Music in the home

We introduced Tika to the sound of musical instruments quickly during the first few months. Starting out with the guitar, moving on through the banjo and then to the fiddle. I am happy to say that she tolerates all the noise I make and, sometimes, even naps peacefully by my side while I play. Today, however, Tika was a bit impatient and really would have preferred that we go out an play fetch. Halfway through the video you will see her leave the room to the right and return. She will then stare me down with a tennis ball in her mouth - which she soon drops on the floor ("thud") the better to share her thoughts with vocal entreatment.

One Year Old

In January we will celebrate our first anniversary as a family with a dog, since Tika came home at 8 weeks. She turned one year old in November and I can't imagine life without her. Part of everyone's daily routine now.
 On workdays the house wakes up at 5:30 am and by 7:30 am Tika and I are out the door for our one mile, around the block walk. Sunny days, cold days, rainy days... I think we have missed very few of these walks since September although on weekends they occur a bit later.

10 months - how big?

At a recent vet check Tika was just about 29 lbs. She eats 1.5 cups of Solid Gold dog food mixed with assorted goodies at meal times (breakfast, dinner). During the day she often gets treats while playing fetch, or hiking or training.

Off leash hiking

Through the woods in New England. Tika is an excellent companion along these trails. She stays close by and follows our directions with the occasional excursion off trail to chase chipmunks over the many stone walls or, if she's really lucky, some wild turkeys! She has not caught up with any of these fast moving woodlanders yet. A deer crossed out path one day, about 15 yards ahead, and disappeared into the deeper woods very quickly.

I guess I would describe Tika as "trustworthy". She does have her own mind and can't resist the many interesting sniffs to be had, but I can always trust her to return to me. I will keep walking along the path while she wanders, but with a call or whistle (or two calls and two whistles) she comes running through the trees to find me.

She continues to display her agility and her athletic stamina on these hikes. Not often easy, with rocks to climb and streams to cross, Tika keeps up! Sometime a cooling dip in a pond is just the right refreshment.

New learnings, new friends, new fur

Tika grows. Nearly 5 months old now, she weighed in at the vet's office this weekend at 19.2 lbs. She is a mini-goldendoodle, and a fraction of the weight of a standard goldendoodle at this age.

Tika recently completed Basic Puppy Obedience class wherein two of her classmates were full-sized goldendoodles. Nearly three times the size of Tika, they too were very affectionate and playful pups!

Basic Obedience class was a breeze for Tika. We have spent a time with her at home, prior to the class, training to basic commands. When you can get her attention (step 1), Tika will sit, down, stay and come on command. When she wants to go outside - and she always asks when she needs to do so, she sits at the front door. We tell her to sit and wait while we open the door and pass through first. Once outside, we turn to Tika and say OK! - which is when she gets up and passes through the door to the Glorious Front Yard.

Last month, Tika shed a lot! Perhaps this was puppy coat leaving, because the new fur growing one her back is much wavier and, I think, thicker. What kind of coat with she have? My guess is that those are some pretty nice curls coming in on her back.

Light and agile...

Tika likes to climb upon, and walk along narrow pathways.

Sleep, my pup, and peace attend thee...

...all through the night. I remember learning that lullaby in grade school many years ago. Last night, just short of one week in her new home, Tika went to her crate bed at 10:00pm and slept until 5:30am! Our normal workday wake time is 5:30, so this is wonderful.


About toys: everything is a chew toy! We scold with dog-like growl when Tika gets interested in an electric cable or the TV remote, and I try to give approval with "nice chewy" when she takes to something more appropriate. She does like some store bought toys, but she can take great interest in things just around the kitchen. Yogurt containers are very amusing, as is one small cereal bowl.

