My Amazing Life with Poodles and Doodles

Laura Ellsworth, founder of Doodle Dogs Utopia

It started with Zsa Zsa

As a small child, I remember my first introduction to my parent’s silver miniature Poodle.  Her name was Zsa Zsa.  My family loved exotic names!  Zsa Zsa was loyal but never socialized.  She protected the family and would bark ferociously.  One day, my parents hired a cleaning lady.  They came home from doing errands and found the cleaning lady had locked herself in a bedroom because Zsa Zsa tried to bite her every time she came out.  Another time, it was a hot summer day.  I wore a one-piece leopard-skin swimsuit and ran out to jump in the pool. Thinking I was a threatening wild animal, Zsa Zsa bit me in the crouch! Needless to say, I was not too impressed with the Poodle dog breed.

Mimi

A year or two later, a new silver miniature poodle puppy came along.  Her name was Mimi!  This was when I truly fell in love with poodles!  She was fun, lively, fetched balls, and played with me adoringly.  She very much had the genetics of the circus poodles I described in my article about Poodles. When Mimi passed away, my parents were heartbroken.

Beaucoup, Reginald, and Beauregard

A few months later, it was a few days before Easter Sunday.  I purchased the sweetest silver miniature female poodle puppy and left her in an Easter basket on my parent’s doorstep.  My mother cried tears of joy and named her Beaucoup.  (This means “too much” in French.)  Beaucoup had three puppies.  My parents and my brother raised Reginald and Beauregard, the other being stillborn.  They brought amazing companionship.  Beauregard jumped into my brother’s arms every day he came home from work. He lived to be 18 years old.

Oscar and Lily

Meanwhile, I decided that in my own home, I would try a different size and color poodle.  I bought a toy apricot poodle and named him Oscar. (after seeing small-sized hot dogs in the deli section at the store).  As a puppy, I carried him around in my coat pocket. We were inseparable!  Oscar liked to wrap himself around my neck as I sat on the couch or went for a car ride. I remember two very funny moments with him.

He liked to bark at the very lovable Saint Bernard next door, who was always a little frustrated because there was a fence between them.  One day, Oscar came running as fast as he could.  He scratched on our back door and was so excited that he left a small poop!  Right behind him was the Saint Bernard that he teased every day.

After that, he stayed in a bit more.  When he greeted the Saint Bernard, they had more mutual respect and friendship for each other!  Oscar grew older and was comfortable on the couch or bed, relaxing and watching TV.  I was cleaning the house and had turned on a baseball game.  Someone was singing the national anthem.  Much to my astonishment, Oscar had his neck straight in the air and was also singing!  My mother still owned Beaucoup at this time, and my brother had just gifted her a teacup poodle named Lily.  My mother and I discovered that when we talked in high-pitched tones, we could get our dear poodles to sing!

Wally and Lana

In the next season of my life, I gave birth to two wonderful children!  As toddlers It was only natural that we would, of course, have two new family Poodles.  Lana, a toy in apricot color (named after the lovely Lana Turner with her breathtakingly long legs), and a little male toy that my husband named Wally  They were quite a pair!  They played with and protected our children.  Lana was quite loveable.  Wally was quite affectionate but often very grumpy.  One day, a visitor driving a Cadillac car ran over Wally! Believe it or not, his belly had tire marks and was swollen, but there were no fractures, and he lived a few years longer!

Sasha Died Protecting the Family

After Wally and Lana, our family was ready for a new dog.  My husband was suggesting a larger breed.  I walked by a popular dog magazine, and there was a photo of a cream-colored Standard Poodle.  I started looking online and found a breeder that was an hour’s drive away.  She was perfect!  Our children named her Sasha.  She was cream-colored with apricot ears.  She was incredibly sweet, loved each family member equally, and was such a wonderful family dog.  She was mischievous!  One year, I gift-wrapped 12 boxes of specialty cookies and put them under our Christmas tree.  She ate every cookie in every box!  Sadly, Sasha passed away unexpectedly.  The family went out to dinner on New Year’s Eve.  We came home one hour later.  Our house had been broken into.  Sasha was a great watchdog and was found drowned in the pool.  She was 17 years old.

How I founded Doodle Dogs Utopia: Annie, Coco, and Tweety

We were absolutely heartbroken by the loss of Sasha.  My husband said that we really needed to wait.  About 2 years later, I had a very vivid dream.  It awakened me suddenly.  There were two red poodles in a very beachy setting.  The next morning I looked online, and I really had never heard of red poodles before.  I found the most stunning photo of a red Standard Poodle.  I printed the photo and kept it on my wall.  The only comment on the photo was the name “Penny”.

Another year passed. I looked at that photo every day, not realizing that I was manifesting what was to come.  I looked online again and typed in “red standard poodle puppies.”.  On a website, there were new puppies born to a breeder in Seattle, Washington.  To my amazement, the puppy that I purchased was Penny’s daughter!  Her name is Coco!  She is alive and well and brings us “pure joy” (our tagline).

I started researching all of the different types of Doodle Dog breeds and compiled an overview of every one on this blog!  Eight months ago, I was still wondering about my dream—two red dogs?  And why were they on the beach?

In recent years, the last of my parent’s dogs passed away.  I once again initiated a trip to a breeder, and my dad acquired “Annie” , a very different-personality miniature apricot poodle.  She and Coco were great friends until Annie died from Diabetes last year. Coco was very sad.

I knew that Coco would light up with a new companion. I absolutely love the size of a Standard Poodle, but Coco should be the queen, and a new puppy should be “her princess.” Everything online was about red Goldendoodles! So, “Tweety” came into our lives on Valentine’s Day! (8 weeks old)

Then I figured out the part about the beach in my dream.  I went traveling with my cousin to the east coast.  On Martha’s Vineyard, we visited a beautiful pet store for dogs.  It was very disappointing.  I bought a few treats for Coco, but what I really wanted was some type of personalized item about Coco.  All of the store’s items were very general.

My creative ingenuity, derived from my background as a professional picture framer and my passion for poodles and doodles, led me to create this blog.  I want it to be a community for existing and future Doodle Dog owners with resources, tips, inspiring stories from Doodle Dog owners everywhere, and a personalized online Doodle Dogs Utopia gift store. (Coming soon)

Best Tip for Acquiring a New Doodle Dog

I have loved every Poodle and now Doodle Dog I have known (except Zsa Zsa).  There is heartbreak any time you lose a beloved pet. Don’t wait too long to get another.  A new joy will happen.  By far, my current dogs, Coco and Tweety, are exceptional in their loving character and intelligence.  Research the background of the doodle dog you are considering.  Make sure the parents are of pure lineage, which can be a likely indicator of good health.

Also, if this is a second dog for you, make sure to be fair to the first one. If the first dog is too old, a new puppy may not be a good fit.  Perhaps a rescue dog close in age

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We love hearing stories about how Doodle Dogs have brought joy and happiness to people’s lives. From providing companionship and emotional support to serving as therapy dogs, they truly make a positive difference. Please share your stories and tips for all types of Doodle Dogs!