Before you get your pup
The mother has been transitioned to Premium High-Protein, High-Calcium adult food since the beginning of the gestation period. Your puppy was mother-nursed through week 5 (and introduced/transitioned to mixed mothers-milk and premium puppy food between weeks 4 and 6). The puppy is played with, exercised and bathed regularly. Your puppy will be exposed to children of all ages (toddler to teen), noise and silence. It may even be kennel-trained (we do our best). Most importantly, it has also been examined and given core vaccines by our vet (during weeks 6-7).
When you get your pup
If you paid a deposit and/or made installments, your balance is due upon your arrival (venmo, paypal, zelle, credit/debit-card, cash or other certified funds).
Puppy will have:
VERY IMPORTANT:
Puppy will have:
- any/all vet records (shots, de-worming and exam)
- a 16 to 20 pound bag of the Blue Buffalo puppy food (exact or equivalent by Members Mark / Sam's Club)
- whatever toy it has been favoring (if any; not guaranteed)
- if you need them, a few attractant-free puppy-pads (just in case, for the ride home).
VERY IMPORTANT:
- Make appointment with Vet for new puppy wellness check up (and probably their next round of booster vaccinations).
- FEEDING measurements: There is a FEEDING Guide on the back of your take-home bag of food so you can properly feed the puppy
- WATER INTAKE: Here is the easiest way to calculate how much WATER to be giving the puppy (it's a helpful read!)
Checklist for your puppies "forever" home
Here are some considerations when prepping for the arrival of your new doodle puppy. You might not need everything listed beforehand; this list is intended to help with your puppy's basic needs:
- Start shopping for Obedience classes (we can't emphasize the value of this!)
- Have lots of Love and Patience :) <-- this will affect the temperament of the puppy long-term
- Paper towels...a lot of paper towels :)
- Puppy Pads WITHOUT attractant for any transport, accidents, etc. (use wherever you DON'T want the puppy to "go"
- Puppy Pads with ATTRACTANT to help puppy "go" in the RIGHT area(s)
- Old Towels for Crate (once puppy is reliably crate trained, a "real" crate bed can be used)
- Old Blanket or Towel(s) to cover wire Crate <-- This will help them wind-down for sleep (since they can't see any activity)
- Cotton balls for cleaning ears
- Nature's Miracle, Odo-Ban or similar stain/odor neutralizer...gallon size is the best value
- Bitter Apple or Cherry (bitter taste deters dogs from biting, licking, and chewing)
- Pooper Scooper & bags
- Food and water bowls (No free feeding yet! Monitor the consumption!)
- Storage bin for dry food
- Adjustable Nylon collar w/plastic clasp (10-14 inch/25-35 cm size for standard size Doodle puppies)
- I.D. Tag
- 6 foot (1.8 m) leash
- 15 foot (4.6 m) or longer (up to 50 foot [15 meters]) training leash(es)
- Wire Crate for crate training
- Double door folding crate with divider Standard Sized Doodles need at least a 42 inch (1.07 m) crate
- Travel Crate for car until puppy is big enough to wear a car harness
- Puppy Food it's best to start with the same food we were feeding (which is Members Mark Puppy Formula Dry Food; equivalent to Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Formula).
- Puppy Biscuits & Training Treats; cow tendons or ears or bully sticks for chewing
- Avoid rawhide if possible. Soft & tiny treats work best for training. Pieces of cheese, hotdogs, or homemade Liver Training Treats (recipe)
- Medium or Large Toys: Rope Toys (e.g. Booda Bones), Balls (hard rubber), Stuffed Toys w/squeakers
- remember, if you can easily tear, rip or remove chunks from the toy, so can your puppy AND IT WILL EAT THE PIECES!
- Medium tooth Comb
- Puppy Shampoo (we use THIS kind; gentle on the puppy, your hands and your wallet)
- Puppy Conditioner / Grooming Spray
- Ear Wash solution
- Plier-style nail clippers w/nail guard
- Bell to hang by back door (Helps with house training, they learn to ring the bell to alert you that they need to go out. Some use large craft bells, some use cow bells). Although we highly recommend this type of training, it's no longer something we initiate.