General Puppy Care

Grooming Your Labradoodle

Grooming is very important for the health and beauty of your dog. Your Puppy needs to be brushed on a daily basis. I prefer the slicker wire brush because it reaches through the full coat. Please make sure that you can comb through the hair after brushing. Mats can get out of hand very quickly. Be sure to brush under the arms and behind the ears. Brush from the base of the tail to the head. It is best to go against the growth of the hair except on the ears. Make sure that the ears are brushed from base of ear near the head to end of ear. Be sure to clean the ears out weekly. You can purchase ear powder from any pet supply. Put the powder in the ears and pull the hair out of the ears. You can use hemostats or use your fingers to pull the hair. It will not hurt the dog unless it has an ear infection. You can use alcohol or vinegar mixed with water to clean once a week. Do not use peroxide. Peroxide does not evaporate from the ears and can cause problems instead of preventing them. The ear canal of the dog is not like a human. If you use hemostats do not worry about going to deep. The ear canal goes in and then down and then in again. Be sure to clip the nails on a regular basis. The longer they get the harder it is to clip them. It is best to take the tips off on a weekly basis than to clip more off monthly. The quick will not grow as far if done regularly. If you clip the nail to far it will bleed. There is no need to get upset. I have never seen a dog bleed to death from a nail to short! If your puppy gets plenty of outdoor exercise the nails may not be a problem anyway because they tend to wear down. I also find that the Dremel tool make a great grinder. It may take a little getting used to but they will adjust to the grinder. Be sure to take your puppy to a professional groomer as early as possible. I start the puppies out with clipping when they are about two weeks old and start bathing them about 3 weeks old. Once your puppy gets used to their groomer he or she will love to go for a hair cut.

Crate Training Your Puppy

I would recommend that you crate train your puppy. This is a personal preference for me. I have found that the puppy learns to feel secure in their own crate. It also keeps them from potting in the house. I feed the puppy and then take them out about 10 minutes later. I always say the word “Outside” and praise them when they potty. I let my puppies sleep in a crate at night. Most won’t soil their crate and will wait until you let them out to potty. Be sure to let them out often when they are young because it takes a while before they can hold their bladders. Have patience and it will pay off.

Obedience Training Your Puppy

I would recommend the book called “Dog Training for Dummies.” It has plenty of great information on training. It is very important to have a well trained dog. They are great in agility, obedience, hunting and service. Most of my puppies learn to sit in about 10 minutes. It is amazing how quickly that they learn. Most Labradoodles are social animals and will get along with other family pets. It is good to take them with you in the car a often as possible. It is not good to put them in the car for vet visits and grooming appointments only. They should be taken for short rides just for the fun of it. Have Fun and make sure to keep paper towels in the car, just in case!

Vaccinations and Vet Visits

My Vet gives the first shot at 7 weeks of age. She says that the puppies have their mothers natural immunity until this age. The puppies are given the vaccine for Parvo and for Distemper. We need to be careful with giving more shots than is beneficial to the puppy. Research has shown that the dogs immune system is being affected by overloading them with annual shots. Please read up on this and make the decision that is best for you and your puppy. A good website to visit is http://www.thedapperdog.com/vacc1.html This Dr. William Falconer has some really great insight in this matter. I will not make a recommendation on shots. This matter should be left up to the individual pet owner. I have a friend that has had all three of her standard poodles titered each year for the past 3 years and they still have their immunity to these diseases. The downside to this is that most Vets and Boarding Facilities require proof of shots. I would recommend the three year rabies vaccine. The one and three year vaccine is exactly the same! I feel that the less we tamper with the immune system the better. Be sure to get on a good heartworm medication and have the vet give you a good de-worming schedule. Frontline is a good product if fleas are a problem. Fleas will reek havoc on a full coat of hair. Some dogs have allergies to fleas. You will find out really fast if your puppy gets fleas!

Feeding and Treats

Make sure that you feed the puppy a good premium dry dog food. Please do not feed canned food for the main diet. A good dry food is good for the teeth. There are many good foods on the market. I feed Nutro Max Large Breed Puppy food. I later switch them over to Pedigree. My dogs love it! Some people prefer to feed their dogs the raw diet. I don’t have a preference. I just don’t have the time or money to feed it. Please be careful about the treats that you give your puppy. The rawhide chews are one of worst things you can give your puppy. The rawhide swells up and can block the intestines of your puppy. If you doubt this just put a piece in water overnight! Please take heed to this warning. My vet said that many dogs die from rawhide each year. The compressed rawhide is a good choice. It will splinter in small pieces and will not block the dog. Please be careful of toys that have squeakers in them. Puppies love to tear them out and this becomes a choking hazard. I am sorry if I am too cautious but I love my dogs! My female named “Hope” almost died last year from ingesting the new kitty litter that clumps. Having a puppy is a lot like having a two year old child in the house! Just be careful and remember that tennis balls never fail! Nylabone is also a good choice.