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Congratulations Your Puppy Will Be Arriving Soon !!

Now What Do I Do??

 

Upon Arrival ....

.

 This is an exciting time, naturally……

 But please remember that everything is very strange to your  new puppy and the 1st few days are the most important days for helping your puppy feel safe/secure and adjusting to  his/her new environment. Keep things as low keyed and as uneventful as possible.

Resist the temptation to invite your friends over to visit for the first few days.  What your baby needs now is a sense of  security and  routine.

Your new baby needs  time to adjust to the new  environment

and to bond with you, its new family.

 

I can not emphasize enough about the importance of those 1st few days!

 

It's important for potty training, that the first time puppy does potty, it is outside.  So give your baby long enough outside to do its toilet. This could be up to a full fifteen  minutes, as sometime they will often be too busy exploring  to keep  their little mind on the matter in hand!

                 

Changing homes is a stress on a puppy's immune system whether

it be across the world, or around the corner. If your puppy  gets  diarrhea, recognize that essential body fluids will be lost if not corrected immediately.  We recommend that you offer your new puppy bottled water.  Tap  water can be a common cause of early diarrhea or tummy upset until your new family member adjusts to the different water in  your area. Gradually decrease the amount of bottled water and increase the amount of tap water until it is all tap water if

that is the waster your puppy will be drinking.  Your puppy has been getting only

PUR brand filtered water and or BRITA Water while he/she was here with me.

                  NOTE: Make sure your puppy has clean water available at alltimes. Some people attempt to limit a puppies water intake to help make it easier on them for potty training  Please don't do this just for your convenience .

Sometimes pups can get loose stools  from the stress in the change in

their environment. If this is the case offer boiled chicken rice and carrots for a couple days as this is easy on the digestive system

 

The First Night in Your Home

 

   

BEDTIME

Remember that your new puppy will be missing its siblings and the reassurance of cuddling up with its litter mates to sleep. Rumple up the bedding, and add something like some rolled up old sweaters or similar, to simulate the way puppies sprawl all over each other to sleep. A ticking clock, or music softly  playing can be helpful. Your puppy will be going home with a couple toys and a little handmade blanket. These items have the scent of me,  their mom and other littermates on them which should help provide your puppy some comfort

 Puppies from Laurel Mountain Labradoodles are raised with music and or TV playing. So these sounds may help your new puppy to relate to something familiar in its strange surroundings especially during the 1st few nights. 

               

Your puppy has had free access to the use of a crate to come in and go out of as they so desired since they have  been 4 weeks old. This should help your pup be acclimated to a crate.

 

ABOUT SLEEP ..... Yours too! I HIGHLY suggest that for the first few nights, you place puppy's crate beside your bed or sleep in the same room where you have your crate setup. During the night, if puppy whimpers and you are sure he/she  does NOT need to go potty outside, just dangle your fingers  into the crate. Puppy will lick them, feel reassured and go  back to sleep. You will also get a good night's sleep as well!

If you do not have a crate, you can tether puppy beside your  bed, on a soft blanket. You'll be surprised how quietly and  contentedly your new baby will settle for the night, with the  comfort of your presence nearby.  

If you don't wish for your puppy to continue sleeping by your bed, and you are worried that the habit may be difficult to   break.....don't be!  After the first two or three nights, once  puppy knows that you are indeed coming back, he/she will  easily adapt to sleeping in the crate, in the designated area  elsewhere inside the home.

 

       

 

 

 

Potty Training

 

 How quickly your puppy becomes 'clean' indoors depends entirely on how vigilant YOU are. Prevention is far better than cure. Restrict the area your puppy has to run around in  indoors. One room is all you can properly supervise. If you   put some of puppy's droppings in a particular part of your   yard, you can train your puppy to use the same place every  time for doing its toilet. Carry your puppy straight outside

to this spot.

 

 If puppy is peeing inside, after being left outside for  awhile, then it hasn't been out long enough. Just increase the  time. DON'T PLAY WITH PUPPY during toilet trips. Praise when   puppy relieves itself outside, and then bring it back in  again. Do NOT rub its nose in it's mistake.  

 Puppies need to go potty at some predictable times such as  after waking up from a sleep, after eating or drinking, after  anything exciting....and then some!

 

If your puppy is sniffing the ground, walking in circles, seems a little unsettled, and you are not sure if it wants to  go potty or not, this is my advice to you... When in doubt....... OUT !!

