I've been meaning to send you an update on Rorie and Riley and some updated pictures for a while now. I don't know where the time goes.
Riley turned 7 on September 14th and Rorie (Aurora) will be 9 on October 15th. Everyone who meets them asks if they are puppies. They are still very energetic and full of life. Rorie has not slowed down one step. We take them to play with my cousin's one year old lab and after 10 minutes of chasing, he heads to the house for a break and Rorie trys to goad someone else into a game.
Riley definitely took more after Xander. He has the Golden love of the water. He would swim until he collapsed if we let him. This summer he finally figured out how to get into the water from the back of the boat. Then all he wanted to do was jump in, swim out for his toy, and climb back into the boat. He would do this continuously.
Rorie, on the other hand, is more quirky with the water. She loves it, but on her terms. As dainty as she pretends to be, she prefers to swim out from the marshy areas of the shore instead of the cleaner boat launch areas. From shore, she will swim out for toys few times and then she would rather explore for a while before demanding another game of fetch. She mastered going in the water off the back of the boat several years ago. Once in the water though, she does not want to get back in the boat. When it's time to move on, we have to have one person in the water push from behind while a person in the boat grabs the handle on her life jacket to get her in. She is quite capable of getting in herself but has a mind of her own!
Riley continues to be a big love bug. He thinks everyone needs to have their faces kissed! He still thinks he is a lap dog but everyone loves cuddling with him anyway.
Rorie is still a therapy dog. We have been visiting Roswell Park Cancer Institute for 6 1/2 years now. She still loves going. The night before our visits she has to be bathed. If you tell her she is going to Roswell, she will run upstairs and stand in the walk-in shower to get washed. In the morning when she sees me put on the volunteer shirt, she follows me around the house until we leave. She is quite famous there and has her own fan club.
The Doodles have had to adjust to one of their human sisters going off to college. Fortunately, her school is close enough (and in a very dog friendly area) that we can visit often. They both know the word "college" and will wait at the door to go. Not only do they love seeing their sister, but they attract crowds of homesick students as well. They adore all the attention they get.
Do you have any plans to breed any F1 black goldendoodles in the future? I would love to have another someday! Rorie has a truly unique personality and the most unbelievable coat. As mischievious as she is at home, when she is doing a therapy visit, she is the most mellow dog there is. She has a very calming effect on the patients and families she meets and they all comment on how soft and beautiful she is.
Thank you so much for these wonderful Doodles! Sandy Szopinski