Labradoodle Love

It's been a while....Sorry!

2009-08-28T09:04:00.005-04:00

Oh my, has time flown by!!!! The boys go back to school in 10 days---Kindergarten & Senior year.....this should be an interesting year to say the least!!!! I go back Sept 30th (thank heaven's for 10 week quarters!!!).

this pic isfrom last summer.....but I love it!

Cosmos graduated Puppy Classes & did awesome!!! He's all signed up for intermediate, that starts Sept 22.

I took him to the vet yesterday for his ears, I was getting the black wax in the last ear cleaning & he really started itching his ear 2 days ago, so I called & he has TWO ear infections (but there is no smell) & he has lost 5 baby teeth, I had only noticed 3.......and 3 big Boy teeth are coming in--just breaking through.

The big news is he weighs 21.5lbs @ 16 weeks old---if you go by months he's 3 months & 3 weeks. I read somewhere that you can take your dogs weight at 4 months, multiply that by 2 and then add 10lbs & you should have their full grown weight. So, @ 16 weeks (not 4 months) using that math, he'd be about 53lbs full grown! We guessed him to be 45-55lbs. He's still gaining about 1.5-2lbs a week. Although this week, he ate about 1/2-1 cup of food a day, which the vet said is because of the big boy teeth coming in.

I was doing our "long" brush last night, the very through one & he has a TON of very short hair.....I wonder if its his adult coat-----I didn't notice it last week. I brush him daily, but only once a week for the LONG brush. AND this short hair is MUCH darker than his coat you can see. He also has a lot more Kemp in his coat.

At Doggie Day Care he's moved into the Big Dog Room & LOVES it!!!! He still stays pretty close to Morgan, the 16 week Standard Poodle. Their BFF's. :O)

Here's a few pics. the last few times I was on here, I had a lot of trouble uploading pics to this site, so I hope in my absence its' improved.

Cos favorite thing to do is catch Parker. & he jumps to be eye level with Park!!!

and sometimes he just loves to sit & figure us out..........

Cutest Dog Competition

2009-08-17T11:11:00.001-04:00

Cutest Dog Competition

2009-08-10T10:26:00.001-04:00

New Laptop probelms

2009-08-07T15:05:00.003-04:00

Well, I've tried to put a video up & some new pics, but I can't seem to "find" them when it comes to inserting them to this page (or any page). I can open the file & see the pics (still looking for the videos) but the file disappears when I go to open it to grab a few pics to insert elsewhere. And the files aren't 'hidden', that was my first thought. ANYWAY. . . . . . ..

I know how to do this...I think its my new laptop & VISTA that's my culprit......I'll try to figure it out tonight, to just use the desktop.

We go up north first thing in the morning, and to Michelle's (Brandon's girl) Grad party tonight. DH is painting while we're gone, because the new furniture comes on Monday!!

And Brandon came home today!!!

Some New Pics

2009-07-30T23:13:00.006-04:00

Well, Cosmos is doing GREAT at Daycare & loves his puppy classes. I've taken a few pictures so you can see how much he's grown! His color is changing a little bit too.

Park & Cosmos

His hiding place

His changing colors

Doggie Daycare!

2009-07-27T13:13:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I have Cosmos at 4 Legged Friends (Doggie Daycare) 2 1/2 days a week, he's in Bark Avenue if you ever look. His schedule is Monday (full), Wednesday (half) & Friday (full). He LOVES it!!! And it's a great way to expend some of that puppy energy!

This combined with puppy classes, I"m hoping he's getting lots of exposure to other dogs & people. We're walking (a little) and we play with him lots. I just want him to be a well rounded dog is all. We're workign towards the Canine Good Citizen Award & then hopefully onto Therapy.

I did take him up north this weekend, and so far he either hates or is terrified of the water (lake). lol I'll post those pics later. He bucks like a bronco.

Below are a few pics from the video camera the daycare has going that I check in on. Not great pics, but you can see my guy there!

