We have been lucky enough to really get to know all of Val & Bob's poodles. It is no wonder our pups were so well socialized thanks to all the attention and correction their Grandma, Aunts, Uncle and Sister provided. You won't find healthier, friendlier, and more willing-to-please dogs anywhere!
The Sorbas, Renton, WA

      My little Rassie is a bundle full of joy. She loves to play, is super smart, and is the sweetest dog I have ever known. I can't imagine life without her. She is very friendly with other dogs and even plays with my cat who in turn loves to play with her. She has a great, fun and goofy personality, she likes to "talk," and brings a lot of joy to our family. She is also a very loyal and loving dog.
      I wouldn't have a poodle at all if it wasn't for Val and her dogs. Getting to know Lady Espresso and her puppy family is what really started me on wanting one so much. Spressi has a great personality, she is an excellent dog mom, and Val's environment at her home is perfect for the dogs getting accustomed to being around people of all ages, other dogs, and cats too. I don't think I could have received a better family dog from any other breeder.
Theresa Golden, Blaine, WA

      We love our babies. Macchiato looks a lot like Biscotti. He's very handsome and pretty big. Frappuccino is still the dominant one, although he's still a pound lighter and very cute. They are both very cuddly. Chino likes to lay on my shoulder like a baby. Macchiato is a little bigger, so he sits beside me or lays on me when I'm on the couch. Sometimes I have both of them laying on me. They cuddle with everybody though, and they sleep with Michael in his room. The last time we had them weighed, Macchiato was a little under 16 pounds, I think. Chino was a pound lighter. Bill just tried to measure their height, and as best we can tell, Macchi is about 14 inches at the shoulder and Chino is about 13 inches at the shoulder...The boys are just as happy and healthy as ever. Macchiato has been doing something really cute - when he wants to be let out of the play yard, or wants over the gate, he whines, and it sounds like "Ma-ma!" I'm sure that's not really what he's saying (?), but he knows that I like it, and he's starting to do it on command. He's sitting in my lap right now, and Bill's holding Frappuccino...We love the boys very much.
      Michael is having a great time with them. They greet him very excitedly every morning when he gets up by jumping all over him and licking his face. And before we got the guys, I had never seen Bill actually cuddle an animal or let one sleep on him! I see that all the time now. I'm just in love with them. They're my babies, and I can't wait to get home from work everyday to see them. . . Potty training has gone well - they're both going outside. They love playing in the backyard. It's not a very big yard, but they do figure-8s at a full bore and get plenty of exercise...The boys discovered that they can make a loop around the kitchen, the family room and the dining room. They chase each other about a hundred miles an hour around the loop. The wood floors are slippery, so it's pretty comical. I'm glad we kept them together, too.  We love them so much. They are such clowns. . . Michael got a Nintendo Wii, and Chino likes to sit and watch the screen. He's a smarty and very observant...Yesterday they were sitting behind me watching me put on my makeup. They wanted to be picked up, so I just stood there and cuddled both of them for about three minutes. Frappuccino was looking around the whole time (of course), but Macchioto put his head on my shoulder and gazed longingly into my eyes. Talk about a relaxing three minutes - I think my blood pressure actually dropped to normal! We would love to come to a puppy reunion.
Lisa Olson, Lynnwood, WA

      Miss Molly is an absolute love - especially after she turned one! At the vets last month she weighed 10 lbs, 8 oz. She is VERY tiny. She's very affectionate and loves to go to our summer place where she can run untethered because there is no traffic. She's so fast, we call her the chocolate rocket. She has 2 "cousin" dogs who live next door and they are great playmates. I'm attaching a fairly recent picture so you can see how sweet she is...What an absolutely adorable baby Molly is! At the vets 3 weeks ago she weighed 5 lbs 3 oz. She goes for her last puppy shots tomorrow, and her first grooming is on Monday! Right now she looks like a little brown bear. She comes to work with me 4 days a week, and is the official "Valpak Morale Officer." We have one office that's empty, so her pink crate (with the padded liner, doncha know) is in that room so her nap time is quiet. The rest of the time, she's racing like a horse from one end of the office to the other - and it's a large office! She gets lots of cuddles and loves everyone.
L. Connelly, Sammamish, WA

