These pups are ready to go home with you August 19th-21st.
happy birthday: June 24
Gideon & Nylah are the proud parents of EIGHT squishy new babies: four girls and four boys. These little ones are absolutely precious. When first born, puppies depend completely on their mama, so we’re blessed that Nylah does such a great job caring for them. She nurses them almost constantly it seems and snuggles with them. Nylah naps in the whelping box with puppies all over: snuggled under her tail, cuddled under her chin, tucked under her elbows, bedded down in her fur on her back, and snoozing at the milk bar. With a 20lb mama and eight puppies, there are literally puppies everywhere, and it’s absolutely the cutest thing. How sweet are these faces? The pups are about 24 hours old in the picture below. Enjoy those pink noses because they’ll soon start to blacken up.
At first puppies can’t yet walk. Their eyes and ears are closed. They can’t even 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, so they snuggle together in a giant puppy heap. And they also cuddle around Nylah as she snoozes contentedly, surrounded by her new family. 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. Nylah’s puppies twitch and pop in their sleep, as all healthy newborn puppies should. This activated sleep helps them build muscle tone.
weekly puppy tip #1: nap time is essential!
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 untouched (it’s okay for noisy life to carry on around her while she snoozes, but it’s best not to physically disturb her as much as possible). This may mean that you need to guide her to a different spot than the one she’s initially chosen. Puppy Culture estimates that an 8-10 week old puppy sleeps 3 hours and then is awake for 1 hour before going back down for another nap. 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.
one week
Blueberry, the little blue collared boy, decided to be a non-conformist during the one week photoshoot last night, and it made me laugh! Everyone else may be happy sleeping on their bellies, but evidently he already prefers sleeping like a goldendoodle! This breed has so much personality, and your new pup will certainly keep you smiling. We think it’s funny to see our big dogs snoozing on their backs with their bellies in the air like Mr. Blueberry in this picture. Nylah will even sleep like that in the whelping box when she’s relaxing with her crew. The four pups on the left are the boys and the four pups on the right of the picture are the girls in both the pictures above and below.
It’s amazing that even at this young age we can start seeing hints of what the puppies’ adult coats will be like! Most of the puppies look like they’ll have beautiful curls like their mama, but a few look like they’ll be a little less curly. Take a look at these two boys. Can you see how the darker colored pup already has waves and the lighter color pup’s hair looks much straighter? Now go back and take a peek at the newborn picture. Can you see how the tiny curls were already beginning to be evident on some of the pups at only one day old? Isn’t that so cool?!
These little sausages twitch and pop involuntarily during their sleep, developing muscle tone for the near future. This phenomenon is known as “activated sleep.” In a few short weeks, these rolly polly puppies will be bouncing around playfully. Their legs, while still wobbly, have already gotten stronger and the puppies attempt wobble around on them instead of just army crawling as they did initially. Hopefully you enjoyed the Instagram story video of them switching and popping.
The puppies have all had their toenails. It’s important to keep their toenails short now so the pups don’t accidentally scratch mama Nylah when they’re nursing. Toenails grow quickly. Be ready to trim your new pup’s nails every few weeks when she joins your family. Right now we use human nail clippers on the pup’s toenails because they’re so tiny.
weekly puppy tip #2
Make a puppy experience plan – Compile a list of places you want to take your puppy and experiences you want your puppy to encounter. Any day now, these little eyes will be ready to soak up the sites, and 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. If you hope to visit a local nursing home or hospital when your puppy gets older, secure some crutches, walkers or wheelchairs to expose your puppy to at home. Meeting people is just one component of socialization. Think about outdoor experiences that you and your puppy can safely enjoy together. Consider what predictable 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 anyone with a woods or creek where you can take your puppy for a short romp? Remember, you want every experience to be POSITIVE (i.e. bring yummy treats and hand out the praise). 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. Baxter & Bella also has some great ideas for socializing your puppy.
two weeks
Have you ever heard the term “dog pile”? Well now you know where that phrase comes from! Puppies naturally gravitate towards each other. If they’re spread apart, it’s usually because they’re hot. It sure doesn’t seem like sleeping in a heap could be all that comfy, do you think? Goldendoodles are notorious for being silly sleepers. Last week, Blueberry was the nonconformist who wanted to snooze on his back during the group photoshoot. Today, Plushy (green collar) is the back sleeper. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if your puppy enjoys sleeping on her back like this when she joins your family.
