# Puppy Intro post--meet Lena!



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

lena is cute. she is lucky to have you. keep up the good work.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Very Cute puppy! Hope all now goes well for you all.
Eric.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

She is lovely. Keep up the good work. It will pay off.

Congratulations.

Viking Queen


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Aww! She is really darling!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

What a very pretty pup - and a lucky one to find an owner who knows exactly what to do to give her the best possible start.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

I think with your help, Lena, will turn out to be perfect.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Congratulations on your new pup. Thank you for sharing your story about searching for her and for your willingness to be honest about the experience. I am so glad that your pup ended up with you and that you had the foresight to get health insurance for her. I love the photo with "grumpy dog"; she'll enchant him in no time with her feminine wiles. Did I mention that Lena is a cutie?


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

She's beautiful and I am glad you got her out of those crates! Bet she is too. Love her name. Enjoy your sweet baby.


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## Nicofreako (Aug 19, 2013)

She is adorable! and she looks like a "Lena". Perfect name for her.


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

*Another recent Crabapple Puppy here too...*

Pella, I have to say your story is almost word for word how my husband and I would describe our experience. We were also reassured by the knowledge and concern shown by the breeder, and also from the experiences and praise by other CP owners I found when researching Crabapple Poodles online. But when we arrived we were practically sending our thoughts to each other that "this is not at all what we thought it would be" and my husband told me later that he was happy to get Mochi away from that place.

Agreed dogs and environment all seemed clean and cared for, but ... so MANY dogs in each little kennel! And not ever in a house with people family - we were so disappointed when we realized these dogs don't get to lay at a person's feet or snuggle on the couch or go for long walks with anyone. Sigh. We did worry about temperament...

That said, I agree your little Lena will blossom into a fine pup under your care!

Mochi was the runt of her litter (Abigail & Jasper 12/2/14) and we brought her all the way from Colebrook NH in the wilds & mountains to the middle of NYC and she has surprised us to no end! Although she whimpered as we prepared to leave th e breeder's, and as we started each leg of the 8 hour car journey, she now doesn't bat an eye at loud trucks, screeching tires, blasting horns or firetruck sirens. She is interested in meeting everyone and everything out here and sleeps through all these noises too when at home without a problem. She seems only to care if any of her people are going to leave the room as she insists on overseeing such moves.

Also we were worried about her socialization since she had none except with her litter-mates and mother, but it seems not to be a problem at all for her. Perhaps it is because we brought her home at 9 weeks when she was still very open to new experiences, and Lena was 11 weeks that makes the difference?

Best wishes to you and your little Lena! I look forward to watching her grow!


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Awww, she's adorable!

I love the Moyen size! Our pup is 19" and about 28lbs at 10 months old, and he's great. Everyone always comments on his size being perfect and I totally agree.


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## Pella (Oct 7, 2014)

BrooklynBonnie said:


> Pella, I have to say your story is almost word for word how my husband and I would describe our experience. We were also reassured by the knowledge and concern shown by the breeder, and also from the experiences and praise by other CP owners I found when researching Crabapple Poodles online. But when we arrived we were practically sending our thoughts to each other that "this is not at all what we thought it would be" and my husband told me later that he was happy to get Mochi away from that place.
> 
> Agreed dogs and environment all seemed clean and cared for, but ... so MANY dogs in each little kennel! And not ever in a house with people family - we were so disappointed when we realized these dogs don't get to lay at a person's feet or snuggle on the couch or go for long walks with anyone. Sigh. We did worry about temperament...
> 
> ...


BrooklynBonnie you must have little TC!!! Tough Cookie! (Glad you renamed her!) Thank you so much for posting about your experience too. It is such a mixed thing. Lena is the "thinker" puppy of the litter I think. And I agree the two weeks later may have made a difference.  
It is taking her a little time to get used to things and she does show some hesitations / discomfort / being overwhelmed. But I am exposing her to new stuff everyday, and after her hesitations, she is all puppy excitement and happiness, and very very friendly. I would love to see photos of Mochi in her new home!!


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## Pella (Oct 7, 2014)

Sparkyjoe what breeder is your moyen from?


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

I love the pic where she is pressing her head up into yours. 

pr


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Pella said:


> Sparkyjoe what breeder is your moyen from?


Fletcher is from Caralot Poodles in Southern Indiana.


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

Yes Pella, Mochi is TC!!! Is Lena from the same litter? We know we were the first to take a puppy home from that litter so we don't know who got the rest. And were you the one that had a friend come with to video tape on an earlier visit? I saw video of Mochi's litter on Youtube before we went to get her and that was our only idea of what the place looked like before arriving.

