Past Litters

You are one reason he's so gorgeous.:-)
If you want to use his picture on any promo
literature for your kennels, feel free.
(I am a bit prejudiced in that I think
he's the best looking dog there is);-)
"Seamus" - Lizzy x Jasper
Owned by Joe

I thought you might like to see some photos of Gideon [Jasper x Chloe Dec 2004 # 11] and hear a little about him.

Gideon is the talk of the town everywhere he goes. Everyone comments on his beauty. He is a stunning strong true apricot color with silky soft hair. And he has a lovely slender athletic build.

Everyone flocks to him wherever he goes. He is friendly and outgoing. Great with children. He is an unusually sweet dog. Calm. Charming. Very quick to learn. [In addition to the usual obedience things, he has learned a number of tricks - "High Five", "Shake Hands", "Crawl", "Bear" and so on.] He is very funny. Quite a clown. And not afraid of anything. He has been an avid retriever ever since he arrived. [His favorite toy is the one he brought with him from Montana.] And he loves to play with water. He would have made a great hunting dog I suspect - although I do not hunt. He is determined to be the fastest dog in northern California and works at it all the time. I cannot outride him on my bike - even if I have a very long start!

But, he is a young standard poodle. So he does have almost limitless energy at the moment. But ... if he gets a reasonable amount of exercise he does just fine.

He has gone to work with me - many times. He has taken some (very long) classes with me. He goes to the hairdresser with me. Shops downtown with me. But when he is home alone, he does very well indeed.

He has taken two obedience classes and he did very well. We started a puppy agility class. And we will take more agility in the Spring. Once he is a year old we will do pet therapy too.

Gideon spent a lot of time at the coast this summer - which he loves. But very soon he will be playing in the snow in the Sierra.

I haven't chatted with you in a long time! I thought I would send you a few pics of Holly that I just took today. I am in the middle of banding her hair for a grooming competition coming up in August. This is her very first time cut in the continental show cut. It was so fun to see how different she looked after I was all done.

I took her off the grooming table to give her a break, she went to lay down on the floor and as quick as she layed down she shot up and looked back at her rear. Like that was pretty cold back there what the heck!?

Debbie she is such a good girl, my grandson is almost 2 years old and climbs on her, sits on her, pulls her hair etc. and she just looks at him and takes it or gets up and moves. Holly's temperament is so gentle, when I have new dogs that come to the grooming shop for daycare she will try everything to get to know the new dog. She will first lay flat on the floor, then she goes over belly up, then springs up and play bows. If none of this works she grabs a toy and nudges the dog with it till it plays. She is just awesome!

Sorry I have been so behind with the holidays and all. I wanted to send you some updated pics of Zane - who celebrated his 2nd birthday on 11/13. You will see the progression of "please get this stupid hat off of my head," to "hurry up and blow out the candles so I can eat it!" to "I like my apple cupcake" to "I got a new ball - take your picture so I can go play with it!" He is a character as always!

My big news though is that I just signed us up for our first competition! We are going to compete in a Rally trial on Feb. 25 and 26. I am also looking for an agility trial - but in the meantime we are going to try another "show & go" this weekend to see how Zane handles the distractions.

We had a "substitute" agility instructor this past week who absolutely loved Zane - even with all of his "antics." Her exact words were "what a cool dog - he is going to be terrific when he gets just a little older and more focused!"

You see - right now he is fast, smart and knows all the obstacles - the only problem being his focus is not always where it needs to be! If we run anywhere near other people or dogs, Zane feels compelled to go say "hi"!

For so many months (over a year now!) I've wanted to write and tell
you what a marvelous dog Ruby is, and how much we love her. She is
still, at over a year and a half, tremendously joyful and exuberant,
and LOVES all dogs and people -- she's also so unterritorial she
loves to have other dogs come over. She is just a joy, and so
healthy: we're indebted to you for all your good care, and I've just
recommended you to our daughter and son-in-law.

Ruby has a good life -- is with me most days while I write, and has
loving dog-walkers when I'm teaching. My mother died last year, and
I was gone a chunk of time. My husband works long hours, so she
spent some time at what we've found is a great puppy "hotel" near us, where the dogs run around a house free as birds together, sleep on top of each other, etc. So when we take vacations she is very happy to go there -- just the mention of it makes her tail wag and her
impatient to GO!

Many many thanks for all.

Susan Wheeler

It is so hard to believe that Tulie is 15 months old. It seems like just yesterday that I inquired about your wonderful little phantom only to be told she was spoken for! A couple of weeks later you told me that she was mine if I wanted her! Funny how things work out.

