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In March of '09 our lives changed. After loosing both of our Cocker Spaniels almost 2 years prior, we now have another 4 legger in our life. We were devastated by the loss of our companions after 13+ years. It took us quite a while to decide to bring another one into our lives. But we did. So on March 18th (our 20th wedding anniversay) we drove to Las Vegas to meet our new companion.....Bosun.
Bosun @ 8 weeks
Born Jan 19th, 2009
Bosun is an English Golden Doodle. That's a cross between an English Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. He came from a breeder near Toledo, Ohio, Del-Frunessa's Golden Doodles. The pictures above were the ones we fell in love with from the breeder's website. They have pictures of siblings of Bosun's all grown up and they were exactly what we were looking for. Their puppies are in high demand and usually already spoken for long before the litter is even born. We decided to put a deposit on a puppy from a future litter. Then I got a call that they had an 8 week old puppy that was ready to go and the new puppy's owner had decided that they could not pick him up for 3-4 weeks. Shawna told us that that was just too long for the puppy to wait to be with his new family. The puppy needs to bond with it's new family and that if we wanted this guy we could get him and the other owner would be given a puppy from another litter. We thought about it....for about 10 minutes...and said, "let's do it!" Bosun "hopped a flight" on United Airlines three days later and met us in Las Vegas.
Bosun Arrives!!
March 18th, 2009
He appeared to have tolerated the flight from Ohio great. He was just hanging out in the carrier watching everything and everyone. Just outside the Airline's Freight Buiding, we found an area to get our new buddy out of his crate. Time to meet "Mom and Dad" for the first time!
We came prepared with some new toys..of which the "WUBA" was the favorite.
After playing for a while and spending time just hanging out it was time to hit the road to Bosun's new home, Lake Havasu City, Az.....175 miles away.
We got off the interstate somewhere in the middle of the dessert for a "pit stop"....we're not in Ohio anymore, Bosun!..Where's the grass?? He's a pretty happy guy for having traveled 2000 miles and leaving his mamma just this morning.
Day 4
8 weeks, 5 days
So...why did we choose the name Bosun? Well, a Bosun is an officer on a ship in charge of all activities on the deck. Yes, we intend for Bosun to have some sea-going experiences. He will accompany us on our sailboat and we took him down there to get his first look at it.
This June (09) we will be taking a 2 week long trip on the sailboat through the San Juan Island and Canadian Gulf Islands. Bosun is going with us. So our job between now and then is to get him ready. We are working on socialzing him every day and he's doing great.
of course...he has to learn some things the hard way.....like watch where you are walking when you are on the dock...and don't trip over your own feet....or else this happens!
The Bad News....KERPLUNK! The Good News....The Golden Retriever in him kicked right in! He bobbed right up and started swimming. With a little help from Dad he was back up on the dock in about 3 seconds no worse for wear!
Lots more sailing and water stuff to come!
Meanwhile....Were growing like Crazy!
Here's how it goes...SLEEP, Eat, Play, Sleep, Play, Sleep, Eat, Sleep, Play etc etc etc!
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
April 6, 2009 - 11 weeks old
Yesterday's vet checkup revealed that Bosun grew by 5lbs over the last two weeks! Yikes! Almost 19lbs! We think he's gonna be a big boy!
Me acting like a dork and Bosun on the "attack"..both of us having fun.
Worked on lanscaping the back yard today. Bosun did his best to "Help". Unfortunately, his lack of opposable thumbs prevented him from getting much done other than to play in the dirt! It's good to be a Doodle!
Roadtrip!
April 11, 2009
11 weeks 5 days old
We had to make a trip up to Prescott, AZ this weekend. It's about 200 miles each way. We figured that this would be a good prep for Bosun to get ready for those longer rides in the truck. So we loaded him up and off we went. He did great in the truck. We stopped every hour and half and let him out for a walk, business, and some play. We came home the back way through Yarnell, AZ and hit snow in the Moutnians. Bosun probably thought he was back in Ohio we he started from!!
As you can see, he keeps us laughing!
Snowcone anyone?
Almost every stop we made at gas stations, fast food places, etc., people stop in their tracks and come over to meet Bosun. He is quite the ham! And it appears that "Doodlepeople" are drawn to each other as well! We met a couple at a roadside stop who were from Albuquerque that came over to meet us 'cause our Goldendoodle looked just like theirs.....and it was true. They produced pictures that could have easily mistaken for Bosun. We are learning that one thing we may have to do when traveling with Bosun is to allow extra time in the schedule for Bosun's Fan Club!
April 12th
11 weeks 6 days
Bosun continues to be the most social dog I've ever had. He likes nothing better than to come sit in your lap and hang out. Not sure how much longer that's gonna last! He's almost too big to do it anymore. Half the time it takes him three tries to get situated without sliding off onto the floor. Now don't get me wrong..he's no couch potatoe. No. Not at all. But at this puppy stage he is either "on the gas full throttle" or Mr. Mellow. Once he's "on the gas" he's only interested in playing, playing, playing. Then like a lightswitch he's done and back to Mr. Mellow.
