Tips and Training
These are the items you will want in place before taking the puppy home
Basics puppy needs- this is why and how I used these things. Also see my Shopping list
Food- Life’s Abundance-never recalled, made fresh daily in small batches, delivered to your home and made by a vet who has
done research specifically to dog food for the last 40 years. The All Life Stages System is to enhance this fabulous food just as you would give your child vitamins. Each individual requires different things. Please get your 1st month of 20 lb bag of food ordered and put on an Auto ship for 4 wks. Life’s Abundance will send a notification to your email a few days before the shipment is made. You are able to adjust it at that time…very easy to do.
LA’s sm/med breed puppy food would also be appropriate. I have changed over to the LA brand due to the freshness and better nutrition. Watch the feeding amounts and give appropriately. LA has a higher calorie count and generally overfeeding of any food can cause diarrhea. A quick word on the grain free. Corn, Soy and Wheat are the key culprits of allergies. The LA food uses Brown rice and Oat groats as their grains. The beets most companies use are red and cause tear stains. LA uses grey beets, therefore not causing the tear stains on your beautiful blonde puppies.
Crate- Med/large size wire crates are what I use for this size dog. The crate with a divider and 2 doors is the most useful. I use one large enough to spend the night in or a couple of hours during the day. I strongly suggest use of the crate, especially for night time. They need to feel protected in their cave to relax and become a better dog. Having an x-pen will definitely make life with a puppy easier. Although, the 1st couple of weeks connect the two and leave the door open into the pen as the puppy can not hold his bladder for more than a short few hours.
Feeding bowls- Keep clean, they can become a germ fest
Leashes and collars, with a harness for walking might be best for the pup. The martingale collar is a great choice
Grooming Brush, comb, nail clippers, emery board. Even if you do not plan on clipping the nails, use the emery board to keep them from being so sharp and cracking. Grooming salons charge a nominal fee and generally do not require an appointment. Another tip to get them ready for the groomers is to get a Nail Grinder and run it over the puppy to get used to the feel of the eventual shaver that will come their way. I have already started this, but it’s good to continue.
Brushing on a small doodle pup takes all of 5 minutes or less and can be done while watching TV on your lap. You’ll want a fine wire bristle brush, rake and a metal comb. Be gentle, the tips are sharp and can hurt. Pups are ticklish. Brush first, then use the rake gently to the skin and use the comb to work out any mats. As Pup grows be sure to take him in for the Puppy groom. It usually costs much less and gets a preview. Groomers will explain best your job of grooming to keep your dog’s coat mat free.
Puppy bathing products, puppies get dirty..Often. But give true full blown baths sparely. I recommend the LA Shampoo.
I love this one because it is tearless and to prevent dryness as the shampoo can dry their skin out.
LA’s Bath Fresh Mist will help a lot for touch ups. It’s important to comb the hair out completely BEFORE getting the fur wet,
The mist works wonders. It becomes a tangled mess otherwise. After a bath, be sure to dry them thoroughly
especially if at night or going outside. A warm blow dryer on low moving back and forth, never lingering in one place too
long, until dry. Combing while blow drying is a must in order to reduce mats that can form when wet. Hence the reason for blowing
completely dry. It is well worth taking your pup to the groomers for bathing, you can easily do the touch ups and keep the hair
combed out properly. Life’s Abundance products work wonders and smell delicious. All LA products are made in the US and have never been recalled.
Toys, balls, squeakers, ropes. Puppies need things to chew on otherwise they find your things very inviting. With every toy, inspect them for pieces that are coming loose and may become a choking hazard. Any toy small enough to swallow is not a good toy. Watch out for the stuffing of stuffed animals, as it is something they love to eat for some reason. Keep it picked up and remove from the toy as you notice pup is getting it. The “stuffless” toys are awesome.
Stay away from rawhide is the biggest thing I can say AND any chew from China. Including hooves, horns and pig ears of which are great treats.
Farm stores sell such items made in the US. Just ask your store where they are from. LA has a selection of treats perfect for chewing and training.
The Porky Puffs from LA I like to get them wet which makes them more leathery. Bully Sticks, Kongs, and hooves last the longest and seem to be favorites in my experience. The horns splinter pretty badly.
Puppy Training Academy
Potty Training, watch for signs and take puppy’s out. Especially after every feeding. A pup will often go potty at least twice
when they are outside. Never, Ever scold your pup for accidents, praise your pup when they go in the right place. Get the
enyzme scent killer from LA, It’s what I use in my home! I have a LOT of puppy piddle mistakes! This truly works wonders.
To calm a puppy down or burn some energy for bed do 2 mins of formal training. Walking on a leash, learning to sit or stay. Pups can’t listen for long, and training wears them out, short moments will be less frustrating for everyone. Do daily sessions, change what you work on each time. Another fun thing to do is playing scent games. Puzzles use brain energy. Remember to try the Calming spray I send home with my puppies
Training can be broken down to 5 min segments. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer. Be sure to allow rest time.
You may let a puppy play as much as they want, just allow them to stop when they need Puppy Kindergarten is very important to do before puppy is 12 wks old. They need to learn as much as they can in that
short window. Follow up with more training and keep on track. A well trained
pup leads to a happy family. That’s why I love the Training, just the
accountability and help in troubleshooting (which comes with a trainer)
a necessary component.
Do talk to your vet about when they are safe for the real world of dogs. All shots including
rabies, but it can be given as early as 4 months old and they can then enter into a real puppy
training class. It’s fun for both of you and necessary for the pup. Please follow up for
a second class for obedience. It’s very necessary.
RESEARCH YOUR PUPPY SCHOOL -Key points are:
*Instructor Management
-Is it total chaos?
-Do they stop and redirect puppy fights?
-Do they give plenty of rest breaks? Are there places for puppies to escape some a
stressful situation? Under a chair or table? Puppies need to hide under or behind something in
order to feel safe and or rest. Every 5 mins or so of training, puppies need
-Is there an older, puppy friendly dog to play with?
-NO Choke collars and absolutely no prong collars. This is a young puppy that you just committed
to keep them safe and be their lifelong friend. Do not let someone tell you to hurt your baby in order
to train. Train young, and training is easier.
Any other questions feel free to ask, I don’t mind and I like knowing how puppy is doing. Although the majority of answers can be found online also.
