New puppy questions

[Lisa Koch]

Our boy comes home in a month and I am reading and trying to prepare as best as possible.

1.) When can I start taking puppy for walks? How far will puppy typically want to walk?

2.) When is the best time to get puppy neutered?

3.) Should we micro chip puppy?

4.) What treats and food are best for puppy? I know they will come home with food but we will more then likely switch.

5.) Toys what is best and what should we stay away from.

6.) When can I start taking puppy on my runs?

I feel like a lot of these questions are stupid but I've only grown up with small dogs and know that there are big difference when and how you do things with big dogs vs. small dogs.

[Jody Neeley]

Our puppy comes home in a month too! I have all these questions as well, so I want to be part of this conversation and get some answers too :)

[Lisa Koch]

Yay congrats! I'm very impatiently waiting our Christmas fur baby:)

[Jody Neeley]

Impatiently is correct! I can't wait, yet I am so nervous at the same time. My husband and I are both totally new to this. Neither of us have ever had a dog. Just preparing as much as I can. Your puppy is adorable!

[Missy]

I was a new dog owner when we got our Dood.  I recommend you getting and ready this book:  The Puppy Primer by Patricia B. McConnell and Brenda Scidmore.  I found it very helpful and still use it and we are almost 2.

Be sure to have a plan or idea of what you want your dog to be or become. Then you work your training to that plan. For example, I didn't want to change my schedule, I wanted my dog to become used to my schedule. Thus, he got used to being crated for a few hours even while I was home because in his future there would be times he would have to be alone.

We now are able to leave him out of his crate, alone in the house for up to 6 hours. But this took TIME and consistent training. The above book helps you break down each training step and think like a dog!

1) you have to be careful about PARVO, so protect where your pup walks for 16 weeks I believe..ask your vet.  After the Parvo clearance, walk if your pup wants to was what I was told. My pup didn't really want to walk until closer to 1 year mark.  He grew really fast and his hip socket was loose, so I just followed his lead on that. Now, we walk anytime I grab the leash.

2)talk to your vet. my breeder wanted our done by 6 months and it all worked out fine.

3)I think yes, but that is a personal decision.

4)we kept pup on same food from breeder. we keep the treats to minimum. in fact I used dog food as treats in the training phase. too many other treats makes the poo loose.

5) you will have to monitor toy consumption. different dogs tear up things at a different rates. we are now into the 'I got the stuffing out mom' phase.   Nylabone and Elk antlers really helped thru the teething phase.   We used the puppy kong only for crate time and have now graduated to the large Kong and he is quite happy when I get ready to leave. cause he gets his Kong...filled with dog food and a piece of milkbone and a squeeze of peanut butter.

6) conference with vet on this one. the vet on initial exam and 6 month exam or neutered exam can let you know about the growth of hip socket.

Congratulations!! You will LOVE these dogs. They grow up too fast. Take pictures EVERY day. Rest when you can, but the first three months are like a newborn....no sleep!

[Paige and Leo]

1.) When can I start taking puppy for walks? How far will puppy typically want to walk? 16 weeks. Leo is 6months old and he does not walk far. He enjoys his morning walk a bit longer than evening walks. But each puppy might be different on that.
2.) When is the best time to get puppy neutered? Don't know best time....I have heard really early and also wait until older. I went with what vet told us. He just came home from vet yesterday for his neuter. So he was 6 months old.
3.) Should we micro chip puppy? He was microchipped.
4.) What treats and food are best for puppy? I know they will come home with food but we will more then likely switch. I stayed on breeder food for a few weeks after coming home. He would not eat it and by 11 weeks old I slow switched his food to a high quality food. Watch for loose stool or other tummy problems. It took two brands before I got it right. Treats: BRAVO training treats worked best for Leo. I also used his food for treats.
5.) Toys what is best and what should we stay away from. I found that puppies have their favorites. I had a bit of different puppy toys and had his favorite. Kong type was not his favorite but you can still try.
6.) When can I start taking puppy on my runs? I think older? Not sure on that. Enjoy your new puppy! Leo was such a good puppy and the bells for potty worked great for us. Keep us posted when he come home.


Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/puppymadness/forum/topic/show?id=...

[Tracey & Spike]

Congrats on your new addition! It's going to be an exciting time for you! For the record no questions are stupid on here! You'll always get help and great responses. Here are my two cents...
1) you shouldn't be walking your puppy anywhere other than your property until his shots are done. You don't want him to run the risk of picking up giardia
2) neutering depends on your vet. Mine prefers to wait until they are 8 mths or older for the boys and after the first heat cycle for the girls. Again this can be done anytime. Myself personally.. I'm fine waiting. Spike is still flying free at 10 mths old. He cocks his leg now! Exciting!! Haha. He will be fixed early in the new year
3) absolutely microchip. Most vets will do this at the same time you have the neutering done. We had Spike chipped when he was 5 mths old because we were waiting on the snip snip. It didn't hurt him at all. He didn't even yelp :)
4) food. Join the food group. Tons of great suggestions there! Although don't even think of switching him from the breeder food for a few weeks. Personally I'm using Acana Puppy.
5) toys. Have fun here! Tons of choices. Personally Spike loves the nylabone dinosaurs and Galileos. In the first few months he loved stuffies too but now he likes to rip them apart. So they are gone.
6) can't help much here. But i don't think they should be run until their growth plates are in. I'm not a runner. Others should be able to help here.
Enjoy!!!

[Wasseem Sidhom]

Get a lot of sleep now.  That will be your biggest challenge when he first comes.

We took Cooper for a walk early on...but kept him away from other dogs until all the shots were taken which was 12-14 weeks. If it were up to him, he'd walk all day long with no stop.  He could easily walk 2-3 miles at 10 weeks. He did come micro chipped so I didn't really have to make that decision, but it's definitely a good thing to do and doesn't cost anything later. He was neutered at 7 months...but again that was due to the contract we had.

We feed him Orijen with Trippett toppings.  

Taking a puppy on your runs is a terrible idea because as I read about it, it can screw up with their growing hips.  Different people suggest any where between 1 - 1.5 years old before the dog can start running with you...but let him run around in the park or whatever.  The softer surfaces are better for him and you will need to get his energy out.

[Marie and Hoka]

0) Find a vet you trust!

1) Ask your vet when to consider the pup fully immunized to protect from parvo and other illnesses puppies can catch. You can/should still expose puppy to lots of new sights, sounds and smells during this time. Carry the pup in your arms, sit outside a store or medical building, take them to the drive-through for morning coffee. Just don't put them down anywhere other dogs have been walking/doing their business.

2) Neutering timing can seem controversial, and I think male vs female makes a difference.  Discuss with your own vet and also look up risks/benefits of timing at places like the ASPCA website.  We chose to neuter our male pup at just under 6 months, but many wait until a year. Our previous male doodle was actually neutered at 7 weeks, and many shelters do this with rescue pups. We had no issues with him afterward either.

3) All my pups are microchipped. I would never not.

4) Food again is a bit of a choice.  Look on the food group list of recommended, and look into the price points of each.  Let him/her get fully acclimated and make a switch if you want once things are settled at home (at least a few weeks).  Some one on the food group may be able to give a more specific recommendation of what would be good/easy to transition to from the breeder food once you know it.

5) Toys!  I will give my 2 cents and say NO Squeakers!  Or at least only have 1 at a time and always supervise when they have it. Have it be only for you to play with together. We had too many and somehow must have lost track.  Hoka is currently recovering from 2 major abdominal surgeries due to swallowing a squeaker pulled out of a toy.

