And so it begins Q&A time LOL

[Melissa Lowman]

 Alright doodle parents I warned you yesterday that I have lots of questions LOL!!!! Of course I thought my first round would be a little further down the line as far as things go, but I am a planner. I started reading thru some older threads this morning which spiraled into more questions so, here goes. For the multitudes of you working full time, did you take time off work when bringing your new addition home to establish routines, bonding, potty training, etc? Half days, full days, a week? We will be crate training. Also I am a Physical Therapist and need pup socialized as early as safely possible. Any vets out there feel free to chime in, when are vaccines complete for doodles? At what age can I begin bringing my pup to work with me for socialization, getting used to the environment, people, equipment, smells associated with my workplace? Are doodles susceptible to same germs, viruses, other microbes as us humans? My employer is fully on board with me bringing pup into my rehab center daily. We will go thru all training classes etc. But, at what age is it safe to begin adapting him/her to said environment?

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I was home for about 2 weeks when we first brought Quincy home at 11 weeks.  He was good in the crate from the get go-we always (and still do) give him a treat filled Kong and he runs right in.  We had a walker come in mid day to run him around and potty break until he was over a year so he was never crated for more than 4ish hours when he was younger.  

I can't advise about shots and taking him places- perhaps others will or I would check with your vet.  

I envy you that you will be able to bring your doodle to work!  Wish I could do that.  

Good luck!  

[Adina P]

I was home for almost a week when I brought my pup home.  I don't think that is entirely necessary, but it is helpful just to iron out the kinks in potty training and logistics.  You might be able to take a long weekend and do it quite well. 
I would check with the vets in your area.  They can best tell you what the current parvo virus (really my biggest concern) climate is.  If it were me, I would not hesitate to bring him to work with you after you've had a few days to get used to each other.  A PT office is not a place other dogs frequent so it wouldn't be a high risk place and getting puppy used to all the equipment and sounds is probably a good idea.  If you think of service dog trainers, I believe they start those pups off in the real world pretty much right away.  Most human viruses/colds would not be pass on to a dog, and vice versa.

[Melissa Lowman]

Yes, I agree Adina, early exposure to my work environment is key. I will check with a local vet on other microbes etc. Last thing I want is to expose him/her to MRSA , c-dif, or other nasty bugs that are around Subacute care settings as well as out in the community at large. And parti can be transferred via shoes as well, correct?I thought about puppy booties but realistically that may not work out so well lol. I don't even have our pup yet and I'm worried LOL.

[Kyoko]

 I did not take time off, but I had special situation that worked to our benefit at that time. I left for work @ 8, one of my daughters left for her class around 10, I came home for lunch around noon, and my youngest was home from school by 2:30. So, she was never home alone for more than 2 hours.... This went on until were all off for the summer. We were lucky, and also I thought we can get a puppy because of this situation exited. That is so nice that you can take your puppy to work with you~ Good luck with everything...

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We just finished Yogi's vaccines. He's between 15-16 weeks

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

That's great that you can take your puppy to work with you. I was able to do that as well. First, I took two weeks off to start with. Since the major concern is the parvo virus, I think you are pretty safe to take the doggie to work since he/she won't come in touch with other dogs. I can't remember the vaccination schedule, but I think they are done with all rounds around 4 months of age. You might also want to check with some training places in your area for puppy socialization. Both of my boys were able to go play with puppies their same age even before our vaccination period was over. Many places here offer puppy socialization classes, where they check for age appropriate vaccinations for small puppies and that way the pups are being exposed to other puppies at an early stage in a safe environment.

[Kylee]

I only work 4 days a week so for the first two weeks I took off two days each week to get Willow into a routine. Then we hired a dog walk so she was not in her cage longer then 3 hours. Then in November my mom came home from FL and she watched her when we were gone for long periods. She just turned 5 months old, and if we are gone 3-4 hours we just let her roam free in the house, we have had no problems with her what so ever. She also just finished her last set if shots.

