Preparing for Your New Puppy

- Crate Big enough for him/her to turn around in but not so big he/she can feel comfortable to pee in the corner of it and get away from it. Some larger wire crates have dividers so that you can adjust the amount of living space the pup gets.

- Food and water dishes

- Puppy food Diamond Naturals small breed puppy, chicken and rice formula. Purchased at Tractor Supply is what we are feeding him/her presently. If you decide to change to another type of food, you must do it gradually over 2 weeks.

- Diatomaceous Earth Purchase on Amazon. We are adding 1/2 tsp. daily to his food and wetting it with water. It is a natural de-wormer and also is very healthy for him/her and makes their coat nice and healthy. Not essential, but I recommend it. We still give it daily to our dog Liberty. It is a gentle and natural dewormer.

- Brush I like the ones with wire on one side and softer bristles on the other side.

- Leash and possibly a halter for walks. Some people like halters better than attaching the leash to the collar.

- Collar I'll send the one he/she is wearing home with you but he/she will outgrow it eventually

- Dog tag Can be purchased online or some local stores. You can put puppy's name and your phone number on it in case he/she gets lost.

- Designated towel for baths and wiping his paws. I just use an old one of ours.

- Gentle dog shampoo Ask your vet about how often to bathe a puppy. It is not recommended that you bathe too often when they are young.

- Chew toy: Something safe to chew on (some kind of safe puppy toy. We will also send a toy home with him/her)

- Puppy chews Do not give a puppy real bone because they can get shards that can cut their mouth and damage their intestines. Do not use raw-hide chews. I can recommend something or ask your vet what he recommend.

- Bell with twine for the door for potty training

- Play yard or gate for potty training. (Unless you are closely monitoring your puppy, start with keeping him/her in the crate. After he/she is consistent about not going potty in the crate you can give your puppy the freedom of playing in a small play yard in the house with hard flooring.  Then move up to sectioning off an area of the house with hard flooring, such as your kitchen. I don't recommend giving him/her full reign of the house until he/she is established with going potty outside consistently. Continue to give your puppy larger and larger areas to roam as he/she gets used to going potty outside. Keep an eye out for signals that he is sniffing and looking for a place to go potty and quickly take them outside.)

- Cleaner for removing urine smell from the floor (if he/she has an accident, you want to clean the area so he/she doesn't smell the urine and return to that area again to go potty. And when outside, take you puppy to the same general area because when they smell the urine, they will want to pee there again.)

- Soft dog treats that are easy for him/her to eat and can be broken into small sizes (reward your puppy for obedient behavior and for going potty outside. When he/she starts the action of peeing or pooing say, "Go potty" or whatever lingo you choose. But say the same thing every time so he/she associates that command with the action. Your puppy will eventually learn to "go" on command.)

Bringing home a new puppy is such a wonderful and exciting time. To keep it fun and not stressful for you or your puppy, we have listed a few items we’d like to remind you of, especially if this is your first time owning a Goldendoodle.

1.      What to expect the first few nights/days at home

Bringing home a puppy is exciting, but it can be a lot of changes for your puppy all at once. Your puppy is used to sleeping and playing with his/her litter mates day and night. So, he may feel a lot of anxiety for the first few days. It is a good time for you to bond with your puppy, show him love and patience and establish a lifelong friendship built upon trust for both of you. Goldendoodles are exceptionally loyal and affectionate dogs, if they are loved and treated well. Do expect that your puppy will whimper and cry, especially at night for the first several days. Put him/her in the crate with the blanket that we sent home with you that has mom and siblings scent on it. That will comfort him/her. Also helpful might be a noise machine or ticking clock. Let your puppy know that you are nearby but keep him in the crate at night and he will eventually get used to it and begin to find security there. You can leave the crate door open when he’s not in it and he may choose to go into the crate to rest. Make it a cozy bed for him.

2.      Feeding your puppy

We have been giving your puppy Diamond Naturals (small breed puppy) chicken and rice formula. We will send home a small bag of the same food we have been feeding him/her. You will need to purchase more in a day or two. We believe it is an excellent choice for your dog, but if you decide that you want to change to another high-quality dog food, you must do so gradually over a period of 10-14 days. See instructions for how to do this properly so you don’t upset your puppy’s tummy. Diarrhea is common when you change food drastically and you don’t want your puppy to be sick or lose weight.

