Time to Pick Your Puppy: Lily x Charm Fall 2024
What a beautiful litter of puppies this has been. All these beautiful shades of brown, with a few partis sprinkled in, and one gloriously dark black puppy. And SOOOOOOOO many girls, little Snipe definitely has been an eye catcher as the only boy. This litter has been full of surprises for me. Their Momma Lily is very mild-mannered, lower drive and energy expenditures (which makes her a perfect home companion) and their Daddy Charm tends to err towards higher drive with a really nice off switch. These have been the CALMEST and LEAST ROWDY puppies I have ever had. Like, they are soooooooo chill its unreal. These are definitely going to make great family friends for their families.
I know it definitely feels like time is dragging for you, but for me, it has flown by far too quickly. Now, the moment has finally arrived for you to choose your very own poodle puppy. From those very first wobbly steps to their delightful and playful antics, it’s time to embark on this exciting journey of adding a new furry family member to your home. Take a deep breath, embrace the joy of this experience, trust your instincts, and make the choice that will undoubtedly change your life for the better in so many wonderful ways.
This is a very long pupdate and has tons of great information, so please take your time and read through everything carefully. Once all deposit holders have made their selections, we will update the Available Puppies page of our website. I do anticipate that we will have several available females from this litter.
All the gathered data is viewable in the spreadsheet. Push the button below to view the spreadsheet. As we move through the process, I will be highlighting and adding the family’s name to the column for each puppy, as they are chosen. After all reservation holders have made their selection, the remaining puppy(ies) will be made available to those interested.
Alright, so you probably opened that spreadsheet and went “WOAHHHHHH, what am I looking at?!?”. I know I would. You’re probably wondering, what the heck does all this mean? Don’t worry, I gotcha!! Keep reading.
BAB Puppy Evaluations
In the past we have done the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT). This was a great test and provides a lot of great information, however, there were a few things in that test I didn’t like and I felt that the test was not the best at honoring the puppies and building trust. One of our primary goals is to teach puppies that the world is safe, people are good, and other dogs are kind. In the Volhard PAT, there are a few steps to the test that work in direct contradiction to that goal. We’ve begun using the BAB Puppy Evaluation designed by Jeanette Forrey of 4E Kennels. This evaluation is more thorough, honors and builds trust with the puppy, and tests the puppy in a more “real” setting.
How Is The Testing Performed?
The puppies are placed into a room they’ve never been in before, on a new surface, and surrounded by new distractions. The tester sits in the middle of the floor, the puppy is placed into the testing area and is given a few moments to wander around, engage with the tester, check out the toys, or just sit and look around. If the puppy hasn’t wandered over to the tester after a few moments, the tester will begin coaxing the puppy to come greet her. After the tester and the pup have built some trust, the tester will begin the test by asking the pup to play with the toys, work on the equipment, walk on a new surface, experience wobbly surfaces, engage with startling objects, handling, and unstable situations. The test is free-flowing and there isn’t a set order for the pups to be asked to complete the activities. If a puppy becomes too stressed, the test may be stopped to allow the puppy to de-stress.
Definitions
Human Assertive - This is not aggression. Assertiveness is the dog’s willingness to invade your space. Highly assertive dogs will be dogs that will sit in your lap, try to steal your pizza, and will likely want to meet most all people. This is a highly necessary trait for service dogs like Diabetic Alert and Behavior Modification/Disruption.
Prey Drive/Intensity - This could be something like chasing cats, but that is not the only thing that comprises Prey Drive. You can train away from chasing your kids and cats. Prey Drive could also be called intensity. Does the pup focus on his toys? Does he pick them up and shake them? Prey Drive is an indication of intensity and focus. Dogs with high prey drive will need a way to channel that safely.
Nerve Strength/Resiliency - This is an indication of comfort and ability to recover from new situations and new environments. This is an adjustable trait and can be fostered in a pup lacking this particular trait.
Tenderhearted - This is a big one. This is an indication of how this particular dog will handle big emotions (Huge Family Celebrations, PTSD, Depression, High Anxiety). Dogs that are extremely Tenderhearted will break down if put in home environments with a lot of extreme emotions. These tenderhearted dogs will feel responsible for your emotions and try to fix them.
The Recordings
Rather than uploading the videos directly to this webpage and slowing down the load time considerably, I have linked each video to the cover photo below. Please click the cover photo for each pup to be taken to Youtube where you can view the videos directly. The scores for this test are found in the sections labeled Stable Traits and Adjustable Traits on the spreadsheet.