These puppies are so stinking precious! And they’re getting little round bellies, too! The puppies have all broken the 1lb mark, which means that they’ve doubled their birth weights. They may seem big in the pictures, but they’re still so tiny! One pound. That’s a whole lot of growth since they were born, yet still a small fraction of what they’ll be as adults. Despite rotund bellies, the pups are beginning to take wobbly steps.
Don’t they look much more like little dogs than they did last week? Next week they’ll look even more like miniature dogs. It’s so fascinating to watch the incredible growth and development that happens in such a short amount of time. The puppies are still in a calm, quiet environment. Soon they’ll be ready for the chaos of our main living area but not quite yet. They get around their whelping box fairly quickly on wobbly legs, and it’s fun to see them attempting to walk instead of belly crawl.
The biggest, most exciting change since last week is that puppies’ eye have just started opening. It’s so fun to see them looking back at us. Eye opening is a process that doesn’t happen all in one day. When puppy eyes first open, they’re blue and cloudy and the pups peer through little slits that are barely open. But as the eyes change from their cloudy blue appearance, they open wider and the puppy’s vision becomes crisper.
The puppies have all had their toenails twice now. It’s important to keep their toenails short now so the pups don’t accidentally scratch mama Maple when they’re nursing. Toenails grow quickly. Be ready to trim your new pup’s nails every few weeks when she joins your family. Right now we use human nail clippers on the pup’s toenails because they’re so tiny.
weekly puppy tip #3: age appropriate exercise
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 regularly 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 inclined to do so. 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
I realized that I haven’t shared the temporary names for this crew with you yet. Our kids always take great joy in naming the puppies and begin thinking of names weeks before the puppies arrive. This litter is a little extra special because Nylah’s two human brothers helps select names. The boys: Plushy (green), Blueberry (blue), Tux (red), and Peter Puppy Tail (red). The girls are: Orangie (orange), Gingie (purple), Diamond (pink), and Hwin (white).
Aren’t these little pumpkins really looking like miniature dogs now? Look at those open eyes! When puppy eyes first open, they’re blue and cloudy but as the eyes change from their cloudy blue appearance, they open more and the puppy’s vision becomes crisper. We give the puppies different objects to explore, and it’s fun to watch them interact with each toy. The pups still spend the majority of their time snoozing, but they’re also starting to play with each other. Their clumsy play right now looks like it’s happening in slow motion.
Look at those adorable curls on her forehead! All four girls are going to have beautiful coats of fluffy curls – just like their mama. It’s fun to see those tiny waves on their foreheads becoming more pronounced. The puppies have had their toenails trimmed again. Those front toenails grow so quickly. They puppies have recently discovered that they can bark, and sometimes a seemingly random high pitched bark rings out. They surprise themselves with the sounds that come out of their own mouths!
These puppies may still seem incredibly small, but they’ve really packed on the pounds. In fact, a few pups have crossed over the big 2lb mark and rest are rapidly approaching it. That’s a lot of growing! These sweet little pumpkins continue to dedicate their entire lives to eating and sleeping – and it shows! And all this growing means that they’ve graduated to big pup collars! We use break-free collars to keep our littles safe from the risk of strangulation, but these special safety collars feel like “normal” collars to the puppies, so they’ll go home used to the feel of wearing a collar.
