Taking Puppy Home
Please keep in mind that, as extraordinary as these dogs are, they are still puppies. Puppies need a lot of attention. They must be watched constantly or safely placed in their crate/play area to be sure they don’t get into something that might harm them. They tend to jump, nip, bite, and chew things that they shouldn’t. Some will wake you in the night to relieve themselves, while others will not. They are uniquely individual and go through developmental stages, just like children. In addition to the supplies below, please reference our Training page to see what method of dog training will work best for you and your family.
Nutrition
Here at EverHeart Australian Labradoodles, we feed our puppies and dogs Life’s Abundance All Life Stages Dog Food. Life’s Abundance was formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM, a Holistic Veterinarian with more than 20 years of experience. This company uses a small batch manufacturing system and only the finest ingredients to provide a product that comes to us within 4-6 weeks of it being made and provides our dogs with a holistically balanced food that keeps them in optimal health.
Crate and exercise pen
Your puppy’s crate and exercise pen will not only be a safe haven for your puppy, but it will be a life saver for you. We use both 30 and 36 inch crates for our dogs, depending on their size. The wire kennel version of these crates grow and adjust with your puppy allowing you to buy the size they will need as adults and downsize it until then. It’s important during the crate/potty training process that the open area in the crate is only just big enough for them to fit inside and turn themselves around. Because dogs do not like to potty where they sleep, this will keep your puppy from going potty inside their crate. It is also important that your puppy not be left in their crate for too long and are taken out to relieve themselves.
A good rule of thumb is that you have about an hour for each month of your puppy’s age. So when they’re 2 months old, you’re safe to put them in their crate for 2 hours. This does not include nighttime which, in my experience, varies with each puppy, but you certainly don’t have to get them out to go potty unless they’re telling you to (don’t wake the baby!). It is very important that your puppy has some uninterrupted down time to nap, and the best place for them to do that is in their crate. Not only will this help them be a happier, more well-behaved puppy during the day, but it will also help them to feel more comfortable and content sleeping in it at night.
Using an exercise pen or having some sort of gated area for your puppy to play during times when you can not give them your full attention is another valuable practice. This will prevent them from getting into situations where they might be destructive to your property or themselves. There are wire exercise pens available that can be attached to your wire kennel or adjusted in multiple ways to fit all sorts of different environments. When you have a new puppy, baby gates and the like are your friends!
If you would like to be added to our waitlist for the next available litter, fill out our puppy adoption application. If you have questions, please use our contact form.