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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Pets ·

My Three Dogs!


In January, our family added a third dog to the family because well, we’re clearly 100% committed to a life that’s just never quiet.

(Side note: We’re also really not that smart…note the cute puppy sleeping on the WHITE patio furniture.  Where was my HEAD when I ordered white patio furniture last year?  Seriously, where was it?!  Nothing says “sit on me with your red popsicle” quite like a white patio cushion. Sigh)

A-n-yway, back to my point, we now have three dogs and just like kids, they’re all three very different, unique, special and well, quirky 🙂 .  I thought I’d do a little post today where I shine the spotlight on each one and share some unique qualities about the pups.  On Saturday morning, I had grand visions of capturing a sweet picture of all three dogs lying side by side.  You know, like the ones you see on Pinterest!  They were going to be overlapping their legs just a bit, snuggled down into each other and sleeping (of course!).  I took them outside for our photo shoot and please let me proudly share our finest portrait…

…needless to say, as the travel industry continues to tank, I will be opening up Mix and Match Mama Take Pics of Your Dogs instead.  It is just so Pinterest worthy. Ha!  Geez…I was going to write a post gushing about each one but after trying to wrangle them for a picture, I’m now going to give them all away.  #kidding #icantgivethemawaybecausepeoplecantcomeovertogetthem

Have you watched Tiger King yet on Netflix?  I had visions of Joe Exotic’s tigers running around in circles after each other in their big cage as I was trying to snap pictures…

…what is happening here?!  Just SIT STILL!  Good grief!  I asked Andrew to help and he was pretty much like “yeah, they’re not picture posing dogs”.  Um, no, no they’re not.  What they are though are sweet dogs 🙂 .  Here’s a little bit about each one…

We have two coton de tulears and one labradoodle.

Andrew and I spent a loooong time at Barnes and Noble years ago pouring over dog books to find the right breed for our family and landed on this somewhat obscure breed from Madagascar.  We fell in love with our first one so much that it was an easy decision to buy a second one.  The labradoodle?  Well, my friend Kari has two and they’re suuuuuper cute, so that’s why Smith got it into his head that our next dog needed to be that breed.

So, here we are…four kids, three dogs, two parents and a partridge in a pear tree.

Let’s start with…

…our Poppy Popsicle.

Okay, here are a few Poppy facts…I have always heard the phrase “alpha dog”.  It’s a common phrase that over the years, I’ve heard and/or used multiple times.  I never truly understood what that meant though until I met Poppy.  She IS an alpha dog.  I don’t know what alpha dog gene it is that God gives some dogs over others, but Poppy got extra.  She is the boss.  She is in charge.  She is the leader of the pack  FOR SURE!! Now, to know Poppy is to love her because she’s sweet as can be!  Over and over again, I have people from the vet to the groomer to the neighbors tell me they’re so surprised by her age (8) because she has so much ENERGY!  She can out run/ out play/ out chase any puppy we bring over here.  She is fast, quick, fun and spunky to her core.  Andrew and I keep waiting for her to “act her age” but it’s yet to happen.

Poppy is our early riser.  The other dogs sleep late, but Poppy rises and shines with us around 4:00 AM, but now since she gets up so early, she also goes to sleep early. Poppy has a little dog bed next to my side of the bed and each and every night, no matter what we’re all doing, she puts herself to sleep at 9:00 PM.

Poppy isn’t a cuddle kind of dog.  She loves to follow me around the house and lay next to my chair while I’m working, my feet while I’m cooking, on the floor next to me folding the laundry…she is always near me.  Right this minute, I’m sitting at the bar in the kitchen typing and she is asleep under my barstool.  She follows me, she lays down, she sleeps and we repeat.  Poppy has always slept a big part of the day.  When she’s up, she’s UP, but when there is no one to chase, she’s napping.

When we feed the dogs (twice a day), Poppy always walks into the laundry room first to eat.  The other two dogs sit at the door and wait.  When Poppy is done, she gives this little head nod and the other two dogs walk in.  If they go in before that, she growls them back to their places.  She has been doing this with Frenchie since day one, so we were curious to see what she would do when she was outnumbered, but no, it took her like 5 minutes to whip Yankee into shape too.  They both wait, Poppy eats, then, Her Majesty graciously allows the other two to eat 😉 .

Poppy’s hobbies are running around (she loves to run), trying to chase any sort of bird/squirrel/etc back up trees, chewing on bones and dragging around her blue dragon toy.  If Poppy had to pick a favorite Shull, she would say me.  She is not interested at all in Smith or Kensington, tolerates Madeley, likes Ashby and respects Andrew.  Poppy is not allowed on the furniture.  The minute Andrew goes to work/gym/etc, she hops up on the couch and sleeps in this one spot.  The SECOND she hears him come in, she gets down.  When I come and go, she sleeps right through it, but when Andrew opens the back door, she immediately wakes up, gets down and acts like “what? what?  I wasn’t up there”.  Every day.

We love our Poppy.

Two years ago, we gifted Poppy a little sister (a.k.a. someone to boss around)…

…and our sweet Frenchie Macaroon joined the family :).

Frenchie was Kensington’s 9th birthday gift and to say they have a sweet relationship just does not do it justice.  They are in love!!!!  Frenchie is two years old and the tiniest of the group.  Where Poppy weighs closer to 9ish pounds, Frenchie is more like six.  She’s small and sweet and shy and loves to snuggle and cuddle.  We always say that this dog was one in a million because she is just so compliant and SWEET.

Frenchie is our late sleeper!  She goes to bed with Kensington every night, and then we don’t see her again for 12 hours.  If it’s a school morning, we make K wake her up to take her out and feed her, but if it’s the weekend/summer, she’ll easily sleep until 10:00 AM.  She loves to sleep snuggled right up next to either Kensington or Ashby.  This weekend, the kids were all sleeping in our room in their sleeping bags and I snapped this pic…

…quintessential Frenchie right there.  She never barks, never causes trouble, lets Poppy be the boss, and follows Kensington around EVERYWHERE.  When K goes to school every day, she goes up to K’s room and sleeps in her little bed under Kensington’s desk until I either call her down or K comes home from school.  She gets along with everyone, but for sure her two favorites are Kensington and Ashby.  She’ll snuggle up with whomever is sitting down, but she adores those two.  Ashby has even said before that she doesn’t need a dog because Frenchie is her dog too…and Frenchie totally agrees.

In January, Smith finally got his…

…Yankee Doodle.

This sweet labradoodle puppy is our newest family member, and we’re all so smitten!  She is already larger than Frenchie and should be larger than Poppy too.  She is all legs when she runs, likes to play fetch already, loves her bones, has a little stuffed animal she snuggles with when she sleeps and follows Smith around constantly.

So far, she also appears to be really submissive (but compared to Poppy, all dogs are submissive), really good natured, compliant and easy.  We’re still working on potty training her, but feel like she’s almost completely there.  All three of our dogs were crate trained and Yankee is still sleeping in hers.  The other two dogs like to get in their crates to hang out/sleep/relax but don’t sleep through the night there any more.  Since Yankee is still a puppy, she still sleeps in hers, but seems to love it!  She always climbs right in and never whines.

Yankee has been an easy addition to our family and all three dogs seem to really enjoy each other.  You know how it is, dogs are pack animals, and they enjoy being together.  All three dogs like to go for daily walks, but Yankee seems to enjoy it more (and often goes on multiple walks a day!).  I have already noticed that she doesn’t sleep nearly as much as the other two, but is content just hanging out when they are resting.  Smith is for sure Yankee’s favorite, but she loves Ashby too.  Ashby really is like the dog whisperer over here.  All dogs including my brother’s and my parents’ love Ashby and she loves them.

Yankee and I enjoyed sitting poolside together over the weekend.  BUT…

…Miss Poppy, as always, stayed right by my side.

So, there you go, a little insight to the Shull pups for your Tuesday!  I always grew up with dogs and cats (and a ferret) and can’t imagine not having pets in our home too.  We just love our animals 🙂 .  Do you have a pet?  I want to know names!  Comment and share!

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Comments

  1. Susan Jeffries says

    Sweet pups! I enjoyed reading about them. We have one daughter, and were unable to add more kids to our family. So we added a huge chocolate lab when our daughter was 8. He was theist amazing brother our daughter could have ever asked for. He went to Heaven last year, but we have 2 English labs – Gus is black and Lucy is yellow. We are self employed and they go toward with us every day. I have zero clue what I would do without them – especially now that our daughter is in college. I would add a third, but I think my husband would kill me;)

    • Susan Jeffries says

      I should have spell checked. He was the most amazing brother (: And they go to work with us. Good grief. (:

      • Denise says

        My husband and I have 4 cats, all rescues when they were kittens! The oldest is Puss McKitten (aka Puss) at 13yrs, then PJ (short for Puss Junior) 6yrs, both are tiger striped. And then two years ago we adopted twin orange and white boys, Mr. Phil Pickles (aka Pickles) and Mr. Piston Pete (aka Piston). Just like kids they all have completely different and unique personalities, too!

