Puppy Preparation
Bringing home a new puppy is a joyful time, all those weeks of waiting are finally here! but leading up to bringing puppy home , especially for those who have never owned a dog, or has been a long time since owning one, It can also throw up some worries about what to get and what to do etc...
Here our our tips and advice to help you prepare for their arrival.
Lots of advice can be read on the clubs website in the nursery section and training section also check out Cockapoo training tips , includes a list of good books that you can get in preparation for your puppy , Click here : Cockapoo Training tips
Most good breeders will give you a puppy pack it will be different from breeder to breeder but usually contains things like :
Written advice to take home on puppy care, some give toys and blanket with mum's scent and hopefully they should give you some of the food they have been feeding so that you can continue to feed the same type until you decide what you wish to feed puppy. Also make sure if your puppy has had vaccination you take home the vaccination record and the microchipping details. Some may you give you the pup's ancestry, this is usually a family tree of at least 3-5 generations.You may also get free insurance for the first 4 weeks with Petplan( or another insurer)
Puppy proofing the house and garden:
Small puppies can squeeze through gaps and can be adapt a getting into places they shouldn't.
Check the boundaries in your garden are secure, no gaps in fences, broken fences etc.....
Ensure garden doesn't have an plants toxic to your dog check out Doggie Dangers
Decide which areas of the house are to be out of bounds or if pup is allowed access to all areas ensure that you keep things out of reach you do not want chewed.
So put away shoes, bags, mobiles or anything pup will use as a chew toy. Maybe look at your wires to your electricals and use cable ties or similar, and anything that has easy access to an inquistive pup is out of reach/put away. Keep chemicals, medicines and cleaning products out of reach as you would do for a child.
Stairgates are very useful in doorways as well as on the stairs. You may pick them up cheaply secondhand, check mother and baby selling sites.
You may decide to use a puppy pen in addition to the crate or you may choose to leave them in a room/area secured by a stairgate.
Buying Goods
There is no need to rush out and buy lots of stuff, you can get things as you go along and as the puppy grows and develops. But here is a list of things you may wish to purchase before puppy comes home.
Things you may need:
A crate (if you have decided to crate train your puppy):
A 36" crate is an ideal size for cockapoos. A crate this size gives puppy ample room to stretch and sleep comfortably. Some crates come with dividers, so you can use it for one section for bed and another for toys and play area. Place the crate somewhere in the home that the puppy can be near you, but also where it can have some peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life, especially if you have children or a busy lifestyle. Make it more den like for them by placing a sheet or blanket over 3 sides leaving the front free. However do not use covers when weather is hot as this could cause your puppy to overheat.
The crate should be their safe place to go , for sleep and time out or for a quiet play and should never been used as a form of punishment, but their save haven. We also advise as a precaution that collars are removed whilst in crate as it is easy for tags etc to get caught etc..which could cause injury/strangulation if the pup struggles to free itself.
See more here : Crates
Bedding:
Ideally do not spend a fortune as puppy can quickly outgrow a bed or it can be chewed to bits during their teething stage. You can go back to the old tried and tested cardboard box with a bit cut out of the front and line with newspaper and a blanket or old wooly jumper or buy one . They come in all sorts of designs from plastic beds, fabric to large sofa beds.
Vet bed is also very popular. It is cosy, comfortable, robust, and relatively puppy proof, comes in a variety of colours and is easily washed and dried.
Some also use a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket/jumper to place in bed in early days as it is suppose to stimulate the ticking of the mothers heartbeat. You can also buy comforters in shape of heated pads and snuggle toys, that are sometimes useful in the early days.
For Help with bedtime routines. See Routine
Puppy pads:
These are optional , they can be used in a suitable location to encourage your puppy to toilet where you want it to.