She is absolutely delightful. Her personality and beauty draw attention wherever we go. She has a BIG DOG bark that she uses if she thinks that her mom may be in danger from unknown people traveling down HER street, or ringing HER doorbell!! She has the cutest little squeaky bark when she and Bridget are playing and she gets excited about something. It is fun to watch her stand and "talk" to her "sister" Bridget until Bridget agrees to play chase yet again! The two of them play chase until their tongues are hanging out of their mouths. They take turns being the chaser! Tulie keeps Bridget young!!

Tulie is a wonderful traveler. She is quiet and polite in motels and she and Bridget peacefully share their space in their second home, the back end of my Subaru Outback. I cherish the cool weather because I love to take both girls with me wherever I go and they love to go!!

I am attaching some photos that I thought you might enjoy. Some of them really show off Tulie's eyelashes which always attract attention!

Aubrey

Beth and Alan Jackson
Rayeh X David 2006

Hi Debbie,

This is a long overdue update on Shiloh and Cherokee's puppy Aesop.
He's a true joy to have in the house and we are blessed to have found you and your breeding program as he is everything we were looking for! That first day he bounced right out of the crate in the cargo area ready for anything and he has continued to grow into a character. He's a very confident puppy, never startles at loud city noises and loves all people and dogs. He's very intelligent and learned the basic commands sit, stay, come early. As a result I can take him anywhere.

Cambridge is very dog friendly and most local businesses allow dogs, so Aesop frequently goes shopping with me and has learned to sit quietly while I make purchases, etc.. He even rides the subway and loves the attention he gets from people who can't believe that a dog would walk right underground and onto a noisy train without batting an eyelash. Many local restaurants have outdoor seating and Aesop can usually hold a very good down stay under the table while we eat, though he might get up to investigate if we happen to order seafood which is a big favorite.

Don't worry, he gets to be a real dog's dog just about every day. We live two blocks from a great dog park which we visit often. Massachusetts is full of lakes and ponds and Aesop has become a very confident swimmer, sometimes astonishing the owners of Labs and Goldens whose "water retrievers" just won't swim. As for retrieving, he's a real pro and getting better all the time. He has a few Standard Poodle friends and the owners of these dogs have all commented on his excellent temperament. He's a mellow dog in the house but is happy to run and swim off-leash when given the chance. I've noticed that many standards are reserved and sometimes even stand-offish. Aesop does not even come close to either of those descriptions. He is a friendly tail wagger. Always ready to meet new dogs and people.

We've become very interested in retriever training and who knows, perhaps next summer we'll be working on a Junior Hunter title!

God Bless,

Cassandra and Adrian Wright

Steinway (Clementine x David 2005)

Hi Debbie,

Thought we would send you an updated picture of Steinway (1 year and 4 months). He and our other poodle, Rigsby, are best friends and play all the time. Steinway is the most loving dog I have ever seen and loves to hug! The move from North Carolina went well and they have a nice big back yard to run around in. We get many compliments on what a beautiful standard Steinway is.

Take care,
Cheryl Connor

Hi Debbie,

Thought you might like to see a photo of Ben taken at about 7 months after his clip. He'a a beauty, a very special dog--and a big boy!

I am giving you an update on our wonderful Ben. About 4 weeks ago we lost our beloved chow chow, Lucy to cancer. I am so glad that I have had Ben around to comfort me during this sad time, I truly don't know what I would have done without him. He continues to bring such
sunshine into our lives. He does have the sweetest disposition of
just about any dog I have ever owned.

My Mom had a mini-stroke and I had to move into her house for 3 weeks to try and take care of her. So I brought Ben with me. He worked his special magic on my Mom and I know he was a factor in her quick recovery. She absolutely loves him, he became a great conversation piece for us. He would sit right down on Mom's feet, lick her hand just once and look up adoringly at her. He made her laugh at his comical ways and believe me, there was not much to laugh about at the time. He became the best therapy dog imaginable.

I will always be grateful to Ben for his wonderful manner and his healing qualities. I know the Lord knew that Lucy would die 5 months after we obtained Ben, and it was He who put the huge desire in me to get a puppy.

Thank you for raising such a wonderful, wonderful dog, we love him to
pieces.

Cynthia and Bob Finnerty

Hi Deb,

Our family had gotten a Standard from you 3-1/2 years ago. Jackie is a silver from Chloe and Timothy. She is the most amazing dog I have ever had. We love her to pieces and treat her like the queen that she is.

She and I go for a long walk/run every morning. I still make her food from your recipes sent when she was a pup. Her groomer shows dogs and has shown Standards and says, "Her hair is to die for. This is what poodle hair is supposed to be like!"

I check out your website once in a while just to go ga-ga over some puppy pics and see if you have any adults available. She has just the sweetest look and prettiest color.

I hope you and your family are doing well!

Janie Jones
Boyd, MT

Aesop (Shiloh X Cherokee 2006)

Hi Debbie,

This is a long overdue update on Shiloh and Cherokee's puppy Aesop.
He's a true joy to have in the house and we are blessed to have found
you and your breeding program, as he is everything we were looking for!

