Mark your calendar
Log important dates (i.e. pick day & go home day). Request time off to be home with your pup for at least the first 48-72 hours!
Call your vet
You will need to take your puppy to your vet within the first week, so book your appointment now! It can take few weeks to get an appointment.
Do your research
If it's been a while or if you've never raised a puppy before make sure to prepare ahead of time! Resources linked below!
Puppy proof
Set up the puppy's kennel, pen, and any gates needed. Pick up everything off the floor including shoes, kid's toys, & rugs. Remove all hazards including exposed cords and plants.
Go shopping
You'll need a crate, play pen, bowls, leash, & harness. Check out our Amazon shopping list!
Get some sleep
You can expect your puppy to take a few days to settle in. He/she will wake up several times per night and may whine in the kennel. Always be kind and patient to your puppy. It will get better!
Go Home Day
1. Arrive for your appointment!
2. Sign contract, register microchip & insurance
3. Pay for your puppy
4. Take your puppy home!
Please arrive promptly at your appointment time for go home day. We have to organize several puppies going home so delays can impact the next client's appointment.
You will be asked to sign your puppy's Purchase Agreement & Health Guarantee via docusign, fill out your puppy's microchip registration with your contact information, as well as sign up for your free 30 trial of Trupanion pet insurance. These are all done digitally!
You must pay the remaining balance prior to taking your puppy home. We prefer payment to be in CASH (FYI yes, we still report income to IRS.) We will also honor cash pricing if you submit your final payment via Zelle. Please check with your bank ahead of time to ensure you can send the entirety of the fee via Zelle as many banks have a lower daily limit. Payments in any other form are subject to additional fees and can delay your ability to take your puppy home. Please plan ahead!
Please secure your puppy in someone's lap (NOT the driver), a puppy car seat, or a travel kennel for the ride home. It is not uncommon for puppies to get car sick when they are very young so be prepared for messes just in case!
Go Home Bag
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Folder with your puppy's important documents!
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Gallon size bag of food
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Slicker brush, metal comb, & ear flush
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Treat pouch, clicker, & small bag of treats
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Single dose of Heartgard
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Fortiflora Probiotic
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Fecal collection tube
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Puzzle toy & more!
Educational Resources
Training
Dr. Jordy recommends positive reinforcement training methods, as these foster a trusting relationship between you and your puppy. Poodles & doodles are highly intelligent and sensitive dogs, so aversive correction is not only unnecessary, but it can also cause lasting damage your relationship with your dog.
Contrary to popular belief, training classes are actually designed to TRAIN YOU, NOT YOUR PUPPY. YOU are the most important training tool, so it is critical that you educate yourself about research supported training methods and that you PRACTICE with your puppy "outside of the classroom" even if you sign up for puppy classes.
Arguably more important than training, is SOCIALIZATION for your puppy! It is CRITICALLY important that you expose your puppy to new places, people, other animals, and experiences throughout the first year of their development! If you wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated to start socializing, you risk your puppy developing long-lasting fear responses to new things!
A popular phrase in puppy raising is "4 (paws) off the floor until 4 (months)", meaning that you should take your puppy to lots of new places, but keep them in your arms, a pet stroller, or a carrier to prevent them from contacting surfaces that could be contaminated with germs from other pets, including parvovirus. DO NOT put your under vaccinated puppy on the ground in a pet store, vet clinic, or dog park!
1. FREE 30 minute virtual lesson with NeuroDog Trainer, Dianne Keck.
We encourage our clients do this BEFORE puppy comes home so they can prepare!
2. Baxter & Bella (Online training courses)
Our clients get 25% off a lifetime membership!
3. 2. The Zoom Room (Dog Training Facility Peoria, AZ)
4. Perfect Puppy in 7 days by Sophia Yin, DVM (Book)
5. Zak George New Puppy Survival Guide (Youtube Videos)
6. AVSAB Humane Dog Training Position Statement
Grooming
Your puppy will require grooming at home before they are old enough to visit a professional groomer. Dr. Jordy recommends brushing your puppy 2 to 3 times a week with a slicker brush, followed by a metal comb to check for mats. Poodle & doodles puppies should be groomed every 2 weeks, including thorough ear flushing, nail trimming, shampooing, conditioning, BLOW DRYING and thorough brushing. You can use a human hair dryer on LOW heat setting at least 6 inches away if you do not own a forced air dryer. Doodles and poodles should not be allowed to air dry, as it contributes to matted coats. Go slow and make it a positive experience with lick mats or treats FREQUENTLY through out the experience. Take lots of breaks and talk to your puppy in soothing voice throughout the grooming. Your puppy's coat will change texture and potentially get curlier as they mature, increasing the likelihood for matting, so it's important to start good habits when they're little while the coat is easier to maintain!
1. Doodle Coat Types Explained
2. The Pup Well - Grooming kits & Education Courses (online)
Spay/Neuter Recommendations
Your vet may recommend spaying or neutering as early as 6 months of age, but this recommendation is not supported by recent research (see below). *Dr. Jordy recommends waiting until AFTER skeletal and sexual maturity before sterilization! * Skeletal maturity (growth plate closure) can take anywhere from 8 to 18 months depending on the size of your dog. Generally speaking, larger breeds take longer to skeletally mature than smaller breeds.
Male puppies typically sexually mature between 6 and 12 months of age. Never assume a male puppy over 6 months of age is not sexually mature just because you haven't noticed a difference in his behavior. Female puppies can have their first cycle any time between 6 and 24 months of age, but it most commonly occurs between 8 and 12 months. Dr. Jordy recommends that females go through a heat cycle prior to sterilization for their physical and emotional maturity.
After sexual/skeletal maturity and prior to sterilization, your pet should be closely monitored when socializing with any other intact dogs. Females in heat should be supervised AT ALL times during their heat cycle (including when confined in a fenced yard) in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This minor inconvenience is worth tolerating for your pet's long term health! Sterilization procedures include, but are not limited to traditional spay and laproscopic spay (ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy), and neuter (castration). FYI These recommendations do not apply to ovary sparing spay (OSS) or vasectomy sterilization since those pets retain their sex hormones. However, those procedures are not routinely offered by the majority of veterinarians.
1. Gonadectomy – Rethinking Long-Held Beliefs By Dr. Chris Zink (PDF)
2. Rethinking Spay/Neuter with Dr. Chris Zink (PODCAST)
4. Hormone-Sparing Sterilization Options
Veterinary Care
1. Your Complete Guide to First Year Puppy Vaccinations by AKC
2. Heartworm Disease and Prevention by Heartworm Society
Dog Food FAQs
1. Fact or Fiction: Debunking Common Pet Food Myths by DVM360
2. Myths and Misconceptions Surrounding Pet Foods by OSU
3. Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (Grain Free Facts) by Tufts
Contact Us
602-834-8351