New Puppy

[PickledRoo]

Hi,

First post.

My partner and I have a 9 week old puppy, Cavoodle, been with us for just under a week.

Current setup is,

During the Day: Outside while we are at work, she does have cover and a kennel with warm bedding,

I've watched her a few times after putting her out and she cries at the door for a minute or two then goes to her kennel or has a play with her toys. After we get home from work she is inside, plenty of playing,hugs and we take her out every 20-30min for potty. There has been a couple of little accidents inside but she has been going mostly outside.

Nighttime: Inside the tiled laundry with bedding (same bedding during the day just moved), toys and a puppy toilet mat. We have been leaving water and uneaten dinner with her overnight as well. The first couple of nights there was barking and crying for about 20min, we haven't heard a peep for the last 3 nights.

Feeding twice a day at 8.00am and 6.00pm.

I just want to make sure we are doing the right thing or is there anything we could be doing better?

My partner has had a puppy before (many years ago) but this is my first.

Thanks

[tlc]

Hi and welcome. Is there any way you can feed puppy in the middle of he day as well? 10 hours is too long in between for 9 week old puppy IMO. I never used puppy pads and prefer to take them out at night, mine all slept in my room so I heard them if they cried for the toilet. Usual one pitstop a night for the first few months then they sleep right through.

I see you are in Vic and coming onto winter now it's getting very cold so if pup has to be outside, warm bedding is important. Your set up sounds ok, and everyone is different, my thought would be somedays are too cold outside but if your at work all day there maybe no other option? Dog door perhaps so puppy can access an inside area if too cold out.

Good on you for seeking advice. DOL is a great place and some lovely people here. With your puppy being a cross breed you will do better by calling her CKCS x Poodle.

Any photos? Love puppy pictures!

[stonecutter]

Welcome! Do you have plans to go to puppy pre-school or obedience?

I agree about a midday meal as well - we go to work during the day - so I left lunch (often a chicken neck or kibble), frozen in ice so that pup didn't wolf it down as soon as we walked out the door.

[PickledRoo]

:DThanks for the welcome.

I've attached a pic.

She doesn't woof down all her food in the morning and there is normally a bit of food left in the bowl when we get home from work.

I could get home a few days during the week for an extra feed if need be, but not every day.

We have one of those 'Best Friend Pet Superstores' nearby who offer a puppy pre-school we are going to give that a go.

Your post has reminded me to give them a call :D

[rebelsquest]

I would give her a late night feed. So breakfast, tea and supper. 9 weeks is very young to be only having 2 feeds a day.

[dandybrush]

the pic didnt attach

being on my second dog now, all i would recommend if your not already doing it is Crate train, i didnt do it for my first boy who is 3, and i do agility with him and he just cries in his crate, he is happier locked in the bathroom. but i am totally struggling now to get him to settle in his crate. with puppy number 2 who is 4 months now from day one she has been sleeping in her crate and settles quickly when put in

even if you dont plan to do any sports or day trips where you might need a crate, i fully recommend it as it will teach your puppy to handle when she is locked up at the vets or for desexing something i couldnt recommend more, its just super handy i use the crate when visitors come over, or when i visit pple

[SmoothieGirl]

Good idea rebelsquest, that's probably doable for those of us that work FT. I pay for a trusted puppy walker to come in and do lunch feeds, but that isn't practical for everyone, nice compromise.

You might just want to be mindful of how cold a laundry can actually get at night. Being tiled and full of white goods, they generally aren't heated and don't retain warmth and one little bundle of fluff isn't going to generate enough body heat to keep the room toasty. Laundrys, bathrooms and toilets are convenient for pups that aren't house trained yet, but they are all the coldest rooms in the house generally, not great for a pup that can't control its body heat yet.

Have you considered crate training puppy and keeping her next to you in the bedroom overnight, with you hopping up to toilet puppy in the night when she wakes and grumbles that she needs to go. Its a bit of an inconvenience for we humans, but only fair to pup with a tiny bladder.

Your daytime set up is the same that I use for my pups, irrespective of the weather. They have a solid kennel with an offset door, plenty of snuggly bedding and with some pups I also use the microwavable doggy heat discs. My kennel also has the benefit of being undercover in an alcove, so has some extra protection.

Good luck with your new puppy, enjoy her and take lots of photos now - she will grow like a weed

Edited May 26, 2011 by SmoothieGirl

[PickledRoo]

Helps to press the 'Attach file' button.

We were advised the 2 feeds by the person we bought her.

I'll see what we can do on this front.

I am busy Googling ablout 'Crate Training' as I write this.

Thanks

Edited May 26, 2011 by PickledRoo

[dandybrush]

she is gorgeous pickledroo!!

[poodlefan]

I would give her a late night feed. So breakfast, tea and supper. 9 weeks is very young to be only having 2 feeds a day.

This is what I did after the last pup turned 12 weeks. I went to two meals at 5 months from memory.

I would book her in for her first professional groom now. I don't know her coat type but its likely to require regular clipping. Way better to get that established in a baby puppy than to present a groomer with a frightened matted older pup.

What grooming advice did you get when you bought her. I'm guessing not much.

Edited May 26, 2011 by poodlefan

[BC Crazy]

Welcome Pickled Roo,

She is soooo cute !!! Yeah I would have to agree with other posts.3 feeds a day & too cold in Vic to leave her outside during the day. Totally understand it is difficult when you both work. I have crate trained both of mine & I used to think it was cruel but it

is the best thing I have ever done. They feel safe & they are, you can take them anywhere & move the crate where ever you want. Helps heaps with toilet training as well.

