Here we are, with just 8 days to go before these beautiful, playful, bundles of cuteness start going to their new homes. We went out for our afternoon run yesterday, and since it was nice and sunny, I turned my video on. I used a "seflie" stick - which is more like a "puppy" stick - so I could get the camera down to eye level for the pups.
A couple of things I learned:
These puppies love to "boop" the camera with their noses.
The puppies like to swarm around my feet.
Maybe they're trying to trip me so they can attack me with cuteness.
Maybe They just want to give me kisses.
If I walk slowly, I won't trip over any of the puppies swarming around me.
An out-of-shape grown, adult man can, apparently, pick up ballet moves very quickly when the need to "tippy-toe" kicks in.
Just like kids, some puppies like to stay close by, and some like to explore.
The puppies are a little too small to play with soccer balls.
EVERYTHING must be smelled.
Tails don't stop wagging - ever!
On to the fun...
I apologize if a special puppy didn't get a lot of screen time. I edited this video down from some very long videos, and this was the best result.
This is my normal routine as I fulfill my promises to post more pictures:
Wait for a nice warm, sunny day...
Wait some more...
Remember I live in Michigan...
Consider taking pictures inside...
Learn that the weekend might be nice...
Discover the sun...
Put puppies outside on grass in the sun...
Take a hundred, or more, pictures and videos...
Play with puppies...
Take another hundred pictures...
Put puppies in playpen to play...
Puppies immediately nap...
I nap...
Wait a day or two, as other "issues" come up...
Filter out bad pictures...
Agonize over the definition of "bad picture"...
Worry about what people will think if their puppy only has 1 or 2 pictures...
Decide to make a cute video...
Try to make the video 🔥🔥🔥
Realize I have limited skillzz
Throw everything together...
Know I could do better...
Post it anyway...
Start all over again because it took so long to post these...
Start scheduling pick up times!!
Let's just say I have my fair share of frustrations and anxieties...
Below is a very long video compilation of the puppies. The puppies are all cute and playful and fun. The quality of the pictures, or video, have no bearing on the personality of your puppy! (Trust me. I'm the one with the issues, NOT the puppies!)
The puppies all weigh between 3-5 pounds right now. They might look bigger in the pictures, but they each still fit in one hand.
They are playing together nicely, and they are handling the food transition perfectly. We are now at the stage where I put the food in a bowl and pour some water over the top of the food. Some of the puppies have fewer teeth bursting through (This is normal!) so the wet food will soften up shortly and ensure everyone gets the right food. Next week it will be all dry food.
Today is the day we have been waiting for! Well, one of the days. Today the puppies turn 6 weeks old, and they are now fully weaned from mom. I visited Piper today, in her regular home, and she is on her way for a relaxing, grooming spa day - maybe even a chakra hot-stone massage - and she's earned it!
Piper's serious look as she was starting out
Post-Spa Smiling Summer Cut
Over the course of the next 2+ weeks, I will slowly progress the puppies into eating solid, dry, food. They are now eating the same dry food, but I mix it with water and blend it into a gooey paste. This helps them in the transition from mom's milk to their normal food. The next step is soft wet food, unblended, and then, slowly, more solid and dry. They will all be used to dry kibble dog food before they are ready for final pick up.
As a reminder: the food I am using is Purina ProPlan Puppy "Focus" - Chicken and Rice formula. The company has been changing their packaging recently, and I think this is the current look of the bag:
Each puppy will go to their new homes with enough food for at least a handful of days. If you have a preferred brand of dog food, this will give you plenty of time to slowly transition them to the new food.
I'll post some new pictures a bit later, but now for the important info:
PUPPY PICK UP
I have a Veterinarian appointment of Friday May 6th @ 9:00 AM. It is just down the road at Williamston Animal Clinic:
No, these were NOT all taken on ONE day! (It was just the afternoon! 🤣)
I expect to be home from the Puppy Check up by 10:00 on May 6th. I jokingly tell people that there will be people in my driveway, waiting for my return, so they can take their new puppy home - and that is OK with me!
