# Our first family walk with all three



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Pixel was only in the stroller for the picture... She's happy walking. Panda doesn't really know how to walk on leash yet!


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Wonderful! You have beautiful children!


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## Annabellam (Nov 2, 2015)

That's a cute family you have there. Where did you buy the stroller? Sammy has 2 strollers in the house but he never really likes them. I think he just prefers to run around although the leash still restrains him.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Annabellam said:


> That's a cute family you have there. Where did you buy the stroller? Sammy has 2 strollers in the house but he never really likes them. I think he just prefers to run around although the leash still restrains him.


I bought it on Amazon, but it's a Pet Gear one. I had another brand before this, but it was't as well made, and you could only fit one dog in it.

Kodi and Pixel almost always walk, but Panda is only 3 months old, and even if it weren't for the cold, long walks aren't good for baby puppies. However, I want all of mine to accept riding in the stroller, because it allows us to take them places a dog on leash wouldn't be welcome. Many stores get funny about a dog on leash, but other than food stores, almost none object to a dog who is completely enclosed in a stroller. Also, when we are vacationing, we very often will have lunch at a dog friendly, outdoor restaurant. But I don't want my dogs finding and eating scraps and crumbs under the table. It's also nice having them up at our level so that we can interact with them while we eat. Finally, I also like that we can pop them in the stroller to keep them dry when we are out and about in the rain on vacation.

Now, what we're going to do with THREE of them... I'm not sure. Any two of the three will fit in the stroller. But it would be a REALLY tight squeeze for all three!!!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

That's a good looking family! Your stroller looks like what I used for our corgi, Foxy, after she could no longer walk. Ours was an AT3 Pet Gear stroller also purchased from Amazon. For anyone interested, Amazon sometimes has "used" ones that are discounted, but perfectly fine. We got a used one from Amazon and it looked brand new, never used. The original box it came in was damaged somewhat and that was the only thing wrong. I buy "used" from Amazon all the time now. It's never been a problem.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> However, I want all of mine to accept riding in the stroller, because it allows us to take them places a dog on leash wouldn't be welcome. Many stores get funny about a dog on leash, but other than food stores, almost none object to a dog who is completely enclosed in a stroller. Also, when we are vacationing, we very often will have lunch at a dog friendly, outdoor restaurant. But I don't want my dogs finding and eating scraps and crumbs under the table.


Thanks for posting the advantages of a stroller. I never understood the concept because dog strollers are not very common in our area.

We generally put Ricky in a shopping cart when visiting a dog friendly store. Popi is a little more aggressive about this than Momi. Popi says that if dogs are not welcome, then a staff member will approach and Popi will apologize and exit immediately. Popi does realize that some venues are just not appropriate for dogs - grocery markets and Costco. However Popi will take Ricky to a Costco that has an outdoor food court. The Costco outdoor food court is probably not familiar to many of you, but they are very common in California and Mexico.

With regards to outdoor restaurants, we and Ricky use them frequently. Ricky has been trained to exhibit good manners in these venues. We do put him on a very short leash tied to a chair to keep him out of foot traffic. Popi scans the floor under the table to make sure it is clear of food debris. And we always bring a Kong stuffed with non-perishables to keep Ricky occupied at our feet. At times. Ricky will lay on his back, spread eagle and hold the Kong to his mouth with his front paws like a baby with a milk bottle. Ricky is completely innocent about showing his "junk" to the world!

So far, this has been a particularly cold and wet winter in California, but still not cold and wet enough to justify a stroller or even a dog sweater.

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> That's a good looking family! Your stroller looks like what I used for our corgi, Foxy, after she could no longer walk. Ours was an AT3 Pet Gear stroller also purchased from Amazon. For anyone interested, Amazon sometimes has "used" ones that are discounted, but perfectly fine. We got a used one from Amazon and it looked brand new, never used. The original box it came in was damaged somewhat and that was the only thing wrong. I buy "used" from Amazon all the time now. It's never been a problem.


Mine was new, but the box was damaged. (it was advertised that way) So mine was discounted too. 

I THINK mine is the AT3... there are two, similar, Pet Gear strollers, one is just a bit larger than the other. Since I wanted to put both Kodi and Pixel in it (this was pre-Panda) I got whichever was larger.

Although these are more expensive than some strollers, I am SO glad I upgraded. My old one needed to be zipped and unzipped to get the dog in and out, which was a pain in the neck. The Pet Gear strollers have a hard edge to the screened part, and there is a clamp that opens and closes them. Very easy to work with one hand, and doesn't cause strain on the screen the way the zipper did on the old one. It also rolls and turns SO much easier than my cheaper one! The only thing that isn't as nice is that it doesn't fold down as small as the old one. But when we travel, we typically have the pick-up truck, so that's not really a problem. And I CAN get it into the Mini Cooper on top of my crates... It's just not easy! 

