What were your first few days like with your new puppy?

[Jessica Girardot]

Hi everyone!  

Just curious to hear the experiences of other doodle owners.  What were the first few days like with your new puppy?  

Our girl is about 8 weeks and we have had her for about three days now. So far so GOOD! She is doing extremely well with potty training. No accidents yet! ( I am watching her like a hawk and crate training her) She also sleeps through the night quietly with only 1 potty break! I feel like she is being so good that it can only get worse...

I'm sure she will start being more wild as shes growing up, but as of right now, shes pretty lazy :-P

[Star and Goldie]

You may actually be surprised. These are some great early indicators that she is going to be wonderful! Several puppies have a hard time on their first few nights in a new environment. The fact that she sleeps through the night pretty quietly is AMAZING! Goldie had a pretty rough first night but by night 2 she didn't cry ALL night.  By night 3 she understood more of what the routine was so she was ok at night by then.

Goldie only had 4 accidents in the house in the first 4 months I had her so I'm right there with ya on that one. Unfortunately at 13 weeks we've hit a little speed bump and she had 4 accidents in the house in just one day. So I would just say don't keep your expectations too high on that one but it sounds like she is going to be super easy to train which is also all kinds of awesome!

Sounds like your off to a great start! Congrats!!! Oh and Goldie is 13 weeks now and she's still pretty darn lazy... I say she just knows she's in a calm household and is content just hanging out with us :)

[Chelsie]

Sam was the perfect lazy guy the first week! Then he started to come out of his shell! He always was great with his potty training, only a handful of accidents in the house. He never barked at anything until his first trip to the groomer...now he barks! I just remember being a little sleepy, but loved bonding with him! Now he is a wonderful almost 9 month old member of our family!

[Jen and Annie]

We were also very fortunate in that the little lady we chose was potty trained within about 2 weeks, she slept through the night from the first night, and took to her crate really well with minimal fussing.  We did have to train a bit on the separation anxiety (she is in her crate and couldnt see us), but that was overcome quickly.   Our breeder said she started all puppies on paper training and crate training, so that probably helped.  When Annie DID have potty accidents (maybe 10-12 within the first few weeks), it was always on a blanket or rug (they kinda look like paper, so I think she thought that was an acceptable place to go potty). 

After we considered her fully potty trainied, she did have about 2-3 accidents a month, so I don't want to leave those out.  She hasn't had an accident now since she was about 4 and a half months old. I think that a puppy's demeanor translates into their adulthood.  Annie is essentially the same dog now as she was as a tiny puppy.  She is 8 1/2 months old now.  It sounds like you got a dream puppy. 

Whenever my husband talks about getting another puppy I have to remind him that "Annie is not like other puppies - most puppies are not this good".  She is not perfect by any means, and we have our challenges - her spring loaded greetings, and she has taken to scratching on the door to be let into a room I'm in (UGH!) but she was a dream for a puppy....

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

She'll probably get more used to her environment and get a little wilder :)  I remember Peri was a little nuts the first few days, but we had visited her often and could tell she was going to be trouble lol!  The breeder didn't tell me she was going to be a laid back pup. Ha!

But really, you may be really lucky - but I am pretty sure you are going to have some nutty puppy days ahead of you. Your girl is just settling in :)

 

[rebecca fairhurst]

I agree with previous posting from Star & Goldie - all signs are looking good for you! We crate trained from the start too and have to say it has worked wonderfully for us.  Our first few nights were great with Maui but the 3rd night she cried and cried but after that she has not had one broken nights sleep.

As for your amazing potty training - sounds like all is going well, we had a lot more little accidents but all is great now and no accidents in her crate.

As for barking, Maui has being able to bark from the early days to let us know she wants to go outside or bark to come back inside, barks when she is having fun or when a squirrel spooks her in the garden.

Enjoy those little puppy days

[Donna Ross]

Hi Jessica!  Our Chloe is now 22 weeks old.  She has slept through the night from the first night we had her.  Never has cried.  She sleeps with us - no kennel (It depressed her so badly) - she is a great cuddly furry kid!  :)  Potty training was a snap.  She learned very quickly - only very few accidents in the house, but she did have some.  We trained her to the potty bells on the door knob.  Now, if she needs to go and I don't notice, she will ring the bells with her nose and sit by the door.  They are amazing dogs, smart and wonderful, loyal companions.  Congratulations on your new addition!  It sounds like a love affair has begun with your new girl!  Congratulations!!!

[Jessica Girardot]

Here she is as we speak...  

[Bonnie and Kona]

She is so cute! I can hardly stand it! How lucky you are... calm and adorable. Can't get better than that. ;o)

[Jen and Annie]

Oh, and it is super cute when the puppy runs up to you and jumps up.  I made the mistake of NOT correcting this when Annie was a puppy.  We just let her jump all over us because she was so cute and small.  Well, that habit has ingrained itself in her - she is now 66 lbs, and it's hard habit to break.  She's doing better but it's still a struggle. 

You would do well to start training that jumping is not an acceptable greeting while she's little... it is cute when they're small, but they don't realize that it's not cute when they're a huge monster.  Food for thought!  Congrats on your little lady, she is so cute! .

[Star and Goldie]

That's what I'm dealing with too. I didn't correct Goldie off the bat because I thought it was cute. 5 weeks later I'm starting to realize that it's something we've got to get on pronto! Glad I realized this in 5 weeks vs 5 months! I'm sucker for puppy cuteness!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

We were very surprised when Libby arrived and slept through the night from the beginning.  Our breeder had already started crate training so she felt right at home when we had the crate ready for her.  Never had to get up once from the first day.  We feel very fortunate.  As for potty training outside it took about four weeks with several accidents that were more our fault then Libby's.  I wish we would have used the bell system, but did not know about it, not until we got on DK and by then she was trained.  We did not anticipate the love we would have for her and the love she gives back to us and our family.  She instantly connected with our six granddaughters and they are truly forever pals.  She waits every morning by the door for two of them to come before I take them to school.  The one thing we were not ready for was her love of getting into plants and tearing them up and the yard!  She adapted to our "retired" lives very easily and she is very mellow and laid back.  She does like to take her walks and play ball, but she is a gentle sweet Doodle.  Puppyhood was a challenge at times, but it was worth every minute to have her in our lives.  

[Debra Ekstrom]

We brought Bailey home when he was 9 weeks old.  The breeder had crated all of the puppies.  We used a small crate next to our bed.  We really expected Bailey to cry for his siblings and to keep us awake.  We were very pleasantly surprised that he slept without crying.  My husband got up the first two nights around 4 a.m to take him out.  I told him that since Bailey wasn't crying we should see how he did without a middle of the night potty break.  Well, he slept through the night and has done so ever since.  He is now almost 7 months old.  He did have a few accidents in the house.  I put up the potty bells on our mud room door and we showed him how to use them.  Each time he went out we would ring them.  Bailey caught on quickly.  He has been using the bells since he was 3.5 months old.  No more accidents since then.  I do wish he would bark if he has to go out as my husband is hard of hearing.  Bailey will sit at the door waiting for someone to take him out.