This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Buddy, an 8-month-old Goldendoodle with a heart full of sweetness and a face that instantly reminded us of Louie and Mowgli—who both we adore a lot. In fact, Louie was my wife’s personal favorite.
Like many of our past guests, Buddy came to us during an unexpected situation. His loving parents had to leave town suddenly for an emergency, and they were understandably anxious—Buddy is their pride and joy, and this would be his very first time away from home. But this is exactly the kind of situation we’re always prepared for. We understand how hard it is to leave your baby behind, especially on very short notice, and it’s our mission to offer comfort and peace of mind to every dog parent, no matter the circumstance.
Of course, being a doodle didn’t hurt Buddy’s case. We’ve always had a soft spot for Goldendoodles, thanks to past guests like Cola, Mowgli, Lulu, and our now-regular goofball Ringo. Buddy fit right into that lovable bunch. And better yet, he checked in at the same time as another Goldendoodle, Sadi—so the party started right away!
At first, Buddy was a bit shy. His first day here, he mostly followed me around the house like a little shadow, quietly observing his new surroundings. He wasn’t sure what to make of the new environment or the playful chaos that can happen with our crew. But by Day 2? Oh boy—Buddy was all in! He and Hershey (our endlessly cheerful and hardworking hostess) were dashing through the halls in full chase mode, while Frasier Jr. made sure everyone was playing fair by starting the occasional tug-of-war over toys. It was as if Buddy had always lived here.
Now, mealtime did throw us a tiny curveball. There was some confusion over the exact portion sizes and feeding routine, which led to a bit of back-and-forth texting with Buddy’s mom. I think the mix of stress and rushed communication made things a little more complicated than they needed to be—but thankfully, one quick phone call smoothed everything out. We take feeding routines seriously here at our little doggy resort, especially for picky eaters like Buddy. His health, safety, and comfort always come first.
To help him eat better (and on schedule!), I pulled out one of our tried-and-true tricks: Costco’s freeze-dried liver treats. These have worked wonders with past picky pups, but instead of handing them out whole, I crushed them into a fine powder and mixed them into his kibble. That way, Buddy got the flavor he loves without overindulging in treats—and wouldn’t you know it, he finished his meal like a champ tonight! It probably helped that he had spent all day burning off energy with his doodle crew.
As I’m typing this, Buddy is literally zooming around the living room with Hershey, full of joy and puppy mischief. It’s safe to say he has fully embraced his temporary home away from home—and we are so glad he is having a great time here.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.