I'm not sorry I bought the cheap one first though, it convinced me that we really would use it, we DID use it for a couple of years, and then I gave it to a friend who didn't have a stroller at all. So it was worth the $30 in the long run. When I bought the Pet Gear, I made sure to look at a lot of strollers that friends had before making my decision.


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## SadiesNana (Jan 1, 2016)

Oh, you have beautiful babies!!!! Thanks for sharing!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> I THINK mine is the AT3... there are two, similar, Pet Gear strollers, one is just a bit larger than the other. Since I wanted to put both Kodi and Pixel in it (this was pre-Panda) I got whichever was larger.
> 
> Although these are more expensive than some strollers, I am SO glad I upgraded.


Yes, these are great strollers. They turn on a dime with that front wheel and the big tires make it all-terrain. They are worth the extra $$.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

That is the same stroller I had (one of them) for Hallie also. Sophie has inherited it. I really like it too.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

I am not sure how to rotate a photo....but wanted to say that Tucker is ADORABLE in his stroller!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Maybe I should have kept my stroller, although it was a big one since Foxy was a full-sized dog with short legs. However, I gave it to someone who has a corgi that is also developing what Foxy had (degenerative myelopathy) and she needed it. Made me feel good to give it to her. She drove all the way up from Olympia to get it. I don't know if I would ever use one with Willow, unless she became disabled.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Maybe I should have kept my stroller, although it was a big one since Foxy was a full-sized dog with short legs. However, I gave it to someone who has a corgi that is also developing what Foxy had (degenerative myelopathy) and she needed it. Made me feel good to give it to her. She drove all the way up from Olympia to get it. I don't know if I would ever use one with Willow, unless she became disabled.


Lots of people get by just fine without them. But they can be very useful when traveling with dogs! (and we like to take them as many places as we can!)


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## Laurmann2000 (Sep 12, 2015)

Love the picture Karen.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Karen, what size coat did you get Pixel? I think Rudy might be close to her size? Does she have a long body?

Thanks,
Lisa


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lisa T. said:


> Karen, what size coat did you get Pixel? I think Rudy might be close to her size? Does she have a long body?
> 
> Thanks,
> Lisa


All of Pixel's clothes are hand-me-downs from a friend's Papillon who passed away last spring. They say "Size 12"" in them, but my experience is that dog clothing sizes vary a LOT from brand to brand, just like people clothes, and I don't know who made these. (the one Panda is wearing in that photo is also one of these coats, although it's really still too big for her) Pixel is not particularly long for a Havanese. If anything, she is leggier than most. She weighs 9 1/2 lbs. OTOH, the Papillon that these were purchased for was even taller and lighter, at 7 1/2 lbs.


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## midwifeheather (Jan 30, 2015)

oh wow 3 puppies, lovely furbabies!


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## Zarika (Dec 16, 2012)

Karen I didn't know you got a third dog. How wonderful! How much time passed between getting pixel and panda? What made you decide on a third?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Zarika said:


> Karen I didn't know you got a third dog. How wonderful! How much time passed between getting pixel and panda? What made you decide on a third?


Pixel is 11 months, and I would NEVER have PLANNED on two so close in age. But it was a case of a really good opportunity coming along, and it seemed silly to say no, just because the timing wan't perfect. It has been made easier because when it comes to house manners, Pixel has been an EXTREMELY easy puppy. She is now a good role model for Panda.

As to "WHY" Panda? A friend of mine who is not a "breeder" per se, but has a very nice stud dog, wanted to have just one litter, so she could have a performance dog that she had raised herself. She had me and another friend come down to temperament test the litter for her. There was this girl who just, IMO, was head and shoulders above the others... but was NOT the puppy she had chosen to keep. She wanted to keep a boy, so she didn't have to deal with a girl in her household of all male dogs. (completely understandable! ) The male is a very nice boy too, BTW.

I STILL wasn't thinking of taking this girl...she was actually already promised to a show home, and I wasn't thinking about a new puppy at all! The show home later fell through. Elizabeth called me up and asked if I'd be interested in her. Well... I wasn't in the MARKET for another dog, but this one was special. I went down twice more, and each time she impressed me more. It seemed like it was meant to be. So Panda became one of the family!


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Congrats on the additions to the family Karen! Very cute group!


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## Laurmann2000 (Sep 12, 2015)

krandall said:


> Pixel is 11 months, and I would NEVER have PLANNED on two so close in age. But it was a case of a really good opportunity coming along, and it seemed silly to say no, just because the timing wan't perfect. It has been made easier because when it comes to house manners, Pixel has been an EXTREMELY easy puppy. She is now a good role model for Panda.
> 
> As to "WHY" Panda? A friend of mine who is not a "breeder" per se, but has a very nice stud dog, wanted to have just one litter, so she could have a performance dog that she had raised herself. She had me and another friend come down to temperament test the litter for her. There was this girl who just, IMO, was head and shoulders above the others... but was NOT the puppy she had chosen to keep. She wanted to keep a boy, so she didn't have to deal with a girl in her household of all male dogs. (completely understandable! ) The male is a very nice boy too, BTW.
> 
> I STILL wasn't thinking of taking this girl...she was actually already promised to a show home, and I wasn't thinking about a new puppy at all! The show home later fell through. Elizabeth called me up and asked if I'd be interested in her. Well... I wasn't in the MARKET for another dog, but this one was special. I went down twice more, and each time she impressed me more. It seemed like it was meant to be. So Panda became one of the family!


