New puppy Doodle but moving around a lot...Any advice

[Kevin]

My wife and I are getting our new goldendoodle Navy in a week and are beyond excited. Our biggest problem/worry is that we are moving from the place we are at now in a couple weeks, to a new place four hours away, while in between going to a family reunion for 4 days. What would you suggest to us as we attempt to potty train her among other things. I know we should keep a consistent schedule with her on what/when she eats, goes potty and sleeps but I know we wont be perfect with all of that happening.

Anyone been through the same experience? Any advice on this or anything else (both first time dog owners)?

We cant wait to get her!

[Heather & Jake]

We got Jake 2 weeks before Christmas... on Christmas morning we drove 6 hours to visit my family back home and 2 days later the 6 hours back.  Then we moved back home (again the 6 hour drive) the 2nd week of January and then into our new apartment on Feb. 1st!  It was a lot of moving with the little guy but we set timers to remind us and he was crate trained which was very helpful.  This also made him really used to the car and to behaving in other homes, so theses are pluses of the crazy schedule.  My advice is to be extremely diligent in the weeks before you leave and try to keep your schedule as best as possible when gone.... I followed the house-training schedule outlined in the Monks of New Skete book "The Art of Raising a Puppy."  It worked really well for us! Overall Jake never had more than 15 pee accidents during his whole potty training experience, and never once had a poop incident.  Good luck!

[Kevin]

That's great advice and I'm looking up more info about that book right now. Thank you!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Heather, great advice, we did the same thing. DH kept a spiral notebook and wrote in it each time she breathed, pee peed, pooped, hiccuped, barked....get the picture, ha ha. Great Book!

[Adina P]

Do you have a crate? 

[Kevin]

Yes we have a crate which I think will be great for traveling. Just worried about "stressing" our puppy out which people keep talking about.

[Adina P]

It might be stressful, but you can give puppy lots of time to nap and chill out in the crate as needed to get used to all the environments.  Learn to read your puppy and look up doggy body language so you can read signs of stress.  Don't let people man handle it too much...he needs to accept people touching it but be mindful of TOO much too.