These sweet babies will be ready to go to their forever homes March 8-14th.

happy birthday

Abria & Boaz are the proud parents of give gorgeous new babies. They are absolutely precious. Our two preschoolers have named them: Gingie (aka Ginger), Skye (after Skye from Paw Patrol), Emmy (yes, this is our fourth puppy named Emmy. If you find a good name, reuse it), Blue Blue (what else would you name a blue collared puppy?), and Annie (after the neighbor girl down the street). These two have been thinking about puppy names for weeks. They’re only a slightly excited that these puppies arrived 🙂

Abria is an amazing mom and hardly leaves her puppies’ side. When puppies are first born, they depend heavily on their mama. They can’t yet walk. Their eyes and ears are closed. They can’t go to the bathroom on their own. And they can’t maintain their own body temperature. Fortunately God gave puppies a natural instinct to pile together for warmth. EEGs have revealed that the brain activity of infant puppies is the same when asleep and awake. But these little pups are busy eating, growing, and developing. Abria’s puppies twitch and pop in their sleep, as all healthy newborn puppies should. This activated sleep helps them build muscle tone.

Notice how all of the puppies have fairly smooth coats on their backs and you’ll notice in the picture below that no one has evidence of little waves on their foreheads. This indicates that everyone will likely have loosely curly coats rather than tight curls like a poodle. We’ll be able to tell more about their coats in the upcoming weeks.

Enjoy these little pink noses while you can because they’ll soon darken up and the puppies will have beautiful black noses and foot pads. You can see how some of the puppies’ noses have already started darkening even at just a few hours old.

Right now the puppies spend all of their time eating, sleeping, and growing – And I’m happy to say that everyone is doing a great job at these three activities! The little ones all weighed between 8.5-10.5oz at birth – yes, they’re less than one pound. But they’ll soon be packing on the pounds!

four days new

weekly puppy tip

Think about a napping place – The puppies spend most of their lives sleeping now, but did you know that your new furbaby is going to need lots of sleep when you bring her home, too? Puppies, just like small children, require naps throughout the day. When your puppy is sleeping, try to allow her to rest undisturbed. This may mean that you need to guide her to a different spot than the one she’s initially chosen. AKC gives some helpful insight into the importance of puppy sleep:

Although puppies may seem like little bundles of energy, in fact, they sleep 15-20 hours a day. One minute your puppy may be a miniature tornado, and the next he’s fallen soundly asleep, almost mid-activity. Sleep is essential to healthy growth: during sleep his central nervous system, brain, immune system, and muscles are developing. All of that sleep also helps him rest up during growth spurts… household members, especially children, should leave your puppy alone while he is sleeping. Plan his day so that active time is followed by quiet time for sleep. He’ll most likely be ready for a nap after playtime or a walk, sleep for a while and then wake up ready for anything. Your puppy may nap every hour or so, sleeping from 30 minutes to as long as two hours. All of this sleep is perfectly normal.

Jan Reisen from the American Kennel Club (AKC)

You can read the rest of the article here.

1 week

These puppies may still seem incredibly small but in just one short week they’ve already doubled their birth weights. They’ve each crossed over the one pound mark. These sweet little pumpkins continue to dedicate their entire lives to eating and sleeping. They twitch and pop involuntarily during their sleep, developing muscle tone for the near future. This phenomenon is known as “activated sleep” (Hopefully you were able to enjoy the brief video of them twitching in popping in our Instagram story on Sunday). The puppies received daily doses of petting, stroking, holding, and kisses. We’ve also started doing early neurological stimulation (aka ENS) with them. ENS involves stressing the puppies just slightly in very specific ways in order to improve their physiological response to stress in the future

In addition to growing, the sweet little dumplings have also started wagging their tails while they nurse! It’s fun to watch all the happy little tail wags while they greedily fill their bellies.

hello world.

These cuddly little sausages have started opening their eyes! As you can see here, their eyes are just barely open at the moment. Eye opening is a process that takes several days. It’s so fun to see these little eyes for the very first time.

weekly puppy tip

Make a puppy experience plan – Compile a list of places you want to take your puppy and experiences you want your puppy to encounter. We’ve already started introducing your puppy to new smells. With these little eyes now ready to soak up the sites, we’ll now start introducing the puppies to items that differ in appearance. We have a thought out socialization plan, working hard to expose your puppy to as much as possible during her time with us. When you take your puppy home, that responsibility then shifts to you as you continue the socialization process. Exposing your puppy to new people, situations, sounds, smells, textures, etc. is extremely important. Give your new puppy a few days to adjust to her new home and new routine. Then begin giving her short, positive experiences (yummy treats make everything more positive!). Don’t try to do too much in one day, as you don’t want to overwhelm or stress her. Start developing ideas of how to want to socialize your new puppy.

Your goal is for your puppy to meet a minimum of 100 different people by the time she’s six months old. Dr. Ian Dunbar, a puppy socialization expert, raises the bar even higher by recommending that puppies meet 100+ people during the first month at home. So make a plan about how you will start introducing your puppy to new people right away. Try to let her meet a variety of people such as children, elderly persons, people wearing hats, hoods or sunglasses, people using crutches, walkers or wheelchairs, people of different ethnicities, tall people, short people, etc. Meeting people is just come component. Consider what safe dogs you can introduce your puppy to (dogs who are predictable, friendly, healthy, and will model good behavior for your pup). Remember, adult dogs aren’t always fond of puppies so be sure to monitor them together. Do you know someone with a friendly cat or rabbit? Do you know anyone with a woods or creek where you can take your puppy for a short romp? Remember, you want every experience to be POSITIVE. Making a plan now, before you bring your puppy home, will help ensure that you follow through with a variety of positive exposures once you have your new little fluff ball at your side.

Check out AviDog’s free e-book for more ideas about what to add to your puppy experience plan.