Please continue to feed your puppy approximately 1-1/2 cups of food a day and continue to check the outside of the bag in the next couple of weeks as he grows in age and weight so that you know how much to feed him going forward. You should soften his food with water for a few days after bringing him home so it is easier for him to eat. We have been adding ½ tsp. of food grade diatomaceous earth to his food daily to help him be healthy, improve his coat health and help as an ongoing natural de-wormer. We suggest that you continue this habit. Diatomaceous Earth can be purchased from Amazon.

3.      Potty training your puppy

Your puppy will not be potty trained when you bring him/her home. We have begun the process and have established a good start for you, but it will be important for you to continue to work on this as soon as you bring him/her home and for the next several weeks/months. Puppies need to go potty every 2 hours during the day at first. Take your puppy outside to go potty after he eats or drinks, after playtime or when he/she is excited, or after he/she wakes from a nap.  If you are not watching your puppy, holding your puppy, or having him right with you, you should put him/her in the crate. You can graduate to a larger area, such as a play yard or a sectioned off area of the house with hard flooring, such as a kitchen. Do not expect him to be “ok” to just be unattended at any time until he has potty training fully established. Also remember, even after he is potty trained, if you take him/her to a new place or a friend’s house you will need to watch him closely since he is not used to this environment. He may not know where the door is or how to go outside, he may be more excited, he may smell new things and if you have a male and he isn’t fixed yet, he will want to “mark his territory.”   When you take him/her outside to go potty, take him to the same area of the yard each time and say “Go potty.” Reward him/her when they “go” with playtime, affection, or a small treat. Make sure you give adequate time to finish their “businesss.” Be patient with your puppy and realize, accidents will happen. Do not get upset with him/her or punish him/her for accidents. Just keep trying.

You should purchase proper cleaners for removing the scent of urine or feces from the floor. If your puppy can smell the urine, they will want to return to that same spot to “go” again. Remember to use the crate anytime you are not closely monitoring your puppy until potty training is fully established.

4.      Your puppy needs to chew

Your puppy will be growing new teeth and will loose his “puppy teeth” during the first year. Don’t be alarmed if you see a puppy tooth fall out. But realize that just like babies, puppies need teething toys to chew on. Provide toys that are safe for your puppy to chew. Do not allow him/her to chew on your shoes, clothes or hands, wood or furniture. This will not be a habit you want to establish. Remember to keep things out of his/her reach that could be harmful if chewed or that you value. If he wants to chew on something he shouldn’t firmly and gently tell him “No” and then offer the toy that he allowed to chew on.  Again, if you can’t monitor him/her, keeping him in the crate will not only help with potty messes in the house, but will also keep him safe from chewing something that you don’t want him to chew.

5.      Keeping your puppy safe outside

Do not let your puppy roam freely outside without boundaries. He can run fast and may decide to chase a squirrel or another dog or rabbit. Keep him in a fenced in area or on a leash until he is fully trained.

Do not take your puppy to public places, such as parks or around other dogs, until he is fully vaccinated.

Do not leave your puppy on a line (long leash) unattended as he could wrap the line around something and strangle himself.

6.      Dangerous foods for your puppy

The following are some dangerous foods for dogs:

-          Avocado

-          Alcohol

-          Coffee

-          Onion, garlic, chives

-          Macadamia nuts

-          Grapes and raisins

-          Chocolate

-          Xylitol

-          Bones

-          Raw Hide treats

The following are fine to feed your dog as an occasional treat:

-          Carrots, cucumber and celery

-          Rice

-          Pumpkin or sweet potato (good for if they have an upset tummy)

-          Peanut butter

-          Cashews

-          Oranges, apples, bananas

-          Watermelon, mango, peaches

-          Chicken or turkey

7.      Regular vet checks

It is important to keep timely and regular vet checks. Please establish a vet in your area before you bring your puppy home. Set up an appointment to take your puppy to the vet within 2 weeks of coming home. Your puppy will need vaccinations every 2-4 weeks until 16 weeks old. Your puppy will also need a rabies vaccine when they are around 14-16 weeks old. Talk to your vet about a vaccination schedule and follow his guidance.

8.      Grooming

Goldendoodles shed very little. However, their hair will continue to grow and it will be necessary to have their hair cut and groomed every 2-3 months, depending on how hot the weather is and how long you prefer to keep it. Longer and curlier coats must be maintained and brushed regularly so they do not get matted.

These are only a few areas that we wanted to cover to hopefully be of help to you and make the transition of bringing a new puppy into your home as happy and smooth as possible. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 734-548-3425. Happy and loving days are just ahead with your forever friend!!