Potty Training
Your new puppy will need to potty very often. We suggest taking him/her out as soon as he/she eats, when he wakes from a nap, when he is taken out of the crate, early AM, and late PM, and anytime it has been a while since he/she has been out. When you are not watching your puppy leave him/her in the crate or small play area. It is important to "catch" your puppy if it has a potty accident so you can take it outside right away. If you see your puppy start to squat say “outside” and pick it up and take him/her outside and then say "go potty" (or whatever term you use). You can also reward when it “goes potty” outside. If you are using the bell, make sure to help your puppy to ring the bell when you take it out to potty.
Crate training is highly recommended as an effective and safe way to potty train a puppy. I have started the crate training process here. There are many types of crates available. I recommend getting a crate that will fit your dog as an adult…one with two doors is best. A good size for a Petite Goldendoodle size is 30-inch, Mini Goldendoodle is 32-inch size. Medium Goldendoodle is 36-inch. Get one that has a divider so it won’t be too big at first. The basis of crate training uses the idea that a dog does not like to soil its bed area to facilitate house breaking. The crate should be used anytime you cannot give your puppy your undivided attention. These times may include: dinnertime, cleaning the house, etc. If the puppy is unattended for any length of time it will have an accident. I do recommend confining the puppy to whatever area you are in to watch for behaviors that indicate the puppy needs to go potty. The puppy may need to go to the bathroom every 3-4 hours when crated and even more frequently if it is out in the house playing (every 30-45 minutes), but with time 4 to 8 hours can be achieved. Taking the puppy outside to its designated area, giving it its command to potty, and praising it for good behavior will aid greatly in house breaking. Treats can also be used to help the puppy want to go outdoors to potty. The emphasis on praise versus discipline produces better house breaking results! Correcting the puppy after the fact (without catching it in the act) only confuses the puppy since it has no clue why you are correcting him at that point in time. A towel and a few toys are recommended for use in the crate. The puppy will try very hard not to urinate or defecate in the crate once it gets used to it. In time, the puppy will be able to go as long as 6 to 8 hours if necessary in the crate without an accident. Some people also hang a bell on the door and teach the puppy to ring the bell when it needs to go outside. Each time the pup is taken outside to potty, make it ring the bell with its paw. You can also keep your puppy on a leash inside so it doesn’t wonder too far from you. It will also help you not to forget to take your pup out frequently.
Chewing Everything
The most common complaint of new puppy owners is chewing and not chewing on toys or rugs but on fingers and toes! When the puppy has left its siblings, it soon decides that you and your family will make nice substitutes. Unfortunately, the puppy does not realize how painful its sharp teeth are. There are many suggestions to correct this problem. The puppy should not be allowed to chew on you or your family members from day one; substitute squeaky toys or rope toys for fingers and and say “no bite” when needed to help eliminate this problem. Keep in mind young puppies have lots of energy. Many of the destructive chewing behaviors and biting can be stopped by ensuring your puppy gets lots of exercise. A well exercised puppy is a happy puppy. You may want to take your pup to obedience school taught by Carolina Dog Training Club - Click Here. You may want to see if they have this club in your area. Many of the pet stores offer obedience classes as well. We encourage you to go to training with your puppy and get your puppy certified in Canine Good Citizen. A well trained puppy is a joy to be around!
Bathing
Your puppy can be bathed as frequently as once a week as a young puppy, then every 2-4 weeks as an adult dog. There are many shampoos available. I do recommend a shampoo that is designed for puppies or baby shampoo. Oatmeal and Aloe shampoos are good choice for young puppies, as long as it is labeled safe for puppies. It is also a good idea to get your puppy used to having its ears cleaned and nails trimmed at bath time. If you are unsure of how to do this ask your veterinarian to show you at one of your puppy visits.
Feeding Instructions:
We recommend buying food you can afford most of all, but we will be feeding the puppies a certain food which we gave you at the time of pickup/ It is advisable to keep the puppy on a diet to start with to avoid gastrointestinal upset. If you wish to change the diet, do so gradually over 5-7 days. Each day you can mix more of your new food in and use less and less of the old food. Dry food is better for the puppy’s teeth and digestion. During the first week with your puppy, you may add water to the dry food to soften it and make the diet more palatable. As the puppy ages, add less and less water until the puppy is eating completely dry food. It is best to feed the puppy three times daily in set meals. Allow the puppy to eat as much as it wants in a 15-20 minute period of time, then pick the remainder up and feed at the next meal. As your puppy grows their weight changes so will the amount of food necessary to maintain their growing bodies. Feeding in set meals will give you several advantages. It helps to teach the puppy to eat its meal when fed. This is healthier for the puppy and will help greatly in house breaking. Scheduled meals will help lead to scheduled potty breaks. As the puppy matures to about 5-6 months the feedings can be reduced to twice daily. Dog treats can be given in small amounts as rewards for your puppy, but I strongly discourage the use of table food. Too many treats or table food distracts the puppy from eating its regular diet and unbalances a well-balanced dog food. I also recommend NuVet Plus immune system builder. They love this daily treat! It is a good idea to order NuVet before puppy arrives: I will include info about this. NuVet ships directly to your home. Click here: http://www.nuvet.com/86705 or call 800-474-7044 to order using code 86705 (A live person will help you 8-5 PST) Click the NuVet button at the bottom of page for more information.