It's cheaper and in our opinion easier to deal with toilet training directly than use pads, as often you have to retrain your puppy to go outside. See toilet training tips here : Toilet Training
Kitchen Roll : for clearing up accidents. Biological washing powder does the same job as odour remover but is cheaper, just make sure any carpets are colour safe before using. Biological powder is good at removing urine smell which helps prevent the puppy from re-soiling in the same area.
Poo bags : You can buy bags marketed as dog poo bags, including ones that are biodegradable. Nappy sacks from the supermarket are a cheap alternative, especially when puppies as you will got through lots.
Collar, lead and tags :
Some breeders may provide you with these in your puppy pack. You can get collars
and leads suitable for puppies in variety of pet shops in town and on line. It is personal preference if you prefer to have clips or buckles to do them up. It is a legal requirement to have a tag with the owner's details on it such as your name, address, postcode. Your contact number is optional but recommended.
Food and water bowls:
Plenty of choice plastic, metal and ceramic. Ideally get one that has rubber feet or is heavy so that it doesn't get moved around floor whilst puppy is eating.
Your breeder should give you food to take home that your puppy has been weaned on. Ideally stick to that until puppy is settled at home with you. For advice on feeding, foods and how to switch please see our diet article : Diet
Treats:
Packaged treats are good, make sure they are suitable for puppies, so check packaging closely. Alternatively, use small cut up pieces of cooked chicken,beef, turkey,or in moderation hotdogs, dried liver. These are especially good as high reward training treats, especially when teaching recall.
Click here for our advice and recall training plan: recall
We recommend that you avoid rawhide chews as these can cause blockages but stick to natural treats such as lambs , pigs or cows ears which are natural and are airdried and provide a healthy treat and great chew aid which will keep puppy happy and entertained.Ideally start off with a small ear like rabbit and increase in size as your pup grows. Ensure you supervise.
Here our our tips and advice to help you prepare for their arrival.
Lots of advice can be read on the clubs website in the nursery section and training section also check out Cockapoo training tips , includes a list of good books that you can get in preparation for your puppy , Click here : Cockapoo Training tips
Most good breeders will give you a puppy pack it will be different from breeder to breeder but usually contains things like :
Written advice to take home on puppy care, some give toys and blanket with mum's scent and hopefully they should give you some of the food they have been feeding so that you can continue to feed the same type until you decide what you wish to feed puppy. Also make sure if your puppy has had vaccination you take home the vaccination record and the microchipping details. Some may you give you the pup's ancestry, this is usually a family tree of at least 3-5 generations.You may also get free insurance for the first 4 weeks with Petplan( or another insurer)
Puppy proofing the house and garden:
Small puppies can squeeze through gaps and can be adapt a getting into places they shouldn't.
Check the boundaries in your garden are secure, no gaps in fences, broken fences etc.....
Ensure garden doesn't have an plants toxic to your dog check out Doggie Dangers
Decide which areas of the house are to be out of bounds or if pup is allowed access to all areas ensure that you keep things out of reach you do not want chewed.
So put away shoes, bags, mobiles or anything pup will use as a chew toy. Maybe look at your wires to your electricals and use cable ties or similar, and anything that has easy access to an inquistive pup is out of reach/put away. Keep chemicals, medicines and cleaning products out of reach as you would do for a child.
Stairgates are very useful in doorways as well as on the stairs. You may pick them up cheaply secondhand, check mother and baby selling sites.
You may decide to use a puppy pen in addition to the crate or you may choose to leave them in a room/area secured by a stairgate.
Buying Goods
There is no need to rush out and buy lots of stuff, you can get things as you go along and as the puppy grows and develops. But here is a list of things you may wish to purchase before puppy comes home.
Things you may need:
A crate (if you have decided to crate train your puppy):
A 36" crate is an ideal size for cockapoos. A crate this size gives puppy ample room to stretch and sleep comfortably. Some crates come with dividers, so you can use it for one section for bed and another for toys and play area. Place the crate somewhere in the home that the puppy can be near you, but also where it can have some peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life, especially if you have children or a busy lifestyle. Make it more den like for them by placing a sheet or blanket over 3 sides leaving the front free. However do not use covers when weather is hot as this could cause your puppy to overheat.
