Caring for your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy
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Training tips for Cockapoos and Goldendoodles. Grooming & caring for your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy
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Behavior/training
Whether you choose a male or female Cockapoo or Goldendoodle, training is essential for it to be a
valuable part of the family. Dogs have to be taught what is expected of them, just like children.
Behaviors that show dominance or aggression can be altered with training. Because dogs are pack
animals, they need to know their place in the pack. Until they learn their place, they may test you or
your family members to see who the leader of their pack is. Choose the Cockapoo or Goldendoodle that
is right for you, but be ready to invest the time in training it to ensure a good relationship with your pet.
I've bred & trained my own dogs as well as Tennessee Walking horses. The experience that comes to
mind the most is with my female Walking horse, Precious, that I purchased/saved from a very poor
handler who claimed the horse was mean spirited and not safe. She would ride her with 6" shanks
attached to a double twisted wire bit. Precious would come back to the stable with her gums bleeding.
The first thing I did was remove everything harsh and rode her with a simple snaffle bit, no shanks. It
took quite a while for her to not be afraid. As it turned out she was one of the best and sweetest horses
that I ever owned or trained. She did so well that eventually I could guide her with simple shifts in my
seat or a touch of my leg using no reigns at all. I donated her to a riding center for handicapped
children and they absolutely loved her and rode her with no problems at all!
It's my opinion that there are no "bad dogs" or "bad horses" just misguided handlers/trainers. Patience
and love are the most important tools you will need.
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Puppy's immune system
The most important thing to keep in mind is that your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy's immune
system will not be 100% until age 12-16 wks. Please do not take your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy
to a park, rest stop, fast food area, pet store, etc. There are alot of dogs that frequent those areas and
some may be sick with infectious/contagious diseases. Please do not take the chance of exposing your
Cockapoo or Goldendoodle. When you take the pup to the vet, keep it on your lap or in a crate. The
waiting room is almost always full of sick pets waiting to be seen by the vet.
Parvo, for example, is often fatal for Cockapoo and Goldendoodle puppies. Prevention is the only way
to ensure that a puppy or dog remains healthy since the disease is extremely virulent and contagious.
The virus is extremely hardy and has been found to survive in feces and other organic material such as
soil for over a year. It survives extremely cold and hot temperatures. Cockapoo and Goldendoodle
puppies will be vaccinated against it but it takes a series of vaccinations before puppy is fully
protected! I know puppy owners look forward to taking their pup out and about to meet their friends
at the park and would love to show off their new puppy but please be patient for your puppy's sake.
Vaccinations
Start with a vet visit. Your puppy will need to continue his/her series of shots at 9wks. Your vet will
inform you of an immunization schedule for your Goldendoodle or Cockapoo puppy.
Feeding your Cockapoos and Goldendoodles
Feed your puppy a high quality food made for puppies. They should be fed 4x per day. Let him/her eat
as much as she wants in about 20 mins and then put the food away until her next feeding. At about 4-6
months you can feed puppy 3x per day. You can gradually cut back to twice per day by the time the
puppy is 12 months old. We'll give you a bag of "Purina puppy food Soft & Crunchy" when you pick up
your pup. If you wish to change the puppy to another type, please do so gradually so you do not cause
your puppy stomach upset.
Currently they eat at approx. 6:30-7 am, 11:30am, 3:30-4pm & 8pm. Food and water is put away at 8pm.
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Heartworm Prevention
Heartworms can kill your dog. Mosquitoes are carriers. Dogs over 6 months of age should be tested for
heartworms before treatment or regular preventative care can safely begin.
Spaying or Neutering
Females that are not neutered not only endure heat cycles which as an owner can be a challenging time
but by spaying your female her chances of developing breast cancer are decreased. This is usually
recommended by 6 mos of age.
If you have an intact male he may be more likely to roam or fight, and to develop testicular cancer and
prostatitis. Neutering is done at approx. 6 mos of age.
Discuss the pros and cons with your vet.
