Facts & Tips
Scroll down for new puppy shopping list!!!
WHEN YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT PLEASE BE ON TIME. I USUALLY HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE SCHEDULED AND IT IS IMPORTANT EVERYONE HAS THEIR ALLOTTED TIME!
- Keep the puppy home with you for the first couple of weeks. Keep things quiet and try not to stress the puppy out any more than necessary.
- If you are going to change the food, do it slowly over the period of a week or so.
- Continue on the de-worming and vaccination schedule.
- Do not introduce your puppy to other dogs, dog parks, etc... until they are closing in on that 16 week old mark. This is for safety reasons. Puppies can carry Mom's antibodies until 16 weeks of age, great right? No, this prevents the vaccines from being fully effective and your puppy is very susceptible to disease. Please wait until your pup is fully vaccinated before exposing them too much to other dogs and puppies.
- Always have fresh water AND food available to your pet. I do not believe in feeding only once or twice a day. Doing this can cause hypo-glycemic shock in small pups and bloat in large dogs. Dogs will regulate themselves on how much to eat.
- House training is crucial in the first few weeks. If you cannot have your eyes on your pup, put him/her into a crate. Take your puppy outside every 2 hours or so. When your puppy goes, wait until she is finishing up and then praise her and reward her. Do not rub your puppies nose in an accident. If the puppy has an accident, it is because you are not paying close enough attention. Take your puppy out when she wake up from a nap, right away after coming out of her crate, if she goes over to the door, 10 minutes after she eats, if she starts walking in a circle or sniffing around and after a session of play. BE CONSISTENT!!! The first couple of weeks will make or break your ease at house training. Either they will pretty much have it down or it is going to be a battle, it is really about how much effort you put into it right away
- When you have guests over, make the puppy sit before your guest pets your puppy. This will teach your puppy good manners from the start. Anything you do not want an adult dog to do, do not allow your puppy to do. Start basic manners right away. Just be gentle and CONSISTENT.
- Give your puppy lots of love and praise, have fun with him and enjoy this short period of "puppy hood"
NEW PUPPY SHOPPING LIST
*IAMS SMART CHOICE ORIGINAL PUPPY FOOD *PROBIOTIC POWDER (PROBIOS FROM FLEET FARM)
*COLLAR (SMALL ADJUSTABLE) *LEASH (8 FOOT, MAKE SURE IT IS COMFORTABLE TO HOLD)
*CRATE (GET ONE SIZE UP FROM RECOMMENDED SIZE BECAUSE DOODLES CARRY THEIR HEAD HIGH AND PROUD!)
*BRUSH (SLICKER AND DEMATTING BRUSH) *NAIL CLIPPER (SCISSOR KIND)
*FOOD DISH AND WATER BOWEL *SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER (I USE SUAVE)
*TOYS (GET ONES WITHOUT STUFFING, AND KONGS AND BALLS ETC...)
*TREATS (MAKE SURE TO GET SOFT TREATS THAT CAN BE BROKEN INTO LITTLE PIECES FOR TRAINING. DO NOT BUY CANINE CARRY OUTS OR MILK BONES. I LIKE JERKEY AND LIVER TREATS. HOT DOGS CUT INTO LITTLE PIECES ALSO WORK GREAT.
*CHEWS (THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND NONE ARE WITHOUT A CHOKING RISK BUT I USE BLEACHED RAWHIDES, PIG EARS, REAL BONES AND NUBZ. USE WITH COMMON SENSE!)
*BEDS...(DO NOT START CRATE TRAINING WITH A BED OR MATT IN THE CRATE. USE A TOWEL OR SMALL BLANKET IF NEEDED. A BED CAN BE PLACED IN THE FAMILY ROOM IF DESIRED)
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Raising Our Puppies
Our puppies are all raised in our home. We have 2 separate rooms for our dogs. One room for the large dogs and one for the small dogs. We have crates for each of them to sleep in and a fenced in area for them to play in. Our puppies are born with me there to help cut umbilical cord, get the pups dry and soothe mom.
I assist in the birthing process to make sure mom and the babies are doing fine. I help the pups latch on and I cut the umbilical cord to help prevent umbilical hernias. The pups and mom will stay in my dining room until they are old enough. We use heat lamps to keep them extra warm for the first 1 to 3 weeks. Mom is kept on a puppy diet and vitamins to keep up her body weight and help her keep the puppies as strong and fat as can be.
The puppies eyes usually open at about 2 weeks and by 3 weeks they are starting to move around a little. At 4 weeks we begin offering them moist puppy food and water. We take our cue from both mom and the pups as to when it is time to wean.
This really depends on the breed and the size of the pups. We can wean as young as 5 weeks or as late as 9 weeks. The small breeds are very slow to grow their puppy teeth in. I will not completely wean a pup, even if it is eating good until it has teeth.
Puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature until they are 3 weeks old. We de-worm our pups and mom every two weeks and we always give at least one set of vaccinations. 
I do not remove dew claws on my pups. I have never found this necessary medically or for any other purpose. This is a painful procedure that is done when the pup is 24-48 hours old. For me, this means uprooting both mom and pups to go to the vet and have it done. This seriously stresses both mom and pups. I will do this only on my purebred poodle litters because their tails need to be docked as well.
We begin to socialize our pups and imprinting as soon as they are born. The girls have to sit on the floor to play with them. I do not allow them to carry the pups around for two reasons. #1 is that there is a risk they could drop them, my girls are very young yet. #2 I think that it makes the pups more likely to jump up on you, which is a terrible habit and can be difficult to break. We never leave pups unattended on a high surface, such as the couch. They could try to jump off and hurt themselves in the process.
We allow our pups to leave for their new homes at 8 weeks of age. The pups have had at least their first shots and have been examined by a licensed vet. They go home with a package of puppy food, a few treats, their registration papers if applicable, vet paperwork and our health guarantee/ contract and a copy of the mn pet law.
When picking out your new puppy. I can help match you with the appropriate puppy you are welcome to choose for yourself. A new puppy is a long commitment usually 10-14 years. I want you and your family to be happy with your decision. I want to know that my puppy is going to a loving, forever home. In my years as a breeder I have seen some very creative ways in which people have chosen their puppy. There is no right or wrong way. Just make sure the pup is in good condition, is friendly and the parents are good quality with no genetic issues. If possible, meet the parents of the litter. Many people will not offer, so just ask.
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