PUPPY CARE BASICS

All You Need to Know & Buy to Get a Great Start!

Feeding

When you first bring your puppy home, provide open feeding for just the first two to three days–until you see that your pup’s bowel movements are regular and normal, and that your pup is urinating several times a day.

It is also very important that you do not change the puppy’s food until after your puppy is well-settled in its new home.

Once your puppy is settled, you can move your puppy to a feeding schedule, and change its food if desired. Puppies need to be fed 3 times a day until they are at least 6 months old, then twice a day.

Here is a link to the food we have been feeding your puppy.

NOTE: Should you desire to change your puppy’s food, it should be done only after your puppy is settled, and then done gradually over a period of days. Carefully track your puppy’s bowel movements during the food transition time to make sure that he is tolerating the new food well.

Water

Puppies need access to water at all times during the daytime. A no-tip bowl is a must-have, or you will be wiping up a lot of water! Restrict water intake only in the late evening to help with nighttime crate training.

Schedule

Puppies DO need a consistent schedule to develop well both mentally and physically. The routine you develop for you and your puppy need not be complicated. Here is a link to an excellent article about developing your own schedule with your pup.

Below is a simple framework to help get you started. Keep in mind that you and your puppy are unique, so every family’s routine will be their own!

Wake up! It’s a new day!
Take your puppy outside immediately, carrying them to be sure that they don’t stop and go potty inside! Lavishly praise them when they go potty outside.
Feed your puppy according to your puppy’s feeding instructions. Allow about 15 minutes for your puppy to finish eating. If your puppy is not interested, put the food away until next time.
Play a mentally stimulating game with your puppy. This is a great time to work in some training, introducing simple puppy commands. Keep it fun and affectionate, and this will strengthen the bond between you and your puppy. Training treats are necessary for reinforcing your puppy’s progress.
About twenty minutes after eating, Take your puppy outside again to give them another bathroom break, this time making sure they have plenty of time to do all of their business. You can incorporate a walk and work on training as well.
Play, play, play some more! This can be free play, either outside or inside in a safe, enclosed space.
Watch for cues your puppy is tired, and put them in their secure location to take a nap–this is typically a crate, but can also be a confined puppy area. This is a good time to practice quiet time in the crate and teach them how to be alone without being destructive. You can also put your puppy in their safe, secure spot while you’re eating dinner with the family to reduce the chance of having them underfoot or begging for table scraps.
Repeat this sequence when your puppy wakes up for the mid-day and evening routines. You may want to throw in some fun socialization time at the dog park or at a friend’s house as they grow older and are fully vaccinated.

Training

Training is just as much about becoming a skilled puppy owner/trainer, as it is about modifying your puppy’s behavior. The sooner you start training your puppy (and yourself), the happier you’ll all be and the sooner you will have the puppy of your dreams! We highly recommend BAXTER & BELLA’s training program–you can even start learning before you bring your puppy home, and make the transition easier. In addition to their online training videos, they offer lifetime support with a live trainer for any troubles you experience! Use code “HANSON HILL” to get 25% your membership! See our Puppy Training page for more information.

Health and Safety

*Puppies do not have full immunity to the common diseases addressed by their vaccinations until two weeks following their last vaccination (which is usually at 16 weeks old). Avoid dog parks, vet office floors, puppy potty stops, even the beach, etc.. You’ll have to get creative during this time!

*ALWAYS remove collars in crates and pens. Pups under 4 months should not wear collars except during leash training.

*Refer to our Over-the-Counter Medications chart for guidance on medications for common health problems.

*If you have children, refer to our Keeping Your Pets Safe Around Kids flyer for helpful information.

With the legalization of Marijuana across the United States, it is important to know how marijuana affects dogs. For detailed information about marijuana toxicity in pets, visit petpoinsonhelpline.com.

Exercise

Puppies need lots of short, supervised play time to burn off energy and to connect with their people and other animals. It is so important that puppies are not allowed to become overtired! After their playtimes, they desperately need their naps–just like human babies do! HERE is a helpful chart with puppy exercise guidelines by age.

