*Last updated 1/31/17

I want to make sure everyone knows there is a $200 spay/neuter fee.  Some of our litters must be spayed/neutered before going home to their family because of who the papa is.  This litter has Sidekick for a papa and is therefore required to be spayed and neutered with us.  We will take them to the vet and get this procedure done and will have a certification of the procedure for you on pick-up day.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

We have a full house at Evergreen Doodles!!!!

Only a week after her sister delivered, Pearl went into labor! We were expecting the puppies in the early morning as she was having contractions–but she continued throughout the day and didn’t have her first puppy until that evening.  Then she had her first 3 in one hour! Whew!!! She was amazing and had 8 beautiful standard F1’s.

 Puppy Pick-up will be February 4th, or Feb 11th if you sign up for Puppy Kindergarten.  All puppies are spoken for.

What does the first week look like?

The first 36-48 hours are critical when working with puppies. This is the point where they are nursing and with 8 brothers and sisters for competition for milk they can lose out on their share.  Because she had a larger litter, we have separated them into two groups to give everyone a chance to nurse and we switch them out.  Jake and I keep a constant watch on them to make sure they have a good body temperature and are hydrated.  If they need it, we will help them out by supplementing a feeding with goats milk.  The first week they spend all their time with Pearl nursing and sleeping.  They haven’t opened their eyes yet and cannot crawl though they are quite mobile and can find mama’s milk wherever she is!

What now???

The next step is to enjoy these precious little ones!! You still have 8 weeks (9 if you sign up for puppy k) so you have plenty of time to get things ready to bring them home.  If you are like me and like to get a head start or like to plan you can check out our Puppy Check List.  This will tell you the basic things you will need for a new puppy.

I always like to encourage people to not worry about which puppy you will pick right now.  We will do the match up process around week 5 1/2-6.  I know right now it may seem impossible to pick just one!!! So don’t worry–we will go over that process when the time comes.  For now, just sit back and enjoy all the cuteness!

If you are a first time puppy parent, here is another article for you: 10 Tips For First Time Dog Owners

Here are their individual pictures and weights:

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12/30/16: I can’t believe these sweeties are already 3 weeks old!!! They are getting cuter by the day!!! This week I hope to be taking them outside–as long as it is warm enough.  The cold can activate sickness in puppies so we want to make sure they are warm and safe.  Actively walking around this week, the puppies are starting to also eat some of their own food! We water it down until it is mush but they are crazy about the stuff! Pearl is slowly getting more and more time away from them but only for short periods of time.  She is taking such great care of them and they are growing nicely!

Here are their pictures this week:

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I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Years!

1/5/17: We were finally able to take these cuties outside! It has been so cold but so beautiful! They are now starting to eat some of their own food as well…watered down mush at this point but on their way to more solid food!

This is a good week to think about whether or not you want your puppy to participate in Puppy Kindergarten.  Puppy Kindergarten is an extra week where we do the first week of potty training and crate training for you. Typically, by the end of the week, our kindergarteners are sleeping 7-8 hours in their crate and able to go about 45min-1hour between potty breaks.  This is a good program for also helping your puppy transition from the pack to your home–a kind of in-between stepping stone as they will still be with some of their brothers and sisters and with us.  We only accept the first 5 applicants so if you want your puppy to participate be sure to sign them up soon.  You can find more info and sign up on our Puppy K page.

Here is a video of them playing outside:

Here are some more pictures from them playing:

And here are their individuals!

1/13/16:

We are definitely starting to see their personalities show through!!! It is so fun seeing them grow and play! They are spending larger amounts of time away from Pearl and are weaning nicely.

*If you wanted to have a transition blanket for your puppy, please send it to us this week! We want to make sure we have plenty of time to get it before Pearl goes to the spa and back to her guardian home.  (We will rub the blanket on Pearl for you to take home with you–the link is to one of my favorites but feel free to send us other ones!)

Next week we will start the temperament tests and do videos of the puppies.  Here is how the match up process will work: Between now and then Jake and I will perform a temperament test on each of the puppies. Please read that article so you know what tests we are doing and you can think about the kind of temperament you are looking for in a puppy.

Keep in mind that with Golden Doodles there will not be any extremes and you are going to find more similarities between each of the puppies than differences.  In addition, your puppy’s personality will be a combination of it’s nature and your nurture.  So having a good training foundation is key.  You can read through our Biggest Mistakes Made When Housebreaking to help you avoid pitfalls.

After we have done the temperament test with each of the puppies, we will look through all the applications and pick our top 2-3 puppies for what you were looking for.  Then we call the first people on our list.  Together we talk about the puppies that stood out to them and the puppies that stood out to us for them.  After going over the test results and talking it through they will pick which one they want.  Once they are matched up, we will repeat the process with the second people on our list and so on until everyone is matched up.

Often people are concerned with getting matched up with the “right puppy.”  My advice is always to not worry about it! The process always feel very natural and organic.  And remember–they are all super cute and it is hard to go wrong! The only problem I run into is when people have their mind set on ONE puppy and that puppy gets chosen.  To avoid that, please keep an open mind and open heart to all of the puppies and narrow down your favorites to 3-4.

Only one spot left for Puppy K! Be sure to sign up if you wanted your puppy to participate!

Whew! Now with all that in mind, here are the puppies and their pictures this week:

And here is a little video of them playing outside!

1/20/16: Well the sickness finally got me! I apologize for being late on posting the videos and for my raspy voice in them! We still need to complete the tests for the girls and post them and will complete them by tomorrow night.  Starting Monday I will call the first people on our list and work with them until they are matched up and then go down the list.

This process can take a while so please be patient if you don’t hear from me for a few days.  Also, please keep in mind there are other families waiting for their puppy match up after you! If you are not signed up for Puppy K this is the time to order your vitamins and food so it can be there when your puppy comes home!

Each puppy has their own video with us preforming the tests on them. You will notice we did not do the food test…we fed them right before! Please review the test in order to see what behaviors the puppies exhibited to earn the results they got.  Keep in mind, this is a guideline for you to use–not the final say on their personalities. As the shy personalities get comfortable/older you may see them not as shy.  The independent behaviors may also decrease as a puppy bonds with their family.  Basically, please see this as a helpful tool but do not put too much into it. We have spent the last 6 weeks with them and can tell you they are all sweethearts! We would love to keep any (or all–hehe!) of them!!

Here are the boys:

1/31/17: Our last week with the puppies has been so sweet! They are really growing into themselves and we have enjoyed some great bonding time with them.  We want to say thank you for all who worked with us.  It has been an honor to be a part of this journey with you all.  We are so excited to meet everyone!

Here is a little video of them playing outside!

And here are some pictures:

See you soon!!!