It's Been a Busy Week!

2009-07-23T08:11:00.005-04:00

Holy Moley! Its been a busy week!!!

On Monday we had Parker's last T-Ball game & during our (mine & Cosmos') usual walk he stepped in bubble gum. It was a big piece too! I got most of the gooey-ness out at the field. Then we took Cos home & went an bought new furniture.

I know, new furniture with a new pup???? We're not getting it delivered till mid-August. This is our new Living Room Furniture though, hopefully he's not chewing EVERYTHING by then:

We didn't get the tables, but we bought that big ottoman you see with a set like this.

Tuesday at 5am, I picked Brandon & Michelle up from the Airport! He had a great time in Arizona & San Diego. Who wouldn't right? lol

Then on Tuesday evening, we went to the Vet & Cosmos is 12.4lbs!!! He gained 4.2lbs in 2 weeks!!!! He also tested positive for Coccidia. But he barely has any diarrhea. Another woman who has a pup from the same litter told me her pup had it & I should check Cos, so we did & he tested positive. He's got meds for 10 days. He also had the hair plucked from his ears & the tiny bit of gum that was left (I used Peanut butter & a baby comb the night before & got most of the rest of it) but there was some right against his pad & I couldn't get it, so the vet tech took him in the back & just used the clippers (shaved it) & he sat good as gold for her, as he was for his ears---just flinched a little, nothing much & they had no problem doing the second ear--I thought he'd be a problem getting the second ear, but after he just kissed the vet & then the tech & then me....

Finally, yesterday he started Puppy classes at Canine College! He was a star & I bought Chicken Hot Dogs & Turkey Hot Dogs (for his treat) & cut then up into raisin size pieces & then cooked them in the microwave for 1 minute. HE LOVED them!!!

He also was the youngest pup by far; most pups were 5-9 months! And he was a STAR!!! He did GREAT! You'd think he understood everything the first time!!!! After class I bought an Elk antler as a chew thing for him & he loves it. Its like indestructible! I can't even get him to chew on a Kong, or Raw Hide. I also bought him Lamb Lung......GROSS!!!! but I haven't given it to him yet. It's supposed to be easy to chew, but good for him. Still........GROSS! And I got him some other things & I had to buy a new leash, because I forgot mine on the kitchen table. I have a harness for the car & that's what I put in him when we leave & in my excitement, I forgot his regular leash. But, I like this new leash too. It's neon Yellow, so I may look at a collar to match for fall.

Today's his first day at Doggy Daycare @ 4 Legged Friends. I know he'll love it & the socialization is awesome for him. I can even watch him on the web cam. He's in Bark Ave. in case you want to check him out!

A girl referred me to them & the trainer last night recommended them & I've popped in over the last week & to check them out & all the people there (customers) have nothing but praises & the dogs always go in & come out very happy.

10 Weeks Old!!

2009-07-19T22:27:00.008-04:00

Welp, we went up north & it was COLD & RAINY. It got warmer on Sunday afternoon. Cosmos' cousin, Marley (my sister's lab/pit mix), came with us & she's (Marley) is about 2 weeks older than Cos, so it was like having 2 little kids that couldn't decide if they wanted to get along or not.

I've included a pic of my DH, because he's missed in a lot of pics (& I think he looks hot in this pic).

Brandon is missing too these days, but he's living the good life vacationing in AZ (& going to San Diego) & the summer before his Sr. year.

Brandon's home tomorrow. (thank heavens; because, I miss him), then Aug 1, he's off to Special Days for a week. Maybe he'll be a counselor next year.

I opened a Flickr account, but I can't get it to link here to roll through, I did get it to do so at the side as SLIDESHOW, but I can't get it in a post (yet).

Going Up North!

2009-07-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how quick Cos is growing !!! I was going to post a picture, but I think I'll wait till after we get home from up north. Hes' tall & Skinny......Lanky is the best word to describe him.

