Howdy Y’all,
I am sitting in the peace and quiet of the French countryside and all I can hear are the birds. This morning due to the kindness of family entertaining Little L, I actually got time to look at my phone with no disruptions. On my timeline (Facebook) I noticed it is a year today that our beloved Gertie arrived and joined the Lifestyle family. My first reaction was guilt she is enjoying a break at her holiday camp while we are in Europe. Fear not we will celebrate on our return.
I have been lucky enough to grow up with dogs in my life but had not owned one. Mr L and my transient lifestyle had made the commitment of a dog more difficult although it was always in the plan to get one. If you have been following for a while you will know that the arrival of a second child has been a challenge for Mr L and I, our infertility journey is too difficult to talk about and I even hate typing the words. As the reality of another child seemed to become less and less likely and we have made Texas our home we realized now was the time to bite the bullet, our second baby would come in the form of an apricot six pound bundle of fur. I must confess I was not expecting to get a puppy quite so quickly but much like our life we were not ones to be sedate and within weeks we had our beloved Gertie.
Why a Goldendoodle?
Gertie is a F1B mini/moyen Goldendoodle. Now let me speak English. This means to the best of my knowledge she is as close to an hypoallergenic dog you can get. Her mother is a goldendoodle and her father is a poodle. They are bred not to shed, excuse the rhyme. I must confess that this enticed me, as someone who verges on the house proud side and with close friends with allergies this breed appealed. I can honestly say she never sheds. I do not see dog hair anywhere, I promise. I also grew up with Labradors and Golden Retrievers and loved their temperament with children. I didn’t really want a dog as big as a retriever or Labrador and so the mini/moyen size seemed ideal. Gertie is closer to the moyen side as she is 45lbs but much slighter and lighter than a full grown lab or retriever.
Where did we buy from?
Goldendoodle’s like many doodles seem to be very “in vogue”. They are a relatively new breed only started in the nineties so I wanted to find an established breeder with an excellent track record. I did lots and I mean lots of research into the breed and breeders. This is an emotional and expensive investment that I needed to get right. I also asked people where they got their dogs from and would contact people on social media to ask where they bought their dog from. I came up with a list of three or four established breeders and then contacted to see how long the wait would be. Some of the friendliest and child friendly GD came from The Four Paw Dood ranch in Kansas, now expanded to Dallas. I contacted them and the wait was not too long, they sent me a few options and let me tell you choosing out of a selection of pups is beyond hard, they are all unbelievably cute and you want to take them all! We decided on this cutie simply because she has the most retriever style head and this became Gertie!!! So I flew up to Kansas collected her and flew her back down in the cabin. Trust me a puppy on a flight is a total hit.
Why Gertie?
Gertrude was my granny’s name, she hated it, so went by Mary, a name which we gave my daughter. My family used to tease me that my daughter should be called Gertrude. I couldn’t do it to her but I did think it would make a super sweet name for a dog and so Gertie the Goldendoodle was born. I have not regretted it yet, actually I think it would be a cute girls name now. Sarah is her middle name, which Little L gave her.
Who is Gertie?
When I collected Gertie from the airport in Kansas the breeder explained to me if you have children let them feed, care, and gently manhandle the dog (tongue in cheek.) The most important thing was that Little L and Gertie became firm friends and they have become just that. The love between them is wonderful. Gertie is the sweetest and sassiest dog I know. She is stubborn and anxious, kind and loving. She is overly friendly and fun. She has a passion for eating and throwing up my underwear, I have no idea where she finds them but I have had to purchase many new undies this year. She loves soft toys, Cinderella, Anna, Elsa and Princess Celestia are her favs. She adores barking at our pool floaties and sleeping on my cream sofa. Playing with Little L is her fav activity.
Gertie and Me
Having Gertie has been a little like having a newborn although I am not as sleep deprived. She loves attention and loves love. I have to say that the bond we have has surprised me. I love her and she loves me, so much so it is only my underpants and shoes she likes to eat and I think that is because of my smell. She sleeps every night under my side of the bed and always wants to join me in the car or shower! Gertie has saved me, she has filled my heart and I dote on her. She has helped mend me in ways I am not ready to share on here. She is always happy to see us and has genuinely enhanced our family and is beyond a welcomed addition.
If you have any questions about getting a goldendoodle please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Have a great week.
Ta Ta for now,
Kx
