First Came Maddy
It all started with my desire for an Old English Sheepdog. I had always wanted one but also loved and enjoyed our standard poodle (although he was more my husband's dog than mine). But did I want the coat care issues that came along with the OES? And didn't they tend to grow awfully large?
I went on the internet to research the breed and breeders, and came across something I had never heard of--Sheepadoodles! Wow, what an idea! To have the intellect of the poodle with the fun loving spirit of the nanny dog? What could be a better combination in a family pet? I said, "I have to have one of these!"
The more I thought and read about the idea, the more "obsessed" with it I became. Couldn't breeding a medium sized sheepdog with a standard poodle resolve my concerns about size and coat care and possible allergies among my grandchildren? But there were only a few breeders, and they had waiting lists filled a year in advance. About this time, I discovered "hybrid vigor" could make these dogs so much healthier from combining two separate breeds. Soon I was saying, "I have to make some of these!"
Believing that every child needs a dog, I dreamed of supplying each of my grandchildren's families with a pet whose temperament and disposition I knew well and approved.
So started the search for my little OES girl in 2011. Here she is on the way home, Maddy. And she was definitely my dog from the start.
I went on the internet to research the breed and breeders, and came across something I had never heard of--Sheepadoodles! Wow, what an idea! To have the intellect of the poodle with the fun loving spirit of the nanny dog? What could be a better combination in a family pet? I said, "I have to have one of these!"
The more I thought and read about the idea, the more "obsessed" with it I became. Couldn't breeding a medium sized sheepdog with a standard poodle resolve my concerns about size and coat care and possible allergies among my grandchildren? But there were only a few breeders, and they had waiting lists filled a year in advance. About this time, I discovered "hybrid vigor" could make these dogs so much healthier from combining two separate breeds. Soon I was saying, "I have to make some of these!"
Believing that every child needs a dog, I dreamed of supplying each of my grandchildren's families with a pet whose temperament and disposition I knew well and approved.
So started the search for my little OES girl in 2011. Here she is on the way home, Maddy. And she was definitely my dog from the start.