He is SUCH a good pup! He definitely knows I'm his new mom! He never mouth's or nips me, he always sits perfect whenever he sees me catch his eye. He comes when I call & he LOVES to play hide & seek with me. He also is always laying down wherever I am. We play catch & soccer everyday.

Now, Parker & Shane have not been so lucky, but its how they play with him. Cosmos is CONSTANTLY trying to pull Parker's pants off. And Parks not a small kid...he's 43" & 51lbs! But it always has Parker belly laughing on the floor, rolling around, which makes Cos do it more. Park has this Little Tykes cube the kids play on & he was running up the slide to get away & keep his pants, on Wednesday, Cos chased him right up that 3 foot slide & damn near fell off he was so shocked he made it to the top. The kids were surprised too. For the rest of the day he tried to get up it from the bottom, but found he needed a running start. As of today at lunch he can run up & slide down the slide....all on his own, I was kicking his ball around when he just ran over, stopped, then ran up the slide & then slid down it. I was sooooo mad I didn't have a camera & you know I couldn't get him to do it again once I ran in & got the camera!

As for Shane (DH), he plays a little rough with him & then gets mad when Cos gives him a good rough nip. Cosmos is also always trying to take Shane's socks off & getting his feet in the process. I can't help but laugh.

Brandon's been in Arizona for the week, I'll be surprised if Cos remembers him when he gets home.

This weekend we (me, Cos, Park & my mom) are headed up north for the first time with Cosmos. He'll get to be on the beach & in the water. He loves to be in the sprinkler, so I hope he likes the lake. I bought him a cage to leave up there for the summer.

I've also slightly spoiled him. I started giving him yogurt (organic, plain) & he loves it.....I mean he LOVES it!!! He won't even eat unless he gets that with his food. lol

I am switching him over to Orijen dog food too and it seems to be working well for him. He's torn the top off every flower I have in the yard & he takes pride in that, you can tell by his proud sit next to the crushed flower.

A couple days ago he stated playing with our neighbors 4 yr old (red) Golden & they often race at the fence. Next Tuesday Cosmos gets his next shots & Bordatella. Which is needed because he starts puppy school on Wednesday & puppy daycare 3 days a week (half days).

I ordered a ton of treats on-line for him & dropped a small fortune. I hope they last a while & if not, I hope he at least likes them, he hates banana's & peanut butter, so I already gave those treats away.
This time I ordered a variety of treats, from Sit Stay.com of:
Paws Gourmet, Liver Mesquite
Zuke's Salmon MINI Naturals
Real Meat (Canz), Chicken/Venison
Stella & Chewy's Carnivore Kisses
WildSide Salmon
Real Meat (Canz), Beef

I can see I'll have to maybe start making some of his treats (chicken, liver, venison, etc).

Today, from PetEdge, I also ordered some grooming things:
Top Performance MicroFiber Pet Grooming Towels 3/Pk
Petrodex Dental Kit for Dogs Poultry-Flavored
Clean Go Pet Replacement Waste Bags; Blue Stripes
Master Grooming Tools Ergonomic Dematting Tools; Comb 9 Blade
Top Performance ProEar Professional Ear Wipes
Millers Forge Curved Hair Pullers 5 1/2"
Guardian Gear Plaid Car Harnesses Sm/Med
Guardian Gear Plaid Car Harnesses XSM
Guardian Gear Training Treat Bags

I got 2 car harnesses because He's growing so fast, I want it to fit for the summer at least! And the hair pullers, well, those are for his VERY hairy ears. When we go to the vet on Tuesday she's gonna do it & show me how, so we can avoid ear infections. I've been assured this is painless, although I don't see how that can be! I got the towels, because I don't wanna use a dryer on him.

Oh & Gina turned me onto DoodleKisses.com & I love all the info & camaraderie & stories & just everything! If you have or want a doodle, check it out. I learned a few things there or found answers for stuff I was wondering.

