We do a sonogram at around 30 days to confirm pregnancy and in many cases we do an x-ray at around 59-60 days to determine the number of puppies. Puppies are due around 63 days. This varies with dogs as much as it does with humans. We are as anxious as you!
All puppies are born with me (Kara) present the entire time. I remain during labor with camera in hand. We check all babies, determine gender and weigh them. They are marked with varying colors of ribbons to identify them. These are adjusted or changed out as they get older. Puppies are weighed 2 times a day (or more if needed) first 3 to 5 days to determine weight gain. All puppies are watched for latching properly. I do not leave puppies for any extended time for the first 2 to 5 days. A baby monitor and camera is on them at all times or I am sleeping near them.
Puppies are taken to the vet within 3 days to be checked and have dewclaws removed. We use West Loop Animal Hospital and Spencer Animal Clinic. At 3 days we begin early neurological stimulation.
We feel this is an important part of the socialization process. We also begin the Empowered Breeder Program at 16 days through 8 weeks. This exposes them to many sounds, surfaces as well as experiences and challenges to engage their brain. This gives our puppies the best opportunities for growth and development. We introduce litter training around the 3 week mark right before introducing them to puppy mush. We work with them to introduce this process. Once they begin puppy mush we add NuVet and Coconut oil, Salmon Oil to their food along with a probiotic and Diatomaceous Earth. Puppies are dewormed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks and chipped during that time as well. Their chip is a lifetime registration that will changed over to you through the chip company once you have your pup. It is a lifetime registration paid for by us.
Puppies return to the vet between 6 and 7 weeks to be checked again for any abnormalities and to begin vaccinations. These vaccinations are only the beginning and do not protect them from diseases until the next round. These puppies must NOT be exposed to other dogs that you know nothing about; areas that could be contaminated with dogs who are not vaccinated, etc. This means, no puppy parks, or parks at all, not public places unless held the entire time and not touched by others. This means you need to have a surface for them to go potty on when traveling.
Puppies must be taken to your vet within 3 weeks from the time we took them last to insure they get the vaccinations they need in a timely fashion. Stress can bring on worms as well as parasites so it is critical to check this at each vet visit which is every 3 to 4 weeks from the last check. This also must be done in order to have the health guarantee in effect. Without going to the vet in this time frame you will forfeit the health guarantee. Check the BLOG portion for more information on our Health Guarantee.
Please keep in mind we highly recommend you find a trainer. (See our January 2020 announcement below regarding TRAINING FROM HOME in our Blog) .
The good and bad news about doodles is that they are SUPER SMART. If you don't train them, then they WILL train you!. I know many unruly doodles that are an example of a home not properly training them. This is a cost you need to consider when purchasing your baby. You deserve it and they do too. A dog that is not given boundaries and rules becomes an unruly and/or anxious dog.
Crate Training is critical in our opinion as well as "bell training" for potty training. You will have a time that they need to go somewhere for some reason and training them to love their crate is essential. All of ours have their own crates and go right in them when called. Be consistent in the early days going outside often....let your little one go potty and then wait and let them go again. They do NOT know to empty their bladder completely at first. I promise they will more than likely go twice. This will be frustrating to you if you take them outside and they go potty and then come back in and go potty again. Take your time and go often and your baby will be potty trained in a short period of time. In our last litter one owner stated that her puppy had only one accident! She was very good at consistency. We highly suggest "wearing" them if you want success fast. This means putting them on a leash and tucking the end of it in your pocket and being with them at every waking moment. You will learn their routine and quickly train. It is a myth that they cannot be potty trained this early, BUT it is very, very hard. Watch for our Potty Training EBook coming out soon.
Once you take your furbaby home we have a Facebook page for ongoing support and to keep up with other littermates. (We are also partnering with BAXTER and Bella - see below - offering an incredible train from home program). A Doodle is Heaven to Love is only for owners. Please send a friend request to join once you have your puppy home. It is a joy to see these babies grow up and share stories.. We are also there to help with training or behavior challenges. There is a wealth of support there from us as well as other owners, many of which have more than one Goldendoodleheaven doodle.
