It’s Halloween at Doodle Patch Farm

November 1, 2024

It is Halloween night here in South West Ohio.  How fitting that it is also a dark and stormy night.  I am happy to sit in a quieter space to recover from the most dreaded days for an elementary school teacher.  Since Monday, students have acted upon every sugar laden, red dye saturated impulse.  Students are silly, inattentive, and boisterous.  Every classroom seems to vibrate on the brink of explosion.  Halloween week is a nightmare for any teacher.  

But it is also fun.  Dressed as cowgirls, my co-workers and I donned hats, boots and t-shirts with a Shania Twain meme: “Man I Feel Like a Teacher.”  Enthusiastic to share our clever costumes we danced in front of our students proudly displaying our graphic t-shirts.  We were met with questioning looks. The meaning was lost on fifth grade students.  We played the Shania 1999 hit song, sang along, and received blank stares from students.  After all, it was written way back in the 1900’s.  My co-workers, 15 years my juniors, said they felt old.  Welcome to my world.  

Surviving Halloween in a Classroom

But in spite of the noise of this day that contained little instruction, and much managing chaos, we had fun.  Tomorrow promises to be far more difficult as students will arrive with sleep deprived sugar hangovers.  I will survive the day on caffeine and gifts of Reese’s cups, Baby Ruths, Snickers, Butterfingers, Candy Corn, and a sense of humor:  my arsenal for each ambush and skirmish. All teachers learned these survival skills in Teacher Boot Camp.    

New Puppies Calm the Storm

For tonight, and in preparation for tomorrow’s bedlam, I enjoy the content chirps, purrs and squeals of newborn puppies that gently percolate from Raven’s whelping pen.  The ambience of this room is far from spooky, haunted or ghostly.  It is a tranquil healing space for this teacher-soldier who has, and is, enduring the Halloween Wars of 2024.  I will be combat ready for the “Day After Halloween Battle” in the morning.  As Raven provides the nurturing for her suckling mewing pups, I too am nurtured by the sights and sounds of Raven’s blissful countenance and nine rapturous puppies.  

Raven and Mack’s Halloween F1b Parti Puppies

Raven’s splashy litter of nine F1b Standard Goldendoodles was born October 30.  Of course, Raven being aptly named for the Halloween “holiday,” we are naming the puppies accordingly.  Five males and four females comprise this colorful collection of Parti patterns, and solids.  Raven and Mack (Marquis deLafayette) can be seen, along with their health certifications, on our website.  We have been anxiously awaiting the results of this glorious pair and we are thrilled.  Both beautiful parents are fully health tested with eager-to-please, compliant, and affectionate temperaments.  Their mature size (standard) will likely fall in the range of 55-65 pounds of energetic, eager-to-learn, athletic dogs that are great with kids and adults.  

Knowing that new puppy families will most likely choose their own names for their pup, we have fun naming the puppies so that we can not only identify them more easily, but also bond with them for the short time they’re with us.  

Halloween’s Puckish Pups

Presenting the the first look of Mack & Raven’s “Halloween Parti” (standard) puppies: 

Females:

1. Stormy (Black and White Parti)
2. Wednesday (Black and White Parti)
3. Ember (Fawn)
4. Ebony (Black)

Males: 

1. Jack (Black and White Parti)
2. Pugsly (Black and White Parti)
3. Onyx (Black)
4. Shadow (Black)
5. Boo (Cream)

Only three people are on the pick list so far. That leaves six more opportunities for others.  If you are interested in one of these colorful pups, please visit our website.  We’d love to hear from you! If you would like to follow along with our current litters, subscribe to our Facebook page.

Like the season, our Fall litters are variegated, dappled and speckled.  Each litter has brought its own happy sprinkling of confetti in the many Parti patterned pups. 

“Seeing Spots” Litter of F1b Mini Aussiedoodles

Emma and Ollie’s “Seeing Spots” litter of three males and five females is simply delightful! 

While we were fairly certain of five or six puppies, we were pleasantly surprised with eight gorgeous F1b Mini Aussiedoodles!  The pick list for Emma and Ollie’s pups filled with six people prior to the announcement of a confirmed pregnancy because these pups have been such exceptional family pets.  Their Goldilocks size of 20-30 pounds make them easy travel companions or house pets for apartment dwellers.  They’re large enough to be your running and hiking buddy, but small enough to tag along on errands.  Their temperaments are loyal, affectionate, and exceptionally trainable.  Previous litters from Emma and Ollie can be seen on our website.  Since we expected up to six pups and we ended up with eight, there are two spots now available at the time of this post.  Visit our website for more information, health certifications and pictures.

Presenting the Emma and Ollie “Seeing Spots” Litter:

Spotty Puppy Names

Females: 

1. Dottie (Brown and White Parti)
2. Minnie (Brown and White Parti)
3. Freckles (Brown and White Parti)
4. Cookie (Brown and White Parti)
5. Sprinkles (Tan and White Parti)

Males:

1. Deuce (Brown and White)
2. Chip (Red Merle Parti)
3. Patch (Brown and White Parti)

As with all Doodle Patch pups, we follow a curriculum to gently, though intentionally, expose the pups to various developmentally appropriate stimuli.  At three to four weeks, pups will begin the process of potty and crate training, and from there we move to desensitizing the pups to different surfaces, thresholds, sights and sounds.  Pups will be microchipped, health checked, and receive their first set of vaccines prior to going home.  Pups will be sent home with a Doodle Patch tote containing food, puppy treats, litter scented blanket, Snuggle Pup, and other goodies.  

From our hands that held them first to their forever homes, we do our very best to make that transition full of joy and love! 

With the exception of Halloween in a fifth grade classroom, Fall at Doodle Patch Farm has been brilliant.  The Maple trees are painted in fiery hues of crimson, gold and copper.  Crisp mornings and warm afternoons are perfect for riding horses and walking dogs.  This season is lovely.  

So tomorrow I will arrive at school fatigued, but comforted in knowing that the dogs and pups are healthy and happy and nursing well.  And most of all, relieved that Halloween week is over, and energized by the fact that it’s Friday.