Thanks for sharing this. I'm curious. When you say she was "this girl who just, IMO, was head and shoulders above the others." what do you mean? In temperament? Conformation? Just wondering.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurmann2000 said:


> Thanks for sharing this. I'm curious. When you say she was "this girl who just, IMO, was head and shoulders above the others." what do you mean? In temperament? Conformation? Just wondering.


Well, yes, conformation-wise, I thought she was the nicest pup in the litter, though there were only two (in a litter of 9) that had obvious "problems" from a conformation stand-point at 8 weeks... one was so long backed he was like a choo-choo train, and one had a short tail that didn't curve AT ALL, making it questionable whether it will ever curve forward nicely, the way a Havanese tail should. Neither issue would matter for a pet puppy, and the tail thing wouldn't have stood in the way in terms of performance. Panda, has nice straight legs, a pretty head and a good bite. (though that can go off as puppies mature) Her tail might be SLIGHTLY tighter than I'd like, but it's certainly not a "tight tail". Most important, there is nothing about her conformation that would make me not want to do dog sports with her.

But it was her personality that grabbed me. ALL the puppies did well on the temperament testing. (although I believe she did score highest) But, to give you an example, for the first part of temperament testing, the puppy is placed in an unfamiliar room, with unfamiliar people. (the person administering the test and an observer/scribe) The people are supposed to avoid making eye contact with the puppy, or in any way drawing attention to themselves. This is an opportunity for the puppy to explore the environment and become comfortable there. The two ends of the spectrum are SUPPOSED to be, the puppy who immediately starts exploring all areas of the room, and the puppy who "freezes" and can't explore at all. And, of course, all the variations between those two extremes. Then there was Panda. Who danced into the room on her hind legs, and made a bee-line for us. When we purposely wouldn't meet her gaze, she did everything but cartwheels trying to engage us. (really hard not to laugh when a puppy is doing that!!! ) How do you even SCORE that?!?! the testing protocol doesn't even give you any guidelines for that behavior.  She continued to be the MOST people-oriented puppy throughout the testing, but was also extremely play driven, had a great retrieve, great recovery from a startle, great food motivation... all the things you want to see in a performance puppy.

I was totally charmed by her. With 9 puppies to get through, they all start to blur together, and you just have to keep careful notes on who was who. SHE was the only one who really stuck out in my mind. Each time we went down to see the puppies again, she was the one who raced away from her litter mates to see us. She picked me as much as the other way around, and I went with it!


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Interesting testing info. Sounds like a match made in heaven. Panda is adorable!


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## Laurmann2000 (Sep 12, 2015)

That was so fascinating to read Karen. I know nothing about temperament testing so thanks for explaining that. Itsounds like Panda is quite the character. I bet you're having so much fun with her. So glad you two found each other. It seems like it was meant to be.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurmann2000 said:


> That was so fascinating to read Karen. I know nothing about temperament testing so thanks for explaining that. Itsounds like Panda is quite the character. I bet you're having so much fun with her. So glad you two found each other. It seems like it was meant to be.


Temperament testing doesn't tell you everything, and it needs to be taken for what it is... A "snapshot" view of what the puppy's strengths and weeknesses might be. It has to be balanced with what the breeder knows about the puppy too, from living with them day and night. But I still think it is a useful tool... Especially if you want a dog for a specific purpose. A puppy that will be a good performance dog, and one that will be a good therapy dog will ahve slightly different temperaments, even though both are still dogs with "good temperaments". The average performance dog puppy would drive someone nuts if they were looking for a quiet little cuddle bug.


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## Laurmann2000 (Sep 12, 2015)

krandall said:


> Temperament testing doesn't tell you everything, and it needs to be taken for what it is... A "snapshot" view of what the puppy's strengths and weeknesses might be. It has to be balanced with what the breeder knows about the puppy too, from living with them day and night. But I still think it is a useful tool... Especially if you want a dog for a specific purpose. A puppy that will be a good performance dog, and one that will be a good therapy dog will ahve slightly different temperaments, even though both are still dogs with "good temperaments". The average performance dog puppy would drive someone nuts if they were looking for a quiet little cuddle bug.


That's true with everything. For example standardized testing in kids. Is the SAT a total example of their academic abilities? No, it's just one tool. Need to look at the whole picture. Does it give you an idea of their academic abilities. Yes. Just like you said above with temperament testing. Sounds fascinating though and I would love to see that done at some point. BTW, I want the quiet cuddle bug. LOL.


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