Looking for some reading? Cliberdoodle recommends these books and articles:
Every puppy needs some toys to play with and Nylabones and Kongs are great. PetSmart has a good selection as well as Pet Supplies "Plus" and PetCo. We don't recommend stuffed toys for older puppies as they can demolish them in 20 to 30 minutes. Cliberdoodle recommends these to start with:
Sometimes your puppy may need supplements to his/her diet to keep them happy and healthy. Some of Cliberdoodle's clients have tried:
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FortiFlora - A nutritional supplement that contains a probiotic, Enterococcus faecium SF68, for the dietary management of pets with loose stool or diarrhea. This probiotic has been shown to be safe, stable, and effective in restoring normal intestinal health and balance.
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There are many additional items to consider when bringing a puppy into your home. Cliberdoodle recommends:
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Harness - The Easy Walk Harness is wonderful for teaching a puppy to walk nice on a leash. There is no issue of the dog escaping, and it's much easier than a collar since you are controlling the body. In order to get the appropriate size, Cliberdoodle recommends you wait to purchase the harness until you pick up your puppy and can take it with you for sizing.
Please note: A collar with a name tag (including your phone number) and a leash are also needed.
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Brush - Brush, brush, brush! We can't say it enough. When you bring your puppy home he/she won't actually need to be brushed yet but you want to get them use to being brushed several times a week. By 3 months old, your doodle needs to be throughly brushed every few days. We recommend a slicker brush.
Grooming - Please make sure your groomer has experience grooming doodles ...
The Eyes Have It! - Please make sure to keep the hair around your pups eyes trimmed. Read this excellent article written by Beth Line, director of IDOG.biz.
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Bitter Apple Spray - Your puppy will go through a chewing phase, especially when he/she is teething. Keep lots of things around for your puppy to chew on that are acceptable. If they are caught chewing on something they shouldn't, say "no" and then redirect to something they can chew on. Bitter Apple spray works well on things that you can't put up.
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Crate - Puppies typically need a crate for a year or so. After that they still like them, but you don't need to close the door. You will want to get a large or x-large size, wire crate similar to this. Make sure it comes with a divider. Puppies only need enough room to walk in, turn around and lay down -- so at first you'll only need less than half of it. As your puppy grows, the divider can be moved to give more room.
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Bell Training - Cliberdoodle highly recommends bell training.
Read this great article on it by Chet Womach. Chet talks about training his puppy at 11 weeks. You can actually start training the day your puppy comes home. We have had puppies that are trained to do this by 9 or 10 weeks!
Purchase custom training bells from our friends at www.twobelles.net
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Exercise Pen - This is very helpful when house training and can be found at most pet stores. Place it outside in the yard, then put the puppy litter we send home with you in it. When you take your puppy out, place him/her in the pen each time and say "potty outside". He will recognize the smell of the litter and will (hopefully) know to potty there.
The pen should only be used for going potty. After he goes, he can play outside of it. Once he's bigger and you stop using the pen, he will usually go back to the same spot to potty.
This should only be used under supervision. It is not reliable fencing and at some point your puppy will learn to climb it.
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Cliberdoodle has 1 final recommendation for new puppy owners -- Please don't feed Rawhides or Pig Ears for at least 9 months, if ever! They:
- both can cause gas and diarrhea
- Rawhides are chemically bleached and there is often some residual chemicals remaining
- Rawhides are highly indigestible -- they can cause stomach upset and stomach and intestinal blockages that necessitate surgical removal, especially with dogs who tend to rip off chunks rather than chew slowly
- Rawhides have the potential to be ripped off in large pieces, which pose a greater choking hazard than most other chew items
- Pig ears pose the same hazards, with the exception of the chemical bleaching
