Hi Tasha-  Hope you and your family are well and a good holiday season.  We had a great Christmas and now I'm ready for spring- or to go somewhere that feels like spring.  I'm attaching some Christmas pictures of Gus.  He's the only member of our family to get a snuggie for Christmas and as you can see he enjoyed wearing it while reading Twilight.

I'm writing to you with doodle questions.  Everyone in our family agrees that Gus is the best dog ever but I have begun to wonder if he might need a friend, which of course leads me to think of a second doodle.  I haven't quite convinced my husband yet, but I'm close. I know 3 families that had 1 perfect dog and wanted a 2nd dog but didn't have a good result. I want to be sure a 2nd dog will be a good addition to our family, not a mistake.  I really appreciate any advice you can give me!  Sincerely,
~ Carlson Family ~

Hi Tasha, Just wanted to let you know that as of July 1st, 2009, Bailey has been certified as a Therapy dog and has been busy visiting hospitals and assisted living facilities. We are so proud of her. 
~ Griffith Family ~
 

Dear Tasha, Your gift to us, Sully, is in my opinion, the greatest pet ever, of any specie. A lively, smart, quiet (nearly silent), cooperative, non- shedding-smelling-chewing-messy friend. And almost impossibly sweet and affectionate to people and other dogs. Always the cynosure of all eyes, Sully is the defacto non-aggressive leader/sparkplug of his little neighborhood pack - five good dogs now, big and little. His "sister" Daffy, the speckled cock-a-poo, is very protective of him and jealous of his attention. She is the smaller, but really the alpha dog. Daffy disciplines the 100 lbs. neighborhood Labs - but not Sully. She just adores him. Actually, he sometimes "herds" her away from puppies, etc. Protects them. It is astounding to see.

He can (and often does, by the way) leap on top of things fully 5 ft. high. And fast! As fast as the big dogs, but oh so much ore maneuverable. They can never catch him. Anyway, everybody always wants Sully. All the time. Again, Thank you m'am.
~ Bellamy Family ~

Sully, today (now at full size I am sure) weighs 25.4 lbs. He is very lean, runs (sprints) about 2 hours a day, couple of times a week twice that on the beach.
At his velocity, I'd make that well over 50 miles every day!
~ Bellamy Family ~

Walker is about 30 lbs.  He is so wonderful.  So mellow and people loving that our friends fight over him when we head out of town.
Hope all is well with you and your family.
~ Keefe Family ~

Mac has filled out and is now 39 lbs.
~ Minnery Family ~

Hi Tasha, Finn weighs 26 pounds.  He is 26 pounds of pure joy!!!!
~ Martin Family ~

Hi Tasha!  Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you - I meant to respond to this e-mail and then it got lost in my inbox and I just found it again.  Please feel free to pass along our address to other families.  We absolutely love Payton - she is the best dog!  :)  Our neighbor actually just recently got a labradoodle puppy too because she thinks Payton is such a great dog... so the two of them just play non-stop.  Hope all is well with you and your family.
~ Heys Family ~

Hi (Copper's Family) & Tasha, The good news is that Walker hasn't chewed in so long that I'm surprised to hear him referred to as a chewer.  I forgot it even happened.  I think that I provided him with many chew toys and replaced anything he was chewing on with a toy.  After the initial teething he just stopped.  Although he still loves the chew toys to entertain himself with.  Generally, the only time that he can be destructive is when we are gone.  He's such a people lover that he gets anxious and starts chewing on the carpet at the window he can see out of.  So, now we put him in a wire crate when we leave and, frankly, he feels safe in there.

By the way, Tasha, we bought a little apartment in Chicago and Walker is adjusting nicely to being a weekend city dog and making lots of doggie friends. Sorry I don't have any input on anti-chewing sprays.  The best of luck with Copper.
~ Keefe Family ~

Tasha, How exciting for all of you. Your move sounds like a real adventure and we wish you the best of luck with all of it.
 
Bailey has been going to an Agility Conditioning course (at the same training facility where she took her Basic Obedience) and she is having a great time-loves the tunnel, hurdles, tire, but is still not sure about the weave poles. We don not plan to have her enter Agility, but it is great fun and only reinforces her response to our commands. Our long term goal is still Therapy Dog, and we will get her Canine Good Citizen test this fall. She is still the BEST DOG in the world. Because of our positive experience with Bailey our children have got puppies of their own-an Old English Sheepdog in Milwaukee and a Golden Retreiver in Naperville. Bailey loves "mothering" them as she is so mature (ha-ha) but their size is beginning to show her who is boss.
 
