New puppy do's and don'ts

[Julie B.]

Now that I have had the experience of a new puppy again I have learned some new stuff and remembered some of the old tricks. Thought we could all share our puppy learning journey's together....

Do's: Buy a big stuffed toy.
Although I have made quite a few of Sydney's toys, I bought her a giant moose toy at Petsmart today and she absolutely loves it. I never thought the big stuffed animal toys would be that good but it is bigger than she is and she has a blast with it. So...my suggestion is to buy one of these huge toys it keeps them occupied for a long time.

Don'ts: Play rough or fast moving games with your other dog while the puppy is present.
I have another doodle who weighs over 60 lbs. and I had the puppy out in the yard and was playing with both of them. I went to pick up Luah's tennis ball and she blasted over to me and accidently ran the puppy over in her haste. My puppy was very much stunned and had a little limp for awhile afterwards. She could have really been hurt.

[Cheryl Jones]

Thanks. Just got my pup, too. I am sort of overwhelmed. She takes 100% of my time. I want to invest the time it takes so I do it with all the love I can muster. One thing I can't stand is to hear her whin. It breaks my heart. The last time I trained a puppy I had a human toddler too. I guess crate training was easier then, because I had two whinning babies to juggle (and I was 20 years younger). Julie this discussion was a great idea!

Will keep watching for updates. (when I can find time on the PC... hehe)

[Julie B.]

Your new puppy is darling! You have gotten a pretty rare looking doodle. The first 3-4 days home I wondered if I did the right thing getting another dog but that feeling didn't last long. Just when you think you can't find any more patience or energy the puppy begins to become domesticated! Now after 2 weeks Sydney goes to the door to go potty (most of the time) and I can quit watching her constantly while she is wandering around my kitchen and family room. They are such good dogs in general though-they do want to learn what's right and to please you. If the whining bothers you too much, go outside and run errands or something. The worse thing you can do is to take her out of her crate when she's whining. I wait until Sydney quits whining, even if its just for a minute or 2 and then I take her out if I think she isn't ready to settle down in there. Keep us posted on your new baby!

[Cheryl Jones]

We had a good night last night... I got her
a new ultra plush dog bed for the crate. she seems to like it better. hard to type holding a little one. She is very pretty. She is 3/4 poodle so i hope her coat will looks good. I bought her for her intelligence but you can't beat brains and beauty. She has long hair, some really wavy places, some not so much. can't tell if she is going to be fleecy or wooly. guess we'll see.

[Julie B.]

Yea, I picked up a great plush fleece dog bed at Homegoods before I got Sydney and it fits in her crate perfectly. Plus, Petsmart had a bean bag plush bunny that you can take the beans out and microwave them to get them warm. It fits almost all across the back of her crate and she loves to sleep right on top of it. Cozy, cushy crates make for happy sleeping puppies! Glad your night went well. It took Sydney 3 nights before she slept through till morning. Now she goes in her crate around 9:30 or 10 and I am up getting her out at 5:30 or 6. That's long enough for me to rejuvenate and look forward to seeing her again! lol

[Susan, Coby & Chloe]

Cheryl, I see you posted this awhile ago but this is one of my concerns, also. I got my first dog when I had three relatively young children...and now we're "empty nesters". We're working to coincide bringing our puppy home when our youngest is home this summer between graduating college and starting his job so hopefully that will help ease the transition!
Susan (momma in waiting)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

When I got Fudge last year, I had not had a puppy for over fifteen years. I forgot how much time one puppy can take and felt like I had postpartum depression in the beginning. No question, it was a big transition. What worked for me was consistency. I tried to make sure she had a schedule and I was consistent in what I expected of her. I read tons of books and finally decided to do what worked best for me. We do use a crate and I made sure I left the house a little each day so she could get used to alone time. I am also a firm believer that a tired puppy is a good puppy and make sure she gets exercise each day. Bully sticks were great in the beginning and kept her occupied. Julie is right....never respond to a whining dog in the crate or she will learn to whine to get your attention. Only take her out of the crate when she is not whining and is quiet.

Now that Fudge is on a great schedule, completely potty trained, and sleeps in in the morning, I decided to do it all over again with another puppy in March. I must be a glutton for punishment or I just love these doodles!! Just remember to enjoy that puppy!!

[Cheryl Jones]

Abby is doing better every day. She is taking a nap now. We went on a long walk. She stays a half a step behind me. Just like she read the same books I have. She knows how to sit on command and as long as I watch her 100% of the time we are cleaning up less and less. Sometimes I think she is training me. I swear she goes out and fake pees to get a snack. So glad I have the time to work with her. It's hard to imagine working outside the home and raising a puppy. Lost my job to the economy last June. Decided to rejuvenate for a year. Job hunting for an 54 year old IT professional seems fruitless as their are so many bright kids out there. Getting a puppy was something I wanted to use this time for. Well worth it!

[Julie B.]

I'm glad to hear all is going well with Abby. Sydney is starting to get the hang of going to the door but man... she seems to have to pee every 15 minutes while she's up running around! If she didn't exhibit other symptoms I'd swear she had a UTI! I'm now trying to stretch the times between pees but it sure is nerve wracking... It is time consuming isn't it? Probaby a good thing you are at home all day even though losing your income has to be a bummer. With your training it seems you could consult or become a home computer repair/networking person? I am constantly surprised and delighted by her personality though. She is truly a lap lover! Her favorite thing to do is climb up on my lap when I'm on the floor with her and chew on a nylabone. I had my husband take a pic of it the other night so I'll download it one of these days! Take care and have fun!