 

Here at Laurel Mountain Labrdoodles, your puppy has had the

opportunity to become very familiar with pottying outside…which should  get your puppy off to a pretty good start in his/her new home.  We  use the words “Potty Outside” and   lots of Praise! “Good Boy Potty Outside!!. You can also offer a treat at this time if you like…Praising a Puppy is a good reward in and of itself.

 But these  words “Potty Outside” is what  your puppy will be familiar with.

Your puppy has also been  trained with using those cotton hospital bed

 pads indoors which  we do not encourage you to continue nor feel it’s

really necessary, but it may  be helpful for transitioning.

 If you happen to have one you may want to put it by the door they

 will use to take the puppy outside, until the puppy gets used to what door he will go to for pottying outside. You don’t need to buy one if you don’t  have one as it’s not really that important.

Also, hanging a bell on the doorknob or near the door  and then showing   the puppy how to ring the bell when they want to go outside to potty is very helpful  (take their paw or  move their nose back and forth to make it ring)  They eventually learn through repetition 

a nd then you will ‘HEAR’ the bell ring when you are in another room. 

 

                

 

 

           

 

 

 

Here is a letter I wrote to a customer who was having a bit of a difficulty with potty training.

 

I happen to use the words 'Potty Outside" when the pups were here with me so I will use these words in my explanation to you.

When you are taking your puppy outside to go potty and you are still in the house say "Potty Outside Fido" come on...let's go Potty Outside. Keep saying these words as you are on your way out the door. (go out the same door all the time) Once he is outside..keep saying these words until he actually goes potty outside. Immediately after he is finished...then lay on the BIG praise and a treat if you wish to use treats..and then say.. GOOD BOY Fido!  Potty Outside!!  and IMMEDIATELY go back inside. Don't use this specific time to allow him to just play outside afterwards or walk around. The words 'Potty Outside" needs to become connected with JUST that and nothing else. Make sure you are exiting the door that you will want him to go to when he reaches the point of going to the door himself, which will come later.

A lot of times at this age...they just FORGET and will squat to pee wherever they are at in the house especially if their mind is on something else.

Similar to when you put training pants on your child when you were teaching them to use the potty...sometimes they just forget either by being distracted or they just can get lazy about it.

 

So...even if you are extremely vigilant in housebreaking him and it getting better and less frequent that he is having accidents inside...most pups aren't 100% reliable until 6 months old and some even a little longer.

In the past...many people have said that their pup was doing so good with potty training and then seemed to have suffered a set back at some point and they don't know why. Usually it is not the pup...but it's the owners who built up too much confidence in the reliability of the pup and stopped watching the pup as closely as they were.

 

Remember...at this age you can't expect him to tell you he has to go potty by going to the door..that comes with time and accidents are normal. Eventually he will learn..but how quickly he does has a lot to do with the owners vigilance and connecting words with the act of going potty outside with praise, and making sure he is watched constantly indoors(or put him in  crate if you can't keep and eye on him or tether him to your waist with a long lead).

Catching him in the act of pottying in the house and being able to react instantly to it is far less of a problem then finding out afterwards that he peed somewhere. The more times they do this without an opportunity of being told or corrected the more confusing it becomes to them (in other words...in their minds...sometimes is OK to potty inside) 

At the age your puppy is now…during awake hours….take your puppy outside to

Potty every 1 ½ - 2 hrs

 

 

About Crating

 

 Please note that although I recommend crating  your puppy to help with potty training and night time sleeping  etc., I DO NOT APPROVE of keeping a dog confined to a crate  all day every day whilst the family is away at work and   school. This is cruel and will result in a hyper active puppy bursting with energy he is not able to contain.

 

Whether to crate or not is an entirely personal choice. If you  crate your puppy, overnight, or when you are not able to  supervise it inside your home, you will minimize toilet  'accidents' and so will speed up the house training process.  If you choose not to crate, then it is a good idea to restrict  the puppy's access to any but one room at a time - the room   you are in, so that you can pick up on puppy's telltale   sniffing at the floor when it wants to go outside. Quickly scoop up the puppy, and CARRY it to your chosen spot in the yard, where it will soon become a habit for puppy to consider  its toilet place.

 

We expect a lot from a puppy! He is suddenly removed from his litter and put into a large metal crate, isolated  away from social contact. We then expect that he will   instinctively acclimate to his crate and wonder why he barks  and cries. Pupies bark and cry to seek social contact when   they are separated from their pack. What a huge adjustment!

