Ella
by Marilyn, November 2005
Ella with my (human) daughter
After being dog-less for nearly 25 years the "the time had come"(the walrus said) in June 04, to search out a suitable breed for 'the older woman'. I'd always liked poodles. I'd known a few and they seemed bright and clever but cuddly too and the big bonus was no shedding hair. I used to have German Shepherds and still love that breed but the hair sheds by the sackfull!
I saw the lifting of the import ban for Shepherds (way back when) which allowed dogs of good, modern conformation come into Australia after the isolation of so many years. At one stage I had 4 Shepherds; Marka (Bradpenny Markaling) from the pre-import days then (rather foolishly) bred Marka and kept Glencoft Donna and Glencroft Jake and then I also acquired Kelly (making Kelly & Jake or Jelly and Cake!). All were fun, loving and very hard work. My very young children all crawled and slept with all the Shepherds - but I just didn’t want that hair problem again and being older myself, I wanted a smaller dog.
While having coffee with my daughter Claire one lunchtime, we met Fly, a labradoodle, who just won our hearts. I tried to get a puppy with exactly the same breeding as Fly but it wasn't to be. I did manage however to get my Ella from the same 'human' family.
We brought her from Echuca in the back seat of my car on Claire's lap on grand final day 2004. We haven't looked back.
She starts each day sharing a Malt-o-Milk biscuit, an apple and a banana with her mum, Marilyn, and then she's off to Princess Park to play with Raff, Nero or Jazz or to Elsternwick Park to play with Miffi, Ralph or Suzie. But she has to be on the lead by 8.15 as she just loves to join in with the cricket by stealing the cones or the ball! Sometimes we go to the beach and enjoy a dig or three and dead birds and smelly fish - oh such fun. And what night-time farts!
Back at home Ella has lots of soft toys and (unlike her mum's real kids when they were young) has learnt to put them back in their box (knowing there's a reward to be had of course).
Her dad, Kevin, didn't want a dog in the first place, but guess who now greets her back from the park, asking who she played with or whether she swum to Tasmania and back and whether she's tired and whether she wants a little lie down on her pillow?! Claire (her mum's human daughter) visits everyday and is greeted by wagging tail (and body) at the window.