New mini golden doodle! :)

[Leroy's mom]

Hey Everyone! 

So we are picking up the new member of our family on April 14th and we are so excited! We are trying to get everything all set for him. We've got his crate, his bed, toys, a corral, water and food dish, the same type of puppy food the breeder has, a pet sitter that he will be with while I'm at work and she'll work with him on potty training and crate training, and a leash and collar, a training collar that beeps at him if he barks, and he is signed up for puppy kindergarten class on May 1st. We are on the third floor of an apartment so we got sod for our balcony and that's where he'll go outside for the first few months until he can hold it longer then we'll go all the way outside. We are going to put a bell on the door for him so he can tell us when he has to go out. We just wanted to ask experienced doodle owners if there's anything else we didn't think of? If there's any training advice we'd really appreciate it! :) 

Thank you, 

[Amy and Annabelle]

I would get a vet lined up for him to be checked out the first day or 2 after I bring him home. Take in a fecal with you. You want to make sure you have a healthy pup.I would work on sit or down and recall and soon as he comes home. Those are commands that could save his life if he gets loose. I would also start getting him used to brushing and nail clipping. Don't just go cutting his nails, but get him used to you touching his feet and the feel of the clipper on his nail without actually clipping. Get him used to the feels and sounds first. And of course know what you are doing, so you don't injure the nail. I wanted Annabelle to have all of her shots before I took her to the groomers. So I trimmed them in the beginning. Join the Puppy Madness group here if you haven't already. Lost of other helpful groups here also. Check them out. There is also one for food. You will want to make sure he is on a healthy food and not some of the junk out there in the grocery store. Here is the link for the Food group: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroupHere is the link for Puppy Madness:  http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/puppymadness

[Amy and Annabelle]

Whoops, I did the link wrong for the food group, sorry.The Here shouldn't be part of the link. I also have a mini. She topped out at 15lbs. http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup

[Leroy's mom]

Great thank you so much for you're advice! :) how big were Annabelles mom and dad?

[Amy and Annabelle]

Mom was a 30lb goldendoodle and dad was and 11lb poodle.

[Nicole and Teddy]

So exciting- good luck! They are SO much fun! I would say getting some toys- squeaky, chew toys, etc. would be a worthwhile investment! Teddy loved a good bully stick but too much gave him an upset tummy. There is also a himalayan yak's milk bone that I get from Petsmart that he enjoys too. This is a great site- lots of experienced doodle parents. You will love it!

[Leroy's mom]

Thank you so much for the advice! :) we're so excited!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Congratulations on the cute addition to your family - I love the name LeRoy! I would imagine your breeder recommends a wellness check within the first week of bringing him home.  Many new puppy owners join the Puppy Madness group, Food group and Grooming group.  However, there are nearly 300 groups on this site - so just go to the main page and peruse the groups and join as many as you like.  There is also a very active photography group too.  Welcome to DK.

[Lily]

congrats on the puppy! Doodles are wonderful dogs. As for brushing his teeth in the future dont start brushing his teeth right away. You have to get him used to the idea with first putting your finger in his mouth and rubbing his gums a little. You could even add some peanut butter after he starts getting used to it and then introduce him to the finger brush tool. As for going potty. I was actually told by a family friend to use peepee pads. But when I had gotten a trainer to come in she said that it is a waste of money and your dog can remember the smell of where he has done his business. For example if he pees on a carpet even if you move that carpet out of the room and into the basement he will still be able to smell it therefore will think it is alright to pee in the house. once the puppy has had all of his shots and the vet approves the idea of taking him outside dont just take him for walks on the sidewalk. Its best to gradually introduce them to the backyard first and leash training them in the backyard a bit and when you feel he is ready you can start taking him out in the fromt for walks.

Teething is a huge thing too. Most of it is because their teeth are coming in and it is painful ans the other half of it is pent up energy. So try to run him around and let him release some energy on toys. For teething what you can also do is take his toys and freeze them. You can put them in chicken broth and then freeze them and then watch him have a blast chewing on them. The ice is soothing for their gums and the chicken broth is just for flavor.

I am new here as well and i have a female doodle who is soon to be 4 months old. She is very energetic and teeths alot still. If you find teething to be an issue try to start using training commands early like "no" or making a sound like "ehh!" works well too if he nips you. Hopefully we can help eachother out in the future. Welcome to the doodle world :)

[Leroy's mom]

Thank you so much for all the advice!! :)

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Lots of good advice here already!  I'll add that you'll want to get Nature's Miracle enzyme spray and use it after cleaning up every potty accident.  He'll smell traces of what was there (that we can't smell) and without using the spray, he might be triggered to potty again in that same spot, just from the scent.  If you have carpet, also be mindful that the sensation of carpet can trigger the need to go - similar to the feeling of grass on their feet - so when he's super tiny, it's a good idea to carry him directly out to the potty spot after waking up, eating or playing hard.

I also kept Bitter Apple spray on hand, which is a chewing deterrent.  It's harmless to the dog, and works well in conjunction with the "no chew" command (along with redirecting to an appropriate chew toy), if/when he gets an idea to start exploring furniture legs or other inappropriate objects/surfaces with his mouth.  I also used puppy-specific chew toys, like the Nylabone teething keys or the binky.  Keeping those available at all times (never in the crate or if he's otherwise unsupervised) also really helps with teething and to learn what is "his" to chew.  Congratulations, and post pictures of Leroy once he's home!