Puppy Care  For Your Goldendoodle Puppy

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Making the Transition From Our Home To Yours

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Leaving behind their mother, litter-mates, first human family and only small part of the world they've ever seen, there's no doubt that going to a new home is a major day in a puppy's life, with potential to be highly stressful. But not only for them as it's a life-changing time for you too! Without preparation, bringing home a new puppy can be difficult and challenging time, but there are many things you can do to help things run more smoothly.

Preparing Your Home for A Puppy

You should treat the preparation of your home for the arrival of a new puppy in much the same way as you would for the arrival of a baby because the process is almost identical. You must be ready to provide every little thing your puppy needs in life, making sure they have water, are fed, comfortable, happy, catered for and safe.

A Nutritious Puppy Food

After trying almost every dog food on the market, I am now using Victor Pro Plus. I use this food for my puppies and adults.​

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Puppy Chew Toys

Puppies chew a lot and they seem to prefer chewing phones, footwear and TV remotes more than anything else. All jokes aside, to prevent damage to your possessions you'll want to provide toys for them to chew on and actively direct all their chewing on to these toys. The best puppy chew toys on the market, strong and durable which is particularly important for Goldendoodle's are Kong toys. You can use them "as-is", but you can also stuff them with kibble, food treats, peanut butter or even frozen yogurt to make the toy interactive and keep your puppy's mind occupied and happy. Just make sure whatever toys you do buy are suitable for a puppy as many will be too large for their little mouths to begin with. https://www.kongcompany.com/

Interactive Puppy Toys

So you can play games with your puppy, provide exercise and mental stimulation, you will want to buy a few toys that encourage the two of you to interact. Balls for throwing and chasing, soft toys and ropes for playing tug, other toys for fetch, there are many available. Be sure to grab a few that will enrich your puppy's life.  We have a few listed to speed up your selection process.

Cleaning Supplies

Your puppy will have numerous 'potty training' accidents over the first few weeks. If they can smell in an area that they've been there before, it attracts them back for a repeat performance. So be prepared with an enzymatic, odor neutralizing cleaner that's specially formulated to completely remove all traces of urine and pet stains. Natures Miracle comes highly recommended. http://www.natures-miracle.com/

Grooming Tools

Grooming is a fantastic way to relax and bond with your puppy and even though they won't need it, you should fake going through the process anyway. You need to get your puppy used to being touched all over because you'll be doing yourself, the vet and groomers you employ in future a massive favor! They need to feel happy with being bathed, happy having their coat and teeth brushed, their feet touched, nails clipped and having their eyes and ears inspected. To do so, you should fake going the process, getting them used to being handled, the sight and of the tools and so on. To achieve this, you will need to buy and get them used to the following items:
Dog Shampoo
Combs & Brushes suitable for a Goldendoodles

Scissors
Nail Clippers
Cotton Balls
Toothbrush
Use these tools right away and often, and give your puppy praise and tasty treats as you go so they form positive associations with grooming. You want to get them happy and accepting of being handled and touched all over while a puppy, before they become a strong adolescent or adult when it becomes extremely hard to control them if they're determined. 

Puppy Proof Your Home & Garden

The process of puppy proofing your home is very much like baby proofing before the arrival of a child. Except a puppy is far more curious, active and destructive and can themselves into far more trouble. A puppy is a new-born. They're completely naive and clueless about the world around them, what's safe and what isn't and will explore and play with everything and anything until they're taught to know better. Everything is a toy and they will run and pounce and jump and chew on anything in their environment. It's cute to see, but can also be very dangerous. So before you bring your puppy home you simply must make it safe for them. 
As a brief summary, you want to pay attention to removing everything that's at puppy level such as electrical cords, low hanging curtains or fabrics, remote controls, footwear, things on end tables and low surfaces, plants, magazines and books-anything and everything they can get their paws on must be removed or made safe. For things you cannot move (skirting boards, table legs etc.) spray them with a bitter tasting chew repellent to discourage any chewing.​