Jacob Marley=true love

Well, I always new I wanted children but I never knew just how much I wanted a dog until we got one. Jacob Marley is a 9 week old Golden Doodle. We saw one a few years ago driving in Manhatten on a cold winter night. A young woman was walking down the street with this great big, deliriously happy looking, bounding, long haired white dog which I recognized as a Golden Doodle as we'd been doing a little bit of research on hypo-allergenic dogs. The dog was too big to be a puppy but acted just like a puppy. At one point it did a sort of back flip and at that point I think our whole family sort of fell in love with the idea of a Golden Doodle.

We talked about it for a couple years but with allergic children I just never really believed it was possible, just didn't buy the hypo-allergenic thing because even dogs that shed very little still have dander which is what people with allergies are actually allergic to. And I never thought the hassle and responsibility of owning a dog would be something I'd want to bring to my busy life. To make a longish story short, in one of those "you only live once moments" we drove to the UK and bought Jacob Marley. He has not caused even one sneeze in the two weeks we've had him, despite constant touching, nuzzling, and in general ridiculously affectionate behavior toward him. This dog anyway is hypo-allergenic for us and really sheds very little.

Never having had a dog I'm sort of amazed at my feelings of affection for him and just the happiness he has already brought to our family. Watching the bonding process between dog and his people has been really amazing. Even more than that, the way having Jacob has forced me out of my obsessive work routine and for a couple hours each day to just "be there" observing him, playing with him, caring for him, teaching him, and watching him slowly bond to us, has been such a great experience and a change I really needed at this point in my life.

We got a book written by monks who raise German Shepards for tips on house training, obedience training etc.The first paragraph of the book surprised me as I thought it would just be a "how to" book but instead summed up how I've been feeling about this experience. It expresses how the experience of having a dog can enrich a persons life in a deep way and I immediately related to it. Here's the paragraph from the book The Art of Raising a Puppy by the monks of New Skete:

"A puppy's life clearly displays what characterizes the whole of life: the mystery of development. The entire universe, it seems, is in a continuous process of growth that extends from before the first moments of each individual existence to the end of life and beyond. Nothing is excluded from this movement, though our own consciousness of its breadth can be dulled by the chaotic pace of modern living.Too often we take this journey for granted, carelessly letting it pass unacknowleged. With our busy lives we can easily grow insensitive to the basic wonder of life, leaving us spiritually impoverished and unhappy. This is perhaps why animals (particularly our dogs) are so important to us and why we benefit from their companionship: they root us in life."

On a more practical note, crate training for puppies in order to house break them? Please tell me what you think, yes or no? We're on the fence about it though the monks think it's a good idea....

OK, back to craft, fabric and sewing related goodness next post when I'll be promoting my upcoming book with a pattern giveaway...

love,

t

 

Comments

[Lizzy]

his little face is too sweet! I'm sure he'll be a dream pup!

[Kelly]

Definitely crate train! It will make everything infinitely easier!

[Kelly]

Got ahead of myself and hit the post button too soon. He's absolutely adorable!

[Melissa P]

Oh what an adorable dog! So cute. No wonder you're all falling in love.

We've had two Ridgebacks and a Great Dane in our lives. They brought so much and demanded so little. And each of them is unique in character and temperament. We crate trained the last Ridgeback and I highly recommend it. Crate training is a great way, not only to establish boundaries but also, to give your puppy its own personal space where no one intrudes.

I'm looking forward to postings of this adorable puppy as he grows and matures. So happy for you all!

[Cory]

Congrats on the adorable puppy. He is adorable. Crate training is definitely the way to go. It is beneficial for overnight, times when you need to be away, housebreaking, even times when you are visiting with company. You can also take the crate with you if you are going overnight. The biggest benefit is the sense of security the "den" (crate) brings them. Good luck with the training and enjoy him. Take care and God bless, Cory

[Jennifer]

It's incredible and the love is so immense and to watch the children interact and care take..so so happy for you..Dog People are really special people!!! I felt the same way you did and i can't believe how much a part of the family he is!!!! Go Jacob Marley!!!

[Susan Potter]

what an adorably gorgeous dog, have never heard of Golden Doodles before - and Jacob Marley is a fabulous name :)

[Lemon Tree Tami]

What a gorgeous pup! Yes, crate training is definitely the way to go. We have a 1 1/2 yr old cairn terrier that is crate trained. He sleeps in the crate and was house-broken pretty quickly. When we leave him alone in the house for a few hours or so, he is contained in an exercise pen for dogs. (Basically it's a 4-sided open top playpen for dogs.) It really keeps him from getting into trouble and he readily will go into it for a small treat. Plus if your dog is crate trained he'll be much happier when traveling in a car. Think of it as the dog's personal safe cave or den. :-)

[carmen]

A cute pup for sure. We love our dogs. You are right, it is amazing how much affection towards an animal humans can have. Our dogs are our 'other' two children.

[Two Crazy Crafters]

I can certainly see how he could wrap himself around your heart. As a dog lover myself, I can tell you that the companionship of a dog is one you'll cherish the rest of your life. He really is beautiful and looks so precious. Have a nice weekend! Twyla

[Catherine]

What a gorgeous puppy! We got our first dog one year ago (a shih tzu from a rescue organisation) much to our children's delight. I am not a dog lover as such but he has wormed his way into my heart for sure. We put off crate training for toilet training because I just kind of felt bad about it I guess. We finally started doing it a month ago and he was house broken almost immediately. He didn't mind going into his crate overnight one bit! It was all in our head. During the day, if I have to go out, he goes into our home office with a bowl of water and a toy. No more accidents and I am much happier for it! Good luck!

[tee shirt pas cher]

Comme sur votre blog. .

[Ceinture John Richmond]

s on the adorable puppy. He is adorable. Crate training is definitely the way to go. It is beneficial for overnight, times when you need to be away, housebreaking, even times when you are visiting with company. Yo

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