Well! Long time, no see! Where the heck did the time go? It's absolutely crazy that it's been over 8 years since I've hopped on to this blog and shared snippets of life here at Calypso Breeze Australian Labradoodles. A lot has happened in that time, good and bad. Let's get the bad right out of the way.

A little less than a year after my last blog post, I lost my husband and Calypso Breeze Co-founder, Jerry, to cancer. It was, for the most part, very sudden and set my world into a tailspin. There have been many ups and downs and trials and triumphs in the years since, but the constant has been that Calypso Breeze remains a huge part of my life.

In the first months after Jerry passed, life, of course, was extremely difficult. I'm not sure what I would've done without the love- and distraction- of my crazy doodles. They're sweet and silly, kind and goofy, sometimes exasperating, but ALWAYS entertaining, and most importantly, they're loving. They have, most likely, held me together and they've definitely made me stronger.

THIS is why I've continued on my journey of breeding these incredible dogs. The connection they have with their human is undeniable and nothing less than amazing. I've seen them help folks of all walks of life, with different abilities, and of different ages, in countless ways. And when I see this, it makes my heart smile. It fills my soul with a sense of joy, of contentment, of hopefulness that the world CAN be a better place. 

Speaking of making the world a better place...let's talk about some of the GOOD that has happened. Before Jerry passed, we placed two pups as our very first Service Dog pups. I still remember how proud he was when the trainer chose our dogs and how happy he was to see one of those dogs in action when she visited him in the hospital. Since then, several Calypso Breeze Australian Labradoodles have gone on to be Service or Therapy dogs. I'm amazed at the many different tasks they can perform. 

Some assist with opening doors, carrying items, and retrieving  objects, while others are seizure or diabetic alert dogs. Some help people with Autism or Down's syndrome, some are therapy dogs, some provide emotional support for their humans. Most of my puppies are family companions...but ALL of them are fantastically magnificent and give that unconditional love that we humans are so blessed to receive.

I don't have to tell you how insane the past few years have been for EVERYONE. And maybe I'm finally feeling my head bob above the surface of the water, but somehow I'm feeling a bit recharged. It seems as if life has been in a holding pattern for me, and I've not really moved forward (could this be why I've not written a blog in several years?), so I'm challenging myself to do better. And that includes visiting here once a week to offer some dog knowledge and/or random happenings of life here in Tennessee with my doodles.

And now, I challenge you. Stop what you're doing and go and give your dog, or cat, or hairy tarantula (EEK!) a big hug and then come back here and tell me what makes your pet so special in your life. Please remember to use caution if you're hugging your hedgehog or venomous snake, and send pictures if you're hugging your Wallaroo or Scottish Highland Coo. 

Wishing you Peace,
Brenn

Introducing Calypso Breeze Lennon's Imagine!  Lennon is starting his testing and if he passes, he will be our second stud boy here at Calypso Breeze.  He will mature to be a large miniature or possibly a small medium Australian Labradoodle.  Lennon is a chocolate and white Parti boy with a soft and silky, wavy fleece coat.  Besides his stellar looks, he is intelligent and incredibly loving, which is of no surprise to me as he is the son of my beloved Rio, aka Smushy!

Lennon has the perfect Australian Labradoodle temperament.  He is athletic, comical, attentive and loyal.  Lennon makes great eye contact which is an important trait of the Australian Labradoodle.  I hope to have him certified as a Therapy Dog  as I feel he would be well-suited for this.

The Australian Labradoodle is also known for their non-shedding coats.  Whether they are wavy fleece, curly fleece or wool, it is important that they are as low to non-shedding as possible.  Many people desire an Australian Labradoodle as a pet for this very reason.  People with allergies generally do well with an Australian Labradoodle living in their homes as their coats are hypo-allergenic.

We are super excited about adding Lennon to our program and even more thrilled that he has become a member of our family.  We are sure to have many fun-filled days with this boy.