All of our dogs have been different in what they like and what level of destruction they cause to toys.  Our other doodle had soft toys for years and didn't "kill" them, but ruined phones, remotes and shoes, etc.  Hoka destroys any soft toy immediately and can break a bone in 2, but never touches our things.  Be prepared to adjust and don't leave too much laying about. Our other doodle had rawhides stocked in his crate... he was a hoarder and just liked to keep them in a miserly way.  We had rawhide bones everywhere safely for 12 years.  My new pup Hoka would eat the whole thing in 30 minutes- so no rawhides/bully sticks/greeenies for him at all. We do antlers for Hoka.

6) Running! Hoka's love.  All the resources say wait until 12-18 months to start taking on runs to avoid stress on the joints. We cheated and I started about 8 months, but my pace is so ridiculously slow it is only less than a trot for my long-legged pal. (12min/mi) Hoka LOVES to run; he seems to even understand trail etiquette.  I was only taking him 1-2 times per week with walks the other days.  Once he is really fully recovered, we will slowly get back into the routine.  He has always been meant to be my training pal. (Hoka is even  is named after my brand of running shoe- Hoka One One) If you run a better pace, I'd for sure hold off until older.

While you didn't mention: My best advice right now is look into pet insurance and find what works for you.  Get it early on (after first vet visit) before any possible pre-existing condition can crop up. We have Healthy Paws and they were so good on processing our claims for Hoka's $10,000 squeaker-removal surgeries. I highly recommend them.

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

Hurley is a MLD who weighs about 55 lbs.

We started taking Hurley for very short walks before he was 3 months.  

Hurley's breeder neuters her pups before giving them to their new parents so I cannot help you there.

Hurley's breeder has her pups micro chipped before giving them to their new parents.  I would recommend getting that done based on what your vet might recommend.

Check the food group for the best information on food and treats you will ever find.  An amazing group.

We buy Kong toys. There are other brands that are safe and appropriate.  It becomes a preference.  I would just suggest you get toys that are not easily torn apart to avoid your pup swallow something.  Also, check the educational toys.  There are some really neat ones and it is a lot of fun to watch the pup figure out the toy.

I was very anxious to take Hurley on runs with me as soon as possible.  Well, his trainer said not before 18 months and better to wait 2 years.  His vet agreed.  Now that he is approaching 3 years I tend to take him for long walks instead of with me on my runs.  As good as he was to run with me it threw off my stride.

Your questions are not stupid.  I went through the exact same thing o wanting as much help as possible so I raise my puppy in a safe loving home to be healthy and well adjusted.

One of the best books I read was: Inside of a Dog and Feed Your Pet Right

I hope that helps.

Good luck and keep us up on how your pup is doing.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

1). With a young pup, your biggest concern will be Parvo . He should not be walked ANYWHERE where dogs have been. This includes even your front yard. Google Parvo, or do a search on the forum here..Lyon will see why it is very I portent to protect your pup. Speak to your Vet about this.
2) Again,speak with your Vet, but most recommend somewhere around 5-6 months. Some Vets charge more for the surgery after 6 months.
3) Absolutely micro-chip. You want to do everything in your power to protect and help him get home, should he go missing. This includes theft. A collar comes off, but every Vet and Animal Facility scans for chips.
4) Join the Food Group here on DK. Learn the best and worst foods ...they have a great list. Enzo eats either Orijen or Acana, both excellent foods made by Champion foods. There is also a listing of acceptable treats.
5). Toys: you will need to determine if you have a chewer or not. Having a number of different chew toys to gnaw on will help. Stay home from those rope toys...many a dog have passed or needed medical attention because of the strings becoming entwined in the intestines. Be vigilant of soft toys that have been torn...stuffing and squeakers can/will cause problems.
6). 18 months before taking a pup on runs. Again...speak to your Vet. But lots of damage can be done to the joints from the pounding of payment. Growth plates need to be given a chance to mature.

[Tracey & Spike]

Parvo! I have no idea why I said giardia in my post. Oy. Brain fart! It's a rough go until the shots are done as far as freedom goes. But I'd rather have "bubble dog" until shots are done that a very very sick or worse dog. Take no chances!