Take Home Information
Congratulations on your newest family member. We hope your puppy helps to complete your family. Here are a few things we think would help make the adjustment easier. Also a list of the top ten things to know when you bring your puppy home.
Feeding: We feed our puppies the Kirkland brand puppy food, and currently feed them 3 times a day (6:00am, 12:00pm, 6:00am) you can start feeding them twice a day at 6 months old. They are eating their puppy food dry and just feed the amount it recommends on the bag for their weight. We recommend feeding them puppy food until 1 year old at least. Try not to feed or water them any later then 6:00 as they will have to go potty during the night. Also avoid feeding your puppy too much ideally you should be able to feel but not see the ribs and by looking straight down at your dog while she is standing there should be a recognizable waist. Ask your veterinarian if your dog is at a healthy weight during your next visit.
Immunizations: We recommend keeping your puppy up to date on immunizations. We immunize at 6 weeks, 9 weeks, & 12 weeks the puppy shots. Then your puppy needs the rabies before or around 6 months old. We have dewormed your puppy every two weeks, so you can ask your vet how often he recommends you keep that up. Everyones opinion is different on this.
Spay/Neuter: We sell family pets not breeding animals. By purchasing our pet without the breeding rights you have agreed to spay or neuter your puppy before 6 months old. Best Friends is an organization that will do this for you cheaper then the regular vet (usually around $60). They recommend you do this anytime after 8 weeks and before 4 months. I have also heard the animal shelter does it for discounts as well. If you do decide to breed your dog. Please be considerate and pay us the $500 breeding fee or you can give us the price of your "Pick of liter" when your puppies arrive.
Support: You are always more then welcome to call us for advice, boarding if you go out of town, and referrals. Krazy Creek Labradoodles @ 6606 W. 7300 N. American Fork, UT 801-856-8005 you can also join our group on Facebook where we have fun posting photos of our pack. Just search Krazy Creek Labradoodles. Online also has lots of great information. I highly recommend Ceasars Way of training: For more info visit: http://www.cesarsway.com
#1 Be Patient-Remember that your puppy is just a baby and you are training him because he truly doesn’t know any better. There will be accidents in the beginning and you need to stay patient with him if you want to achieve success.
#2 Be Consistent-Consistency is the key to keeping your puppy from becoming confused. If you tell him one thing one day and another the next, you cannot expect him to learn properly.
#3 Be Confident-Dogs need to know who is in charge from the start. Commanding him confidently, holding his leash confidently – all of these things let your dog know that he isn’t running the show, you are.
#4 Use Treats-Treats are far and away the best training trick. As Dr. Lisa Radosta puts it: "If you want to train your dog effectively, you have to find his 'currency.'" She goes on to suggest finding a treat that will make your puppy do back flips, so that when you move on to harder commands, such as coming to you instead of chasing a cat, your dog is more inclined to listen. (I use honey nut cherrios for basics little bits of pepperoni for harder first time tricks)
#5 Try the Replacement Theory-Replacement theory is a way to keep your puppy from chewing on inappropriate things. Remember, he doesn’t know any better. So when you catch him with your shoe, firmly say no, take it away, and replace it with something your puppy is allowed to chew on.
#6 Hold the Leash Properly-In holding the leash, make sure that you do not hold it too tightly; there should be enough slack so that your puppy does not feel any discomfort. It takes some getting used to, since it is common for most dog-owners to hold on to the leash too tightly at first. (you may want to use a gentle leader if you find your puppy is constantly pulling)
#7 Utilize Confinement-Confinement can be your best friend when it comes to housetraining your new puppy. When you are not around to keep an eye on your puppy, keep him in a crate or specific playroom or area just for him. Most puppies quickly learn to restrain their bladder, as they do not wish to make a mess of their personal space. I also keep my puppies on a long leash when we are in the house for the first few weeks. He/she will learn where he can go and you will be close to hear soft potty whines to prevent accidents.
#8 Learn from Others-Enroll in puppy classes. You will benefit from the instructors, as well as the other puppy parents in the class, and your puppy will begin socialization with other dogs.
#9 Stop the Biting at the Start-New puppy owners sometimes allow their puppy to chew on hands or feet because it doesn’t hurt and the puppy is just so darn cute. However, when your puppy reaches full size, those bites are going to really hurt and it will be too late to train him out of it. Discourage biting from the get-go.
#10 Use Discipline, Not Cruelty-There is nothing a puppy can do wrong that warrants cruelty. Always remember that he just wants to please you and is trying his best. If you consistently stop the puppy in the middle of the act of wrong-doing and sternly say “NO,” the point should be made. Or you can try the ignoring theory. To a puppy, even negative attention is attention, so by simply ignoring the puppy, you are showing him that he is behaving unacceptably and won’t get attention from you.