He's Here!!!

2009-07-12T23:22:00.003-04:00

OK, so it's taken me a little longer than I thought to get some pic's up & int eh next couple days, I'll have an album that scrolls through the pics on here, but for now......

Cosmos is 8.2lbs....very tall. LOVES to dig & pull the tops of my flowers off. He also loves to play keep away......mainly with my shoes. Since Tuesday (coming home day) he's had 2 accidents!!! I can't thank Gina enough for the potty training!! He also sleeps 1130pm-5am!!! Which is VERY nice!!!! I'm going to post some pics, because it is 1130pm & I have to finish helping my oldest get packed to go to Arizona tomorrow with his girl to stay at her Aunts!

Tomorrow's the BIG DAY!!!

2009-07-06T10:22:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I pick up Cosmo from Gina @ ArborGate Labradoodles!!!!!

We couldn't be more excited!

I just placed another Amazon order for a few things I had yet to buy.
Cowboy Magic Shampoo & Detangler (my son's GF uses this for her horse & swears by it--Rainmaker Ranch also recommends it) (I already have Fauna)
Oster Rake (Coarse Wide 18 teeth) (I have a slicker brush)
Matbreaker Dematting Tool
Bamboo Nail Clipper (the NON-guillotine kind)
Bags on Board Dispenser and Refill Bags

His name-tag came yesterday & I put it on his collar last night, with the leash attached & have them both in the airline carrier, with this travel bowl.

I've checked in for my flight, confirmed with the rental car company & with NWA that Cosmos will be flying the return portion of the flight with me. And I emailed Gina confirming I should be to her right around noon. So all is set on the home front there.

I have to go today & pick up his dog food. He's on Wellness & I need to get a small bag of that to mix for the next couple of weeks with Orijen dog food. I was supposed to do this last week, but I didn't, I was waiting to get a dog food container (which came over the weekend from Amazon).

Tomorrow, I should have his fancy bowls & a few other things (I can't remember what they are though) that I ordered from King Wholesale.

OH & totally NOT anything to do with Cosmos, I WON A $100- gift cert to RoadRunner's (I never win ANYTHING!!)!!! Which is perfect, because I need to new shoes for the fall Half Marathon I plan on running in Detroit!

1 Week To Go!

2009-06-30T08:18:00.015-04:00

In one week I fly to Indianapolis to pick up Cosmos! He was desexed/neutered yesterday (along with his brothers & sisters), they say its better to do so young. Quicker healing & they're with their litter mates.

Gina had families visit their pups this past weekend, but I wasn't able to visit. So when I go next week, it'll be my first visit!

Last week, I ordered his dog tag from Pet-Tags.com, they are very cool & not very expensive. BUT, I somehow missed that it comes from Australia. Yes, I ordered my Australian Labradoodles name tag from Australia. Not on purpose, but maybe its a sign??? When it said I'd have my tag in 2 weeks, I was surprised & then saw where it was coming from. lol

Today I'm attaching pictures of Cosmos's mom (Sadie) & dad (Rue). The pics of Sadie were taken over the weekend, she is soooo pretty, she was born at Alpen-Ridge Labradoodles. She is a Standard Fleece Silver Labradoodle. Rue is a Lg. Miniature Soft Wool Chocolate/Cafe Labradoodle (he came from Sunset Hills, Australia. Both Parents are owned by ArborGate Labradoodles.

Sadie, Cosmos's mom Jun09

RUE (dad)

Below are some pics of the whole gang, they are 7 weeks old here!!

Cosmos from the Begining

2009-06-25T10:12:00.002-04:00

Meet Cosmos!