    • Melissa says

      Cute! I couldn’t write an entire blog about my sweet dog if I needed to… She’s sweet but there’s not much to say. When did you decide to let the dogs sleep with the kids? I’m afraid of the possible poop messes or bugs in their bed.

      I must be a mean mom. I consider my room, sleep and time with my husband sacred and won’t let my kids have sleepovers in there.

        • Jenn says

          We got a mini golden doodle last Christmas! His name is Tucker and hes the best little dog ever! We are also a big baseball family. I have 3 boys that all play travel baseball. I’m wondering what you do with your dogs when you are at games all weekend. My parents will babysit Tucker alot but dont like missing games….but it makes me sad thinking about tucker having to stay home alone all weekend ?

  2. DANIELLE K RIGG says

    Hi,,,well Yankee def has the lab personalities. We have a yellow lab (11 months) This is our third dog in 14 years (we had a black lab -Bosco and a pug – Jovi). Baxter, is 75 pounds of lap dog. He has to be by us at all times. He loves being outside and watching the birds, chasing the squirrels (that is his hunting side). We are a lab family they are amazing, smart, loving. Funny thing this he DOES NOT bark. Our other lab he barked (not annoying) but to warn us, etc. But Baxter, just loves everyone.

    Also, we are on Week 3 of online learning here in NJ. I am a first grade teacher with three girls (8 and twins who are 5). If you need any help, let me know!!!

      • Sandi Kellman says

        Oh Shay I absolutely love this post. My husband and I have a rule after 9 PM we only get to talk about puppies and rainbows so I think it’s really appropriate in the season to focus on positive so thank you! We are the owners of a lab she’s a Red Lab she’s absolutely beautiful and she’ is four, and her name is Honeywood. She is loyal and protective and the most playful. We also own a 10-year-old rescue named Gracie Ann and she is the comforter in our family, and is the mama of the bunch.

        Our oldest Pet member is Oreo she is an 12 year-old tuxedo cat who rules the house and our little diva.

        Our latest addition is a three-year-old black male cat named Bo and Bo is the most playful and we got him when he was 3 ounces he was about two weeks old my son had to feed him with a syringe and he was so beautiful and tiny he still beautiful but he’s not time he’s actually quite fat and we just adore him.

        We have an outdoor cat that is more the neighborhood cat and he will come sit in my lap every day unlike o are other cats. he is a red tabby name sig

        Last but not least we have a 75 gallon saltwater tank that my husband adores and that is his hobby he talks to his fish and they come to the top of the tank and he knows them and when he comes home from work they’re all at the front of the tank waiting for him to feed them it’s hysterical; we are quite the zoo. Thank you again for sharing your pets I couldn’t imagine life without ours

  4. Jackie says

    I loved reading this post! We have a 10month old groodle (golden retriever/poodle) and her name is Gigi. She is absolutely adorable and my 4 kids absolutely love her!

    • Jennifer says

      Loved this post. We have had two boxers who passed away within the past couple years (ages 10,12) and last summer we rescued a lab mix and named him Homer. He’s a handful. Just last night he took a whole roll of toilet paper out of the bathroom and ran to the backyard! ?he doesn’t realize TP Is a luxury!

  5. Becky says

    We have 3 dogs too, and one foster (Maltese) who actually has a pending adopter with a coton. This little lady was strictly used for breeding, is not cuddly, and gets her cues from other dogs so I was thrilled when this application came through. As for mine, they are all chihuahua rescues……Not sure how I EVER fell in love with this breed, the most miserable breed out there….

  6. Kelly says

    We just got a 3 month old labradoodle named Penny! Would love to know your schedule for Yankee and tips on training her. How do you watch her all day To avoid accidents and work on potty training and basic commands with how busy you are?!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Do you have a pen? That’s always been so helpful with our puppies. This gives them freedom to roam around when no one is actively watching/playing with them while also keeping them contained.

  7. Kristen T says

    I have a Yorkie named Fifi! She is very loving and cuddly but also very dominant and bossy! She doesn’t get along very well with strangers or dogs she doesn’t know. We were so nervous when we brought our daughter (now almost 2) home from the hospital that we were going to have trouble, but she welcomed her into our family and now protects her just like the rest of us!! Your dogs are so stinking cute!!

  8. Tara G. says

    We have a tabby cat named Oscar. He adopted us. His name came from a book my kids loved called James Herriot’s Treasury for Children; it’s about animals & I bet Ashby would love it.

    We also have a blue parakeet named Piccolo; she was a gift for our oldest who plays the flute (& piccolo).

  9. Courtney says

    My fiancé and I are getting a dog soon- a golden doodle and we cannot wait! My parents have a yellow lab, Zoe and my sister and brother-in-law have a yellow lab, Kasey. Zoe is totally the alpha dog. She puts Kasey in her place and Kasey knows Zoe runs the party. We like to call Zoe the fun police. If Kasey acts out, Zoe is quick to correct her. Zoe seems very similar to Poppy. She’s going to be 14 but acts like she’s 5, loves every human and is the absolute sweetest! So great to see all the different personalities in our pets.

  10. Lindsay says

    Hi! Love reading about your dogs. Is Yankee a full size labradoodle or a mini? Just curious because we have a labradoodle too and I feel like she was a lot bigger at 4 months but maybe I just can’t remember back that far 🙂 thanks!

  12. Brittany Redding says

    We have three dogs as well! Two German Shepherds and a Lab/Husky Mix! 🙂 Names are: Mia, Ella and Maverick

  13. Jennifer says

    We just got our first pet as a family a little over a week ago – a sweet mini teddy Maltese/Shitzhu we named Winnie. She’s 9 weeks old and although she’s a lot of work, we are loving her to pieces! The morning we got her I ordered the book Andrew recommended and read it almost all the way through!

  14. DCole says

    Hi Shay,
    So fun to read about your sweet puppies! You are brave to take on three! We too have a labradoodle; Moe (short for Moose Boogenham) will turn nine this year and still acts like a much younger dog. We all just love him to bits.

  15. Nicole says

    I love this post. We are kind of like you…3 kids, 3 dogs, 2 businesses, a partridge and a pear tree. My husband trains labs as hunting dogs, so we have a black lab Pepper (named after pepa the pig), a shitzu Sophia (named after Sophia the First) and last year we inherited my father in law’s beloved Bonnie the beagle. Needless to say, we enjoy chaos as well…I don’t know that we have a particular alpha dog, but Bonnie is definitely an omega dog. When the other 2 walk up to her, she lays down and puts her paws up. Great post!!!

  16. Julie C. says

    We currently have 3 cats. Patches is almost 14 yrs old. I inherited her after my grandma passed away. Before all that happened, I was already in the works of adopting 2 kittens that my co-worker had fostered. The kittens are brother & sister…the boy is Rocko & the girl is Nala. They are almost 1 year old. Even tho the kittens were in the house first, Patches is definitely the boss. HAHAHA!!!!

  17. Marianne Hardwick says

    I just got my very first puppy ever at age 45- she is a portugese water dog named Addie. She is the sweetest thing ever but SO MUCH WORK. I had no idea! Good thing for her I didn’t do much research before getting her- this breed is known to be very fiesty, “mouthy” puppies. My legs and arms are cut up and literally bruised from all the nipping! She wakes up at 5am every day but gosh we love her. I already can’t imagine my life without her. But boy I had no idea how much work she would be!!

      • Marianne Hardwick says

        Apparently this is the breed that the Obamas had in the White House! I didn’t know until someone told me that, I googled it and it was correct. They are hypo-allergenic (pure breeds)- I am highly allergic to dogs so that’s why I chose this breed. Plus, they apparently are the BEST dogs once you get out of the puppy stage 🙂
        I loved this post Shay!

  18. Carly says

    I loved this post! What a great way to start a Tuesday than puppies. How much bigger will Yankee get than the other two? She’s not a mini right?

  19. Kelly says

    It’s crazy to me that Poppy is the alpha dog and she’s smart to make sure Yankee knows it as she will soon weigh more than Poppy! Loved hearing about your 3 sweet dogs. Thanks for sharing.

  20. Tanya says

    They are all so cute in their own way. I love how each one has their own personality and favorites in the family. We were a two dog family for many years, but now just have one as we navigate into the college/empty nest years. Where do you keep the crates? Ours is in our bedroom, which isn’t the best look…ha, ha! Have a terrific Tuesday.

