We'd been searching for a dog to join our family (two parents, two children, two cats)for over two years when we came across Blackberry Pups on pets 4 homes.
We were looking for a particular type of dog: It had to be smallish ,a breed known for being playful and good with children. Both of our children had been scared of dogs when they were younger, to the extent that our son would even cross the road to avoid walking past a dog. In recent years however, and them getting to know dogs from their school friends , they began to ask "can we have a dog?"
So the search began. Our Manchester City footie mad son even nicknamed his future pup, Sergio, after Sergio Aguero. Despite researching different breeds from Labradoodles (too big) to cavachons (didn't look like Sergio) we couldn't seem to find "our" dog.
Our Son had a particular image in his head : Sergio had to be blond , shaggy, small enough he could sleep with on his bed, smart , be a good friend, and had to like playing with a football
A friend said Sergio sounded like a Cockapoo.... and I began to research the breed.
One day while on pets 4 homes I came across puppies at Blackberry Pups. Was one Sergio? It certainly felt like it. Without telling the children, I emailed the breeders, Dawn and Steve for more information. They replied immediately ,answering all my questions and sending additional photos of the boys in the litter. I picked one with a little white spot on his head, and put down a deposit. Then we told the children we'd found Sergio.
From the beginning we found Dawn and Steve to be very friendly and helpful. They sent us photos of the parents, answered any questions I had, and invited us to Norfolk to visit our new puppy.
Exactly one year ago (Autunm half term 2014) we met 4 week old Sergio for the first time. He was sleeping in wicker basket. and he as absolutely adorable. We also met his parents.
Four weeks later we returned to Norfolk to pick up Sergio. We travelled in convey, as my parents had in the meantime decided to buy his brother .It was lovely knowing the two puppies would grow up together. Once again Dawn and Steve welcomed us into their home, went through the paperwork and vaccination information with us, and helped us get the puppies ready for the long journey back.
Although he settled right away, the name Sergio didn't seem to suit him and we eventually settled on "Max", his brother was called "Max"
I can honestly say that Max has exceeded our hopes for a dog. He's wonderful little boy with great character: playful, smart, cuddly ,protective yet socialble and loyal. He has daily walks at the local park, and has made lots of doggie friends -most notably Cassie (cockapoo), Ben ( cocker spaniel) and Stanley (labradoodle) .He also attends weekly dog training. I'm fortunate to be able to take Max to work with me every day, and
he's a wonderful companion and friend as we drive back and forth with his head on my lap or looking out of the window. He loves being outdoors . He loves his cuddles . He loves football (and attends our son.s junior league matches) and he loves his teddies. He's always smiling ,always ready to greet you with a wag of his tail. Max is more than just a dog.
I can't recommend Blackberry Pups highly enough .The puppies are brought into the world very healthy, and handed across to the new owners with a lot of love and care.