Preparing to bring your puppy home

The  WALA website contains substantial information regarding the care of puppies. Please take time and explore as you prepare to bring your puppy home. https://www.wala-labradoodles.org/copy-of-puppy-care

Puppy Shopping List

Here are some items that you should consider when preparing for your puppy. You may not need everything listed before your puppy arrives, but this list is intended to help you consider all your puppy’s basic needs.

General:

  • We love the crate bed and dog beds from Vagabond Supply and we sometimes have these beds on hand so please ask . To purchase directly : https://www.vagabondpetsupply.com/four-dog-night
  • A blanket may be used to cover a wire kennel. Puppies like a dark den feeling.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide (to induce vomiting, if necessary in emergent situations)
  • 100% Pure canned Pumpkin (from the baking isle of your grocery store)
    Pumpkin is a good source of fiber. When puppy has diarrhea or constipation, a tablespoon or two with every meal for several days should help alleviate symptoms. Freeze excess in ice cube tray for later use.
  • Baby Gate(s)
    These can be found on Amazon or Costco.ca or at stores like Toys R US

General items from your Pet Store:

  • EZ Clean or something similar to neutralize urine stains. Do not wash puppy items with bleach as does have a powerful sense of smell and it is very unpleasant.
  • Bitter Apple (bitter taste deters dogs from biting, licking, and chewing)
  • Pooper Scooper & bags
  • Food and water bowls (stainless steel or ceramic) The puppies have been fed from various food dishes to help them become adaptable.
  • Storage bin for dry food
  • Adjustable Nylon collar w/plastic clasp – the puppy will go home with a personalized Earth Angels Labradoodles collar from Nearly Naked Neckwear.
  • I.D. Tag – They are microchipped but a tag with their name and phone number is a great idea too.
  • 6 foot (1.8 m) leash
  • The Gentle Leader is a great product for puppy training as it keeps the dog from pulling on the walk. It is most appropriate when the puppies get about 6 months or more.
  • Crate for crate training   – we recommend a medium sized which accommodates a 17 inch dog. Petmate is a brand we use and like the quality of. The size for  medium doodle is about 36Lx25Wx27H
  • Travel Crate for car until puppy is big enough to wear a car harness. The booster seats are great too!

Food and Treats:

  • Puppy Food – we use TLC Puppy and Adult food. The Dog Food Advisor gives it a 4.5 star rating and it has an affordable price point . This food is ordered online and delivered . The food can be ordered at Premium Quality TLC Pet Food – TLC Pet Food and the coupon code 120813-1025 will give you a $5 discount per order.
    It is best to start with the same food that we are feeding but as the puppy grows you may find a brand that works better for their needs or you may choose to look at a partial raw diet or full raw after one year. You can switch on to adult kibble at 9-12 months depending on the growth of your puppy. The Dog Food Advisor website is a great resource for researching dog foods.
    As the puppy gets older and has their permanent teeth we feed raw marrow bones which are great for cleaning tartar off their teeth and they love them Check with a butcher as they are often cheaper than at a pet food store.
  • Commercial treats such as Wellness, Acana and other good quality treats or else look up dog cookie recipes and make your own. I discourage too many treats when they are very young as it can upset their stomachs.
  • Training Treats
    Soft & tiny treats work best for training. Pieces of cheese, hotdogs, liver treats work best as they need to be able to eat them quickly and the more odor the better.
  • We also recommend Nuvet Plus to help your puppy build a healthy immune system. These first months of transition and vaccines do stress the immature system. Our senior dogs also love these vitamins as they taste just like a treat. Our code is 658524  https://www.nuvetlabs.com/order_new2/products.asp

Good Chews and Toys:

  • Medium or Large Kong Toy
  • Stuffed Dog Toys w/ squeakers or with plastic bottle inserts
  • Balls (squeaky rubber balls)
  • Rope toys (e.g. Booda bones)
  • bully sticks for chewing

Grooming Supplies:

  • Pin or Slicker Brush
  • Medium tooth Comb
  • Blunt tipped curved blade scissors
  • Toothbrush Kit
  • Puppy Shampoo
  • Puppy Conditioner
  • Ear Wash solution or ear wipes – which I prefer for puppies
  • Plier-style nail clippers w/nail guard but initially your own nail clippers will do
  • Blood Stop Powder – just in case you clip the quick

Additional Items:

  • Bell to hang by back door or purchase Poochie Bells at your pet store.
  • Michelle at Living Prairie Kennels has a great little book with all the basics. She has provided training to a number of our puppies. If this is your first puppy you might want to consider her Puppy Boot Camp https://www.livingprairiekennels.com/shop
  • We have recently started to recommend Baxter & Bella to our families. It is a comprehensive program that helps families access the tools and information necessary to get their puppy off to a great start and they support you throughout all the stages of your dogs life. I encourage everyone to look at this link and see if this program suits your training plan. If this is your first puppy I definitely recommend you pull out all the stops and create yourself an amazing lifelong companion. Bella and Baxter has great reviews and includes a huge community of pet families https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more?utm_campaign=1a5bda7d-2afe-4a5b-ae82-df988597f336&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=23d92c3e-31f6-44df-9dc8-d305ea3a53c1 .Our Bella and Baxter discount code is EAL25
  • Make a puppy wellness appointment with you new vet for 2-3 days after your puppy arrives home. The vet will discuss the  vaccine schedule with you and provide feedback on the health of your puppy. Also investigate groomers in your area or consult our grooming page. We consider regular grooming an aspect of good doodle health. The first grooming appointment should be when your puppy is about 4-5 months old. This is just an introduction to what will become part of his/her healthy life and nothing for them to fear.
  • Start shopping for puppy kindergarten classes which puppy can participate in after 3rd shots are complete. They tend to have wait lists so the sooner the better! They enjoy Puppy Kindergarten which combines obedience with play. The first 16 weeks are a critical period for socialization so look for lots of new but not frightening experiences. Facebook has lots of canine enrichment groups/pages and they have awesome ideas.
  • Lots of Love and Patience