No matter what you decide about breeding, know that Bailey is the best dog we have ever had, and we are so grateful to have found you for our breeder. 
~ Griffith Family ~

Dear Tasha, Congratulations!!  Probably not an easy decision, but it sounds like a great place to raise those boys of yours!  Miller is doing really well, he brings a lot of laughter and joy into our house. Rebecca and Jason are like second parents to him.  I can come home on any day and discover he is missing!  They sure are excited about their puppy.  Good luck on the sale of your home...talk to you soon   
~ Doty Family ~

Tasha, Good to hear from you and I wish you the best with your move. Mac is doing great and is enjoying the summer months in Seattle.  Take care,
~Minnery Family ~

Dear Tasha, We are so sorry that Bella will not be a Mom. It has been a tough spring for you. Thank you for the note about Bailey. She is a great poster dog for miniature labradoodles, and of course being THE BEST DOG IN THE WORLD doesn't hurt either.
 
We are starting an obedience class on Monday. We have not taken her as she has been working for us with hand signals, but she now needs to work with other dogs and distractions. She will start in Basic, but just like the kids in school, she will be moved up if she needs an Intermediate class. Our goal is to use her as a Therapy dog, if she can pass the test!!! She is such a happy dog that we think she would be a welcome sight in hospitals and nursing homes. The hardest part would be keeping her off beds-she loves to hop up and wake our granddaughters up with kisses.
 
Take care. Hope Joy is being as good a mom as ever. We still view your website frequently. 
~ Griffith Family ~

Hey Tasha, Congratulations on the new puppies (litter 3).  They are beautiful little girls.  Glad that all went well.  I am sorry for the fact that you will have disappointed people that were ready to love a puppy. Tell everyone that I said the wait will be worth it!!!  Life is going well here at the Doty household.  Miller is great and we love him a lot!  I think the feeling is mutual too!  Becca and Jason have been kidnapping him on a regular basis.  He never has to spend any length of time on his own!  Hope that will continue when they have their own.  They say that it will, they want Miller and ? to be best buddies.  Just wanted to send you my best, will keep an eye on the website to watch them grow. Talk soon....
~ Doty Family ~

Hey Tasha, Thanks so much for the birthday wishes.  We had a great day filled with new bones and toys!!  Miller has been a true joy to have around the house.  He is super well behaved, we get compliments on how cute and well behaved he is all the time.  I am sending you one year pictures with a new haircut.  He is about 16 inches tall at the shoulder and 25 pounds.  We have been enjoying watching your website and seeing the new litter as they grow.  They are all adorable too.  Joy must be pregnant again by now.  Hope all is going well with her.  Looking forward to the weather getting a little better so we can get out.  Looking forward to seeing all the siblings on your website!  Talk to you soon.
~ Doty Family ~

Hi Tasha, Saturday we celebrated Bailey's first birthday with our 5 granddaughters in Naperville. As you will see from the photos, she was excited to go, happy to be there, and tired when it was over. It will probably take her a week to rest up from all the play 5 girls can give a dog. She's doing super, weighs around 19 pounds now, is 16 inches high at the shoulders, and is the happiest and friendliest dog around. She is a little tired of all the snow we have in Huntley and is looking forward to summer.
~ Griffith Family ~

Hey Tasha,  This is a much delayed note, with pics of Miller at 9 mos.  He is 23 lbs and doing really well.  Tom and I are having a lot of fun with him.  It has been a lot of fun watching your website with the new litter and reading all the notes from your new families.  Its hard to believe it has been almost a year since our pups were born.  Hope your family {dogs too} are doing well, and can't wait to hear when Bella is ready to be a mom too.   Happy New Year!!    
~ Doty Family ~

Hi Tasha, Hope things are going well with you and your family.  We are gearing up for Thanksgiving and a full house.

Walker is doing great.  I think he weighs about 28 lbs. now and graduated his dog training class back in October.  He got 95% on his Canine Good Citizen test, his only fault being the jumping.  He can't contain his excitement when he sees you.  Walker has let up on chewing and is a very well behaved dog in the house.  We haven't used a crate since he was 7 months old or so.  He sleeps on the floor near our bed or in Isabel's bed and when we leave he's free to roam since he's proven himself trustworthy.

We are going on 2 long trips this year and our friends and family have happily offered to take Walker.  They all want dogs after spending time with him.  But since they all have hectic travel schedules we have worked out a sharing program when we are gone so they get their fix and Walker never has to stay in a kennel.  If you are ever in the Lake Geneva area, please feel free to stop by.  We'd love to re-introduce you to everybody's favorite dog.
~ Keefe Family ~

Tasha   Hey how are you?  I have been keeping track of your new litter and they are all so pretty.  I fell in love with black boy [again! Black Boy #2 is Winston from Joy's second litter] right away.  I am so happy you found a home for him because I have been driving Tom crazy with wanting to bring him home!!  Miller is doing really well.  He just went through a little virus and had diarrhea for a few days so we did the hamburger and rice diet.  He is fine now.  We are feeding him Innova Evo dog food and he has done very well on that.  I promise to send you 9 month pictures the next time Becca is here to help me!  He is 15 in at the shoulder and 21 lbs.

