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My Dog’s Not Perfect! But Perfect for Me | Get in Our New Scrapbook
????What has 3 quick questions, makes you laugh/cry, and celebrates your relationship with your dog? Answer: The new Digging Dogs Scrapbook we’re creating! ????You’re Invited. Join in.????
We’re going to take a moment to share what makes each of our dogs unique (even the challenging parts). ???? Every dog we care for teaches us something; they all add something special to our lives.
????Let’s raise a water bowl to the fun, the humor, and the craziness that is living with dogs.
Our community is all about authenticity, and the theme of this scrapbook is that our dogs sometimes drive us crazy, but they own our hearts regardless.
Answer these questions and share a photo: ????
- What is your dog’s name, age & breed. How did you meet?
- What does your dog do that sometimes drives you crazy?
- Why is your dog perfect for you?
✍This collaborative project starts today. You are all invited, of course! Everyone who posts a photo of their dog and answers 3 quick questions about them is going to be included in the final PDF. We’ll share the finished project here to download or view forever. When we’re done, it’s going to be a beautiful scrapbook filled with photos of our dogs and highlights of their personalities.????
I’m kicking this off by sharing about my dog, Hazel, in the first comment below!
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1. Here’s my girl Hazel. She is 13 years old and we think she is a GS Pointer mix. (no, I still haven’t gotten a genetic test!) She was adopted from a shelter in Lyndhurst, NJ near where I live. I found her photo and description on their website/petfinder and then I quickly drove to see her. I noted she was energetic and spirited but also chill – didn’t seem to have endless exercise needs – check. Plus, she was really unique and cool-looking and a perfect “medium” size at a tidy 45 pounds. I fell in love with her right away and then brought my wife Lauren to meet her but then I was told someone was already lined up to take her and we would know by the end of the week. I was hoping every day/night that the other person would foolishly pass up the opportunity, and sure enough we lucked out!
2. What does your dog do that sometimes drives you crazy?
When the doorbell rings, no matter who it is (could be a best friend) Hazel’s bark is so loud, sudden, and startling that sometimes it causes us to leap up from where we’re sitting.
As Hazel has gotten older, she has gotten more picky about dogs she likes (or doesn’t like) and she started to get into dog fights far too easily (no serious bites, but still, not fun). It doesn’t help that now that we are a family with two kids, plus her “little brother” Lido who she helped raise from a pup, and she is very protective. Due to this, I keep her on leash during all hikes now.
3. Hazel is perfect for us because she’s loving, gentle and wonderful with our kids and their friends, very chill and well-mannered around the house, very responsive to anything we ask (like coming in from the yard at night even when there’s a fox to keep barking at), and even at 13 she’s still uniquely beautiful to look at and share our home with every day! ????
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@david -She is a beautiful girl and DEFINITELY perfect for you and your family!!! That’s what counts! What a good girl!
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- My dog is Carmela. She’s almost 5 years and a mix of Boston Terrier, Mountain Cur and Pitbull. We adopted her from SAVE, a Friend to Homeless Animals in Skillman, NJ where I volunteer three years ago, and at that time they estimated her to be 2 years old. Her gotcha day is June 16, so that’s what we are using as her birthdate. We are not from NJ, but wanted to give her a proper Jersey name and our love for the Sopranos series led us to Carmela. Her instagram is @carmelajerseygirl.
- She honestly does not do a lot that drives us crazy. But, within the first 6 months of us bringing her home, she escaped multiple times due to human error. This was before I started my dog training studies, so I wasn’t as in tune to the importance of training recall as I am today! Interestingly, she went to the exact same location each time. We live next to a farm, so she went to say “hi” to the cows – one of the times she went under the fence and all I saw were 5 cows running towards her. She then ran across a busy street and to a home that kept chickens, rabbits and ducks as pets. Sadly, she got one of the ducks, who had a name – Malley. I was devastated. ???? I’ve also invested heavily in training her, and in my heart I do believe I’d be able to recall her if she escaped today, although I don’t want to try it.
- Carmela is perfect for us in every way. She is very chill and has a calm temperament. She loves sunning and sitting in the grass. She entertains us with some of her activities including burrowing under the covers (so cute!) and grooming (she likes to be clean!). She loves her playtime too! Favorite games are ball, bubbles and chasing the stuffed toy on the end of the flirt pole. Carmela is the perfect dog for us because she’s perfectly content in just hanging with us. We love her so much and are grateful that she is a part of our family ????????
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Couldn’t have started us off any better @kathryn , I love this post and what a sweet beauty Carmela is. ????
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What a beautiful dog!
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I have two!
1.Kaiden (napping on my lap) is my 11 year young, American Staffordshire Terrier(best guess on age based on first ever vet visit check-up and best guess on breed since he fits the “profile” ????) . We met 10 years ago on a cul-de-sac near a highway when I was on out giving an estimate for a job. He was loose frolicking up on the hill. There were only 5 houses on the street. The homeowner stated no one on the street had a dog. After about 15 minutes he came running down to us with the biggest open mouth. He stayed near the entire time, sniffing the ground. I called 3 surrounding town animal control and no one reported him missing. With very little coaxing, he jumped into my truck. After bring him to my vet to check for a micro chip and no owner coming forward for him, I was now his human. He had now gained 2 doggie siblings, too!
