I have wanted either a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle for as long as I can remember. I love that fact that they don't shed and they are hyperallergenic. I also did a lot of research on them and learned that they are good with kids (for the future, of course) and very smart dogs.
Well, I had been begging Mr. Hoosier for a dog since we were engaged (June 2008), and he always told me that I needed to wait until after the wedding. So, I agreed. Although, he had told me several times that I would not be getting a labradoodle or a goldendoodle because he could not fathom paying that much money for a dog when we could get one from the humane shelter. He has such a good heart! I figured then, that I would just get a lab and be perfectly content, and just have to get over the shedding. I didn't bring up the dog want for awhile until...
It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 2008) and Mr. Hoosier and I had his parents and sister over for dinner. His mom had brought over the county paper in which she had written some articles. After they left I decided to look through the classifieds at the dogs for sale. I had no intentions; I was just looking. I saw a few adds for Labradoodles and called on them because I just wanted to look; I thought it would be fun. All of the places had already sold their dogs... besides one place. I called there and asked if we could come out after church on Sunday.
It was a rainy, cold, Sunday. We got out of church, called the Breeder and got directions to drive to look at the puppies. It was about an hour drive from our house. It was this small town in the middle of no where. The breeder's facility was off from the road, and we took this windy dirt road back to the house. When we pulled up we heard 8 little labradoodles barking. They litter was black and brown. All of the brown puppies were spoken for, but that didn't matter because we weren't getting one. Out of the litter, there were three black labradoodles that were not spoken for. There was the runt, one that had really curly hair, and one that looked just like a black lab and not much resemblance of a labradoodle. Mr. Hoosier and I talked to the breeder for awhile and then left. We got his card and told him when we were ready to buy a dog we would be calling him. After all, Mr. Hoosier thought they were adorable, and he liked the idea of no shedding despite the price.
We then left the breeder's and drove home. We were about one mile down the road and he looked at me and said, "What if this is our Christmas gift to each other?" I remember being so excited, and then asking if he was serious. I looked up and realized he had purposely missed our turn. He was for real! We turned around and drove back to get our puppy. We called the breeder to tell him we were coming back. But then, we didn't know which one we wanted. We drove past the breeder's so we could discuss which one to get. After about 5 minutes of contemplation, we decided on the runt; she was so precious!
We picked her up and I held her half of the way home while Mr. Hoosier drove. Then, we switched because I was afraid of doo doo on my Anne Klein coat. Afterall, I was still in my nice church clothes. The whole way home we discussed what we were going to name her and the fact that we couldn't believe we just brought a dog! We tossed around many different names: we thought about INDY for the Colts, Nikkie because our first date was at the Nickel Plate, and many other names that dealt with the Colts or the Hoosiers. We then decided on BAILEY; named after Damon Bailey #22 who was a great IU Basketball player in the 90's. Mr. Hoosier and I both remember watching him when we were kids. It was the perfect name for our little puppy!
We then drove home and realized we didn't have a cage, no food, etc. We gave her a quick bath (she smelled like the puppy kennel), and then went to the pet store. We purchased all the necessities to take care of her. We played with her all night! We even purchased bells that day to put on our back sliding door to help potty train her. She still to this day rings the doors when she has to go potty. That day, she also watched her first Colts game!!!
Bailey is now 35 pounds and is doing great. We love her! We enjoy taking her on walks to the ice cream shop. She loves to play fetch with Mr. Hoosier and take my dirty socks out of my laundry basket. She does a wonderful job with her dog friends. This weekend she is going to the in-laws while we are camping.
Meet Bailey....
December 2008- This is me and Bailey at my Aunt's house on Christmas Day! She was so little then!
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