ASSIGNMENTS - The process with which pups are chosen for you.

Although I talk about this a lot, it seems people forget so a clear post of how this all works is a necessity. 

Here is a rundown on the process and why you should always work with a breeder that you agree on their philosophy before getting on a list.  It saves much time and disappointment.

1. No, you cannot choose your pup; however, you can give me three preferences within the litter that appeal to you.
2. Yes, I do consider your gender preference.  I understand the reasons for wanting a girl - she does not pee on your shrubs; however, she DOES turn your grass yellow.  Believe it or not, males can be taught to not raise their leg to urinate!  You will never see a working service dog lift their leg to 'go'.  They are taught to squat, just like the females.  Search for training service dogs to squat rather than lift their leg.
3. It so happens that sometimes, the three preferences you liked are not as well suited for your family as one that missed your list.  Most people want the pup that comes to them first, or lies in their arms quietly or is the 'right' color.  Those are not the reasons to bring a dog into your family.  That pup that came out to 'greet' you could be the most confident pup in the litter and will run circles around you if you do not have enough dog experience to understand his 'language'.  It could then make your life miserable because it has become the 'boss' and dictates your life.  Not a good match for those that have a soft personality or inexperienced.  The one that lies in your lap may be very docile and you think 'isn't this great for the kids'?  No, that pup would be tormented by a family with active busy schedules.  It could end up a biter because he has the wrong environment for HIS needs.  Color is the very LAST consideration I make and will typically refuse an application that wants 'only red or chocolate, etc'.  I produce mostly assorted colors in my litters.  I always suggest that a person who 'only wants a certain color' to find a breeder that allows them to choose and to select from a litter that is dominant in the color your prefer.  I hear 'I don't want black' all the time.  The blacks are my personal favorite and I breed for that color in most of my matings.  If you don't want black, please search for another breeder that breeds away from that color.  I don't want to disappoint you if the best pup for your family is a black one.
4. My trainer comes to Temperament Test my litters between 7 and 8 weeks depending on our schedules.  When that day is selected, I post it on the AnnaBlog.  I call you on that day once all the testing is completed and assign you the pup.  If you are not happy, PLEASE tell me and I will refund your money 100%.  I want all my customers to be 'over the moon' happy with their new companion. You should not 'settle' either but stay the course to find exactly what you want. I have no issue with this at all!  My goal is to find a great doodle for your family but we won't always see eye to eye.  I so appreciate people who will give me an honest answer because I want my pups to have loving, caring families and that is my only goal.
5. I never assign pups 'in the order I receive a deposit or application'.  They are assigned so that each family is provided with the best choice for them and the environment they will live in.
6. Rarely will I ever sell a puppy to anyone who has not visited our home to meet me and vice verse.  It is a requirement. I enjoy your visits and the pups benefit greatly meeting new people of all shapes and sizes. 

I hope this post will provide everyone with a clear understanding of how our process works.  It is not for everyone but it has worked beautifully for the fifteen years I have been breeding Australian  Labradoodles.   

Some are counting down the days, while others are counting down the minutes. (Gunny#2 x Abner Litter)

We actually have a late afternoon pick up today.  Gunny is going to his new home to meet up with his ADNE sister, Hadley.  With a busy weekend, it actually worked out well for both of us.

Till then, the pups are in the smaller corner pen as they continue to heal.  Unfortunately, Ziggy is wearing a make shift 'donut' collar because he will not leave his incision alone and it required some meds from the vet today.  I tried the rigid and soft collars with him but they drove him crazy and, although not pretty, the donut is effective.  It also allows him to eat and drink easier.  :+)

All the other pups are doing great but the small space curtails them from doing too much running and prevents swelling of the surgical sites.

Full view of the area. Violet, in particular, likes sleeping in the igloo house.

Ziggy enjoys the view atop the slide.

Marley enjoys spinning round and round on the Sit & Spin.

Marley's 'seat'.

Sunny and Gunny - oops, that rhymes with Ziggy on 'his' seat.

The group watching the other doodles.  Kinda like going to the movies.

CHARLOTTE X WYATT'S WEEK 3 PICS!

Yesterday, I moved Charlotte's pups to a corner of our den just so that they could get some gentle sunlight and socialization with the other doodles that live here.  Being under my desk is great for the first couple of weeks when darkness, protection and quiet is needed for both mom and pups.  I generally move them to the Pup Room around the 2  1/2 week mark; however, Gunny's babies currently occupy the space.  Both Charlotte and her pups are enjoying their new 'temporary' quarters and it is very convenient for me to pick up a pup to snuggle with as we watch tv in the evenings. :+)

Lined up for the dairy bar is front to back: Brown Boy, Yellow Girl, Choc Parti Boy, Blk. Parti Girl & Red Boy

Yellow Girl, love those high set ears!  3 lbs. 10 ounces.

