Month: January 2014

Frodo

I love the story that goes with these pictures! This was also one of Ferlin’s tricks. Frodo’s family wrote:

Hi there, here are some latest pics of Frodo!! He is such a sweetheart, we love him to pieces!!
He is doing so well, walking has been mastered and this fall he learned to trot alongside the mountain bike with my husband, Frodo loves it. But his favorite is when he can run the trails in the National Park while we are hiking.

I’ve attached a few pics, needless to say he is in need of a grooming. He has some gray sprinkled throughout his coat, and on his face, as well as brown in his whiskers. We get compliments where ever we go that he is a handsome dude!

We can’t imagine life without him. Oh, and let me add that the close up picture of him is one I just took after he had just stolen a Kleenex out of the garbage and got caught!! And I might add that he never shows remorse when he sneaks a Kleenex out of the garbage, or toilet paper off the roll in the bathroom….yes, he has this thing about Kleenex. One day he came into the kitchen with toilet paper hanging out of his mouth and I asked him in a firm voice what he did….he looked at me like, who me, really, I didn’t do anything and proceeded to give me his doodle grin, what a guy!!

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Frodo’s family sent us some new pics and wrote this update:

Hi Margaret-Ann, thank you so much for your emails and photos showing us Frodo’s siblings, we love getting them! Amazing how much they all look alike. Frodo continues to be such a blessing to us and continues to amaze us with how smart he is. He is now enrolled in Obedience classes and does remarkably well, he is a fast learner. Brent has started taking him a few times a week for a slow run alongside his mountain bike, which Frodo loves. Plus Frodo and I continue with our daily, morning walks and most days he does so well. With more squirrels and birds he can easily be distracted but usually refocuses fairly quickly.

We live close to Riding Mountain National Park so now that spring is finally here and it is drier we have gone for some hikes and take Frodo along- he loves the freedom to run. He continues to love kids and people, and other dogs, sometimes too much, especially out on our walks since he thinks every person he meets he should be able to play with!!

I am sending a couple photos of our big boy. One is of Frodo trying to sit on Brent’s lap, he thinks he should be a lap dog!! lol And the other is while out on one of our hikes.

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Sounds like Frodo is being a good boy except for pulling on the leash, but that seems to be under control also. His family wrote:

Well, Frodo is now 6 months old!! He continues to grow taller, although he is definitely filling out more.

His surgery is scheduled for next week, the 27th, so hopefully all will go well.

He is quite protective of me. I take him to work with me and it is interesting who he chooses to bark at and not really want to settle down and those who come in and he barks a couple of times, looks at them and then plops right down as if “carry on”.

His walking has improved since someone recommended that I use a gentle leader on him for training. I will use it till he gets the hang of it and doesn’t pull or decide to take off after a leaf that is blowing across the street!! haha With the streets being so slippery and the fact that I slipped twice because he pulled too hard I knew I needed to try something else. As long as I take him daily (sometimes twice a day) he does well, but if I miss a couple of days it is like he forgets everything-ah puppies!

Here are a couple of pictures of him, I couldn’t seem to get the color right on the camera! His mustache is growing back and it seems to be coming in more brindle color.

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This is another of Doe Dee and Cesar’s males, he lives in Dauphin, Manitoba. When you ask the groomer to ‘clean up the dogs face’ be sure they know you want a Schnauzer clip. Shearing their face right off makes them look to much like a Poodle for my liking. Frodo’s family wrote:

Hi Margaret-Ann….I wanted to send you a couple of photos of our dear Frodo….5 months already and continuing to grow!

I took today with my phone, not the greatest photos but it gives you an idea.

Unfortunately my husband took Frodo to the groomer and his idea of “clean up his face” and the groomers idea of “clean up his face” were totally different. Instead of trimming up his mustache she shaved his face….so after Frodo got over his humiliation and I got over my, well, lets just say I did get over it!  Next time we will clarify what cleaning up his face means.

3 of our granddaughters just spent 4 days with us and Frodo did great….he seemed to really get attached to our youngest, who is 3. The one pic is of the two of them relaxing….it is hard to see in the pic but he has his nose next to her head. She was often leading him all over the house and he seemed to love it. Last night when we went to bed we couldn’t find him, here he had snuck into her room and was laying on her bed at her feet, looking like he was settled in for the night (she was on a mattress on the floor in the office).

He is definitely in the puppy stage….he likes to nip the grand-kids, just gently, cause he wants to play, so we are constantly having to watch and correct him.