2. He honestly does nothing that nothing that drives me crazy.
3. He is a perfect fit for me since I am drawn to the pittie and rottie type breeds. He is a snuggler yet independent, confident, and overall bombproof dog. (to be transparent, recently after having corneal ulcers he has developed some avoidance behaviors towards some men-). He is very adaptable and an “easy keeper”. He is part of the reason I got into dog behavior and training!
1.Titan (with yellow bandana on) is my 12 year young rescue. His age is known due to a microchip that was active until he was 5. His DNA by Embark stated 55% American Pitbull Terrier, 25% American Staffordshire Terrier and 20% Chow Chow! We met 3 years ago at the shelter I volunteer at. He came in as an emaciated, heartworm positive stray from the south. He was there for 6 months before being adopted. Once in the home, he “barked, growled and lunged” at the new owners grandparents twice. He was returned and placed in the vet corridor to be euthanized. He never showed this behavior in the shelter and in fact, he was the favorite of everyone. I immediately wrote an email to a board member giving possible explanations for his behavior and pleaded for his life, offering to adopt him myself, and help him if I could, After several hours of waiting, I was notified they would adopt him to me as a “dangerous dog” if there was a chance to help him. Our journey together began!
2. The only thing he does that drives me crazy is not going poop on a schedule! I think he enjoys the “challenge” of how long I will keep him out until he does or, how long I will stand out in the rain with him! Yes, I stood out in a light rain for just over an hour one time!!
3. He is a perfect fit since I love the rottie type breeds- which he ended up NOT being! He is a gentle and fun soul to people in his circle. He is very clear with his communication. He is very independent yet goofy at times. He has taught me so much about behavior and understanding dogs. He reminds me everyday of the reasons I pursued dog training, especially the behavior side and the difference I made in his life. He has shown me the importance of how educating people can literally save a life. I continue to learn because of him (and Kaiden), to help others! He really is a perfect fit and all around “perfect” dog. By perfect, I mean the way dogs should act and think. He is not a robot. He is a perfect reminder that behavior does not fit in a box and dogs are suppose to “dog”!
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@jenz -What sweet and wonderful pups!!! I love how they both came into your life. I can’t tell who’s luckier, then or you?!
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Thank you for your kind words! I often ask the very same questions as I look into their eyes. I think we are both lucky for each other!
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Kaiden and Titan are beautiful! ????????
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@kathryn Thank you!
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These are my 3. Rio is the puppy, Bodhi my middle child is the one in both pictures and Kalli who is in charge. Focusing on Bodhi, best guess he is a boxer-pit mix?? We got him from a rescue at the beginning of COVID, he was around 6 months old and a stray from Texas. He is the reason I got into training. He is the most tolerant, sweet and snuggly guy but when people started going out more after lock down we quickly noticed his fear aggressive reactions toward strangers. What he does that drives me crazy: he hovers right next to the other dogs then jumps in to snatch their toy or any bits of treat they drop. He readily releases items to me so I have been swapping the stolen item with another toy in trade in hopes the behavior decreases?? I didn’t want to just take away for fear of that creating a bigger resource guarding issue. He is perfect for me because he is so willing to work with me and motive by affection, treats and toys and is so happy when he’s working on something, he’s my 55 lb snuggle buddy.
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OMD – these cuddles are off the chart. The fact that all three of them love it? So good!
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Well, Kalli tolerates Bodhi ????
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How precious!!! Love the cuddle pics
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These are great; what a diverse group so far and such personalities coming forward! I’ll share my two soon… Just wanted to pop in and encourage more sharing. This is fantastic and will be a really beautiful scrapbook. Keep up the shares!
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Adding some tags to be sure everyone gets a chance to participate! (Apologies if I’ve duplicated tags – trying not to miss anyone!)
@rads @jenz @jeri @bmacwatt @Bernerlabreclectus @PawsUp @KTinaN @Vincent @Lis @Lis @Abbie @WalksWithAlex @Anna @Wanze @Jenny @ZaneB @stomper16 @Gin @Marcybel @Chris @Melissa @Carolyn @Brigid @HHPS @BelleSeren @Levi @Achtung @PawstoConsider @Laurie @Reddog @amywurst @DoggoneSpecial @Pkoh @Erika @VinnyMickey @bmacwatt @countrygirl @denny @debbie @hollyjmartinez @Jackie @jenz @kathryn @Karin @pawsup @Malia @beaglemania @tondabenge @zaneb@dogmama @ktinan @tio @haroax @michellebabelle @dmcd323 @Rob @meg @Bill @kettlek9s @kathys @Alli @HawaiiTrainerLady @Christina @MinneapolisHeather @Karen @claudebalk @mariaT @Rachel @Valarie @Moe @johanna0 @marisa @popo @alisonrpeters @manami @angelica @stepien @marion_bertaud @true @drew @lily @krinzel @susandk @ruthabigail @kab @brian @doghead @tbarhydt @stevel @noraruiz @mommaj @heavyd @happyhousehounds @ggomez @loveyourdog2014 @carolyn @joye334
@jeri @wanze @bernerlabreclectus @vinnymickey @maddialflen @jenny @joybaker1611 @belleseren @ilana @ktinan @vincent @lis @anna @stomper16 @gin @marcybel @pawstoconsider @laurie @chris @pkoh @lis
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This is gone of my dogs DJ Maximums, he is an American Staffshire, he is 10 years old, and we got him at the shelter at about 12 weeks old. He is very suborn and demanding. He wants to do what he wants to do. But, he is our big baby and loves to snuggle. He’s our families perfect fit.