Here are some more pictures of  Lennon as well as a few of his mom, Rio.

Have a wagtastic day!

Socialization is so important for a young puppy!  We are very fortunate to have neighbors who have become great friends and also just happen to LOVE dogs...even our crazy doodles!  

Pictured here are Les and our 4 month old girl, Rain.  Les and his most awesome wife, Tammy, often come to visit and play with the doodles.  Sometimes, they pretend that they came over to talk to us, but we know it's really to get some doodle lovin'.

The best time for socialization for puppies is between 3 weeks and 3 months of age.  At this time they should be introduced to many different people,  other species (cats and such), other dogs,  and varieties of surfaces and environments.  Be sure to introduce your pup to men and woman, young and old, and of different ethnicities. Be sure to introduce them to young children.  Always make it a positive experience by having treats and toys for your puppy.  Bring visitors to your home and have them wear hats, glasses, big coats, etc. so that your pup get used to seeing all sorts of people wearing an array of accessories.  Expose them to different surfaces such as tile, hard wood floors, carpet, concrete, grass, snow and sand.  Enroll them in puppy classes and visit stores that allow pets.  All of this will set your puppy on the path of being a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog.  

Below are more pictures of  Les playing with our doodles as they enjoy a romp on the front lawn.  Enjoy!

Lots of new and exciting events going on here at Calypso Breeze Australian Labradoodles.
We're expecting three litters of Australian Labradoodle puppies in the first few weeks of December.  We'll have all three sizes: Mini, Medium and Standard in a variety of colors: Red, Chocolate & White Parti, Caramel, Apricot and Cream!  Karma, Tulip and Reo are all expecting and we're super excited to see these beautiful babies.  Above are pictures of Karma and two of her past puppies, Reo and Reo as a puppy, and Tulip and her puppy Indy who lives with us here at Calypso Breeze.

Meanwhile, we also have five amazing puppies ready to go their furever homes now.  Breeze's puppies are 10 weeks old and super adorable.  Playtime here is lots of fun and there's never a shortage of puppy kisses.  Oh, how I LOVE puppy breath.  Here's a pic of cuddly cuties:

A couple days ago, I mentioned that it's going to be a crazy winter around here, and I wasn't kidding!  We'll have a litter of puppies from Karma and Hudson, a litter of puppies from Reo and Hershey and then right on the heels of those litters, Tulip will be giving us her last litter of gorgeous Australian Labradoodle puppies!

We are super excited about Tulip's last litter for a couple of reasons.  First we are so excited to see what this litter will bring us.  Her puppies always have the most gorgeous color.  Some are dark apricot, some caramel and some red.  We're hoping there will be a big red girl! The second, and most important reason we are excited is simply that we are happy for Tulip that she will be retiring.  She has been an amazing mother, but it's time for her to enjoy chasing balls instead of feeding puppies!  

Tulip, or Tuli or Schmoo as we call her, has the most amazing Australian Labradoodle temperament.  She is gentle, caring, attentive and obedient as well as being playful, spunky and super athletic.  My hope for her is that we will have her certified as a Therapy dog and she can visit children and adults who will benefit from her soft, loving nature!

Here are pictures of some of Schmoo's past puppies:

A year and a half ago, this little chocolate drop came to us from Heidi and Roy at Pine Lodge Labradoodles.  We had adored her from afar for weeks, anxiously awaiting each puppy picture and video.  We had no idea just what an impact she would have on our lives.  To say she is special is an understatement.  She is tender, sweet, comical, playful, athletic,  intelligent AND beautiful.  Her eyes  are thoughtful and caring, and simply amazing.

She answers to many names....Oreo, Reo, Superfast and my favorite name for her, Smushy.
In the months to come, she will gain yet another new name.  She will be "Momma"!  We are so very excited about seeing little "Reo" puppies running around!

