Essentials to Purchase

• Collar or harness—The Collar that puppies come home with will soon need to be replaced with a larger one. Their current collar adjusts to a max of 11-1/2”. They will need the next size up. 
• Crate—Should I Crate My Puppy? Decide What Is Best For Your Home Life. Puppies grow quickly. Purchase a 42″ Wire Crate with a divider (this is ideal for accommodating your puppy through all stages of growth). Midwest makes an Ovation double door with a slide-away door. The door slides away like a garage door and rests on top of the crate.
• An enclosure/play yard that attaches to wire crates is not essential but helpful for keeping your puppy safe and out of mischief when you can’t be there and giving your puppy more room to play. 
• Blanket or Crate liner bed (washable). Dog bed if desired, but realize that puppies grow quickly and will soon outgrow their bed.  
• Food – Orijen Large Breed Puppy Food (Your take-home package will have five days of food.) This food is available in two sizes. To read about this high-quality food, follow the link: Orijen Puppy Food.
• Can of Pure Pumpkin – It is always good to have on hand to treat loose stools.
• Grooming supplies: Slicker Brush, Metal Comb, Nail Clippers, Puppy Shampoo, and Ear Cleaner. Goldendoodles’ coats need frequent brushing to remove dirt and hair and prevent matting. I recommend the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush, which can be purchased from Amazon. Though expensive, it was well worth the investment!   
• Food and water bowl – Metal or ceramic is best. (do not purchase plastic as they can harbour bacteria) 
• Training treats—Puppies are food-driven, and training treats are great to have on hand when you are teaching your puppy. Dry kibble puppy food can be used to start.
• Stain and Odour Remover—(with an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate odour) Note: I use White Vinegar as a natural cleaner on floors and carpets.   
• Chew Toys – puppies have sharp teeth and are in the teething stage. They need lots of toys to chew.

Puppy Take-Home Package 

• Information Packet 
• Vet Folder 
• 30 days of free pet insurance from Trupanion (see information below)
• Microchip Form (When you come to pick your puppy up, you will be required to complete the microchip form with your family information, emergency contact, vet info) 
• A packet of Current Puppy Food – enough for 5 days 
• Training Treats 
• 11-1/2-inch Collar (will need next size up soon after pick-up) 
• Small Leash  
• Blanket with Mother and Litter Mates Scent – familiar scents comfort the puppy in their new home. 
• THE SNUGGLE PUPPY will keep your new puppy company as they transition to their forever home. 
• A couple of small surprise items 

Trupanion Insurance

Your puppy is eligible for Free 30-day insurance that begins when you take it home—no waiting period.

I have had families ask about pet insurance in the past. We have researched and are now part of the Trupanion Breeder Support Program. Usually, there is a waiting period before Pet Insurance takes effect. With Trupanion, your puppy is eligible for free 30-day insurance that begins when you take it home—no waiting period.

We will send an email reminder with instructions and the code the week before you are scheduled for pick up. You must activate this offer on your own—24 hours before you pick your puppy up—we cannot do this for you. There is no charge for thirty days, and no credit card information is required to activate your free 30-day insurance that begins when you take it home.

Trupanion will send a reminder email that your free 30-day trial will expire. If you decide to continue your puppy’s insurance, you must contact the company and provide your payment information. If not, there is no need to do anything—it will just expire.

Potty Training

How do I continue potty training when I take my puppy home?

Puppies can take four to six months of age to Potty Train. 

Please take advantage of the early training we have already started. When you take your puppy home, teach them that “the acceptable place to go potty is outside.” This means NO POTTY PADS. If you introduce potty pads, you teach your new puppy that it is “okay” to go potty inside your home. 

After you bring your new puppy home, teach it to walk to the door. Do not carry it. When the puppy learns to walk to the door, this will alert you that it needs to go.

Do not use treats when potty training, as this distracts the dog from the task at hand and puts it on the food. You do not want the dog’s brain on food when it is time to relieve itself. Keep the focus on the task at hand. Rewards for going potty should be the relief the dog feels when it empties itself and your happiness that the dog did the right thing, i.e., verbal praise, a pet, and/or a back scratch. Puppies and dogs are perceptive and know when humans are happy—they want to please! 

Incorporate regular potty breaks. Puppy bladders are small and can only hold it for short periods. How long can they “hold it”? The general rule is to take the puppy’s age in months and add one—e.g., a two-month-old puppy: 2+1 = 3 hours. Therefore, you should take your puppy out every two hours for a potty break. Use positive reinforcement when your puppy eliminates in the designated area. Do not scold your puppy when it has an accident. If your puppy has an accident, take it outside to its designated spot, reinforcing the appropriate place to go. Be sure to clean the area where an accident occurred with an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate the odour.

Can my puppy “hold” it all night?

It is not likely that your puppy can go the whole night without a potty break when you first bring them home. When your puppy whines in the middle of the night, chances are they need to go outside for a potty break. Take them to their spot and say, “Go potty.” After they have relieved themselves, give your puppy a short praise and return them to their crate. If you pay too much attention to them now, they may continue to wake you up “just for the attention.”

Helpful tips

• Feed your puppy three meals daily, removing any leftover food when it is done. This will help you know when your puppy needs to go outside for a potty break. If your puppy always has food available, it will need to go potty more frequently, making it harder to know when to go outside. 
• Do not feed your puppy or let them drink water too close to bedtime in the evening. ( Take food away after dinner; take water away three hours before bedtime.) 
• Don’t give your puppy too much room to roam your house.
• If you can’t supervise your puppy, put them in their crate for a nap.
• Before putting your puppy in their crate, ensure they have had an outside potty break.
• Take your puppy outside frequently—about every two hours.
• Take your puppy outside immediately after they wake up, play, and eat or drink.
• Pick a potty spot outside, and always take your puppy to it. This helps them “smell the spot” and know it’s the place to go potty. Use a command word such as “Go Potty.” 
• Some people like to put their puppy on a leash when they go to the potty area. This helps them learn to go to a specific spot.
• Reward your puppy with verbal praise, a pat, and/or a back scratch every time it goes potty outdoors.