Basic Puppy Care
FEEDING
Puppies are fed 3 times a day until they are about 6 months old. Then the feeding frequency can be adjusted to 2 times a day.
​
​
It is important for puppies to have access to fresh clean water at all times during the day. We like the Slopper Stopper bowl to keep the water from spilling and to reduce the amount of water dripping from their beards all over your floor. You may want to restrict water in the later evening during potty training.
WATER
ROUTINE
Dogs do best with routine. In fact they need routine. They need to be let out regularly to go outside for potty and play breaks. They like to sleep in the same spot at night. They like to be fed at the same time. They can kind of be creatures of habit. You will be given a puppy schedule on Gotcha Day.
HEALTH
Proper vaccination of your puppy is crucial to protecting them from some debilitating and even deadly diseases. BUT vaccinations carry some of their own risks. We advise you to only give vaccinations for diseases that are prevalent in your area which you will want to research yourself as vets like to be very precautionary. We also recommend to NEVER give more than 2-3 vaccinations at one time with a 4 week break in between vaccinations as they are very stressful on a puppy's immune system.
EXERCISE
Young puppies need short bursts of exercise to burn off all of their puppy energy. Believe it or not, "a walk" at a sustained and continuous pace IS NOT good exercise for a puppy. Puppy should be able to run in short bursts of play and simply stroll and sniff while on very short walks...which should not be on concrete in order to maintain their joint and hip health.
TRAINING
Enrolling in a training program is required before puppy goes home because we firmly believe that training with consistency is the key to a successful transition into your home and a healthy lifelong relationship. But even before training classes begin, on the very first day puppy comes home, you will need to begin to reward desired behaviors with treats and positive reinforcement.
CRATE TRAINING
Dog crates or kennels provide safe secure containment for your puppy when you can not watch her, when you leave home, when they want to retreat and rest, and at night while they sleep. We have worked hard to provide a healthy foundation for crate training your puppy. We prefer wire crates as they are easier to clean. See crate option in our Pup Stuff Shop. Be sure to ALWAYS remove their collar when you put them in their crate.
GROOMING
Regular grooming is a necessity with your Australian Labradoodle. Be sure to brush your puppy a few times a week to get him accustomed to it and keep him free of mats. See our Pup Stuff Shop for grooming supplies and our Grooming Page.
BATHING
Your labradoodle will need bathing periodically between grooming appointments. Be sure to brush all the mats out first. We really love the Life's Abundance Shampoo for its safe ingredients and fresh clean smell.
NAILS
Trim your puppy's nails weekly for the first month, then every other week after that to keep the "quick" short. This will keep them easier to maintain. You can use a trimmer or a dremmel to carefully grind them down. See options here.
EARS
Floppy ear dogs can be more prone to either bacterial or yeast ear infections. Check your puppy's ears weekly and keep them clean. We really like the double action of PawTree's Ear Clean & Ear Dry to keep ears healthy.
TEETH
Since your puppy will be teething for quite awhile, you will want to provide him with safe chewing toys. To aid in keeping their teeth clean, give puppy hard chews like bully sticks and use a doggy toothbrush once a week.