    • Caroline Stanley says

      I have a 2 year old sable rough collie (ie. Lassie from the old tv show) named Penny Mae. I grew up with Aussies who are CRAZY and never really bonded with them. I’m just not easily attached. But then I was in the hospital and met a rough collie therapy dog and fell in love with the breed. Then I watched the Lassie shows and I knew I just HAD to have one. She was my reward to myself for passing the CPA exams, but honestly, she is the sweetest, most caring dog I have ever met. She loves kids and is quite emotionally intelligent. She has so much character and is easy going yet playful. Also, it seems the breed is super easy to train. I think I will always have a collie!!
      P.S. I registered her name with the AKC as “A Penny For Your Thoughts” 🙂

  21. Tanya R says

    Loved this post soooo much! Side note don’t give up your job for the side gig. Ha ha ha. We got our sweet chocolate Labrador, Hershey as a wedding gift to ourselves. He will be 11 in August and just the sweetest most docile dog. He may be 68lbs but he truly thinks he is a 5lbs lap dog. He is easily dominated by other dog especially small ones. He doesn’t bark unless asked to and being rewarded with a treat. He is a very intelligent dog and knows easily 100 commands and key words. I also, have always grown up with pets and couldn’t imagine a house without one. Especially a dog!

    • Yley Allen says

      I have 2 sweet chihuahuas named Minnie and Macy. Everyone falls in love with them and can’t believe how well behaved they are since chihuahuas can be so yappy. They’re 13 and 10. We also have a beautiful cat we rescued named Callie. She was about a year old when we took her in 5 years ago. My brother’s neighbors moved and just left her behind! We are so glad we took her in. She’s almost like a dog she’s so sweet. I really want to get a big dog for my 8 year old son to grow up with. I’m thinking a golden retriever possibly this Christmas…

  22. Julie says

    When you posted about welcoming Frenchie, we were smitten and did research on the Cotons. Our daughter is quite allergic to most breeds, so it was a perfect fit. We brought Daisy home a few weeks later and absolutely adore her. Thanks for sharing your life with us. Your stories bring joy and influence so many ….. I think we will stick with one pup for now though!

  23. Beth Kaiser says

    We have 3 dogs, Abby (13 year old Maltepoo), Paulie (11 year old hound mix), and Leia (6 year old rat terrier mix who looks like a Corgi). Then we have 2 guinea pigs, GusGus and Flower, and 1 leopard gekko, Leo.
    Plus my college age son is getting a cat named Gilligan. Gilligan will not live at our house.
    Whew!

  24. Angie says

    Love, love, locw animals, but especially cats and dogs! We have a Lab Boxer mix named Maggie, which is an outside farm dog. We have two grand pups: our oldest daughter has Ripley a Shih Tzu that is 4 and our youngest daughter has Teddy a Maltipoo that is 3. I keep Teddy at my house during the day Monday thru Thursday while my daughter works. They are both very sweet dogs who are so loved, smart, and spoiled. We also have a horse and several cows. We lost my oldest daughter’s horse, Ginger, back in November. She was 22 years old. Your fur babies are so sweet and sound so loveable and fun!

  25. Jess says

    Our chocolate lab passed away two years ago so last January we got our yellow (Oakley) and our black (Aspen) lab puppies at the same time – Sheaffer made it look so glorious with her two retrievers : ) Welp, anytime people ask my opinion on two at once I tell them DON’T DO IT!!! Hahaha it’s been tough to say the least. Going forward I would space them apart at least a year – but needless to say just over a year in and things have fallen into place-ish lol. We can’t imagine life without our girls! Our boys 9 & 12 are the very best with helping take care of our pups – I highly encourage raising kids with puppies around!
    I Love your blog and your sweet family!

  26. Gail says

    We have a Bichon Frisé named Chloe. She will be 16 in June. She is the sweetest girl. She ever so rarely barks so we had to teach her to ring a bell to go out to potty- she has such a girlie personality. With her age is now coming some health issues like failing eyesight and hearing and some arthritis but we are happy to give her the best geriatric care around. These sweet little dog’s have a cheery disposition and she has been the perfect fit for us. She was my retirement present to myself and has brought us so much joy!

  27. Sara says

    Cute post! Our youngest pup is a 2 year old Pug-zhu… part pug, part shi tzu. Her name started as Zoe, but we kept calling her Pug, so now she is Pug the Pug. ? We also have a 5 year old boxer mix named Sophie. This Christmas, my daughter wanted to adopt an older dog from a rescue to give them a home for the holidays. So we have Maggie, an 8 year old yellow lab mix. All girls here, too!

  28. Jen Cole says

    We have a Lhasa Apso named Copper – she will be 13 years old in May! She sleeps most of the day now, but for about an hour a day, she has the energy of a puppy! She also loves her daily walk….which has turned into 2-3 daily walks now that we’re home all day and we need outside. The pup is exhausted but living her best life!

  29. Paige Wright says

    We have two big goldendoodles, love them so. Our oldest red one, Goldbug, is 11. I wanted to name her a normal name, Piper. Every time I called her Piper, our daughter Madeline would yell “no GOLDBUG” at the top of her lungs. She was 3 at time. Soooo she remained Goldbug haha after “goldbug” in Richard Scarry’s book Cars and Trucks and Things That Go:) Our other pup is white named Evie, got a normal name for her at least. And lastly….we have a Maine Coon cat named Arthur. He is huge and majestic. Oh how we love our animals. They are quite happy with this quarantine I must say haha!

  30. MelanieL says

    They’re all so cute! I loved learning about their personalities. 🙂 We have, Lulu, a 14lb Chihuahua mix that we adopted 6 years ago. I’m her favorite for sure!

  31. Melissa says

    We have an 8 month old goldendoodle named Sophie and we are obsessed with her! I would love to get another dog so she has a sibling so hopefully that will happen someday! I love this post so much and loved learning a bit about all the furry members of your family!

  32. Susan says

    We got a puppy a few weeks ago. She’s a Spinone Italiano named Francesca (Frankie). Doodles kind of look like them but they get quite a big bigger. Anyhow the breeder had put down a sheet of vinyl flooring and then a pen over it. We thought that was pretty smart, so we did it too with where her kennel is. That way it’s easier to clean up and the floors are safe from scraping and messes. She’s such a joy to have around even with her crazy zoomie mornings. Also with puppies, it’s always good to start touching their paws, putting fingers in between their paw pads, touch their ears and put your fingers in their mouth. Why? Well it gets them acclimated to getting their nails trimmed, ears and teeth cleaned. Also start getting them used to loud sounds as soon as possible. That way they’re not afraid of vacuum cleaners, thunder storms, fireworks etc. Our breed is a hunting breed, so the breeder would play a cd of gunshots (no joke). There are my Susan’s tips of the day for any of your new puppy owner readers. 🙂

  33. Carlin Smith says

    I loved this post! I laughed the whole time! Poppy looks so proud of herself in the portrait. We have a mini Aussie named Indie. She has a huge personality!

  34. Dana says

    We have two yellow lab puppies! They turn 16 weeks on Friday and they are brother and sister. We named them Rigsby and Lucy. They are so sweet! Rigsby is a teddy bear and weighs in at 35 pounds and Lucy is the “instigator” for play fighting ( drives me crazy), she is 34 pounds. They are crate trained and treats work like magic pills to train ( sit, leave it, come ( still working on this one), wait, and down. We have been going to petsmart for training for 3 Saturdays but had to stop ( corona virus). We know getting two was the best decision. Also they are English labs ?

  35. Beth Bowling says

    Five pets here. Kirby the 12 yo Yorkie who is way too much Alpha. Taylor black cat and Percy black and white cat are litter mates that are about six. This December when my father passed way I inherited my moms black fluffy cat Ruby who is six and his Max who is a huge black and silver fluffy cat who is 2. (Mom passed away two years ago and that’s when Max came). It’s been a rough transition for all. Max is the biggest then Percy then Kirby. Yep. The dog isn’t the biggest!

  36. Kerrie says

    This was a fun post! We have two dogs, a yorkipoo named Windsor and an American Bulldog named Ritz. This past November, we rescued a bearded dragon from the SPCA and named him Elliott (I blame Andrea – my son has been begging for one for years, but after she got Gary and made a few posts about her, I actually started considering it). I NEVER would have thought we would have two dogs and a lizard. I love them all though and wouldn’t have it any other way!

  37. Susan McKain says

    We had a rambunctious Irish Terrier named Tugger, as you know from my children’s books “Tugger the Pretzel Pup” and “Tugger & Mini-Mew”. Now we have a sweet Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier named Koko Chrysanthemum.??

  38. Carrie says

    Cooper…our 12 year old yellow lab and Charlotte…our 5 year old golden retriever. What a fun post. I loved reading about your pups. Dogs just make me smile.

