Frequently asked questions
What should I get before bringing home my new puppy?
~ An appointment with a Vet ( You have 7 days per the contract to take your puppy for a vet check).
~ Puppy treats (for training). Break into the tiniest bites possible or find soft ones. We use
Milkbone trail mix. (Be sure not to over due it on treats; I often just use the dry dog food, and they love it just as much as treats.)
~ Crate if you plan on crate training. We dont crate train but have researched that a lot of people like the metal crates because they fold up and are easy to clean.
~ A stain and odor eliminator with enzyme cleaner (for accidents).
~ Stainless steel or ceramic food and water bowls.
~ Puppy Food ( we will send you home with a gallon sized ziplock bag of the puppy food we have been feeding your puppy. We use
Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy Large Breed dog food. If you would like to switch out his/her food then research how to slowly change a puppies food to prevent upset stomach and diarreah. Just make sure you keep the food a puppy food for LARGE BREED. This is very important. Here is a great
link to read about the importance of keeping your dog on a large breed dog food.
~Brush, toe nail clipper, and de-matting brush
~Chew toys (we love
kong toys and rope toys). You can't have too many chew toys, especially for young puppy teeth.
~A slip lead, or an easy walk harness (please NEVER let your puppy/dog pull you on the leash. They should walk beside you with a loose leash.
~ A good quality collar that wont choke your dog if he/she tries to walk faster than you while on a leash.
~ Teeth cleaner, a puppy toothbrush and tooth paste, and/or mouth spray for cleaning teeth, ( it costs close to $400) to have your vet clean their teeth. and they usually need it about 4 or 5 years old, unless you have done some brushing, and cleaning, (The deadliest thing for a dog besides accidents is being overweight or having bad teeth! )
~Ear cleaner (I rarely need to use it, but some doodle breeds seem to get a lot of ear infections -ask your vet for recommendation at puppy's first check up)
What comes with the puppy?
When you purchase a puppy from The Doodles, you will recieve a goodie bag to take home with all the essentials to get you started with your new forever friend. That bag consists of the following:
1. A dog brush
2. A stainless steel water bowl
3. A stainless steel food dish
4. A blanket that can be rubbed on mom and the litter mates (for scent) if you should choose to help ease the transition to his/her new home.
5. A dog toy
6. A package of puppy pee pads, should you choose to train your puppy that way.
7. Dog waste bags and container
8. AKC Pedigree charts of both mom and dad
9. Copy of the puppy contract
10. Proof of immunizations given to your puppy
11. A gallon sized ziplock bag of the puppy food we have been feeding him/her
12. A 6ft slip lead leash
13. A copy of both parents Wisdom Panel Genetic Testing results.
14. A copy of the Volhard Aptitude Testing results for your puppy.
15. A copy of the weight charts of all the puppies so you can compare how they have grown with the other litter mates.
16. Information on the Early Neurological Stimulation Therapy we have provided your puppy.
17. Lifetime assistance if you need any help or advice with your puppy, you can call us or text us anytime.
Will my new doodle puppy shed?
For an F1 goldendoodle, shedding can be a bit of a gamble. Some do not shed at all, and others shed a low-moderate amount.
It is rare but possible to get an F1 goldendoodle who sheds as much as a golden, so if you are really counting on a low shedding dog, consider a different generation.
On the other hand, many F1 goldendoodles don’t shed at all.
This is further complicated by the fact that you can’t tell for sure if a doodle will shed until he gets his “adult” coat at 12-18 months of age.
It’s worth noting that labradoodles are more prone to shedding than goldendoodles in the F1 generation.
What will my F1 Goldendoodle's Temperament be like?
When you know an F1 goldendoodle well, saying that they are one half golden and one half poodle is easy, and usually true.
This encompasses a wide range of behaviors though!
The golden retriever parts can manifest as
Being everyone’s best friend
Extreme desire to please
Love of water
Love of walks and hunting
The poodle parts tend to come out as
Alertness to strangers
Love of play and walks
Trainability
In any case, your doodle is sure to be intelligent and trainable.
What will the F1 goldendoodles fur look like?
The shaggy look!
This puppy is from Kaya and Tux. He is a F1 Standard English Cream Goldendoodle.
This generation’s look is often what people think of when they envision a goldendoodle. They tend to grow medium-long hair which is wavy.
It is possible to get curly hair more like a poodle’s, but the long wavy hair aesthetic is what many F1 goldendoodle owners are looking for, so it tends to be popular.
F1 doodles also tend to have beards!
What training will my puppy have before coming home with me?
Here at The Doodles we strive to make your puppy the best puppy possible for you and your family. We do the following with the puppies to help aid in building their sweet temperments:
1. ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) from days 3-16
2. Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing
3. Lots of socialization with children ( we have 7 kids)
4. Socialization with other dogs
5. We work with the puppies while eating to prevent food aggression.
6. We start training the puppies to sit, lay down, stay and nice (when taking a treat from our hands) some puppies learn quicker than others so your puppy might not be fully trained when you take them home with you.
7. We also train the puppies to be used to going up and down stairs. Believe it or not, stairs are pretty intimidating for puppies and some adult dogs.
8. We start potty training the puppies with a puppy pee pad, and also a doggie door. At 8 weeks old your puppy wont be fully potty trained, but we will have given your puppy a good head start in the right direction.
Will my puppies dewclaws be removed when I pick him/her up?
The answer is simply no. We have gotten 3 different Veteranarians opinions on this, and they have all told us essentially the same answer, "They don't need to go through that added stress, it is not necessary." The Vets have all said that unless your dog is going to be a hunting dog it isnt necessary. Or if their dew claws keep getting snagged or infected then it is necessary. The Vets all said that if it comes to that, then the owners can choose to have that procedure done if they would like.
What vaccinations will my puppy receive before he/she comes home with me?
Here at The Doodles we like to make sure all puppies are up to date on all their shots. The following is what vaccinations your puppy will receive before coming home with you based on how old your puppy is when he/she goes home.
We get the puppies dewormed when they are 2,3,4,6,8&10 weeks old.
If your puppy is 8 weeks old he/she will have received the following at 6 weeks of age:
*Distemper
*Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis)
*Adenovirus Type 2
*Parainfluenza
*Parvovirus
*Coronavirus
If your puppy is between 9 and 12 weeks old, he/she will have received the following at 9 weeks of age:
*Distemper
*Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis)
*Adenovirus Type 2
*Parainfluenza
*Parvovirus
*Coronavirus
*Leptospira canicola
*Leptospira grippotyphosa
*Leptospira iceterohaemorrhagiae
*Leptospirapomona
*Bordetella bronchiseptica
*Parainfluenza
*Bordetella bronchiseptica
If your puppy is between 12 and 15 weeks old, he/she will have received the following at 12 weeks of age:
*Distemper
*Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis)
*Adenovirus Type 2
*Parainfluenza
*Parvovirus
*Coronavirus
*Leptospira canicola
*Leptospira grippotyphosa
*Leptospira iceterohaemorrhagiae
*Leptospirapomona
*Bordetella bronchiseptica
Why would someone choose a Goldendoodle, Bernedoodle or Labradoodle over a pure-bred?
*The most important feature of the Goldendoodle that has been passed down from the Golden Retriever is the desire to please, combined with the Standard Poodle's intelligence. As a result, they quickly and happily learn what their owner desires of them.
*With any cross-breed (including the goldendoodle, bernedoodle and labradoodle), you have the benefits of a more diverse gene pool, greatlly reducing the chances that your dog will suffer from a recessive illness. With a designer cross-breed, this principle (called "hybrid vigor") combined with the selection of healthy members of the parent breeds produces the best of both worlds.
* As a result, a mixed-breed such as the Goldendoodle, Bernedoodle or Labradoodle is healthier than the average pure-bred dog. They are much less prone to the inherited weaknesses of either parent breed. Many of our customers have come to us looking for a "mixed-breed" dog for this reason. Having experienced the heartbreak of losing a beloved purebred pet to cancer, hip dysplasia, or other inherited illness, they are looking to avoid that traumatic time in their life again.
Isn't a mixed breed such as a goldendoodle, labradoodle or bernedoodle just a mutt?
The answer is simply No! Of course it's not!
A "mutt" is a term referring to a dog of mixed-breed heritage where the contributing breeds are unknown, or guessed at best. Until the dog is grown, it remains unknown what size, look or personality traits it has inherited.
You will hear others denounce various intentional cross-breeds as mutts. Usually making the emotional and uniformed statement that intentionally producing mixed-breed puppies is "renengade" claiming that the results are unpredictable or irresponsible because there are many mutts available at the pound. These statements are obviously made by those who are uninformed about the goals of cross-breeding.
We have no problem with people purchasing "mutt" dogs for their family pets. We actually really love when people rescue those sweet fur babies as well. However, we do understand that this isn't possible for all families to do so, as they cannot or choose not to take the risks associated with the unknown because they have small children, allergies in the family or a lifestyle that doesn't allow for the time necessary to rehabilitate an animal with an unknown history.
How large will my puppy grow up to be?
*Our Goldendoodles range in size from 65-75 pounds. Keep in mind that females are on average 5-8 pounds lighter than the males, but there are certainly individual females that are on the larger side and individual males that are smaller.
* Your Goldendoodles weight also has a lot to do with the lifestyle you provide your pet. If you are more of an active family and go for hikes or play a lot with your dog, he/she wont get as overweight. Also, the type of food you feed your pet, please do some research and find a good quality dog food that is meant for large breed dogs, even when they are puppies, they should be eating a dog food that is for puppies of large breed.
*For Labradoodles, this is a very informative
site. I encourage you to read it and make sure this is what your looking for.
Is a larger dog harder to handle?
We don't believe so. Our dogs are incredibly calm (yes, they have play time when they run and jump around, but they know when to be calm) and easily trained. Most people have seen the dog that jumps and takes his owner for a walk. While larger breeds are generally stonger, this behavior has everything to do with training from as early as 5 weeks of age. We begin to shape our dogs at this age, reinforcing good behavior (attention, calmness, affection, etc.) and ignoring bad behavior (jumping, biting, excessive barking) so that they know what humans epect from them. Our experience has shown us that a consistently trained 100 pound dog will be easier to handle than an unruly 40 pound dog.
What is ENS therapy? And its benefits.
ENS stands for Early Neurological Stimulation. It is done for 2 consecutive weeks starting 3 days after the puppies are born. The process consists of 5 simple and harmless exercises, which are: tactile stimulation, lying in the supine position, held with head held up, tilted upside down, and thermal stimulation.
AKC website has a very informative article about the benefits of ENS. I highly encourage you to read
this!
What does F1 and F1B mean? What does Standard mean?
F1 refers to dogs that result from the breeding of a full-bred parent to another full-bred parent. For example, a full-bred poodle bred with a full-bred golden retriever.
F1B refers to the puppy born from a full-bred parent and the other parent being a F1 breed. For example, a full-bred poodle bred with a goldendoodle.
Standard means any dog that was bred with a Standard sized poodle. Not mini or medium sized.