Home is Where the Doodle Is
“Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can’t imagine living any other way.” quote by Caroline Knapp
As I reflect on our last dog’s passing, I’m reminded of the old adage: ‘life begins when the kids go to college and the dog dies.’ For me, this phrase holds a grain of truth. With our children grown and independent, and our two furry companions no longer by our side, my husband and I found ourselves with a newfound sense of freedom. We started traveling, took up ballroom dancing and moved to Puerto Rico.
It took us ten years to establish ourselves on this enchanted island and ultimately purchased a small farm. One day I turned to Russ and said; ‘Please don’t be mad, but I’ve been thinking, I’d love to get a dog.’ To my surprise, he replied, ‘I’ve been thinking the same thing.” This conversation was sparked by our social circle, where two of my girlfriends had recently adopted designer dogs and were raving about their adorable pets which only fueled my own desire to find our perfect companion.
Living in Puerto Rico, and not really speaking Spanish, made it hard to go to the want ads. But there is GOOGLE! I learned about Puppy Love. This is a new style of dog adoption. They only sell Designer Dogs. Russ and I made our appointment to see the facility. The dogs are all pre-sold. What we saw when we arrived were four green pens, that were designed like small football fields. The puppies were playing in these pens and it was as though I was watching a movie of adorable miniature puppies frolicking. I could hardly wait to have the ability to hug and hold my dog.
We were told to look at the links on their computer to choose the dog we wanted. Russ, went through the videos. My original research pointed toward a Havapoo. Looking at its potential size, it was not going to be good on our farm. Russ then decided we should have a Bernedoodle. Each puppy was around 3-4 weeks old. The video showed them moving around a big stuffed animal, and there was the cutest baby music being played in the background. From over fifty video’s (we only watched ten) Russ chose our dog, which we named Quinn after the song “The Mighty Quinn”. Quinn, was going to be flown in from Ohio, from an Amish breeder. We had to wait four weeks before we were given Quinn. Adorable, is the only word that comes to my mind when we saw her. ADORABLE!!
Puppy Love, gave us basic information on how to take care of our baby. They did give us her crate, some instructions about feeding her and the phone number to their dog trainer. Upon leaving we purchased a bowl and puppy food. And we were off.
Holding her in the car was tough, she was full of energy. When we arrived home, we placed her in her crate and went to PetCo to purchase what we thought she needed. The new rule for puppies is they can not socialize with other dogs, nor go out until sixteen weeks has passed. This relates to the shots they need.
I stayed home with her for eight weeks. It was strange to not leave the house. I was holding her a lot, and enjoying her soft licks. We were told by Puppy Love to hire a trainer. And of course they recommended theirs. Their trainer’s information was overwhelming. So different from my last three dog experiences where I just brought the dogs home and life went on. But now I learned there are many things to be watchful for: The trainer told me;
“First: You need to purchase a holder for the doggy pads. Dogs are known to eat the paper and choke. Second: The bed: Some dogs seem to eat the material and choke. Third: the rubber toy you bought, inside there is a plastic sound which if the dogs get to, they can choke. Fourth: the collar you purchased can choke your dog when you pull on it. Fifth: the seatbelt you bought is to small and Quinn can choke. Sixth; The food you bought is not healthy, she will get fat. You need to go this dog store and buy “Fromm” a type of Kibble. Oh, and you should purchase dog health insurance, in case anything unexpected happens to Quinn. I worked with Quinn everyday to train her to listen to my commands. I found she was brilliant if there were food rewards involved. If not I was talking to the wall.
As I stroll through the charming old streets of Old San Juan with Quinn, I’m frequently stopped by tourists who ask about Quinn’s breed. Many people fawn over Quinn, cooing and asking to pet her. They say “Oh, she’s so cute!” and universally since I live in Puerto Rico “Oh, Que Bella” all said in a high-pitched baby voice. In truth, I am becoming a little jealous. Then they scroll through their phone to show me photos of their own dogs and share their stories with me. Also, I always find it interesting how many dogs look so much like their owners. Quinn and I have the same color hair and dark circles.
The abundance of Doodles in the area got me thinking about the breed’s origins. Quinn’s parents, her father a seventeen-pound toy Poodle and her mother a seventy-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, seems like an unlikely pair. And it sparked my curiosity about the creation of the Doodle Breed:
Monica Dickens, in 1969, who is the great granddaughter of the writer Charles Dickens, chose to bred the Golden Retriever, because of its gentle nature with a standard Poodle, for its intelligence. She called them cross breeds, or retriever-Poodle crosses. Her focus was on creating dogs with low shedding coats.
Then in 1988, Wally Conron, who was a breeder for the Royal Guide Dog Association in Australia, received a request from a Hawaiian couple in need of a guide dog. The woman was blind, and her husband had severe allergies. Conron sought to find a solutions and initially considered Poodles due to their intelligence and low-shedding coats. However, after three years and breeding thirty – three dogs he realized Poodles weren’t suitable as guide dogs. He then bred a Labrador Retriever with a Poodle creating the Labradoodle in an effort to combine the best traits of both breeds. Thus began the Doodle movement.
Doodles often have a unique appearance that distinguishes them from their poodle parents, with coats that can vary in texture and length. Unlike poodles, which have tightly curled coats, doodles can have a wide range of coat types. Beyond their physical characteristics doodles can be prone to certain health issues. While hybrid vigor may make them less prone to certain genetic health problems, they may still be prone to health concerns such as hip dysplasia or ear infections. From my experience with Quinn, stomach issues can also be problematic.
Quinn, has a sweet expression that melts our hearts. With our other dogs we had rules, like no table scraps, Quinn has her own chair at our table. We were firm and said no getting on furniture and certainly not in bed, Quinn sleeps with us and takes up most of the bed. Our other dogs were always left at home, Quinn comes everywhere with us. I don’t cook, yet every morning I prepare scrambled eggs with toast for her. Quinn has clearly become the queen of the house, and we couldn’t imagine life without her. And when our children and grandchildren visit well, Quinn immediately bonded with each of them. And when they leave they miss her more then us. As we gaze at Quinn, we can’t help but laugh and say “How did we get so lucky?” My husband and I are forever grateful for this bundle of joy who brings us laughter, love and adventure.