The crate should be their safe place to go , for sleep and time out or for a quiet play and should never been used as a form of punishment, but their save haven. We also advise as a precaution that collars are removed whilst in crate as it is easy for tags etc to get caught etc..which could cause injury/strangulation if the pup struggles to free itself.
See more here : Crates
Bedding:
Ideally do not spend a fortune as puppy can quickly outgrow a bed or it can be chewed to bits during their teething stage. You can go back to the old tried and tested cardboard box with a bit cut out of the front and line with newspaper and a blanket or old wooly jumper or buy one . They come in all sorts of designs from plastic beds, fabric to large sofa beds.
Vet bed is also very popular. It is cosy, comfortable, robust, and relatively puppy proof, comes in a variety of colours and is easily washed and dried.
Some also use a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket/jumper to place in bed in early days as it is suppose to stimulate the ticking of the mothers heartbeat. You can also buy comforters in shape of heated pads and snuggle toys, that are sometimes useful in the early days.
For Help with bedtime routines. See Routine
Puppy pads:
These are optional , they can be used in a suitable location to encourage your puppy to toilet where you want it to.
It's cheaper and in our opinion easier to deal with toilet training directly than use pads, as often you have to retrain your puppy to go outside. See toilet training tips here : Toilet Training
Kitchen Roll : for clearing up accidents. Biological washing powder does the same job as odour remover but is cheaper, just make sure any carpets are colour safe before using. Biological powder is good at removing urine smell which helps prevent the puppy from re-soiling in the same area.
Poo bags : You can buy bags marketed as dog poo bags, including ones that are biodegradable. Nappy sacks from the supermarket are a cheap alternative, especially when puppies as you will got through lots.
Collar, lead and tags :
Some breeders may provide you with these in your puppy pack. You can get collars
and leads suitable for puppies in variety of pet shops in town and on line. It is personal preference if you prefer to have clips or buckles to do them up. It is a legal requirement to have a tag with the owner's details on it such as your name, address, postcode. Your contact number is optional but recommended.
Food and water bowls:
Plenty of choice plastic, metal and ceramic. Ideally get one that has rubber feet or is heavy so that it doesn't get moved around floor whilst puppy is eating.
Your breeder should give you food to take home that your puppy has been weaned on. Ideally stick to that until puppy is settled at home with you. For advice on feeding, foods and how to switch please see our diet article : Diet
Treats:
Packaged treats are good, make sure they are suitable for puppies, so check packaging closely. Alternatively, use small cut up pieces of cooked chicken,beef, turkey,or in moderation hotdogs, dried liver. These are especially good as high reward training treats, especially when teaching recall.
Click here for our advice and recall training plan: recall
We recommend that you avoid rawhide chews as these can cause blockages but stick to natural treats such as lambs , pigs or cows ears which are natural and are airdried and provide a healthy treat and great chew aid which will keep puppy happy and entertained.Ideally start off with a small ear like rabbit and increase in size as your pup grows. Ensure you supervise.
Soft brush and/or comb:
A simple soft brush and/or comb will be sufficient for the first few months. You can buy a baby brush that are used for babies or a puppy brush from pet stores. It is a good way for them to get used to be handled in preparation for grooming which is an essential part of cockapoo care.
Shampoo/conditioner:
Products designed for human use are not recommended as they do not have the same PH levels as our dogs do. For further info on grooming : Grooming
A simple soft brush and/or comb will be sufficient for the first few months. You can buy a baby brush that are used for babies or a puppy brush from pet stores. It is a good way for them to get used to be handled in preparation for grooming which is an essential part of cockapoo care.
Shampoo/conditioner:
Products designed for human use are not recommended as they do not have the same PH levels as our dogs do. For further info on grooming : Grooming
For some fab pictures of puppies through to adults please see here : Puppy to adults