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Oh what a handsome boy DJ Maximums is! ????????
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1. Is Turbo our little Mix. He is 9 years old and has been with us for 8 years now. We adopted him from a Family that said he is aggressive towards kids but I have two kids as well and he has always been the sweetest.
2. He drives me crazy sometimes because he likes to bark a lot when he plays and he has days where he just really doesn’t want to listen.
3. He is just the perfect little Family dog. He loves to go on his daily hikes with us and he also enjoys to sleep a lot. Also he has a ton of fun when we do training sessions and it it’s such a joy to do this with him.
He is my sons favorite.
1. My second dog is Niza. She is a Belgian Malinois and she is 8 years old. I saw her on FB 7 years ago. One of my friends was working with a rescue group and posted her picture.
So I rescued her from Spain and unfortunately she in bad shape because was abused a lot and had barley anything to eat in Spain.
I brought her to Germany to us and we started to train her with a dog trainer. She was very fearful and had never been Trained. It was a rough time but we made it through it and she learned and warmed up very quickly.
2. She drives us crazy with her ball. We have to hide all her toys otherwise she won’t stop bringing them to us.
And she unfortunately barks a lot sometimes specially since we have moved into a new house so we need to start some training for that.
3. She is the sweetest dog I have ever met. Also very smart. She is so loyal and sweet with all of us. She doesn’t like to be away from us. Every time we go somewhere as a family she has to make sure that we all stay together.
She is very well behaved and loves her cuddles as well. She is my best friend.
1. And we added a new dog to our Family. One of our neighbors was fostering the sweet Black Lab mix but she can’t keep her anymore and she was about to bring her back to the shelter. So she stopped by my house two weeks ago and said I was her last hope so she wouldn’t have to go back to the shelter. Well she is such a sweet dog that we decided to adopt her. Her name is Tiny and she is 8 or 9 month old. She unfortunately also was never proper socialized or trained.
I have started training and she loves it and she is very smart and has already learned a lot.
I was told that she is a a lab mastiff mix but I’m not sure. I feel like she is more like a black lab and great pryreness mix.
2. She doesn’t drive us crazy yet but she does drive my Malinois crazy because she likes to do paw overs and bites/ nips my Malinos in her paws and she really doesn’t like it.
3. We think she is perfect for us because she is a sweetheart that has lots to learn and I’m
So excited to be able to train her and give her a life out of the shelter with lots of training, hikes and games and we are happy to give her all the love.
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@ktinan
What a great mix of pups! Keep us updated with Tiny’s training!
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Thank you and yes I will. She is very smart and she is loving the touch cue
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What a wonderful pack of pups! Kudos to you for rescuing Niza and incorporating her into your family. I have not heard many success stories with Malinois being family pet dog. Looks like she is very content with Tiny and Turbo ????????????
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Thank you. It was not easy at first but I did a ton of training sessions with her over a few years and I couldn’t ask for a better family dog.
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@ktinan Can you please send in a photo of each of these kids? I want to give them each a page in the scrapbook. Thanks!
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My apology. I saw this a little late.
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Hi Kristina. No worries – I was able to squeeze them in. Can’t wait to share this beautiful book with you and everyone. Thanks for putting these photos up to go with their stories; makes all the difference. ????
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1. Here is Henry! He is an appx 2 y/o lab mix. We met in February 2021 at the Westchester, NY airport after he came off a flight from Puerto Rico via the Sato Project. Poor guy started the day in the subtropics and ended it trudging through snow in Manhattan. ????
2. Henry often barks when he hears people in the hallway of our building and needs our help to disengage and go do something fun and calm instead. And on his more stressful days, I find myself frequently interrupted from whatever I’m doing to go help him chill out. Can be exasperating sometimes!
3. Henry is perfect for many reasons! He has very polite house manners (didn’t even need much guidance from us) and is excellent about minding his own business and staying out of trouble while we work from home. When he’s not disturbed by the world outside our door, he’ll be sleeping or chewing his favorite treat – a stick of yak cheese. He’s also perfect because he’s the reason I’m at CATCH learning how to be a trainer instead of losing my mind and my soul in my previous life as a structural engineer. He inspires me to keep going because even though the world is often a scary place for him, he wakes up every morning with a wagging tail ready to do it all again.
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@warren
There is no better first client than our own dogs!
He is lucky to have you, that you recognized he needed support. I hope you both enjoy the journey together-it is really rewarding!
Thanks for sharing Henry’s story.
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Well he made it clear to us he needed help when he stopped walking outside! Haha. But yes, I am enjoying the process of learning together through the highs and lows ❤️
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Henry is a beautiful dog! I love how he sleeps on the couch:) Hiking is my absolute favorite things to do with my Berner, and me too I was a CATCH student because of my dog too- he inspired me to find better solutions and communicate better with him!
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He sleeps in all sorts of positions but the corkscrews are my favorite! Hiking is the best – all the smells without the suspicious humans. I’m sure your Berner is very grateful! What sorts of things have you put to use?
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Henry is adorable!! Love the Puerto Rico pups – such a great project.
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He is a cutie! ????
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And the corkscrew sleeping position is too cute. Love that you gave it a name ????
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Hello! My pups are Teddy and Daisy! They are brother and sister mix breeds. Shi-tzu, Bichon, Poodle mix to be exact. They just turned 1 back in April. We met them through happenstance. Our realtor had mentioned her dog was having puppies while we were meeting to talk about selling our house.