That first day he bounced right out of the crate in the cargo area ready for anything and he has continued to grow into a character. He's a very confident puppy, never startles at loud city noises and loves all people and dogs. He's very intelligent and learned the basic commands sit, stay, come early. As a result I can take him anywhere.

Cambridge is very dog friendly and most local businesses allow dogs, so Aesop frequently goes shopping with me and has learned to sit quietly while I make purchases, etc. He even rides the subway and loves the attention he gets from people who can't believe that a dog would walk right underground and onto a noisy train without batting an eyelash. Many local restaurants have outdoor seating and Aesop can usually hold a very good down stay under the table while we eat, though he might get up to investigate if we happen to order seafood which is a big favorite.

Don't worry, he gets to be a real dog's dog just about every day. We live two blocks from a great dog park which we visit often. Massachusetts is full of lakes and ponds and Aesop has become a very confident swimmer, sometimes astonishing the owners of Labs and Goldens whose "water retrievers" just won't swim. As for retrieving, he's a real pro and getting better all the time. He has a few Standard Poodle friends and the owners of these dogs have all commented on his excellent temperament. He's a mellow dog in the house but is happy to run and swim off-leash when given the chance. I've noticed that many standards are reserved and sometimes even stand-offish. Aesop does not even come close to either of those descriptions. He is a friendly tail wagger. Always ready to meet new dogs and people.

We've become very interested in retriever training and who knows, perhaps next summer we'll be working on a Junior Hunter title!

I have a few questions about the limited registration contract. I've recently done a lot of reading about neutering and am beginning to have a few reservations. I know that it's generally accepted that neutering between 6 and 9 months is healthy and helps to cut down on
possible aggression and wandering, not to mention the obvious sterilizing that takes place. I have no problem with neutering Aesop and certainly do not have any feeling that it will make him less male, etc. My concerns stem from a recent study done here in Boston by Tufts that shows a correlation between early neutering and bone cancer. Standard Poodles are growing and adding bone mass and muscle until they are almost two years of age and Tufts has found that, in large breed dogs, the presence of testosterone has an appreciable impact on that later development sometimes decreasing the risk of some types of cancer. If it were up to me and we were having no behavioral problems (which we are not), I would wait until he reached two years of age to neuter him. However, I wish to honor the contract we signed and I understand the importance of limited-registration contracts in preventing the breeding of non-show quality animals. This has been especially on my mind as AKC registration is necessary in order to compete in AKC hunt tests and I am unwilling-both out of respect for you and out of necessity in planning for competition-to allow him to remain unregistered.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter and hope that you do not feel as though you are being manipulated. With so many puppies every year it may be impractical and perhaps even impossible to make an exception and we will understand if you are unwilling to do so.

God Bless,

Cassandra and Adrian Wright

Shiloh Garden's Magical Merlin
(Chloe X Jasper 2005)

Hi there!

Haven't bothered you in a while. Merles Squirrels as we call him is doing great! I had had a rescue German Shepherd here for 2 months and when I found that dog a home I still had 3 lessons at my obedience class. Since this guy couldn't go I thought I'd take Merlin. He has been worked with but not really on the commands used in this class. Well, a star was born!!!!!!!!!

I would give him the command, he would look at my hand doing the movement, I'd repeat the command verbally and use the signal, on the second time he would do the command. He went into a down stay and I walked more than 2/3 of the way across an acre "ring" and he stayed there and then I called him to me (off lead since he hates it dragging while everyone else who were in the class all the previous 5 weeks) and he came straight for me as fast as he could and when I gave the sit command, he sat quietly. The policeman teaching the class started whooping and jumping up and down.

This guy, Fred, has never had a Standard in any of his classes. He was so excited to meet Merles and have him do soooooooooooo well. Aren't you proud?? I love this dog. Thanks, Jan and Merlin (and Lance too!)

Jan Fryman

Hi Debbie,

Just wanted you to know that our Sweet Harmony (Grace x Jasper) girl is adjusting to her new life with us beautifully. Neil and I are positive that she is the prettiest, smartest, most adorable puppy that ever was. :o)

Our other dog Emma is being very patient with her new puppy and Moe and the House Lions (the cats) are slowly coming to a mutually agreeable relationship. (She barks, they hiss .) She is a very calm puppy, but certainly plenty energetic, too! Chewing on things is really cool--we're working on choosing appropriate items for chewing. :o)

She is nearly housebroken, as well-only one little accident inside so far. Wow! She LOVES to be outside and it is great fun to watch her toddle and gambol around with her big feet.

We love her and will keep you updated.

