Update from Morelka

Here's an update from Morelka's mom....

Just wanted to check in with you.  We follow your blog to get our puppy fix in.  Morelka is great.  This is a pictuer of her after a very hard morning of chasing a ball, eating, pooping and chasing a bird in our backyard.  Life is hard when you are a Schnoodle.

Frosty goes Home!

Last Tuesday Frosty's new mom flew on the red-eye from San Francisco to Reagan National Airport.  I brought Frosty's to her at the airport around 11 am.  and she got on the next flight back to San Francisco.   What a day!  I felt sorry that she had such a long trip...but I could see she was so excited about Frosty, that it was all worthwhile.   Frosty had a little carrier to travel under the seat...but I suspect he probably slept on her lap most of the way.)   It seems all went well.  I understand there are two little kids back home who are very excited about their new puppy! 

Cheerio goes home!

The last of Coco's Schnoodle puppies went home this Saturday.   Cheerio stayed with us until he was nearly 10 weeks old, because his family had travel plans before he was born.  Cheerio is now living in North Carolina.   Sorry my pictures are a bit blurry.  Cheerio was so full of energy that he was very squirmy and I barely even got to take a photo!   I am seriously looking into a new camera.  Fast puppies need a fast camera!

Cheerio with his new best friend!

The different looks of Gumbo the Schnoodle!

Before the Grooming.....so cute!

After the grooming....so handsome!

The above photos were shared by Gumbo's mom.  It is so fun to see the affects of grooming on the look of a Schnoodle.  Both photos are absolutely precious!  Thank you for sharing them with us!

Maya and Oscar 3 year old Update

I am a little late sharing this letter from Oscar's mom since Coco's litter kept me so busy.  But I really enjoyed this letter and photos, and know you will too....

Oscar and Maya are 3 years old!

I cannot believe our little Schnoodle babies are already 3 years old!  Happy Belated Birthday to Oscar and Maya's syblings from Dixies Mother's Day 2012 litter.   We celebrated with a nice 'family' birthday dinner over at Maya's. 

 Deb made them both a very nice dinner of chicken, rice, peas and carrots.  This was a first for Oscar and he loved it!  He even tried to steal some of Maya's after he finished all his chicken. Oscar also got to meet baby Alex. I think he was excited to make a new friend, literally on his own level.

How adorable is this!

He took advantage of the opportunity to try and recruit a new catch partner.  He kept putting the tennis ball on the babies lap and just couldn't understand why he wasn't throwing it for him:)  It was a riot!

Thanks Jen, for sharing your birthday celebration with us!   It is so fun to see Oscar and Maya all grown up.    And so cute to see Oscar interacting with baby Alex!  It is great that you caught that on camera. So glad that Jen had a happy and safe delivery.  Congratulations to Deb and Eric on their very adorable baby boy!   ---Mary

An Awesome Vet report....

The letter below was sent from Beaus mom last week....

I took Pepper (Beau) to the vet this morning and the vet was very impressed how well he had been socialized.  He did not shake or get excited.  He is a very laid back little guy.  He got his heart worm pill and Bordetella nasal spray.  His fecal sample was clear (of worms and eggs)  which she said indicates that you kept them very clean, even though you had wormed them at 6 weeks.  

He is 3 lb 4 oz so he needs to wait until he is 4  lbs to take his flea and tick pill., which I have.  She found no evidence of fleas.  She asked about you as a breeder and I was happy to tell her.  She said she would keep you in mind if anyone is interested in a Schnoodle.  I warned her that you have a long wait list.   

Thanks again for such a wonderful little pup!    --- Hildai

Thanks for this great report, Hildai.  It is so good to hear such the great report from the veterinary! ---Mary

Schnoodles love Water!

You might remember a post several years ago about how Maya the Schnoodle loved to play catch in the ocean.   This summer I received another post about how Pukah learned to swim.  Here is the letter.....

I thought we'd send a fun summer update on Pukah  since he has discovered a new way to have fun and cool off.  We decided that this was the year to teach him to be a water-dog so that he could enjoy the pool with us.  At first he didn't want much to do with it beyond getting his feet wet on the steps.  We took a page from good old Cesar on the Dog Whisperer and used the leash to pretty much gently force him to follow us into the pool.   For the first 10 minutes there was a lot of flailing and not much swimming.  But all of a sudden he calmed down and could almost see him think, "Hey, this is kind of fun!"   Suddenly he was swimming with purpose (and a lot less splashing!) and that's when the fun really started.  After 40 minutes of throwing a bumper into the pool for him, we had to force him out of the water so that WE could take a break.  This will definitely be a fun way to work off some of that energy without having to worry about this muggy heat.