2 weeks

The puppies eyes are opened (this means that they’ve entered the transitional period)! It’s fun to these little nuggets looking back at us! And now that they can see where they’re going, they’ve started climbing out of their whelping box. Even though the puppies’ eyes are peering back at us, their ears haven’t yet opened. All of that dedicated sleeping, eating, and growing is paying off. Their chunky bellies are adorable. It’s truly amazing how much they’ve grown in just two short weeks. These little sausages still spend most of the day sleeping and continue to have activated sleep, building their muscles in preparation for the running and exploring they’ll be doing shortly. We intentionally have the floor of their whelping box covered with a surface that gives them good traction to aid their developing muscles and bones. The puppies already take wobbly steps around their whelping area and crawl all over each other as they attempt to find the coziest sleeping nook in the puppy pile. These munchkins even starting to sit up a little. They’ve started the transition from the tiny guinea pigs they were at birth to beginning to look like little dogs. We continue to hold, cuddle, and pet them daily – and we love every minute of it.

weekly puppy tip

Glance over Puppy Culture’s exercise chart. Familiarize yourself with what sorts of activities are appropriate for your puppy at different stages of development. You want to give your puppy a variety of unique positive experiences, but your puppy is still growing & developing, so you don’t want to push your puppy too far. For instance, climbing up one to two stairs is an appropriate challenge but climbing a flight of stairs is not a good idea for a young puppy (a study done on 500 dogs showed that puppies allowed to climb a flight of stairs before 3 months old were more likely to develop hip dysplasia). Remember, free running and playing is a great option because your puppy can rest whenever she feels the need to. If you’d like to read more about puppy exercise, check out AviDog’s puppy exercise guidelines. This article from AKC also gives some helpful puppy exercise tips.

3 weeks

Aren’t they getting cuter and cuter each week?! These sweet dumplings are getting so big! They’ve all crossed over the 2lb mark and are well on their way towards 3lbs. The changes puppies go through in the first couple weeks of life is outstanding. While the puppies still spend a lot of the time sleeping, they’re now toddling about, playing with each other, and exploring (hopefully you caught the video of them playing in our Instagram story on Sunday). They’re even going to the bathroom on their own now. We give the puppies a new item each day to look at and investigate. It’s so fun to see their little eyes taking in the sights. The pups are starting to let out little barks (much to my kids’ delight). They’ve added a variety of little squeaks and squeals to their repertoire. Sometimes the sounds that come out of their mouths seems to surprise the puppies themselves!

weekly puppy tip

Get ready to play educational games with your puppy! – Did you know that there are fun games you can play with your puppy that teach her beneficial skills? It’s great to incorporate regular educational games into your puppy’s routine, so read through these suggestions, add any needed supplies to your puppy shopping list, and get ready for puppy playtime!

• Ball On The Wall – Encourages retrieving
  • Supplies: A ball that your puppy can carry in her mouth
  • How to play: Sit on the floor about 1-5’ from a wall. Put your legs in a “V” and sit facing the wall with your puppy between you and the wall. Toss the ball at the wall, encouraging your puppy to go after it. Give your puppy lots of praise when she brings the ball back!
  • Variation: Once you’ve mastered Ball On The Wall, try playing retrieve in a hallway with all the doors closed (so your puppy can’t run away from you with the ball).
• Toy Trade – Prevents resource guarding
  • Supplies: A toy that your puppy likes but doesn’t highly value and a high value treat
  • How to play: Briefly play with your puppy using the toy. Ask your puppy for the toy by offering her a high value treat. Reward & praise her for giving you the toy, and give the toy back to her as soon as she finishes chewing. Gradually work on having her give you objects of higher value (i.e. a bone).
  • Variation: Work on teaching your puppy the command “give” and ask her to drop the toy/bone on command in exchange for the high value treat.
• Hide & Seek – Encourages recall
  • Supplies: Yummy treats
  • How to play: Run away from your puppy, hide behind a corner, tree, couch or other object, and call your puppy to encourage her to find you. When she does, give her lots of praise and a yummy treat.
  • Variation: Have a partner play with you and take turns hiding. While the first person is rewarding the puppy for coming, the second person hides.

4 weeks

The puppies are really beginning to look and act like little dogs. Their teeth have started coming in, which means nursing will soon become uncomfortable for Abria. The puppies enjoy lapping fresh goat milk from a bowl and licking it off each other. Shout out to D & L Meadows for supplying us with fresh, local goat milk for these little pups to enjoy. The pups think warm goat milk is AMAZING, but they’re not completely sure which end actually does the eating, so they frequently end up with various body parts in the bowl. Abria is happy to help lap up any mess the puppies make during their mealtimes and she lovingly licks the goat milk off of each puppy once they’ve finished filling their little round bellies. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the videos in our Instagram story of these sweeties lapping up milk. The sound they make when eating is precious. As you probably also saw in the story videos, Abria continues to nurse them, which the pups also thoroughly enjoy. Since their teeth are starting to poke through, soften kibble isn’t far away.

The puppies have started listening to their habituation CD, which is aimed at helping them become accustomed to various sounds. We continue to introduce new items in the puppy pen for the pups to explore. We play them daily, and their little tails wag and wag. They love human attention! Now that they’re more proficient in their legs, they’re not quite as snuggly as they used to be because they have things to explore. But they still do enjoy snuggling, especially once they tire a little. Now that the pups are so mobile, pictures are a little challenging because no one really wants to sit still, so no group photos this week.

