We are so excited to announce a brand new addition to our family! This is Dumplin! As of this post, he is 8 weeks and 4 days old. He has been with us for 2 weeks now and I can’t even imagine life before his arrival. Dumplin is an F1 Goldendoodle. That means he is 50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retriever. His mom is a Standard Poodle and his dad is a Golden Retriever. He was born on March, 22, 2020.
After losing my Goldendoodle, Biscuit, due to cardiac arrest during a surgical procedure, I knew that I wanted to adopt another Golden into our family. I did not really know a whole lot about Doodles so I started out on a journey to learn as much as I could about them. It was over the very first weekend that I found a video of Dumplin and his littermates. They were brand new and wrinkly and squirmy and just adorable.
This was the very first picture I saw! Aren’t they just precious? (Like little sausages)
As an avid supporter of Animal Rescue, making the decision to actually adopt a puppy from a breeder was something that I really struggled with. I have seen how overcrowded shelters are. I have seen the horrors of puppy mills and abused and neglected animals. My family of fur-babies has included 5 family pets that were rescued or adopted because they were accidental or unwanted. My family has also fostered many four-legged friends as they await their journey to new forever homes.
But….I still felt drawn to find out more. So I contacted the breeder, (I will call her K). I asked a million questions. Is mom a family pet? Is she kept inside the home? How often is she bred? How old is she? Has she had any medical problems? Can I talk to previous adopters? How many litters has she had? How is her temperament? How old is Dad? Is he a family Pet? Can I talk to his owners? Where are the puppies kept while they are nursing? How are they socialized? What kind of vet care do they receive? What kind of testing has been done or will be done? Do you have kids? Do they socialize with the puppies? What about Parvo? Who is your veterinarian? And K answered every single question I had. She was patient with me and forthcoming. She never once acted irritated or evasive.
So I made arrangements to adopt. K was awesome through the whole process. She provided videos and photos every week. She asked me which puppy I thought would be the one I wanted after each set of pictures. And when the time came to select one, I just KNEW! (and wouldn’t you know, it wasn’t the one that I thought at first).
Dumplin at 4 weeks!
During the adoption wait we also lost our beloved Oreo. He was our first rescue pup and was with us for over 8 years. It was one of the hardest days I have ever experienced and the sadness and grief was overwhelming. I lost not one, but two precious fur-babies in exactly one month. While I had been feeling a little guilt about adding a new puppy to the household and even more so about not choosing a rescue pup, I believe now that it all happened for a reason. I believe that God was preparing us so that he could bring Oreo home.
Gotcha Day rolled around on May 7, 2020. Sarah and I set out on the ride to go pick up our new baby! He was PERFECT! 8 pounds of fluff all smelling of sweet puppy breath. It was like he knew immediately that we were his family. And so the Adventure begins…..
Ms. Amy- You are doing fantastic telling me about you. I have ADHD and I’m menopausal but you have definitely captured me and that is sometimes hopeless. God Bless!
Awww, Thank you for that!