What do you wish you knew before getting a puppy?

[Anonymous]

It’s going to be chaotic and that phase will end in time. Promise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The puppy phase is 10x worse than having a newborn baby. It’s exhausting. I realized I don’t love being a pet owner. We have a very sweet dog who gets treated very well…and yet…I always wish we didn’t have to deal with various things like dog dander and fur and slobber and the sounds they make.

You must have had an easy baby because I 100 percent believe the opposite.

[Anonymous]

We got a goldendoodle puppy this spring, it had been over 10 years since our last puppy. Our other dogs are older and we are seasoned pet owners. I forgot how expensive puppies are, how much time they require, how nippy they could get and the grooming! I have had high maintenance dogs before but this doodle needs to brushed every day or every other day or else she gets matted.
Once you get house training under way- things get better. Get pet insurance!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s going to be chaotic and that phase will end in time. Promise.

True, but it is extremely important during the early months to socialize, train, bite inhibition, and expose puppy to so many things like trimming nails, cleaning eyes and ears, brushing, big hats, umbrellas, bikes, loud construction noise, etc. etc. If you just wait for them to grow up, there will be more behavior issues, especially in a doodle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The puppy phase is 10x worse than having a newborn baby. It’s exhausting. I realized I don’t love being a pet owner. We have a very sweet dog who gets treated very well…and yet…I always wish we didn’t have to deal with various things like dog dander and fur and slobber and the sounds they make.

You must have had an easy baby because I 100 percent believe the opposite.

Omg same. I personally had preemie twins so the newborn phase was particularly challenging, but the puppy was a breeze by comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s going to be chaotic and that phase will end in time. Promise.

True, but it is extremely important during the early months to socialize, train, bite inhibition, and expose puppy to so many things like trimming nails, cleaning eyes and ears, brushing, big hats, umbrellas, bikes, loud construction noise, etc. etc. If you just wait for them to grow up, there will be more behavior issues, especially in a doodle.

Sure.

Didn’t imply it would magically happen. Thanks for over explaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Puppies are babies and you have to get up to let them potty at night.

We got ours at 12 weeks and she slept all night. We cut off water one hour before bedtime and took her out a few times before bed.

I did the same. When I took her out the first few nights, she didn't go. She also didn't go in her crate. So I just let her sleep and made sure to get her out first thing in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Reading this thread made me go get mine and hug her close because she was easy from day 1.

[Anonymous]

Whatever routine you set now will be the routine throughout the dog's life. It is very difficult to change once the dog is used to it. For example, we always walked our puppy first thing in the morning and then fed breakfast as soon as we got home. Now dog wakes us up every morning because he wants his walk just so he can get food. Any future dog will get walks at random times that are not associated with meal times.

[Anonymous]

With our first dog we did the cheapo dog training class at petsmart because we didn’t know any better. With his successor we did a more expensive class with a real professional and the difference is night and day. Spring for the good class. Money well spent.

[Anonymous]

They bite a lot. The phase will end
(teething
It does not mean, that this particular dog, was a bad choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With our first dog we did the cheapo dog training class at petsmart because we didn’t know any better. With his successor we did a more expensive class with a real professional and the difference is night and day. Spring for the good class. Money well spent.

What is a good puppy class? Any recommendations? (We are in MD)

[Anonymous]

Be prepared for the stages of puppyhood.

Very young puppies (0-3 months): no awareness of body signals, need a lot of cuddling and reassurance, teething like crazy, struggle with even a split second left alone, need constant naps, need a lot of socialization

Young puppies (3-6 months): adult teeth coming in so they still bite and eat everything, need a lot of training, still have accidents in the house occasionally, need constant exercise and mental stimulation, need set routine with lots of naps, need a lot of,socialization

Adolescent puppies (6-18 months): some regression in listening skills, lots of testing limits, still chewing everything, need set routine with structured nap times, need constant exercise and mental stimulation, require a lot of patience because they're testing limits so often, should have very few potty accidents anymore, often go through a very cuddly stage again, need a lot of socialization


Other advice:
1. Have a lot of different types of toys (soft toys, balls, bones, puzzles, etc.), and rotate them so your puppy is never bored.

2. Only use a bowl for water. For food, feed your puppy from toys (treat-dispensing toys, snuffle mats, or puzzle feeders) that will slow down the eating, but will also provide mental stimulation.

3. Set a routine so the puppy knows exactly what to expect. Naps at the same time of day, feed at the same time of day, playtime and walks at the same time, etc.

4. Crate train. Don't ever use the crate as punishment. It should be the dog's safe spot.

5. Invest in baby gates to keep the puppy contained to certain areas at a time.

6. Have the entire family go to training and to commit to consistency with the puppy.

7. Use a recovery suit after spaying or neutering. It's superior to a plastic, soft, or inflatable ecollar.

8. Enjoy! Having a puppy is exhausting, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Cuddle that baby. Enjoy his/her milestones. Relish in taking naps together. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With our first dog we did the cheapo dog training class at petsmart because we didn’t know any better. With his successor we did a more expensive class with a real professional and the difference is night and day. Spring for the good class. Money well spent.

What is a good puppy class? Any recommendations? (We are in MD)

NP here
We had a good experience with Your dogs friend.
I wouldn't call it expensive, just solid positive training classes. We did hire one of the instructors for private lessons later, and that was quite expensive (but might not be necessary in your case)

[Anonymous]

That doodles are overpriced, unpredictable mutts. If you care that much about shedding, just get a poodle and call it a day.