Honestly, they both are sweethearts and devils at the same time. As sweet as they are, I think their biggest crazy thing, is when Teddy take his job as guard dog way too seriously. (The back of our house faces a large parking lot and busy business) every time anything moves in our back yard, (even a Lowe’s plastic bag) he goes crazy. And once he sets off the alarm, Daisy of course must join in. It’s quite a sound, but now, thanks to CATCH, we’ve been able to teach them the “I got it” game. (To have them show us what their barking at, and then say, “it’s ok, I got it!” They have finally stop barking and relax again)
Finally, these pups are perfect for our family of 4. They are sweet, cuddly, and the epitome of lap dogs! Teddy also has made leaps of progress in his training around kids and older adult. He’s also done very well walking around my school, looking to me for instructions. They both also are natural therapy dogs to my brother when he come home from a long hard day. They come right up and snuggle and kiss him, sometimes putting him to sleep.
We love our pups, and even though they may annoy us, we can’t imagine life with out them! ❤️
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Soooo adorable and big fluff balls. Love that last pic of both with one of the paws facing forward. Too cute!
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Thank you! Yes they are very cute! ????
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I love how these two cuties just need one big bed to cuddle in together. ????????
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Oh yes! But they have their times…they will sometimes fight over the bed! ????
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@ruthabigail Teddy and Daisy are so cute. And it’s lovely that they fit in so well with your family. Thanks for sharing them with us!
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This is Dakota-Diamond she is a 7 years young English Bull Terrier purebred. We meet in Oklahoma & it was love at first bite!!
She loves food & drives me crazy when she starts demand barking for her treat….lol. She makes me laugh every day. She’s a clown, stubborn & very loyal dog. She’s helped me with 4 rescue dogs & helped me with 4 puppies to help socialize them. She smart, she loves to chew on most everything & eats toilet paper, sticky notes & a few books. She’s a really good at the dog park & loves riding in the car. She’s my BFF. She has a funny dance that she dose called “The Huckle-butt “ ( this breed is known for) I love her personality. She would be a great security dog & pretty dog model. She has high energy, requires lots of exercise & very strong & muscular.
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Love at first bite ???? She is absolutely beautiful!!
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@denise She is sooo adorable!!! ????
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@denise PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send a “Hucklebutt” video!! I’ve never worked with this breed and need to see this breed typical behavior! Dakota is gorgeous – thank you so much for sharing her here! SEND VIDEO!! ????
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I posted a video it’s under body language
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- Joy is a 10yo Australian Shepherd. I purchased her from a breeder in Ohio when I was living in Indiana. I had picked the litter, and the breeder had picked Joy for me but gave me the choice between two girls. After testing both (at 7 weeks), I liked them both but chose Joy because she was smaller and had less coat. Looking back at the videos from that day, I see that Joy chose me the moment she sniffed me. I’m glad I picked her!
- She. Screams. Not just a yip or a howl. A full-out, chainsaw massacre in the shower scream. She screams when she is frustrated, when she is excited, when she wants to cuss at me and when I’m not throwing the ball fast enough. She did this first at about 12 weeks of age. And I have never heard another dog vocalize quite like this. I’ve been able to temper the screaming a bit by stopping play when she’s screaming for play… but when she’s frustrated-screaming, it doesn’t do me any good to increase frustration. She gets reinforced by myself and others when we laugh at her screaming and the behavior/emotion is very, very persistent.
- She has been through so many transitions with me, and she’s adapted to every one. The last years 10 have seen a LOT of changes for us. She’s been a family dog, a puppy class helper, an agility partner, a shelter dog playgroup helper, and a go-anywhere companion. We’ve gone from a full house of children, dogs and cat to traveling alone (together) in a 22′ trailer and then adding a puppy to our tiny home on wheels! Joy has accepted each change with alacrity, and she’s done everything I’ve needed her to do. Our bond and friendship has grown such that I hardly have to ask her to do things – she just knows what’s next. And emotionally, she has been here for me and inserted herself when I most have needed her support. She’s the best.
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Chainsaw massacre in the shower. ????
Her puppy photo in the snow is TOO MUCH! What a gorgeous girl. -
Joy is absolutely stunning! Love the pic of her chasing the ball – great action shot. I bet she’s great at agility. Carmela is in agility and the majority of her “classmates” are australian shepherds ????
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@kathryn She LOVES chasing the ball. My son took that photo; I’m very proud. 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment.
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The thing you say about the scream has my film brain thinking – is this the next celebrity dog? ????
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Beautiful girl! I also have an Aussie that screams when excited. I work at a doggie daycare during the day, and she screams for everyone as they come to work. I have been able to mitigate this by having her find a ball to hold in her mouth. She is getting better bit by bit. She also screams when my adult children come to visit. My son in law has a hard time ignoring her until she calms down, so we have been utilizing a lucky mat to calm her when they get here, and she is calm by the time she finishes it.
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Welcome to the party, Lisa! @sophie (pun intended with these fun shots of your party girl!)
Tell us more, what is her name?
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@kettlek9s She is gorgeous! What’s her name? How old is she? What’s her story?