 

 There is a big difference between 'crating' a puppy and '  crate training ' a puppy. Crate training takes some time but   the end result is a dog that is happy to stay in his crate. A  puppy that is confined without being properly crate trained  may experience anxiety and could possibly injure himself. He  may bark or cry, try to escape by digging or chewing his way  out. Some may even eliminate in their crates. Here are the  important steps to follow when crate training your puppy:

 

1. The crate should only be large enough for the puppy to stand up,

 turn around and lie down comfortably.

 Crates can can be stuffed  with pillows or some other barricade for growing puppies or many crates now come with dividers that you adjust as your puppy grows.   Crates should not be larger than necessary in order to ensure   proper housebreaking while in the crate.

 

            

 2. Be sure that your puppy has had the opportunity to play,eat, and eliminate before going into his crate. Give the last  drink of water at least an hour before crating.

 

  3. Remember, young puppies must eliminate frequently (every

  1-2 hours when they are AWAKE). Puppies should not be crated

   for more than a few hours at a time. That time can increase as

  the pup's bladder and bowels strengthen with age..

   At this age…most likely your pup will have to be taken outside to

  Potty at least once or maybe twice during the night

 

 4. An ideal location for the crate is a room where the family spends time such as a family room or bedroom. Crating away  from the family is seen by the puppy as being abandoned by their Pack .

 

 5. Leave the door open and throw a few treats inside, allowing

    the puppy to freely walk in and out.

 

 6. Feed the puppy's meals in the crate while you are home. 

 

 7. Once the pup enters the crate to retrieve treats without

    hesitation, throw another treat in and close the door. Praise

    him while inside for a few moments and open the door again,

    allowing him to exit.

 

 8. Several times during the day, throw a treat in while stating a command such as kennel or crate. This will help him  to pair the command with entering the crate.

 

 9. While you are home, have the puppy enter the crate on  command with a treat and close the door. Do this several times   during the day. Begin training with short sessions. While he is in the crate, leave the room and return on a random basis.

 Gradually increase the time the puppy spends in the crate while you are home.

 

10. The puppy should NOT associate being crated with your leaving for the day. Many dogs become anxious when their   owners leave. Dogs need to be trained to accept being alone in   addition to being crate trained.

 

 11. During training, do not let your puppy out of the crate when he is crying, barking, scratching, etc. Wait for at least  15 to 30 seconds of quiet before letting him out. Do not  reward his behavior by releasing him during these times.

 

12. If your puppy begins to panic when crated, you must crate

      train in much smaller steps. It is one thing to not reward

      barking, it is entirely another thing to cause your puppy to

      become anxious by going too quickly. If you feel that your

      puppy is becoming anxious, return to the room where he is

      crated, but do not give him any attention. He may be comforted

      by your presence enough to calm down. Once he is calm, you

      will be more apt to get the 15 or 30 seconds of quiet needed

      before allowing him out of the crate.

 

13. Be sure to act neutral when letting your dog out of his crate in order to diffuse his excitement level after being  confined.  Carry the puppy outside to potty.  This will  prevent submissive or excitable peeing from becoming a habit.

 

 14. Do not place food, water or rawhides in the crate if you going to be absent for several hours. If necessary, freeze a  small container of water and place that in the crate or   purchase a ballpoint cage waterer. (used for rabbits, and  available in most pet stores.)

 

15.  Never crate your puppy with a collar on and NEVER open the crate door if you puppy has it paws up on the crate door. Their paws can get  stuck when opening the crate door. Your puppy can learn the sit command  very quickly. See that your puppy is sitting before opening the  crate door.

 

 

 

 

Vaccinations

 

are not completely effective until the  last series of vaccines become

become fully effective a few weeks later or titer testing results show

immunity. Prior vaccinations can 'argue' with the antibodies from the

puppy's  mother, so outings should be restricted so as not to mix with

dogs you don't know or places where other possible stray dogs have been.

Shopping Centers and Vet Clinics are notoriously high - risk places.

At the vet, hold your young puppy on your lap. The floor can be a

cocktail of latent killers-in-waiting. Make sure your vet has

disinfected the surgery table since the last patient.

 

NOTE: Lastest studies suggest that the benefit of enrolling your puppy in age appropriate puppy training classes before 16weeks old,  is extremeley important to the puppies social development and therefore out weighs the risk of waiting until the puppy is fully vaccinated.

Many places now offer puppy preschool for puppies as young as 8 weeks old.

 

 

Why Do Dogs Get into Mischief?