"We learn by going where we have to go" - Roethke

Housebreaking was a big concern of ours. Having never raised a puppy before we anticipated exhausting diligence lest our new girl do what comes naturally on the family room carpet. We have been diligent and I think I can count only three "accidents" in since she has been home. Our diligence has meant frequent trips outside and, thankfully, the weather this January has been mild in New Hampshire. Thanks to Tika, I can recount the weather situation from 2:30am, if you are interested!

I must say, housebreaking has not been as difficult as I might have anticipated. Yes, we watch her carefully after a meal, or water, or when she wakes up. But paying attention to Tika really is not a chore. She is good company: very social, very playful, very good puppy. We have been reciting our chosen word for "elimination on command" each time she produces during and outdoor visit and I do believe she it getting the hang of it. At least, when I take her out and set her on the ground she will look around a bit and, I like to think, upon hearing The Command once or twice, will sniff the ground and accomplish that which makes us all happy. All good progress.

Tika is waking up less at night and, I think, is developing an expectation to be put in her crate for a night's sleep around 10:00pm. She went in easily last night and would have slept soundly but for one thing...

Unfortunately, Tika has developed so-called kennel cough. This sounds and appears much like whooping cough in a human and we do feel bad for her. Since she has been largely at home we can only guess that she somehow was infected back in WVa or, perhaps, but something in our yard. I don't know. The virus will run it's course and we must endure.

Howling when the moon is high

Last night was the second night for Tika in her new home. We would like Tika to be crate trained and we decided to allow her to be crated at night in our bedroom, thinking she might derive some assurance that she had not been abandoned by her new "pack"! No surpise, but no one slept very well that first night. Tika cried often and slept for only an hour or so at a time. In our concern to comfort her we... well, Jeanne... got up each time she cried and took her outside for a "strictly business" potty break. Her compelling cry can be heard at this link.

Second night things went a little better. Perhaps because she was so worn out, perhaps because she is becoming comfortable with us - Tika slept for longer stretches. To be sure, she cried, but that lasted only 10 or 15 minutes before she whimpered herself to sleep. Must Be Strong... all for the best in the long run.

During her waking hours Tika has received much attention. Jeanne has taken the past two days off from work to help ease this transition for Tika and our family. She is a playful and social pup and we seem to enjoy one another's company. I think it is the loss of this company, in part, that fuels her crying at night.

New Hampshire is a long way from the farm

Tika was born at Fox Creek Farm in West Virginia and by prior arrangement with her breeder, we picked her up in New Jersey and drove her home to New Hampshire. Dan and I left our house in NH at 7:00 am, Tika left Fox Creek at 6:00 am and we met at 11:45 am not far from the George Washington Bridge. Wow!

It was really delightful to meet her for the first time. She was very eager to be sprung from her crate after such a long car ride. Dan was the first to hold her and she was very wriggly, enthusiastic, and generous with licks to hands and face! We tried to walk her a little bit, but she was too overwhelmed by the event for a walk to be meaningful - so into the car to start the long ride home.

In the car, Dan and I gave Tika lots of attention. We spoke gently to her and played a bit an patted her thick, wavy coat. Regardless of this kindness and tenderness, Tika became understandably upset - where are my littermates? What are these new scents? Where am I? She began to whimper. The whimpers turned into cries and pretty soon she was howling pretty hard. Poor thing.

Here I must give Dan a lot of credit - he managed to hold her in his arms and stroke the top of her head in such a way that she calmed down and even started to doze. Securing Dan with a seatbelt in the back seat, holding Tika, I turned the car to the north.

We stopped a few times on the way home - to water and walk our new family member, and to replace the battery in the car. Surprise - car won't start! Thanks to speedy work by mechanics in Connecticut we were not delayed long.

At home in NH, Tika met the rest of the family. This is something new for all of us!

Mail order pup

This is a picture of Tika, an F1 miniature goldendoodles, taken by her breeder, when she was 6 weeks old. Tiki was born on November 8, 2006. She is an F1 miniature goldendoodle. Born in West Virginia, she travels to her new home in New Hampshire on January 3, 2007.