The suburban girl comes out in me when I read what you have to do aerwin...first to admit, I'm not tough!

I took Halle for her ultrasound today and there are no puppies. I am very sad, I REALLY wanted the pups and they were all already sold. To make it triple sad the male I bred her with who was a National Champion has since died. I have been crying all afternoon . I so wanted those puppies. I know it must seem silly but I am very upset.

So sorry Aerwin...I'm sure that is a huge disappointment. What happenned to the sire?

Will there be another opportunity to breed her with another good dog sometime in the near future?

Oh Aerwin I am so sorry. No, it is not silly. I would be very disappointed too. So sad about the sire. I hope you find a new sire for her and it all works out.

How old was he? That is really tragic and sounds like it was a shock to everyone.

Too bad they did'nt freeze some of his sperm...they do that with top stallions for breeding purposes.

Sad news to report. My stepmom's 14 year old standard poodle Sandy went out two weeks ago and hasn't returned. He had a collar with tags that had his name, phone number and address on it and everyone around here knew him. We fear he has gone to the standard poodle graveyard.

Goodbye, Sandy. We'll miss the way you ate an entire pie and then washed it down with a couple of caramel apples. We'll miss the way you could scarf down foot long subs in one gulp. The way you stole all the Christmas cookies one year. The way we had to hide candy because if you smelled it and it was anywhere you could get it, you'd eat the entire bag. We'll miss the way you were such a trouper about pills - down the hatch in one swallow, none of this hiding it in the mashed potatoes or forcing down the throat for you. We'll miss the way you went out hunting for moles and other varmints every morning. We'll miss the way you let the smaller dogs (Pooh the toy poodle and Lily the rat terrier) stick their entire heads in your mouth. We'll miss your goofy charm most of all.

Oh Badger, I am so sorry Sandy sounded like a real gem! Don't give up hope. Maybe by some miracle he'll be returned. If not, sounds like he was sure loved and had an awesome life!

Hugs to you my friend.

Thanks, firecracker. Standard poodles are great dogs.

For all his goofiness, he was a good watchdog which was really the main reason Carol and my dad got him. When they moved out here from Maryland, they bought a house on quite a bit of land - it used to be a farm. Anyway, my dad thought they needed a large dog as a guard and since my stepmom wasn't crazy about the idea of dog hair all over her house, a standard poodle which does not shed, was the best solution. Sandy was a big dog - around 100 pounds in his prime and as tall as me when he stood on his hind legs (I'm 5 feet tall). He never attacked a person - he was content mainly to bark and to pee on the shoes of men he didn't like -- but I have no doubt he could have put a serious hurt on someone if he had a mind to.

Hey, I pee on the shoes of men I don't like!

5 feet?! You are a little peanut! I am 5'2"! I could take you!

I didn't know standard poodles got that big I would love a dog that didn't shed! Maybe Carol and your dad will get a puppy to cheer them up! That is what my folks used to do.

Badger, Sandy sounds like a special character. 14 is quite old for a large dog. I have been told by others that often dogs will go away from their homes to die. I don't understand why, but they do that.

Thanks for sharing some of your memories of him with us.

You're welcome, luca.

firecracker, my dad passed away in 2002. In fact, Sandy used to wait for him to come home for a really long time. They really bonded.

Carol and Lois (that's my sister) still have Lily, Rosie the outdoor cat and Morris the indoor cat so I don't thnk they're looking for any more animals right now.

FWIW, standard poodles who are bred for the show ring aren't quite as large as the ones who go to be pets. It's like chihuahuas. The ones you see at dog shows are always quite a bit smaller than the ones you see as pets. Not sure why that is.

OMG. That dog sounds like a chocolate lab I sit for who will find food no matter where it is on the counter.

The dog running away reminds me of a joke a comedian tells.

"My dog loves me! He loves it here!"

"Really? Open the door."