He loves it outside and whether at home or in the dog park his face is usually buried in the snow, he loves to dig in it also.

He is doing much better on the leash…we ended up going with a martingale, the kind used for hounds. It has a wider, softer collar in the front and he seems to do well with it. We find taking him 2 or 3 times a day for shorter periods, 10 to 15 mins max, much better rather than an 1/2 walk once or twice a day. His attention span is short so he does better with shorter walks. Hopefully as he gets older he can do better with longer walks.

I will send more as he grows back his mustache!

Vesta

Vesta’s mother Darby has a tail that curls and she carries it over her rump most of the time. She looks very classy with that plume of a tail and it sounds like Vesta has that trait. I was thrilled to receive this email as I had not heard how Vesta was doing with her new forever family in a while. They wrote:

Here are some photos of Vesta, one of the 14 FIB doodles from Feb 2013. She is about 55 lbs and a wonderful dog. She loves to be around people and follows me around the house. She also loves to play though, and is a bundle of energy at the dog park. I have yet to meet a dog who can wear her out . She is quite obedient and knows the basic commands, although we could not keep her at obedience classes as she spent the entire class barking, every time! She does like to bark! One thing I am curious about: do any of her litter mates have a tail that bends to one side? Vesta’s tail is kinked to the right, and when she circles our coffee table we have to watch out or her tail will dip into the coffee cups. When she wants to go outside she picks up a toy and carries it out with her, then brings it back in again afterwards. She is very gentle with her toys, and the only things she chews are the edible bones and pigs ears we buy for her. We love her to bits.

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Vesta is one of Darby and Cesar’s February 26th, 2013, females. I am not sure where she picked mange up but it is a real possibility to contract it from coyotes as it is a virus so can live on a wet or dry surface and be left behind when a coyote has passed through. I think the conjunctivitis is directly related to the mange and recommend Fucithalmic Vet Eye Gel, it should clear it up in no time flat, drug company name is Dechra and is actually made in Canada, not China. Vesta’s family sent us some nice pictures and wrote:

I enjoy getting all your postings. Happy New Year to you and your family. Vesta is growing and she is a very sweet dog. She follows me all over the house, curious about everything. She loves to play “find it” – we hide one of her toys and she has to look for it. She is very good at it. She also has a bit of a fetish for slippers and shoes, and frequently one will be looking for a shoe and cannot find it anywhere, only to have it mysteriously reappear several hours later.She does not chew them though.

Vesta loves to play with other dogs, and when I take her out for a walk each day she is always on the look out for another dog to play with. She is quite careful to be submissive to bigger dogs who are aggressive to her, but she can be a bit annoying to dogs who are not interested in playing but are too polite to tell her to get lost. She barks and barks at them! I have not solved that problem yet. She also likes to bark and bark in the back yard, but will stop if we tell her. The concern is, what about when we are away? (we do not want to annoy the neighbours)

Vesta has had an ongoing problem with conjunctivitis, and has developed mange around her eyes too. We are taking her to the vets each week for 8 weeks to have injections to fight back the mange, and we have had allergy tests done to try and resolve the conjuncitivitis. Apparently she is allergic to carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, as well as a whole list of grasses. Well we changed her dog food, and there is no grass around right now, but she still has gooey eyes, so we are stumped.

Vesta has a beautiful tail, but it is sideways!! When she wags it, it twirls in a circle! It is quite distinctive, and makes her easy to spot from a distance. The only problem is we need to teach her to only go round our coffee table in one direction, as if she goes the other way her tail sweeps everything off!

She seems to have settled in very well with our family.

Roxy & Sallie – F1 Labra Doodle (from Tigger) – Born October 1, 2013

Roxy and Sallie have been sold!

Roxy and Sallie were born Oct. 1st, 2013. Their parents are Tigger, my smaller Chocolate English Lab, and Cesar, my Silver Factor Chocolate Standard Poodle, making these girls F1 Labra Doodles. Roxy (Clarice Reindeer toy) is the smoother coated of the two, and also the smaller, although she will get shaggy as she gets older, she will never be as shaggy as Sallie (pink Wubba toy).

They have just been started on leash. This bitterly cold weather has slowed our progress down but we are trying to work once every two days. They were in the house for pictures and were understandably a little wary but I let them stay in after pictures and they checked the place out and decided it wasn’t scary and having a nap in the sun would be in order so both comfortably laid in a sunbeam and had a long nap. I know some people think that pups should be in the house in winter but I do not agree. I have my pups where they can sleep together in warm dog houses that are not drafty and are full of nice dry straw. This gives them the option to go to a buyer that wants an outside dog, or a buyer that wants an inside dog…you can take an outside dog in but you can not take an inside dog and put it out!

