Taking My New Puppy Home

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Your new family member is very happy, loving and just 8 weeks old. It is important to remember this, as your family and your doodle are adjusting to each other. At 8 weeks you should think of  your puppy as a new baby. It is important to have a calm, quiet environment when they first come home. It will be very exciting and everyone will want to hold them, but just try not to do too much too soon. There is a 3-3-3 rule that can be very helpful! 

3 hours for your puppy to get used to their new environment

3 Days to adjust to their new home and routine

3 months to fully adjust and feel like part of  your family

Your new puppy has been potty training for the last 3 weeks and has mastered getting themselves outside to potty most of the time! This may seem fast, but goldendoodles are very smart! They will not be perfect for another month or so, but they are for sure well on their way and should have very few accidents. 

To insure a successful transition, after first introducing your new puppy to his new sleeping area, the next most important thing to do is show them where their new potty area is!! I can not stress enough how important it is to make this a priority the fist 3-4 days. Offer your puppy some fresh water when you get home and about every 15-20 minutes after getting home. After they have had a drink, walk your new puppy to the place you want them to go. It is important to let them walk outside themselves and not carry them out. It is helpful to have one person inside guiding them to the door or area, and another person outside calling them to come out and "go potty". This is what we have been doing and will understand this command. Once they go, be sure to give them a verbal "Good Job" and a physical pet on their head! 

Always take them out every time they wake up from a nap and after every drink and every meal. 

Consistency is key to successful potty training. They already are trained to go outside, so it is just up to you to show them where their new place is and help them to successfully get there.

Another helpful tip: After they have done their first poop, leave it there for a couple of days to establish their scent. Always take them to the exact same place every time. Where ever you want them to go, that is where you should place their poop!

Your new puppy is teething and will be for the next 6-8  months or so. Puppies also identify their new environment and surroundings by mouthing. They love to bite and chew on things to also make their teeth feel better through teething. Your puppy has learned biting sensitivity but will need to be reminded letting out a high pitch yelp, like a litter mate would do, and then offer them a chew toy. Do the same if you find them biting on something they are not supposed to be chewing. Several different types of chew toys will keep your new puppy entertained and help everyone feel a lot better and happier!

****If during the day or especially before they are ready to go to bed, they become more bitey or aggressive, it means they are tired and need to rest or sleep. New puppies are very much like a toddler and will still need a lot of breaks and rest between being held and playing.

Yes! Hopefully! They have been part of a litter up to this point in their life and they have all been on a very regular schedule when going to bed and waking up each day. Establishing your family routine as early as possible to help insure a regular sleeping schedule for your new puppy. They currently have been going to sleep around 8 pm and waking about 6 am. They do not need to go out to go potty anytime during the night, unless something they have eaten has upset their stomachs. 

Before putting your puppy down for the night, make sure to take them out one last time. Also take them out again, before YOU go to bed! Make sure they have their smelly blanket and a few toys to help settle themselves down. I have at times also given our litter a small dog biscuit that will be not just a treat, but one last use of their energy that can help use up any last bit of energy. If you are crate training, putting a blanket over the crate will create a cavelike feel which is very comforting for them.

In addition, your goldendoodle, by nature loves to be with their humans! It would be best to locate their crate or sleeping area for the night near you and your family. 

If you have tried everything and your puppy is still whining or barking, take them out. He may just need to go potty now, even though you already tried earlier! Once you finished, take them right back in and put them back, be firm and tell them it is time to go to bed. 

Your puppy has been eating Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe. You can find this at PetSmart, Petco, and Chewy.com. If you want to purchase a new puppy food, just be sure to look for one that has ingredients you can pronounce!! It is also important to buy puppy food that includes a healthy grain! Several studies have linked early onset of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and other heart problems for large breed dogs to the grain free diets and lower quality dog foods. Dogs need a healthy grain as part of their daily nutrients in their food.

Feed your puppy according to the guidelines on the back of the dog food bag. Typically as a puppy it is better to feed them 3 smaller meals a day until they are closer to a year old, then switch them to twice a day. They currently eat at 8, 12, and 5:30 pm.

If your puppy does not seem very interested in eating when first getting them home, this is completely normal. They just need some time to adjust! You can also put a little warm water on their dry kibble to make a gravy and will soften their food a bit. They have been eating a combination of dry and soft kibble. But mostly dry.

YES!! Your puppy is incredibly smart and loves to be trained and learn new things! They will do pretty much anything to make you happy and especially also for a dog treat!  You can teach them to sit, stay, lay down and shake pretty quick. These basic commands will prepare them for other safety commands and help in correcting behavior as they get older. In addition to enrichment activities, we have been already working on basic commands with small treats and praise.