[FredAnderson]

Roxy's puppies will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. They are so cute I don't think I can sell them. I guess I know how people who hoard animals feel. 7 of the 10 are over 3 lbs, the other 3 just under. Eyes open, walking and running around the whelping pen, barking, crying but mostly sleeping and dreaming.

The pads on their little feet are turning black, their noses are now black instead of pink, when they yawn you could almost put your finger in their mouth, they fall over like a one year old learning to walk, and mom still cleans them up, except for the pee. So I change the fake lambs wool pad 2 x per day and the washing machine works about 10 hours a day with the pads and the towels. They play with each other during the brief time they are awake.

So how can I part with them. My wife will kill me if I try too keep more than one.

Maybe I should get a new wife? 40 years should be long enough!
Maybe not, probably no one would have a crazy labradoodle breeder who grows Christmas trees and trys to practice law in a new state.

I really do love these dogs; they are way better that kids. Probably because they don't talk and they don't drive and they don't ask for money.

Any thoughts?

 

[gene]

Fred, I myself couldn't do it. I have to admit, you had me laughing so hard I had tears flowing. I hope your wife doesn't read this forum, or you will need a new one! :wink: With that many doodle puppies, I think you could snag a new wife from the forum! :lol: Myself, I'd just snag a puppy!

 

[Guest]

Bwahahaha, puppies as chick magnets :lol:
Fred, I always wondered how breeders are able to give their puppies up. Some things I have gleaned from lurking around: As you said, the puppies are still mostly sleeping and dreaming...the puppies will start getting mischievious very soon and you will be incredibly busy trying to keep up. Mom will also stop cleaning them soon and that means you will be cleaning up pee AND poo and that gets tiresome with 10! puppies. You will start matching puppies to potential families and come to feel like the special caretaker of the puppies FOR the families. The excitement and happiness of the new puppy families will ease the pain of parting.
BUT, even knowing all that, I'm not sure I could part with them either! :lol:

 

[Jac]

Good morning Fred, what a cute way to start my morning...I loved your post!
I am a breeder also and I know your pain. I cry when every puppy leaves and then I am on pins and needles for the first few months, waiting to hear that they are well and I wait for pictures.
Sometimes the families are wonderful to stay in touch (thank you Vicky, Kari, Terry!) but sometimes you just have to trust that you selected the right family and feel a bit empty when you think of the tiny ones.
This is the hardest, most rewarding job I have ever had! (And the pay is lousy!)
Your situation sounds similar to mine, except for growing Christmas trees! LOL (We do live in Christmas tree country though...northern CA.)
Say, we have been looking for property in Oregon...maybe we should talk!
Plus, my husband is an attorney too...I just graduated law school, but have no desire to be an attorney! (Mediation...that's for me!)
Don't worry about selling those babies...they will sell. Sometimes you hold on to one or two until they are older, but people often want older pups so they will sell! Also, I don't know what you are charging, but I found that if I charge slightly less than the going rate, explaining that I am new at breeding, then people tend to check out my pups.
Please feel free to send a private message (PM button) and I'll send you my phone number...I have some ideas for marketing for you...)
Just enjoy cuddling those babies, they grow so quickly and ... the best really is to come!

 

[annieG]

Fred...just a thought to help you want to sell...read about the trouble our teenage doodles are getting into and multiply it by 10....Yikes you would need a new wife :twisted: :twisted:

 

[ellabee]

All I can say Fred, after reading your post was a big gooey Awwwwww..... you sound as nice as your pups are sweet....

Good luck with either the new pups or the new wife.... :wink:

 

[seazr]

Ahhh, Fred, it is so cute that you are so attached! My husband’s interests tend to lie elsewhere (although at times I think Dakota ranks higher than his own kids! :wink: ) Once, I though I was going to be replaced when I couldn't reach the pedals on a yellow corvette he fell in love with!! :shock:

And, as Jac said, do ask the new "parents" to keep in touch. I have often posted that, after experienced gained from this site, I thought Dakota's breeder was not up to the same caliber as many of the breeders here. She didn’t ask me to keep in touch, but that is against my nature. Every six months or so, she gets pictures and updates on Dakota. And, she ALWAYS responds immediately with delight and then asks me to keep on keeping her posted on Dakota! So there--I was completely wrong!! I didn't see it at first, but she really does have that big old' soft spot for her "kids!"

