Zoey's Puppies 1 Week old

The first week went by super fast.  I guess there was a lot happening with Puppies and Christmas and all!   And with all the Christmas preparations, it was really nice that Zoey is doing most of the work in taking care of her puppies.   She seems to be nursing them all day long.  Which is good because they are growing fast and getting chubbier every day!

Pippa is 1 week old

Theodore looks so cute as he sleeps!

Theodore is 1 week old

Buddy is 1 week old

Another photo of Buddy

Felipe is 1 week old

2 days old

Pippa, our little girl Schnoodle

Theodore, our little boy Schnoodle

Felipe our 2nd Little boy Schnoodle

Buddy the 3rd Boy Schnoodle

Zoeys Christmas litter

Last Friday Zoey had a lovely litter of puppies!   3 boys and 1 girl.   The delivery was fast.  All four were born within an hour.   That is great for Zoey, she has no trouble in delivery.   And she seemed to recover very quickly.   I am feeling so blessed with our beautiful puppies and that all are healthy and well!

Thankful for you and Bear!

Here is an update on Bear that I received at Thanksgiving time:

Bear is such a funny little dog.  In this first picture he is sitting with my elderly next door neighbor, (not in the picture) who he loves and has to go visit every time he sees her. 

The second picture was at the Midlothian Mines Park.  He loves walking around the lake and visiting with all the kids and dogs. 

This third picture is his sleeping pose.   This has to be a Schnoodle pose.  He sleeps like this all the time.  It looks like he is going to break his neck.  Too funny!

Last but not least is he sweet little look when playing with his stuffed animals. He also loves a ball.

Thanks for breeding such wonderful animals.  The love and care you gave them is evident.  Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

--Hilda

Thank you, Hilda for providing such a loving home for Bear!   It warms my heart to see his beautiful photos and hear what a joy he is for you.   Thank you for sharing this update!

---Mary

A word of Caution about Merle Schnoodle Puppies

The dog above is called a Merle Schnoodle but there is more to this dog than meets the eye.

I have noticed more and more Merle Schnauzers and Merle Schnoodles popping up for sale on the internet.   Before you buy a dog from these breeders, it is important to educate yourself on the truth about the Merle gene as it relates to the Mini Schnauzer and the Schnoodle 

What is the Merle Color?   The Merle color on a dog reminds me of Oreo Cookie ice cream.  It is a mottled patches of color and sometimes darker larger patches.   It lightens as the dog gets older, so the pronounced color on a puppy will be more muted on the adult dog.  The mottled look is not always black and white, but can be other colors as well.   The most prized of the Merle dogs are those that are born with 1 or 2 blue eyes.  Breeders usually charge a lot more for the blue eyed dogs.  Sounds cool, right?  Wait...there is more to this gene than meets the eye!

The Merle color gene carries many health defects.    When a Merle is bred to a Merle you have a very high chance of blind and deaf dogs.    They also have a weaker immune system.  Some puppies are born dead or with missing eyelids.    The health risks are so great that the UK Kennel Club stopped registering dogs with the Merle gene in 2013.

Blue eyed dogs have the Merle gene. This is a gene that can cause puppies to be born deaf and blind.

Why would any breeder purposely breed Merle puppies?
Breeders who have introduced the Merle gene into their breeding lines, do so because they think this is an exotic look for a dog.  This is an excuse to charge more for the puppies.   It certainly is a surprise to see a Schnauzer with blue eyes!   These breeders justify their breeding of the Merle by saying that as long as they don't breed one Merle dog to another Merle dog, the health issues won't show up in the puppies.   But I consider breeding Merles to be a dangerous game.  One where the life and health of the dog is at stake.  When you breed a Merle litter, you cannot always tell which puppies have the Merle gene.  Sometimes that color pattern is hidden by a white gene, or sometimes it is such a small patch of Merle on a puppy it is not seen.   Tails are removed on Merle Schnauzers at 2-3 days old, and if the Merle patch was on the tail, no one would know that the dog carried the Merle gene.   So it is quite possible to breed a Merle to another Merle and not realize you have bred 2 Merles.  I just don't understand why any breeder wants to perpetuate a gene that is KNOWN to be so dangerous.....all this risk for a mottled coat or blue eyes?  It is just not worth it the risk of puppies born blind, deaf or dead.

Be Aware! The Merle Schnauzer is not a purebred Schnauzer
Be Aware!  The Merle Poodle is not a purebred Poodle
Neither Merle dogs can be registered with the AKC, because they are not Purebred.
The Mini Schnauzer and the Poodle do not carry the Merle gene in its history.   You can see a list of the breeds that have the Merle color as a possible color in this article by Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_(dog_coat)
The Merle Schnauzer is actually a Pomeranian Schnauzer Mix or an Australian Schnauzer mix.   (likewise the Merle Poodle is bred with a mix of one of those breeds).  Breeders who sell the Merle Schnauzer will register them with the MSCA The Merle Schnauzer Club of America.   I consider this a misleading registry, since it names the Schnauzer but not the other breed(s) it is mixed with.   The uneducated buyer thinks he is buying a purebred Mini Schnauzer.   And when this Merle dog is then bred to a Poodle the dog is not technically a Schnoodle either.

