-cream color (not parti).

If its healthy, I don't care whether its a labradoodle or goldendoodle, though I guess I'd prefer a labradoodle.  But I'm probably piling on too many 'wants'.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so it would be nice if the breeder was closer by, so I could drive there, but I'd be open to flying or having the puppy shipped if I can do it in one day.  Any breeder recommendations welcome.  (If you aren't a friend, I'd be happy to friend anyone.)

[Jenn and Bogey]

Your wish list sounds exactly like mine, but I did want a parti. :) I don't think it's a lot at all.

[Nancy & Echo]

Well, I  found another breeder (much farther away). Its an ALD breeder. My application was accepted, and I put down my deposit.  They'll get back to me when my deposit gets processed.  At least I'm back on the trail of getting a puppy again.  ?Maybe a pup in Feb or Mar?  or, maybe wait until next Fall.  (I can only get some extended time off when no one else wants their vacation.)  I'd like to spend as much time with my puppy when she comes home as I can.

[Nancy & Echo]

I'm on a wait list too.  The litter was born Feb 2, and the breeder matches the puppies.  (I like this feature because I'll be a newbie with dogs.)  Hopefully I'll find out if I'm matched in mid-March, and, if matched, will get her early to mid April. I want a female, and luckily, there were 5 females in this litter; now they're sending photos of 4, so I assume one was withheld  for breeding purposes.

I wanted a solid color.  At 2 weeks, some of the pups have a stripe down to their nose, which I wouldn't mind.  I'm not sure but one of the pups' stripe looks like it may be asymmetrical.  I know temperament trumps looks every time, but I'm not sure how I'd deal with pronounced asymmetry.

I've been on a wait list since last April. The first breeder decided to stop breeding, so I had to search for another breeder last fall.

I haven't purchased any items yet either, though I have bookmarked several items I am probably going to get.  I'm hoping to fly 2 hours then drive 2 hours, stay overnight, pick up my puppy in the morning, then drive then fly back.  I think I'll buy a cheap carrier, but each airline seems to have different size rules.  Since the carrier will be considered as one carry on, I'll be extremely restricted for luggage. I won't have the option of a booster seat, and I'll be renting a car. I think I'll wait until I have a pickup date so I'll know which airline I'll be dealing with.  I am hoping when I am matched they can give me a better idea of how big the pup will be when I'm flying her home.

I'm not sure this is exactly what you are looking for, but here's a nonprofit that has done crash testing on carriers http://www.centerforpetsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015_c...  and crates http://www.centerforpetsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015_c...

This may change my desire to get a Snoozer Roll Around carrier (which I have not yet purchased) posted previously in this thread.

Hope we both can get our pups in the coming months!