 

Dogs are very social animals, especially labradoodles and that makes for wonderful pets. However, with the lifestyle and schedule of many families these days, dogs may need to LEARN to spend more time home alone. Too much freedom is the major reason that puppies get into trouble. A puppy that is  left unsupervised to wander about, investigate and possibly destroy things will have a difficult time how to behave properly in your home. Crates are intended  to be transitional for most dogs, although when properly crate trained some dogs love their crate for life. They spend their time resting and/or sleeping in the crate. 

                 

How Much Exercise?

 

 

                  Young puppies under twelve months of age should not have

                  'forced' exercise, such as jogging for miles, or very long

                  walks on the leash. The mechanical movement of forced

                  exercise at the same pace is not natural to a puppy, which

                  will frequently change from gallop, to trot, to walk, and flop

                  down from time to time when given the opportunity. The

                  mechanical dynamic of a puppy being forced to maintain the

                  same pace on a leash before it is fully developed can cause

                  damage to loose ligaments and immature joints, especially in

                  heavier breeds of dog. Free exercise, where the puppy can

                  change from walk, to romp to trot, are fine, as well as

                  shorter periods on leash, for training etc.

 

              

 

                 Hip Dysplasia (HD) is one joint disease which can be induced

                  by improper exercise. 

 

                  Maximum on-leash exercise:-

 

                  FROM 10 wks to four months old: Twenty minutes on leash once

                  daily, plus romping at free will.

 

                  FROM four months to eight months: Up to an hour daily as long

                  as some free time is interspersed with the on leash.

 

                  Eight months to twelve months: .A full hour on leash once or

                  twice daily plus romping.

 

 

                  No jumping off high places, no frisbee, or agility until after

                  twelve months of age.

 

                  Stairs Danger!!! Slippery Polished Floors...Danger !!!

 

                  According to studies….Puppies that play with older larger dogs

                  have a  higher incidence  of developing Hip Dysplasia.

                  Please monitor your puppy when playing with larger older dogs

 

                  Running up and down stairs, jumping off high places, and

                  slipping and sliding about on polished floors, or tiled

                  surfaces, can cause irreparable damage to young forming joints

                  as can keeping a puppy behind a high door, with say, a

                  peephole that encourages the dog to stand on its hind legs for

                  hours at a time to see over or through the gate. Dogs are a

                  four legged creature which are not conformed physically to

                  spending a lot of time on just two of their legs.

 

                  Failure to observe these things can induce HD and other joint

                  problems even in a healthy puppy.

                 

 

Leash Training

                  Leash training should start as soon as you get your new puppy

                  home, Your puppy has been acclimated to a collar since 3 weeks

                  of age. Short sessions on leash in your yard or house, with

                  plenty of praise and  the occasional treat  will soon have your

                  new puppy wanting to follow along at your heels.

 

                  Young puppies have a natural desire to follow your feet and to

                  come running to you. Make the most of this whilst it still

                  comes naturally to them. Why wait until they are six months

                  old, much bigger and have to be hauled around by force, or

                  jerked back to your side, because they have had 'free rein'

                  for too long and have developed their exploratory instincts?

                  Remember…a good way to get your puppy to come to you

                 when called is to run AWAY from your puppy while saying

                 ‘Come Rover’. Remember this  with small children who have a

                 tendency to run away from a puppy if they are wanting to get away

                 from a nipping puppy. It only encourages the puppy to chase

                 after them more

About  Nipping/ Biting And Growling

 

                  When very young puppies play with each other, they growl,

                  snarl, bite and nip. It is also their way of establishing who

                  is leader of their (sibling) pack. If they try this out on an

                  older dog, or their mother, they will be scruffed soundly and

                  put back into their place. Dogs use there mouths to

                  communicate with each other similar to humans using their

                  hands.

 

                  To a puppy, it must seem that no sooner do they begin to

                  understand the game in their animal pack, when the goal posts

                  are moved! When in  their new family, their 'pack' has changed

                  to you and  your  family,.so they may need to start all over again.

                  What may be acceptable in the dog to dog world is NOT acceptable

                  in the dog  to human world and they need to learn this.

 

                 Since we at Laurel Mountain Labradoodles spend a great deal of time

                 interacting with our puppies, your puppy had had a good start as to what

                 is acceptable behavior with humans and was is not…but it was just a

                 beginning that needs to be consistently enforced by you. Remember…

                 you are trying to teach a puppy something that goes Against there natural

                 instinct and so it takes time and most importantly…consistency! Every

                 household member should be using the same technique/s & commands.  