All is well with Bonnie! You did a great job with her! She is a sweetie! She's very cuddling and calm. She knows who her mommy is. I don't think she knows she's Nathaniel's dog! She's been okay with everything in her life (ear hair pulling, playpen, car travel) except the bath, but she'll calm down for some of it. She had a great time with Mac and Linda's poodle. I don't know if he'd had enough exercise before Bonnie came. He was a little wild man, but after racing around and around chasing Bonnie, he calmed down a lot! Bonnie does very well with strangers. She can also climb out of her three foot playpen! We have been working on "come and sit" training. Once she gets the hang of it, she'll finish her treat and then run to the next person and sit down before we say "come". We have to say, "Simon didn't say "come." We got out a kiddie pool for Bonnie when it was hot. She wasn't impressed at all with getting in the pool, despite being a water dog! Then we put the empty pool on the porch to dry. Now sometimes she races around the yard as fast as she can, jumps on the porch and hops in the pool which then slides like a sled! It's hilarious! Is Bella pregnant? My cousin in Federal Way is also interested in a poodle puppy.

Update 10/10: Bonnie and Nathaniel won first place in a pet parade contest today. Nathaniel won a bicycle! He was Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bonnie was a ATTE Walker.
Kerry S., Chehalis, WA

First Birthday Party Update: First, we want to thank Jean so much for hosting such a wonderful event!! Bella Marina is still tired!! :-)  Secondly, all the gifts wow!! The CD is fabulous of all the baby photos, the wonderful certificate Val put together - so special and thoughtful!. The three bags of doggie treats - so good!, and the darling stuffed animal and scarf - so sweet! And thirdly, many thanks for all the wonderful donation we all brought for the shelter dogs which filled our trunk and the shelters heart. We are so very grateful for our little Bella and so happy we met her whole family too!  Hopefully this was the first of many gatherings to come. Thanks again for everything!
Kit & Gina Purdy, Seattle, WA

      Just wanted to give you a quick report - Chai is such a sweetie!!! I'm not sure if he has reached his full size yet, or if he still has some growing to do, but if he is completely grown I think he's even smaller than Spressi. Even though I thought I wanted my mini to be on the larger side, I love the fact that Chai is still so small, cute and cuddly. He has been such a great puppy too - no ruined shoes, furniture, etc. - he plays with his own toys, occassionally tries to steal one of the girls' stuffed animals, but if I talk to him in a stern voice he literally crawls up to me, completely grovelling, and gives it back. He's so cute.
      Don't know if I've described to you how Chai tries to play with the peacocks, but it is really funny. He is so full of joy and has NO idea that the peacocks are NOT playing! He loves to run around the trail with me, and is seemingly tireless when we are outside. But then when we come in, he'll cuddle up next to one of the girls and just lay there relaxing. He puts himself  to bed every night around 8pm when the girls go to sleep - curls up on a blankie on the couch, or even goes into Tamaroon (his crate) all by himself and just conks out for the entire night. He will bark when somebody new comes to the door, but once he knows that WE know somebody is there, he's completely friendly and quiet. James has been building retaining walls, and we have a huge stack of them next to our back porch. Chai loves to climb to the top of the stack and sit on his "throne" overlooking the yard.  He is really cute when he gets up there - his whole posture changes - he stands so tall and sits up straight with his back proudly arched and surveys his kingdom. He's a real character. I still haven't taken him to the groomer - I've been clipping him myself, keeping him a shaggy puppy. We love him so much - hope all your other babies are doing as well.
Update: I've been meaning to send you an update on Tiki - sorry it has taken me so long. Everything has been going very well. Chai showed a tiny bit of jealousy here and there, but nothing serious. He wants to be boss, but he's so much smaller than her that he's having a difficult time convincing her. They'll figure it all out soon enough I'm sure. They play together really well, eat out of the same dish, both sleep on our bed, she is definitely one of the family. In the morning she wakes up when the sun comes up and moves over from crowding me to the end of the bed. We have a really nice view of the lake, and she lays there regally, relaxed but with her with her head held high, and watches the sunrise.  She looks like she's thinking "Im queen of the whole world!"  She'll watch everything - the birds flying past, boats out in the distance, just like she's the Goddess of it all. That's why we call her Tiki - the island Goddess. She loves to run the trail on the island (it's a 1/3 mile loop through the woods around the interior of the island) - attached is a picture of her and Chai - she'll stay right with me, running ahead and then waiting for me to catch up, and if she goes down a different path she'll come back immediately when I call.  When I go to visit my neighbor, she'll wait on the porch, even though she has the run of the whole island, then when I come back out she'll start racing down the trails ahead of me again.  When I sit in the recliner she'll jump up and curl up between my legs. Wanted to let you know how happy we are with her, and that she seems really happy as well.  I tried to get some pictures of her running and playing with Chai, but they are so darn fast when they start chasing each other around that all I get is a big blur, or a picture of their back half!  Hope all is well with you, and thank you both again for our new little girl.
Sue Guerrero, Lakewood, WA

