A Smorgasbord of Doodle Questions...

[Kate]

My DogMom experience consists of having a German Shepherd for 12 years. I am recognizing lots of differences between that breed and the new Goldendoodle I will get getting. Questions I have...

1. Shampoo and Conditioner - special type for puppy vs. adult dog, or all the same? How often should a puppy dood be bathed? Best shampoo/conditioner for Doods?

2. Type of brush will depend on coat type - correct? If I brush every day, is it possibly to avoid the ever-dreaded mat conundrum?

3. Food - adult food vs. puppy food for first year? What is favorite food to feed your Dood?

4. Treats and training treats - Is it okay to give puppies the same kind of treats that you would give to adult dogs?

5. USA made dog toys - this is very important to me. Anyone know of any good sites to find 100% USA made dog toys? (Like fun ones like stuffed animals, rope toys, squeaky toys...I am running into Made In China everywhere I look.)

[Adina P]

1. One for all -- no real diff between puppy and dog shampoo.  Bathe as often as makes sense for you.  There's no real solid evidence for one bathing protocol vs. another, though in general it is suggested you not bathe your pup/dog 'too much' or 'too often' to not dry out their coat.  But if pup gets into something nasty or stinks...there's no harm in washing.  Just plain dirty or mud, though, will often just fall off after it dries and you brush your dog.

 

2.  Maybe.

 

3.  Check out the Food Group on this site...they've covered TONS of food info.

 

4.  Yes you can.  Might just use kibble to start though or something very simple since puppies sometimes have sensitive tummies.

 

 

[Kate]

I will definitely join the Food Group. Thanks Adina! Hope things are well with your new (human) baby!!!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

He is sooooooo cute!  Has she sent any video's yet? 

 

I have a list I collected of Made in USA dog stuff :-)   Here you go!

 http://www.usab2c.com   - this website you can search for any type of products made in the USA

www.activepaw.com
www.akersacrespets.com
www.bebopusa.com
www.bigpawdesigns.com
www.caninecapers.com
www.collarsandmore.com
www.katiesbumpers.com
www.konaschips.com
www.kongcompany.com
www.mickeyspetsupplies.com
www.purrfectplay.com
www.ruffdawg.com
www.usbones.com
www.westpawdesigns.com
http://www.suburbandoghouse.com/Dog-Toys-Made-in-the-USA-s/53.htm

http://www.dog.com/Search.aspx?query=made%20in%20the%20usa

http://www.activedogtoys.com/collections/usa-toys

www.bigdogbeds.com/

www.dogbedking.com/

www.roverpet.com/

http://www.bestofnewengland.com/

http://www.crittergear.com/retail.htm

http://www.samsdoghut.com/

http://www.usamadepetsupplies.com/

http://www.wahlanimal.com/

 

I bath Hunter every couple of weeks, she does have sensitive skin so I use an Oatmeal shampoo - the puppy shampoo's really irritated her skin.   As for treats, I give her really little treats - the kind for little dogs.

[Kate]

Hi Denise!!!!!!! You know I am chomping at the bit to get my first video! I haven't gotten one yet, but he turns 4 weeks old on Sunday, so maybe I will get one on Monday? :-)

Thank you SO much for these USA links. You rock, woman!!!

Oatmeal shampoo...good call!

Thanks again for the links!

Hugs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Check the Good Dog Toys Group for ideas and info on toys.

Please do join theFood Group. Here's our list of Recommended Brands, with links to the manufacturer's websites.

We have lots of info and resources for treats there, too. One excellent choice for training treats is Zuke's Minis.

[Kate]

Hi Karen. I just joined the Food Group. The list of recommended brands is awesome. Thank you! I am leaning towards Fromm b/c it's local for me and I love the company and their makeup and I used to feed Haus Fromm, but I just want to research everything first before deciding. Definitely need help with what treats to buy, so thanks for the info on that!

[Kate]

I bought 2 kinds of Zuke's treats - the minis for training and also the dry treats. Zuke's looks like a fantastic company!!!!

[Leslie and Halas]

I agree with what the others have posted.  Check out the Grooming Group, Food Group and Toy Group for more info.

 

Regarding the brushing.  Halas went through a stage where I could have brushed him for an hour every day, and he'd still have mats by the next morning.  There's such a variety when it comes to coat type, so you'll just have to wait on that one to see what you get.  But I'd say to get your dood used to being brushed right away.  Even if it only takes a couple of minutes, and seems kind of pointless at first, it will help you in the long run, because s/he will get used to sitting calmly and letting you brush.

[Kate]

Hi Leslie! I joined all those groups! Probably won't help my DK obsession...but it's great info! :-)

I will definitely get him used to brushing by doing it every day.

Thanks. :-)

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

I think the amount that you bath and brush will really depend on your pup. I bathed Zach for the first time last week, (8 weeks after I got him). Even then he didn't smell or really look like he needed a bath, but I thought he should have the experience. The water was not very dirty. I thoroughly brush/comb him 2 times week and have not yet encountered mats, but I imagine that will be in our future.

[Kate]

Yay for no mats, Cindy! I hope to be as lucky with my Dood! I will just try to brush him at least a little bit every day and see if I can stay ahead of the mats!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Even if you get a high-maintenance-coat dog that does mat, you can avoid having him shaved down with diligent grooming.  It is lots of work, but if you want your dog to look a certain way, you can make it happen. We did find that with Ned (high-maintenance coat) home bathing was not good because we can't do it well. You need to get the mats out before washing as well as after.  In Ned's case at-home washing does dry out his skin/coat.