I think if somebody checked my Googling today they'd think I'd lost the plot. I am after recommendations on two opposite ends of the scale of a dog's life. I can't find what I am after so am hoping anybody on CD may have suggestions.

First I want to buy an urn for Ripley's ashes. I have requested them to not come in a box or urn as I am using some of the ashes to have a stone created to be set into a ring to wear all the time. So she can still be with me. I am not burying her in the garden, we talked about it and she HATED being outside on her own, she wanted to be with us all the time. So I need an urn as well as sadly not all the ashes can be used for the ring. But I want a personalised one. Ideally one where you can have a photo added (or laser engraved) and personalised text or a plaque. I have seen something like that but ONLY on American websites and only available to the US or Canada. Is there really nothing here?

Secondly most of my puppy buyers are wanting me to pick a puppy for them this time. For one particular home (serious agility home, experienced owner with the breed) I want to pick the most outgoing and strongest character. I am torn between two pups. Can anyone recommend a puppy temperament/aptitude test to do at home, which is NOT the Volhard one, as I have heard too many bad things about that one? When I Google it's the only one I find.

This http://www.cremationurnsdirect.co.uk/ is where I bought my urn from for Richard, they do full size, and also keepsake and pet size ones.

I'm going to visit a friend in Louisiana in April if you can work out any way of getting a personalised urn first to her house and then back in my suitcase without being broken!

Re the puppies, can you tell the people that either pup would do for them (pending further development as they get to selling age) and see if they veer towards one or the other?

What about a wodden box instead? You could have someone who does wood burning to burn her face on to it.
My small pets have carved wodden boxes that the pet crematorium uses there very pretty. I'm trying to find a nice heart shaped one for my budgies ashes. A friend does crafts with his wife and daughters and for Christmas one year gave me a nice wooden box with my girls face burnt onto it. It would make a nice box for ashes.
I can send u a photo of it and there website if you intrested.

Something like this, hope it works?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/170289704/large-personalized-classic-pet-urn-45-oz?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=Animal+Urn&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Oh Lacy, I really like that link.  They have some beautiful ideas for lovely urns.

Marianne, all the research i am aware of suggests that puppy testing of any kind is pretty inconclusive. I would suggest that your deep knowledge of your breed and lines, as well as your extensive experience of puppy rearing and development in the same, is about as good as it gets. I know this does not help you much.

> For one particular home (serious agility home, experienced owner with the breed) I want to pick the most outgoing and strongest character. I am torn between two pups

If you cant decide between these two for the agility home look at what the people who are having the other pup want and see if you can decide which would suit their needs best. It sounds like either will suit the agility home.

First Marianne you haven't lost the plot, what you are doing for Ripley is lovely and I am sure she understands. The website Brainless has suggested looks like it may have something you will like have sounds like it and the offer from Lucydogs is lovely.
I was going to suggest that you spoke to a couple of local undertakes about what you want and see if they can help.
My own experience with the undertakers that looked after my Mum and Dad was that they were happy to try an accommodate whatever we wanted. They were very kindly, when I said I wanted a casket for both Mum and Dad together although dad passed 5 years earlier it was no trouble although rarely requested.
I hope you find what you want

Hi Marianne,

If it helps when we picked Chaos we went for the pup that would scramble over all the others to get his dinner, that way we knew he had drive for food at least. That was the one reason that separated him from the other one i liked (and Jan preferred Chaos so went with her thoughts too)

Kate

Thank you all for everything. As regards urns -thank you SO much for the offer Lucy! I now went to the website Brainless linked to, found an urn I liked the look of (Gold coloured, and I use gold when I can for Goldmali) but it could not be engraved. Searched a bit more and found a different website who had the same urn but offered to engrave it with any number of words. That left us without a photo but then my husband came up with the idea of simply getting a large photo, frame it and put it behind the urn.  When compared to the ones I could have got from the US, it worked out cheaper and easier I think we will be happy with it, so this is what we shall do.

As for the pups, they are so similar! I keep trying all suggestions and have started to get an idea now. The trouble is that one buyer is NOT coming to see pups until they are ready to go, and wanted me to pick. Which is fine, she's not a stranger, used to the breed etc. But another buyer is coming on Saturday, so I need to know which pups are available for her to pick from by then.

Aw that sounds lovely. x