                 Remember..children who are too young to understand proper disciplinary

                 techniques for a puppy…should not be left to discipline a puppy on their

                 own accord

 

                  Young children often play roughly with a puppy and/or the puppy views a

                  small child as a littermate , and so the puppy treats the child the same as

                  it would treat a sibling puppy.

                  Although natural, this must be stopped very quickly

                  Remember…if you sit on the floor and play with your puppy

                  You are now down to the puppies level and the puppy will treat you

                  more on his level as he would a littermate which may encourage

                  The puppy to nip and jump at your face .

 

Nipping and jumping are normal play behaviors in puppies but when directed toward people they can be annoying and dangerous. The first step is to pick appropriate games with your puppy. Chase and wrestling are not recommended since they tend to encourage biting and jumping. Instead fetch or a vigorous walk would be better. Next, be aware of how excited your puppy is getting when you play. As you see his excitement increase, stop playing before he gets out of control. Be sure to stay calm and if necessary leave the room. Do not begin to push or yell at him, that will only make things worse. If you leave he will learn his behavior results in social isolation and he should learn to modulate his play.

 

 

 

 

                  Children should always be supervised when playing with a

                  puppy. If they are too young to understand, then the puppy

                  will need to be put in the crate or separate room for several hours

                  each day for much needed rest time and 'space' from the

                  excited playing with the children.

 

                 We here at Laurel Mountain Labradoodles have used a few different

                 techniques with your puppy to help deter or reduce

                 nipping/biting/chewing.

          

                  1) Scream OUCH or Yip Really loud to startle the pup! Some puppies

                     relate to this rather well since it is similar to what they hear when

                     littermates nip each other too hard. Good method for small children

 

                 2) Put something immediately in the puppy’s mouth they are ALLOWED to

                     chew or nip on. This is called redirecting and is a Good method for

                     small children and adults.

 

                 3) get up and walk away..Play ends!        

 

                 4) gently hold the muzzle closed and say “NO BITE”. When muzzle is

                     released if puppy does NOT continue to nip or bite and instead licks,

                     we say GOOD BOY No Bite!. If puppy  walks away we say nothing and

                     let him go about his merry way. Not a good method for young children

                    and should really be used as a last resort.

 

              

                 All 4 of these techniques are used independently or in conjunction with

                 one another…example…scream ouch and then immediately put

                 something acceptable in the puppies mouth.

 

                REMEMBER….Puppies will mouth/nip more after they are well rested and

                                          Therefore more excitable! Perhaps during these more

                                          excitable moments of play time, just alter the type of play

                                          to burn off energy,  minimize roughhousing and don’t

                                         expect that your  puppy will want to sit quietly and

                                        cuddle…save that  for more low-keyed times.

 

               REMEMBER…PRAISE PRAISE…your puppy when he/she does what you

                                       Asked!!!  Too many people want to just correct a puppy, but

                                       fail to praise them IMMEDIATELY when the did what was

                                       asked of them. Praise is a REWARD and goes a long way!

                                     

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 One other issue I want to address..is possible puppy growling at humans.

 Growling can be for 2 reasons and are easily distinguishable.

1)      Dominance Growling

2)      Fear growling

It doesn't happen with all pups but if it does...it is totally natural and does not mean you have a mean dog, but it must be stopped immediately and NEVER allowed to continue!

Let me 1st address dominance growling. When a young puppy growls for reason of dominance..it is because they object to something you are stopping them from doing or trying to take away from them. They are usually a little more headstrong in temperament and they are basically back talking. You would never allow your child to talk back to you...don't allow a puppy to back talk either!

That's what dogs do to each other, when one tries to take a treat or a toy from the other one. This is NORMAL dog behavior in the dog to dog world . So once again...it comes back to understanding dog language and knowing how to respond correctly to it so they get the message this is not allowed with humans.

It has NOTHING to with them being mean, but has EVERYTHING to do with them wanting to see who is the leader in the house! Some dogs will challenge the pack order more than others. Remember... humans are ALWAYS  the highest in pack order and the puppy is ALWAYS on the bottom rung of the pack order. Don't forget that!

 

 

 

Understanding pack order even becomes more clear when you own multiple dogs and when you witness how a mother dog attempts to train her pups.

When a puppy plays too rough with it's mother...she pins them down with her mouth  and growls or she takes them by the scruff of the neck with her mouth and growls. You immediately see the puppy submit. If it's a head strong puppy they will keep challenging the rules and the mother attempts once again to set the record straight.