 Many people do not realize that Schnoodles are water dogs.  This is because poodles were originally bred to be water retrievers and Schnoodles do have a lot of poodle in their genetic background.   On top of being a 50% Schnauzer 50% poodle mix, the Schnauzer already has poodle in his genes.   The Miniature Schnauzer was originally created by breeding the Standard Schnauzer with the Poodle and the Afenpincher to get the smaller size.   So in reality there is more of the poodle in the Schnoodle background then you might realize.

So go ahead and give your Schnoodle an opportunity to enjoy the water.  It sure sounds like a lot of fun everyone involved!

Cell Phone shots of the puppies this morning....

Aunt Misty wants to play with Cheerio.

Chili just hangin...

Cheerio is wanting to play.

Frosty

Frosty stretching out

Frosty and Cheerio

Bear (Pepper) goes to his new home!

The puppies turned 8 weeks old on Saturday.  Pepper was the first puppy to go to his new home.   His new name is Bear.   I got an update from his Mom today...

Bear did great on his ride home.  No sickness or potty issues.  He slept until about 2 am, used his Ugodog and went back to sleep until 6:30 am.   He is very spunky in the morning, but is taking frequent naps.  Tonight he got into his crate by himself to go to sleep.  He has eaten well and seems very happy if his tail wagging is any indication.  We are thrilled with his temperament.  I've attached several pictures from today in the yard.  You are right when you say they don't sit still!


I am so thrilled to hear that Bear made it through his first few days with flying colors!   It is always the first few days at a new home that I worry the most about how the puppies are adjusting.  So this is fantastic news!

The puppies do love to climb into the flowers!   I see Bear has made himself right at home!

The other puppies going home this Tuesday, next Saturday....and the Saturday after that (10 weeks!)  With vacations that are preplanned at this time of year, it is not surprising that some puppies stay a little longer.

I will update the status of our litter as I am able.

Bear feels at home with the impatience at his new house!

New Puppy Cheat Sheet

 I wrote up this list of pointers as a summary of the most important things you need to know when you bring your puppy home.

1. Some puppies may have worms!   Your vet will do a fecal to be sure they do not.  Until them remind everyone who handles the puppy to wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.

2. Keep Caro Syrup on hand in case of Hypoglycemic attack.

3.  At 8 weeks the puppies are 3-5 lbs.  Feed them about a cup of food per day.  Feed 1/3 cup 3 xs a day....soften food with water...do not change his brand for the first 2 weeks.  Feed more as the puppy grows. (see bag for recommendations)  Treat your puppy with his kibble and do not use special treats until he is well adjusted to his new environment.

 4.  Provide water at all times.   (Be vary wary of dehydration if your puppy ever gets sick! ) .

5. Puppy Proof your house!  Remove all electrical cords and choking hazards from puppy play areas.
 
6. Be aware of things that are poisonous to your puppy.  Remove Poisonous house plants inside and outside.  Do not feed your puppy grapes, onions, chocolate.

6.  Use a crate with your puppy.  It is invaluable as a training aid.

7. Puppies can hold their bladder 1 hour for each month of their age.

8. Puppies need to go pee pee after every nap, and after they eat dinner.

9.  When you take puppies out to potty they usually go pee pee right away.   But it takes about 20 minutes to get their bowels going in the morning.  Activity will help speed that up.

10.  Provide stuffed Kongs and Chew toys to your puppy when you leave the house for extended periods of time.  That will ease the separation anxiety.

 11 Never allow new puppy to roam the house!  You will create potty training problems.Increase puppies play space and area of independence very gradually as the months go by.    


12.  Teach puppy to enjoy his crate and pen, by letting him get settled there during the first few weeks.  Do not allow him to roam the house.  Only let him out during supervised play time. 

13 When taking your puppy out of his pen resist the temptation to reach over the edge.  Ask him to sit, and then  let him out the door.   Dogs who always use the door are less likely to learn to climb out of their pen.

14. Introduce your puppy to as many people and pets as possible during his first year.  Make sure each meeting will be a fool proof positive experience by talking to the person first to be sure they are comfortable interacting with your puppy.

15.  Schedule your Puppies first vet appointment before you pick up your new puppy..  Do NOT allow your veterinary to administer vaccinations closer than 3 weeks apart!

16. Keep your veterinary appointments. Provide Heartworm medication once a month.   Administer Flea Medication on schedule.

17 Spay or Neuter your pet by 6 months of age to avoid the behavioral issues and challenges that come with a female dog being in heat or a male dog not being neutered.   Males and females both mark their territory during that hormonal time, and the perfectly potty trained dog will suddenly begin that behavior.   Other challenges include both male and female dogs trying to escape to find a breeding partner.   These are just a few reasons why I highly recommend that you spay and neuter your dog before they reach sexual maturity.