      Hi everyone, We really enjoyed meeting all of you and felt we were just showered with friendship and gifts. It's not every day that one gets to attend a "Poodle Birthday Party!" We agreed on the way home it is one of the more interesting and fun gatherings we've been to. It was amazing to see the differences in the sibling poodles and a joy to meet all of you. Every detail was attended to including the adorable Doggie Cake in the shape of a bone. We are going to have Sophie's certificate framed--what a keepsake--along with the Puppy DVD and the other wonderful presents. Thanks to all of you for a memorable afternoon...Jean, thank you for opening your home up to all of us. Thanks for the idea about contributing the food to the Shelter--great thought! Best,
Joe, Marilyn & (chocolate) Sophie

      My Sophie looks like her daddy Biscotti. She is bigger than mom Darby (not by much,) and FULL OF HERSELF!!! She runs across the yard barely touching the ground. Springing around all the time.  She has a stuffed elephant. One of her favorite games is to SPRINT figure eights in the backyard carrying the elephant. . . Sophie has found a knack for swimming like her father!!! Here's a picture. Just wanted you to see this beautiful young thing.
      I have burned a dvd with puppy pictures from the first 8 weeks of the puppies' life for everyone at the birthday party. I thought you all might enjoy seeing the pictures. I have to say I took more pictures of my Sophie than the others, but there are some good shots of all of them. 
Cathy Shea & (black) Sophie

      Sunny is doing great. He whined a little bit for the first day or so, but he really took to his Bobo toy and his Kong. Kimberly has been spending a lot of time with him, potty training him and teaching him new things (he is so smart!). We took some pictures of him when we first brought him home; we will send those to you ASAP.  When I got home from work tonight, he was chilling himself by the fan (he loves it!) and trying to stay cool on this very hot day. When he gets too warm, he goes back into our master bedroom (which is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the house) for water and lays down in his crate for awhile. He hated walking all of the tile floors in our house until today, Kimberly trained him that it's "OK" to walk on tile. Now he goes into every room! He is the cutest little guy; he is very affectionate, loves to be right by our side, and loves to give us licky kisses all of the time. We get him really excited when he goes to the vet, so he seems to think it's a vacation and actually likes it. He will lick the doctor when he gets a shot, and our vet says he is the most loving puppy she has come across in a long time. On his last vet visit, we specifically had the doctor give him vaccinations for any water parasites that he may encounter. We took him to the lake this weekend, where we taught him how to be a real water retriever. He took right to the water, wading at first and then starting to swim (he is a very, very, very strong swimmer). We played fetch with him using a stick, and he got to the point where we could throw it about 15 feet out and he would jump in and retrieve it.
Michael and Kimberly Tabbutt, Renton, WA

