For Crazy Dog People's Eyes only!

I am at the age now where I don't really care what people think of me and I put my hands up in the air and say I AM the crazy dog lady (well one amongst many I guess, I am sure there are a lot of you on this forum too!)

I often wonder what my sixteen year old me would think of me now.  I think they would cross the road and hide if they spotted me!  

I used to think that people who shared there beds with there dogs were 'minging'  
I would never be seen out without my eye liner and mascara or without using at least a can of hairspray for my perm.  
Wearing holey plastic things on my feet (later invented and known as crocs) would be an absolute no no
Constantly removing dog snot from my dogs eyes would have made me want to boff
ALL my jeans pockets are full with doggy bags.....whats that about?

 
I know that my sixteen year old me would be embarrassed as I wasn't so mad about dogs back then as I got bitten by one

My ex Husband didn't want children and decided to #shut me up# by getting me a puppy.   Little did I know that in 1998 my life would be turned upside down (in a good way)    As soon as I saw this little bundle of black fluff come hurtling towards me I fell head over heals in love.  I named her Gemma  and we were inseparable.   She became my soul mate and she changed my life for the better.   I really mean for the better as my Ex Husband after having Gem for two months, said that I gave all my love to the dog so he decided to see someone else.  We divorced quite soon after!

 Me and little Gem have been through all the bad stuff together.  I was sort of obsessed with her, can you love something that much?!      See I am crazy!lol    My baby left for Rainbow Bridge in 2011    She died on her own terms in her Mummy's arms.  I don't think I have ever been loved that much?  Thats why it was so devastating to lose her.  Its been over three years since my little girl left me and I still miss her everyday.  Do you ever get over such loss?

Anyway now I have four gorgeous doods who I love with all my heart.  Gemma has a major part to play towards my love of doodles.  She was the key to my happiness and I count my blessings that she came into my life.

I would love to hear your story, on how you became mad4doodles!

Heres my brood now
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My soul mate
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Oh god Jules, I will come back to this later as I am in tears reading that  

I was brought up with dogs, they were always around, Corgis, cocker spaniels, a Rough Collie, Springer spaniel. When I got marrued aged 20! And got our own coubcil house 6 months later! We bith desperately felt our home wasn't comolete without a dog (MIL had a Pom and a min Dobe) so off we went to Wood green kennels at Heydon nr Royston. We came home with an 18 month okd hairy labrador cross called Ringo....he pulled me flat on my face the first time I took him for a walk, jumped a 6' fence when we let him out in the garden... about the same time Ian Dunbar was doing a dog training tv programme in the afternoon, si we followed that.... Digger as he became known, lived till he was 17, still jumping on my bed on his last night. In between times hed killed two chickens and a hamster! Fallen out of a bedroom window, becime big bro to a bull lurcher, a lab bitch and a sprollie, become a best buddy to my first born and 13 years later my second son. I'd never heard of Labradoodles, he was Lab shaped with a rough coat and silks on his ears. Labradoodles had fleece coats as far as I was concerned.... Then a friend insisted he was a Dood and I started researching and found they did come with rough coats too!
When he died I was expecting my 3rd child and still had the Sprollie and the Lab, so a 3rd dog was put on hold.
In 2007 a fellow dog trainer told me of a 10 month old Dood whose owner wanted him pts as he was out of control. My kids we 12 and 10 by then, so I said I'd take him on... he had very little bite inhibition, he stole any food he could reach and just didn't know how to relax in a house....
So we started hand feeding him, playing lots of ragger games, both of which stopped uf his teeth touched our hands, put him on a house line so he could be removed from any naughtiness and secured without having to be segregated from the family. He was taught to 'leave' too... Unfortunately shortly after I got him my health went downhill and he didnt get the training and socialisation he deserved.
We lost Bonnie the sprollie about 3 years later, and missy the Springer earlier this year I've never been comfortable keeping an only dog, so started to search for a rescue, but nothing seemed to tick all the boxes. I needed something young, small to medium sized, most importantly something well socialised as I didn't want to have to put right somebody else's mistakes again... Then it dawned on me that a slightly older puppy who'd lived with a bigger dog already wouldn't be too phased by him and would still have its 'puppy licence' and so the search began for a poo or an oodle! Luckiky we didn't have too look for too long - a 16 week old Cockapoo x Toy poodle who was raised with other family dogs including a Doberman, and so Bramble joined us!
I love the Poodle intelligence without the stigma of the frufru toy dog (although I admit she spends more time in my arms than perhaps she should....)