Parasites
Talk to your vet about signs and symptoms of worms to keep your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy
healthy and comfortable. External parasites including fleas, ticks, lice mange mites, ear mites and
ringworm live on a puppy's body. The two most common are fleas and ticks. Discuss flea and tick
control with your vet. We use Frontline Plus on all of our adult dogs. Due to their age, we use a flea &
tick shampoo only by Sentry for our Cockapoos and Goldendoodles. Please do not panic if you notice a
flea or two. This treatment is not as strong as Frontline or Advantix. We are very careful not to treat
the pups with anything too harsh for their young age while they are with us. You and your vet can
discuss what type of treatment to use and the best age to begin. By the time the pups are old enough to
leave they are usually able to handle a stronger treatment but not until that time.
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House training
We suggest crate training at night. Your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle pup will become comfortable in
not offer food or water after 8pm. This makes it easier for Cockapoos and Goldendoodles to make it
through the night comfortably. We let our dogs out at 11 pm before they go to bed for the night. They
all go out in the morning around 6-6:30am. Be sure to let puppy outside within 10-15 minutes after
mealtime or when they are given water. Give him/her lots of praise when she goes potty outside. Be
patient! It will take your pup time to learn. Keep puppy in an easy clean up area such as the kitchen
until he/she is housetrained. Certainly during playtime or just after she's been outside you can have
her in the family room for awhile. It's much easier to train a puppy this way. Otherwise she'll find a
hiding spot to go and you'll realize it in the obvious fashion.
Look for things in your home that Cockapoo or Goldendoodle puppy might get into that could be
harmful. Move power cords that they might be tempted to chew on. Cover outlets in areas where
puppy might be confined to. Certainly put away your favorite shoes etc. that puppy might think is
his/hers to teeth on or play with. Put high and away any and all chemicals, cleaning supplies, etc. that
could make your puppy very sick or worse!
Please keep in mind that we are not miracle workers!
We are often asked if Cockapoos and Goldendoodles will be house broken and crate trained by 8 wks
when they are ready for their new homes. You must be prepared to train your puppy! We do paper
train and litter train the pups. They are not born seeing, hearing and walking. Pups make great
strides in development during their short 8 weeks here but they can only do so much in such a short
time. They can not see or hear for the first 1/4 (2 weeks) of their time with us. Their sight continues to
develop after their eyes begin to open at two weeks. They try to walk at that time. They are not
walking well until they are approx 4 wks old (1/2 their time with us). Cockapoos and Goldendoodles
immune systems are not fully developed until 12-16 wks which is why we do not allow the pups to go
outside and play until they are between 5-6 wks of age (3/4 of their time with us). If it is cold outside,
pups can not stay out and play for very long. They are too small and could become ill. We do not
allow them to get chilled. They will have plenty of time to roam and play when they join their new
families and are old enough to safely play outdoors for extended periods of time. Our first priority is
the health and safety of our puppies.
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Grooming
Some prefer to take their Cockapoos and Goldendoodles to the groomer. I do all of mine myself . You
can schedule that every6-8 weeks. Be sure to keep your puppies nails trimmed. We use a professional
nail grinder. This takes some getting use to. Nail trimmers are fine but a grinder is more gentle. You
can bath your puppy every 3-4 wks unless they are rolling in the mud which happens. Mud is great fun
for a puppy! Over-bathing can dry your puppy's skin. We use Johnson & Johnsons baby shampoo for
our dogs and puppies. I use Mane & Tail conditioner for my adult Cockers because their hair can
easily become matted.
Invest in a good grooming brush. You can brush your pet often. Pets can develop skin irrations or
have a scratch or cut that might otherwise go unnoticed so this is the perfect opportunity for you to
keep a close eye on your pet's skin and coat.
Ear care
Cocker Spaniels are prone to ear infections due to an ear canal that is slightly more narrow and their
beautiful long ears which can hinder air circulation. It is strongly recommended that you clean your
pups ears weekly, Cockapoos too, to avoid this painful condition. You can find ear cleaning solution
at any pet store or any department store that sells pet supplies. You'll need cotton balls also. For
pups you'll want to tear the cotton ball in half, soak it with the ear solution, put it in the ear and close
the "flap" (let the ear fall back down), massage the ear allowing the solution to cleanse the ear well for
about 15 seconds on each side and then remove the cotton ball. Keep the inner ear free of excess hair
that can trap dirt and debris.
Most importantly, enjoy your puppy. Always allow time for play and cuddling!
If ever you have any questions, please contact us and we will be more than help to give you all of the
advice and support we can!
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