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Our First Family Pet | Mac the Goldendoodle

 

I grew up with a yellow lab for most of my childhood, and he was the best {outside} dog. However when I started my own family I never imagined having a pet especially an inside dog. I was adamantly against having a pet because I did not want the additional responsibilities. After years and years of saying no to my kids and husband I finally caved. All it took was one DM from a friend on Instagram and the cutest photo of a puppy I'd ever seen. Here is that photo. 


FINAL DECISION
My friend Carrie in Waco was getting a goldendoodle from Ridge Point Doodles, and I had messaged her how cute her puppy was! A few days before their Gotcha day Carrie messaged me a photo of Mac on Instagram and said the family that was originally going to take him backed out last minute and we had less than a few days to make a decision. I don't know what came over me, but I said yes (insert anxiety). We had about 2 days to grab a dog bed, food and a few essentials before we got him. On Sunday afternoon Alex went to pick him up in Waco, and when he got home we surprised the kids! We named him Mac after Apple which is where Alex works and the name just seemed to fit. We thought a goldendoodle would be a great fit for our family because Walt is allergic to dogs (both of Mac's parents are f1 goldendoodles). Mac does not shed at all, but his hair does have to be brushed OFTEN so it doesn't get matted. We get him groomed almost every 6-8 weeks and it costs over $150 each time. 


PUPPY BLUES
When we got him he was 7 weeks old, and I definitely got the puppy blues. Basically I was extremely anxious and unhappy as I constantly worried about him peeing, pooping, crate training, not sleeping, and chewing up everything. It felt like having a newborn, but less intense.  I felt like I could never go anywhere because he barked liked crazy if I left him in his crate. We decided after about a week of having him that we were going to send him to a board and train program. Once me made that decision I felt 10x better. Thankfully my sister had just sent her puppy to a similar one so we were able to get him right in. We timed it with Thanksgiving and Christmas break so we could visit family for those 2 months and not have to worry about a puppy. When he came home he was fully potty trained and didn't mind the crate as much. We found that he did pretty well outside the crate when we left the house, and we have since rarely crated him unless we leave for 3+ hours. He sleeps in our bedroom at night.

ENERGY / SOCIALIZATION
Mac has the most energy in the morning and at night so I try to take him for a walk at least 2 times a day. We also try to take him to the dog park a couple of times a week so he can run around and socialize with other dogs. I think Mac's biggest struggle is he wants to play with EVERY dog, and when I'm walking him he gets so excited when he sees another dog and pulls. It's frustrating because it's getting harder to hold him back, but I take treats with me to try to grab his attention and award good behavior. He is not a good leash walker, and wants to sniff everything.

I was worried Mac would be too energetic for us, and while he does chew every toy or shoe that is left out he is a friendly and chill dog. We got him when Alex and I were both working from home due to Covid, and I worried it would be a hard transition when we go back to the office. However at this point I'm fully remote, so we'll face that challenge when the day comes. He sleeps in my "office" all day right next to me, and I love cuddling him in between stressful calls.


CHEWING
He chews everything that's on the floor, but especially loves crocs, socks and Whitney's stuffed animals. My floors have never been cleaner because I'm constantly picking up. I combat his teething with lots of chew toys. Here are some of my puppy must haves! He does nip at the kids when he wants to play simply because he thinks they are his siblings. I've taught them to say no and put their arms down, but it's still a struggle especially with Whitney (she gets in his face all the time). He is also a counter surfer and will steal food right out of the kids' hands.

BOARDING
We have gone on a few trips without Mac and we love using Rover.com! The app is extremely user friendly, and it's easy to find a sitter in your area. I prefer it to boarding in a facility because the sitters let him sleep in their rooms ; ). Yes, Mac is spoiled, but each sitter lists if they allow dogs on furniture and/or beds. They also send us updates and pics through the app. Click here to get $20 off your first booking!


HIS FAVORITE HUMAN
It didn't take long for us to realize that Mac claimed me as his favorite person. I thought my kids followed me everywhere but Mac is my legit shadow. I walk him, feed him, brush him, pick up his poop, play with him late at night...yes, Alex does help with these but most of the time it's me. 

Mac has been a therapy dog for many of us. When I'm having a rough day at work I will lay on the floor and cuddle him. When the kids are worked up or crying I will have Mac come in to calm them down. He is A LOT of work, but we're all very grateful for him! Today is Mac's first birthday 🎂!

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