Hi, Coleen!! I ended up not visiting the Wheaten breeder after all. There were too many red flags, including the fact that the mother dog was 6 years old, the breeder wouldn't tell me how many litters she had already had, and the breeder does no health testing on the dogs. So, instead, hubby and I will be picking up poodle #3 next weekend. She's a lovely girl...and the breeder's pick of the gentlest, sweetest, most "soulful" puppy.

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This photo shows her at 6 weeks of age. She has more white than I would like (only because she'll be harder to keep clean), but personality is way more important.

And it looks like we'll end up with four dogs in the future, after all. The breeder has a young female who, it turns out, cannot be bred, so we'll be adopting her as soon as we get this little one housebroken, and as soon as we think we can handle a fourth dog. Funny how things turn out!

I still get pangs when I see a Wheaten at the off-leash park, but I know I'm just missing Cailin and Riley. I adore the poodles, even though they take up much more space! I can't imagine how crowded it will be with 4 large dogs, but (on the other hand) I can't wait!

Hope things are still going well with Lucy and Calvin!

4 dogs isn't too bad...

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Awwww....I was following your story, as well, because we are waiting for a Wheaten puppy. I like poodles (had one as a child), but chose a Wheaten because we wanted a medium-sized dog that doesn't irritate dh's allergies too much. Went to visit a breeder last week, and was able to see the mother dog, sire, barn and runs, but didn't get to see the litter (the breeder said having strangers around can make the mother dogs nervous when the puppies are very young). So we'll just have to be patient, but in the meantime it's fun to hear about other people adopting dogs!

Good luck with your new little one - she is adorable :)

Oh, Cailinriley - she is PRECIOUS! Good call on not visiting that breeder. SO many warning signs! I'll just have to give you your Wheaten fix with Calvin updates. He's going for his first haircut tomorrow - I'm very nervous about this - hope they do a nice job on him. I hope they leave some fur on him - he looks like a completely different dog when he's wet - actually a skinny little guy!

FOUR dogs! Good luck! Although we have 2 young kids (5 and 7)so I always say we have four kids! Although Lucy is far and away the easiest of the bunch!

Be sure and post a pic of the new pup (did you name her yet?) when you pick her up next weekend!

Great looking dogs, Meghane! Thanks for sharing!

The biggest concern we have about owning four dogs is the cost...especially if any of them need extensive vet care in the future. The poodle that we are thinking of adopting has been diagnosed with Sebaceous Adenitis and that's why she can't be bred. Our vet has assured us that most dogs with SA do not get the severe form. I hope he's right.

Freezetag, I was actively looking for a Wheaten pup, since I loved Cailin and Riley so much, but I just couldn't find a reputable breeder who was going to have puppies available anytime soon. Our poodle breeder is fantastic, and we love her dogs so much, that we knew we couldn't go wrong if we picked a female from her current litter.

You're going to have to give us updates on your sweet Wheatie as soon as you bring it home. Girl? Boy? How soon??

By the way, if you need more of a puppy fix, click on the link below. I take a peek every day!

Coleen, I was nervous about taking Cailin in for her first cut. She was very shaggy (and a bit matted) before I took the plunge. But she was beautiful afterwards...like a plush toy. We always asked the groomer not to give our Wheatens the typical "fall", since we wanted to see their eyes. I hope you post photos of Calvin in his grown-up "do".

There are a few names we're considering for our poodle, but we'll have to get a sense of her personality (is that the right word? should it be "canineality""dogality"?) before we settle on one. The fourth dog will be easier since she's already got a name which suits her...Sassy. I find it a bit daunting to name a standard poodle. They're so cute when they're young, but so regal when they're grown up. They almost need a name for each stage of life!

I'll post a photo (or two) once we have her home!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Daily Puppy

So...a funny thing happened when we went to pick up poodle #3 at the breeder's last week. We had meant to get the pup in the photo above, which the breeder had pre-chosen for us. But while we were there, a different female totally stole our hearts and we ended up taking her. She has the same dam and sire as our two boys, so they're full brothers and sister. The breeder had named her "Missy" (short for Missouri Southern Belle), but we've renamed her "Maya". She'll still have "Missy" as a nickname, and sometimes she'll even be "Missy Maya"!!

The two boys have accepted her into our family, although it took Toby a little more time than Tucker to get used to having this little creature around. The only thing we have to watch for is that The Boys don't get too rambunctious when they try to play with Maya. After all, she's only a fraction of their size and weight. She adores her big brothers and tries to imitate whatever they do.

She's a cuddly, loving, mischievous and intelligent little girl who has added a lot of joy and laughter to our house.

Here she is, between Toby and Tucker.

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I just took more photos of Maya. She had to be in her pen to keep her away from the lawn mower.

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The second photo gives you a little idea of her markings. She's probably going to get freckles throughout her white areas, just like her brothers.

What a sweetie! She is very pretty! She looks so ladylike..but before you know it, I'm sure she'll be giving her brothers a run for their money! When we got Calvin the breeder also pre-chose a different puppy and then when I arrived he stole my heart! I may have been turned off to the other pup attaching himself to my shoe with his teeth from the get-go, I don't know. But I definitely think we made the right decision and I think you did too! Are you still considering getting a fourth? It was so cute how they all posed for you in the picture. Is that Toby on the left?

Maya's starting to wrap all four of us around her little paws! How can you resist those eyes? I tried to love the dog chosen by the breeder; I have a deep respect for the breeder and lots of faith in her judgement and intuition, but you can't explain chemistry, and that's what Maya had with us. I also believe she has a little more spunk than the other girl, although she's equally sweet and loving, and is therefore able to hold her own with The Boys.

I wish I could say we're still getting the fourth dog from the breeder. However, another genetic test came back positive, and the breeder is beside herself. The people she got the dog from are reputable breeders with a superb reputation, so she can't understand how this poor female has ended up testing positive for two genetic conditions! The dog's breeder is devastated, as well, and will probably be taking her back. After the first test result, the original breeder had told our breeder to give the dog to a good home, but that won't happen if she has two medical conditions. Now our breeder is starting to wonder if the test results are accurate, since the female doesn't show any signs of either condition. I haven't heard from our breeder for a week or so, but I know she's doing research regarding the reliability of those tests.

For the time being, we've got our hands full with the puppy. I had forgotten how time intensive it is to housebreak a pup. Maya knows she needs to go outside, but she's still too small to hold it for any length of time, so it feels like we're always taking her to the dog run! I'm sure you know how that feels!

Yup...That's our big, sweet, gentle Toby on the left, and our "demon-child" Tucker (who's turned into the most loving, loyal creature) on the right.