Was thinking if you crate trained your new addition & installed a doggie door, during the day you could put the crate just inside your home, hard up against the doggie door with the crate door open, if you get what I mean, with heaps of warm bedding, toys, kong

so your puppy can go inside out of the cold if he/she wants & your home will still be in tact when you arrive home from work.

Just a thought.

Good luck & enjoy your new little puppy.

[Nushie]

I can second the crate training.

Our crate is without a doubt the best investment we have made (other than Jager himself ). We tell him to "go to bed" and he races in and sits there watching whatever we are doing (if we are eating dinner or have people over). No fuss, no tantrums. At night he will wait at the door until i open it and then go in and settles down quickly and goes to sleep.

When my mum baby sat him while we were away one weekend, she was surprised at how quickly he settled down. He would be racing around with her dally and she would tell him to go to bed and in he would go and that was that. She wouldnt hear another sound out of him until morning.

[PickledRoo]

Thanking everyone for their advice.

Puppy school has been booked

BC, Got ya, I understand what you mean.

Grooming advice was, she wouldn't need clipping until after winter.

The crate training seems to be pretty popular/successful by most accounts.

I'll look at some crates this evening.

If we leave her inside during the day, i assume we are taking laundrey/puppy mats type of thing?

Also, looking through other posts, we shouldn't be leaving water and food with her at night. Is that correct?

[poodlefan]

Grooming advice was, she wouldn't need clipping until after winter.

4 months from now?

Sorry, but that's simply rubbish. Most groomers would want to see any long coated dog that requires clipping no less than every two months. The hair on her muzzle, feet and around her bottom would be very grubby if it isn't groomed regularly.

I would have her to a groomer soon, for a tidy up and get some advice on how best to manage her coat. Poodle cross coats can be very challenging. Furthermore, you need her to be accustomed to being groomed while she's a bub so she's easy to manage. Personally I'd favour every 6 weeks at her age.

What grooming tools were you advised to use on her coat?

Edited May 26, 2011 by poodlefan

[SmoothieGirl]

I'd leave water, but no food. If she hasn't finished her last meal in 5 minutes or so, take it away.

The reason PF is suggesting getting her to a groomer now isn't necessarily to clip her out to suit the weather, its to allow her to get used it while she's young and open to new experiences, rather than waiting until she's older and needs a to a groomer for a full clip. That could end up a nightmare for both the groomer and the pup if she doesn't like the noise, feel or even handling by a strange person. Groomers can and will refuse customers based upon poor behaviour/experiences with a dog. Sending her regularly, maybe every few weeks, for a mini face, ear, feet trim and a clean and brush up will ease her into the whole experience. Much calmer process for puppy and groomer.

[SmoothieGirl]

PF, you beat me!

What PF said!

[W Sibs]

She is adorable

Having a Cavvie x (shih tzu) myself... my advice is grooming is you have to brush them weekly. Also the pup will need trimming all the time, especially the butt, ears and feet area but the look of your gorgeous puppy.. probably need some work around the face too.

My boy's ears are prone to get knotty and matted if I don't brush it frequently too. My boy gets combed every 2nd day and he gets trimmed every 2nd weekend.

ETA: Due to this, Charlie doesn't need to be clipped

Edited May 26, 2011 by CW EW

[BC Crazy]

I leave no food out either, whats not gone with in 10 mins gets thrown out. I don't leave water in the crate over night & while toilet I tend to limit water intact after about 6 o'clock at night, cause it's light's out at 10pm usually.

I have groomed my 2 daily since the day I got them as puppies. Sometimes they only need a quick brush, sometimes a lot more. I am probably too fussy with them, LOL, But I think it is a good idea as it gets them used to being

handled. Stella is 6.5 months now & I can do anything to her without objection. Look in her mouth,clip her nails what ever. She will stand still as long as need be. Both mine now are so used to it, as soon as the grooming bag

comes out they both come to me, the eldest stands still & gets groomed, while the younger one lies next to him & waits her turn without me saying a word. Then they come inside for the evening.

IMO i would be getting her used to being groomed / handled no matter what the breed.

Edited May 26, 2011 by BC Crazy

[Katie P]

I don't think its too necessary to see the groomers that early. I regularly trim the feet/butt/muzzle and usually do a big brush everyday. In saying that, my Maltese x (Poodle) coat must just be lucky as I can leave it unbrushed for a while and have no matts or anything. It is not a curly coat though, quite straight and soft.

I do agree about getting them used to the groomers though. The only thing that prompted us in getting my boy's coat done was so he could have an early groomers experience and it was also coming into those stinking days of summer ;)

It also depends on the temperment of the dog. My boy is not fazed by anything so I don't think it would have mattered with him (we got him done at about 4.5 months). Also I always groom him on a bench and he doesn't care where he is touched, poked, prodded or placed into awkward positions!

Edit: Grammar

Edited May 26, 2011 by Katie P

[poodlefan]

I don't think its too necessary to see the groomers that early.

Ask groomers what they think of that.. the idea of seeing a pup aged 6-7 months (which is, coincidentally about the time of their second fear period) that's got a lot of hair on its face, feet and tail and will likely not be a straight forward bath, blow wave and groom would not be high on their list of favourite jobs.

A poodle pup bred by a responsible groomer would have its first bath and very minor face feet and tail clip aged 6 weeks. It's so much kinder to accustom them to the process of grooming little and often than to face a major grooming session for the first time in an adolescent pup.

It's traumatic for the dog and for the groomer.

Edited May 26, 2011 by poodlefan