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Her name is Sophie. She turned 4 in March. Our journey began with me fostering her for her original owner. She was a friend of mine from high school who lost her husband to cancer. Sophie was 1.5 years old at that time… with very minimal training. I fell in love with her, and her owner decided to give her to me. I work at a doggie daycare, so she is with me the vast majority of the time. As a lot of Aussies are, she is quite shy of noises, but we were able to walk in a parade a few weeks ago and she did great! She definitely keeps me on my toes!
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Thanks for these details about Sophie! I’ve added her to our scrapbook. 🙂
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1. Lido is a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever. He is English style – thick head, muzzle and body, and more chill than the awesomely athletic American Labs that you often see launch themselves off docks and vibrate/levitate when they walk around the house. ???? I picked him out from a litter of pups at Project 2 Heal because he was bred to be a service dog, or in our case, a therapy dog at my wife’s practice. He and I drove from North Carolina to New Jersey together when he was just 8 weeks old – awesome bonding experience. He was the star of every coffee shop along the way, I can assure you. ☕
2. Lido is the near-perfect dog, but as he walks away from the water bowl, there seems to be an extra bucket stored in either side of his jowls that is unceremoniously poured out onto the floor in streams across the kitchen. (Just kidding, it’s not that bad, but he’s my first jowl-dripping breed.) My only other thing that sometimes drives me crazy is that he LOVES dogs. I know, big problem, right? It’s just that he has a one-track mind once he sees another dog – “MUST MEET, MUST MEET, MUST MEET” – and it’s his biggest distraction in public. He’s getting better now that he’s maturing past his adolescent years, and he’s making good decisions about which dogs might want to meet him, and which don’t.
3. Lido is perfect for our family because he is very calm, affectionate, playful (and soft, and handsome, and hilarious and…). He is perfect for everyone else that meets him because he is a fantastic therapy dog! When he goes to the teen groups at my wife’s practice, he greets every single teen as they come in, and puts a smile on their face. One of the best behaviors I taught him is a head rest on someone’s thigh or hand. It feels so good when he does that. As you can see from the photo, he seems to have generalized it over to cuddling with his best friend and “older sister” Hazel. ???? He is also absolutely perfect for her and that was a big deal because for a while we weren’t sure if she would accept another dog in the home. With careful attention to how he was raised and how they were integrated, it turned out to be a huge success for them both.
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@david the TAIL in his cuddle photo! What a gorgeous boy and what a winner for your family and the teens he helps. I’ve always wondered – where did the name Lido come from?
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Great question. The gentleman who sponsored Lido for project 2 heal got to name him. That man owned a vacation/travel company and he loved the Lido Deck on cruise ships because it’s where everyone gathers for good times. It fits!
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Lido is SO handsome – and big!! Is that his tail wagging as he uses Hazel as a pillow ???? Love to see the sibling love. ????????
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Thanks – yes, absolutely that’s his tail wagging as I take the photo. Come closer, tail wags, it’s the best. ????
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I have 2 pups! Betty Miller is a 4 year old standard poodle named after my 91 year old mother and we call her both names. It’s funny when my mom and dog are in the same room because they both look at me when call one or the other. BM (for short) came from a breeder in Northampton PA – you may remember BM’s aunt Siba won Westminster Dog Show in 2020. We were all cheering the Best in Show like we were watching the Super Bowl! Betty Miller is definitely a person dog, doesn’t love most other dogs which sort of drives me crazy. Even though she tends to be reactive, she seems very human like. She speaks with her beautiful eyes and I can’t imagine my life without her.
Violet is my 13 month old Berniedoodle. She came from a breeder in Salt Lake City, UT. The minute she was born the breeder snapped me a picture, and when I saw she was black and white like a party poodle, I immediately thought of the skunk in the movie Bambi named Flower. So I named her a flower – Violet! There isn’t much that drives me crazy about Violet other than she loves to jump! Her temperament is so great with all people and dogs and an awesome sweet personality – a lot of fun! She has been my student dog as I study through Catch and it’s been fun training her!
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I love hearing these unique naming stories and that’s awesome that you were able to cheer Betty Miller’s mom to a best in show!
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@JCongdon OODLES of love here – what gorgeous dogs. I’m curious – after having the purebred, what prompted you to look at the Berniedoodle mix? Regardless, it’s wonderful that they are perfect for you.
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Good question. My daughter and son in law are both allergic to dogs so we looked into poodles. We almost got a second standard poodle but fell in love with several Bernie doodles we met at the park and found a great breeder. In the past most of my dogs have been rescues.
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@jcongdon I like the look of the Berniedoodles and hope that the poodle part can mediate some of the health issues that Berners have which give them such short lives! They seem like really sweet dogs. I’m all about supporting people having just the right fit for them – no judgement here! Functional, healthy, friendly dogs – what more can we ask for!?
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Agreed!
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Betty Miller and Violet are gorgeous!! Pretty exciting to be related to a Westminster champ! Love the pic of both of them in the golf cart.
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Thank you!
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“He’s fine! Just ignore him and let him sniff you.” Nero, everyone. Everyone, this is Nero! That’s usually what we have to tell new people that come over to the house, as his booming bark lets everyone in the neighborhood know that we have company. Nero is a 5 year old GSD and technically he isn’t mine, he’s my parent’s dog, except for when he’s naughty- then he’s my dog!