If you encounter growling with your pup, the most effective way to solve this is to act in way they understand. If you see this behavior, most likely you will see it in the early weeks of owning your puppy while they are testing the waters.

I tell people to gently grab the pup by the scruff of the back of the neck..just enough to really get their attention, put your face right in their face and growl really LOUD.(You have now acted using language they understand) . Many times it only takes one time to do this. They learn who is their leader and growling at humans is NOT permissible under any circumstances!    I can't stress this enough!

A lot of times when there are small children in the house, a  puppy may attempt to challenge his place in the pack, with a small child ,given their size,  and may attempt to treat the child like a littermate.

Puppies and dogs growl playfully with each other,  They also growl in objection to each other. They nip and bite all the time as a form of communication. That's OK in the dog to dog world...that's what they do...but it's NOT OK in the human to dog world.

Have you ever met a dog or heard about a dog where the person may say..."Don't go near Fido when he is chewing his bone...he will growl and possibly bite you"!  This is just an example of a dog who was allowed to challenge his position in the human pack and was never corrected for it...mainly because the humans didn't know how to respond to it or they were afraid to corrected it for fear of getting bit!.

No need to fear a puppy at 8-10 weeks…but left unchecked..now you have an adult dog continuing in ways he was allowed to and a bite from an adult dog is something

no one wants to happen.   Do you know that there really is only a very small percentage of dogs who are inherently mean? It's sad how many dogs end up in shelters because they were labeled as mean when in reality...they just didn't receive the proper training because the owners may not have had enough understanding about how to handle strong-willed puppies who were attempting to elevate themselves in the human pack. I can reach into any one of my dogs mouths or remove anything from them with not objection at all

 

OK…now I want to address Fear Growling

 

It is natural for some dogs to be shy of things that are new and unfamiliar. During development, a dog becomes socialized with familiar people, animals, objects and situations. But they will still tend to shy away from the unfamiliar. Shyness in itself is not a problem. It is only a problem if the dog's shyness inhibits your lifestyle or if the dog develops other problems related to shyness such as fear biting. Shy dogs often bolt when frightened, and can endangering themselves by running blindly into danger, such as traffic. If a shy dog feels it can’t run and feels trapped they may growl and if the warning is not heeded …will bite

Unknowingly Training Your Dog or Puppy to be Shy

In a well meaning attempt to calm their dog's fears, many people end up actually reinforcing a dog's shy behavior. In effect, the owner inadvertently trains the dog to be more fearful. Be careful not to reinforce your dog's fearfulness by offering reassurance. When a timid dog hides, barks defensively, whines, screams, our response is only natural. Our protective instincts cause us to reassure the dog by talking soothingly, petting or even picking up the dog for a hug. These actions flagrantly reward the dog for fearful behavior. It is best to just completely ignore your dog when he acts fearful. Let him learn by his own experience that there is nothing to be afraid of. Save your praise and reassurance for times when your dog acts with confidence.

Shyness, Fear and Socialization

Many people sometimes try to FORCE a puppy to socialize with other dogs and people. This usually reinforces the dog's view that other dogs and people are frightening. On the one hand, the dog needs to be socialized as quickly as possible, but on the other hand, he should not be forced into it. If you push your dog to do too much too soon, your dog will only become more fearful and may be forced into a situation where he feels he must defend himself by growling or snapping. Socializing a dog and helping him build his confidence is a time consuming task. Thrusting him into the arms of every visitor and dragging him out to socialize with many other dogs can be counter-productive. Strangers should never be allowed to approach your dog to pet him. It should always be left to your dog to make the first contact. If your dog does not want to approach, that is OK. Just give him plenty of time to 'hide and peek' and eventually he will come out on his own. It's up to you to provide ample opportunity for socialization, but it is up to the dog to proceed at his own pace. Don't verbally try to encourage a dog out of hiding. He will probably interpret your encouragement as praise for hiding. Don't try to force him to come out, this will only frighten him even more.

 

 

 

Remember...a puppy is a puppy , but you have to be  willing to put the time and energy into learning all you can about puppy/dogs in general in order to raise  your puppy to be the best they can be . What you put into it ...you will get back 10 fold and  therefore have a labradoodle who is living life to it's fullest potential and a wonderful life partner for you!

 

 

                   

                

Remember…I am always available to help anyone who owns one of my puppies...it's part of my commitment to all of you as the customer, along with the love and responsibility I have for each and every puppy I helped bring into this world.

 

With Love…..Granny Mary