New puppy! Need help! ASAP!

[Cailey Carson]

I just got a 7 week old golden doodle puppy! And I was needing help/advice with potty training and treats that I should use to reward good behavior. Also what to do about biting. And is he too young to give him a probiotic pill or yogurt? Thanks for the help in advance!

[Cailey Carson]

Also he doesn't pee as easily during the day! I just got him yesterday so I thought maybe it's because he's still getting used to it but he pees in the house and not outside no matter how long we stay outside.

[Adina P]

My rule of thumb was if puppy did not pee outside, then back to the crate he went. He only got freedom in the house (in one area) AFTER an outside pee. Then back out to the yard in 15 min and repeat.

[Adina P]

When he can go 15 minutes on the house without an accident for several days, increase to 20, then 30, etc. But don't even let him play indoors until he's peed outside.

[Amy and Annabelle]

At only 7 weeks he is awful young to be taken away from his mom and litter. There is still a lot he could learn from them including bite inhibition. But since you already have him. Keep a lot of chew toys around and redirect when it looks like he is going for anything but a toy or chew stick. At this time I wouldn't give him anything else until he has completely transitioned off of the breeders food. 

[Cailey Carson]

That's what I thought but that's when the breeder wanted us to pick him up. And I'm actually keeping him on the breeders food.

[Amy and Annabelle]

We have a food group here in addition to the recommended food brands there is a list for treats. Here is the link for the treats. I used Fruitables and chicken flavor Pure Bites. It only takes a little bit, so break off small pieces and don't give the whole thing to him at once. 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/recomme...

[Cailey Carson]

I'm currently feeding him puppy chiots from Fromm, which is what the breeder had him on.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fromm is a good brand, but I don't think you meant to say "chiots", lol. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You must stay on the breeder's food for at least two weeks. Do not introduce any new foods or treats for 2 weeks either. Assuming the food is chicken based, you can use the Pure Bites chicken treats that Amy recommended, as they are just plain pure freeze dried chicken. You could also use tiny pieces of cooked chicken breast.

It's actually against the law in 25 states to sell a puppy before the age of 8 weeks, and bite inhibition is one reason why. I would recommend that you also get pet insurance as soon as possible. There is a lot of info here about this if you do a search.

I'd get him to the vet tomorrow, or at least bring in a fecal sample. Chances are good that he has giardia or some other parasite. I'm assuming that's one reason you're asking about giving probiotics or yogurt, loose stool. Giardia may not show up in the fecal, it has an incubation period of 10-14 days. If the vet wants to give you meds, ask for Panacur, NOT metronidazole (Flagyl). 

Join the Puppy Madness group for help with typical puppy issues like housebreaking and nipping. You can also do a search for discussions about those issues. Good luck!

[Dawn and Molly]

Have you joined the puppy madness group yet?  It is a good group with lots of information, especially on mouthing and biting.  Congrats on your new puppy.

[Cailey Carson]

I just joined it! So helpful already!