Doodle Doings

As summer was ending I did something I had never done before……whelped two litters within a month of each other!

I plan the litters at Westwood so that I never have more than two ‘on the ground’, as we say, at the same time.  Puppies are an INCREDIBLE amount of work, and I would not have the time for them, or for the investment in time that I make communicating with the families that are getting ready for their arrival.  So I have had two litters here at once before, but one litter was always within a week or so of going to new homes when the other arrived.  So all of August was spent preparing for Sloopy’s litter  to arrive at the end of August, and Daisy’s to arrive at the end of September.

In addition, it became clear as summer was coming to an end that my older son was not going to lottery in to a different middle school. The school he was at last year was a disaster, with daily fights involving tables, as well as fists, being thrown, as well as a required police presence.  We knew he could not go back there, and when he did not lottery in to a different school I had to begin plans to home school him.  I already knew I would continue to home school my younger son, but planning for schooling for two very different kids, in different grades and with very different needs, was a daunting task.

Sloopy’s puppies were born on 8/27, a litter of 5 mini Double Doodles with Beau as the father. This was Sloopy’s first litter, and it was greatly anticipated.  She did a great job!  One of the puppies was a phantom (a dark puppy with tan markings like a Doberman)

Sloopy's mini North American Retriever litter included a phantom puppy!

The puppies were a delight, and the phantom puppy ended up being the one chosen to be trained for service by WAGS4KIDS.  This was the third puppy I donated to WAGS4KIDS.  Wendy, the director of that organization, is always a joy to work with.  Her program places the puppies in the Marion Correctional Institution for training, a win-win situation for everyone.  Here is ‘Petey’ before he left for prison!

Getting ready to leave for service training by WAGS4KIDS!