I'll be reaching out to everyone soon so we can schedule an "approximate" time for everyone to come pick up their new puppy. I like to give everyone a few minutes to ask questions, and get everything settled, but I normally find it takes a very short time for pickup.
OK. That's all for now. I have to go get something done outside. I'll post pictures soon!!
There were many hard decisions made, but now they are all done. The next step is for the puppies to grow and mature a bit more, and then go to their new families May 6,7,8. I'll post more pictures as wego.
"For the very first selection in today's NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select... Placekicker, from Saginaw Valley State University, ....."
That is how I often wake up on the first day of puppy selections. A cold, terrorizing sweat...And it is usually about 2:43 AM...
These can be scary days for me. I get so nervous about helping, or hurting, someones selection of a puppy.
Questions I always expect to be asked:
Q: What kind of food do you feed them?
A: Purina ProPlan Puppy "Focus" Chicken and Rice formula. Some of the bags recently changed color and wording, so it may be slightly different.
Q: What size leash and collar/harness should I get?
A: For the first few days, or longer, the puppy will not run far from you, and they don't run very fast anyway. Feel free to wait a day, and then take the puppy with you to the store and get the "perfect" set at that time. (Especially if you like unknown people coming up to you and saying, "OH. MY. WORD! What a beautiful puppy! My sister used to have one like that....")
Questions I have heard in the past: (A representative sample of the type of questions I receive)
Q: Will they get along with my neighbor's cat?
A: I really don't know, they have never even seen a cat, but they get along with our other family dogs.
Q: My husband is afraid it will eat his shoes? What should we do?
A: Start by moving the shoes up, off the floor, and then make sure the puppy has enough toys so they don't think shoes are the only thing to chew on.
Q: Is it true that if I feed my puppy after midnight they will possibly turn into a people-hating monster?
A: No, but they will be more likely to need to go to the bathroom when you had been planning to sleep.
Q: I read somewhere that sometimes these dogs go on crazy growth spurts and sometimes they grow bigger than our house, and then we'd have to move to an island and there aren't any islands near us. What do we do?
A: Stop believing that children's stories are true, and don't name your puppy "Clifford" - just to be sure.
Q: Will they like to swim?
A: Sometimes they will, and sometimes they won't - just like people. Historically, poodles and retrievers are very happy around the water. If you train them on how to swim, just like you would with a child, the odds of them liking to swim are much improved.
Q: My sister's boyfriend - we don't really like him - raises Iguanas and sells them online, in Facebook Marketplace, or something. If she doesn't dump him, and he brings an iguana over to our house, what should we do with the puppy?
A: Use your best judgement...
I'll stop there... I could go on forever.... I've been asked a lot of great questions, and also some that i have to pause for a moment before answering... I'm happy to help; it's what I do...
Now, for some pictures... (finally!) Yesterday was the first day I felt was warm and sunny enough to get the puppies outside to play on the grass. They had fun! It was also the day I started weaning them from their mom. It's a slow process, but this is their first "real food", and I will slowly make it more frequent and more "real" over the next few days so they can stop relying on Piper to feed them. (Piper will appreciate that!)
BOYS: Yellow, Green, Black, Teal (Light Blue)
GIRLS: Gray (white in these pictures), Red, Blue, Purple, Orange
Starting with Purple, then clockwise, Mr. Black, Miss Gray (White), Miss Red, Miss Orange, Mr. Green, Miss Blue
Mr. Teal - watching and wondering
Top: Mr. Black, Miss Orange, Mr. Green, Miss Blue, Mr. Yellow, and another one..
Top: Mr. Black, Miss Orange, Mr. Green, Miss Blue, Miss Purple, Miss Red, and (left) Mr. Yellow trying to swim in the food.
Mr. Green, Miss Red, Miss Orange, Miss Gray (White), Mr. Black
And here is a short video of them playing around outside. I'll have more later, Thanks!
Well, in a word: YES. As of today, Saturday 4/9, I have received 9 deposits for 9 puppies. I have begun scheduling selections for the puppies and this coming week will be tell-tale.
Now, I think all of the puppies are beautiful, fun-loving, and playful - exactly what you would expect from a puppy. However, some people prefer only a boy puppy, and some people prefer only a girl puppy. Some families will be happy with either sex, but only want a puppy with a curly coat, etc., etc., ...
