Couple of Questions

[Cailey Carson]

So I just got a male standard F1B golden doodle puppy he is 7 weeks old. He's a sweetheart already. I had a couple of questions:

1. When can I start training him to do do basic commands like sit and lay?
2. Any potty training tips?
3. What kind of treats should I give him for rewards?
4. Any suggestions on collars and leashes?
5. He also scratches his ears a lot. I just checked them and they have some gunk in there... ewwww. What can I use to clean them out?!
6. He only pooped twice today (I feed him 3 times a day right now). Is that normal?
7. Lastly, I took him out 4 times last night only when he woke up. When should I dial the nightly take outs back slowly? How long over time?

I'm really trying to make sure I am doing everything healthy and mostly natural (when it comes to toys, treats, and food) for him. He is currently on Fromm's gold puppy food. I gladly accept any and all advice.

[Becky]

Following this!!  Our baby girl is coming home June 24th and I'm so excited and full of questions!

[Cailey Carson]

It's so much fun when you get your pup. Be ready to watch her like a hawk.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello! I am by no means a puppy expert! Just got my first puppy (an f1b medium golden doodle named yeti) on May 1st! We have been trying to go with the flow with the help of some awesome people on DK.

1.We started with basic commands right away. He knew sit pretty well when we brought him home and have slowly been working with him a little bit every day. They say using one word commands works best ... SIT rather than SIT DOWN. Also to tell them in a low firm but not mean voice. Ive read to only work on commands for a very short time (5 minutes) a couple times a day increasing it as the weeks go by, so puppy doesn't get bored.

2. Potty training hasn't been completely easy for us. We choose to go the bell on the door route and he is just getting used to it. He rings the bells about half the time. Otherwise he usually goes to the door and cries or just sits (which is fine by us as long as he's using some way to let us know he has to go). He still has accidents almost daily, most of which are our fault. His bladder will be small! Try to take him out right after he naps, right after he's done playing and otherwise every 15 minutes (unless he's sleeping). Also Yeti loves to be praised. We do give him treats for going potty, however we also make a huge deal about him going out side. "Such a good boy!" "Good Potty" ect. in a high pitch happy voice.  There are a couple "tells" when Yeti is about to potty inside.  Sometimes he will abruptly stop playing and start circling around.  Or he will start sniffing the ground and circling around. When we see him do this we usually try to say " do you have to go potty?!", ring the bells, and go straight outside until he goes.  If you take him out and he doesnt go in 5 minutes bring him back in and wait 15-30 minutes.  If he has to go, he will go within the 5 allotted minutes. (tips from our breeder)

3.We give Yeti bill jacks little jacks for training or zukes mini naturals. Ive also heard that Charlie Bear treats are good, but Yeti did not like them so we havent used them.  If your trying to stay mostly natural you can always give him boiled chicken and various veggies and fruits. http://www.akc.org/learn/dog-health/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-.... We also give Yeti pumpkin every day as a treat. It helps keep his stool healthy and he loves it very much.

6.Yeti has been so good about going potty ever since we brought him home.  Our breeder did warn us that its possible that he might have irregular bm's for a couple of days because of the new environment so i wouldn't be too concerned. Yeti usually goes at least 4 times a day, right after he wakes up and about 2 hours after he eats each meal.  If he is continuing to only go poop twice a day I would contact your vet to make sure everything is normal!

7. Luckily, Yeti has slept throughout the night since the night we brought him home.  Do you kennel him? Ive heard that they typically will try to hold it as long as they can so they dont make a mess where they sleep. Our breeder said that our puppies were on a every 3-4 potty schedule at night.  If his whining is waking you up at night perhaps you could try to make him wait an extra 30 minutes every week so eventually he wont have to go as often every night.

Again, I am still a puppy newbe but these are a couple of things that have worked for us! Good Luck!!

[Dee & Chappie]

Cailey, good luck with your new puppy.   Chappie is now 7 months old and we love him dearly.   I am sure you will get lots of good advise on potty training, but the cone thing that I have always done with new puppies is:  For the first few weeks, Take him out the same door every time, and only take him out to potty, not to play.   Praise, praise, praise when he "goes", my neighbors always thought I had gone off my rocker, but that is just how I do it.   Chappie knew to potty outside and we never had a poop accident after the first couple weeks, but pee was harder.   Now at 7 months he comes to me and puts his paws on my leg, I know to take him out.   