Crates

Training your puppy to stay in his crate at times is a true benefit to both you and your puppy. Crates provide a safe place to keep your puppy while you do chores or run errands; crates are his “own place” to retreat to when tired; and crates are an invaluable tool when housebreaking your puppy.

HERE are some crates we recommend. Note that we recommend crates with dividers so that you can keep the puppy in a smaller area while she is small and potty training. This divider is essential so that there isn’t enough space in the crate for the puppy to have an accident and then get away from it! They really don’t like to be around their own waste, so a small space is a powerful disincentive for having an accident!

You’ll want some pee pads for the early days, until you’re sure that you’re pup is not having accidents in her crate. Important Note: It is torture for your puppy to be left in a crate for hours at a time (except at night). Detention is not a crate’s purpose. Also, ALWAYS remove your puppy’s collar when in a crate or a pen, as they can catch in the wire slots.

Additionally, a Puppy Play Pen will make your life a lot easier! This is a confined place where your puppy can play. NEVER let your puppy roam around your home unsupervised. I actually tie my puppies to one of my belt loops with a leash in the early days when inside the house. Your goal is to prevent accidents from happening and odors and bad habits from getting established!

Grooming

Start early with brushing your puppy, so that she becomes familiar and comfortable with all the grooming tools that will be used when her hair is longer and requires more care. Use a soft brush several times a week on her coat. As the coat grows use a pin brush and a comb twice a week. See our Puppy Products page for helpful tools. Also, This webpage is a fantastic resource for information on how to groom a good-lookin’ doodle (even if your doodle is not an Australian Labradoodle.)

Bathing

Brush out all mats in your puppy’s coat first. Then use a mild conditioning puppy shampoo, we recommend MinkSheen. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. Bathe at least once a month, or as needed. Towel dry and brush again. A tiny amount of Argan oil or Cowboy Magic Detangler applied by hand makes coats so soft and shiny. Chris Christensen Ice On Ice is also a very effective smoother and detangler for Doodles.

See our Puppy Products page for recommended grooming tools.

Nails

Your puppy’s nails should be trimmed once a week for the first month, then every other week after that. Don’t be intimidated to do this–It’s really quite easy to do! If you keep the nails short, the quick will stay short and the nails will continue to be easy to maintain. We recommend nail trimmers with a “stopper” to help avoid trimming too short.

Ears

Check your puppy’s ears weekly and use an ear cleaner as needed. We use both ear wipes and ear solution (which can get down inside where wipes don’t reach well.)

Teeth

Your puppy will be teething for several months! It is important that your puppy’s dental development that she has lots of fun things to chew on. There are scads of different kinds of chew toys available. Here is one of our favorites–because puppies really love ropes and hoofs. Stuffed toys are fun, but you WILL be picking stuffing up off of the floor or the grass eventually. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

HOWEVER, you NEVER want to let your puppy chew on something that you don’t want them chewing on when they’re a big dog. So, NEVER let them chew on shoes, your fingers, etc. Provide lots of safe chewing options and spray all non-options with Bitter Apple. Remember, early training and prevention is the key to happiness–and nice shoes and hoses that don’t leak!

To help keep teeth clean, continue to provide chew toys. Additionally, brush your puppy’s teeth with a doggie toothbrush, teeth cleaning wipe, and Enzymatic Toothpaste once a week.

Parasite Prevention/Deworming

Your puppy will have been wormed three times before you come to pick her up. However, while puppies and dogs can easily pick up parasites through the course of normal life, the good news is that you can prevent parasites naturally! Food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) can safely be added to your dog’s food each day: 1/2 teaspoon for puppies up to 20 pounds, and 1 teaspoon daily for life for older dogs. Food must be sprayed lightly with water so that the DE does not become airborne: DE is minute, sharp particles that can damage lungs if inhaled, it needs to be wetted when on your pup’s food. See DiatomaceousEarth.com for instructions and to learn about the other great benefits and ways to use DE.