Yesterday Mochi had her first experience of not being comfortable in a situation to the point she would not eat a treat, and I instantly thought of you and Lena. Her nails are going to need to be trimmed soon, and she's actually (finally) outgrowing her coat and crate which was the tiniest one we could find. She's somewhere around 6lbs and I think about 9inches tall but won't hold still for get an accurate measurement. 

Pictures are: Mochi maybe on 2nd day home looking so tiny next to my husband's shoes. And Mochi sometime in her 3rd week home relaxing in her playpen. Finally, in our little pushcart yesterday which was the situation she was not happy about.

What are Lena's stats?


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

*Edit*

Suddenly it won't let me "edit" my last post.

Just wanted to correct that Mochi's height is closer to 10.5" (not 9).


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## Pella (Oct 7, 2014)

sparkyjoe I know Caralot is one of the few other breeders doing Moyen sized Poodles--I heard they had a litter in early January of this year? I know they do health testing too. I didn't want to ship a puppy though!! I also think they do just large mini male to smaller standard female crosses to do the moyen size right? They don't import any of the European Klein Poodles? 

BrooklynBonnies YES LENA IS FROM THE SAME LITTER! Abigail x Jasper born on 12-2-2014. And yes my mother took those videos during our first visit...I took one of the kennel environment too but have not posted it. Lena is the one apricot female with the whit nose splotch--it disappeared when Arlene bathed and shaved her the day I picked her up!

Lena weighs 7.2lbs right now. I don't know what her height is but I'll measure her soon. I'm also going to send you a private message. It's so nice to know where one of Lena's litter mates has gone!

Thanks for sharing pictures of Mochi! It's great to hear she's doing so well. She certainly had a lot of presence the day I visited in January and met her. I know the mustache boy also has a home--as far as I know the others are still there in the tiny kennel run, with Abigail. I saw nearly full grown puppies in with their mom--four bodies to that one little 3 x 3 foot space...maybe they are 4 x 4 ft?? I know there's the outdoor runs attached but still. Especially in these -20 F temps we've been having this winter...

Arlene said Jasper did live up at the house when her niece visits I think? I do see her make an effort to rotate them through a bit. It seems she has a very firm grasp on how rough it is on them as she was adamant with me that I not use crates or x pens or "cages of any kind" which is one of the reasons I was shocked to see them all...well...in cages. But I think maybe Arlene knows that after their initial experience being what it is it's important they not have crates anymore. I do see her doing everything she can for them within her means to make things better...and I do feel like she knows her stuff better in some ways than other breeders i talked to...just such a mixed thing...


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Pella said:


> sparkyjoe I know Caralot is one of the few other breeders doing Moyen sized Poodles--I heard they had a litter in early January of this year? I know they do health testing too. I didn't want to ship a puppy though!! I also think they do just large mini male to smaller standard female crosses to do the moyen size right? They don't import any of the European Klein Poodles?


Yes, I believe they had a litter in January. 

I totally understand about not wanting to ship. Although I loved my first dog, a full sized Standard Poodle, he was a hand full, with energy to spare and anxiety issues. He wasn't shipped, but was picked up by my parents when they were on vacation in the area; he was 4 months old when I got him. It should have been a huge red flag when the Aunt of my puppy lunged at my father, ripping his shirt, but I didn't know what I know now.

The next dog I got, a 14 month old full sized Standard Poodle, I insisted on meeting the breeder and dog before I made a decision. I was assured that the dog was "raised in the home", was housebroken, and would be best in a single dog home. I was referred to this breeder by a well respected Poodle person who I had known for 12 years.

I have Chronic Migraine, so I had thought an older dog would be good for me. Well, it turned out the dog had extreme separation anxiety and needed to relearn house breaking. I just couldn't deal with it alone with my brain issues. I returned the dog, but in the process I learned that the dog likely *had* been "raised in the home" as a baby pup, but when she was older she was moved out to the kennel/grooming building, where she spent most of her time in the company of other dogs. She was apparently (re-sold?) to a home with a guy who rarely left the house and had another dog, so she was never alone and did great.

With our new pup, I love the Standard Poodle, but I knew I wanted a smaller size, as did my husband who isn't a fan of big dogs. I also wanted to be able to check out where the pup was raised. I'm limited in how far I can drive due to my migraines, but with a husband who can drive, we looked for a place within 5 hours of home. They were close to the edge of our driving limit, but I spoke with Julie at Caralot and liked that they health test, participate in dog events, and that the pups are raised in the home. 