I have told people, who have placed a deposit, that I will gladly return any deposit if the "ideal puppy" is not available when it is their turn to select. This has never happened to us before, but if a family is not ready to adopt a puppy that is available to them, I will never force them to adopt it, and I don't ever want to hold someone's money. I'll put your name back onto or interest list, and we will reach out to you next time, and start the process again - if you are still looking for a puppy.
That means there is a chance that a puppy will still be available in a week or two, but it's a long-shot...
While we wait for selections to be finalized, I'll continue to post videos and pictures of the puppies so you can see how they are growing. Like this one...
(BTW: that sound you hear is Piper drinking water behind me)
I will begin scheduling our Selection Day, and I will announce that here very soon!
Reservations updated as of 4/6:
Kim J. - First choice of GIRL
Jacky - Second choice of GIRL
Joanna - First choice of BOY
Kaydra - Second choice of BOY
Deb K. Third choice of GIRL
PH - Girl
AG - Boy
CB - Girl (This leaves just 1 BOY remaining)
MB
If
someone's plans change, or the "timing isn't right", or anything
happens, then everyone bumps up on the list, filling the now empty
spot.
While this is not common, there are times when people fall
in love with one specific puppy, and really prefer NOT to adopt a puppy
from the remaining selection when they are "up". I truly respect and
appreciate this type of decision. If it is not 100% right, then it's not
right at all.
That means, every once in a while, someone who is
"last" on the list ends up higher due to a drop out. If the timing and
details of this specific litter are very important to you, don't be
afraid to contact me, even though the list looks daunting and maybe
hopeless. You just never know!
I will NOT keep your deposit if you
are unable to find a puppy you want to adopt. That just isn't fair.
Reach out to me and let me know!
I'm not going to claim to have lost ALLLLLL track of time, but yesterday, at our Church, someone mentioned that Easter is in two weeks. I was stunned! Their reply was, "Yeah, it seems so late this year!" I was thinking, "It can't be Easter time yet! I'm pretty sure I still have Christmas decorations up somewhere...."
So, to realize these little balls of fur are now (on 4/5) turning 4 weeks old, is amazing! They are definitely getting more mobile and active. They are right on schedule for growth and maturity - and they are ADORABLE!
RECAP: These puppies will grow to about 25 pounds. Anything between 20-30 pounds would be within my expected range. They are F1B mini-Goldendoodles. Mom, Piper, is a 35 pound F1 mini-Goldendoodle (her parents were purebred Golden Retriever and Poodle), and Dad, Toby, is a 14 pound miniature poodle.
I am accepting reservations for this litter. We have 5 reservations so far. Three people have reserved a girl, and 2 people have reserved a boy. That leaves 2 boys and 2 girls currently available.
"Which 2 girls are available?" Well, that is a harder question. In about 2 weeks - but NOT on Easter - I will be inviting people to our house who have made reservations. Then, in the order of their deposits, they will select which puppy they would like to make their own. When the puppies are 8 weeks old, the families will come back and pick up their puppy and take him/her home.
If you find yourself desiring one puppy, based upon the pictures and videos I post, I encourage you to put a deposit down so I can hold your spot. I will always return your initial deposit if the puppy of your dreams is not available when it is your turn to select. I would NEVER want someone to feel pressured into taking the final boy/girl. I know, from experience, that most of these puppies will grow to be very similar in stature and personality, but if you are EVER unhappy with the available options, just let me know.
OK. On to the pictures!
The 5 girlsare wearing collars of the following colors: Gray, Red, Blue, Purple, Orange
The 4 boysare wearing collars of the following colors: Yellow, Green, Black, Teal (light blue)
A pile of puppies!
L to R: Miss Blue, Mr. Black, Miss Gray
Mr. Teal coming in to the group to see what's going on.
Miss Blue and Mr. Yellow. A good shot of coat colors and style
Mr. Green, crawling over siblings while Mr. Black watches
Mommy's here! Piper keeping an eye on her puppies to make sure I'm doing the right things