Nero loves to take your things and then play Keep Away, sometimes fulfilling the proud title of German Shredder! It drives me crazy in the moment but, when I see his tail wagging and I know that he’s just trying to play, my strict demeanor subsides and he gets me to smile 🙂
Of course I give in and play! … well, sometimes. While I know that giving in to Keep Away will only reinforce the behavior, Nero reminds me to get off my phone and get moving! In those brief moments where I’m upset that he grabbed another napkin, or a shoe, or whatever you happened to leave in your coat pocket, his playfulness reminds me not only to redirect his behavior, but also my own.
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@gretchen Nero is simply gorgeous. I laughed at “German Shredder!”
There’s nothing quite like the intensity of a GSD’s love, is there? He is lucky to have you, and you, him. Thanks for sharing him with us!
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Wow – Nero is stunning! I LOVE German Shepherds – so smart and playful. I too have a dog that loves to play keep away ????????????
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Everything about this cracked me up, @gretchen you have an awesome sense of humor and your “German Shredder” is quite handsome to go with his sonic-booming skills.
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This Luna! Almost two year old cocker spaniel. She is not perfect but she is perfect to us. Took her dock diving for the first time yesterday and the pic of her in the truck after was her pouting because she didn’t want to leave!
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What a beauty and cutie!!! Dock diving sounds perfect for a Spaniel! Love the pout…)
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Agreed, these photos are classic, Luna looks like a party girl who brings smiles wherever she goes and rocks the docks! ????
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- This is Daisy. She is 10 years old now. She is a Llaso Apso mix. We met online, while Daisy was at the animal shelter waiting to be adopted.
- Daisy drives me bonkers because she wakes me up most mornings (including weekends) by barking at me at exactly 5:30am. Lucky for her that I love her so much!
- Daisy and I are soulmates. I fell in love at first site. She makes me laugh and fills my life with love and joy.
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And soulmates sometimes wake you up at 530am! ????
This share is so fun/funny and these photos of Daisy are amazing – especially the one of the beach breeze.
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1. My dog Chance is from Georgia. Found in a bag on the side of the road. I think she is Shepard & Plot hound mix.
2. She drives me crazy. I can’t name all the things but here are a few. If a fly lands on her it takes about an hour to calm down; she sits in the corner of a room and just stare’s at me; wakes me up at 5:00 AM every morning; any loud sound she is in the basement and refuses to come out; she walks across to the neighbors yard and sits and refuses to come back(she had a solid recall-Ha Ha). Recently she has decided that she does not like to go for walks at night. She is reactive to every dog, except one.
3. With all her quirks and triggers(about fifty that I have identified), I would not trade her for anything. She has made me a better trainer and has taught me to be patient. She completely tore her cruciate ligament last year and was in the hospital for a few days. I could not believe how much I missed her. Today went to the park and now she refuses to walk near drainage covers.(new) I just laugh to myself and we take the long way around.
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I love your story! And your wonderful attitude. My dog has issues too. My husband and I always say “but they are our issues, we love her to death, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Thanks for sharing!
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Love this, Bruce!! Working with our very nervous boy has definitely been a lesson in patience and understanding. It’s so true that despite all the challenges, they’re OUR pups 100%
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Love this!
1. My dog’s name is Tuff. He is 8 years old and he’s a Labrador retriever! We met when I moved back home and my parents’ dog had a litter puppies. He was supposed to go to a friend but they bailed at the last minute. Since I had been training him and he was already attached to me, I decided to keep him.
2. The one thing he does that drives me nuts is the incessant retrieving. LOL. he won’t stop. ( i know it’s his job lol).
3. He’s attached to me and he’s an extroverted introvert like me. We can both spend nights at home together and not wish we were doing something else.
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@zaneb TUFF! He is great and we love your stories about him. In this photo he looks absolutely baleful. What’s the context? Are you not throwing his toy enough?! ????
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@programdev Thank you so much! Haha!
He is totally saying “can you throw this stick for me please?!” lol.
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Oh that’s too funny; nailed it! ????
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@zaneb my lab Lido is not as “obsessed” as it sounds like Tuff is, but I absolutely love when he casually just walks over to me with things he found lying around on the floor, usually my daughter’s socks. ????????
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@david wow! that’s really interesting! sometimes I wish he wasn’t so obsessed haha. For him, it’s limited to sticks and tan bark. He only retrieves bumpers on cue thank goodness!
Tuff is from hunting lines so it’s part of him. 🙂
Your lab sounds great! I appreciate both ends of the spectrum! 🙂
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????BLISS is reminding me – Only ONE MORE DAY to get your dog(s) into the DD Scrapbook!
We’re super excited with how it’s turning out and it will be available (digitially) for all our members to enjoy forever. We think you’re gonna love it. It will be available to all DD members. Don’t get left out of being included. Post your dog(s) photo and answer the three questions.
????I’ve gotta get Bliss’ photo and story in today!
How about it, @bernerlabreclectus @lisad @denny @achtung @doggonespecial @gin @jan @jenwalker @pkoh @Karin @carrie @loveyourdog2014 @levi @beka @walkswithalex @hhps @mindy @cam @meg @bmerrill @mbanf @mommaj @a_moreno14 @azshjr @danceswithdogs @nina @nick @nicolemetuchenpetclub @jayla @carly_n @oliviascalora @vinnymickey @shari @michellebabelle @erez @tripod_mom @torbett @jimmy @jess @rads @voodoo @vahnee @vincent @ris @yumiwolf @achasse @gail @amacrosland @amanda @teamk9cdt @a_moreno14 @ariella @jodi @ashtymm @Atticus @debj @tomo @SacredPaws @Janina @amytbarry @amanda @marcybel @Shadow @carolyn @cam @chris @charlotte @achasse @cnc1216 @cassowary1960 @happyhousehounds @kk9 @amanda @sodapop @pawsitivefoundations @pawsup @KrishC @jenny @anna @jeri @belleseren
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Thank you so much for inviting me to join the scrapbook! I’ve been MIA a bit since my soul mate Mac crossed the Bridge in March.