These girls are classified as minimal to non shedders, they have a gentle, quiet temperaments and are both very quick learners that are eager to please. The price of a pup now is $900, that includes delivery. Once they have more work into them the price will go up. They have not been allowed to jump up on people, lick or tug on clothes so they are leaving me with lots of manners and good ground work. Their feet are handled lots, they have always been laid on their back in my lap so they learn submission. To get more information on one of these crackerjack good pups please text 306 521-1371, call 306 792-2113 or use my contact page.

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Roxy and Sallie have now started obedience training and both are loving the extra attention. These girls were born Oct. 1st so are three months old and now have the attention span to retain their training and start learning new skills. Roxy, with the Clarice Reindeer toy, is the straighter coated one of these females and Sallie, with the Pink Wubba Toy, is shaggy coated. Both are the smallest pups in the litter but will not be small dogs, my guess is they will be about 50 to 55 lbs. of extremely lovable, intelligent and loyal canine. They both have soft personalities, they are tail waggers that wag all the way to their neck once they start. When they were in the barn, (which is where my pups stay unless they are adopted) in a safe quarantine area, they learn to come to a whistle, get nails nipped weekly and paw massages and belly rubs. They learn to keep their feet off me (4 on the floor), that no licking is allowed and tugging on clothing is not in a pups best interest, they also learn to pee and poop in one designated area and that napping in a crate with the door off is fun. They are provided with toys that hang from the rafters and toys that roll around their pen, by this they learn coordination and to share. My pups are never penned alone and are never out of food and water, they are fed dry food free feed in chicken feeders to minimize waste, and watered in chicken waterers for safety (so a pup doesn’t fall into a pail). Yesterday was the big day, three weeks past the third set of boosters and warm enough to go outside and romp in the snow….oh what fun we had! Picture taking was really great as it had finally warmed up and then I pulled up a chair and just ‘puppy watched’ for about half an hour, there is nothing to cheer me up more than watching pups explore new territory and meet other pups. Roxy and Sallie need about another weeks work on leash and then they will be ready to either go to their new family or onto more intense training, at which time the price will go up accordingly. I try to give my pups the best possible start so they can go on to be great dogs.

If you may be interested in one of my Doodles and want a little older pup that will be ready to keep up by summer, then now is the time to let me know. The price of the pups is $900 at this stage, that includes me delivering her safely into your arms if you are on the central prairies, if you are further away we can arrange to meet part way, or you can fly to Regina and I will take your pup to the airport to be escorted home by you. I do not ship my puppies. For further information please text 306 521-1371 or use my contact page.

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Roxy and Sallie are daughters of Tigger, chocolate English Lab, and Cesar, Silver Factor Chocolate Standard Poodle, making them F1 Labra Doodles (half Lab and half Standard Poodle). They were born October 1, making them 12 weeks old now. I did not aggressively advertise them as I was having some health issues and I don’t really want my pups to be caught up in the hype of Christmas, I want them to be the center of attention with their new family.

Tigger is the smallest of my English Labs and also the one with the most character. I have three full sisters in my breeding program: Tigger, Winnie and Robyn. The smallest of the pups is the straighter coat female that I have now named Roxy, and the mid size female is now named Sallie (you can certainly change their names once they are your puppy). Roxy is the quieter of the two, she likes to be held and follows me everywhere I go in her pen just hoping for one more pet or cuddle. Sallie on the other hand is the rascal of the two, she is the girl that will take the ball or toy and run with it, trying to get Roxy to chase her. Both these girls are very good about having their feet handled, being laid on their back for belly rubs and are excellent about having nails trimmed.

My take on these two are that Roxy would like a home where things are more laid back so she could bond with her family, go for walks and go on to excel in obedience as she really pays attention to what is going on around her, she is a very quiet pup that lets her sister announce when I show up to play with them. Sallie would like a more rambunctious type of family that would have kids that want to throw a ball, take her swimming in the lake, go cross country skiing and maybe become an upland bird hunters dog. She would announce an intruder, so far she is quiet as soon as she is told so she is not a barker, but if you want a dog that will let you know someone is at your door this is the girl for you. Roxy is smoother coated, she will get wavy with a shorter shaggy coat, Sallie will be shaggy coated, both will get blonde streaks throughout their coat as they mature.

