Puppy Care Information
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Training your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle Puppy, behavior, crate training, grooming, immunizations, etc.
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Puppy Care Information
Please take the time to read all of this information if you are adopting a puppy!
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Puppy's immune system
The most important thing to keep in mind is that your puppy's immune system will not be 100% until age
12-16 wks. Please do not take your puppy to a park, rest stop, fast food area, pet store, etc. There are a lot
of dogs that frequent those areas and some may be sick with infectious/contagious diseases. When you take
the pup to the vet, keep puppy on your lap at all times or in a crate. The waiting room is almost always full
of sick pets waiting to be seen by the vet.
Vaccinations
Your puppy will have had a Distemper & Parvo vaccine at 7 wks. Your puppy will need to continue his/her
series of shots at 9wks. Your vet will inform you of an immunization schedule for your puppy.
Feeding your Cockapoo or Goldendoodle
Feed your puppy a high quality food made for puppies for the first year. They should be fed 3x per day. Let
him/her eat as much as she wants and then put the food away until her next feeding. We'll give you a
sample bag of Purina Pro Plan Puppy (Chicken & Rice) food 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.
Their current schedule is approx 7 am, 11:30am, 3:30-4pm & 8pm. Food and water is put away at 8pm.
Treats
We do not give puppies treats when they are with us. We have enough time to wean them and introduce
them to soft and then solid foods. When you start them on treats, please do so gradually. Too much, too
quickly will cause stomach upset.
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. Please discuss Heartworm
prevention with you Vet.
Spaying or Neutering
Females that are not spayed 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 and she will be less likely to
develop urinary tract infections. 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.
All of our puppies are to be spayed or neutered!
Parasites
Talk to your vet about signs and symptoms of worms to keep your puppy healthy and comfortable. Before
leaving us, pups are wormed 3 times. If you take your pup to a dog park or any place where there are other
dogs, consider worming your puppy occasionally.
External parasites are no strangers to dogs and pups. 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 during flea & tick season.
Grooming
Some puppy parents prefer to take their puppy to the groomer. You can schedule that every 6-8 wks weeks.
If you are comfortable with trimmers, you can trim pup’s hair yourself.
Be sure to keep your puppies nails trimmed. You can bath your puppy every 3-4 wks. Over-bathing can dry
your puppy's skin. We use Johnson & Johnsons baby shampoo for our dogs and puppies.
Invest in a good grooming brush. You can brush your pet often. Pets can develop skin irritations 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 pup’s
ears weekly to avoid this condition. You can find ear cleaning solution at any pet store or any department
store that sells pet supplies. Keep the inner ear free of excess hair that can trap dirt and debris.
Crate Training
Your puppy will have been introduced to a crate so they will be familiar with it. They will not have spent a
great deal of time in a crate so they will need to adjust. Do not assume that by your puppy being introduced
to a crate that he or she will be comfortable and content the first night or two away from their siblings, in a
strange place with strangers. Most pups will cry for the first night or two regardless.
A medium size crate with divider is recommended. Use the divider until puppy is potty trained. I suggest
no food or water after than 8 pm. Let pup have time to potty a couple of times before going in the crate for
the night. Pups can typically “hold it” for 6-7 hrs through the night at this age and more as they get older.
Let puppy out right away in the morning and again after eating and drinking. If you are home during the
day, let pup out every 2 hrs to help speed potty training along. After drinking water, pups normally have to
potty within 20 minutes. Putting a puppy pad or paper by the door helps. If you see puppy head toward the
paper, let him or her out. Eventually you will not need the paper. Easier if pup is limited to a room such as
the kitchen initially until pup is trained.
Some families plan to keep their pup in another room for bedtime. I suggest keeping puppy in your room
in the crate for at least the first couple of nights. We’ll provide you with a blanket that has their siblings
and mom’s scent on it. The first couple of nights are the hardest for puppy. You learn to tell the difference
between a cry that means “I’m lonely” and a cry that means “I have to potty”.
Behavior Training
Cockapoos & Goldendoodles are known for being intelligent, friendly, loving and easy to train. Keep in
mind that puppies are like children and have to be taught what behavior is good and what is unacceptable.
When pups are little they play with their siblings by nipping and grabbing one another with their mouths
because they don’t have hands like children do. That is how puppies play. We begin training here but it is
your responsibility to continue training when you take puppy home. Some people think it’s cute for pup to
nibble on hands & feet initially while playing and allow it. Children are especially prone to handling a
puppy's mouth until he or she tries to nip or grab that hand. That will encourage a behavior that is
undesirable when pup is older. Games such as tug of war, encourage aggressive type behavior. Again, your
puppy will learn quickly and easily so please teach them what you expect of them.
If your puppy is not housebroken by 6 months old, consider being more consistent with potty training and
letting puppy out more often.
If your puppy is chewing, you have to teach them not to chew on your things until puppy is out of the
teething phase. Sometimes they chew on things because they are bored. Be sure to have lots of toys for pup
to play with.
Please invest the time in training your puppy! Training with consistency and positive reinforcement is the
key to success!
If you are uncertain how best to train your puppy, there are numerous books on the subject and puppy
classes are available.
Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions.
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