We had always had dogs growing up, a miniature poodle who grew up with me then a german shepherd x (heinz variety) so when I got a place with my then fiancee..now husband we got a dog Doc a labrador puppy bred by my OH's brother. He was the runt of the litter and they had become so attached to him but couldn't keep another one so he had to stay in the family. It was fate!

Doc was the sweetest dog ..not the brightest but sooo loving, not a bad bone in his body. He eventually left us in 2009 when he was 12 he had a spinal tumour along with other health problems and his back legs gave out on him. It broke my heart and for a while we said we would never have another but 9 months later a friend bred her Golden Retriever with a poodle and Harvey the Golden Doodle came home to us.

I have to say I never knew I would love him as much as I do.We don't have children (personal choice) so he is my baby He has changed both of our lives, we have started having holidays in the UK so he can come too, met lots of other crazy Doodle people on our travels, joined Doodle groups,discovered Doodlefest and so much more!

I do believe you get the dog you need and not necessarily the one you set out for and Harvey definitely tried my patience A LOT when he was a puppy he is very strong willed but no matter what one look into that face and you just have to laugh. He gets away with murder..sleeps on the bed ( I think he thinks we share the bed with him not the other way round)

Now all I have to do is get more like him (this is where me and my OH disagree but time will tell)

Wish me luck  :P  

Thank you so much for sharing your lovely stories ladies.

Lynn,  GOOD LUCK.  Just keep on leaving your lap top on when you wander out into the kitchen with pics of pups on.  I have tried this myself......   

Keep on commenting on 'ooooh Steven look at this pic of this gorgeous puppy my darling,  Oh I had almost forgotten it's my Birthday soon   '

This one is good .......

 'Poor Harvey, he had so much fun with all the doods when we went to Doodlefest and up North, do you think he has been a little subdued since we have come back my darling?   Perhaps he is missing his play mates.........ooooh look at this adorable labradoodle pup.  Would you like a cup of coffee Steven?' (leave lap top open again with puppy pic on facing Hubbys chair   )

Or this is my fav.....

'I want a human baby' Then look for the skid marks he leaves behind him as he shoots in the car with the dog cage shouting....... 'a loving home for a puppy'   

I never had a dog b4 i met and moved in with wendy, always had cats. We got harvey, a yellow lab as a pup. He was brilliant. 2 years later we added blaze to our family, another yellow lab. H, or harvey to use his sunday name, left us 2 years ago aged 10. Much loved, much missed. Blaze had known h all his 8 years so was missing him terribly. I thought he was maybe coming round a bit but wendy said he was still very lonely. We didnt meet the rescue criteria as our back garden is open to the fields and blaze is entire. Anyway, l came home one day to find she had searched for and found another dog. We both went back to her and i knew we would be keeping her. She was puppy 5, belle, and she is an f2 doodle. Willow became her name as she is a delicate (looking) girl and we live at willow corner!!!! 2 years on she is a fantastic dog and has part filled the big hole left by my h. We both adore both our dogs and 1 day i will work out how to get a pic of them on here,lol. Kevin.

kevin1954 wrote:
I never had a dog b4 i met and moved in with wendy, always had cats. We got harvey, a yellow lab as a pup. He was brilliant. 2 years later we added blaze to our family, another yellow lab. H, or harvey to use his sunday name, left us 2 years ago aged 10. Much loved, much missed. Blaze had known h all his 8 years so was missing him terribly. I thought he was maybe coming round a bit but wendy said he was still very lonely. We didnt meet the rescue criteria as our back garden is open to the fields and blaze is entire. Anyway, l came home one day to find she had searched for and found another dog. We both went back to her and i knew we would be keeping her.  She was puppy 5, belle, and she is an f2 doodle. Willow became her name as she is a delicate (looking) girl and we live at willow corner!!!! 2 years on she is a fantastic dog and has part filled the big hole left by my h. We both adore both our dogs and 1 day i will work out how to get a pic of them on here,lol. Kevin.

Ah Kevin So sorry to hear about Harvey. You never do stop missing them but Harvey shall live on in your heart. Awe heart warming to hear that BLaze now has a little Sister. Willow is such a sweet name too. Can't wait to see the pics of your pups  :bounce: