Finally got our puppy!

[Lisa & Sunny]

We brought our puppy home yesterday!  She is an F1 mini English goldendoodle.  She weighed in at 5.7 lb. when she saw the breeder's vet last week; the breeder thinks she will end up weighing around 35 lb. as an adult.  We had an interesting first night; she finally made it into the crate around 2 am and only had to get up once after that.  She has also napped a few times in the crate today, so I think we're making progress on that front.  We had a lot of accidents yesterday, not quite as many today, as we are learning what to look for, and Sunny also seems to be learning that we want her to do her business outside.  My kids are really enjoying her; that was a given with my daughter (age 10), but my son (age 7) didn't show much interest until we brought Sunny home, and now he is loving having a puppy in the house.

Here are a few photos:

[Gabby]

Congratulations!!!! She's precious!!!

[EJ & Dante]

such a cutie!

[Patricia Walker]

She looks similar to our mini Maci. We brought her home last weekend. Congrats!! We can go through this together.

[Lisa & Sunny]

Maci is a cutie pie!  She and Sunny do look a lot alike.  Does Maci also have an English golden retriever as a parent?

[Judi Christopher]

Absolutely adorable <3

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sunny is just adorable!  Did you see the recent discussion about a potty/crate schedule for puppies.  It was great!  If you didn't see it or participate in it, let me know and I'll find it for you.

[Gabby]

I'm interested too! Our puppy comes home in May and I would love to have a crate training schedule. I work from home so it shouldn't be an issue to crate train. Duke only had one accident! But that was four years ago and I completely forgot the puppy schedule. :) Also, if there are any discussions about introducing a new puppy to the resident dog please advise. I'm super nervous about disrupting the balance in the house.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

This was written by Ginny Nightingale to send home with new puppy owners:

7 am:  wake up,  go outside to potty
(always scoop your puppy out of the crate and carry outside. Once his/her feet touch the ground they usually go potty right away. Puppies this age will pee and poop several times each, so give them enough time to do that. Praise your puppy for doing such a great job!)

 6:30:-7am breakfast and then potty outside again.
They will need to potty within minutes of eating

 6:30-9:00: playtime/ a few minutes of training, with potty breaks when needed
(training can be as simple as reinforcing good habits, sit, no jumping-sit for attention, no nipping or inappropriate chewing-give appropriate chew toys etc)

9:30 – 12:00 nap in crate

12:00-2 pm: potty, lunch, play/train, potty breaks when needed.
(Remember you are forming new habits for your puppy by seeing how often you can get your puppy outside to potty. Refrain from yelling or reprimanding your puppy for peeing inside at this age because if he is scared he will learn to pee where it is safe, like a corner or even in his crate. Instead praise him enthusiastically for going outside.  And if he potties inside, reprimand yourself ;)

 2-4 pm: nap in crate or tethered to you or your desk if you are sitting at it.
(During this time you may give the puppy a “snack”--it is fun to scatter some kibble or another small treat around the room and let him find it--or you can buy the toys that have room inside for treats and let them play with those--there are balls that you can load with kibble and as the roll, the kibble comes out. That will entertain the pup for quite a while!)

4pm: potty, play/reinforce good habits

 5pm: dinner, potty,  play,  potty  (crate while you eat dinner)

 8pm: we remove all water (as the puppy gets older and is house broken you can leave the water out longer)
(The evening is a good time for playing and snuggling, though s/he will probably take some naps also. Always keep your eye on your puppy and watch for signs of needing to potty as well as chewing inappropriate things. It’s a good time to show him what he can chew and what he can’t.)

10pm-11pm: potty, then crate for bedtime

[Lisa &amp; Sunny]

Thanks so much for sharing this; great information, I just need to get my hubby on board with it!

[Gabby]

Thank you for the schedule!!!!!!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

She looks like the cutest toy.

[Lisa &amp; Sunny]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind wishes!