Are Merle Schnoodles good for Allergies?
If you are buying a Schnoodle because you or someone you love has allergies, then the Merle is definitely not the best choice for you. Most people buy a Schnoodle because the mix of a purebred Mini Schnauzer to a purebred Miniature Poodle are one of the BEST dogs for Allergies. That is because both breeds are low dander, non shedding breeds.   But when you Breed a Merle into the background, then you have bred in some profuse shedding genes.  The Pomeranian and the Australian Shephard are both prolific shedders and are NOT recommended for allergy sufferers.  The Merle Schnauzer/Poodle Mix should be lower shedding or dander than a Pomeranian or Australian Shepherd, but the possibility that the shedding/dander will show up in your puppy is definitely there.  So don't buy the Merle mixed dog, if you are trying to get the best Schnoodle for allergies.

So what should you do to avoid the Merle Gene in your Schnoodle dogs genetic background?   Buy a Miniature Schnauzer or a Miniature Schnoodle from a Reputable breeder that breeds for health above color.   Do not buy from breeders that breed Merle dogs.   You will have the best chance for a healthy puppy that is bred from quality AKC breeding lines. 

I have taken a lot of care to choose my breeding stock from from quality AKC Breeding lines because producing healthy puppies is my highest priority.

If you wish to find out more, there is a lot of information on the internet about this topic.  Just Google 'Merle genetics'.  And here is a website that also discusses the problem with the Merle Miniature Schnauzer specifically....http://merleminiatureschnauzers.weebly.com

Best wishes to you all in your puppy search!

Upcoming Schnoodle litters

UPDATE:

It would appear that we have filled all our reservation spots for our Winter litters.  IF you would like to place a deposit in case we have a larger litter than expected, you can still do that.  However your deposit will be applied to a Summer litter if there are not enough puppies.  So consider whether that would work for you.

___________________________________________________________________-----

We are so excited to announce that we have Schnoodle puppies due in the month of December!    We will have photos of newborns in time for Christmas! The pups will be going home at 8 weeks of age, which is the end of January.  This is a great time to reserve a Schnoodle puppy!  

If you would prefer to have a puppy at a later time in 2018, then you can also reserve a puppy for the litters born in 2018 as well.

Contact me at GrowingPuppies@gmail.com to find out more.

Ricky will sire our upcoming litters...

Look for updates on our new females on our Dams and Sires page.

Below are some of our past Schnoodles

One of Ricky's Schnoodles

8 week puppies from Ricky's litters.

Happy Halloween! - Update from Oscar's family

Happy Halloween from 

Snow White and Prince Oscar!

A photo update on Woody

Look at all these beautiful photos of Woody at 3 months old.  Thank you Angela for sending them!

Update on a Mini Schnoodle Puppy --- Woody

This update was sent this summer from one of our new families:

Hi Mary,

I just wanted to send you a quick update on Woody and some pictures from yesterday.  He has truly been the perfect puppy and we are so deeply in love with him already!   My daughter said yesterday was the best day of her life!   Woody is a happy friendly, playful, tail wagging, kiss giving little bundle of joy!

My daughter was exhausted last night from the excitement of the day and actually asked to go to bed, which never happens ha ha!

We put Woody in her bedroom in the playpen with the Ugodog tray, a dog bed, a water bowl and the blanket from your house.  He settled right in and slept through the entire night!  I slept in my daughters bedroom with her so I could keep an eye on him overnight, but he was amazing!  And I was shocked.  I didn't expect it to be so easy!

Woody did great at the vet yesterday and of course got a great check up.  He even fell asleep in my daughters arms in the exam room.  So sweet!

 One of our greyhounds immediately accepted him and was completely unphased by him joining our family.   The other one is not quite so sure and still needs a  little more time to adjust.  But we will get there!   Woody used the potty tray overnight so we didn't have to take him out in the middle of the night.  But otherwise he has gone potty outside every time like a good boy.  He is not eating full meals yet and only eats about half a meal so far.  I'm not too concerned yet since he's only been here for one day and his whole world is brand new now..  Anyway I dont think our first day could have gone any smoother.  He is such a wonderful addition to our family.

Thanks again!

Families pick their puppies at 6 weeks.

The best part of raising puppies is to see the joy on a child's face when they meet their puppy for the first time.  When I asked this little girl how long she has been wanting a puppy she replied, "Since I was born!"   Isn't that sweet!   Her dreams are finally coming true!   

I think if I asked this puppy how long he has been waiting for his girl, I think he would answer the same...."Since I was born!"

4 week Coco Puppies

Here are Coco's Puppies at 4 weeks old.  They are using their potty trays now and eating soft puppy food made into a gruel.  They are starting to look like Schnoodles!

Amber, Coco's 3 wk girl puppy

Amber, Coco's 3 week girl pupy