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January 2020
We are super excited to announce that we have officially partnered with BAXTER & Bella and their exclusive online puppy school, providing pet parents Lifetime MEMBERS ONLY Access to everything needed in order to achieve better animal ownership and experience the very best in canine companionship, including all of their training methods, materials and resources! If you are a dog owner we totally recommend giving them a try and when you enter Discount Code DOODLEHEAVENTEXAS at checkout, you will save instantly!
Below is a YouTube video briefly describing Train Your Puppy From Home
The following link will take you to BAXTER & Bella's "Learn More" page where you can read an overview of their program, check out more videos, browse FAQs and more!
https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more
Below is our information for how to prepare to bring you puppy home. We also have suggestions for things you may consider purchasing to make your life with a new puppy easier.
Doodle Heaven Texas Puppy Advice
This is a public service announcement to anyone who has not yet bought a puppy and is considering one OR to those who have joined the journey and are expecting to bring a doodle puppy home. I'm writing this because I've seen lots of posts lately about buyer's remorse and people who are surprised by how difficult it is to have a puppy. So here are some things to remember:
Puppies are like newborn babies. EXACTLY like newborns, with many of the same needs and life interruptions. They're lovable and cute, but they are super hard work. When your puppy is 6 months old, they are like a 3-year-old. At a year, they're like a 7-year-old. Remember that when you're expecting the dog to be well-behaved and unsupervised. Don't expect an angel at a year old. Good training is a solid two year commitment. Invest in a dog training book and follow it to the letter or better yet, hire a trainer and spend the money. It will be worth it. Trust me. There are actually some excellent manuals out there for dogs and YouTube videos as well IF you are willing to stick with it and be consistent. I personally prefer a trainer so that I don’t inadvertently reinforce bad behavior. There are lots of trainers that disagree with each other. Find one you agree with and stick to it!!!! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure with a puppy. The more you can avoid bad behavior and accidents, the quicker they train. Avoidance is way more effective than correction. Keep in mind there is good news and bad news about Goldendoodles! The good news is they are smart. The bad news is they are smart. Either you train them or they will train you. You own what you condone. It’s up to you to be the ALPHA.
You will not sleep the first week or two. Your baby will cry in its crate, need to go potty a couple of times in the middle of the night because its bladder is too small to hold it more than a couple of hours, etc.
You. Will. Not. Sleep.
When you take them out, do not praise them too early. Let them finish and move on, then wait and let them go again. They WILL go again. They don’t understand about completely emptying their bladder yet and they want to play and explore the outdoors.
Get the pup when you're on vacation if you work or be prepared to be exhausted that first week, just like with a newborn. You have to have thick skin and nerves of steel. There's a lot of tough love to raising a puppy. Crating is particularly hard, but it truly is the best for the dog in the long run and they will learn to love it. It's harder on the human, but they feel secure in a crate.
You will initially need to arrange for someone to let the dog out several times in the middle of the day if you aren't home because they cannot hold their bladders very long. Otherwise your dog will pee in its crate everyday or get a bladder infection and will take a very long time to train. If the dog ever pees in their crate the first time, you have instantly made it more difficult to potty train. Get an enzyme spray to break down the odor or they will keep going there. We recommend Odoban or Nature’s Miracle
It may take months to potty train. It could take as little as 3 days. This is usually dependent on your diligence and training ability, not the puppy. Many of our past puppy owners have trained the dogs in a very short time, BUT THEY WERE CONSISTENT.
They will bite and nip at you, and it will hurt like crazy. This can go on for a while. Those teeth are SHARP. You must correct this, but it's a phase you will definitely go through to bring those adult teeth in. They will hurt your children nipping, but they don't know better. Teach your child and your puppy to play nice. Put your hand in front of their muzzle and say, “No” and give them a toy. Do not give them attention when they are biting. If they continue, turn your back on them or crate them. DO NOT GIVE UP and do NOT encourage this behavior. Get on YouTube! This phase can easily be corrected, but it takes a hot minute. A REALLY HOT MINUTE.
Puppies WILL destroy something, particularly if you give them a lot of unobserved time. They will not be able to be left uncrated for at least 6 months and more likely a year. I don't care how well-behaved they are when you're home! TRUST ME! If you leave them uncrated younger than that, and they have an accident or destroy something, that's on you, not the dog. They are looking for a playmate and that may mean your most expensive leather shoes.