weekly puppy tip #4: be the leader your puppy wants you to be
It’s essential that you establish yourself as the pack leader. Your puppy doesn’t want to be in charge – that’s a scary place to be! Your puppy wants to look to you as the leader, but you have to show yourself as worth of the role by being the leader (this also helps set your kids apart as ranking higher in the pack than your new pup). Some easy ways to establish your leadership include:
- Sit down with your puppy each night before bed and briefly touch your puppy EVERYWHERE. Kneel on the floor with your puppy sitting between your legs. Start by petting your puppy’s head and tell him “head, head.” Then check his mouth, telling him “teeth, teeth,” and look inside his ears telling him “ear, ears.” Briefly go over your puppy from nose to tail in this fashion. This helps establish that you’re allowed to touch your puppy anywhere and everywhere. (see the video below)
- Set boundaries so there is at least one place in your home that your dog isn’t allowed to go in your home (i.e. not allowed to jump on your bed, not allowed to sit on a particular couch or not allowed into a certain room).
- Teach you puppy to sit and wait for you to walk out the front door before her and give her the “okay” before she is permitted to walk through it. If you’ve been consistent, your puppy will offer a sit and wait for a release word (i.e. “okay”) before coming inside by 3 months old. When she’s old enough to start walking freely up and down stairs, teach her to wait for you to finish climbing/descending the stairs before she comes.
- Encourage your puppy sit and wait for you to give her the “okay” before she is allowed to approach her food bowl. Periodically pick up your puppy’s food bowl while she’s eating, reward her with a yummy treat, and return the food bowl. (we’ll talk about the Toy Trade Game and other educational games you can play with your puppy next week).
- Teach your puppy to do a long down during meal times. Buy a soft rug or bed and teach your puppy to go lay on it on command. We have our own adult dogs lay on a rug in a down stay during dinner. Maple was doing a down stay along side them at 6 months old for the entire length of our meal – which means your puppy can do it at a young age, too!
four weeks
I can’t believe how quickly these babies are growing up! There have been so much happening this week! The puppies have moved downstairs, tasted kibble, played with Maple’s puppies, enjoyed exploring outside, gone on a road trip, had their bottoms shaved with the clippers, slept in a crate together overnight, met a bunch of new faces during Maple’s meet & greet… It’s been a busy week! At first pups needed a calm, quiet environment without too much stimulation. But now they’re ready for the chaos that exists in the main part of our home, and the vastness of exploring the great outdoors! The pups moved into a small puppy area earlier in the week, and we gradually allowed them to play in the bigger puppy play yard (aka Puppy Town). We continue to give these munchkins new toys to spark their curiosity. And we continue to snuggle them! They shower us with kisses, and we shower them with kisses, too! We’ve also started taking them outside. First once a day for a brief period and now more frequently. Trotting on wood chips, bounding through the grass, climbing over rocks – it’s great for the puppies to experience a variety of surfaces and textures. These pups have had their toenails trimmed for the third or fourth time now, they’ve sniffed noses with some other dogs besides their mama (Abria enjoys being an auntie), they’ve enjoyed fresh warmed goat milk, they’ve had fun playing with each other and with Maple’s puppies… So much has happened this week! The growing and developing puppies do in the first four weeks is absolutely outstanding! Scroll up and look at the pictures from last week and compare them to this week’s pictures. Isn’t it incredible how much these puppies have grown and changed in such a short time?!
The puppies are still enjoy mama Nylah’s (and mama Maple’s!) delicious, nutritious milk. I can’t imagine nursing a litter of babies! It doesn’t look like fun, but Nylah still nurses of all her sweet babies. It’s a crazy chaotic scramble of puppies as everyone climbs over, under, and on top of everyone else trying to secure a milk tap before anyone can snag it. It’s easy to tell when the milk starts flowing because the pups suddenly calm and you can hear their little gulps as they melt into a moment of pure milk enjoyment. The puppies have also started eating moistened TLC puppy kibble, and they think it’s pretty tasty too. Soon they’ll be chowing down on dry kibble, but for now while their teeth are coming in, the soften food makes for a perfect meal. Your little one will be accustomed to eating TLC puppy food. You should be receiving an email directly from TLC in the next week. In our weekly puppy tip below, you’ll learn about the trade game. 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. 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 weekly puppy tip #5).
5 (and a half) weeks
weekly puppy tip #5: 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 him 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 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: Play Ping Pong by having a partner play with you and take turns hiding. While the first person is rewarding the puppy for coming, the second person hides.
Check out how much these puppies have grown since last week! Peter Puppy Tail & Gingie, pictured above, are the last two puppies I shared pictures of last week (if you’re on a computer, their pictures this week should be in line with their pictures from last week). They’ve gotten bigger and fluffier and cuter, haven’t they? Haven’t they changed a lot in one week?
Five weeks is such a fun age! These puppies are cuter every day! Their individual personalities are showing through. They’ve transformed from little guinea pigs who can’t see or hear to actual miniature dogs who run around and play and give kisses. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the short video clips on our Instagram story. I’m trying to share short videos there regularly so you can see what the puppies are up to each day. You’ve probably noticed that a number of those videos have been outside. The pups been going outside to potty multiple times a day now (rain or shine!).
The puppies have started eating dry TLC kibble now. At first they ate soften, moist kibble and now they’ve transitioned to straight dry kibble. Nylah (and Maple) continues to nurse them throughout the day. The puppies trot about, exploring the world around them. They enjoy playing with the different toys in their pen, and they enjoy playing with each other, too. The pups don’t sit still for long, except for when they’re on your lap or sleeping, so pictures are challenging – unless they’re sleeping! In between their short bursts of energy, they still spend much of their time snoozing. If you sit on the floor, you’re sure to have a lap full of puppies! Each night we divide the litter in half and put the pups in two crates for the night( everyone is in a crate with their buddies – no one is confined alone at this age).
Weekly Puppy Tip #6
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.
We prefer in person puppy class over virtual hands down, but having online recourses is incredibly helpful, too. Timberidge Goldendoodles is excited to partner with Baxter & Bella. These online resources, virtual classes, and video training tips are an amazing option for every puppy owner – there are even a variety of resources to help you now as you prepare for your new furry family member. Plus membership is for a lifetime, so you can access Baxter & Bella’s tools repeatedly over the years ahead for each and every furry child that joins your family.
Use the discount code TIMBERIDGE to save 25% when you join Baxter & Bella!
Here’s a short video from Baxter & Bella’s about how to train your puppy to respond positively the someone ringing your doorbell. You can take this same principle and apply it to a variety of other circumstances, such as teaching your puppy to walk calmly past another dog who is going crazy. You can find more free puppy training videos here. Remember, the best thing you can do to prepare for your new puppy is to prepare yourself!
6 weeks
It’s been another busy week full of fun puppy adventures. The puppies have played outside A LOT! The puppies have ventured on another road trip this week. It’s good for them to get used to playing in different locations/ new environments, and they’ve enjoyed exploring the new situations. We’re working hard to expose these pups to a variety of sights, sounds, smells, environments – and in just a few short weeks, it will be your turn to continue that socialization process with your new pup. Another new excitement of the week is that the puppies have officially started eating dry kibble. They have been eating TLC puppy food for some time now, but at first we moisten it and then gradually transition to completely dry. If you haven’t received an email from TLC, please let me know. The puppies have a blast playing with Maple’s pups and they have enjoyed sniffing noses with some adult dogs besides mamas Nylah & Maple this week too. Hopefully the Instagram story videos of the pups with Ivy made you smile. We were all laughing watching Ivy pull her blanket around the kitchen with numerous puppies hitch hiking rides!
weekly puppy tip #7
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 a 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 the 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 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 him 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. We have a plethora of haircut resources under the “grooming” tab on the main menu bar.
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. We HIGHLY recommend doing regular bonding/body handling exercises with your puppy (demonstrated in the video shared on weekly puppy tip #4). Goldendoodles are a breed that like routines (thanks to those poodle ancestors), so it’s nice to do bonding exercises every night just before your put your puppy in her crate for bed. It’s easy to incorporate different parts of grooming into your nightly bonding exercises, just doing a little here and a little there since young puppies don’t have the attention span for lots of grooming at once.
seven weeks
The puppies are so much fun! They bound around outside, finding things to chew and places to explore. They also sneak around the house, trying to investigate new places. We continue to take the puppies on new and different adventures. It’s fun to see their curiosity! The pups enjoy any new toy we throw their way, and they are still very fond of their slide and adventure box (they especially seem to have a blast tugging on the blue blanket).
Be sure to pick up a special extra yummy chew that your puppy only gets during (daytime) crate time
Aren’t these pups adorable? Now scroll back and look at their newborn pictures. Isn’t it marvelous that in just seven weeks they’ve transformed from little guinea pigs into gorgeous, fluffy puppies?!
weekly puppy tip #8
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:
- 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- this doesn’t mean that you all need to tip toe quietly around when the puppies napping! It just means that when the puppy is napping, let her enjoy that peaceful sleep untouched and wake up on her own good time.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Establish a safe place for your dog, usually either a dog bed or crate. Teach your children that when the puppy is in her safe place, they need to let her alone and they may not touch her. Your puppy will learn that she can retreat to her safe place if she becomes overwhelmed with a situation or if she just needs a nap.
getting ready
Puppy supplies
We’ve created a puppy shopping list to guide you as you prepare to bring your new pup home! Go ahead and pick up a Snuggle Puppy (with a heartbeat) to bring with you on meet & greet day. If you have a crate, you’re welcome to leave that with us that on meet & greet day as well and we’ll start getting your puppy used to her new future “bedroom.”
Baxter & Bella: first 2 weeks with a new puppy
These are all short 1-3 minute videos that are helpful to watch. You’ll learn how to teach your puppy and get ideas for establishing good behaviors from day one. These videos show Amy Jensen training Chili, her young goldendoodle puppy
- Puppy pen & day one crate introduction
- Impulse control
- Toy trade game, building a marker
- Mat work & teaching your puppy to settle
- Teaching your puppy to sit to say “please”
- Settling in a crate, redirecting
- Come
- Keeping an eye on your puppy while you’re being productive & preventing resource guarding
- Helping your puppy enjoy being brushed
- Introducing a harness or therapy vest
- Walking on a leash
- “Drop it” command
- Example of a puppy-sized training session (training sessions should only be 1-2 minutes long for an 8-10 week old puppy)
If you’re eager to learn more, Baxter & Bella’s online resources, virtual classes, and video training tips are an amazing option for every puppy owner. Plus membership is for a lifetime, so you can access Baxter & Bella’s tools repeatedly over the years ahead for each and every furry child that joins your family. Use the discount code TIMBERIDGE to save 25% when you join Baxter & Bella!
If you plan to do service or therapy work with your puppy, the harness introduction and “touch” are both important to start early on. In addition, watch GoodWill or Facebook Marketplace to find assistive mobility assistive such as a cane, crutches, walker, wheel chair, etc. that your puppy may encounter during therapy visits. You’ll want to familiar your puppy with those items early on.
Puppy Culture: first 2 weeks with a new puppy
You will have to put the free course into your cart and check out. Much of this program you can just listen to without actually watching, so this is a great have this on hand while you’re driving. If you only have time to watch part of this course, I recommend watching: Class 1 part 2 about setting up your puppy’s spot at home and Class 2 part 1 about structuring your puppy’s day.Bringing your puppy home by Puppy Culture
Puppy-sized exercise
Puppy Culture explains why age appropriate exercise is critical for your puppy in this article. Also be sure to check out Puppy Culture’s exercise guideline poster and the AviDog (Good Dog) Fit For Life puppy exercise guidelines.