This week, Reo will be bred to Tampa Bay's Latte' Macchiato, aka Hershey.  They will surely produce some beautiful babies.  Some will be Chocolate and White Parti, and some will be Chocolate with white mismarks, some may be solid chocolate.  We're hoping some will have the same markings as Reo, which is called Irish Spotting.  Her dad, Ranger, has produced many puppies with these markings so we hope Reo will take after her dad.  And we're also hoping that Reo passes on her amazing temperament that is so important in the Australian Labradoodle Breed.

Make sure to check back for updates and confirmation of pregnancy, but for now, here are some pictures of my Smushy and a pic of Hershey!

Karma has been bred to CVL Hudson and should be blessing us with her last litter in early December.  We expect beautiful medium-sized fleece puppies in apricot and cream.  Karma has given us some amazing puppies in the past and we're excited to see what this pairing will bring!  Here are a few pictures of Karma's past puppies.

Our crazy doodles are always at play.  They love chasing each other, chasing the ball, catching the ball, wrestling, stick stealing and as pictured above, Tug of War.  It's fun to watch them interact with one another and great that they're burning off a bit of energy before coming back inside.  Just like with children, sometimes they can get a bit exuberant, so we always supervise their playtime to ensure no one gets hurt.

Here are a few pictures of some of the games played in our back yard:

At 6 months old, Joplin is one of the best stick stealers around.  Reo's letting her know she's not happy about this stick stealing thing.

Moose has long legs and a LARGE mouth making him a natural at ball catching!

No one can touch Reo when it comes to the high jump.  It seems she just may have springs in her back legs.

The gold medal for ball chasing and retrieving goes to none other than Tuli!  She is amazing at this sport.  She has exceptional focus and speed and 9 times out of 10, she is the first one to the ball.  She then faithfully runs back to you and drops the ball at your feet, then does a little dance letting you know she's ready to go again.

Casanova and Storm prefer wrestling to other sports.  They are both quite large and look like a couple of bears when they wrestle.  Even though Cas could easily win most of these matches, he always lets the girls win...even the smallest of the girls, 40 pounds lighter,  beats him.  Such a gentleman!


What games do your furry friends like to play?  Maybe we could introduce some new sports to our dog's playtime!

I took these photos of a bee hovering over a thistle in our back yard. Our yard is filled with many things that bees just love making it a nectar-filled smorgasbord.  From the clover that fills the yard to the ripe and juicy pears that fall from our pear tree, bees have plenty to feast upon.  While it's fascinating to watch these little guys in action, they can be very dangerous to your dog.

Dogs are curious creatures and may find a bee, or wasp or hornet, an interesting object to chase and play with, making their noses and mouths great targets for a stinger.  Or they could simply be walking through the yard and step on a bee who is collecting her nectar from some clover.  

If you think your dog has been stung by a bee, you should immediately seek the advice of your veterinarian as a bee sting can be life-threatening to your dog.  We like to keep Benadryl in the house at all times.  Your vet may recommend giving your dog a dose to reduce swelling and itching.  

Here are some signs that your dog may have been stung by a bee:

     ~   Crying out, running in circles, salivating
     ~   Mild signs include: swelling of the area; scratching, rubbing, licking, or chewing at  
         the sting
     ~   Severe signs include: profound swelling of the face, throat, or neck; hives, vomiting; 
          difficulty breathing; collapse


Of course, the best course of action would be to do everything you can to prevent the bee sting.  When the pears are ripe and falling from the tree, the pears must be picked up before the dogs can come outside.  We have a temporary plastic fencing around the thistle to protect the dogs from encountering the bees that hover there.  And we mow the lawn at least weekly so that the clover doesn't have a chance to get out of hand.  If you have a flower bed in your yard, you might consider putting a barrier around it to keep your inquisitive canine out.

Remember, a bee sting could be very dangerous to your dog, so if you believe she has been stung, don't wait.  Call your veterinarian immediately.