  39. Tracy Doubts says

    Love this post Shay, your pups are precious. I just love that Ashby has such a connection to all the pups, sweet, sweet girl.
    I also have a chocolate labradoodle named Gus. He is two years old and so sweet with allot of personality. I also have an english cream golden retriever named Buoy. Thanks for the smiles today!

  41. Abby Waychoff says

    We have a 1-year-old dog named “Stilly,” named after the town Stillwater, OK where Oklahoma State is. Both my husband and I graduated from there in 2015! Fun fact about her – she has a HUGE personality and knows how to roll her eyes when she gets annoyed (seriously, i’m not joking… HAHA). We love her to death and she is so smart! You mentioned crate training and I think that’s the best thing we’ve ever done – Stilly goes to her crate on command and will stay there with the crate door open until we release her. I enjoyed this post so much! It is so interesting hearing about other dogs and their personalities. I smiled through the whole thing! We all need more of dogs in our lives! Thank you for sharing!

  42. Shan says

    We got Bailey (Maltese) last May, she’s almost one . All she wants is cuddles and attention, she is so sweet. Any tips for removing tear stains for white dogs? Stay safe !

  43. Leslie H. says

    Love love love all the dogs. Ours are Rooney (my son named after famous soccer player Wayne Rooney) and Jack. (Jack Jack from the Incredibles) we’ve always had dogs. They are just as much our kids as our boys are! Ha! ?

  44. Susan says

    Love this post so much! I would like to hear some advice on housebreaking if you can. We have a 6 year old golden retriever, a two year old cat and a 6 month old Schihon (1/2 shitzu and 1/2 bichon). Our golden potty trained pretty quick I feel like but having a hard time with our newest, she goes every time I take her outside but will do it in the house as well, aaaahhhh.

  45. Alison Martinich says

    We have a GREAT DANE!!! A 130lb lap dog, who is the MOST lovable, loyal, sweet dog ever!!! We also just brought home a sweet Silver lab puppy who looks at you with those puppy eyes and everything she ripped up, peed on, etc is just forgotten about. HAHA

  46. Ani Martinez says

    So much cuteness! We have a 90lb yellow lab who thinks he is a lap dog. He spends his day following me around, but at bed time he waits by our son’s door to be allowed in (they share the bed). He is the sweetest family dog ever but HATES other dogs (go figure) so he is our one and only.

  47. Julie says

    I loved learning about your dogs! I also grew up with #allthepets, dogs, cats, birds!, fish…

    In my own family right now, we have the most gorgeous and sweet white golden retriever Blanco. (British cream). He is SUPER mellow, sweet, laid back and friendly. At 86 pounds he’s like a polar bear! He is NOT a cuddle. My husband is his most favorite, he literally smiles at him when he gets home from work. (well, when he used to get home from work ;). But he follows me around the most. Even though I’m his second he has to know where I am.

    My daughter has her own pet (also an “I lost my mind birthday gift”) Brownie the guinea pig. Let’s just say Brownie and I don’t have much to do with each other? She lives in my 12 year old’s room, and well, we’ll leave it at that?

    We also have ten backyard chickens! We love the “ladies’ and they give us the BEST eggs. Wonderful for baking. They have names such as Cadbury, Olive, and even Ruth Bader Hens-berg. (She is obviously black and white like a judge’s robes :).

    Question-how do you keep your house smelling fresh with all the dogs? We are currently baby-sitting a friend’s dog too and it’s dog-central in here even though I have Circle E candles and fresh air all the time. Any advice you have would be great! Have a good day.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I think it helps that all of mine are hypoallergenic. I also think it helps that we bathe them frequetly, they’re small, they’re (typically) not on the furniture, etc. Stuff like that! You have a good day too!

  48. Amy says

    Love to see each of your dogs personalities! We have a beagle that we rescued 9 years ago, and they think he is around 11 now. He has many normal beagle traits, but has become a completely spoiled rotten house pooch and when the weather gets too warm for his liking, he would rather stay inside laying on the couch instead of getting outside to snoop around. Truthfully, I love all the dogs and would love to add at least one more to our family, especially since both of my kids are officially grown and out of the house, but my husband isn’t on board (yet). 🙂

  49. Kacy M says

    Love this post! I used to work at an animal hospital so I like both cats and dogs (had 2 cats growing up, one died at 16 and the other at 3.5). Right now at home I have 3 fish (had betta as a kid but this was the first time I attempted an aquarium…took a couple tries but finally got the hang of it – they’re called platys, like a prettier guppy).

  50. Alexa Gutz says

    I had my sweet Lucy, a shih tzu/poodle mix, for 18 years. I still remember the day that my mom walked up to my elementary school holding her to pick me up that day. Unfortunately we had to put her down 2 weeks ago and it’s been a struggle for sure. I’m 28 now so she was around for most of my life.
    Just curious why Yankee is allowed on all the furniture but not Poppy. Or is it just when Andrew is around that she hops down?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I am so sorry!!!!!! Okay, all of the animals are allowed on as long as they’re cuddling/sitting with someone/fell asleep and are just too cute to move. Frenchie would never think about getting on furniture without being invited up…Poppy looks for opportunities to sit on furniture without being caught 😉 .

  51. Steph says

    We have a 10 year old female Valley Bulldog, Harlow Jean and a 2 year old Yellow Lab, Hudson Rock! They are the best and we couldn’t imagine life without them!!

  52. Jen says

    I love this post so much, hearing about your puppies! Have you heard that dogs take on the characteristics of their owners? We have a medium chocolate labradoodle named Bruno, same gorgeous color as Yankee. He is 2 1/2 years old, super playful, loves every human and dog he’s ever come in contact with! My son, Jack, wrote a persuasive letter as an assignment in 2nd grade on why our family needed a puppy, and my husband, an attorney, was impressed with his compelling argument. Now Jack is in 5th grade, and my daughter, Blake, is in 2nd grade, and they haven’t done the persuasive writing unit in school, but I’m thinking maybe I can encourage it while “homeschooling,” because I’d love another puppy! Thanks for including such a joyful post today!!!

  53. Jennifer says

    Such sweet pups it sounds like you have! We have a 2 1/2 year old Vizsla named Ruby. She is super sweet and just wants to be with you doing whatever you’re doing.? Our daughter and her have been enjoying these days at home together!

  54. Bre says

    Thanks for sharing, all 3 of your fur babies are beautiful and it sounds like they have such fun personalities!
    We just got our family puppy on Valentine’s Day…. she’s a cavapoo and we named her Della 🙂 She’s definitely a handful BUT has added so much love & Joy to our family!! She is very sweet and our boys are obsessed! She is quite mouthy/nippy right now still, so I would love to hear if you have any tips on that.

  55. Hanna says

    I loved reading this post so much, I read it twice HA! We have two pomsky pups (Pomeranian/husky) and we love them so much. We have a blonde one with blue eyes named Ruby and a brown one with half blue/brown eyes named Georgia. They are so fun!

  56. Tiffany Kayser says

    Thanks so much for sharing about your dogs! We have two cats, Pancake and Waffles. Pancake (11 years old) is similar to Poppy as she’s the queen of the house, and loves my husband. She follows him around (like a dog) and meows at him for attention. Waffles (2.5 years) loves everyone and is very laid back. She just loves attention from anyone that will pet her.

  57. Serena says

    We have lost 2 of our 3 within the last 2.5 years. It’s so very hard 🙁 We lost our oldest beagle, DeeJay when she was 17 (she was so sweet and SMART!) and then almost 6 months later, we lost our beloved German shepherd, Ava – she was 12.

    When my husband and I started dating he had two beagles and I had a German shepherd – all females. They all got along great, definitely meant to be sisters. I miss her so much it hurts. She was the absolute best. She brought me so much JOY and LOVE. Not sure how I got so lucky to be her mom. I have gone back and forth about getting another one, but not sure I’m ready. I guess that all comes with time.

    Shelby is our little senior girl beagle who doesn’t know she’s 15 and still acts like a puppy – she’s a Daddy’s girl! Loves to eat and snuggle … typical beagle, haha. She’s very sweet and follows us around the house, a lot like Poppy does you!

    Thanks for sharing your pups, I’m a HUGE animal lover and they are just the cutest!

  58. Kayla Bruce says

    I love how much all the dogs love Ashby! Shows what a sweet spirit she has. We have two Beagle mixes– an eight and a half year old black dog named Finley and a six year old tan dog named Lacy. Couldn’t imagine life without them! Due to some allergies (and getting tired of hair around the house), we are looking at getting a Portuguese Water Dog next. Anyone have any experience??

