doodle dee dum and Lady Sadey

So you wanted a dog with the social skills of a retriever, the brains of a poodle, and the weight and size of a Thanksgiving turkey? A mini doodle. A pup made in heaven! I asked my vet how many doodles she sees in her practice and she tells me -- they're about 50% of our new clients. To be sure, not all are minis, and not all are a retriever mix. Doodles are mixes of poodles and any number of other lineages: labradors (labradoodles), schnauzers (schnoodles), australian shepherds (aussiedoodles), bernese mountains (bernedoodles), cavalier king charles spaniels (cavapoos), ohhhh the list just goes on! 

I had a poodle when I was a kid. Smart, friendly, neurotic. Basically a great dog, though way under-trained. At age 13, I knew that I could teach him to sit. And I did. And he sat. And otherwise he jumped all over every visitor who came to our door and slept on my feet when I sat down to watch TV. In those sterile days, we didn't let dogs climb up on furniture. 

The interesting thing about mixes is that they take on the best but also the quirkiest traits of their forebears and you come up with a most interesting package. Millie sure is a lovable bundle of everything! Someone once said that a goldendoodlle (she is that, in mini size, which is slightly bigger than petite, but way smaller than a standard) is like a smart, friendly dog with ADHD. I cant really tell if that's her. Most puppies Millie's age seem to be dogs with ADHD. Because she is small, this combo is just plain funny. Watching her dash about, do kangaroo hops, and running leaps onto the ottoman then couch is like watching a very funny cartoon about crazy pups. (Doodles are notorious kangaroo hoppers -- meaning they can jump up with all four legs, like little boing boing machines!) She will bark her little barks, tail wagging, for five minutes straight, for no discernible reason, and then be absolutely silent for the next two hours.

 

 

In digging deeper into small dog literature I confirmed a truth I had already identified on my own: little dogs are hard to potty train. Little doodles have to be the worst here: they take the prize for figuring something out on their own and then sticking with it. Like -- that carpet is perfect for my poops and I will always go there to soil it, and then watch my human wipe and spray it which, btw, wont change my mind at all because obviously she's just making room for my next poop. 

The literature is firm on this point: no reprimands, or negative words must be uttered when a pup does her business inside your house. Just keep to a schedule and reward her successes outside. This means that Millie and I spend a lot of time walking outside. And I mean a lot. 

 

She is up at her usual time. I take her out. I feed her. I take her out. She runs around indoors. I take her out. Finally, I sit down to my breakfast.

 

Not even a week into the game and she knows that I wont get up from the counter until I am good and ready to put down my book. So she rests at my feet. Then with me, on the couch.

 

 

 

We both exhale. 

What's the plan for today?  Lots of walks! Longer walks, so that Millie has the full benefit of many grassy strips. And a handful of errands. And a Snowdrop pick up.

But as I was figuring out where to go when, I get a call from the place where Sadey is currently staying. She is supposed to be taken tonight back to Texas where she will be homed (they tell me) with people who already know her. However, she has turned hostile toward most everyone and they're concerned that they wont be able to take her to the Texas bound transport tonight, expected to come up to Portage somewhere after midnight. Could I please help?

I drop everything, put Millie in her crate and go out to see Sadey.

I wont spend time on filling in the details there. It was heartbreaking to see her so happy to see me, to climb into my lap, to take all the hugs she could get. At the same time, to know that she was not able to develop trust in others. That the reports on her were so negative. I spend as much time as I can with her, then drive quickly to pick up Snowdrop at school. 

The girl does a good job at cheering me up a bit -- after all, this miserable period is just a lead-up to a good outcome for her. Still, my heart is with Sadey tonight. I'm hoping that I will succeed in getting her into a crate. Otherwise? Well, let's not go there right now.

Snowdrop wants a quick stop at the farmette...

 

And then we head to Sally's House where Millie is happy as anything to be set free. 

More rides, more drop offs, more doggie playtime. And as the day winds down, Ed comes over to keep me company tonight (and to babysit Millie when I go after midnight to deal with Sadey).

It's good to lean on him here. To watch a boring show, to eat soup together. To snuggle with silly Millie. And to imagine that things will work out well for all of the dogs, for all of us.

with so much love...