I have a few dogs to share who have been with me on my CATCH journey.
1. My very first Student Dogs were Spike, the Golden (my heart dog) and Missy, the Shih Tzu. They are both Angels now. But both were 12 years old back when I was in Phase 4 and preparing for my evaluation with my amazing CATCH mentor Jeannie Seuffert. I met Spike at 8 weeks old when we brought him home. And Missy and I met when she was a puppy adopted by my grandmother. Missy came to live with me and Spike when she was 5 when my grandmother passed away.
2. How they drove me crazy – Missy, when training for my evaluation would not do Down! I tried everything, even luring her under my bent knees while sitting so she’d have to get on her belly to get the treat! Thankfully (miraculously) Missy gace me a perfect Down for my Phase 4 in person evaluation! Spike – actually never drove me crazy. I drove him crazy with outfits and incessant picture taking.
3. How they were perfect for me – Missy was loving, fun and so very spunky. She was a wonderful reminder of my grandmother. Spike was calm, consistent, my constant companion. He was in my life at a very difficult, uncertain time in my life. He truly taught me the meaning of unconditional love, and how to love myself.
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1. My soul mate Mac. He was a Golden Retriever and only 6 years old when he passed away this March. We met when he was 8 weeks old and we brought him home. Mac was my Student Dog for my Final in person evaluation with my awesome Program Director Kelly prior to completing Phase 10 and earning my CATCH certification. He was featured on CATCH social media pages on multiple occasions!
2.How he drove me crazy – Mac was a very challenging puppy. I refer to his first few months at home as the Puppypocalypse. He was a typical Golden puppy times 10! Nipping, jumping, and generally raucous and unruly behavior. But he loved to spend time with me learning and over time, he became the most loving, sweet, and happy boy.
3.How he was perfect for me – Despite battling cancer and undergoing a major surgery removing part of his top jaw and front teeth at just 2 years old, Mac was pure joy. He bounced back from that first cancer only to be diagnosed with lymphoma last fall. And even through 4 months of chemotherapy, Mac was happy, loving and thriving. We enjoyed every moment together and thankfully he had no side effects and was not sick at all until his very last day. Mac taught me that tomorrow is never promised, and a beautiful life is possible even in the face of huge obstacles so long as you stay positive.
My favorite photo of Mac and I is on the Digging Dogs app. And I couldn’t be prouder.
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1. Finally, I’d like to introduce my newest addition, Murphy. He’s a 13 month old Golden Retriever mix from a rescue. We met when he was about 11 months old and he was transported up from Texas. I know my Mac sent him to me because I need him as much as he needs me. It’s been just under 3 months, and Murphy is still settling in. And although I am a dog trainer, I have enlisted help from a wonderful force free trainer near me in Toms River, NJ.
2. How he drives me crazy – Murphy had no chance to be a puppy and learn how to be a family dog before he was rescued. We don’t know his exact circumstances, but he has extreme separation anxiety and some other issues. He is reactive but nonaggressive to lots of things, dogs, people, etc. The puppy nipping and jumping and barking can get out of control. But we are learning together how to help him.
3.How he is perfect for me – He is my first rescue dog, and despite volunteering at my local shelter for almost 8 years, he’s the first one I’ve brought home! It’s a completely different world from having a puppy from 8 weeks old. I am fascinated watching him learn and grow and get comfortable with me, my family and my home. He’s the perfect dog for me to really put my CATCH knowledge, skills and resources to good use. You will be seeing more of him soon!
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@amywurst these stories of Spike, Missy, Mac, and Murphy are so sweet and wonderful to hear. ???????? ????I’m SO glad you posted them for inclusion. What a beautiful crew of dogs and experiences. Here’s to you and Murphy finding awesome harmony as he continues to settle in. He is one lucky dog.
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@amywurst I’m so sorry for your loss of beautiful Mac. It is so hard to lose our heart dogs. I’m glad you decided to share him for our scrapbook – he’s always going to be a part of our community!
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@amywurst these are so amazing; and I’m so glad that you have shared their stories here.
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Here’s my dog, Sierra. She’s going to be 2 years old later this year. She’s a mini bernedoodle, but also has a little cocker spaniel and retriever in her as well. I first met her at Newark airport, via a flight nanny. At first I wanted to adapt a rescue then decided for me it was better to get a puppy since I have a couple of cats I rescued as well.
Some of the things she does that drive me crazy, chewing up beds, pillows (those two have kind of stopped over the past few months). She also likes to run into my neighbors or friends homes and explore every room of their homes.
She’s the perfect fit because she gets along great with every dog she’s met so far. I posted pics of her with her two best friends. My neighbor’s dog (the Aussiedoodle) who she loves running around with in their yard multiple times a week and eating sticks with outside and my friend’s dog (the Lab mix) who is a rescue who is reactive to a lot of dogs but has gotten along great with Sierra. I’ve had to watch my friend’s dog a couple of times and Sierra loves when we have a puppy sleepover with her.
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@rocco So glad you shared Sierra with us; she’s gorgeous!
