For New Dog Owners
Getting Started
You're new to the idea of adopting a pet online and still wondering about a lot of things? It's a bit scary adopting your first dog. What should you do?
Never be afraid to ask anything you wonder about.
Following are actual questions from first time owners. The pup is referred to as "he" simply because I feel very awkward putting "he/she" just to be politically correct. The information, of course, applies to both sexes.
1. Will my puppy be sedated on the plane? What can we expect when we pick him up?
The airlines do not allow a sedated puppy. Some puppies may vomit but not usually. They occasionally will go potty in their crate, but will have plenty of absorbent material. I put an absorbent paper pad in the bottom and then when we get to Delta, they add in a bunch of shredded paper too. You may want to bring along a wet cloth in a ziploc bag just in case, so you can clean him up if necessary.
When you pick him up you can expect to be licked and greeted with a wildly wagging tail by a puppy that will be very happy to meet his new family.
2. Are the water and food bowls that will be in his crate his usual ones for home?
He will need a set of food and water bowls for at home. The ones that come with him are really small, just to meet airline recommendations and they have to be attached to his crate. Don't worry about him eating! Your puppy has a healthy appetite! You may more likely have to worry about him overeating. It's wise to get the size of bowl an adult golden retriever would use, since in no time your puppy will be that size since by age six months they already have most of their growth.
3. I understand he will need to see a vet soon after he arrives. How soon and what do they need to do?
I recommend you make his veterinary appointment for within 72 hours. It is basically just for a well-puppy exam and a test for parasites. If he tests positive for parasites, you are to let me know what the cost of the treatment is and I will reimburse you for that. I do my best to make sure they come to their new homes very healthy and without any hitchhikers. You should take along his health record so your vet can make a copy of it and schedule him for any subsequent vaccinations he will need.
4. How much and how often does my puppy get fed? What about "treats"? Anything we should know he absolutely should not be allowed to eat from the people food category?
The puppies are fed three times a day at age eight weeks and until they are six months; morning, afternoon and before bed. So you can feed him before you leave in the morning, when you get home in the afternoon, and before bed. He will eat a little over a cup per feeding and as he grows you can adjust the amount according to the directions on the bag. Try not to let him get overweight although right now he's in a fast growth stage and will be eating a lot. At age six months you can cut back to two feedings a day. He will still need large breed puppy food until a year of age.I don't give people food to my dogs. The reason is that it can sometimes upset their tummies and then also can interfere with them getting what they need for good growth, for example, if they eat bread and then aren't hungry for their dog food. The bread is not going to give what they need for fast growth and strong bones. So you will succeed if you stick to dog food and dog treats with the exception of cheese, which tiny bits of cut up cheese are great for training and a special treat. For training, get really small training treats. I use the "Charlee Bear" brand because they are small, dry, and the pups love them. There are other similar choices for training treats. There are a few foods that dogs should not have, such as chocolate, onions and grapes. By sticking to foods made for dogs you won't have to worry about what he can't have and you won't have a table beggar.
5. We are not home all day, so our plan is to take him for a walk and potty time in the morning and then as soon as we get home, which is around 3, and again before bed. We have two children who will give him lots of play in the afternoon. Does that seem reasonable? When he is home alone, should I confine him to the kitchen (an easily cleaned room)? We have an enclosed yard and are in a safe neighborhood, would you recommend giving him access in and out all day, or just to have outside access when we're home? What kinds of things should I leave for him to do while we are gone? (You can tell I am new to this.)
He enjoys walks but even if you can just fit in one walk a day, he will do fine. If you have a fenced back yard and a reasonable climate, neither too hot nor too cold, he will be happiest and safest if you can get a kennel pen about 10 X 10 chain link and a small shelter in case of rain or wind, like an igloo type doghouse though any type would be fine. They also make covers for the pens. I have my puppy play yard covered because they chew on anything that drops out of the sky, be it a branch, leaves or poisonous mistletoe. He would also have some protection from sun and rain if the pen is covered. I hesitate to say to just leave him in the backyard because some plants are poisonous and all puppies are curious. The other thing is that in order to escape into the neighborhood, he would have to dig under two fences which is highly unlikely. He will be content in that kind of arrangement while you are at work because it's what I use here. He can safely be left with a Nylabone to chew on and a couple of Kong toys, which you can also hide goodies inside to keep him occupied. No soft toys without supervision and be aware that a dog even his size can shred a toy and get the squeaker out and eat the squeaker. So with anything other than the nearly indestructible types of toys mentioned, or similar other types, supervision is required. I use only uncooked white bones as far as a real bone because they too quickly shatter the basted bones. A sliver of bone can be a devastating experience for the dog and the family. The white uncooked bones last and last and don't splinter.
I wouldn't recommend penning him inside if you are gone most of the day because he's not old enough to hold himself that long yet and will be harder to housetrain at your house if he needs to go and has to do it inside. It will work well if he is inside when you are home and if you have a safe place for him, it makes your life and enjoyment of him much better. As they grow and especially when he reaches puberty, they can be rascals. Just like kids!
6. How should we approach potty training? How far along is he on that?
The pups that get the one month extra training are often house trained by the time they go home, though not always, because just as one child may be trained at 1-1/2 and his sibling may be 3 before reaching the same stage of success, much depends on bladder and bowel control and development. It varies from pup to pup. I have had many pups go home at age 8 weeks with no house training here and got reports back from the new owners that within a day or two they were asking at the door. And I have had one pup thet was 3-1/2 months before she got control. It's good to use the same door to take him out to potty so he'll know where to ask at. Even with the ones that are house trained here, expect the possibility of a couple accidents after he first gets into his new home because everything will be new to him and he'll be very excited. Goldendoodles usually don't get stressed as much as joyfully excited over new experiences. At least mine have been that way. And sometimes during the excitement, accidents happen.
Anytime he is in the crate, take him outside to potty before letting him loose inside to play. I say "Hurry, go potty!" Also, if he has been loose inside and starts going around sniffing, take him outside. And in case of accidents, pick up a spray bottle of Nature's Miracle Advanced and follow directions on the bottle. It works even on carpet and upholstery.
7. Will my puppy sleep through the night?
He might. I can't say for sure because as with human babies again, the level of development varies. They all eventually sleep through the night. Be prepared for getting up to take him out when he needs to go and be very happy that dogs develop fast and it won't be long.
8. What commands does he know, and how can we continue his training?
If your puppy is in the extra training program, you'll get a progress report which will have an explanation of what he has learned and how he did. From that you can follow up. All puppies come with a training workbook with trick cards and a training DVD. The book is called The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook by Kyra Sundance. I use the same hand signals as the book to make it an easier transition for you.If you adopt your puppy without the extra training, he will be crate trained, will walk on a leash without struggling, and he will be well socialized and very friendly. I give a summary of each puppy's progress to the new family.
9. Will my puppy be disturbed much by the sudden change in his life? Besides giving him lots of love and attention, is there anything we can do to make him feel safe without you in the beginning?
If your puppy gets lots of love and attention from your family, he will hardly even miss me at this age. It's harder on them to transition when they are older. He's at a great age to bond with a new family right now. One Mom made a puppy blanket for the crate and had the kids sleep with it. Then she sent it to me and the puppy was introduced to the smell of her new family before she arrived, so it was like meeting someone she recognized. If you are concerned, you may want to do something like this. This family also wanted their puppy only allowed on the sofa if she was on her blanket, so we worked on that as well. Since I am a hobby breeder and not overwhelmed with puppies and workload, I can work with every family to assure the best start for them and their puppy.10. What about the shipping? It intimidates me to think of how to arrange to get him from you to me.
Relax! I take care of all of that and will give you specific directions including a phone number at your airport where you will find out exactly where to go. It's much the same process as meeting a friend at the airport except that your puppy has no baggage to claim. You will need a photo ID to claim him. Everything will be explained in detail and all you have to do is show up to get him when he arrives.
I welcome other questions first time owners may have and would like to enlarge this page as I am presented with questions. Never be afraid to ask or think a question is stupid. If it isn't asked, it isn't answered. Email
Safety
Buying a puppy online can be a safe experience if you follow necessary precautions. First you will want to take precautions to be sure you are dealing with a quality breeder. Usually this means the breeder will not have multiple dogs of multiple breeds. If a breeder has many breeding dogs, ask questions such as:
How many people are employed in taking care of the dogs and puppies? How large is the business, if it is a business? Does the breeder also sell to a broker (pet store trade)?
You may question the arrangement of a breeder if they have a ratio of more than two or three adult dogs per person handling them. If young children are in the count as workers caring for the dogs, is it a sweat shop? Caring for breeding dogs involves bathing, grooming, worming, feeding, exercising, training and picking up lots of poop. Who picks up the poop? Ask!
At my house, I myself pick up the poop. I do most of the care of the dogs myself. I have somebody come for the day once a week to help and I also have a professional groomer who comes to my home to help with what grooming I can't do myself.
How are the puppies socialized and what early training do they receive?
A good breeder will handle the puppies from birth, and have some program of mental stimulation for the puppies. At Doodledawgs our puppies are born in the house and kept inside until they are up and walking. Once the puppies are up and walking and going potty on their own, they are moved into the puppy house on my patio right outside my kitchen window. They are on concrete for the sake of cleanliness and parasite control. They have a sizeable play yard with toys and the puppy house is heated during cool weather and ventilated during warm weather. In very hot or very cold weather they come inside the house.
Some may cringe at the idea of the puppies being outside but there is a very valid reason for doing this. In order to ship with the airlines, the puppy must have an acclimation statement signed by a veterinarian stating what temperature range the puppy has been adjusted to. This is because of the range of temperatures they will have to deal with during shipping. So picture the scenario of the breeder who keeps the pups at a constant temperature of, say 70 degrees F, then tells her vet they are acclimated to the range necessary for shipping that time of year and he signs the paper. What about the puppy? What really is kindness to the puppy? So my puppies are properly acclimated by being outdoors in their play yard. They still can sleep in their heated house if they choose but they are used to a wide range of temperatures.
Every puppy at Doodledawgs starts puppy kindergarten at age five weeks. This involves, first getting used to the collar and being inside the house for periods of time. First it is two pups at a time. Later solo. At age five weeks a large crate similar to the shipping type is put in their pen with no door on the crate. The puppies play in it, sleep in it and come to love the crate. Later it is an easy transition to crate training. There is more information about this on my "Training" page.
Since I am not a large scale breeder but what would be classed as a hobby breeder, every dog resident is housetrained and has basic obedience training. They are all regularly groomed and exercised. Doodledawgs is not a kennel but an in-home/at-home hobby breeder operation. I am not criticizing all kennels because some properly managed kennels have very acceptable conditions. I'm just saying that I am a hobby breeder, which by law is defined as a breeder who has not more than three intact females for breeding and not more than three litters a year. I presently have only Darby and will be replacing her with another female next year because I want to be able to continue to offer the top quality service and training to the families that get my puppies. I want to continue to love what I do. Thus, I will continue to have just a few dogs with great care and service.
How can I be sure of who I am dealing with?
Next Day Pets provides a measure of security for buyers because they ID Verify the sellers. I am ID Verified through Next Day Pets.
To verify that a seller is really what they purport to be, ask for more information, such as information on the pedigrees of the parent dogs, more pictures of the puppies, videos, references, etc. You can ask for the name and phone number of the veterinarian the breeder uses. I will be happy to provide you with any information within my ability and I love making puppy videos. I want your puppy adoption to be a pleasant experience all the way through.
Linda Denmark Doodledawgs