  59. Nicky says

    Ah, I loved this blog entry. So cool reading about your pups. I’ve always wondered, is your back yard (we call it a back garden in South Africa) fenced in or do you have to keep an eye on your dogs when they’re out there? We have 3 rescue pups (our 4th passed away last month at 17yrs old). A 13yo Africanis (African hunting dog – no hunting involved) Roxy, a 2yo Africanis, Pixie, and a 1yo american staffy-cross (who is an absolute nightmare dog, but luckily for her, the biggest cuddler), Marley.

  60. Emily says

    With spending so much time at home I feel like it might be a good time to get a puppy for my kiddos. Do you mind sharing where you got Yankee? That is exactly the dog that I’ve been wanting and not sure where to start. Thanks so much! 🙂

  61. Carolyn says

    We have an 86 lb golden doodle named Biscuit (boy) and a 56 lb Irishdoodle named Honey (Girl). Biscuit is the sweetest dog ever and we’ll just say we love Honey anyway. ?. She is a handful, 18 months old and getting somewhat better. Definitely the alpha. When Biscuit comes to me to be petted, she always tries to cut him off or she’ll jump in my lap and lay down. She definitely keeps us entertained.

  62. Emily says

    We have a four-year-old black cat named Gracey, named after the Master of Haunted Mansion. We joke that she definitely has Haunted Mansion tendencies but she’s a big snuggler too!

  63. Rachel says

    We have a 6-year old Old English Sheepdog (Cooper) and a 5-year old grey tabby cat (Carly). Wish we could
    Post pics because Cooper is super big and fluffy! 95 pounds! The sweetest dog ever.

  64. Kerry says

    We have 3 dogs, Kaya (9 year old black mouth cur), Cash (2 year old potcake), and Lola (1 year old chihuahua terrier mix). We have 2 cats, Delilah (10 year old Maine coon) and Beau (5 year old orange tabby). We also have a beta fish (Dory – she’s not the original Dory, we’ve had lots of late night fish runs for Dory replacements, so not quite sure if this Dory’s age).

  65. Brittany W says

    Maybe my favorite blog post of yours! And I’ve read most of them! We have a 7 year old boston terrier, named Willy. He is reallllly lazy and with all of us home during the quarantine, he is awake more during the day then he’s used too. We are realizing just how lazy he truly is. Ha.

  66. April Bryan says

    We have way too many animals at our house. Our shih tzu, Oscar died in January (16yrs old). We have a chocolate lab, Missie who is 14 yrs old. We got a lab mix named Lucy over Christmas so she is in the puppy stage! We have two cats Shadow and Taco (1 and 4 yrs old). We have 13 chickens for eggs and lastly we have our pet pig Elvis (aka Mr. Oinkers). He is roughly 3 yrs old and about 100 lbs now. It is a zoo here but we love animals!

  67. Alexis deZayas says

    We have a lab/boxer rescue named Lucky! When we adopted her two St Patrick’s Days ago, she was 2 pounds and they told us she’d be between 15-20. She’s now ringing in at 62 🙂 Having a big dog is the best surprise we never new we needed (although she thinks she’s still about 2 pounds)!

  68. Andrea Conrad says

    We have two dogs – Ridge is a black lab (9 years old) and Ruby is a hound dog (5 years old), both rescues and we couldn’t imagine life without them! Ruby is definitely the alpha dog, always has been, even when she was a puppy. She likes me because I am the one who feeds her, tolerates the kids but is OBSESSED with my husband. It’s really funny, she’s all over him, just can’t keep her paws off him! Her tail literally spins in circles when she sees him! Our other dog is friendly to everyone in the whole family, but I like to think that I’m his favorite!

  69. Danielle McGauley says

    Love this Shay! I have two Cotons thanks to you?. Lulu is almost 2 and Chewie (Chewbacca) is 8 months. They follow me everywhere and lay ON my feet when I am cooking.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Awe! Sweet Tulip is FIFTEEN!! She lives with a couple we know that don’t have any kids. Her epilepsy almost entirely went away when she wasn’t around kiddos 😉 .

    • Abby Larson says

      What a timely post! We JUST picked up our puppy TODAY! “Lola” is an 8-week old Shichon, a real life teddy bear puppy. We are in love with her. She is so lovable, so cuddly, and oh so sweet. My girls (8 and 5) are smitten, and Lola is already obsessed with them, following them both around the house. Thanks for sharing your pups with us! What a fun post!

  71. Mary-Charles says

    We have a 4 year old golden retriever named Hayes! She is the best! She is adjusting to being a new big sister to our 12 week old babygirl- named Kensington! My husband studied in London while in law school and it was one of his favorite places! She loves her pup just like your Kensington too!

  73. Baylee says

    I loved this post!! Isn’t it funny how we can talk about dogs as if they’re people? Never would have imagined all the personality my dogs have! I have an 8 year old Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie mix) named Daisy (after Jessica Simpson named her dog that 🙂 ) and we adopted a poodle
    Mix in October that we think is around 2 and his name is Harvey! I do sort of wish we had gotten a dog that at least started out smaller than Daisy (they weigh the same, but like Yankee, has the tall legs). So as much as Daisy wants to be the alpha, Harvey just come running near her and she gives up without even trying ?. She isn’t afraid to put him in his place and Harvey seems to listen to her, but when it comes to playing with toys or anything… Harvey wants them all and Daisy is too scared to hold her ground. ?

  74. Erica says

    Weird question, but you do you have them go to the bathroom in a certain spot in your yard? We have a boxer puppy and I wish I would have designated an area for him to go, instead of the whole back yard where my kids are running through all day 🙁

  75. Anna Jones says

    Your pups seem like such the perfect little combo together! We have a 6 year old Miniature Schnauzer named Winston. Like you, I did TONS of research before we got him and he is the perfect fit for our family! He’s sweet, funny, snuggly, “thinks” he’s a protector, and enjoys our almost 3 year old more and more every day! haha. He was not so sure when we added her to our “pack”. He has always been very interested in her, but has wanted to keep his distance for the most part. Now, they love to play, and he LOVES it when she shares her food with him. ha

  76. Lorie says

    Different subject, but I wanted to say thanks so much for sharing things your kids like to play with or work on at home. I’ve been ordering some little “surprises” to be delivered to my grandkids at home…just to give them something new and different to do while their parents are trying to work at home. My granddaughter loved the Paint by Sticker book you mentioned last week! Looking for more ideas if anyone has any suggestions.

  77. sarah says

    we have a cotton too. her name is Sophie, she is 3 and the sweetest most relaxed chill girl but will still play fetch our boys.

  78. Alissa Roys says

    Your dogs are so cute! I have a miniature poodle mix and she is my best friend. I am a teacher and working from home and she never leaves my side too. I am thinking about changing the dog food I feed her and I was wondering what you feed your dogs, especially the labradoodle?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Poppy has (and always had) a very sensitive stomach. Andrew orders her a sensitive dog food the vet recommended and all three dogs eat it. I cannot think of the name…it’s in a white bag with maroon letters. Geez, you would think I would know the name off the top of my head. Sigh.

      • Alissa says

        Thank you! My dog, Annie, is recovering from pancreatitis so I should get dog food for a sensitive stomach too.

  79. Kay says

    As a dog behaviorist, Poppy is the alpha dog because she was there first. She is claiming ownership of the house and owners. They are adorable!

  80. Kathy says

    We have a mini golden doodle named Whiskey (we live in TN) who is 16 months old, 30 lbs and full of energy! Whiskey is the biggest of the nine puppies in his litter of minis. He also has never met another person or dog that he doesn’t like to play with, because Whiskey loves everybody!

  81. Kristen says

    We have a 3 yr old Coton named Cali Love. I came across your blog yrs before we got her and reading about the breed intrigued me. Cotons checked off everything on my list! I researched breeders for another couple of years and ended up with the sweetest little pup out there! Cotons are truly something special.

  82. Caroline Winter says

    Aww! I always light up when I see photos of your doggies. We have a soon-to-be 14 year old Coton named Gracie May. She is the absolute center of our family! She sounds a lot like your Poppy. We always say she really loves you if you’re allowed to sit one couch cushion away from her 🙂

  83. Kacee Samway says

    Love love love how each dog made the perfect addition to your family! We have two dogs, a high strung Weimeraner named Lola, and a mellow Lab that we call T! (He has a white T on his chest and was given that name when he was born, it stuck;)) We are looking to add one more pup to our crazy crew! Where did you get Mr. Yankee Doodle?! He’s so sweet! How big will he get? Love love labradoodles! A combination of the perfect dogs!

  84. Emily says

    Loved reading about your pups! I was surprised to read how tiny Poppy and Frenchie are, photos must add a few pounds. ? We have an 8 year old Yorkie named Oliver.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      All of that fluffy hair adds “weight” too. Right now, we have them trimmed up, but it always surprises me when they’re fluffy how light they are compared to how big they look.