The puppy may be super hyper. This can mean a high energy dog if your family is high energy. If you aren't active, they won't be after a time. They will take your lead, BUT all dogs need to walk and run and play. Don't pick out a dog based solely on their look. Ask the breeder about its personality or it may be a terrible and frustrating fit.
Whatever behavior you are wanting corrected, remember the puppy doesn't "know better." They want to please their master. If they're doing a behavior behind your back, then you haven't taught them the reward of doing things the right way. They may look guilty, but all they know is doing a natural behavior gets them scolded. It doesn't necessarily mean they know the right way to do it. Every choice you make for the first year will affect the next 15 years of your dog's relationship with you. Be diligent that first year and have a pleasant 15 years. Don't be consistent, and you could be frustrated for a long time. These dogs are SMART and that can be a blessing and a curse. If you do not train them, they WILL train you. Your choice. If your dog behaves badly, it's on you.
We are super excited to announce that we have officially partnered with BAXTER & Bella and their exclusive online puppy school, providing pet parents Lifetime MEMBERS ONLY Access to everything needed in order to achieve better animal ownership and experience the very best in canine companionship, including all of their training methods, materials, and resources! If you are a dog owner we totally recommend giving them a try, and when you enter Discount Code DOODLEHEAVENTEXAS at checkout, you will save instantly!
Don't forget you get a 25% off code with us. It will only be $178 for a lifetime membership and you have free access to all training videos not to mention video chat training and help at your fingertips. We are working with them now and love it! It is training at your fingertips that fits into your schedule. I highly recommend checking them out.
https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more
Doodles will mat if you don't brush them often. Ask me about ways to avoid mats even if you aren't diligent. I will be posting videos on our new website soon. I will admit.....with 6 kids and 5 dogs I am not always diligent, but I know some secrets that I can share with you.
A good brush is essential along with a metal comb and Nail clippers.
They also need to be groomed and clipped at least every two months, honestly every 6 weeks is even better, and that costs about $60 to $100 each time if you don't do it yourself. Bless the dog I tried to groom. I recommend unless you have training that you do NOT do it yourself. You have to understand the undercoat and how to properly maintain it. Do not brush the top coat and think they are well brushed. Their coat is thick and it can take more than an hour to do it right. Get your slicker brush and metal comb. Do a section at a time and spread it out over time. Many people shy away from grooming the feet due to doodles having webbed feet. This can cause deformities in their feet and a lifetime of pain.
Goldendoodles can shed. Don't trust someone who guarantees they won't completely because that's a misrepresentation. Even with the best in genetic testing we have found puppies who ended up being low shed or shed for the first year or even after. Nutrition can also play a role in shedding. Doodles also are not all hypoallergenic (that is just not a term I am comfortable with). My husband is super allergic and has asthma, and they work for him. That's as much as I can tell you. If you are allergic to dogs, spend a decent amount of time with one of our adult dogs before you adopt them to make sure they fit YOUR needs for a “hypoallergenic” dog. We have been fortunate to have had many years of proven low/no shedding dogs, but I won’t make false claims that this will always be the case. Genetics can play tricks on us. I can assure you it is ALWAYS our goal. We coat test all of our breeding dogs.
WARNING
Do not go to a dog park, another’s breeders home, boarding or grooming facility or shelter before coming to our home. Please do not go to any of those places until your puppy has had at the very least, his/her 2nd round of shots plus about 10 days. Parvo is deadly, and we take the health of your puppy very seriously. Even carrying your dog in a pet store is not a good idea. Just don’t take the risk. Parvo can take a puppy down in a matter of a few days. It’s just not worth the risk.
Check out this list of some of our favorite products for our doodles! https://linktr.ee/Doodleheaventexas
Things to Bring to pick up your new puppy: SEE THE DOCUMENT FOR WHAT TO EXPECT WITH A COMPLETE LIST!!
Bring at least 2 towels, a small crate, paper towels and a cleaner (we named 3 earlier) in the event that your puppy gets car sick on the ride home. All puppies have been taken for a ride in the car, but not for a long distance so accidents may occur. Better to be prepared. You will get a Puppy Packet from us. This includes, a blanket with the scent of the other puppies as well as mama, shot record, a copy of the health guarantee, Snuggle Pup,training bell for potty training, collar, and toy. Often there are other items as well.
