Helpful Info
Welcome to our Helpful Info Page. We hope you find this page helpful in your transition with your new Doodle puppy. Remember that all dogs are different and these are general rules we have found helpful over time. We are always here to help if you have additional questions!
Our Vet
Dr. Harrison Cribbs & Dr. Destiny Cribbs
Heatland Animal Clinic
213 Village Center St.
Nixa, MO 65714
417-725-0533
Shopping List
Items in bold can be purchased from us and picked up with your puppy. Please make sure to
let us know ahead of time if you would like to order anything so that we can have it ready.
You will receive in your go home bag a leash, collar, collapsible bowl, waste bags and holder, toy, chew, ball and blanket.*
Kennel-wire is what they are most used to but they do make other decorative options as well
Exercise pen-at least 32”tall-recommend ones that are adjustable to increase or decrease size
Food-NutriSource Puppy Food-Check with us to see which variety your puppy is on and that best suits them-Can be purchased from us and received on go home day for $65
Treats-NutriSource Soft and Tender Lamb or Chicken– Can be purchased from us for $5(6oz)
Snuggle Puppy-Recommended as a comfort for any puppies that will be kenneled alone-Will have littermates scent-Can
be purchased from us for $35
Nuvet items are below and can be purchased on the website www.nuvet.com/894899
Vitamin- Nuvet Wafers-Support Immune System- SIgn up for autoship to lock in pricing
Shampoo-Nuvet Puppy and Kitten Shampoo
Nuvet Labs Stain & Odor Remover-essential for cleaning up pet messes
Toys and Chews-good chews will save your furniture, shoes, etc. Buffalo horn(this will come in your go home bag for free), deer antlers, bully sticks, Lumabones, Nylabones, Kong toys and chews, and Tendertuffs are great options and tend to withstand more than the average chews and toys.
Feeding
Your puppy has been eating NutriSource Puppy or all Life Stages food. Please contact us to get the exact variation your puppy has been eating. If you wish to switch their food, please do so gradually so their stomach has the time needed to adjust. There
will be instructions on the back of the food bag that shows how to gradually switch food over
and also a guide to how much your puppy should be eating for his/her weight. This is a good
rule of thumb to go by but I like to give my growing puppies as much as they will eat in a 30
minute time frame 3 times per day. Your puppy will be hungry and want to eat right after
waking up and going potty in the morning. Then they can eat again around lunch and then a
final meal 3-5 hours before bed. Cutting the food off gives your puppy plenty of time to digest
the food before going to bed for the night. Water will need to be given much more frequently
and it is best to have a water bowl out with clean water that he/she can drink from on demand.
Remember, your new puppy will need to go out to potty 10 to 30 minutes anytime he/she eats
or drinks. You can feed your new puppy inside of his/her crate to help remind the puppy not to
potty inside the crate or exercise pen. Dogs naturally do not like to potty where they eat
Training With Food
Feeding time is a great time for training. If you have children, have them get involved with
doing the commands so that the puppy understands the child is not a littermate but actually
must be obeyed just like the adults. Have your pup start with a simple command such as “sit”
before eating. If the puppy does not understand at first, gently help them get into the sitting position and
then once they are seated, give praise and the food. Do this at each meal until they are obeying
without having to have the help getting into position. Then gradually increase the
command to stay. Have someone hold the puppy in the seated position until you say “eat”
then let them go and begin eating. Having your dog know that they must wait for your
approval before eating will help them to understand that things on tables and counters are off
limits. You can also have them do other tricks prior to eating as well as it is a good time to
practice.
Potty Time
When you first bring your Doodle puppy home do not allow it to wander through the house unattended. When you are unable to watch your puppy, put it in a kennel or exercise pen. If your pup is using the bathroom in the exercise pen, you may need to decrease the size of the pen or put the pup in its kennel. The kennel should only be big enough for your pup to lay down and turn around in. It should not be large enough for your pup to go off its bed, go potty and then come back to its bed. Adjustable wire kennels are great for this as they allow your pup to see out and they also allow for you to adjust the space as your puppy grows. Your puppy will need to go potty directly after a nap, 10 to 30 minutes after eating or drinking, first
thing in the morning, right before bed, and every couple of hours in between. While in their crate if they were sitting quietly and then suddenly start to whine, they need to be taken out to potty. Each time you take your pup out, say the same command to them and then once they complete the command, give verbal praise or use a clicker that you will use for praise and then
give your pup a small treat. Make sure whatever your commands and praise cues are that they are consistent and the whole family uses them. This will help your pup to learn more quickly what you are asking. If you have an area of the yard you would like your puppy to use to potty, you can walk it on a leash to that part of the yard and walk it around in the area you want it to
potty. After it has gone there a few times the puppy will start to pick up that the area is the potty area. You will probably need to go outside with your puppy for the first several weeks until your puppy is confident in what it supposed to be doing. Make sure you actually see your puppy go potty before letting him/her back in to play. Do not play with your puppy outside until it goes potty. Playing with your puppy can distract your puppy causing them to not use their bathroom break appropriately. Simply stand in a stationary spot or walk calmly around in the area you want them to potty in until they have completed the task. Larger breeds usually fully potty train a little quicker than smaller breeds but you should be able to see a major improvement in potty training in the first few weeks regardless of the breed. Each month things should be progressing well. For larger breeds it is common to be fully potty trained by 4 to 6 months but smaller breeds may need a little closer watching for a bit longer.
