A Meet Up 8 Years In the Making

[BG and Gavin]

Q: What do doodles from Florida, New Hampshire and Ontario, Canada all have in common?

A: Their mommas all met on DK and in real life!

It all started a little over 8 years ago. I was exhilarated and slightly overwhelmed searching for information to help me raise my golden doodle pup. Google spit out Doodlekisses.com and so it began.

Carol (and Banjo) - My first thought was “what a great name for a dog.” As I began to follow Carol I learned that she was warm and supportive and a great photographer. I enjoyed her photo essays detailing Banjo’s adventures in the snow and in the sand. He stole my heart when he developed a friendship with a real live lamb! I was honoured to be able to pass on the HDA award to Carol many years ago.http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/the-hopeless-doodle-award-...

Elizabeth (Bailey and Bruin) - Elizabeth was always a caring contributor to DK however one event took place and I just knew she was my type of gal! Elizabeth had brokered a deal with her husband that if his beloved Boston hockey team won the Stanley Cup, she could add a second doodle to their family. I was rooting like crazy for them. Boston lost in the finals…but Elizabeth still got her pup and named him Bruin!

Lori (Daphne, Lucy and Pippa) - I could tell Lori was a fun-loving girl. Her beautiful pictures of her pack, perfectly lined up and dressed in seasonal garb always brought a smile to my face. It is also no secret that I am obsessed with her sweet open-faced doodle Pippa. However, Lori and Elizabeth rose to Doodle Super Star status when they embarked on a mission to rescue a messy, matted, malnourished street doodle named Ace. For nearly six moths I followed their efforts. They did everything including hiding in bushes and camping out overnight to save this dog. It was a real-life drama that finally ended in success. And from there they rescued sweet Annie from the street. Amazing!

All three women were just as warm and lovely in person as I imagined. And the dogs...well they were sweet and sassy and comical and just how I knew they would be.

Special thanks to my DH who did not bat an eyelash when I said we were going on a road trip to meet a group of strangers and their dogs that I met on line.

(Photo credit: Lori)

 

Front row: Lucy, Pippa, Daphne, Banjo, Gavin, Bailey and Bruin
2nd row: Lori, Carol, Linda (aka BG) and Elizabeth

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

How wonderful that some of my very favorite DK people (and doodles) had a chance to meet! Thanks for sharing this, it's the next best thing to being there! 

[BG and Gavin]

It was pretty cool Karen.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

We had so much fun! It was such a pleasure meeting both Linda and Gavin (and her DH). Gavin is just such a sweetheart! I look forward to many more yearly adventures with this group. Carol has been coming down here regularly for a few years and I believe that Linda might be joining that tradition. We also get to see Sheri (Lucy & AnnaBelle) yearly as well. Dane (Guiness, Roscoe, Honey & Boomer) also make visits down this way. We are so blessed to be where everyone wants to be!

[BG and Gavin]

I am so bummed that we missed Sheri and gang. I have a feeling that next year we will all be together!

[Carol and Banjo]

Awwww......I love this AND I love that we finally got to meet you Linda....and your DH AND the best behaved dog ever...Gavin!!!     Gavin, would you be willing to give Banjo some tips on self control???    It was so much fun seeing SO MANY doodles all in one place!!!    Hoping this will be an annual tradition with more to join us with each coming year.

[BG and Gavin]

I would not say the best, but he is a pretty good boy. As is Bango. Just as soft and cuddly as I imagined.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Yay, That is so great.   What a great picture with some great people.

[BG and Gavin]

it was so fun Jen!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so envious that you all got to meet. I love what you wrote about each woman and their doodles.  I'd like to add that you are one of my 'heroes' as I followed the training you gave to Gavin.  That you met in different places each week to better train dogs in the real world is something I would love to do with one of my boys. 

[BG and Gavin]

Ah shucks Nancy! That training class was ages ago, but the lessons still linger.

[Barbara, Zoey and Zeke]

This is a great story and a great picture!  How fun that you all got to meet.  Zoey and I love to meet other doodles - they play so well together.  They must know they are long lost cousins!

[BG and Gavin]

We always say they seem to recognize each other and want to play.