Teeth are our big challenge right now. Boy have those puppy teeth gotten sharp! And yes, he likes to chew fingers, arms, legs, toes, ...whatever. Constant re-direction to chew toys, rawhides, etc. helps.
So far he has not chewed anything he shouldn't, but we are on constant watch. It'll be great when we get through this teething phase, but on the other hand, having the "puppy" around is pretty cool too. No matter....we can't stop him from growing so we just keep working with him to keep him growing up into the dog we've always wanted.
Trip to the Beach!
4-17-09
12 weeks 4 days
Today we made the first trip to the beach with Bosun. I was anxious to see how he reacted to the water. The water is still pretty cool, but warm enough for me to wade in, so we thought "let's see what he does". He was a bit more tentative then I thought, but after a little pussyfooting around, he'd wade in to get his stick and then pranced around as if he just rescued someone in distress. hahaha
We let him take it at his own pace. He'll be spending a lot of time around the water and we figure he should just ease into it at his own pace...a little different then how he found out about water a couple of weeks ago at the dock!
We eventually got to where Bosun would wade out till he was almost swimming. Good enough for the first day. The sun was getting low and the temp dropping, so, time to dry off and call it a day.
Of course, now we have a wet dog...with lake water. No problem, a bath was already on the schedule for this evening. This guy is the best bath taker we've ever had. It's just no big deal to him. Makes it really easy!
"Coaching Session"
I thought it was funny.....apparently he didn't! hahaha
As usual....."Mom" comes to the rescue!
Clean Doodle!!! Ahhhhhh. That wasn't so bad after all. All we need now is.................
A safe place to fall asleep (while watching "The Dog Whisperer" on tv)!
Dog (Park) Days!!
April 29, 2009
(14 weeks 2 days)
Approx 24lbs
Finally, the long awaited "Dog Park Days" are here. Bosun's vet gave the OK for unlimited access to other dogs, so off to the dog park we went. This was his second trip. We started off in the small dog section (up to 25lbs). He's already right at the limit. Then we moved over to the big dog side. I only got pictures while on the small dog side. He loves romping wiht the other pups and boy does it tire him out. He's still pretty clumsy with his big feet but he has a blast. This is all part of the training for our big upcoming trip. We want Bosun to be used to being around other people and dogs so its no big deal to him.
Getting to the dogpark was a new experience for him too. In my little run-a-round town truck, a little Toyota pickup, there's no room for the crate (which is almost too small for him anyway). So, Bosun get's to ride in the front seat. We're working on getting him to know his spot and ride calmly. Today went real well. As you can see, he likes the breeze to cool him off.
WE like rides in the truck!!!
Some kind of "Ninja Doodle" move on the tennis ball.
Lot's more Doodle Days to come. Next on the schedule is more beach time and getting used to the water. But right now.....it's naptime!
May 1st
Just another "day at the park"
May 6th 2009
15 weeks - 3 days
29lbs
We are continuing to work with Bosun every day. We are sooooo close to calling him 100% housebroken. He'll make it a couple of days without any mistakes....and then he slips up. BUT...were close.
As long as he's not too "wound-up" he will follow the commands "sit", "down", "stay" and "off" when he jumps up on something.
The most common word spoken around around our house is......."NO"! hahaha. He has just started loosing teeth and is chewing like crazy. So far he has not destroyed anything but some of his toys (and that's their purpose), his chewys, and somehow he got the zipper open on his sleeping pad and "remodeled" the foam pad from the inside. We are still trying to figure out how he did that!
He is getting tall now and that is opening up a whole new world to him. he can see on top of the coffee table, couch, bed, and over the window sills. So far so good. He isn't getting on any furniture or the bed and has only "investigated" some items accidentally left on the coffee table.
We are becoming regulars at the local PetsMart. He is quite the celebrity when he's there...and he knows it. He wants to say Hi to everyone. Here, he "allowed" the PetsMart Ladies to hang out with him and have their pictures taken!
He's pretty well behaved in the truck. Here he patiently waits for his driver.....me......to fuel up his truck.......so we can get home from petsmart and play with his new "replacement toys" for the latest casualties from the teething thing.
He loves his mom. 'Jo is a jogger. While Dad takes him for "Walk" everyday...Mom and Bosun go for a "Run" everyday...and he LIKES that!
Another day behind us!.....
We are only just over a month now from departing for a three week on the Road/Water trip. Or another way to say it is, we are probably somewhere around 10lbs from departing (he's gaining 5/lbs every 2 weeks). This should be interesting!