While these little nuggets all weigh under 4lbs, they’ve done a tremendous amount of growing in just a few short weeks. They’ve graduated from ric rack ribbons to mini puppy collars, which we’ve had to loosen several times to accommodate for all the growing. And those puppies nails have grown a lot, too. The pups have now had their nails clipped for the second time. When you take your puppy home, it’s important that you continue to regularly trim her nails. Right now we trim the puppies’ nails with human baby nail clippers. For our adult dogs, we use a dremel to keep their nails short.

weekly puppy tip

Bonding Exercises – Do this every night with your puppy just before putting her in her crate for bed. Puppies benefit from a routine plus everyone benefits from a puppy learning that you’re the leader and that you are allowed to touch her anywhere and everywhere. The this video shows bonding exercises being done for the first time with a new puppy. Yes, your puppy will resist and squirm at first. Eventually, your puppy will come to LOVE and EXPECT you doing bonding exercises with her. Take 30 seconds each night and do it. You’ll be thankful that you did (and so will your vet and groomer!). There’s a second video of bonding exercises being done with an older pup here at the bottom of the post (notice how much he has grown to enjoy doing bonding exercises). It’s easy to periodically incorporate parts of grooming into bonding exercise time, trimming nails one night and cleaning ears a different night.

5 weeks

Five weeks is such a fun age! These puppies are cuter every day! Their individual personalities are showing through. The puppies are walking about, exploring the world around them. They enjoy playing with the different toys in their pen, and they enjoy playing with each other, too. In between their short bursts of energy, they still spend much of their time sleeping. If you sit on the floor, you’re sure to have a lap full of puppies! The pups don’t sit still for long, except for when they’re on your lap or sleeping, so pictures are challenging!

The puppies have transitioned from milk to a softened kibble/milk blend. Your little one will be accustomed to eating TLC puppy food. You should be receiving an email directly from TLC in the next week.

Remember that trade game in week 3? Once your new fluffball is adjusted to your home, you can periodically use your puppy’s dinner bowl to play the game, working on preventing resource guarding. Neither Abria or Boaz display food aggression and neither one greedily inhale their food (in fact, it’s not uncommon for them to  leave some kibble in their bowls after eating their fill), so likely your puppy naturally won’t either. Even so, taking a few minutes to work with your puppy while she’s young can go a long way in preventing unwanted behavior. Pick up a pack of hot dogs or other delicious treat and occasionally pick up your pup’s bowl while she’s eating, exchanging her kibble for a sliver of hot dog, and then returning her food bowl to her (see the trade game from week 3).

weekly puppy tip

Pick out and sign up for a puppy class – A puppy class is essential both for socialization and manners. Look for a class that emphasizes positive reinforcement, as learning & training should be a fun game at this point. Clicker training is a plus. This article from AKC gives some pointers about what to look for in a puppy class. Many dog training facilities will allow your new friend join their puppy class around 12 weeks of age, once she has received her second set of immunizations. Allison Camp from Pups Unleashed offers a local puppy class. She’ll be temperament testing the puppies next week and assisting with matching. Temperament testing always an exciting day!

6 weeks

It’s been another busy week for the puppies! The weather has finally been warm and dry enough that they’ve been able to play outside, which they absolutely love! They went outside for the first time early in the week and immediately took to being in nature with zero hesitation. The pups have a blast exploring the great outdoors. It’s fun to watch them pick up leaves, squeeze under bushes, and frolic through the grass. They’re so lively!

The puppies also went on several road trips in the last week. We know they each have a lifetime of car rides ahead of them, so we want to make sure they’re familiar with the feeling of being in a moving automobile. Plus we want to expose them to new and different places. The pups all piled together into a crate and cruised around town. We recently purchased several acres (which you may already know if you follow Paul on Instagram), and this is the first litter of puppies to visit our new farm, which was very special. We hope to share our farm with many more puppies in the future.

These puppies are just darling! They are playful, friendly, affectionate, and they bounce around like little fluff balls. Whenever we enter the puppy pen, we’re instantly covered with excited, happy kisses and nibbles. It’s such a privilege and joy to share our home with these sweet pups.

weekly puppy tip

Get ready to groom! – Your puppy has had her nails clipped and hair trimmed during her time with us, so she has already had her initial introduction to her lifetime of being groomed. Take her to the groomer for a puppy clip after her 16-week immunizations. The groomer will bathe her, trim the hair out of her eyes, give her a sanitary clip, and trim her nails. Since she will need regular grooming throughout her life, both she and her groomer will benefit if she becomes accustomed to being groomed from a young age, even before she’s ready for a full haircut.

When should she have her first big girl haircut? The wavy, curly adult coat will start replacing the soft, fluffy puppy coat around 5-6 months of age. You’ll notice the new hair coming in is kinkier than the pure fluff on top. Waiting to cut the hair until the adult coat makes its debut beneath the layers of puppy plush helps ensure that the adult coat remains soft. Many poodle groomers and poodle fanciers claim that shaving a poodle or goldendoodle down before her adult coat starts coming in could damage the adult coat, affecting the texture. While there isn’t any substantiated evidence that this is true, it’s worth avoiding just in case. That doesn’t mean that your puppy might not benefit from a puppy clip in the meantime! Don’t let your puppy’s hair get out of control! As aforementioned, take her to the groomer for a puppy clip after her 16-week immunizations. When the time comes, check out the grooming section on our website for a variety of goldendoodle haircut pictures. Learn more about your Goldendoodle puppy’s first trip to the groomer.