  85. Cathy says

    I can’t imagine going through this quarantine without pets! We have a black and white cat named Minnie who just turned 11. She keeps looking at us like, “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” Louie is our about to turn 10 year old soft-coated wheaten terrier. He loves people and is a little wary of other dogs, especially little ones. Which is hilarious because he’s quite large at almost 60 pounds. Love hearing about everyone’s pets.

  86. Jess Wade says

    They’re all so cute! We have a 2 year old black lab named Goose “Top Gun” Wade (our first black lab was Maverick). Our labs have been SO good, I just wish they didn’t shed. We had a Shih-Tzu named Bode (after Bode Miller) and he passed away last July at the age of 14. He was my baby. And just a week ago Saturday we brought home a Shih-Tzu puppy! Harry “Potter” is now 13 weeks old and due to your post with Andrew a while back, I read Cesar Millan’s book Andrew suggested and it had GREAT information. Potty training gets better every day and Harry is mostly crate trained. First 2 nights, he whined some, but 3rd night, no whining, goes right in and lays down and has been great ever since. When we have to leave during the day or he needs to be in his crate because I have to get something done and can’t watch him, he does cry, so still working on that. I figured when working from home was the best time to get a puppy and it just randomly all pulled together in a week. Meant to be. Thanks for sharing about your doggies!

  87. Kathi Mackintosh says

    When our 3 kids were growing up, we had a yellow/Fox red Lab named Maggie and she was the perfect dog for our little family. We had to put her down 4 years ago and have mourned her ever since. We’ve been looking at pictures of dogs for over a year, but could never decide if we really wanted to commit again. Well…on March 1st an unexpected opportunity came up and now we have an almost 4 month old chocolate lab puppy named Ivy. She is so beautiful! As my kids have abruptly returned home from college, she has given them something to take their minds off of the disappointment they are dealing with. She is doing great with the potty training and sleeping well in her crate, but she is a stubborn little thing. We are working on channeling her playful energy in the right direction. 😉

  89. Anne says

    I have my Lola, a.k.a. Nugget, Lolita, Lola-girl, Nougs, Peanut, or her full God-given name: Lola Magola Mendelson. She’s 9 and has been with me through college where we lived with roommates, to my first apartment, to hotel-living for job training.. all of it. I always tell her she’s my little soul mate.

    Loved hearing more about your doggos!! Tell Ashby she’s my kindred spirit ?

  90. Erika Mills says

    We have a blue long haired doxie named Maui that was my wedding gift. She is truly a cat in a dogs body, sleeps all day. So complacenet and grunts like a guinea pig. Four years ago we added a Nova scotia duck toller named Fish to our clan. The perfect dog (minus the shedding) for outdoor water loving people. We’ve always had dogs my whole life (and marriage) We’ve owned a harlequin great dance and rottweiler at the same time too.

  91. Stacey says

    Hi Shay,
    Thanks for sharing your photos and stories of your pups. We are really crazy and have 2 kids, 3 dogs and 2 guinea pigs. We are outnumbered by pets!! We have Diesel a Belgian Malinois, a K-9 officer, Finn, a black lab, and Roxy, a Dutch Shepard mix. Then we have Goldy and Cinnamon the guineas. It is chaos around here, but we are used to it, so we just shake our heads when it gets wild. Thanks for your post today.

  92. Patty says

    We have a 7 year old miniature Yorkie named Tucker. We got him during a massive blizzzard and he was only 3 pounds, so we had to train him to go on potty pads. It was far too cold and snowy to take him outside. Bittersweet. We can now leave the house for hours at a time, but still…! Tucker thinks he’s the size of a lion, lol. But he’s the calmest Yorkie I’ve ever known. He rarely barks and mostly sleeps unless we say “run” or “ball”, at which point he runs downstairs to our long hallway so we can play his favorite game, monkey in the middle!

  93. Marcel Urban says

    We got a Coton de Tulear a year ago because of you!! The best decision ever! She is so sweet and her name is Lola-they really are an amazing breed!?

  94. Helen says

    Loved reading about your fur babies! We have 2 Male 7yo cats. Gabe is a Maine Coon mix and the alpha cat. Also the sweetest cat ever. We adopted Gabe and his sister Zoey after loosing our 18yo kitty. We didn’t know that Zoey was very sick and lost her 3 months later. Gabe needed a friend, so we adopted Kobe. Kobe was abused and in need of lots of love and grace! He can be a sassy pants but can also be a love bug.

  95. Kelsey Taylor says

    I have a 9 year old Shichon(shih try/bichon cross). No shedding and fluffy like a stuffed animal. His name is Kody.

    I also have a 3 year old Boston Terrier named Olive. Bostons are my favorite breed and I grew up having them. They are very playful and happy but can be lazy and chill. Perfect combo!

    • Kristine W says

      We have 3 Boston Terriers. Benson, Hank and Bentley. They are 10, 11, 12. We have even married for 36 years and have only had BT. I am addicted to the breed.

  96. Ashley Brown says

    I was so impressed by your posts about Poppy and Frenchie that my husband and I started researching that breed as a pet for our children. Jacob is 8 and Mia is 5. In January we brought home our sweet Coton de Tulear puppy and we are so in love with him! His name is Dansby Scruffles and he has been the perfect addition to our family.

  97. Savannah Romero says

    I’ve always been a “big dog” person. Grew up with a HUGE chocolate Labrador named Kodi, but he was the family dog, so he moved to TN with my parents this last year.
    My husband and I currently have two big goofy bloodhounds named Lieutenant Dan and Buford Blue (big Forest Gump fans over here). Bloodhounds are such a fun breed – the sweetest personalities, always playful, very inquisitive, but the slobber- ugh. It’s the worst trait!

  99. Annette says

    My sister has a Coton and he’s AMAZING! They are the best little breed. My daughter and I are working on my husband—we want a dog so badly! We would love a labradoodle or bernedoodle!

  100. Angela says

    We have two Malteses. Max is 6 and Mia is 10 months. We lost our lab, Jasmine, back in September and Max was so lonely we decided to get Mia in October. However, Max is not so smitten with Mia like he was with Jasmine. I think he wishes she would go away….LOL. Max is the most perfect dog and is definitely schedule oriented. Around 9 every night, he’ll get in my husbands face and starts whining. That means “get up, get my treat, lock all the doors, set the alarm, and take me to bed!” It’s hysterical. Mia is very different….she is a wild woman! And she has been a beast to potty train!! We are starting over now and she will have to stay in her crate at all times, unless she is actively being played with or watched. I hate it, but that’s just what we have to do. Loved hearing about your dogs……they are definitely a big part of our family!

  101. Rachel says

    We have a Bengal cat named Cleo! I wish I could upload a picture because she has a beautiful leopard coat. My husband is dying for a dog…I didn’t grow up with one so to me they seem like a lot of work and extra planning if we aren’t home. We don’t have kids yet so I am just enjoying life with each other without extra responsibilities!

  102. Julia says

    We have three cats and two dogs! Ruby, an eight year old lab mix, Bucky, an eight year old cavalier king charles (and our FAVORITE! Sorry but it’s true! After getting Bucky we decided we are a cavalier family from now on), Chloe, a 14 year old Calico cat, and Clemson and Charmander, 4 year old tabby cats that are littermates. Definitely a full house!

  103. Stacey Robinson says

    I love hearing all about their personalities and I love their names! We had four dogs at one time when my kids were younger. Be careful, once you have three it’s so easy to get four ???

    When our oldest dog passed away it was so interesting to see how the next one in order naturally became the pack leader and became the boss. The whole dynamic of the pack changes.

    Another fun post!

  104. Shelby Lewis says

    I got my husband a golden retriever as a wedding gift in October, and she is now 6 months old. Her name is Alma (in reference to our Alma Mater where we met). She is the sweetest and sassiest girl. Always has to be near us, and wants to have a paw on us at all times. Don’t know what I would do without here during this new normal or working from home, she is keeping me sane!

    Thinking of you and the travel agency during this time. Clare planned the most amazing honeymoon for us to Europe last year and I truly can’t imagine how hard it has been for you guys and clients during all of this unknown. I feel very thankful that we got to have our wedding and dream honeymoon, praying for those who are having to cancel/postpone.

    This too Shall pass!

  105. Krista Dragoo says

    Hi Shay!
    We have two pit bull dalmatian mixes that’s we adopted 7.5 years ago. Their names are Skylar and Fiona. Skylar is definitely the alpha dog in our house, but she is super sweet and loves to cuddle. Fiona loves to eat treats and sleep. They both follow my husband around most of the time. Once it gets dark though Fiona heads for our bedroom. I couldn’t imagine our house without them.

