how to prepare for your new bundle of love
You are on the waitlist, now what?
Start preparing by getting educated, especially if you have not had a puppy in awhile. Puppies are a big responsibility and being prepared will make it a wonderful experience and many years of joy! A dear friend who has bred for many years suggests the book, “The Art of Raising a Puppy” By Monks of New Skete.
Start researching trainers and puppy schools, The best scenario for yourself and your new puppy is to hire a trainer to come to your home the first several weeks.
What will you need?
Your puppy will have a head start on potty training as they learn how to use a doggie door to go out and do their business at 5 weeks. Crates are wonderful for training. If you plan on using a crate when your pup is grown, then get an extra-large with a divider and if just during training, then medium should do.
Sheepadoodle Puppy: Your puppy has been eating "Diamond Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Rice". We have been using Diamond Naturals for over 11 years and has been an excellent choice for all of our dogs and pups. You puppy's tummy is still developing and sensitive to new things, I would not introduce any new food or treats for a while. If you are wanting to switch, you will want to wean them off slowly off of the one I send and make sure the new food is specific for a "large breed" puppy. They have been free eating with their littermates.
TToodle & Havapoo Puppy: Diamond Small & Medium Breed Puppy food.
Medium beds with the backs are great, as they love to snuggle up against them and of course you will have to get bigger ones as they grow.
Chewing will happen as they come with baby teeth, antlers and nyla bones and other synthetic chew toys are great. Absolutely no raw hide products or bully sticks unsupervised as they can choke on them. Once they are older, I give our dogs raw beef soup bones. They can be a bit messy, but I let them chew them outside until they are clean and then bring them inside and they last for a very long time, and they are great for their teeth. You will just want to remove them once they get small enough to put completely in their mouths.
Your puppy is handled every day and brushed, nails and a sanitary trim and weekly and will have his/her first bath and blow dry before he/she goes home. I use Fresh and Clean shampoo, slicker brush and professional blow dryer while young. Your puppy’s coat will change around a year, and it will become denser as an adult. You will want to use a long pin slicker brush daily and a de-matting comb for mats If you want to keep their coat long. The Chris Christensen long pin brush is the best!
What will go home with my new puppy?
Your puppy will go home with a blanket and toy that has the scent of momma and littermates, collar, leash, puppy food, and health record. Please do not leave harnesses or collars on in crates as they can get caught on the crate.
You will want to bring a towel just in case your puppy gets carsick if driving home. They will be nervous, and it can sometimes upset their tummies.
What to expect
When you arrive to pick up your puppy, it will be their first time out of their nursery, away from their litter mates and the only home they have ever known. You will be new, the car ride will be new and so will their new living situation. Your puppy may cry the first few nights, but will adjust to their new home quickly.
Training
Training needs to begin as soon as you pick up your puppy as they are very smart and willing to learn. Puppies play with their littermates by jumping, wrestling and lots of biting, your job as a new puppy owner is to redirect those habits immediately and teach them that it is not okay to do that to humans. We do begin some of that training, but you will need to continue it.
The ideal situation is to hire a trainer to come into your home the first few weeks and then continue training at puppy school. If you are needing suggestions of trainers or schools in your area, you are welcome to ask that question on my Facebook page.
We humans are gigantic to puppies, and we want to let them know that we are there to love them and care for their needs. When training a puppy, you never want to scare or startle them, we must be gentle, but very firm and consistent in training. The biggest mistake some families make is that they let the puppy rule them and allow the jumping and mouthing. When nipping, I hold their little mouths firmly, but gently shut and say no bite and then lots of loving and good puppy. You will do the same with jumping, hold them down and say no jump and then again, lots of reinforcement.
Recommended Training Facilities by Sheepadoodle Famiiles:
"My Clever Canine" - Dixon, CA (707) 999-8389 http://www.myclevercanine.com/
"Folsom Dog Resort" - Folsom, CA (916) 439-7202 https://www.folsomdogresort.com/
"SF Puppy Prep" - San Francsico, CA (415) 618-0828 https://www.sfpuppyprep.com/
George Mendiola - StanFÜR’D k9 University (415) 635-9846 NotchedtoanOTCH@icloud.com
https://www.facebook.com/StanFURDk9/
"The Educated Pet" - San Diego, CA (619) 466-5098 http://www.theeducatedpet.net/
"Beckman's Dog Training" - Ramona, CA (760) 440-5025 https://beckmansdogtraining.com/
" Canine Dimensions" - So Cal and many other locations in the US https://www.caninedimensions.com/
" Canine Success" -Melinda Herrick, Laguna Niguel, CA (949) 939-3939 Over 20 years of experience~ One on One Personal Dog Training & Problem Solving
Optimal Dog Training - Dog Training | Optimal Dog Training | Chula Vista
Grooming
Sheepadoodles have hair and unlike fur, hair grows and grows and grows! You will want to contact a reputable groomer who has experience with doodles. The first 9 months to a year their coats are pretty manageable with some brushing, but once they get their adult coats the maintenance becomes a little more intense, especially if you love the long flowing hair. You will want to brush and comb daily and find a groomer who can manage all of that beautiful hair. Below are groomers that our families have used and love!