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This is ThunderRiver’s Blissful Dancer; aka Bliss; aka Blister (when she’s annoying!) She just turned 6months old.
Bliss and I connected two months ago at an ASCA dog show that I was attending to meet breeders. I was in search of my perfect puppy from conformationally correct and health-tested parents whose temperaments I adored. I was basically looking for a golden retriever in an Australian Shepherd suit, and I’ve absolutely found her in Bliss.????
Her most endearing quality is that her primary “love language” is physical touch. She adores cuddling and affection. However this is also her most challenging characteristic because she has no personal bubble and frequently smashes into her social partner (dog or human; doesn’t matter) with a little too much enthusiasm and unfortunate timing. She doesn’t mean to hurt us but she does! Joy & I have blood blisters to prove it. ????
Bliss is perfect for me because she not only promises to fulfill my aspirations of breeding quality companion, service & therapy dogs, she has reminded me that I LOVE training dogs. Bliss is ALWAYS up for whatever learning thing is next. She grasps new concepts really quickly and is simply a joy to train. I’m deeply in love with her already and look forward to many years together.
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Introducing Katie, our “forever” foster…….(heck who am I kidding, she has been with us for three years now and is now officially home). I always say rescued dogs are magical because they come into our lives at just the wrong/right time, they change who we cross paths with, and who we ultimately learn to become while seeing the world from their vistas. Katie is not my “type” of dog (please let that be our secret) so a three week foster stay for Katie while she was recovering from some medical issues was to be the plan. Katie is a…..(your guess is as good as mine as I got it all wrong initially) four year old female weighing about 30 pounds. DNA testing indicates a AST, husky and beagle????
Rescued by a nonprofit group in GA (which our nonprofit organization partners with) Katie was transported up to NJ on the Freedom Ride, and because of limited adoption options in the South, we agreed to a fostering arrangement for Katie.
Once Katie was well enough to be placed up for adoption we began to observe some increasingly ramped up reactivity around other dogs-sadly to the 10th degree! Efforts to unearth some prior history, and ultimately connections with her original rescuer in GA, medical records indicated that Katie was seen tossed from a moving car into a cemetery, rescued by someone who did not know how to do dog to dog introductions and, as a result, Katie became the victim of a pretty bad dog attack (by the rescuers three resident dogs). Katie was initially treated for her injuries in GA before transport to NJ. She then made her way to our nonprofit facility and via that route, straight into our heart and the hearts of our clients at our facility.
Getting back to the magical part-although Katie remains highly reactive to dogs (and this may be just who she is….although we continue to practice de-sensitization) it turns out that she is the perfect demo dog for the coaching our nonprofit offers to those who adopt or foster dogs. Katie is a superstar to help put our clients at ease (the first visit to our facility is always without an adopters dog so that is when Katie punches in for duty). Katie allows us to showcase her sweet, patient side when we explain and demo equipment, share some Tellington Touch techniques for calming and stress reduction and do basic coaching for new adopters. We are so grateful that despite some challenges Katie “magically” found her way to our home and hearts. She is the official C.F.O. for our nonprofit (Chief Fun Officer) and we are so lucky to have her on staff!
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@pamm How wonderful is Katie!? Thanks for sharing her story – and I love the photos. I’ll get her added to our book. ????
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These two picture of Katie did not post previously with my initial post so I will try again as she loves to be admired!
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1.) This is my boy Malcolm. He is 3-years old and is a Mini Bernedoodle. I researched for his designer breed specifically because my husband has allergies to dogs and I love Bernese Mountain Dogs, (BMDs)! I have never purchased a dog from a breeder before. I have always adopted, but because I was married, I had to compromise and I wouldn’t change it for the world! I First saw Malcolm, aka Rain, on a breeders site and instantly fell in love! I didn’t want to get my hopes up though because I was #7 on the list and most of his siblings were female, in which I knew I wanted a male, and tricolors are the most popular with people who pick them for obvious reasons, they have the BMD look! At last, I got my pick and cried, cried, cried with excitement! I watched videos of my boy from 3 weeks to 8 weeks old when I was finally able to fly and pick him up!
2.) My boy sometimes drives me crazy when new people come over because he barks repeatably! I have to literally hold him and pet him to get his crazy behavior to stop, lol. He is a very sweet boy and I socialized him with everything I could think of and many different types of people, so I don’t understand why he only does it when someone “new” comes over.
3.) Malcolm is perfect for me because I have a chronic illness that often causes pain and brings my spirits down. He makes me laugh all the time! And when I am not laughing, he cuddles with me. They say Mini Bernedoodles are the “teddy bears” of the dog world, and I can definitely say that is true when it comes to my boy Malcolm–I love him so much! ????????
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Malcolm is super cute:) We have a good amount of mini bernadoodles at my daycare. So cute and sweet! Your pictures are adorable, can’t wait to see more!
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@shelly Malcolm is adorable and what a wonderful blessing he is to you. I love reading your story here and look forward to many more Malcolm photos in the future. It’s magical when the universe aligns like this and our heart dogs find their way to us – clearly such a special connection you have. Thanks for sharing him with us!
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I love your Berniedoodle story. I too have a mini Berniedoodle (45 pounds – supposed to be mini ????) who also goes wild every time the doorbell rings! I’m happy to join your club! ????. Malcolm is super cute!
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Feels like there should be a whole Berniedoodle thread… I know @anna is also in that club, right?
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