      Hi Val. I came looking for Bosco at your house Sunday morning about 10 am. I thought he had gotten out of the house and probably headed your way, but he wasn't there. Turns out he was in my house all the time. I've had a lot of company for the last few days, and with all the commotion and constant door opening I thought he was gone! Your brother helped me look around for him, so please thank him for me. Bosco behaved beautifully while my company was here and charmed about 30 people at a family gathering Saturday with his gentle nature and calm temperment. He starts obedience tomorrow. Should be fun. Would it be possible for Bosco to visit you from Friday morning to mid-afternoon on Sunday? I will be going on a wine tour in Eastern WA and know he would prefer your place to the motel! 
J. McGarrah, SeaTac, WA

      Leo & Ellen here with puppy Victoria - who has now completed her puppy shots. She is a very healthy puppy! Victoria weighs 10 lbs and 7oz now and is a furry little ball. I have been giving her a bath when absolutely needed. She is very good about having a bath and loves the end part of being wrapped up in the towel. We have 2 more classes of puppy boot camp to go. She is learning fast! Very eager to have her turn with the instructor!!!! I am taking her on her first big road trip to Jasper, Alberta next week. We will be doing lots of walking while there.
      Vicki comes with me to work each day and is a delight to the seniors that I work with. They have to have their puppy fix! I believe that the sewing ladies are making her a little quilt. I have a baby gate on my office door and she is getting much better about letting me out of the office without whining. When she is not chewing on a toy, she lays under my computer desk at my feet on a nice crochet throw...then we go home and give Rupert (our 2 yr old Portugese Water Dog) a run at lunchtime. They play very well together. Vicki is always pestering him, but he takes it and never has been mean when correcting her. She loves to run along beside him and bite and jump at his poor ear....They are very entertaining to us and keep each other company too... She sleeps on our bed and lately has been making it completely through the night. Yea! Good news for my husband who is usually the one that is assisting her to the front yard. . . Vicki is super smart (but you already know that). Our couch is quite high and she can climb up there, but if you are sitting there and put your hand down Vicki will lean into your palm and then you can pull her up easily. She is persistent, and if you don't want her to be somewhere she will become determined to be there! I think her favorite thing is to pack around a rose petal in her mouth that has floated to the ground. We both dearly love her and can't imagine our household without her!
Leo & Ellen Palmer, Sedro-Woolley, WA

      Our family are the owners of Sir Johann, from Spressi's first litter, and now Rachmaninoff from Bella's first litter. Johann is a very sweet, very smart boy, and very well behaved.  Although he isn't neutered (we bred him once and he is a daddy!), he doesn't mark his territory in the house. He sleeps on our 16 year old son's bed. He recently started walking off-leash, and stays right where he is supposed to. Even at 3 years old, he entertains himself (and us!) playing with his toys. Everyone who comes to our house wants to take him home! If you are lucky enough to get one of Spressi's puppies or grandpuppies, you won't be sorry!

10/2010 Update: I can't wait to come to Seattle and meet our new puppy, Rachmaninoff! Johann will be so excited to meet his new nephew/playmate! He has been so lonely since we lost our old poodle Wolfie, and we look forward to him having a companion! We wouldn't even entertain the thought of getting a poodle locally or anywhere besides Seattle Poodles! We'll be bringing Rachman home to Colorado at Christmastime, best present ever!

1/2011 Update: Rachman is really happy living here with us and Yoyo. He is about to get a bath (little poopy butt!). He and Yoyo can't seem to decide whose bed is whose, they switch off all the time, but don't ever sleep in the same one. The two boys love taking more and more toys out of the toy box--we need to teach them to put them back! Rachman discovered his reflection in our mirror and growls a ferocious but frightened little grrrr. It's adorable, and I'll try to get video next time.
Louise Molieri, Castle Rock, CO

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