Veterinary Visit and Micro chips

On Tuesday I took Coco's Schnoodle puppies to the veterinary where they had their first shots.  They were dewormed during Week 6.  The veterinary did a health exam and found the puppies to be in excellent health.

Frosty and Chili were also Micro chipped with Home Again as requested by their new owners.  Micro chipping through Home Again is a new optional service that puppy owners can request when they purchase a Schnoodle puppy from Growing Puppies.  It costs an additional $50.00 over the cost of a puppy...but it is well worth it. 

The veterinary inserts a microchip into  your puppy with a needle and then registers the puppy at that time under my name.  I give you the registration number number and information on the program. When you bring your puppy home all you need to do, is call Home Again to transfer the registration to your name.  There are no additional fees to the owner and the service is active for the lifetime of your pet.

When a puppy has a micro chip any veterinary or shelter can scan the dog and pull up your contact information.  Of course it is important that micro chipped dogs always remember to update their information with Home Again, if their phone numbers or address change.  You want to be sure you are easily reached in the event of an emergency.   

Keep Your Dog Safe with clear contact information.

Our newest puppy families are now shopping for their Toy Schnoodles who will be going home in the next several weeks.  One important purchase is a puppy collar. 

Toy Schnoodles need XS collars that measure about 8" long when they are 8-12 weeks old.  

It is not necessary to buy anything too expensive, since your puppy will be growing fast and may need a bigger size before long.  Whatever collar you choose, purchase a dog tag to attach to every collar your puppy owns.

For new puppies as well as adult dogs, I have an excellent recommendation.   The Snazzy Fido collar easily displays your contact information and is more secure than a tag.  I was impressed with the prices of these collars (on sale for $6.95)  which are especially reasonable when you consider most dog tags alone cost at least that much.  Please consider a very visible identification especially when you are traveling with your pet.  If you have a particular weakness for fancy dog collars, you could always reserve them for special occasions at home, or when you have guests...but I especially recommend the very practical Snazzy Fido collar on neighborhood walks, on vacation, or road trips.  Remember safety is always our greatest concern. 

The Snazzy Fido collar should not replace a micro chip.  I always recommend micro chipping your dog as a back up for your pet tags.  But the problem with a microchip is that the person who finds your dog has to have him electronically swiped at the vet or shelter before they can contact you.   Time is always of the essence when a dog is lost, so having a visible form of identification on your dog collar is very important.

Hope everyone has safe travels this summer!

Two family visits....

A few years ago, when Coco was a puppy, two sisters came to visit from Lorton, VA.  They thought Coco was so cute and adorable, they decided back then to wait for a puppy from Coco's first litter.   Their time has finally come!   They visited Chili, their new puppy for the first time, when Chili was 5 weeks old.  As you can see, they couldn't be happier.   Good things come to those who wait!

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A few days later, Pepper's new family came to visit from Richmond, VA.   It was wonderful to meet them and gush over the puppies together.  I can tell that Pepper is going to be spoiled and loved.  They have grand kids too, which makes having a puppy all the more fun!

I am so excited to meet the families who come to visit their puppies.   The next two families have to come a distance to pick up their puppy.  So it will be a few weeks before we will meet them.   Everyone is eagerly anticipating the day they can bring their new puppy home!

More 7 week Schnoodle puppy photos

As the late afternoon arrived on Saturday July 4, I realized I would be losing the light soon.  So I took the puppies outside to the porch to try and capture their last formal shots.  The two lighter puppies sat for their photos pretty well.  But the darker apricot puppies would not sit still for a second.  As a result I got some decent photos of the light boys...and not such good ones of the apricot boys.   That is why I focused my next post on the red boys.

Pepper at 7 weeks old

Pepper

Pepper

Frosty

Frosty

Frosty

Chili

Chili

Chili

Cheerio at 7 weeks old

Cheerio. Such a beautiful fluffy coat!

Cheerio, so sweet and cuddly!

7 week old Schnoodle Puppies

Chili and Pepper play chase!

The puppies turned 7 weeks old on Saturday.  They have been going outside regularly to run off their energy.  The love to be with people and are super playful.  When we let them outside we always include Coco and Misty.  Coco runs up to them to say hello...she lets them nurse for about 30 seconds and then she escapes to the deck to observe from a distance.  Then Aunt Misty takes over.  She runs about playing tag and all the puppies love her.  I sometimes wonder if she thinks they are her puppies.  She definitely enjoys being with them.

The puppies are eating well, and growing fast.  With all the fur coming out, they are regular fluff balls!

Frosty enjoys begin cuddled.

The puppies are so sweet and loving!

Pepper is not much bigger than a volleyball!

Here is Pepper.  Its hard to take photos at 7 weeks old .  The puppies don't sit still for more than a second.

Pepper has super soft fur

Chili has turned into a fluff ball too!

Another photo of Chili

Chili loves to run!