Finally got some good pics of Aero.....

[KingstonTodd]

Here is our little cutie Aero! It wasn't sunny, but at least it wasn't raining, so I got a few pics of her. You can see how dark she is.





THERE IS A BIRD OVER THERE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



And a video of Aero and Hershey, and cooky Gustopher looking for a stray apple.



And that is why I love having multiple doodles, they tire each other out

[Jac]

Wow, Todd, she is really beautiful...her carriage and her stance...gorgeous! Love her dark brown color, she almost looks black!
I didn't see the video...it was not showing as an option for me.
But I love that last shot! Too cute!

[Jac]

Oh, wait! Spoke too soon! Must have just taken a while to download!
What fun they had! Isn't it cute the way that Hershey lets Aero win? And Gus...just standing there, tail wagging, smug look of being the boss! Thanks for posting...looks like you, and they, had a great day!

[kirama]

She's sure cute. After watching the video it looks like Hershey had a big influence on the way that Beck plays with Murphy

[KingstonTodd]

Originally Posted by kirama

She's sure cute. After watching the video it looks like Hershey had a big influence on the way that Beck plays with Murphy

That is one of the temperament aspects we have been talking to other breeders about (the moms tmperament in everyday life vs how good of a mother she is while there are puppies around). How a mom interacts with her pups and what she teaches them about proper dog-dog interactions is something that the puppy goes home with. While the temperament of the mom in a down-stay outside a coffee shop is important but it does not necessarily mean anything in regards to what the puppy will be like. It is great to have a good temperament in all situations as this suggests good underlying personality genetics, but the lessons the pup actually learns first hand from the mother in the time up to 8-10 weeks old are most important in my book. We are so glad to hear Hershey taught Beck some good doggy language in the short time he was here and that you guys continued to nurture it. We hear that from most of our puppy owners that have a Hershey pup.

Do you have a video of Beck and Murphy to share? I think it would be a for me to see the Hershey in him.

[kirama]

Originally Posted by KingstonTodd

Do you have a video of Beck and Murphy to share? I think it would be a for me to see the Hershey in him.

I don't, but I will get you one this weekend. They are really a kick to watch. Murphy scrunches his face up so much when he wrestles with Beck that he ends up having a sneezing fit. The only 'issue' we have had with the two of them playing is that if Murphy doesn't go where Beck wants him too, Beck will nudge him and try to get him to follow but when that fails Beck tries to drag him around by his ear...he stops when Murphy squeals like a stuck pig, but it's painful to even watch...

[Jac]

I just love to watch a good older dog playing with and teaching puppies!

Todd and I have been discussing these issues (Judi too) and I can say that it is most certainly true...I watch Bayley with her puppies and I am so amazed at her patience and care. I laugh at her because when the puppies poop, she is there before it hits the ground! She is so quick to know when they need her and she is so nurturing.

Often I go in and she is sleeping next to the whelping box, just keeping an eye on them.

I really do believe that a good mother dog helps train the dogs around her...but I also believe that (for the most part) Doodles are just a good, social breed. I can put a huge litter of 8 week old puppies in with my adult males and they just lie there, letting the littles climb all over them....the littles grab their ears and the bigs just growl like chewbacca...never snapping, never biting, never even doing a serious growl...the pups just love them! I also see my adult boys circle the x-pen of the older pups and they play bow to them, lick them through the cage, and just watch over them.

I just love Doodles!

[MaxandMe]

WOW TODD , Aero's dark chocolate color is absolutely stunning!! for a moment i thought she was black adn then realized it was one of deepest brown's
i've ever seen. I love it!! and i am sure you do too. IN fact i love the last pic of all 3 of them on the couch AND it shows the color variation really well between them.

I totally AGREE the temperment and rearing a DAM (aka mom) does with her puppies is critical to their development.
I think ONLY 1 time in my life did i see a litter and the mom where i went and walked out sitting in my car waiting for my family
and EX to follow as the Woman who bred a certain pedigree did a poor job of selection of breeding parents thinking the AKC papers
stood alone as proof to breed. Uh, hello? hahhaaaaa sorry but so much more goes into breeding and then how the MOM is teaching
her pups.

JAC that is wonderful to hear how the males are great with the puppies!! Says alot about your dogs

From what i observe 7 to 10wks is a critical stage of how a mom is with her pups AND then it's up to the new parents of puppy to
continue the training and love. Part of me wishes all puppies weren't able to leave a litter before 9 to 10wks old but then again
there is nothing wrong at 8wks old, just that people need to realize they have a baby and will lose sleep and do tons of potty walks, etc
and how they react is also crictal in puppies development.


So Todd.....how OLD is Aero now? i forgot

[KingstonTodd]

Hi AM, Aero is almost 6 months old. We are hoping she doesnt dilute, but her mom was an apricot that diluted to champange so there is a possasibilty she has some dilution genes from the poodle side. She is much darker than her littermates so there is some colour modifier that is keeping her dark. You are our resident Rufus expert, I read that rufus can act on browns to darken them, and is not just to darken apricot to red. Do you know anything about what rufus does in browns?

[SykoSofie]

Todd, Aero looks exactly like Linus right after he's had a haircut. Linus is the same dark chocolate color, and it looks like the same type of coat. He will be two in a couple of months, and has not lightened up at all. And he has the mahogany colored beard and the flecks of white around his eyes that you showed in another post. I'll take some photos after he gets a haircut and post them, so you can see how similar they are. Bad news - Linus sheds. A lot. I'm still hoping he'll grow out of it.

[MaxandMe]

TODD....in the rufus gene the whole hair SHAFT is one color, in chocolates that is a good question as the RUFUS gene from the last time I was keeping up with this limited research/theory is that RUFUS was for RED only. HOWEVER at the same time is a RUFUS gene present that keeps deepening a chocolate to staying chocolate ???? as it does to true gun dog reds that never fade rather deepen with age.

HOWEVER very little is writtten on this factor to-date. Rufus gene information still is limited and IF I FIND anything i am going to share it with you as for a while i communicated with a Austrailan Doodle breeder who was very interested in this as well: rufus gene.

BUT you have to wonder about chocolates............hahhaaaaa TODD you're stirring up my brain cells and now when peace/quiet is restored here
(family visiting) I am do some research and compare notes with you.

I have always wondered why chocolates were so hard to keep that way: fully chocolate BUT we don't know the recessive dominance lying in a puppy along with the poodle having 21 colors really throws a curveball into genetics.

woudn't it be great if genetists were to study DOODLES! they'd really have their brains pushed to the MAX while learning alot more and
solve this RUFUS gene theory about reds in dogs other than tollers, irish setters etc.

PS i am already on the internet researching this when i should be in bed zzzzzzzzzzzz'ing

I really chose the wrong field in college