Waiting until 6 months for the first full big girl clip does not mean you’re off the hook for grooming at home! You should regularly groom your puppy: brushing her hair, cleaning her ears, brushing her teeth, clipping her toenails, and checking her for any anomalies (i.e. ticks, cuts, etc.). You want your puppy to become accustomed to being brushed and handled all over from a young age. It’s easy to incorporate different parts of grooming into your nightly bonding exercises. We have a plethora of haircut resources under the “grooming” tab in the main menu bar.

seven weeks

The puppies had a busy day today! First they went on a road trip to visit Allison Camp from Pups Unleashed dog training for their temperament testing (I hope you’ve checked your email to learn about your puppy’s testing results!). This evening, the puppies visited Dr. Steffen at Companion Animal Medical Centre. They are all sound asleep early tonight! I am please to report that they all received a clean bill of health! All of the staff received puppy kisses 🙂 The puppies received their first of three doses of the DHLPP vaccine. You should schedule an appointment with your vet for her to receive her second dose when she is around 12 weeks of age and third dose at 16 weeks of age. The DHLPP vaccination protects your puppy from:

• Distemper – a disease affecting the lungs, intestines, and brain
• Hepatitis – a disease affecting the liver
• Leptospirosis – a disease affecting the kidneys
• Parainfluenza – a lung disease affecting the bronchi
• Parvoviris – a disease affecting the intestines

In addition to immunizations, your puppy will also need a monthly parasite preventative that covers a range of parasites as well as fleas to help keep her healthy. Your puppy received one dose of Interceptor today. Be sure to administer heart worm medication with a meal, as the medication can be hard on your puppy’s stomach.

weekly puppy tip

Fostering the children/dog relationship – Goldendoodles are family dogs by nature, but there are a few steps you can take to help set your puppy and your kids up for a lifetime of friendship:

1. When your puppy is sleeping, let her sleep – your puppy is growing & developing and she NEEDS that sleep. Teach your children to respect a sleeping puppy by not interrupting her. Your puppy’s crate should be her safe retreat. When she’s in her crate, allow her to enjoy safe, undisturbed quiet time.
2. Involve your children in daily puppy care – allowing your children to participate in caring for the puppy will help grow the bond between them and their furry friend. It also helps the puppy learn associate good things with little people and helps her see the children as above her in the pack order. Younger children particularly love being helpers. Our kids enjoy (aka fight over) feeding the dogs, letting them out of their crates, opening the back door to let the dogs in/out, etc. We let them help brush the dogs with much supervision (remember, we want all puppy experiences to be POSITIVE!). Our children also love holding leashes on walks (children should only take your dog on a walk with adult supervision). If you don’t trust your puppy to not pull a young child over, you can attach two short leashes to one dog so both you & your child have a leash to hold. Be cognizant of your child’s age and maturity level. Older children can be more actively involved and younger children can be involved in smaller ways.
3. Encourage your children to play with the puppy – puppy nips and jumps can be intimidating for some children. Teaching children how to act calmly around a puppy and how to play intentional games such as fetch and educational games (see some suggestions under week 3) can help both the children and the puppy learn how to interact with each other. Explain to your children that your puppy isn’t trying to hurt them when she’s nipping – she’s asking them to play with her.
4. Include your children in puppy training – when you enroll your puppy in a puppy kindergarten class, ask about bringing your child along (assuming he’s old enough and mature enough to participate). Our children enjoy practicing sits and downs with our dogs, dolling out hotdog slivers to the eager participants. Our dogs think it’s great! Be sure to always supervise children/puppy training sessions.
5. Teach your children to respect the puppy – sometimes it’s challenging for children, especially young ones, to distinguish between their favorite stuffie and a real-life fluffy puppy. Many children need to be patiently taught to be gentle and kind with animals. “No hugging dogs” is a rule in our home because a preschooler bear hug around the neck is too much our small dogs (our dogs don’t mind but we’re afraid they might accidentally get hurt since they’re significantly smaller than the ones dolling out the hugs). If there are times when you aren’t able to supervise your children’s interaction with your puppy, it might be best (and safest) to put your puppy in her crate. Remember, that crate should be your puppy’s safe place. This article by AKC has more helpful tips about teaching children to respect dogs.

getting ready for your puppy

We’ve created a puppy shopping list to help guide you as you prepare to bring your new pup home!

meet the parents

Learn more about Abria & Boaz by visiting our parent dog page. Want to see pictures of Abria’s past litters? You can find those on Abria’s personal page. There’s also are videos of their past puppies if you’re curious what this litter will look like in a few weeks. Don’t forget to check out Instagram for more pictures of the parents, past puppies, and this current litter.

Many doodle owners are curious about the kind of coat their puppy will have when she grows up. For most goldendoodles, you can tell at birth whether or not the adult coat will have tight, poodle-like curls. Here are several F1b goldendoodles. They are pictured at infancy, as young puppies (most around 7-8 weeks of age), and then around their first birthdays. Our goldendoodle puppy time lapses show even more pictures of goldendoodles growing up. Did you know you can easily swab your dog’s cheek and send the sample into Embark to scientifically determine your dog’s adult coat type?

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What is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is an insurance product purchased to cover unexpected and non-routine veterinary expenses related to the health of your pet. This product is similar to human health insurance: you pay a monthly premium in order to avoid the financial burden of expensive doctor visits and hospital bills. Pet insurance is simply the pet version.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

After you enroll in a pet insurance plan, you will be required to take your vet to a licensed veterinarian to receive a physical examination. The vet will confirm your pet is in perfect health and identify any pre-existing conditions. There will also be a waiting period once you enroll before claims are covered. Typically this waiting period is 5 days for injuries and 15 days for illnesses. After the vet exam and waiting period are fulfilled, your pet is covered.

Unfortunately many pet insurance companies do not pay for your pet’s unexpected medical expenses up front like some human health insurance policies do. The owner of the pet is expected to pay the full bill at the time of service. Once the bill is paid, the owner immediately files a claim online for reimbursement from the insurance company. Pet insurance companies reimburse the portion of the bill that is agreed upon at enrollment, which is typically 70% -90% depending on the plan.

What Does Pet Insurance Cover?