  106. Debbie says

    I’m currently staying at my daughter’s house with my black lab Lexi. She has a German Shepard Payton and a Morkie (Maltese, yorkie mix) named Brooklyn. The little one Brooklyn is definitely in charge. She rules the house and she is the same way at feeding time as your Poppy is. It is funny to see the 10 pound dog boss around the 70 and 80 pound dogs. They are all female and they all get along great. Life is so much more fun with dogs, especially now!!

  107. Gitisha says

    Love this post. We are thinking about getting a puppy too (first-time pet owners). My dog have dog dander allergy so still doing our research on the breed. I have a couple of questions for you. Any specific reason you chose Coton and Labradoodle breed? Why girl dogs and not boy?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Andrew and I both grew up with girl dogs, so we just keep opting for that here too. The books we read at BN said Cotons were sweet natured, kind of lazy, good with people and children plus they’re hypoallergenic. We bought a labradoodle because everyone we know who has one, loves them and that’s what Smith kept asking for (they’re hypoallergenic too!).

  108. Yvonne C says

    Your dogs are SO CUTE! I always grew up with dogs and cats, but we are totally dog people now! We currently have 2 cavalier king Charles (black and tan ones). Every now and again I mention to my husband we should get another dog, but he is not totally on board….he is the poo picker upper so I can understand his hesitation! We are also signed up on a cavalier rescue group to foster, so at this point, we will just hope to foster a dog in the future. Enjoy all your cute fur babies!

    • Angeline says

      I was hoping to read that someone else had Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! We also have two…one Blenheim (Winston Charles called Charlie) and a Tri (Jules Joy called Juju). They are the ultimate companion/lap dogs and great with kids. My kids want a ruby but we are tapped at at two since we also have two cats and a whole lot of crazy!

  109. Jennifer Hall says

    I have a 4.5 year old Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix named Kensington! She has tons of personality but is also super sweet and cuddly (when she wants to be)!

  110. Judie Booth says

    Loved the post. Dogs are the BEST. I have always had dogs. Our first dog my parents let us name him. So his name was Woof Woof. Hahaha. He loved to chase cars. We rescued our current boy named Bentley. He’s a mixture of chocolate Lab and Pit. He is the sweetest dog I have ever owned. He’s 75 lbs and loves to cuddle. When you put his food down he won’t eat until we leave the kitchen. Just love him to pieces

  111. Jenn says

    Loved learning about your three pups! We brought our Brecken (kids named him after their favorite ski hill. We live in CO) home last summer. He is a Teddy Bear breed puppy (Shih-tzu/Bichon mix) and is incredibly sweet, good mannered and oh so adorable! In fact, while we had never considered this before, because he has been so amazing we are looking into the possibility of getting a few more and breeding for awhile (Brecken is neutered so he is a no-go!). I have read that it is extremely rare to have a Teddy Bear breed that does not cuddle but B is exactly as you describe Poppy. He always wants to be beside us but never cuddles. Hopefully our next one will! He is also hypoallergenic, although we have no issues with allergies. Pups are just so fun!

  112. Tracy says

    That group photo is the best! Too cute! We’ve got one sweet, deaf, 10-year-old hound mix named Corbin. Like your Poppy, he doesn’t show his age!

  113. Nicole Chervenak says

    We have two Yorkies, Tucker and Spencer. They are my babies. Tucker was first and he’s 8. My now husband got Spencer when we were dating…well because I made him. lol Spencer is 4 and he is quirky. He loves his toys and eating all the food. He’s much bigger than Tucker but Tucker is the alpha. Maybe because they were the first they decided to be the Alpha dogs. I would like to add a big dog to the mix but we struggle when travelling to leave the pups with someone so I don’t want to worry about one more. Maybe someday…a Goldendoodle would be my choice.

  114. Rachael V says

    I rescued a crazy mixed breed dog from the shelter about 2.5 years ago. She’s a hound mix, so she’s EXTREMELY vocal. We always say she may not speak English, but she definitely communicates! She goes pretty much everywhere I go, loves having her own crate to play with her toys in, somehow takes up the entire bed, and will chase anything. She’s quite the athlete! Her name is Dakota, and I’m obsessed with her 🙂 I would love to get her a little brother, but she can be oddly possessive and has some left over issues from the shelter life, so I’m just not sure… But, needless to say, I loved this post!

  115. Jill Tilby says

    We are crazy and have 3 pups as well ? Oakley is a 4 year old goldendoodle, RiRi is a year and a half husky, and Olive is a year old mini goldendoodle. They can drive me crazy but we sure love them! Dogs are seriously the best!!

  116. Bethanne says

    Those pups are soooooo cute!!! My husband and I have a chinchilla! Since we are big fans of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation over here, we named him Clark. 🙂 We block off our family room for a few minutes every evening and let him run around – he is especially fond of open windows and sniffing the fresh air. He’s a sweetie.

  117. Sandra Allen says

    Hi, Shay! I loved reading about Poppy, Frenchie, and Yankee Doodle! When my son was nine years old, his aunt and uncle gave him a puppy that was a mixed breed for his birthday. He named her Lady (from the Disney movie) and we went on with life. About a year later we bought a purebred Cocker Spaniel male puppy who was eight weeks old and named him Barney (from the Andy Griffith show). Lady and Barney got along fine, but a few months later my son came running in the house yelling that Lady and Barney were locked together and he couldn’t get them apart. I bet you know what’s coming. Ha! Yes, when I walked out to the yard, there was six month old Barney “locked” with Lady. That was certainly a good sex education story. I certainly didn’t know a male dog could become a father at the ripe old age of six months. Live and learn. And exactly 63 days later, our Lady had five cute little black and white puppies! LOL.

  118. Dana Lavelle says

    Shay, I will be praying for your business to pick up. My husband and son are airline pilots and flights are virtually empty. We are braced for a furlough…knowing God is in control is a big comfort. He takes care of His own!

    Your dogs are so precious! I loved reading about each one and how different they are. We just put our 16 year old Golden down in November — one of the hardest things I have ever done but God made it clear it was time. All our children could be there and the vet staff was amazing (how do they handle blubbering people all the time?) It felt like the end of an era for our family. Enjoy your children while they are small — it goes too fast!

  120. Morgan Godbold says

    It’s crazy how they’re our fur babies right! Love the dynamic in all the dogs! Can’t wait to see Yankee get bigger. My friend’s parents have a chocolate labradoodle and it’s the sweetest dog!! I’m an animal lover too! I have 3 cats now (more at one time), Munson, G, and Silver. Their names are tied to The University fo Georgia!

    I grew up with a yellow lab, but my season of life right now it’s not the right fit to add a dog to the mix. But to spoil my friends dogs (like it do their kids) I keep milk bones in my car! Each dog gets a couple every time I’m over. They love it, and I have lots of fur friends! And don’t even get me started if and when I see an actual English Bulldog, like UGA (insert the heart eye emoji)!

  121. Mandy says

    Cute post, your pups are adorable ?
    We have a 2 year old pug named Chewy.
    He is so stinking cute & funny but oh so lazy!

  122. Molly Bierens says

    We have three dogs, Zuna (5) is a Bernese Mountian Dog, Rhenna (2) is a Bernedoodle and Greta (10 months) is a Bernedoodle. We also have a cat and 12 chickens. Rhenna had a liter of 11 puppies last year and we just breed her again so hoping for another big liter. Many days I feel like we have a zoo. 🙂

  123. Victory says

    Where do y’all usually purchase your pets? Craigslist, facebook group, family friend, local adoption center? We are wanting to get a puppy and have no idea where to start or what questions to ask? We would like a mini schnauzer 🙂

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      All directly from breeders. There are not very many coton breeders in the US (who breed real, authentic coton de tulears and not blends). Poppy’s breeder is no longer having puppies, but Frenchie’s is in California. Yankee is from Lauderdoodles in Ohio.

  124. Linda Filtzkowski says

    They are all so cute!!! We had 2 lab/border collie strays that my husband found as puppies on his UPS route(someone had dumped a litter at a farm) We got the 2 girls-Ginger and MaryAnn. We lost Ginger last fall and we all cried really hard!! We really miss her, MaryAnn probably the most! She wouldn’t eat after that so now I make her a weekly batch of hamburger, brown rice, peas and carrots!!! Thinking we will be getting a puppy to keep MaryAnn company pretty soon!

  125. Megan says

    Hi Shay! Loved reading about your sweet pups! We have 2 golden retrievers -Tazz and Libby. Question: what do yours think of the pool? I would think Yankee would like it having Lab in her.