Nighttime was never an issue.  He was crated for a couple weeks, had no accidents, and we then put him in our bed, with no accidents.  (The crate space has to be small, just big enough for him to turn around). 

The bells did not work, they are still hanging on the door, but he doesn't ring them.   The worked for my previous dog, but not this one. 

The treats I give him are Bil Jack semi-moist.   I also give him ones that I got at the holistic pet food store, I can't remember the name but they are apple/bacon flavor.   The only time I give him treats are when he potty's.  

Chappie does sit, that was pretty easy (I did that with treats), and he catches, retrieves, and still working on "drop", he mush prefers tug of war.   I won't play that with him, then he will drop. 

Chappie is not a huge eater.   I have taken more food back than probably anyone, but the stores advertise they will accept returned food.   The only thing I can get him to consistently eat is Wild Callings canned.  He picks at kibble, but so far he won't eat it.  Fortunately, he is a mini, so doesn't cost so much to keep him on canned.  

Hope all this helps.  Hugs and Licks, Dee and Chappie

[Missy]

oh what a cutie!!  I think training can start from Day 1.  

The biggest thing is : know what you want from your pup and then work towards that goal.

This is a new world coming to your house and it is up to you to show him how 'your world'. rules and play.

I started right away with working with pup on touching him all over, ears, mouth, brushing, etc. 

This is the book I followed: Puppy Primer...can be found on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Primer-Patricia-B-McConnell/dp/18917671...

2. We used the potty bells and love them. if your search this forum some like and some don't.

Bells or no bells, set up a schedule for potty. Think about what your normal routine will be and get into a routine now.  I found it helpful to record our potty times, and results each time. This really helps you get to know your pup and how they digest food. Our pup took several hours after eating before he was ready for a poo.  We learned, by keeping the schedule consistent, our pups eliminating routine. we always had 2 poos every morning plus a pee, so stay outside until you got all 3! :)  we also learned if he was to do another poo it would be between 3-6pm.  

3: we used his doggie kibble at first before moving up to bits of chicken tender doggie treats. we buy the chicken tenders at Walmart made by Full Moon.

The vet can help you with some good ear cleaner. 

Congrats on the new pup! Take lots of pictures as it seems they grow in 2 weeks!  To reduce stress, clear your schedule and get the puppy oriented to your life. These are very smart dogs and eager to please. Summer is the greatest time to potty train, can you imagine all those winter pups? Just remember the pup is still learning about his body and you are learning about him and trying to teach him how to act in this new world called HOME.  It does take some time, but I can tell you the initial time spent training is so worth it! 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would have the vet check the ears, if you haven't already. I don't think they should be gunky at 7 weeks. If he has been bathed, water could have gotten in.

[Dee & Chappie]

My neighbor has a doodle.    She told me that if I kept my Chappie out of the pool I would have far far fewer ear problems.  He doesn't really like the pool, I have taught him where the stairs are in case he falls in, but he has no intention to swimming in the hot Florida summer in our pool.   Having said that, he loves the sprinklers, and the rain.   Probably want to keep you pup out of the water as much as possible, if at all possible! 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

1)  As for the ears, after the Vet has checked them to make sure they are ok, I use this product on my girls to clean their ears.  http://www.amazon.com/Zymox-Ear-Cleanser-Bio-Active-Enzymes/dp/B001...     It seems to work really well.

2)  As for night time I would suggest that you place the crate on a chair (or two) right beside your bed.  Make the space in the crate just large enough for him to turn around in.  When you put him in the crate at night time give him about 4-5 pieces of his kibble to keep his stomach from getting empty overnight and also as a treat.  With the crate right beside the bed you can comfort him until he goes to sleep.  What I would do during the night is if AnnaBelle woke up I would reach in and comfort her with a little Shhhhh.  If she didn't go right back to sleep then I would take her out to potty.  Do this quietly, with as little light as necessary.  Out on leash to potty and then right back in the crate.  I only had to take her out a few nights, maybe 5 at the most..  Otherwise she held it over night.