Pet insurance companies will reimburse you for a portion of the bill for many types of non-routine pet health related expenses. Every insurance company has different policies, however, most reputable insurance companies carry at least the following:

• Illnesses
• Injuries
• Hereditary & Congenital Diseases
• Cancer
• Surgery
• Diagnostic Tests
• Hospital Stays
• Medications
• Accidents/injuries

What Doesn’t Pet Insurance Cover

Coverage will depend on the policy, however, most insurance companies will not reimburse you for the expenses below:

• Annual Physical Exams
• Routine Expenses (Vaccinations, Heartworm Medication, etc.)
• Spaying and Neutering
• Pre-Existing Conditions
• Dental Care
• Euthanasia or Burial
• Property Damage or Personal Liability

Comparing Insurance Companies

Three of the top pet insurance companies are: Trupanion, Healthy Paws, and Pet Plan. In this post, we’ll examine these three popular companies. Pet insurance is an insurance product, so it’s essential to do your research prior to enrolling. If you’d like to learn more about Lemonade, Embrace, Pumpkin, and other pet insurance companies, head over to this post.

While many aspects of Trupanion, Healthy Paws, and Pet Plan policies are very similar, there are two key differences you should notice:

1. Monthly Premiums

Note: these rates are for goldendoodles in Cincinnati, OH. Rates may differ based on location, age, breed, etc. Trupanion, Healthy Paws & Pet Plan will all provide you with an instant free quote on their respective websites.

As you work to establish the perfect policy for your pet, you may have a set monthly budget that you need to work within. Pet Plan gives pet owners the most flexibility in adjusting monthly premium amounts. Pet Plan allows you to choose a deductible, percent of reimbursement, and maximum payout that you feel best suits you and your pet. All Trupanion policies, on the other hand, automatically have an unlimited maximum payout and 90% reimbursement. The deductible is the only part of the plan that can be adjusted to lower monthly premium costs.

When you establish a pet insurance policy, you lock in the rate for that year. You do not, however, lock in the rate for your pet’s lifetime. Each year when you renew your pets policy, the monthly premium may increase. While your pet’s increasing age and moving to a new area do impact the premium change, a new diagnosis or previously filed claims do not. Learn more about how coverage premium changes are calculated in Trupanion’s article.  Because pre-existing medical conditions are not covered,it is advantageous to enroll your pet when she is younger before any medical conditions have been identified. This will allow your pet to get the most coverage out of her insurance plan.

2. Per Condition Deductible Vs. Annual Deductible

Healthy Paws and Pet Plan both offer annual policies, which operate like most human insurance policies. All claims filed within a calendar year go towards the deductible. Once the deductible is reached, the insurance company reimburses the policy holder the agreed upon amount (i.e. pays 90% of expenses) for claims filed during the remainder of that calendar year. When the next year begins, the policy holder must again meet the deductible before reimbursement begins. Annual deductibles are best for dogs that are generally healthy and don’t have chronic healthcare needs. If your dog requires medication for an ear infection, has a tooth abscess, and needs stitches in the same calendar year, expenses for all of those go towards the deductible and then, once the deductible is reached, remaining expenses are reimbursed.

Trupanion offers per condition policies. This means that all claims filed for a specific medical condition go towards the deductible for that condition and then, once the deductible is met, all future expenses for that specific condition are reimbursed for the remainder of the dog’s life. This type of policy is best for dogs that have a chronic medical condition. The owner of a dog who develops diabetes, for instance, may appreciate only having to pay $250 towards insulin one time and then being reimbursed for all diabetes related expenses the rest of the dog’s life. If your dog requires medication for an ear infection, has a tooth abscess, and needs stitches in the same calendar year, you must pay for all of those medical needs out of pocket and none of those expenses contribute towards a deductible since they are all one time conditions.

Trupanion’s “per condition” policy is pretty self explanatory when it comes to a chronic medical condition, but how does “per condition” work in relation to an accident? All injuries related to a specific accident are considered the same condition. If your dog is attacked at a dog park and requires wound care, stitches, a topical antibiotic, an oral antibiotic, and follow up appointments, all of that care is considered one condition and falls under a single deductible. If you dog is later attacked at a dog park a second time, that new incident is a new condition (even if both injuries happen in the same calendar year).

Which Insurance Company Has the Best Policy?

Just as there are many auto insurance carriers and many homeowners insurance carriers, there are also many pet insurance carriers. The best insurance company for an individual will depend on a variety of factors and will probably not be the same for every pet. There are a number of subtle differences between carriers that will benefit different individuals. All of the pet insurance companies I researched have a comparison page on their website showing how they distinguish themselves from the competition. I found this information to be very helpful. Anyone looking to purchase pet insurance should get quotes from multiple companies and dig down into the policy and declarations to determine which policy is the best for their needs and the needs of their pet.

Because pre-existing conditions are not covered by insurance, pet owners are required to do a bit of guess work. An annual deductible might be best for a dog who is at risk for an injury while a per condition policy might be best for a dog at risk for chronic medication conditions. As you work through scenarios to determine which type of policy is best for your pet, ask yourself questions such as:

• Should I paying for a DNA test? With a simple, painless cheek swab done at home, Embark screens your dog for 165 different diseases to let you know what your dog is at risk for developing. Embark can be purchased through Amazon or directly through Embark’s website. (Unfortunately, insurance companies do not offer a discount for health tested dogs.) Save $20 on Embark’s website with the code winter20
• What health problems are common for your dog’s particular breed(s)? The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals regularly publishes disease statistics for each breed, which helps you learn the medical conditions for which your dog is most at risk. If you’re not sure what breeds are in your dog’s ancestry, Embark’s test will identify them for you.
• If you purchased your dog from a breeder, did your dog’s parents receive health testing? Do either of your dog’s parents have health problems? What about any of your dog’s siblings?
• What preventative measures have you taken to help enure your dog’s health (i.e. dogs who regularly receive heart worm preventative are a lower risk for acquiring heart worms, overweight dogs are at increased risk for joint problems, girls spayed before the third heat are at a decrease the risk of mammary cancer, etc.)?
• Does your dog have any personality traits that might put her at higher risk for an injury (i.e. aggression towards other dogs, a tendency to run away, an inclination towards chasing cars, etc.)?
• Does your dog accompany you on any activities that might be her at a higher risk for an injury (i.e. running through the woods, jumping from a boat, hiking over rough terrain, etc.)?