I want to share an observation about these puppies. Each litter is unique and grows at its own pace, but we look for general milestones at specific times. This litter has reached their milestones 2-3 days later than usual, which just means they are maturing a bit slower. As a result, they were "mentally/emotionally" younger during testing than the typical 48/49 days. This made them seem more reserved & timid than usual. Additionally, they had their first vaccine just 24 hours before testing, which can also make them a bit sluggish.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance or Casual Hunting Prospect
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Quail is a nice, polite companion. She has a medium energy expenditure and demonstrates some motivation to work with her people. She is slightly on the tenderhearted side, but not overwhelmingly so. She COULD be brought around to sports and other activities, but she would also be fine as a family companion for family activities.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Turkey is an independent puppy capable of spending time alone and self-entertaining. She is very polite and easy going. She has a low to medium energy expenditure. She does not appear to be very tenderhearted. Turkey is an ideal family companion for families of all sizes.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance or Casual Hunting Prospect, Therapy Dog (depending on intensity of emotions)
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Goose is the most energetic and outgoing puppy in the litter. She has some of the highest human focus and workability of the bunch. She is more assertive and willing to invade space. Goose is a tenderhearted little puppy, so some LIGHT Therapy/Facility work could be in her future. She would make an excellent family companion for most all family styles, although would do slightly better with an outdoorsy family. I could see Barn Hunt, FastCat, and Nosework as future sports for her if sports were desired. Maybe Agility.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance or Casual Hunting Prospect
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Partridge is a medium-energy girl who focuses closely on people. She observes first and has a kind nature. She is a tenderhearted puppy who will want to solve all your problems, so BIG emotions may be hard for her. She is polite, respects personal space, and is happy just to watch. While she might enjoy activities like Nosework, Barn Hunt, and Fastcat, they are not necessary for her happiness.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance or Casual Hunting Prospect
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Pheasant is a medium energy girl with a lot of human focus. She definitely wants to see what your doing and shows good motivation to work, although her little bit of lower confidence means she likes to sit back and observe before diving into something. She is a tenderhearted puppy and will try to help you overcome your emotions. This means, if you are a highly anxious home, she is likely to develop separation anxiety. She is a polite puppy who doesn’t seem to push a lot of boundaries and is very content to just watch and hang out. She could be persuaded to enjoy some sports like Nosework, Barn Hunt and Fastcat, but they are not NECESSARY.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Facility/Classroom Dog, Casual Performance
Not Ideal: Service Dog, Hunting Dog
Snipe is our only boy. He is a lower energy expenditure pup and is rather content to just observe and watch. He doesn’t appear to be very tenderhearted and does have a high touch tolerance, so he could make a nice classroom or facility dog. He could also probably be a nice therapy dog (depending on the type of therapy). He is not SUPER human motivated, which means he can just casual relax and watch from the sidelines. He is HIGHLY food motivated.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Duck is much like Turkey in many delightful ways. She embodies an independent spirit and truly has a mind of her own, which adds to her unique charm. This lovely girl is particularly good at self-entertaining, often finding ways to amuse herself while quietly hanging out nearby. Given her relaxed disposition, she would make an excellent family companion for anyone seeking a lower-energy friend that is both affectionate and endearing. Duck’s gentle nature and easy-going personality would fit seamlessly into a variety of family dynamics.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Swan is another independent spirit and is perfectly content to entertain herself. With her relaxed demeanor, she makes an excellent family companion for those wanting a lower-energy, affectionate friend. Swan’s gentle, easy-going nature suits various family dynamics perfectly.
Ideal: Family or Individual Companion
Good: Casual Performance
Not Ideal: Service, Therapy or Facility Dog
Puppy attention span is on full alert for Dove. She definitely is easily distracted and eager to go off exploring whatever strikes her fancy. She is highly food motivated. She is a lower energy pup and has a tendency to find a great spot for a nap. She REALLY loves sleeping on the dog beds. She has a gentle, easygoing nature, but is a bit of a toe biter when the mood strikes her.
Links to Puppy Pages
Picks will be done in order of deposit received/commitment to the litter. As a reminder, the order is as follows.
Paige Sigman
Noelle Bareswilt
Tiffany Archer
Following puppy picks, I will be circling around to those who are “waiting in the wings” and then we will be opening puppy picks to newcomers on a first come basis.
Following the receipt of this e-mail I will begin reaching out to individuals to discuss and confirm their selection. This could be as simple as an e-mail stating “I want Goose, please” or a more complex phone conversation. Please plan to have an appointment within the next 36 hours. The document that tabulates all the testing details is changeable on my end. As puppies are chosen, I will mark them as unavailable on the master list. I will also make announcements on the Valaurah Farms Facebook and Instagram as well regarding chosen puppies.
