Doodle Infographics...

[Adina P]

I'd like to come up with some doodle infographics that we can point to on DK anytime for quick reference.  Infographics, Memes, important flow charts, how-to's, etc.  Throw out some ideas for things that might be useful.  Food?  Grooming?  Good breeders?  Generations?  Doodle hair?

They don't have to be doodle specific, they can apply to any dog, but we can make them doodlerific!

Adina

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I will be glad to have this linked somewhere, because I'm always looking for it myself:

It's critical that you not change anything about her diet for at least two weeks after she comes home. That means you keep her on the food and treats the breeder is feeding, even if they aren't so great.

Do not introduce any new treats or chews either. Keep her diet exactly the same as it was at the breeder's. 

Many, many doodle puppies come home with giardia and other parasites. Giardia has a 10-14 day incubation period, so it won;t show up in a fecal test right away. The excitement and stress of leaving the mother, the litter, and the only home the puppy has ever known can contribute to tummy troubles, too. And an 8 week old puppy has only been eating solid food of any kind for about 4 weeks, so the digestive system is very immature.

We have even had members whose brand new puppies had serious health issues resulting in digestive symptoms.

If you change the food before the dog has had a chance to settle in, and before any parasite issues have time to show up in a fecal test, and the dog has diarrhea, you will not know if it's caused by the food change, stress, parasites, or a digestive illness, and the breeder will blame it on the food change. Thus begins a journey of frustration trying to figure it out and an endless round of food changes. You also don;t want to do anything to upset that delicate digestive system, as diarrhea can cause a young puppy to dehydrate very quickly, and is going to make housebreaking a whole lot tougher.

So you wait. If you leave the dog's diet exactly as is, and diarrhea develops, you have just eliminated any connection to food as the cause, and saved yourself a lot of aggravation. And of course, if the puppy comes home with diarrhea that doesn't resolve in a day, you know your breeder sent you a puppy with an intestinal parasite and you can probably recoup the cost of the fecal testing and the treatment, lol. (I personally would have fecal done on any new puppy I got, along with a general once-over at the vet's office, but parasites may not show up right away.)

So wait at least two weeks. If, after two weeks, the stool is firm and regular and everything seems fine with the pup's digestion, you can start changing her over. Make only one change at a time. 

 

[Adina P]

I need a cute photo of a puppy eating... let me see what Puppy Madness can provide.

[Adina P]

What do you think?  Anything you'd change?  Is this ready to share???

This is all Karen's advice/wisdom, not mine.

[DJ & Chance]

Like!

[Linda Kazares]

Define 'puppy' and puppy stages. 2 weeks are referenced in the discussion but puppy is a much longer timeframe. The responses I've read are awesome. So many I'd never think of. Especially like the comment about how 'dog stupid'she was. I'll join her club.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Wow! Nice work.  I have been away from DK and only get in sporadically.  Looks like some great things are happening. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

How to prepare for a new puppy

Introducing a new dog to an existing canine family member

The myth of doodles not causing allergic reactions

Different types of coats

What to look for in a dog-sitter or kennel

The importance (and technique) of combing/brushing

Most important commands for safety -- come, stop, down (from a distance), leave it, drop it

Safest things for dogs to chew

Choosing food, including processed or raw

Car safety 

Types of leashes and collars

Sensitive stomach (and predisposition of some vets to give antibiotics)

Insurance

Selecting a puppy from a litter & picking up at breeder vs shipping 

Rescue options and resources

Recommended toys and beds

[Adina P]

These are great!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Maybe one on Training and the value of training.  We had never had large dogs before.  I had no idea until we started taking them to training classes just how dog stupid I was.  I learned so much in every single class that we went to.  It is more to train the owner than it is to train the dog.

[DJ & Chance]

YES, DOODLES CAN SHED!

• Doodle genetics
• Doodle coats
• Doodle coat changes and phases
• Doodle coat care

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I second "DOODLES CAN SHED!" lol

[Peri Kolakowski]

How about Pet Insurance pros cons and recommendations