  126. Lindsey Whitley says

    We have a female Brittany Spaniel named Ladybird who is old, (12 years) and very chill. But, I must confess, I am 100% team Erika on this one. I really caved when I allowed her to come in the house. My husband grew up with animals in the house, and I grew up on a farm, where all animals are dirty and are not welcome in the house!

  127. Leiah says

    We have a 145 lb English Mastiff named Rebel and is the sweetest baby there ever was. Their size makes them appear quite intimidating but unless you’re afraid of drool on your shoes or clothes, you’ll be fine. He’s also the best dog on the planet because when we let him out, he immediately runs to the woods at the back of our property to do his business. I tell my husband all the time he must have a stack of magazines and cigars or something back there. I’m not really complaining, though. I mean with a dog that size, who’d want that cleanup duty?

  128. Diane says

    Love this post and have to give a shout out to adopting from a rescue or shelter! We have two Shar Peis , Gabbi and Harley, from North American Shar Pei Rescue—one is definitely an Alpha female. Bentley is a rescue from a local kennel – a dachshund/ chihuahua mix. And yup they all get on the furniture and none of them want go in our pool. Hugs from Waco where our shelter in place has been extended to April 21?.

  129. Liz Thorson says

    Loved learning more about a Poppy, Frenchie and Yankee! As I recall, when Ashby arrived home, she was terrified of Frenchie?! I love that she is now the dog whisperer and loves all dogs! We have two, Black English Labs. Lexi is 6 and Riley is 3. They adore each other, run with me and love swimming in the lake we live on whenever it strikes them as a fun thing to do! When we can walk, run or hike somewhere where they can be off leash, Lexi wants you to kick or toss a ball for her the entire time and Riley has her nose to the ground sniffing and ready to track down a bunny or a squirrel, which she never has caught!

  130. Connie says

    Cute dogs! Since my husband is allergic to dogs and cats we have never had one. I have been told we could get a hyperallergenic dog though? Then I cat sit for my neighbor at times and when my daughter came with me, she broke out in a rash and got all stuffed up. It happened three times, so she is indeed allergic to cats. Her doctor told us she is allergic and to stay away from cats. I do like dogs over cats. My son would love a dog. We get to see my sisters dogs, so that helps. Anyhow, we have only had several fish throughout the years. A blue parakeet when my son who was 8 yrs old named Shadow. He lived for 6 years! Then we let our daughter pick a teal/greenish looking one out. She named him Skye. Well this one loved my son and would cuddle up next to him when he would get him out of the cage. It was sweet. But he only lived for 2 years. Right now we have no pets.

  131. Christa Richards says

    Your pups are adorable! We have 2 Coton de Tulears named Bailey & Sadie. They are just the best breed of dog EVER! So sweet and goofy, they definitely keep us laughing!

  132. kristin mcgeeney says

    we have a pug named Maple and she is the funniest dog we’ve had. she’s just the best and we love her so much.

  134. Ashley says

    Your dogs are so cute!! I have 3 myself. They are all senior maltese/shih tzu mixes and 2 of them are diabetic and blind, 1 of those also has a seizure disorder. Prescription dog food, 4 insulin shots and 7 medicines per day but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

    Ready for their names? Black Eyed Pea (he has 2 black eyes), Itty Bitty (he was the runt), and Preddy, which is short for Predator. I had their mom, Sophie, and before their eyes were open she developed a calcium deficiency and had to go live with my mom while I bottle fed the babies every couple hours. Preddy kept finding his way to his brothers and trying to nurse off their wee-wees so I nicknamed him Predator after Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” and it stuck when I decided these were my babies and no one else could have them. So, I bought a house and kept them. 🙂 Sadly, Sophie passed away a few months ago. She was also diabetic, blind, and had an auto-immune disorder. Miss that feisty alpha girl! She was just like Poppy with the food!!

  136. Kelcy says

    Loved this post, I wish everyone would write about their beloved pets, so fun to read! 🙂 My husband and I have a 5-year old Westie (Harper) who we brought home right before getting married, and we have a 1-year old Wheaten Terrier (Murphy). I’m curious to know if you have any kind of schedule or system for grooming! Both our dogs require professional grooming, at least for their hair cuts, and I haven’t found a good system for that yet — do we take them both at the same time, or stagger them, so many options!

  137. SharonK says

    I loved hearing about your pets!! We have had boxers for the past 20 years and love them all. We have a boxer now that my husband & I couldn’t agree on a name. All our boys were grown & gone by the time we got her. She’s a reverse brindle boxer so she looks like coffee with a little cream swirled in it. I wanted to name her Java and my husband wanted to call her Mud (because coffee is called Mud in some parts of the world). I couldn’t agree to call her Mud and he wouldn’t agree with Java. Our boys kept thinking that one of us would give up and we would agree on a name eventually. Java will be 9 years old next month …. and I still call her Java and my husband still calls her Mud. And for some reason, he is her person!!

  138. Mary V says

    I love this post! They are adorable. We got our first dog 2 years ago and she is also a Labradoodle. Like your family, she is so loved on! I appreciate all of your insight and experience, as sometimes I feel like we are still learning. Would love any grooming recommendations you have, we finally have things down, but if you had a good shampoo or brush recommendation I’d love to hear it! I have one recommendation for you. We found this harness on Amazon, and it is such a little miracle to stop labradoodles from pulling on the leash. Our girl looks like a pro on walks now! Best wishes during this crazy time! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0725KKX68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  139. Dustin says

    I would pay money to see the mealtime routine at your house! We have 3 golden retrievers and, while our oldest is also our alpha, there is no way the other two would wait to eat.

  140. Monica Stoleson says

    I enjoy each and every post that you wrote. You are just the cutest thing and I really look forward to what your going to post next. I have a Shih-tzu who is 9 years old. His name is Harley James. He is the sweetest and calmest dog. He sleeps most of the day but does enjoy some cold water out the bathtub or sink. ? He never barks and loves to be where I am as well. I have 3 kids and he really doesn’t hang with them unless they have food. Your pups are precious. They seem to fit your family perfectly. ?❤️

  142. Theresa Childs says

    Such a sweet post. Love hearing about your pups. We are dog lovers also. Tyler was our Schnauzer. We had him for 16 years and it was so heartbreaking when he passed. We now have a schnoodle. Schnauzer and Poodle. Her name is Isabella Grace and she is precious. Isabella loves to cuddle and she has been such a pleasure to have with us during this stay home time.

  144. Peggy K. says

    Awwww, sweet dogs. They are all so beautiful, and it’s easy to see they are loved.

    We have a maltipoo…maltese/poodle mix. Her name is Paisley. She is 8 pounds of orneriness. She came to us as a rescue when she was 18 months old. She likes to secretly pee on rugs when she gets anxious. We’re pretty sure this is the reason she was given up, because other than that, she is a dream! She loves me more than anyone, and she would walk on hot coals to get to me. She is not a snuggler. She prefers to nap near me, like your Poppy. Her favorite activity is receiving belly rubs.

    We also have 2 guinea pigs, Liberty (Libby) and Belle. They are just veggie eating, poop machines. They keep us busy feeding them and cleaning up after them. We rescued them last summer, and they are middle aged at this point. They give us hours of entertainment.

  145. Jeanie says

    Oh, how I enjoyed this post! I love dogs, too, and adore yours just by reading about them. I currently have two dogs. Oliver is a cream-colored labradoodle, a BIG one. His head comes almost up to my waist. Chance is a cocker mix, dark brown. About eight years ago my son brought him home as a stray. We named him Chance because it’s just by chance that we have him and are giving him a second chance. I lost my sweet black and white shih tzu, Kenzie, over two years ago to Cushing’s disease. I miss her.

  146. Shirley Bridges says

    So enjoyed reading about and seeing your four children and
    reading their interactions, with
    their three adorable dogs. Know
    you and Andrew enjoy them too!
    I have a very spoiled fourteen year old Bichon, have always
    had Poodles, but find our “Gigi”
    to be the smartest little dog we’ve
    ever had.

  147. Elizabeth Darnielle says

    I read your blog almost everyday (I’m a little behind) but rarely comment but I just had to for this one. Your dogs are all so cute! Poppy reminds me a lot of my Bichon Frise, Duchess. She was super active until she was about 13 when her arthritis set in. Then she slowed down a bit but still got around pretty good except for stairs until the last few months of her life. Sadly on Christmas Eve I had to make the most difficult decision of my life and put her to sleep. She was almost 18 and she had been very sick for the last month. The vet said basically her body was shutting down. I miss her everyday but hope to get another dog someday in the future.

  148. Chelsa says

    I don’t ever remember seeing that view of your pool/yard!

    We have a golden doodle (who is way more golden than doodle) and a labradoodle!

  149. Riahnnon says

    I love your puppies! We have a cat named Witten! He is very sassy, as most cats are, but we enjoy his company!

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