These girls are trained to pee and poop in one area of their pen, so house training will be quick and easy. They sleep in a crate with the door off, so crate training will be fast, I have lots of instructions on how to keep them happy in their crate and I am a firm believer that crate training and house breaking go hand in hand, and that pups house train a lot easier in winter. They are old enough to sleep through the night or stay in their crate a full day while you are at work. They do their business faster when their feet get cold and only track in clean snow, not mud as in spring.

If your New Years resolution was to get in shape, here is your motivation….you will have a dog to take for a walk! These girls have had three sets of boosters and have been dewormed twice, so they are safe to go anywhere now. I stick by my pups and my buyers, so if you need advise I am only a call or email away. For more information on Roxy or Sallie please text 306 521-1371 or use my contact page.

These girls are $900, that price includes delivery… if you are further away and I don’t have two or more pups going your way, or if you are further away, you can meet me part way. I do not ship my pups but choose to place them safely into the new families’ arms.

Belle

This is another of Kloe‘s pups, this girl lives in St. Boniface Winnipeg. Her family wrote:

Thank-you for the updates on the other puppies. Belle is an amazing puppy and so well behaved. We couldn’t be happier with her and for that I thank you. I attached a photo of her taken on Christmas. I’ll keep u updated in the future. I’ve already referred many people to your website and you as a breeder.

Charlie

Charlie lives in Calgary and is one of Katie and Pluto’s pups. He was born February 8, 2007. When this man bought Charlie he was single (the man, not the pup) and it looks like both he and Charlie are family men now. How awesome is this. It thrills me to see where my dogs have gone and how well they are doing, Charlie is obviously become a valued member of this family! Charlie’s family wrote:

Thanks for the note – it is always nice to hear from you and to know that you care about your dogs. Charlie is almost 7 – next month, and he has always been a great dog. He has developed into a great family dog and he now has a 3 year human brother and a 9 month old human sister. The 3 year old and him are best buds and they are always playing and chasing each other – it helps when our 3 year old has dog treats in his hand! And our daughter loves feeding Charlie from her high chair – we love having him clean up after her.

Ozzy

Ozzy looks like quite the character, judging from these photos. His family wrote:

It is one year ago today that we received our wonderful Ozzy from you in the parking lot at McDonald’s. We wanted to give you his one year update!

Ozzy has been the best thing that has joined our family in a very long time. He has brought untold joy to each and every one of our family and extended family members. He is a very quiet and gentle soul.

He has learned how to play ball, fetching and throwing (he will throw the ball to us). He has learned how to play hide and seek. Yes, he not only seeks he actually takes his turn hiding. He is truly amazing.

He spent 50 nights camping with us last summer. He joined us on a two week, 7,000 km road trip through the mid-west US from Calgary, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Des Moines, Kansas City, Cheyenne, Great Falls and home.

We want to thank you again for such an amazing member to our family.

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Ozzy is one of Darby and Cesar‘s pups from Feb. 26, 2013.

Frank

Frank lives in Moose Jaw with his owner Peter. He goes to work with Peter every day, Peter is an electrician and calls Frank his ‘apprentice’. Frank is one of Kayden and Pluto’s pups from Sept. 5th. 2007. Peter told us:

Well, here is a picture of Frank. He is such a sponge sometimes look how he has his eye on the camera. I would love to get another one of your dogs , we saw a doodle in Saskatoon and if it were not for the traffic at the time I would have stopped because he looked like the one you sent me a picture of with the curly messy looking hair doo!

Jack

Jack is one of Dezi and Einstein’s June 2013 pups. He looks to have it made! His family told us:

Jack is an absolutely wonderful dog!
Yes he chews everything, yes he’s nibbley on fingers and toes. Yep he likes to launch himself at you to greet you when he’s missed you. He terrorizes the cat to no end, and he thinks the warmest part of the couch is reserved for his little puppy bum only.

We wouldn’t have it any other way.
He adores dani our 5 year old, LOVES frisbee and ball playing, is extraordinarily social and loves people and dogs. He especially loves the cottage where he can just run and play- even though he always wants us with him.

We’ve had 2 scares, once when he actually ate a belly full of gravel- our vet said we could do surgery, but we waited it out and he seemed to pass everything. A 2nd time when he ate up a hand warmer just after a cold day walk (which have iron shavings), he also got the ok from our vet after that. We’ve only missed 3 days of walking since he joined our family, so he’s a pretty balanced little lad.
I will send some pictures right away- enjoy!
And thank you!