Sweet Harmony's Happy Havens,

Leah and Neil

Debbie,

I just wanted to drop you a note to update you on Simon. He is wonderful, smart, funny, sweet temperament and mostly obedient. We had him neutered a couple of months ago, so I wanted to check on getting his papers and how to proceed. He is a great dog and we get compliments on his confirmation and beauty all the time. He is a wonderful companion.

I have trouble sending pictures through my e-mail for some unknown reason so I will send the pictures through Kodak soon. He is going to be a big boy. I notice his sire is big. Simon is already 26" in height and 55lbs so far. He is 10 months now and just a real sweet heart.

You provide people with such loving dogs. It is really something special. I actually had a woman leave a note on my car when I went into the store and left Simon in the back of the car. She wanted to know where I got him and said he was the most beautiful Standard she had seen in the area. I gave her you website and name.

Anyway thank you again. We are really pleased with Simon and just wanted you to know.

Sincerely,

Marti Welch
"Simon" (Holly X Jasper) 2005

"Monty"

To anyone looking for a wonderful puppy:

My Monty, “ Montana 's Mountain Dew”, was puppy #7 in the 2005 Peaches and David litter.

Here's a little bit about my fabulous poodle:

He is loving, gentle, and is able to adapt easily to whatever environment he is in.

If I am having a conversation, or working at my computer, he lays quietly on the floor by my feet or on his dog bed.

He is very athletic and loves to run, jump, and play fetch. We've just started agility classes and he is really excelling.

He is intelligent and learns quickly. He has done well in our Obedience and Rally classes and we will begin competing soon. In fact, our local professional dog trainer has told me that he can “go all the way” in Rally, Obedience, and Agility competitions.

He enjoys going with me to the elementary school where I work and can't get enough attention from the all of the children and teachers. I know I can take him anywhere (and have) and he will be friendly and show everybody what a fine dog he is.

This is my first dog and I would have never imagined that our first year together would be so wonderful. I feel like I made the right decision to get a Standard Poodle and feel very blessed to have found Shiloh Gardens.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Moore and Monty—
Peaches x David, 2005

Taylor (Peaches & David 2005)
Owned by Dan & Sharman Altman

Dear Deb,

I wanted to let you know a little about my boy Taylor. He will be a year old this Saturday and has lived with us for 9 months. In that time he has become a prominent part of our household and of our hearts.

Taylor is the first Standard Poodle I have ever had. Before Taylor was in my life, I would look at other poodles and they all looked pretty much alike to me. Now I am able to see the subtle variations that make the difference between a good poodle and a great poodle.

I started noticing that Taylor is extremely well proportioned and athletic and his gaits are exceptionally regal. I have people tell me all of the time what a lovely dog he is, and what a nice temperament he has. My vet says he is one of the nicest Standards he has seen. When I took him to obedience class he was a star pupil.

We spend all day, most every day, together. He is very independent yet a good companion; he is lying quietly by my side right now telling me what to say (yes, they are very smart). I hope to do more obedience with him and maybe some agility just for the fun of it all.

Sharman Altman and Shiloh Garden's Taylor Made

April 14, 2007

Hello Debbie,

Bronson is doing well. He now weighs 46 lbs and is 43" at the shoulder. He is really quite beautiful. I have been taking him to softball games and the comment time and time again is, "COOL DOG!!!!!" He behaves very well with strangers and yesterday was exposed to some very small children for the first time. He actually got down very low so they could pet him easily. He also does this with much smaller dogs when he can see that they are overwhelmed by his size.

His face is soooooooooo pretty and I think he has what I call the quintessential poodle nose. His eyes are separated perfectly and are the prettiest color of amber. His coat has a red tinge to it that draws compliments constantly. I have taken some new pictures of him after his last grooming and as soon as I download them I will get them to you.

Bronson's behavior is improving. The behavioralist has been very helpful via email as we have only had the one meeting with her. Bronson wears his gentle leader as a "teenage attitude adjustment" tool most of the time. He must give us something in order to get something from us almost all the time (i.e. food, to go out, affection). He is becoming quite trained!!!

We are attending our third round of dog training. I am very confident that he will be an awesome dog and a very welcome member to our family. I think he is very, very smart (too smart?) and with his confident personality (dogatality?) he has just tried to see just how much he can
get away with!

Example of Bronson's brilliance; After asking Bronson for a simple "sit" the other day Bronson was giving me his "on your side" trick because that's the latest and it has drawn LOTS of treats. I put my hands on my hips smiling and said in a conversational tone to him, "Oh Bronson, all I really wanted was for you to sit!" With that he got up from laying completely on his side with his head down and got into a sit and looked at me as if to say, "Okay Mom!" I just about died. After telling Dr. Simonet about this and wondering if it was nothing but coincidence she said "make no mistake, Bronson is VERY smart. Most dogs resist learning the "on your side" command and he was doing it within minutes."

So, there you go!!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

~Pam