[Lynda Kamrath]

We are very lucky as we got our first doodle in 2003 right when my husband retired.  We had a lonesome standard poodle at that time that immediately adopted the doodle and did much of the training.  We do not use crates, and our puppies were never in the house more than a few hours at a time after they were house trained.  They have been free to go wherever they want indoors and outdoors and our property is well fenced.  We got our second doodle in 2006 and our third in 2010.  Shots were given right when recommended and they take worm medicine and Frontline Plus for ticks and fleas, but our first doodle died of liver failure at 7 years old and our second doodle has cancer now at 7 years old.  We try to be as protective as possible and get lots of exercise, but sometimes you just can't do it all.  Socialization is very important and we tried to introduce our puppies to many different people and situations.  If they are exposed to many places and meet other animals and people when they are young, they just seem to be better adjusted all around.  Have fun with your new pup.

[Alex/Mindy/Georgia/Coral]

If you can take him to work, I would suggest crate training him at work. My mother utilized this method, and kept her dog under her desk in a crate and every hour she would take him to potty. If he didn't pee, she'd put him back in there and wait another hour. She slowly increased the amount of time until he could hold it all day. If there is a patch of grass you can take your pup to that isn't accessible to other dogs I'd suggest that.

 

The only thing we worried about was Parvo, and the vet said she was clear after 16 weeks and the last round of vaccinations. She also told us that after a dog has parvo and recovers, it still carries the virus with it, so your pup can pick it up. The virus also lives for a pretty long time, so even if there is no physical evidence of fecal matter, it can still be in the grass.

 

Also, something that I'd like to offer from our own experience and the experience from I'm sure many of us doodle owners, is that they enjoy and thrive on being around their owners all of the time. Many call them their Velcro dog. While cute, this can cause a dependency on you, and without the dog gaining it's own confidence it can develop severe separation anxiety or be shy around new dogs or people even if properly socialized. Shyness that, if pushed, could lead to aggression, although unlikely. Read what Cesar has to say on building a dogs self-confidence...in the meantime I'm attaching a YouTube video of Cesar's. I thought it was interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANpMApPnWCM

[Debbie & Gibbs]

We also have a newbie and my husband is able to come home at lunch and let Gibbs out to potty along with our 3 other doggies.  Gibbs is crated and I think he really needs a break from the crate to stretch legs and get some fresh air along with potty relief.  My mother lives in the neighborhood and she also comes over around 3:00 p.m. and gives Gibbs a potty break and break from the crate.  Gibbs is getting much better about ringing his poochie bells, love to see him nose them, cracks me up.  Enjoy your puppy!

[Melissa Lowman]

Thanks for all the advise! I'm very thankful I stumbled upon this site, let me tell ya, LOL. I have to figure out a schedule and see if a family member will be available for potty training while we are away. My husband returns home early so that is a blessing. Yes I can, and still want to take him to work, but Alex has a good point. Codependency can cause seperation anxiety...who wants that?!? I know it happens, and have seen how awful it can be (family members pet), so will I be increasing the risk of codependency of the pup if he is with me daily?

And thank you Alex for the Dog whispered link. I have never seen this show and was impressed with how he handles his "pack". I ordered one of his books.

[Alex/Mindy/Georgia/Coral]

One of his books will do. I ordered both and he repeats himself a lot. Regarding the co-dependency...if your pup is in a crate at work with you I don't think that will cause any problems. I would simply make note on how frequently your dog follows you around during daily activities. If he gets up every time you do, that may be the beginning of some unwanted behaviors. To counter that, if you get up to go to the kitchen, and he/she gets up to follow you, tell him to lie down and stay, then go about your business. This will teach the dog that it doesn't have to follow you everywhere you go. And again referencing the crate training at work, that will most likely help the dog to self soothe itself in the crate while you can monitor him, and it will help him learn that the crate is a safe sanctuary where people don't bother him. Many times, if done correctly, a dog will go to the crate if there is too much hustle and bustle around the home so that they can relax. You're also in an excellent position as well because you can still pick your dog, unless I missed somewhere that you said you have a particular one on hold. It's recommended that you pick a dog with a temperament that is not too relaxed, but also not too energetic. The dog climbing on your lap licking your face is also the one your going to have to work on not destroying the house, but that pup would also probably be the most confident. You want to pick one right in the middle, an energetic but not too excited is the best temperament to choose.

 

Mindy and I did not get to choose our pup, and Georgia was the super quiet, calm one in the group. She is, as we expected, a nervous-submissive type and it's taken a lot to pull her out of her shell. We have been successful, but it was not an easy task and took many months.