Anxious to see and hear about the rest of the litter some day soon. Good luck with getting all the new pups settled in their homes.  The pictures will follow soon.  Talk to you soon.
~ Doty Family ~

Well, Wegman's Weimaraners have nothing on Tasha's Doodles!!!!!! The pictures of the puppies are wonderful. You could create a calendar or a book with them. Idea-next summer have a Doodle Day with all of your Chicagoland doodles and have your friend take pictures. I am sure every owner would love the pictures and would certainly pay for her time and pictures.
 
Hope all is going well with the puppies. We alwys check your site as the puppies are so cute, although we have the cutest and best dog in the world. 
Bailey sends love and licks.
~ Griffith Family ~

Hi Tasha! Once again, your puppies are beautiful!  Congratulations.  Thought I'd let you know that Finn is 16" at the shoulder and weighs 23 pounds.  I did switch him to Kirkland puppy (yellow bag) food after I read about your problems - he loves it and he has no health issues. I'm sure you could tell by the pictures that I had him groomed and they gave him a huge haircut - he had gotten mats even though I thought I was brushing him fine. (I was a little too gentle because he didn't like it).  We all really were sorry to see his dark hair gone and were a little shocked (and disappointed) at how much they cut him - but now his hair is growing in and he looks cute again!  I really recommend the dog brush from Les Poochs - it goes right through all mats without pulling hard and makes brushing so much easier.  It is expensive but really worth it.  Part of the problem is that the hair on their legs is so thin - when I first brushed him hard a few months ago I actually made one of his legs a little raw and felt terrible (using a different brush).  With the Les Poochs brush you don't have to use much pressure.  Anyway, just sharing my grooming experience.  I'll send a picture soon - my best to your family! 
~ Martin Family ~

I’ll be breeding A Cappella next week as she is in heat now. Her PennHIP came back at 100th% and she's OFA EXCELLENT......just like her mama. My Vet said she had the best hips of any dogs he’s ever seen. YEP…..just like her mama!
~ Teresa of Tuscan Ridge Labradoodles, owner of A Cappella out of Joy's 1st litter (sired by Tuscan Ridge's Maestro)

Hey Tasha, Thanks so much for the birthday wishes.  We had a great day filled with new bones and toys!!  Miller has been a true joy to have around the house.  He is super well behaved, we get compliments on how cute and well behaved he is all the time.  I am sending you one year pictures with a new haircut.  He is about 16 inches tall at the shoulder and 25 pounds. 

We have been enjoying watching your website and seeing the new litter as they grow.  They are all adorable too.  Joy must be pregnant again by now.  Hope all is going well with her.  Looking forward to the weather getting a little better so we can get out.  Looking forward to seeing all the siblings!    
~ Doty Family ~

Hi Tasha, Saturday we celebrated Bailey's first birthday with our 5 granddaughters in Naperville. As you will see from the photos, she was excited to go, happy to be there, and tired when it was over. It will probably take her a week to rest up from all the play 5 girls can give a dog.
 
She's doing super, weighs around 19 pounds now, is 16 inches high at the shoulders, and is the happiest and friendliest dog around. She is a little tired of all the snow and is looking forward to summer.      
~ Griffith Family ~

Hey Tasha,  This is a much delayed note, with pics of Miller at 9 mos.  He is 23 lbs and doing really well.  Tom and I are having a lot of fun with him.  It has been a lot of fun watching your website with the new litter and reading all the notes from your new families.  Its hard to believe it has been almost a year since our pups were born.  Hope your family {dogs too} are doing well.   Happy New Year!!
~ Doty Family ~

Walker (9 months) is doing great.  He weighs 28 lbs. now and graduated his dog training class at 8 months.  He got 95% on his Canine Good Citizen test, his only fault being the jumping.  He can't contain his excitement when he sees you.  Walker has let up on chewing and is a very well behaved dog in the house.  We haven't used a crate since he was 7 months old or so.  He sleeps on the floor near our bed or our daughter's bed and when we leave he's free to roam since he's proven himself trustworthy.

We are going on 2 long trips this year and our friends and family have happily offered to take Walker.  They all want dogs after spending time with him.  Since they all have hectic travel schedules we have worked out a sharing program when we are gone so they get their fix and Walker never has to stay in a kennel.  If you are ever in the Lake Geneva area, please feel free to stop by.  We'd love to re-introduce you to everybody's favorite dog.
~ Keefe Family ~

Hey Tasha!  This is a much delayed note to thank you for all the great pictures from our visit!  They are all really nice pictures.  We had a really nice time coming to see you and Bella is a beautiful girl. 