A Closer Look At The Top Three

Let’s look at a few of the key differences and then walk through an emergency scenario to see what coverage actually looks like with each insurance company.

Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws seems to have the highest customer ratings out of the insurance companies we looked at. Customers appreciate that 99% of claims get processed within 2 business days of filing. Another benefit of Healthy Paws is their adjustable reimbursement rate to fit your budget. One disadvantage of Healthy Paws is they do not cover hip dysplasia on dogs who begin enrollment after six years of age.

Pet Plan

Pet Plan is another great provider. Pet plan policies cover dental diseases and exam fees, unlike Healthy Paws & Trupanion. Plus there’s no upper age limit, so geriatric pets are welcome to enroll. Pet Plan also offers variable reimbursement rate and deductible options for maximum flexibility in monthly premiums. Pet Plan policies do cover alternative treatments and medical specialist costs unlike some other insurance companies.

Trupanion

As breeders, it is advantageous for us to have our puppies insured with Trupanion because we can receive information about claims filed by the owners of the pets we breed. We can then use that information to improve our breeding program and the health of our future puppies. Trupanion also will pay some veterinary hospitals directly preventing owners from having to front the money for costly visits. Trupanion has a deductible per condition, unlike the annual deductibles of Health Paws & Pet Plan.

How Much Does Emergency Medical Care Cost?

It’s difficult to determine whether pet insurance is a economical decision without considering the cost of emergency veterinary care. Emergency care varies from case to case and medical care prices differ based on location. Even so, an example scenario is tremendously helpful. We’ll compare a $250 deductible with 90% reimbursement with all three companies for this scenario:

Emergency Stitches Scenario

Your dog cuts her paw on a piece of broken glass. It’s a deep cut, and you’re fairly certain she needs stitches so you head over to the Care Center, an emergency and critical care pet hospital. This particular facility charges $100 exam fee for seeing your pet. Additional fees are then charged based on your pet’s needs for that particular illness or injury. A simple laceration costs an additional $500-$700. (More extensive services cost more.)

Pet Plan

Pet Plan’s policy coverage kicks in beginning the exam fee. You pay the first $250 to reach your deductible and then Pet Plan begins reimbursing you for 90% of all additional expenses. The $600 trip to the emergency vet cost you $315 out of pocket ($250 + 10% of the remaining $350). Your pup’s deductible has been met for the calendar year, so you only pay 10% of any additional disease or injury related health care for your pet for the remainder of the calendar year.

Healthy Paws

While Pet Plan’s policy covers the exam fee Healthy Paws policies do not. In our scenario you are stuck paying the $100 exam fee. Once you pay the $250 deductible, your Healthy Paws policy kicks in and reimburses you for 90% of the remaining expenses. Your $600 trip to the emergency vet cost you $375 out of pocket ($100 exam fee + $250 deductible + 10% of the remaining $250). The good news: your pup’s deductible has been met for the year, so for the rest of the calendar year you only pay 10% of any additional disease or injury related health care for your pet.

Trupanion

Like Healthy Paws, Trupanion does not cover exam fees. In our scenario you are stuck paying the $100 exam fee. You must then pay the $250 deductible, and finally your Trupanion policy will begin reimbursing you for 90% of the remaining expenses. Your $600 trip to the emergency vet cost you $375 out of pocket ($100 exam fee + $250 deductible + 10% of the remaining $250). Trupanion has a “per condition” deductible, so the $250 deductible you met only applies to this injury. If your pup requires additional trips to the vet for wound care or bandage changes, those visits are covered under the same condition (you are still responsible for exam fees those). If you dog has additional disease or injury related health care needs in the upcoming year, you must again reach that $250 deductible for each of those separately.

Can Dogs That Aren’t Fixed Be Insured?

Yes! Pet Plan is happy to enroll breeding pets under their standard policy. A dog must be enrolled prior to becoming pregnancy for an emergency c-section to be covered. Trupanion will not cover breeding pets under the standard policy but does offer a breeding pet policy. Under this policy, emergency c-sections are covered. The dog MUST be classified as a “breeding pet” at the time of enrollment, and the policy does NOT cover a scheduled c-section or c-sections for a dog who has previously undergone a c-section prior to enrolling. Routine pregnancy care is not covered under Pet Plan or Trupanion’s policies.

The Bottom Line

Choosing a pet insurance company can be a very difficult decision to make. Unfortunately, like any type of insurance, attention to detail is critical to ensuring you maintain the appropriate policy for your pet. Thankfully every insurance provider I researched had an abundance of information on their websites including company comparisons and sample policies to view. Obtain a free quote from several providers and compare. As you consider what coverage to carry, ask yourself the suggested questions above and imagine a few example scenarios where you would utilize the insurance. Then compare the policy benefits and costs of multiple companies.

Timberidge Goldendoodles does receive commissions from insurance sales originating from this article. Consider using the links provided above to investigate insurance companies and enroll in dog insurance if you’ve found this information to be helpful and suitable to your needs. Thank you for your support!

There are so many nuances to dog breeding that the learning literally never ends. While the constant learning is an enjoyable aspect for some, new breeders can easily become overwhelmed. Here are links to various resources that will help aspiring and experienced breeders alike. (If you haven’t already done so, read our post about Getting Started Breeding Goldendoodles.)

Canine Anatomy & Locomotion

A cute face and a charming personality go a long way, but not every dog with a good temperament should be a mama or papa. Breeders should evaluate dogs for movement and structure before deciding to use the dog for breeding. A breed standard provides the written description detailing what ideal structure and movement should look like for each particular breed, based on that breed’s purpose. Correct balance and angulation are essential for every breed, even those with the sole purpose of being a companion or family dog. Dr. Battaglia, an AKC judge, wrote two very insightful articles entitled Breeding Better Dog’s Structure And Movement. Part 1 explains how to evaluate structure and movement in a standing dog and part two discusses how to evaluate a dog in motion.

• Breeding Better Dogs: Structure & Movement Part 1
• Breeding Better Dogs: Structure & Movement Part 2

Also read through the free sample pages of Helen King’s Picking Your Performance Puppy and read this blog post she wrote.

Looking to take a more in depth look at canine anatomy and locomotion? Here are a few resources available on Amazon that will be great assets to your library:

• Dog Locomotion & Gait Analysis by Curtis Brown
• Picking Your Performance Puppy and What’s Your Angle? by Helen King
• Dogsteps book and DVD by Rachel Page Elliot

Genetics

Looking for a basic understand of genetics? This canine genetic primer defines terms, explains different modes of inheritance, and other genetic concepts to help the average person make sense of genetics. Next head over the Paw Print Genetics and browse through the different diseases on the goldendoodle panel.

Shedding & Allergies

Shedding and allergies are a hot topic when it comes to doodles! After all, many puppy purchasers seek a doodle puppy for those two characteristics. Ashton Kent from Kent Family Farms does an excellent job explaining the roles different genes play in shedding and allergies in plain language.

The above table from Paw Print Genetics is a great visual way of explaining the collaborative nature of the furnishing locus and shed locus in determining the extent to which a specific dog sheds – and therefore how “hypoallergenic” that dog is. Read Paw Print Genetic’s detailed summary for more information. Some breeders choose to conduct genetic testing on all puppies in a litter to aid in matching puppies with F/F, sd/sd puppies with homes with severe allergies or asthma. Both shed and improper coat/ furnishings are included in Embark’s canine DNA test kit and are also available through Paw Print Genetics.

Goldendoodle Colors

As you’ve probably gathered by now, Paw Print Genetics is an AMAZING source of information for all things genetic! They even have a blog post explaining why it’s possible to breed two cream parent dogs and end up with a litter of black puppies. If you can’t find an answer on their website, their customer service team will happily have an answer for you within 24 hours. I regularly email them with questions.

Ashton Kent from Kent Family Farms also has a helpful explanation about goldendoodle colors. Curious about poodle colors specifically? Read about colors from a poodle breeder’s perspective on Bijou Poodle’s blog.

Be aware that certain physical traits can put puppies at an increased risk for blindness and deafness. Research indicates that blue eyes in piebald and merle dogs are associated with an increased risk for hearing loss. Double merle also puts puppies at increased risk for health problems.

Disease Prevalence & Health Testing

You purchased a puppy from two parents with “good” hip ratings and, much to your dismay, your dog’s hip ratings came back with dysplasia! How is this possible? Keller, Dziuk & Bell’s research article provides insight and the accompanying chart, shown below, provides a helpful visual explanation. The better the hip ratings of parents & grandparents, the lower the percentage of offspring with hip dysplasia.

As demonstrated above, it’s important research your dog’s pedigree. This involves doing a “depth of pedigree” analysis, examining the health testing for the siblings of each ancestor, looking particularly at hip testing and patella luxation. Learn about the strengths and weaknesses in your pedigree.

OFA provides disease statics by breed, which is helpful for learning about the prevalence of REPORTED health problems in your favorite breed.

When Are Those Puppies Coming?!

Dogs have a gestation period of 63 days, which means only 9 short weeks to prepare for those puppies. But how do you know whether your mama is overdue? Using a breeding date to determine a due date actually isn’t the most accurate practice. Avidog suggests that “whelping window” is a more correct terminology than “due date” and asserts that predicting whelping from the first day of diestrus is truly the best option.

Puppy Enrichment

Buy The Puppy Culture Bundle with the DVD set and workbook. Yes, you need both the DVDs and the workbook. I know it’s a bit expensive, but it’s worth every penny! If you really don’t want to spend the money on the whole bundle, start with the DVD and take copious notes. Puppy Culture takes you through each stage of puppy development step-by-step, explaining what to do, how to do it, and why you should do it. Puppy Culture also interviews a variety of experts. After you’ve watched the DVDs, join the Puppy Culture Discussion Group on Facebook.

The Neonatal Period

There are two main enrichment exercises you can do with neonatal puppies: early neurological stimulation (ENS) and ear scent introduction (ESI). ENS and ESI are done once daily from 3-16 days of age. Both of these exercises take very little time or effort on the part of the breeder and leave a lasting impact on the puppies.

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)

Also known as bio sensor and super dog program, early neurological stimulation is a widespread exercise done with neonatal puppies. It’s an excellent exercise, but it does NOT replace enrichment during the transitional and socialization periods. The goal of ENS is to slightly stress neonatal puppies in a controlled manners thereby improving the pups’ ability to handle stress throughout their lives. ENS should only be done on days when the litter has not undergone any other stresses. Learn the details of the five simple exercises pictured below by visiting Natural Rearing Breeder’s Association.

Early Scent Introduction (ESI)

Early scent introduction is a program developed by Gayle of Avidog and Gaylan Golden Retrievers. This simple exercise involves holding a new scent item about 1/2″ away from each puppy’s nose once daily. Find a new item to introduce each day from days 3-16. It’s not difficult to collect 14 different scent items. Check your fridge for fruits and veggies and collect bits of nature like pine cones, leaves, and dirt from your backyard. Avidog has a one page ESI explanation and even a free ESI record sheet in case you want to record each pup’s reaction to different scents.