5/19/09
4 months old
30-32lbs
Size Matters??? Heck yeah it does!!! Look at those feet! 30lbs and counting now. Bosun has grown a LOT. He's now tall enough to get up onto things like the bed, couch, chair, counter, people, etc., etc., etc. So a whole new set of rules has had to be learned! "Off" has been the word of this last two weeks. He seems to be getting the idea pretty good...but sometimes things get pretty temtping!!!
Bosun continually cracks us up. As one person put it..."I LOVE YOUR DOG!!! His hair is a W-R-E-C-K!!!!" hahaha. Yep, this is the way he always looks and we love it. Actually in the pictures above he has just had a bath and been brushed....kind of the "wash and wear look"!
His personality has gotten a little more pronounced (stubborn). And yes, he has his moments when we want to throttle him!!! But 99% of the time he's a good boy. One thing we strive not to do?......let him get a hold of a sock. He will put the entire thing in his mouth and it is almost impossible to get it out. Why socks? Who knows? But he LOVES socks and we are afraid he might eat one! His front teeth fell out and we called him Jack, as in Jack-0-Lantern, for about two days. Then, all of the sudden, there were the new ones! I guess next those dang puppy canines will fall out!! Yeah!!!
Forget all those fancy toys!!...this guy is happiest with an empty soda can!
After an active day of being a puppy (and puppy sitting), of course the best thing of all is a nap!
June 1st 2009
40lbs! (And Growing!)
Things have been pretty crazy around here lately as we prepare for our vacation up to the San Juans. But today was all about Bosun. Yes he's a growing boy and today was his first haircut!! I know parents get all googly eyed about their baby's first haircut, and we are no different! Bosun did great and all of the sudden he looks like the "doodles" on the breeders webpage! He even had his own goofey neckerchief for a little while, but we soon got rid of that thing. Meanwhile, he's loosing baby teeth and getting some big chompers in. We are wondering where our "puppy" went!!! But, we continue to love everything about this guy. So far he's everything we could have wanted....(plus about 20lbs for Jo who started out wanting a Yorkie!) hahaha
Every day I am a little more convinced that he might have some Polar Bear DNA mixed in with the Retriever and Poodle!
Stand by for lots of pictures from our trip!
Sailing the San Juan and Candian Gulf Islands!!!!
July 4th
5 and half Months Old
Somewhere around 50lbs
Well, we are back from our vacation. It went great. Over the course of three weeks in June we traveled 3000 miles by truck over 6 days, and spent 14 consecutive days living aboard our boat traveling around 200 miles through the San Juan Islands in Washington and the Canadian Gulf Islands. Folks told us we were crazy to attempt this with a 5 month old puppy on board, but we did. It was one ofthe best decisions we've ever made. He did great! It seems Bosun is content to call home wherever Jo and I are. His trusting demeaner allowed him to totally relax whether we were driving 60 mph down the highway or sailing through rough water in the Haro Striaght. He was awesome. We'll put a complete run down of the trip in the "Our Adventures" section of this site over the next weeks, but for now, here are some pictures and videos of Bosun enjoying vacation with us.
The first three days was a 1500 mile trip towing the boat up to Anacortes, WA where our sailing trip would begin. We spent three days on the road living in our truck camper.
We both were so glad we decided to bring Bosun along. He was fantastic and added so much to our trip. I'll be posting more detailed webpages about our trip in the "Our Adventures" section over the next couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone on the trip that was so accepting about having our pooch along!
Day 14 - crossing the Rosario Straight heading home!
San Francisco, The Redwoods, Brookings, Oregon!!!!
Well, it's been a while since I posted pictures of Bosun. We've had a few more adventures and of course, he went along. Most recent was a road trip we took in our camper up to San Francisco and Oregon to see friends. Bo' made the trip like a pro. He loves to ride in the truck where the back seat is "his world". He gets the whole thing, and these days..he needs it! Yes...he's grown.....a lot! Over 70lbs now at 10 months old! We think he's slowing down/stopping...at least we hope! hahaha....No matter, we love him to death. he makes us laugh EVERY DAY! He has a personality like no other dog I've ever met. When we compare to other dogs we meet of the same age we just keep asking ourselves how we got soooo lucky. What a cool DooD! So, without further delay....Bosun's latest fashion show posted 10/21/09.
Somewhere along the Northern CA coast, HWY 101
Nothing beats a real Redwood stick!
Uh..Your getting kinda big for this!...
I just don't know if 'Jo will ever learn to love him....hehehe
HEY! That flash is bright!
Bosun met our friend Todd's lab "Willie"....yeah, they had fun! The Brookings, Oregon beach may never be the same!
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Uh...Willie?....um...I'm not so sure that's "cool"! hahaha
Our friend Todd on his private beach. WOW!
There's always a price to pay for having fun - THE AFTERMATH! which led to a 45 minute long AFTERBATH!
Our friend Dave gave us a "Dog Friendly" tour of San Fran!