Miller (6 months) has recently had his first haircut.  The body is a tad short for me but you can see his curls more now.  Miller is doing really well...sleeping in our bed now and very rarely in his crate even when we are gone.  He is very trustworthy, has never had an accident or chewed anything.  I should knock on wood when I say that!  He really is super well behaved, we can take him anywhere, "settle" is the best thing we learned in obedience school.
~ Doty Family ~

Hi Tasha!  I wanted to e-mail you to let you know that Payton (6 months) is doing great and has been such a joy to have around.  She now sleeps on our bed with us, and sleeps in until whenever we are ready to get up and take her outside.  We have taken her with us on several weekend trips up north with friends, and she always does great in the car.  Our friends will bring their dogs along as well, and Payton has the time of her life running around and playing all weekend.   

Thanks again for all the updates.....it's so fun to see what all Payton's sisters and brothers have been up to!  I attached a couple of pictures for your website as well.  Take care, and feel free to visit any time! 
~ Spence Family ~

Tasha, We hope your summer is going well. Ours is great and what fun to watch a puppy grow up chasing butterflies and loving long walks to enjoy the nice weather (until the past week when it is toooo humid for us). Bailey (6 months) far surpasses any expectations we had. Even a neighbor that has taught obedience said she has never seen such a well trained dog at 5 months! I know it is a combination of Nature and Nurture, but it also proves to us that research and choosing the right breeder pays off. That old adage, "you get what you pay for" also sure rings true.

Also wanted to let you know how much we like the dog food, Boomerang tag, Mink Sheen and Nature's Miracle. We have recommended them as well as you to everybody we talk dog to. No one that owns or has owned a dog has been as well informed or prepared as we have been through your efforts all along the way.

We are going to be in Naperville next week. If you would like, and have a few spare minutes, we would love to show you the BEST DOG IN THE WHOLE WORLD, aka Bailey Griffith.
~ Griffith Family ~

Tasha-  Gus is a wonderful puppy! Everyone loves him and we can't walk around the block without someone telling us how cute he is.  He is still very laid back and likes everyone he meets- animals and people.  He loved walking to school to pick up our daughter, it always meant being surrounded by adoring children!  There are 3 puppies in our neighborhood and he is so excited when he sees them, it's so fun to watch them play.  He is quite the cuddly lap dog and now sleeps with my husband and me.

We have not completely worked out the housebreaking yet.  My husband says he will be the PERFECT pet when the housebreaking issue is resolved- WOW!  We keep him with us or gated in the kitchen and he rarely has an accident. He's is very good about going to the bathroom when we take him out
and knows our words for poo and pee but he hasn't figured out how to tell us he needs to go out. I hung bells in the kitchen and when I take him out we go to the bells, I ring them and say "outside", but he won't ring them yet. I've also tried to get him to bark but he's not a barking dog so I haven't been able to teach him speak and then work on connecting speaking with going out.  We are starting a puppy obedience class next week and hope to get some more ideas there.

I am sending pictures of another of his adventures though-- he is now a seafaring pup.  He's been out with us on our boat twice and seems to have taken to boating very well.  I will send more pictures of Gus and his adventures (camping is planned for the summer) as he grows and look forward to seeing how his siblings are growing, too!
~ Carlson Family ~

Hi Tasha. Well, Sully & siblings will be 16 weeks old tomorrow. "The Red Menace" continues to charm (or steal) the socks off everybody. Now apparently completely house-trained. Does very well on the leash.  Responds to "sit" perfectly. "Come" and "down" are about 75% now.

Only real problem with Sully is the nipping - playfully - but you know how sharp their little teeth are. And it scares the little children.  Of course, the more they squeal, the more he harasses them.  The "Act like a Tree" technique works pretty well, but it's hard to get a 4 year-old to do it. OUCH! hasn't worked.  Ignoring him sort-of works, sometimes - but he is persistent. I have lately started thumping him in the nose. He is defiant. Barks and stands up on his hind legs and bats away at me like a bear.  Frankly, it is so doggone cute that I can't help but laugh - so now he thinks that's a game. One of my small dog breeder friends says she cries when her little dogs nip her, and that it only takes a couple of times for them to stop biting.  Hmm ... somehow, the picture of a 240 lb, 60 year-old, scarred-knuckled, ornery old man whimpering over a tiny puppy nipping him is... well, it's hard for me to gin that one up. He is especially bad to bite feet. This is a barefoot place, too.  Eventually, somebody is going to drop kick his scrawny little red butt across the room.

Tasha, little red Sully is the #1 winner of cute dogs.  He is also the dearest little friend. My best wishes to your family. 
~ Bellamy Family ~