Diane and Dakota

 

[FredAnderson]

Mean as a snake

Thanks for all the posts. Good suggestions on dealing with placement and keeping in touch. I have kept in touch with Roxy's & Hershey's breeders.

Regarding the original post: OK, I am in touch with my feminine side. I can live with that.

My mother sometimes said that I was mean as a snake. Opposing counsel often agree with my mother. :evil:

But there is something about a dog and something about puppies that calm the savage beast. You put a 3 or 4 week old puppy in anyones hands and their hard heart will melt like butter on hot asphalt.

Then sit by the whelping pen and watch them for a few minutes while they play, climbing on each other, chewing each other's ears, barking (sort of but not really) and rolling over, and standing in the corner and falling asleep and then falling over, you really can't put a price on that kind of entertainment, for eveything else there's Mastercard.

Did I mention that these dogs are really cute?

I posted one new picture on the web site and will try to post more tonight but my internet connection is just a bit faster that dialup so I may wait until Monday when I go to the office.

 

[Guest]

Adorable! I will be keeping my eye on Traci, what a cutie, she looks like a little piglet!
As they get older your little black puppies need outside lighting to get good photos or really bright direct lighting (but that can wash them out and make them look gray or brown.)
And I know some breeders put different colored collars on their pups, it helps anyone who might be looking at your site to pick the puppy they love the most in photos.

 

[gene]

After viewing the pictures, I KNOW I couldn't aprt with them! :wink:

 

[ellabee]

I'm hearin' ya Fred

Oh dear me....

This photo just brought a tear to my eye....sweet innocence...

 

[debbildog]

My DD Annie was just looking over my shoulder at the picture Lynn posted for Fred and she said "Look mom, a PATTERN!"

Gotta love early childhood education....

 

[ellabee]

Good job Annie! - and during summer vacation no less! The stuff does sink in, huh?

 

[FredAnderson]

My pups

Thanks for the post of my puppies.

Can someone tell me how to post a photo.

I am going to take individual pictures this AM and try to get a more versatile web site up later.

I just looked at them a few minutes ago and Robert seems to have blue eyes but I am not sure.

 

[gracielou]

They will all have blue eyes right now, then they turn greenish and then abuot 12 weeks the color that they will be as adults.

 

[lisarundell]

Fred, here is the link on how to post a photo. Beautiful puppies.

http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/view ... post+photo

 

[MaxandMe]

OH FRED you are just totally normal and caring for wanting to keep the puppies.. REMEMBER though they turn into green eyed and red horned teenagers hahhahaha and your wife then may get rid of you and the puppies :shock: hahahahhahhaaa

my breeder just had a litter of 12 goldendoodles 12 days ago and i will see them later today. i can't wait. but luckily i have 2 doodles and can RESIST another one. peanut is a teenager at the moment which says WHY i can resist a puppy hahhahahaaa

and i think it's great you are so attached to watching a mom and her baby doodles.
CONGRATS!!
to this day since last Oct 2006 i am in touch with my breeder and few other too. Funny i became friends with my breeder and help socialize each litter she has now.
People like you and others on this forum that CARE is what makes great breeders!!!

 

[movistar]

yeah right, wait until they are all 6 weeks old and the washer is running 36 hours a day and they are moving their pen to eat your drywall and you open the pen and they all run out and you run around for twenty minutes like a chicken trying to catch them and they are biting you like crazy!!!!! oh and you have nice homes for them. You will be handing them over at 8 weeks giving them their last kisses yelling "call me!"

 

[MaxandMe]

whata great visual and cute giggle i just had hahahahaa my breeders loves her puppies and is selective to what home they go to but ...it's like you said , Call me"

 

[dixiedi]

Oh Fred, you have a breeders heart, you will do a wonderful job at placing your puppies It isn't easy work but it is the most rewarding job you will ever have. You have lots of compassion and love for your puppies and it is obvious you will make sure they go to the right families. Kudos to you Fred :!: