Take Home Preparations
Congratulations and thank you for bringing a Pacific Doodle puppy into your home and your hearts to share a loving bond for life!
Here is some basic information that may help you in preparation of bringing your pup home.
The picture below is our ideal new puppy setup! The puppy playpen is lined with a waterproof puppy pad to avoid any damage to flooring and is a perfect barrier for keeping puppies warm. We recommend families place the litter box inside the playpen along with an open door kennel to create a wonderful, cozy and private space for new puppies going home!
DIET
Your puppy has started his/her life being fed premium grade puppy kibble called Purina Pro Plan Focus- Chicken and rice. Depending on the size of your puppy, your puppy has been fed three to four times a day. This should be maintained during the biggest growth spurts of your pups life. Because they are growing they will need all the nutrition they can get.
You are not contractually obligated to maintain the Purina Pro Plan puppy kibble food, please be thorough with your research if you decide to continue this once your pup comes home and do what is most comfortable for you!
When switching to a different kibble I recommend a high calorie quality diet. They are given Bene-Bac probiotic, a probiotic paste to help aid in their digestion and health. Please continue the probiotics especially during any transition of food, this is great to continue for consistent stool and overall digestion help, as puppies are notorious for having sensitive stomachs especially their first year of life. Best transition is to add water/broth to their kibble (1 TBS canned pumpkin puree with each meal) and time... they will eat when they are settled and hungry.
We also recommend giving your new puppy a multivitamin daily! We like to use Tomlyn Nutri-Cal high calorie dietary supplement. It provides puppy appetite stimulation and is any excellent source of vitamins & minerals.
There may be soft stool until they have been on a kibble for a short while, Bene Bac aids in this transition well. When switching from Kibble to Kibble it is a gradual transition, because their stomach digests each differently trying to do both may confuse their gut more than help it.
For convenience, please find the attached links to the items we recommend
PetAg Bene-Bac Plus FOS & Probiotics Gel Supplement
Tomlyn Nutri-Cal High-Calorie Dietary Puppy Supplement
PuppyGoHere Dog Litter Pan Litter Box Training.
Arm & Hammer Platinum Natural Pine Original Non-Clumping Cat Litter, with Baking Soda
Feline Pine Original Cat Litter, 7-Pound Bags (Pack of 2)
TRAINING
Your pup has been in training to use the bathroom in a litter box! While I understand you may not have a doggie door, or be home enough to continue the training, but please try to encourage your new pup and be persistent. This teaches them that the bathroom is for outside only and they have been using it exclusively! Of course, weather conditions and the new environment may hinder/confuse their continued progress for a short time, but with persistence and giving them a word command with a specific spot to go they will catch on very quickly at your home with the base they already have from here. I suggest crate training them for the evenings and keeping it next to your bed so you can wake if they whine and need to go out, but do not let them play. Night time is to bathroom then back in crate. They are like babies, and may cry at you until they are used to this schedule, so please be consistent with it. A schedule and knowing they can count on you as their Owner/Boss/Alpha is extremely important , especially the first part of their life in knowing their place and part of the family. All new homes are set up differently, so find what works best for you and your pup and family (dog door, bell on door, smaller confined spaces until they “earn”’ more space with no accidents and going back if they have a mistake). These are all ways I teach my pups here in our home and everything with persistence works!
Be mindful of slick stairs, jumping off of beds, walks or runs that are too long, etc., during the bigger and earlier growth spurts as their joints are more susceptible to injury.
VACCINATIONS
5-in-1 First Puppy Vaccination consists of: Parvovirus, Canine distemper, Adenovirus 2, Parainfluenza
Your puppy’s vaccination record will come home with her/him.
Continued puppy socialization is important while still young and just being separated from their littermates. If there are other dogs or puppies that you know they are up to date and current on their own vaccinations and healthy it is ideal to set up such “play dates”. Avoid taking your puppy on walks, dog parks, pet stores, or as a rule of thumb anywhere other dogs may have walked that you don’t know, until all of their puppy vaccinations are complete, usually around 4 months. This time with you at home is ideal as they are learning your cues and rules, you can practice walking on leash around the house so they are already comfortable with you and visa versa for when you head outdoors.
Continue getting required puppy vaccinations (3 or 4 sets depending on vet) 3 weeks apart with rabies at the conclusion. Deworming, Heart worm medicine, Flea and Tick meds need to be administered based on the needs of your location.
VACCINATION SCHEDULE
Puppy’s Age Recommended Vaccinations Optional Vaccinations
6 — 8 weeks Distemper, parainfluenza Bordetella
10 — 12 weeks DHPP (vaccines for distemper, Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease
adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza,
and parvovirus)
12 — 24 weeks Rabies none
14 — 16 weeks DHPP Coronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis
12 — 16 months Rabies, DHPP Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease
Every 1 — 2 years DHPP Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease
Every 1 — 3 years Rabies (as required by law) none
PARASITE MANAGEMENT
Do talk with your veterinarian about parasite management and develop a proactive parasite management plan that addresses both internal and external parasites. Parasites are extremely common in puppies and adult dogs can have them too! Talk with your vet about the types of activities your puppy will be engaged in (e.g., hiking, shared puppy play spaces, puppy day care) and invest in preventative care. Also talk to your veterinarian about parasite management across the lifespan and formulate a deworming, flea and tick, and lice treatment schedule with guidance from your vet. Proactive and preventative care are your best defenses against parasites. We also recommend blocking your pups access to feces. Try your best to prevent your puppy from playing with, eating, or sniffing feces of any kind. In the event your puppy does come into contact with feces you will want to wash him/her immediately. Please also insure you are sanitizing your pups food and water bowls daily in that they too can harbor parasites. See links to example dewormers, flea, tick, and chewing lice medications below as well as informational articles on parasite management:
Safe-Guard Canine Dewormer
Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Treatment
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/parasites/
Managing Parasites in Dogs and Cats
Protect Pets from Disease Carrying Pests
Worming Schedule for Puppies
TRAVEL
There are a few options to get your baby home to you...
1) You can fly to pick up/fly with pup in cabin while making a trip out of it or an in-out flight same day and bring your pup in cabin back home on your return flight. There is a fee for in cabin pets to ride with you and that depends on the airline. (typically $75-$125 in addition to your flight costs). I usually meet you at the airport at the departures area so there is an easy check in for you, or you can pick up at my home if you have a rental car.
2) If you are close enough and want to drive to pick up your pup, you are welcome to.
3) We also offer ground and air shipping. All three ways are safe for your baby... I would never endanger one of my pups as they are making their way home and any form of travel usually puts them right to sleep, the hum of the car & plane and the baby overstimulation of it all. The travel will be determined when you have chosen your puppy.
CRATES, COLLAR/HARNESS & BRUSHES
The size of the crate you purchase will depend on a couple things: are you planning on using it only for potty & puppy training while young? If so, you can get away with a smaller one and replace it with a dog bed in the later months after they have earned their trust around the house or you have an alternative room they have access to while you are away. Do you want to have a consistent crate they can go to and call their own for their life? Then I would suggest getting a large or XL (depending on estimated adult weight), wire kennel that you can set up in a specific spot that has an additional crate sizer so you can only allow enough room for them to stand, turn and lay back down as they grow and are training and can be opened up when they are older and trained to go to when they need to be out of your hair or when you are away from home. This will be based on your training methods and structure you implement for your dog.
I also suggest, while potty training to line the crate with a towel or small blanket that you can pull out, wash and replace as necessary. A big fluffy bed will only make it harder to clean and give them the opportunity to show you just how sharp those puppy teeth are and possibly ingest some cotton/stuffing.
I always use a harness for young puppies, this way while you can’t take them out on walks around the neighborhood until vaccinations are done, it will give you the opportunity to practice walking around your home without tugging on their neck. After the points of largest growth invest in a more permanent, larger collar. Martingale collars are wonderful because as your dog’s hair grows it won’t get tighter and cause matting, it has an adjustable section that will accommodate for sitting comfortably on their necks, not getting tangled while getting tighter up when going on walks and keeping them near you. I have had owners enjoy the rolled leather, as it does not matt as well with longer “doodle” haired dogs. Find what works best with the hair length you like to keep on your dog. The fluff of their hair can be deceiving so make sure there is still room (general of two fingers under collar) but that it cannot be tugged up over their head if they pull back.
The only two brushes I have ever needed to have on hand to keep up with brushing my dogs’ hair when it gets longer is a long metal comb, in case there are any matts starting or areas that need more deep attention (behind ears, collar area, hind quarters) and a flat bristle/slicker brush, that is pokey, which is a great over the top brush out and eases into the deeper comb brushing. Your groomer may suggest other brushing or grooming aids for the length of hair and amount of wave on your pup.
MICROCHIP
In my opinion it is a wise choice to microchip your puppy. It's easy, gives you a piece of mind and free registration. Please do this as soon as possible.
I look forward to all the pictures, updates and stories of your puppy in their new home! Thank you for sharing your excitement with me!
PET INSURANCE
We believe that your pets health and happiness is worth it! You want to protect your pet and your finances. The concept of medical insurance for pets is fairly straightforward—pay a monthly premium to be covered for unexpected, costly veterinary expenses.