I know it's an issue for some, but crossing a small Standard bi*ch to a large Mini dog doesn't bother me. I believe that they are no longer breeding Standards, and are working with 2nd or 3rd generation crosses to achieve the Moyen/Medium size. It's always possible that they will incorporate European stock, but it's not a concern for me if they do or not.

We drove out to pick our puppy, and the kennel setup for momma and pups was right in the middle of the living space in the home. There were gates and doors where dogs could be divided off as needed, but I didn't see an outdoor kennel space, and everything (dogs included) smelled and looked clean.

I'm all for having options, and I think it's great that you found a wonderful pup close to home. 

Yay, Poodles!


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## Pella (Oct 7, 2014)

sparkyjoe I appreciate you sharing your own "finding a Poodle" experiences...it sounds like you learned a lot in the process & ended up in a good place at Caralot. Wonderful to hear that they take such great care of Mom & pups! I'm going to have to look around for more photos of your boy!


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Pella said:


> sparkyjoe I appreciate you sharing your own "finding a Poodle" experiences...it sounds like you learned a lot in the process & ended up in a good place at Caralot. Wonderful to hear that they take such great care of Mom & pups! I'm going to have to look around for more photos of your boy!


If you're interested, Fletcher has an album that you can find in my PF user profile.


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## Naira (Jan 9, 2015)

Thank you for sharing your story! I got my previous mini from a very poor breeder before I knew better. Even though I paid for him, I really feel like he was a rescue. He wasn't even undersocialized...he was NOT SOCIALIZED AT ALL. For the first 3 months of his life, he never went outside. Our challenge for his whole life was dealing with his fear and reactivity...he eventually was very receptive towards meeting women only indoors...he didn't care for ANYONE male or female outside, and only a select few males indoors. I couldn't take him to pet stores, walks, or really any event because he hated being around people outside. I tried everything to build up his confidence, but he was just a very fearful dog who would hide from people and growl at them if they got close. Since he was a very young puppy..

I say that to tell you it could be worse. Thank you for getting Lena and sharing her with us. Like you, I believe in reputable breeders who know their puppies/lines. Naira (spoo) is just what I wanted...a happy, well adjusted, confident puppy who I can take everywhere (but not too overly confident/pushy/exuberant). Took me a loooooong time to find her and she's not the color I wanted (apricot), but the breeder had her temperament down to a science! I was originally interested in the moyen size...I think you said your girl is around 7 lbs at 11 weeks? Interestingly enough, Naira was just 7.9lbs at 11 weeks and some change, but their builds are so different..Naira has more of a standard-y muzzle, and had a stockier build when she was that age. She's approaching 18 wks and 21 lbs, so I think she will grow out of the moyen range...but I can live vicariously through Lena, Abby and the other moyens on this forum!









Naira b/t 11 and 12 weeks. Very small but very dense. Interesting how the same weight looks so different..Lena is so delicate


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## Pella (Oct 7, 2014)

Naira, thank you for sharing all of that with me. It's good to hear your story. I have some kind of lofty goals for Lena--am hoping to do her CGC AND use her as a therapy dog, so I feel some pressure in some ways to do EVERYTHING I can to socialize her really really well right now. It seems like the best things is just baby steps forward all the time. Today I drove her about a mile into town and some of my neighbors spotted her in my back seat so she came out of the car to say hi and was a little bundle of affection towards them. Then we drove to some local trails and she had her first walk off of my property. She LOVED the trails!! She pranced the whole way! She was a bit shivery when we got back to the car but still didn't want to leave yet. I have hopes that with more socialization she will make a great dog. Here's hoping!

And yes your Mini does sound like a rescue.  Very very sad to see breeders doing things in a way that leads directly to rescues...


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## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

Pella said:


> BrooklynBonnies YES LENA IS FROM THE SAME LITTER! Abigail x Jasper born on 12-2-2014. And yes my mother took those videos during our first visit...I took one of the kennel environment too but have not posted it. Lena is the one apricot female with the whit nose splotch--it disappeared when Arlene bathed and shaved her the day I picked her up!
> 
> Lena weighs 7.2lbs right now. I don't know what her height is but I'll measure her soon. I'm also going to send you a private message. It's so nice to know where one of Lena's litter mates has gone!
> 
> ...


It's great to know a bit more about how Arlene works and I was glad to get your PM with details too. Ever since I saw the first picture of the three girls from Lena & Mochi's litter, I wondered who was getting the little girl with the white splotch! It is so cool that after more than two months of wondering I actually found out and can keep in touch now! I am confident in our pups and look forward to seeing how they grow up together. :biggrin1:


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## schpeckie (Jun 29, 2010)

Lena is absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing your story with us. Love to see more pictures soon of your angel!

Sylvia & the girls


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