We're getting close!

[Mike n Mandy]

So we're just 9 days from picking up our little boy Remmy! He's a 8 week old miniature f1b goldendoodle. We think that we've got everything ready for him, but I'm sure we're in for surprises. The groups/forums here have been a great resource for us, thank you all! If you could share one piece of advice with first time puppy parents, what would it be? We love reading all of the helpful comments shared here!

[Gayle & Hunter]

Remmy is absolutely adorable, my one piece of advice would be lots of patience....have fun with him they do grow up fast. Congratulations on your little guy.

[Rae]

Congrats on getting your new baby! What a wonderful way to start the New Year! My biggest advise would be...OUT TO GO POTTY EVERY 30 MINUTES FROM MORNING UNTIL BEDTIME! We even set the timer and they potty training went extremely well. We weren't great at following this rule with our first Dood and it took much longer to train her. Cassie was totally house trained by 14 weeks. Rozee (older Dood) took closer to 5 1/2 - 6 months!

Enjoy your Baby Boy!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Congratulations! My piece of advice would be to "don't sweat the small stuff."  :-)  Puppyhood can be a very trying time for any household. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, taking care of yourself and trying to see the humor in it all!

[Amy and Annabelle]

Have patience and lots of it. Puppies are a challenge, there may be days you question why you decided to get a puppy. Hang in there, it does get a lot better. Rub his feet to get him used to having you mess with them for nail clipping. Also get him used to the tooth brush if you plan on going that route, at this age I didn't put the toothpaste on the brush yet. Start with the training as far as what is acceptable and what is not. While a cute 10 week old puppy nipping at your hand might not be a big deal, a 16 week old puppy has sharp needles for teeth, and nip a lot harder. I wouldn't even let it get started. Watch when he eats and drinks so you can take him out, I started at about 5 minutes afterward. My little girl has to go right away, but some it takes longer. Then take out about ever half hour or so, until you learn their habits. Make sure your whole family is on the same page so as not to confuse puppy.

[Jess & Stewart]

Start training early and don't stop. I started early before puppy kindergarten, did puppy k then stopped going to training for finances and because I didn't have a car and Stew never learned as much as he would have if we'd continued classes. He's only 1 1/2 and once its warm again and I can walk to the training classes, I'll be enrolling him again, so we didn't totally miss the boat but I beat myself up about how much better he could be. Hindsight is 20/20 though and I'm considering getting another puppy because I know so much more now. 

I still to this day give him the small training treats for practically everything he does but I want to reinforce everything he knows and really reinforce the things he's bad with. Practice "COME" ASAP and never stop! 

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Yes! Great advice!

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

So great that you are learning, educating yourselves, and preparing this way! I think you will give your pup a great start just from preparing ahead!! People have very different experiences though and narrative advice always differs, so I would read MCConnell, Fennell, Yin, and visit doggy Dan vids as my best piece of advice. And make sure your pup always associates you with positive things. Your hands coming in at her? Treats! Your hands = good things (not toys or negative associations) another: she is eating and you're near her food bowl? Treats! Your being nearby or coming toward = great things! You call her to you? Always a great thing for her (never call her to give her a pill or brush her or something scary and new). Treats should be pea sized. Anything new you introduce, if he is not showing fear, treat it! Carry him everywhere and intro him to friendly, healthy dogs (if your vet is cool with that - mine said, of course) and all the sights, smells, and sounds of everything you will want to do with this dog through all seasons of your lives together. Get it all in within the first 12-16 wks - very important! Enroll in a reputable puppy kindergarten! Great luck and have fun!!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Ahhh, what a doll Remmy is! Everyone has given great advice for first-time puppy parents. I have a couple to add. To make the transition easier for Remmy coming from the breeder's home to yours, sleep with a dog-safe plush toy to really get your scents on it, and also ask the breeder if they can provide a plush toy with the momma's scent on it to bring home with you. Those 2 toys can be kept in Remmy's crate or sleeping area to help sooth him the first few days.

Another piece of advice I was grateful for, was to take lots of pictures and videos. You'll never get those early months back, and puppies grow so fast!

Congrats, and enjoy!

[Deanna M.]

So much good advice given.  I would add start combing/brushing Remmy daily or every other day to get him used to it and don't forget the paws, (especially in-between the nails and pads), behind the ears, the inside of the legs, the belly and back end.  Make sure you are getting right down to the skin.  Treat him as you do it so he associates good things with grooming.  One of my favourite things is combing my doods, it also helps bonding with them.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Great advice here.  The main thing to remember is that a great adult dog is made - some dogs are simply easier to work with, but the more time you spend in guiding the dog into the adult dog you want him to be, the more likely you are to get that great adult dog.  My son adopted a rescue last March and he just had his first birthday.  That dog is awesome in everything (usual sit/stay/come/wait commands, staying off the furniture, well socialized to sights and sounds, off-leash walking), but leash walking because that is the one thing my son hasn't worked enough on. 

[Mike n Mandy]

Thanks everyone! All of your tips and advice have been great.We'll definitely be using all of the advice and putting in the time and effort needed to get our little guy on the correct path. Thank you much!