As preface, my husband and I haven’t had to deal with a puppy for almost nine years. Needless to say, we have forgotten a lot. I mean A LOT! Add to that the last golden-doodle puppy we had had a completely different personality than this one. She was calm (well, calmer), obedient (after a very brief honeymoon period) and she learned very quickly. I think it was her poodle side. She took to crate training very well which sort of set the tone for everything that came afterwards. And she was a good sport letting me dress her in costumes every Halloween, even if only for time enough to take pictures. She was house trained within ten days, sleeping through the night almost immediately, didn’t jump on the dinner table or people. Was a good car dog except when she saw other dogs which would set her off and she’d bark really, really loud. We called her our EWDS-Early Warning Delivery System because she barked for every mailman, UPS and FedEx delivery before they even got to the front door. And if someone came into the house, she would bark until she decided they were all right to be there. She was a much better judge of people than we are.
The previous puppy to the doodle was a golden retriever. She was adorable. I told her every day—at least 200 times—that it was a good thing she was so cute because otherwise she might have to hit the road. She chewed everything: dining table legs, chair legs, carpeting, rugs, clothing (she had an utter obsession with shirt/coat sleeves and would grab the cuff of your shirt as you walked by causing whatever you might be carrying to fly out of your hand splattering anything within 10 feet), the seat belts in the car and no toy lasted longer than 50 seconds. After the first year I remember asking anyone we saw with a golden retriever when they stopped being puppy-ish. I’d audibly groan when the answer was, “by the time they’re two or three”. We had to replace so much stuff the first few years, the least of which was toys. She didn’t mind riding in the car but it wasn’t her favorite thing. More than once she got carsick.
Our current goldendoodle puppy is more golden retriever than poodle. No toy lasts longer than 15 minutes. We’ve stopped getting new ones. We had almost all of our first doodle’s toys because she took such good care of them. She would play with them but only play; she never chewed them to bits. Our current doodle has destroyed all of the old toys and all the new ones we’ve given her. Her toys now consist of hard chew-type toys that are made for aggressive chewers. She is potty trained But that was a chore because she learned to use a litter box as a newborn puppy. We just got her a jacket because it has been below freezing for days. She had her first real groom which was very short because of the matting from spaying and snow. She already chewed the collar and a decorative faux pocket in 10 seconds… 10 seconds! She has ruined kennel bed mattresses/pads, blankets, towels, the cover for the backseat of the car and tried to chew the back flap upholstery on my recliner. She even chewed the stone hearth on the fireplace. Sounded like she was sharpening her teeth!
The biggest problem, however, is she can’t seem to grasp the concept of Sundays. Sunday mornings aren’t made for routine. People sleep late on Sunday morning. The pace is much slower on Sunday. No need to rush to go somewhere or do anything. The day may be spent doing nothing at all or having an adventure. We may watch old TV shows or a movie. We may bake a cake or fix a nice dinner. But that doesn’t seem to deter her from pacing and barking because her usual routine/schedule isn’t being adhered to. She doesn’t get that the room getting lighter with the rising of the sun doesn’t signal “wake-y, wake-y” at 6:30 am. Makes for a very, very long day. Hey, golden-doodle… how about getting in touch with your poodle side, chill a little, relax.
I wouldn’t have her any other way even though she weighs 30 lbs. and thinks she is a lap dog. She climbs my body like an experienced mountain climber then lays across my chest, drooping the rest of her body over my lap where she soon falls asleep. Better than a throw to keep me warm on these frigid days and evenings. She is my constant companion whenever I cook, watching my every move (hoping for a tidbit falling within reach of her lightening pounce). She decided early on that I was her person and while we argue like many teenage girls and their moms, we always kiss and make up. I love her so very much but boy am I tired 🥱!
Soosey’s Ruminations 