Recommendations, Tips, and Resources
Bringing a new puppy home is such an exciting moment. Your puppy will require a lot of
love and attention while they adjust to the new environment. We want all of our Cuddle Buddy families to feel educated and confident going into this transition. On this page you will find
recommendations, tips, and resources for some of the basic things you should know about
owning an Australian Labradoodle.
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Recommended Items From Pet Store:
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Collar
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Leash
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Brush
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Toothbrush
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Dog shampoo
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Crate - large enough for dog to stand, sit, and lie down comfortably
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Food and water dishes
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Puppy pads
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Bed
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Blanket
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Chew toys
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Food and treats
Puppy Proof Your Home:
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Labradoodles are intelligent and bred to be friendly and well behaved. However, like any other puppy they are extremely curious and ready to explore. This is why it is important to take the correct steps to ensure they do not get themselves into trouble. We recommend new owners to "Puppy Proof" their homes with the following actions:
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Remove all poisonous houseplants
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Keep toilet lids closed
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Fence in yard
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Designate a puppy area
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Secure trashcans
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Secure all medications and cleaning supplies in high cabinets or use childproof latches
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Supervise your puppy
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Socialization:
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It is important to safely expose your puppy to a variety of people, places, things, and sounds from a very early age. Puppies need to be introduced to the world in a way that will leave them confident.
Labradoodle puppies need lots of exercise and stimulation to stay feeling great and ward off any destructive behavior.
Training:
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Training your Labradoodle should start around 8 weeks of age. It is all about positive reinforcement, not fear or punishment. You will want to reward good behavior and correct bad habits. Since labradoodles are highly intelligent and naturally eager to learn, they typically catch on and progress quickly. Stay calm and confident in your instructions with your Labradoodles and they will follow commands in no time. Start training with basic commands using the same words or phrases to indicate them. State your command, pause, and then reward them with a treat and praise when they get it right. Simple cues will go a long way. Striking, screaming, and scaring your dog will never result in a positive effect. Never descend into violence or intimidation when training your Labradoodle. Set boundaries and stick to those, so that you are not confusing the dog.
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Potty training should begin immediately once your puppy comes home with you. Arranging a feeding schedule will help with potty training, as dogs tend to go shortly after eating. This will make it consistent and avoid confusion. Take your puppy outside often. Supervision is another part of successful potty training. Learning signals that indicate that your puppy needs to go will prevent unnecessary accidents in the house. Most dogs will sniff, make circles, wander off, whine, or sit by the door to indicate they need to go to the bathroom.
Diet:
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Avoid any dog food brands that use artificial ingredients and/or preservatives and fillers. We recommend using a high quality and reputable pet food brand that uses nutrient rich ingredients. Always avoid feeding your dogs anything that can be poisonous to a dog such as grapes, chocolate, garlic, pitted fruit, dairy, nuts, onions, and alcohol.
Grooming:
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Labradoodles coats are fairly easy to maintain. We recommend brushing your labradoodle at least once a week. If the coat goes unbrushed you can risk the coat matting and then the dog will need to be shaved. Trimming around the eyes should be done once a month or so with blunt cut scissors. Nails should be trimmed every 4-6 weeks depending on wear. Regular bathing is not necessary and should be done every 6-8 weeks. Labradoodles have naturally dirt resistant coats. If you plan on using a groomer they should start seeing your puppy at a young age to get them comfortable with going. Once your puppy has all appropriate vaccinations they can be seen for a bath, blow out, and trim as necessary.