OMARS GROOMING
(805) 687-8414
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Healthy Spot
Dog Grooming Services with Highly-Trained Professionals | Healthy Spot
Many locations
Beach Paws
Home - Beach Paws (beachpawspetsalonandgrooming.com)
New Port Beach
Sandy's Grooming
Home - Sandy's Grooming Orange County (sandysgroomingoc.com)
Orange
Surf City Doods
816-244-9761
- ODIE & RON - (@surfcitydoods) | Instagram
Yorktown, Huntington Beach
Pet Grooming Company (petgroominglahabra.com)
La Habra
Grateful Dog
Grateful Dog - Sacramento Dog Daycare (gratefuldogdaycare.com)
Sacramento
The Smiling Dog
Rocklin
Brains and Beauty
Citrus Heights
Bowie Barker
Best Dog Groomer Near Me? Bowie Barker in West Hollywood
West Hollywood
Keep your puppy safe
By the time you pick up your puppy, they will have had been dewormed at 2 through 8 weeks and have the first of the 3 puppy shots. Your puppy will not be protected from the parvoviruses and will be susceptible until they receive the full round of shots. Do not take your puppy to dog parks and other places that are high dog trafficked areas. Parvo is spread through dog feces and can be on the ground.
To prevent your puppy for having problems with hips and joints, please do not let them run up and down stairs or jump up on their hind legs while they are growing! They can also have issues as adults if their weight is not managed well.
Spay and Neuter
Your puppy has been purchased as a pet only and is not allowed to be bred. You are required to spay and neuter your puppy at the appropriate age. Females should wait until they are at least 6 - 9 months old before spaying and males need to be 12-18 months before neutering. Males need their testosterone for proper growth of their joints, hips and bones. Please let me know when this is done.
Family
Once you receive a puppy from us, you are always a part of the California Sheepadoodle family! We have 2 reunions every year, one here in Nor Cal and then we travel to So Cal to see our Sheepie family there to. The So Cal reunion is aways the first weekend of October and the Nor Cal reunion is the last weekend of October. I am just a call or text away and will always be availble to answer any questions. I love to stay in touch with our families and look forward to add you and yours to our lives too!
Common questions
How much are you feeding the pups?
The puppies free eat with their littermates. You are welcome to continue to do so or if you would like to schedule their meals, feed 3 times a day while they are growing. The bag will have the amount suggested on the bag.
How long do they eat the puppy food?
I would keep them on the Diamond Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Rice until they are 12 - 18 months. I would continue them onto the Adult Lamb and Rice or All-Stages of the Diamond Naturals.
How often do I groom my puppy?
I would brush your puppy every week as that is what we do here starting at 1 week old. They will not need that much brushing that young, but it will help them get used to it when it is necessary. I bath my dogs every 4-6 weeks and clip them every other month. If you want the long fluffy coat as an adult, you will need to brush and comb out everyday to avoid matting.
What is their schedule?
Eat, sleep, potty, play, repeat. You puppy has lots of growing to do and will nap often. No, your puppy is not potty trained, but has a good head start as they are doggie door trained at 5 weeks old. When potty training here, I tether my pup to me and take her out every 2 hours until I can trust her. Night time - feed dinner, pull up water and food after dinner, take out to potty around 10 or later and your pup should be good until around 4am,
Why does my puppy cry?
Your puppy has just left everything it has ever known. The puppies do not leave their nursery/toddler kennel until puppy picking day and going home as it is a safe and sterile environment. It will take a couple days to get settled in their new home.
Will my puppy come fully vaccinated?
Your puppy will see our veterinarian at 6-7 weeks old and will receive their first shot (DHPP) and will need 2 more at 3-4 weeks apart before they are safe from parvo. Some vets do not recognize the one our vet gives as they like to start them at 8 weeks, so you may need 3 more. You puppy is dewormed every week, starting at 2 weeks old until they go home. Puppies can still have worms or parasites, so please send a stool sample with your puppy at the first visit.
Is my puppy microchipped?
I do not microchip our puppies. A vet once told me that if microchipped at a young age, the chip can move as they grow and if lost and taken to a vet to be scanned, the vet can miss it. Ask you vet.
Do you dock tail and remove dew claws?
I do not do either. I love their natural tails and find it hard to dock tails as it is very painful. I leave the dew claws as they are family pets, not hunting or working dogs.