2009-06-23T13:23:00.008-04:00

OK, so this is what Gina said in her email to me (I'm so excited I didn't have to wait till Friday to find out):

"We've completed the temperament testing and have chosen a standard chocolate fleece male for your family. I've attached a picture!He's very people orientated, always comes when I call and he's eager to please. He loves to run in the yard and romp with my kids. He is confident, playful and he takes things in stride. With the proper training I think he'd do well in therapy settings. He recovers quickly from any startling noises and is always aware of what's going on around him. He's curious, sweet and loves to be with people. I think he'll be a great fit for your family."

ME TOO!!!!

How cute is he???? His name is COSMOS, on all his papers & that's what they call him!!! I have to run that by the fam, but I think it is what it is! And I LOVE it!!! We can even shorten it to Cozmo without much change!

14 days.......

2009-06-23T11:09:00.006-04:00

Ok, so the count down would totally be cooler if I had more pics or news to post, but I don't.

This week our Breeder is doing temperment testing. So, we'll not only find out which pup is ours, we find out color, sex & all that!!!

And we'll get new pictures then too!!!! Hopefully we'll know all this by Friday! Cause Saturday our pup will be 7 weeks old!!!!

I did have to return our collar/leash, for a smaller size& width. Barb from My Dog Collars was super awesome about it. I should have my new one/correct sizes by Monday!

I didn't want to NOT have a Doodle picture, so this is an Aunt of our soon to be pup from ArborGate Labradoodles.

19 days and counting.....

2009-06-18T14:08:00.007-04:00

Until I go pick up our pup!

I'm so excited, like ALL THE TIME!!! I have bought tons of toys. An awesome crate. a Puppy dog bed & have my eye on a few I like for an adult/full grown dog. The good shampoo & brush & dematting comb & about 9 books (& I read them all). & just bought a summer collar & leash, with sand pails. I only need to get a TAG, which I'll order when I know which pup we'll have for sure!

When Chance passed away, I decided I was going to be a better dog person. Not that we were bad, or he was treated poorly, but he was poorly trained. It was our own fault & after reading a TON of books, I have found we ALL (including Chance) would have been a lot happier had he just had some more training. I was naive & thought I just had a stubborn dog. When really, it was just us. I even have Pet Insurance all set up, [again] once I know what pup we'll be getting. The vet can be CRAZY expensive & I just want to be prepared. I also have us signed up for puppy classes & a doggie baby sitter (neighbor boy & his mom) set to come twice a day for 2 weeks to play with & let the pup out. I'll also be coming home at lunch....so it may be over kill. lol

I used to call my self a dog owner, but I have come to realize that "owning" a dog is not the same thing as adding a dog to our family. We don't own our kids.....even though they cost us a fortune! lol Why would it be different for a dog????

anyway, the pics I have posted are not my own, so I want to give props to these breeders. As I've used them without permission.

The Header picture is a Rainmaker Ranch picture (taken by Erica Matyas with the photohound). They are one of the top breeders in the country for Labradoodles. I hope to one day be a Labradoodle (Australian) breeder one day myself & I could learn alot from them.

The Picture of the chocolate pup in the corner, is from the same litter I will be getting my pup from. This is an Arborgate Labradoodle & Gina, is the most patient, caring, kindest women I have had the pleasure of speaking to. They are also one of the top breeders, which is why I went with them. I email her with ridiculous questions & she is prompt & honest & NEVER makes me feel silly for asking anything. I don't know what pup we'll get because breeders often wait until the pups are 6-7 weeks old for temperment testing & I've requested a therapy temperment pup. So in a couple weeks, I'll be changing that pic to the picture of my pup.

There's even this web-site that is doing a "top Labradoodle web-site" where you vote for your favorite site & Arborgate is number one, by a LONG shot!

Anyway, I'll get some pics of the family up here & more pics of the pup once I know which is ours, but these are the litter, 2-5 weeks old!

Pup's from our litter (Sadie & Rue) 2 weeks old (above)

Pups from our litter (Sadie & Rue) 3 weeks (Above)

Pups from our litter (Sadie & Rue) 4 weeks (Above)

Pups from our litter (Sadie & Rue) 5 weeks old (above & below)