Yes.
And we're so glad we did.
We knew it would be a lot of work, but after much discussion and careful thought, we agreed that A) a family pet was something that we both want for our family unit, and B) getting a puppy and training her with due diligence would be unlikely when we have a baby or toddler. So, soon after we found out I was pregnant, we decided to get on it.
We researched our options and easily determined that because Dan wanted a big dog that can run with him and my allergies demand a non-shedder, we would need something with "oodle" in the breed name. After reading up a bit on Labradoodles, Cadoodles, Schnoodles, Bordoodles, Shepadoodles and many more... we decided that a Golden Doodle pup would be our first choice because of their said Golden Retriever disposition and Poodle smarts. Then I found Wendy from Fairytale Service Dogs and knew we had met our breeder. Seriously, she's wonderful.
Last weekend, along came Luna.
Scruffy as a mountain man, timid as a new kid on the first day of school. (Little known fact: not all Golden Doodles are in fact golden. She's a rare silver & gray color with some brown on her ears.)
Last weekend, along came Luna.
Scruffy as a mountain man, timid as a new kid on the first day of school. (Little known fact: not all Golden Doodles are in fact golden. She's a rare silver & gray color with some brown on her ears.)
 |
| Luna on our ride home from Kingman, AZ |
Seven months old and very shy but sweet as can be. Ok, I said 'very shy'... I meant 'terrified of all human things'. Because she's already seven months old, she had gotten very accustomed to her life at the ranch in Kingman... being outside and free with about thirty other dogs and limited human interaction... so you can imagine the transition to life in our house has been a little bit traumatic. Normally puppies go home with new owners between 2-4 months of age, so being that she's already past that happy-go-lucky stage, we knew she would be a little bit more of a project. But we wanted her anyway.
She started off getting spooked by the sound of pots and pans clanking, doors closing, chairs sliding, faucets running, basketball bouncing, zippers zipping... but now she is getting used to life in a people house. She is still very cautious about her whereabouts, and timid around humans besides me and Dan (the keepers of the kibble!) but she's making so much progress. She's already completely house broken, and knows where her toys are, how to 'sit' and walk on a leash. You can definitely identify her retriever instincts by the way she fetches her toys so diligently. And oh man what a sweetheart and people-pleaser. And mellow as can be in the house, hasn't touched so much as a shoe or a flower in the yard (knock on wood). She's going to be such a great family dog.
My first day going back to work was devastating. I probably called Dan (who is off this week) every two hours almost in tears because I missed them so much. Seriously. What am I going to do when there's a BABY and I have my first day back at work?
 |
| e from Luna looking spiffy after her first haircut |
Speaking of baby... how am I feeling you ask? Well my first trimester gave me a real swift kick in the behind on its way out with a bad case of the stomach flu and a "scare" that I won't go into details about... but I'm fifteen weeks now and feeling GREAT! I've got my energy back, I'm sleeping better, and I'm not feeling nauseous 95% of the time. I've also discovered the sheer glory of maternity clothes and I might never wear regular pants again.
