Puppy Life & Care

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 So we are at week 6 of caring for our adorable GoldenAussie double doodles.  Their mom is an f1 Goldendoodle and their dad is an f1 Aussiedoodle. We are constantly attending to their needs. Raising puppies is no easy task. Especially if you want them to be the healthiest and sweetest they can be. Keep in mind this is what works for us. We are not professional vets or health care agents and recommend that you always do your research of what is best for you. Click here for a link to our recommended puppy care items that we update regularly.

Teething
They’re currently biting at everything and acting like the “terrible twos” as toddlers would. We’ve given them some chew toys to occupy their teeth growth spurt.

Diet & Exercise
The diet of all my animals at the farm is very important to me. I’m a big advocate of eating fermented or probiotic rich foods on a daily basis for ourselves and our animals. I have the privilege of owning currently 2 goats whom I milk daily for their raw delicious probiotic rich milk from which I make homemade yogurt. I’m currently feeding my pups a mixture of soft food, puppy kibble (Taste of the Wild- Pacific Stream) and about 1.5- 2 cups of fresh homemade yogurt mixed in. The yogurt helps them digest their food well as well as strengthening their gut health and in turn their immune system. You can purchase probiotics on amazon but for a more affordable probiotic you can simply add some yogurt to their daily diet. I prefer to use goat milk yogurt for my pups as it’s easier for my pups to digest as opposed to cow milk yogurt.

Also their food has zero sugar, corn, soy or wheat. I rarely give them human food because it upsets their stomach.

I make sure they run daily and play as they get older and have their shots. These breeds need to be able to run and play at least once a day. The bigger your yard the better. I wouldn’t keep these dogs in an apartment unless you can commit to taking them to the dog park regularly and letting them run daily.

Socialization
This is very important to incorporate as soon as they’re born and on a regular basis. People of all sizes, colors, male and female and children should be brought around them to interact. It’s important to have a well socialized pup and they will love to be around people. Before they get all their vaccinations be careful not to take them to public areas or with people you don’t know.

TRAINING
These pups have wonderful personalities but even so, like children, require daily training. There are different ways to train them. We looked on YouTube and watched many Cesar Milan videos. Please make sure you do your research. If you have other animals or smaller ones like chickens, exposure to them at a young age is super important for them to get used to each other. As they get older monitor their interactions. We’ve invested in shock collars that won’t hurt the pups but simply alerts them to change their behavior immediately when beeped or shocked. We only introduce this with our pups when they were at least 5 months old. You can adjust the settings according to your dogs ability. Most of this can be purchased on Amazon. Be sure to start at a very low setting first and read the instructions on how to best use them.

Many people have also found it effective to take their puppies to puppy training school. Do your research and read the reviews of these schools before investing as this can be very pricey but totally worth it if you DON’T have the time to train them because training is a MUST and should not be delayed.

POTTY TRAINING 
Although I spend much time and effort to pee pad train them new dog owners will still need to invest time and effort to continuing this training. They started pee pad training as early as 2.5 weeks old and caught on pretty quickly. But because of the initial shock of moving to a new place away from their brothers and sisters they may feel a little shocked or sad and start peeing in random places. Please note this can happen from time to time. It may be a good idea to continue their training on the pee pads and start them going outside when they’re old enough and fully vaccinated. Ask your vet for recommendations of when best to do this.

A Good Veterinarian 
It’s very important to follow up with your vet as soon as you take your new puppy home and schedule the next necessary visit. Research a reputable vet in your area and read their reviews. We love our vet that we use in Sonoma and did lots of research before taking our fur babies there. We couldn’t be happier using Arroyo Vet Services in Sonoma.

MUST HAVE ITEMS
We started crate training our pups right away to start teaching them boundaries. At some point we found we could leave the crate door open and it was ok to do so. Please do your research on crate training. Not everyone does this so it’s up to you. 

Emergency kit for dogs is very important to have on hand in case there’s an injury requiring immediate attention.

I try to use as little or no Chemicals when dealing with my pups. We try our best to live a Chemical free lifestyle and I prefer the use of essential oils to assist with different ailments. If you decide to do this please do your research on what dogs can or cannot use. I’ve used a few drops of lavender oil, tea tree and warm water to disinfect serious wounds that I couldn’t get to the vet on time for. After using this to clean and disinfect the wound I would spray with a red oil you can get from a feed or animal store that helps to keep the wound cleaned and heal quickly. 

Dog bowls for food & water

Nail trimmer

Tooth Brush

Safe Chew Toys

Good quality leashes and harnesses 

Good quality Collar

Name tag with your info on the  back

Micro-chipped in case their tag falls out and they get lost

Collar with puppy info in case the tag falls off

All natural dog shampoo (We don’t wash them too often as you can wipe away good bacteria from their bodies that help keep their immune system strong. Do your research on this). Washing too often can dry out their skin and lead to other problems. 

Dry Shampoo (sometimes getting them in the tub is not always easy then you have this option you can utilize from time to time. Try to find an all natural chemical free one).

Raw Applecider Vinegar for a few tablespoons per gal of water. This helps to keep their PH levels balanced and cleans out their system. Their water with ACV is a great little secret to keep them healthy for a long time.

Raw Hide Chews as they get older

Wheat, sugar & soy free treats for training and to spoil them every once in awhile 

Good of quality dog food is a MUST. There is so much junkies dog food with horrible fillers that are very popular on the market. PLEASE DON'T feed your pups this. Do your research and read reviews. We carefully researched our food and decided to use TASTE OF THE WILD brand as it comes with so many nutritious ingredients and some even include probiotics 

A daily Probiotic supplement will help ensure a healthier pup for a long time and a beautiful coat. This will help their poop not be a stinky soft mess and a more firmer less stinkier healthy poop

Pooper scooper

Dog Fur Brush to brush them daily or 2-3 times per week

Ear cleaning. We do this every few weeks. 1 cup of distilled water with a tsp of apple cider vinegar helps to keep the ph levels normal with q-tips. Please do research on how to clean pups ears as you can seriously damage their ear canal if not done correctly.


Grooming
This is a must for these types of dogs or their fur will get into knotted messes. I never paid for grooming myself but a lot of people choose this option. Trimming their nails so they don’t scratch the life out of your legs if they jump on you. Please YouTube on how to do this properly.


Enjoy your adorable PUPPIES!
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