The Transitional & Socialization Periods

The Adventure Box

Avidog emphasizes constructing an adventure box for your puppies. An adventure box is a cube structure built out of PVC pipes from which various items dangle down. The goal of an adventure box is to challenge puppies and providing learning opportunities, thereby improving their physical, psychological and emotional health. Puppies become accustomed to different sounds as objects clang together. They also become accustomed to pushing through objects with their noses because the only way to reach the center of the adventure box is to push through hanging items.

Default Behaviors, Manding & Manners

Dogs learn best the first 16 weeks of life. This puts breeders in the unique position to mold and form behaviors that can impact puppies and their owners for many years to come. Avidog points out that “Puppies are ALWAYS learning, whether you think you are teaching them or not” so we need to constantly be aware of what our puppies are learning. This means that you may be unintentionally teaching your puppies unwanted behaviors. Making a few intentional changes to how you raise your puppies could set them up for success the rest of their lives. Here Avidog discusses four behaviors breeders unintentionally teach their puppies and suggestions for remedying that by teaching wanted behaviors. Avidog asserts that you should begin teaching your puppies impulse control around 2.5 weeks of age and explains how to do so in this helpful post. Puppy Culture likewise discusses the importance of teaching puppies how to ask for things using a behavior that is socially acceptable to humans, so be sure to watch the videos and then introduce the famous “box exercise” to your puppies. as you begin clicker training them from a remarkably young age.

Crate Conditioning The Litter

Just as programing puppies to ask politely can save new families hours of training and frustration, introducing crate training can likewise go a long way in smoothing a puppy’s transition into their forever homes. Susanne Shelton’s post about how to incrementally introduce a litter of puppies to crates is an amazing resource. Crate conditioning begins at 4 weeks of age.

Share Your Sources!

As you stumble across more great resources from which other breeders might benefit, please share them! We’re always looking to add to our compilation of breeder resources to help all be as educated as possible.

Did you know that a surprising number of dog toys sold in the United States contain carcinogens? I find this new terrifying, both for my dogs and for my toddlers! We recently started playing with Jolly Pet dog toys because they’re all non-toxic (and they’re fun!).

Jolly Pets was founded in 1994 as an offshoot of the parent company Horsemen’s Pride. Horsemen’s Pride has been designing and manufacturing horse toys for over

Horsemen’s Pride, the parent company of Jolly Pets, designed and manufactured the original Jolly Ball for horses over 40 years ago. As a result of the company’s good reputation and success creating horse toys, they started  designing durable dog toys under the name Jolly Pets in 1994. Jolly Pets now produces over 20 unique, long lasting dog chews, balls, animals, and discs. Best of all, Jolly Pets dog toys are non-toxic and many are made in the USA. Additionally all toys are backed by a manufacturer’s guarantee. Here are a few products you might want to try:

The Jolly Tuff Treader

As soon as the package arrived, our dogs somehow knew it was for them. Their obvious excitement even before we opened the box only increased when we pulled out the Jolly Tuff Treader and bounced it across the room. Jolly Pets makes some awesome dog products both dogs and their humans are sure to love.  Are you looking to spice up the game of fetch? Is your dog a tug-of-war fan? Does your dog enjoy tossing toys into the air? If so, the Jolly Tuff Treader might be your dream come true. Our dogs love playing with this toy. The bouncing nature makes for an entertaining game of fetch, especially on our hardwood floors. The tire’s haphazard bouncing delights our dogs. This uniquely designed tire with a handle is also perfect for dogs who like tug-of-war. Since it’s made out of tough rubber, the Tuff Treader has received raving reviews from many power chewers. In our experience though, the Tuff Treader is a great option for moderate chewers but may not stand up to power chewers. It also might not be the best toy choice for teething puppies.

The Jolly Tuff Tosser

If your dog loves tennis balls (and what doodle doesn’t?), you need the Jolly Tuff Tosser! Jolly Tuff Tosser is the favorite Jolly toy at our home. It’s friendly for power chewers yet perfect for fetch.  Every doodle parent should spare the $5 to give this ball a try! The Tuff Tosser is durable, it bounces, and it dispenses treats. We periodically stuff our dogs’ kibble inside, allowing them to exercise their brains while eating breakfast. Nosing the ball along allows causes the ball to easily dispense the kibble. While it’s not the most challenging treat dispenser on the market, it does make a great slow feeder. The 3” ball holds about ¾ cup of medium sized adult kibble and 1 cup of puppy. The Tuff Tosser is carefully designed with two holes so it won’t accidentally suction to your dog’s mouth. Note: this ball does not float

The Jolly Bounce-N-Play

Is your pup an Aussiedoodle, borderdoodle or sheepadoodle? Does your dog love playing soccer? For herding breeds and dogs that enjoy nudging objects with their noses, the Bounce-N-Play is a sure hit. This ball is designed for dogs to push around with their noses rather than carry it in their mouths. Since Bounce-N-Play balls are too large for most dogs to wrap their jaws around, they’re a great toy option for power chewers. If your dog manages to make a rough area on the ball with her teeth, sand it down and it’s ready for more fun. With 4.5 stars on Amazon, the Bounce-N-Play is a toy you want to try!

Which Jolly Pets Toy Will My Dog Like Best?

Because every dog is unique, Jolly Pets has a toy finder that helps you determine which Jolly toy is best for your individual dog based on her size, preferences, and tendencies. Here’s a quick comparison of the three Jolly Pets toys in our home:

This post contains affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This commission helps keep our site running. Thank you for your support!

Timberidge Farms may have received some of the reviewed products for free in exchange for an honest review.  Thoughts and opinions expressed here were not influenced by the manufacturing company in any way. All of the products we review we have personally used with our own dogs.