Litter Training
Your puppy has been trained in Pine Pellets (this is only an example, find this in your local Tractor Supply for around $9.99) in a rabbit tray. Each puppy goes potty there so they don’t mess up their play area. You may choose to continue this or not. If you choose to continue it, you still must potty train. They will outgrow the litter box soon enough.
Trupanion Pet Insurance
Your puppy goes home with 30 days of pet insurance for free. We are grateful to have this relationship with Trupanion and are able to offer this for you. We do not make money on this option. It is up to you. Check your brochures for what they cover and if you feel it is a benefit to you and your family. There is a $250 deductible and then Trupanion cover 90% of costs. It will take only a few minutes to activate your coverage and must be done within 24 hours of bringing your puppy home provided they are exactly 8 weeks old. Not a day before. You will need to register your vet. Code is BR1GH42617
NuVet Immune Boosters CODE #65805 https://www.nuvet.com/65805 vitamins/immune boosters. I am now a huge believer because I have seen a dramatic change in all of our dogs and our puppies as well. I gave half of our dogs NuVet and the other half nothing. I could tell a difference in every way. NuVet is the best in my opinion after loads of research. They are not sold in stores. All of our dogs get them as do puppies. If you use our order code #65805 we will get a small amount of credit. This is not why we do it. Check them out online and read the reports of health changes due to NuVet. The most recent significant report was of a dog who tested FAIR in the hips. They started NuVet Vitamins and tested again in a year, and he tested GOOD. This is not something that changes typically.
Food
This is a hot topic among owners and breeders alike. Many will argue. I have spent the last 2 years researching and attending conferences with well respected pet nutritionists as well as Vet Nutritionists (Vets do not normally take extensive classes in nutrition in vet school unless they choose to specialize further. We also believe in using slow feeders to help prevent bloat.
Training Tips
These are many we have learned along the way from trainers, other breeders, YouTube or from making mistakes of our own. Some were mentioned in the very beginning. We want to add a few more here. I learned this one from another doodle breeder and couldn’t agree more.
Make your puppy wait: Just like you do a child. They need to learn to wait politely. This is about learning self-control. When they go outside, wait until they are calm. YOU need to lead out of the door, not them. Make them wait for you. Do not acknowledge your puppy right away when you get home. Don’t talk in a high pitch excited voice or you will get him/her excited.
Wear your leash when training: This way the puppy will learn to follow and you will keep them from starting bad habits because they are right with you. No jumping, biting on the leash, etc. Do not allow a puppy or dog to pull on the leash. This is what we see so often with loads of dogs. It is harmful for them and just all around bad manners. Pull them back quickly and have them sit before moving forward. We use the pinch collar for training purposes. This link is actually for extra pieces. You need the collar if you use this for training.
One quick yank, and they figure out what to do quickly. It is amazing how quickly a dog will obey when they know what to do. This collar gives a super quick correction. DO NOT KEEP PULLING IT. That would be painful. Just a quick tug and release is all that is needed. Here is a video to explain the process.
This is a great harness to use to keep from pulling and to keep from slipping off their neck when walking around other dogs and squirrels they might want to chase.
That's about all I can think of. I'm sure there's more but this letter is too long already. Puppies are amazing and loving, but if you expect to get one that will integrate into your home without serious sacrifice and interruption until they're about a year old, then you may want to reconsider getting a dog. There are some miracle dogs out there, but it's not typical. Usually the miracle is the owner's ability to train. Most all dogs have the ability to learn.
Good luck with your new puppy. I hope this helps manage your expectations and prepares you for 6 months/1 year of a beautiful, difficult, wonderful, hard journey (it really does have some amazing moments) and a lifetime of love and adoration. Thank you for joining our family by loving one of our babies! Please request to join our Doodle page A Doodle is Heaven to love. This is for our owners ONLY. We would love for you to post pictures and/or questions and keep up with litter mates.
Welcome to our Doodle Family! Thank you for trusting us. We do not take that lightly. There are lots of breeders out there. We want to be the best we can be for you and for your furbaby.
Kara Curfman
Doodle Heaven Texas, LLC
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