Socialization
Socialize your new Doodle pup as soon as you get it but be careful not to go to places such as dog parks or
other dog events where lots of dogs are that you do not know. If dogs are not properly
vaccinated, they could spread disease to your new pup. Socialization is very important to do in
the first 14 weeks of your pups life. Make sure you expose your pups to people of all ages,
races, with facial hair, without facial hair, with glasses, hats, etc. It is important to do lots of
socialization outside of the home so that your pup is confident in new places and with new
people. There is more of a chance that your pup will have fearful or aggressive behavior due to
a lack of socialization than it is that your pup will contract an illness so be careful but also make
sure to get the time in early. This will help your Doodle puppy not be overstimulated when out and about.
Kennels
Kennel training is an important part of training your new Doodle puppy. This gives your new Sheepadoodle or Cavapoo a safe place to be when he/she is not able to be watched. It also teaches your puppy that they will be okay even if they are by themself for a bit. Dogs that are not kennel trained can become anxious and destructive when their owners leave home. This can create a vicious cycle with the owners returning home upset with their new family member and is not pleasant for anyone. I like the wire kennels best so that your pup can see out and feel a part of the room even in his/her kennel. If your pup needs less stimulation, you can always cover the crate with a blanket.
For larger dogs, like the Standard size Sheepadoodles, it is important to make sure you get a kennel your puppy can grow into. The ones with dividers are best so you can increase the amount of space your puppy has as it grows. I also like the kind with doors on both ends and a door in the middle. If you have more than one pup you can put the divider in and get them out one at a time without disturbing the other. You can also open the door through the front if you have it in a space where the end doors are blocked.
Once your Doodle is fully trained you can get rid of the kennel and allow your pup to be in the house alone without the kennel. This can typically be achieved by a year old but varies puppy to puppy. Always start out with vary small amounts of time that your puppy is left out unattended and then as good results are shown, you can gradually increase the amount of time your puppy can be left out to free roam. They also make decorative kennel that look like furniture if you would like to keep the kennel but are not wanting the standard wire kennel. They are not generally as functional but they do look nice.
Exercise Pens
This does not have to be huge but a decent size for your puppy to play while it is being potty trained. Generally a play pen 30″ or higher is best to ensure your puppy does not just jump or climb over the sides. You can hook the exercise pen onto the kennel so that your puppy can get used to sleeping in its crate but playing in another area without having free reign of the house. This is also excellent for children to be able to go in and play with the puppy but still have the puppy contained to a safe area. Feed your puppy in the exercise pen or the kennel to show the puppy that this is an area we don’t use the bathroom. If your new Doodle is pottying in the exercise pen, you can decrease the amount of space in the pen by removing panels or zip tying them together. As the puppy learns not to potty in the area, you can gradually increase the play space.
Jumping and Biting
Jumping-Make sure your puppy does not get attention when jumping on people or children. Have company and members of your family have your pup show polite manners by sitting to be pet or greeted. This requires consistency for your new and very social Doodle puppy to learn.
Biting- All puppies will play bite at first because that is how they played with their litter mates. Play
fighting with their litter mates is how they would learn to fight if they were in the wild. This is a
natural instinct but not in an aggressive manner. You should begin teaching your pup that
biting is not a way to play with humans from the time he/she comes home. If your pup
playfully bites you, you can do a few options. The first is to replace your hand with a bone or a
toy that the pup can chew on instead. The second option is to yelp in a high pitch voice to show
the puppy that biting hurts. This is how the litter mates show each other when a bite is too
hard. The third is to put the pup in its kennel to calm down. Sometimes your pup can get
overstimulated and may need a rest to regroup. Your pup should also be learning the word
“no” or “leave it” or some phrase that tells your pup that what they are currently doing needs
to be stopped. Make sure you are not saying whatever your chosen phrase is in a cheerful
manner but more in a deeper voice that would suggest you are not happy about the current
action.
Chewing
Chewing and gnawing on things is the natural way puppies lose their puppy teeth and grow into
their adult teeth and it is also how they keep their adult teeth clean. Different pups may like
different textures to chew, so it may take some trial and error before you find your pups ideal
chew to keep your shoes and furniture safe. Many dogs like natural chews (buffalo horns,
bones, hooves, antlers, etc.) better than a synthetic material but I have found Nylabones to
work occasionally as well. Make sure you watch your pup with their chew to make sure they
are not breaking off large pieces that could get lodged in their digestive system and cause a
blockage. You can also try toys such as a Kong that is fillable with peanut butter, etc. to keep
your pup busy.
Puppy Transition
Your puppy may need some time to transition to its new home and may be sad or not feel up to eating. This should only last a day or two but is a great time to bond with your new pup and give it all the snuggles you can! If your pup’s appetite is down, continue offering food throughout the day and encourage your pup to eat. Often, they will eat from your hand even if they don’t
want to eat from their new bowl. Adding a little water to their food to soften it can also be a way to get them a little more interested. Another option is to crush their Nuvet Wafer with a spoon and sprinkle it over their food. If your pup is not eating well after a day or two, contact the vet as your new baby may have been exposed to something requiring vet attention.
Remember that all pups are different and these are just come basic things I have found that may be helpful! There are many great training classes, training groups on social media, and tons of free info online that can help you on your new journey. I am always here to give any help I can and love to keep in contact with my puppy owners and their babies. Congratulations on
your new family member and I hope to hear from you soon!