Chocolate Parti Boy - Such a unique face pattern.  Should his name be Yin/Yang??  3 lbs. 9oz.

Red Boy - Brawn and beauty!  4 lbs. and 1 ounce.

Brown Boy - 'Chunk o' Chocolate'. 4 lbs. and 1 oz.

 

Pink Girl is a dainty dot compared to her siblings.  2 lb. 13 oz.

THEY ARE BACK!

All are doing well.  They just had their dinner and are back in the pen as I don't want them to run around until a day or so.

Maybe Thursday, there will be a break in the rain and they can go in their pen outdoors.  I hope so.  Otherwise, they will only have the aisle from the pup room to outdoors.  At least it is fresh air!

Have our grandson visiting today and tomorrow.  Here is a pic of them.   :+)

Leo went home today.

He was Green Collar Boy.  I am going to wait until all the pups are picked up before posting the family pics - that way all will be on the most current post.  He has a long way home to Delaware!

Today, I give baths to the rest of the gang in preparation for their surgeries tomorrow.  They expect the pups at 7:30 am and I won't pick them up until later in the afternoon.  Gives me time to clean up the outdoor area they will be in.  I want to secure them in their own space yet provide them the experience of seeing the 'big' dogs in the puppy area.  Time for more socialization before their trip home.  Unfortunately, they are predicting rain for Wednesday.  Grrrr...  Hopefully, there will be a couple of days of decent weather.

We had a buggy ride today!

It was a nice day and I have been doing lots of paperwork and needed a break.

I decided a walk around the soccer field walking trail was the perfect thing to do with the pups.  They got to watch the cars go by and get a new experience.

Lots of faces smooshed into the screen but they really enjoyed themselves.  I love my three wheeler pup buggy!   :+)

Yesterday was a great day!

It felt like Spring was finally making an appearance. We had sun and mild temps.  :+)

A family came to meet Purple Girl, now appropriately named VIOLET and it was a perfect match.  They love her color, her curls, her temperament and were delighted that they were going to finally add a 'girly girl' to their family.  The boys were totally besotted and I can see that she will have lots of fun and cuddles.

The entire bunch of pups had lots of play time, hugs, cuddles and giggles abounded.  Nothing puts a big smile on my face more than a family enjoying a pile of furry, delightful pups enjoying each other.  :+)

'Pat me, no - pat me'!

I think there are enough hands here for all the pups to have attention!

'Do you wanna kiss?  Do ya?  Do ya?

Everyone is looking for a lap to climb on.

'Mom, I want that one on my lap, too'!

Annabelle, doing what she does best - babysitting another momma's puppies.  This is what she lives to do.  Her mother instincts are the best I have ever experienced.  She 'talks' to them and is so gentle.

She is over 15 years of age and the quentessical grandma.  :+)

WE ARE HANGING IN THERE! (Gunny x Lil Abner Litter - Week 8)

My apologies for not getting this done yesterday but I had to much to catch up on from my nasty cold.  I also did not want to overdo it since I am still not 100% but MUCH improved.

These little rugrats love being outdoors and playing chase - especially when their mom, Gunny, is keeping them company and showing them the ropes.  Gunny LOVES playing with her munchkins!  Sometimes, I see her just sitting down and watching their antics.  It is so adorable.  :+)

So here they are sitting inside a basket I hung on the wall in the pup room.  They had just had a nice nap and were ready for play time outdoors. Great timing.  :+)

Purple Girl, named VIOLET is 5  1/2 lbs.
Such a perfect name for her.  Thanks, Liam!

Green Boy, named LEO.  6 lbs.
His family is from Delaware and picking him up on Monday!

Rainbow Girl, named MARLEY.  5  3/4 lbs.
A gentle girl with a soft, wavy coat.

Orange Boy, named ‘SUNNY DOS ANOS' aka SUNNY.  6  1/4 lbs.
One of the bigger pups in this mini litter.  A fun pup.

Teal Boy, called GUNNY.  4  3/4 lbs.
His owners gave him the formal name of Ogunquit from a fond memory.

Blue Boy, named ZIGGY!  Another robust mini at 5  1/4 lbs.
I am sure Ziggy will be up for any 'job' his owners have in store for him.

Hopefully, all of you have found the Pup Supply list and have been getting your house prepared.  Be sure to order their food from the tab above.  You can keep them on it or change it if you wish but be sure you have some on hand to do the switch slowly or you could end up with diarrhea - not fun. :+(

Get set up with your trainers, vets and dog walkers/sitters/day care.  We are down to the wire now!

