First, why a Sheepadoodle? A Sheepadoodle is a cross between two of my very favorite breeds, a Poodle, and an Old English Sheepdog. I met my first Old English Sheepdog when my good friend (who breeds stunning Golden Retrievers), said she had always loved Old English Sheepdogs and was thrilled to tell me she had just gotten one! Blueberry was wonderful! Laid back and gentle with the kids, well mannered, soft to the touch, she didn't shed, and in short, I was very jealous! At the time I had my first Standard Poodle, Oreo, and I LOVED him! But Blueberry had an almost dopey, "pooh bear", not much between the ears besides stuffing quality that I just adored. Oreo was really smart, but Blueberry was a big teddy bear, and I loved her for it. I determined to not let jealousy ruin my friendship, and to keep my eye out for the perfect Old English Sheepdog to add to our family. 

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A few months later my friend called and said that while she loved Blueberry, the rest of her dogs were not getting along with Blueberry very well. Blueberry is so docile she was having a hard time establishing her place in my friend's pack. My friend was so sad, but I was trying to contain my excitement! Almost before she asked if I'd like Blueberry I said I would and I started getting ready for her to come home! 

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With two perfect dogs, Oreo and Blueberry, it was hard to imagine being any happier! But... what if they had puppies?? What if Oreo brought a bit of smarts, and Blueberry brought a bit of teddy bear, and they had smart little teddy bear puppies?!?! When I discovered Sheepadoodles were I thing I knew we had to have some! And when I watched our first litter of puppies get their vet check, and my vet commented on what wonderful personalities they had, I knew Sheepadoodles were going to be a big part of our lives. 

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Secondly, what are my views on breeding?  I didn't come from a farming, or agricultural background. So breeding, and what is best for my breeding dogs is relatively new to me. But I think sometimes knowing what you don't know is best! I have in close contact with my friends who breed top quality dogs, I ruined every social get together with questions about the best breeding practices, and I pestered my reproductive vet, bribing him with baked goods, to stay with me just a little longer and answer a couple more questions. 

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Over the course of a few litters of puppies I learned a lot! I learned that Blueberry sometimes gets lonely when she is in labor and likes her belly rubbed. I learned that I need to let mother nature do her thing. I wait for Blueberry's body to tell me when she is ready to have another litter. I watch puppies and mama bond, and every time I'm amazed at how amazing it all is! Both Blueberry and Oreo have undergone genetic testing to ensure they don't pass down any ailments that we can test for! I work closely with my veterinarian to custom create deworming and vaccination schedules that are ideal for our dogs in our particular situation. All of our puppies are checked by our vet when they are between seven and eight weeks of age. Our vet checks for hernias, overbites/underbites, and soft spots! So when you pick up your puppy you can know that he/she is healthy! I have my Vet's personal number just in case anything should go wrong in the middle of the night with mama or puppies! In short, after I genetically test my dogs I become a careful observer. Watching for cues from them on what should come next. Whether that's when to breed or catering to a mama's particular appetite after puppies are born. 

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Lastly, what does daily life look like? First, daily life is always changing! Remember what I said about being a careful observer? The reason for watching so carefully is so that I can follow my dog's cues on what they need and want. And depending on if they have just whelped, or just sent their puppies home those needs and wants change quite a bit. In between litters our dogs have access to indoor and outdoors at their leisure. We set it up that way because we live in the middle of nowhere and sometimes our trips to town take all day. We wanted to make sure that no one was doing the wee wee dance when we got home! 

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When our mamas are ready to breed, Oreo usually lets me know. Oreo is really an expert and never needs my help at this point. ;-) When our mama's are expecting puppies we keep a close eye on them, but usually we just catch them taking extra naps. When they get close to delivery I move them to a special area in our attached garage. It's quiet and temperature controlled, and most importantly my toddler can't bother them! Mama dogs like a spot that feels a little bit like a cave when they give birth. What I do to make them totally comfortable changes a little bit with each litter (I'm always learning!) but in general, when I find myself sneaking away from the noise of the household to "go check on mama" and relax with her for a few stolen moments I know I've nailed it!

 

Finally the puppies arrive! When Blueberry had her first litter I let my inner midwife come out! I cleaned every puppy, I gave endless belly rubs and reassurance. Blueberry was very tolerant - I said she is a teddy bear! But in subsequent litters I've realized that most mamas like to whelp alone. How do I know? They have their puppies in half the time when I leave them alone! This has not set well with my not so inner control freak! I sneak out frequently, I peak on the camera, but nearly every-time the mama sees me hovering she stops caring for her pups and looks at me as if to say "do you need something?". Sigh, no I don't. I just wanted you to need me! It truly is amazing to watch mama birth a puppy, and lick them clean and keep them warm! It's magical! 

 

In the days following the birth I watch mama and puppies carefully. The kids all want to hold a puppy or two! We change the pad in mamas area frequently, take mama outside for little walks (if she is willing to leave the puppies for a minute), and we give mama lots of food and water! Sometimes we even give mama some goats milk to help her make milk for her babies, or appropriate scraps from our dinner! The first three weeks of the puppies life is largely all their mama's domain. Puppies are born deaf and blind and they rely on their mama for everything! She helps them nurse, she keeps them warm, and she licks them to stimulate them to relieve themselves! She is a busy busy mama! 

 

Once the puppies reach three weeks old their eyes are open, they're starting to toddle around, and Mama is more tolerant of us being with her and her puppies. Again, this is where careful observation comes in. We watch closely and when we see that the puppies are ready we start introducing the concept of a potty area and a sleeping area. We slowly introduce mushy food, and most importantly we introduce them to playing with us for longer chunks of time. By the time your puppy reaches eight weeks old they will have likely been through all sorts of different experiences from riding a bike with the kids, to playing on grass and rock, and even some early crate training! 

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And finally, it's time for your puppies vet check and then for them to go home with you! All of the early exposure to kids, adults, the noises of a household, and playing in different environments has set your puppy up to be ready to transition to life in your home. He or she will probably be lonesome for their litter mates in the first few days they're with you, but they quickly realize they like being the apple of your eye and they settle right in and establish a life long place in your heart. When this happens don't forget to send us updates! We loved your puppy, and still love your pup's parents! 

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I really hope the above gives you a sense for who we are and how we care for our dogs and puppies! If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to reach out to us! I can't wait to get to know you! 

 

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