It’s no wonder the “doodles” (golden doodle, labradoodles, and all the variants in the genre) are so popular — they are intelligent, great learners, affectionate, and, no shedding! Marley’s parents selected us for in home pet sitting as a dog boarding alternative for their little girl, which gave us the opportunity to spend time with this elegant and well-mannered doodle!
Besides daily walks, Marley loved the water! Her parents are boaters, which gave her extra opportunities to enjoy swimming. Although we didn’t take her out on any boat, we did spend a lot of time with her doing another favorite water sport, ball toss in the pool! 
Marley’s happy demeanor was a joy to be around — very patient, excellent on the leash (seriously, you could lay the leash over your arm and she wouldn’t pull it off) yet fun-loving and playful. There’s something about a poodle’s gait, too – I’m sure there’s a technical term, but their dancer-like leg and foot action is beautiful, we just call it sassy prancing!
Marley’s poodle intelligence and great training made it very easy to care for her — if we missed anything, such as her treat after a walk, she would very patiently “correct” us in an appropriate manner (standing in front of the treat cabinet until we figured it out, for instance!) She was so well-behaved, we were shocked when she tried to sit with us on a couch the first evening, as we had heard she wasn’t allowed on the furniture. Fortunately, we asked the owners as it was uncharacteristic of Marley to be wrong, and sure enough, she wasn’t — there was one couch, in one room where she was allowed, and was her favorite spot for cuddling (yeah!)
A dog kennel was never an option for these owners, and we’re grateful we made their acquaintance and had the opportunity to in home pet sit for Marley. Particularly as a dog boarding alternative, it’s hard to beat! (and, I might mention very competitively priced 🙂 )