EYE EXAMS FOR GUNNY'S LITTER.

First, I am finally feeling better so was grateful I could just crash most of last week.  Things started turning around this past Tuesday. Thanks for the well wishes.  :+)

Yesterday was a busy day.  Leo, Green Collar, had his neuter because he is being picked up on Monday and traveling to Delaware with his new family.  Yesterday afternoon, all his siblings were at the vet for their Health Certificates, Distemper and Parvo vaccine and stool check.  All went well.  I was very happy none of the pups threw up during the car rides - YEA!

Today, all the pups went to my Canine Ophthalmologist for eye exams.  I do this with every litter just to be sure no pup is showing any eye disease that could cause blindness or trauma.  Pups play hard and can easily cause an eye injury.

Next week, on Tuesday, the rest of the group has their surgeries.  That visit will include blood work, laser treatment on the surgical site and fasting.  The poor babies cannot have breakfast, so are quite vocal on the way there.  :+(  I would be complaining too.

Busy times ahead.  Be sure to check the PUPPY SUPPLY list on the AnnaBlog.  Scroll down on the alphabetical list on the right to find it.  ALSO, the pups have been eating Life's Abundance, you should have ordered their food already, but if you have not, good idea to get it done asap!  They have been on the Puppy Formula but can also eat the All Life's Stages formula as well.  The tab to order is at the top of the AnnaBlog page - just click the tab.

If any of you have a long ride (more than three hours) it is a good idea to get a car harness that has a strap that clicks into the car seat tab, rather than a crate.  This way, the pup can be on your lap but still be safe and not a projectile if an incident should happen.  If you plan to do this, contact me via email for your pup's chest circumference so you get the right size.

Lastly, PLEASE read the Contract & Warranty on my website BEFORE coming to pick up your pup!  This is so we don't spend a lot of time going through it while here.  Lots of paperwork to go through, and the contracts will need to be signed before we start. 

By the way, according to my vet who examined the pups, both Orange Boy and Rainbow Girl have Grade 1 under bites which are very low on the scale and will not need any teeth pulled during surgery to compensate.  Their Health Certificates have been noted with the grade.

CHARLOTTE X WYATT LITTER - WEEK 2

Wow, these babies are some chunky!  Charlotte has been doing a remarkable job. She is finally at the point where she visits and plays with the other girls here many times during the day.  Charlotte is fit as a fiddle and frisky. She grabs either a slipper or shoe of mine and takes it outside for 'a walk'. I typically have to trot behind her to gather them up and put them away.  Thankfully, she does not chew them BUT my girls Daisy and Gunny would LOVE to sink their teeth into them - naughty girls!!

All the pups have their eyes open but really can't see much yet.  They are all too fat to be able to stand up and walk, so wiggle their way around.  Pink Collar Girl was the first to open her eyes at 11 days old, the rest promptly followed within two days.

As you will note, the first pic I took was for a comparison - yes, it is an egg carton.  As you can see, Yellow Girl completely filled up the lid section.  That gives all of you an idea how rugged these pups are. Yowsers!!

Comparison of the size of these pups with the egg carton lid!

Yellow Collar Girl - all 2.10 lbs. of her.

Red Collar Boy is a heavyweight - 2. 13 lbs.

Pink Collar Girl is the midget at 2.1 lbs.

Chocolate Parti Male is 2.7 lbs.

And Brown Collar Boy is Red Boy's bookend at 2.13 lbs. as well!

PURPLE GIRL HAS BEEN SOLD! THANK YOU TO ALL INQUIRIES!

This miniature girl has IS NOW SOLD from the Gunny x Lil Abner litter.  She is a little ball of curls and cuddles.  

My trainer was here on Sunday doing the temperament testing on the litter and this is what she had to say about Purple Girl:

Sweet pup, social, playful.  Externally motivated - loves toys, people & food. Should be fun to train and good with kids over 6 yrs. of age, other dogs and animals. She was very brave outdoors, willing to follow and had fun.

Purple Girl scored a '7' in the test and is categorized as 'Moderate Persistence'. A pup at this level requires training (as per my contract for all pups!) and are willing to learn and please.

Outdoors scanning the puppy yard.

        

Close up of her at 7 weeks of age.

        

Purple Girl will be best placed with an active, outdoors type family who has the time and energy to incoorporate her into their daily lives.  She does love to cuddle and interact with other dogs and people.  She is smart, so a commitment to training is an absolute necessity!

Totally non-shedding with a soft curly coat.  She will be about 20 lbs at maturity.

An engaging pup!

Pick up for this girl is at 11 am on Saturday, April 28th.

Temperament test pics for the Gunny2 x Abner litter.

I thought you might all enjoy seeing some pics of the pups during their test.  Although you pretty much see them with toys, what you don't see is if they chase the toy, tug with it, or prance around the room with one in their mouth. Each different action shows a possible trait for fetching, prey drive or a desire to play ball.

There is also a segment on 'squeezing'.  This shows the tolerance, or lack thereof of 'poor' handling. Very young children don't always pick up or pat a pup properly and my trainer looks for a pup's willingness to be handled inappropriately. Thankfully, all the pups passed this one!

When they were placed outdoors (in a place they had never been), they did explore but were not accustomed to the cars passing by and some would stop what they were doing and listen; while others said 'I don't recognize that noise' and headed for the door!  Smart pups!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy.

Purple Girl checking out the new toys and space.
AVAILABLE

Green Boy was curious about the Crinkly Tunnel.

Blue Boy 'bit off' more than he could carry!

Teal Boy enjoyed being surrounded by toys.

Rainbow Girl likes laps and enjoyed her view.  

Funny that Orange Boy picked his ID Collar color coded toy.

Stay tuned!

Temperament Testing is today and I will be calling you later this afternoon with your assignments!  Please note the following:

• I have received only one refusal for a pup with an underbite. If anyone else will be unhappy with a pup with one, Let me know NOW.  I want each and every pup to be loved 100%! As stated, I will refund your deposit in full and help you find another pup from another breeder.
• When I call, could you please have a name for me?  This will make my appointments with my vet for vaccines, surgeries, etc., more effective and orderly.
• Once you accept the pup assigned, your balance of ($2,250) is due.  You can pay by check to ADNE and all of you have my address.  I need to have the check by Friday, April 20, 2018 in order for it to clear; otherwise, call me to make other arrangements.
• Hopefully, all of you have checked the Pup Supply List and have ordered your Snuggle Puppy, if not, please do so quickly.

Unfortunately, I still have a cold and a cough, so when I call, I will try to be as thorough as possible. Forgive the crackling and honking that may permeate our conversation.  Oi!

GUNNY2 X ABNER - WEEK 7!

Although I had planned to take pics outdoors today, I did not get the pup yard cleaned up in time. Still 'dragging a bit' from my cold.

I found Mr. Snuggle Puppy and a basket to contain my wiggly wormy pups and grabbed the camera!  They are now at the point where they have more energy and want to run, run, run!  Even if it is raining tomorrow, they will enjoy the pup yard. I don't have to take photos tomorrow so they can get good and messy.  :+)

Both Orange Boy and Rainbow Girl have underbites. It is a cosmetic flaw and will not interfere with chewing.  Many pups will show an underbite and it generally corrects by 7 weeks. If it doesn't, it is  permanent.  If any of you will NOT accept either pup because of this flaw, please let me know asap and I will refund your deposit in full.  I will not have another litter of minis for a year. I am happy to refer to breeders that will have minis this summer for purchase.  :+)

Green Boy - 5 1/4 lbs.

Purple Girl - 5 lbs.  AVAILABLE

Teal Boy - 4  1/2 lbs.

Orange Boy - 5  3/4 lbs.

Twins :+)  Both Mr. Snuggle and Blue Boy have their eyes closed and their tongues out.  5  1/4 lbs.

Rainbow Girl - 5 lbs.

CHARLOTTE X WYATT - WEEK 1 PICS!

Although a bit under the weather with a nasty cold, I am well enough to take pics of these cuties.  I really don't need ID collars on them but I use them so that the pups adjust to something on their necks literally from birth.

These babes are going to be solid mediums for sure with strong boning.  Most, I predict, will be around 35 + lbs at maturity.  The coats on them are beautiful. 

They nurse almost constantly.  Charlotte lets me know when she needs a motherly break from her chores.  She happily runs around with the other doodles outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. I expect these pups will enjoy an active lifestyle like their parents.  Charlotte would certainly be an agility competitor and Wyatt has an affinity for goose chasing and snowball catching.  Both love to be cuddled and close to their family.

Here are the first individual pics of this group, enjoy!

Pink Collar Girl. This black and white parti girl weighs 1.5 lbs.

Red Collar Male has the same coloring as his mom. He is a big boy at 1.11 lbs.

Brown Collar Boy is also 1.11 lbs.  He could dilute in color to a cafe'.

Chocolate/White Parti Boy weighs 1.7 lbs.  His chocolate spots could dilute as well.

  

Yellow Collar Girl is 1.8 lbs.  I think she will favor her dad's coloring.

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Charlotte with her chunky pups.