Preparing Your Home For Your New Puppy

After careful consideration, you’ve decided you would like to add a new furry member to your family! This will be an exciting time for you and your family as you prepare for the arrival of your new Goldendoodle puppy. And while we will take every measure possible to make sure your Goldendoodle is ready for his or her new life, there are many things you can do before your puppy arrives that will help both you and your Goldendoodle get started on the right foot…or paw.

There are a lot of things you will need to take care of during the first few days and weeks with your new puppy, from vet visits to just getting to know your newest family member. So we wanted to help you out with this simple guide on how you can prepare for life with your new puppy. These tips will help you create a more comfortable and manageable life with your new friend.

This isn’t meant to cover every single detail of preparing your home, but instead is meant to create the proper mindset as you get ready to bring your puppy home. Use these tips along with some common sense, and don’t be afraid to ask us or your vet if you have any questions both before and after your puppy comes home.

Establishing The Rules

Your new Goldendoodle will require a certain amount of consistency immediately after entering your home. But your puppy won’t know what the rules are, so there are some things that should be decided ahead of time. Keep in mind that these rules need to be clear to all family members who will be interacting with the new puppy.

NOTE: While it is extremely important to have every family member aware of the rules, it is also important that during the initial hours and even the first few days, only one or two family members should handle most of the tasks involved with your new puppy. Children are usually very excited to help take care of your new pup, but allowing too many people to lead your puppy around and set the rules can actually become confusing to them. You will have plenty of time for each family member to bond with your puppy after they get comfortable!

Decide on a bathroom location

This is one of the most important things to establish before your puppy arrives. While each Euro Goldendoodles puppy will be potty trained, they will not be familiar with your home and yard. And because of excitement, nervousness, the car ride and possibly the urge to establish territory, they may wish to relieve themselves shortly after arrival. So you should choose an appropriate place in your yard where you can lead them.

You may want to choose a location that is away from where your children play, but also be a location that won’t be inconvenient in the case of extended inclement weather. So choosing the furthest corner of a large yard may not be ideal.

The chosen location will also need to be large enough for your puppy to relieve themselves several times without having to overlap. Your puppy  will prefer to go potty in the same location.  They are creatures of habit.

Decide on a feeding location

This may seem unimportant at first, but doing this will provide a few benefits you may not be aware of.

We recommend you feeding your puppy in their crate.  But if you decide not to use the crate; you will want to find a location that won’t interfere with the normal traffic patterns of your family. Just as you wouldn’t want your puppy to walk across your dining room table during dinner, your puppy will appreciate a dedicated location to eat and drink. Heavy traffic around their feeding location, especially during the first few days, can make your puppy nervous.

Choose a location that is convenient to your bag of food and your water source if you wish. This is down to your own convenience, but having to fill a bowl that is in a different room might become annoying. It is ideal to have a place to store your food that is out of reach of your puppy, just in case. A pantry closet or a dedicated storage tub usually works well. If you choose to place food in a tub, it helps to have one that is sealed. 

Once you have decided on a location, it is essential that this is the only place where your puppy receives food(except reward treats, which should be given where and when the good behavior is accomplished). Whatever you do, NEVER feed your puppy from around the dinner table or with scraps that fall on the floor. If you do this, your puppy will become a regular visitor at your feet while you try to enjoy your meal. Your puppy will return to the location where they know food will be, so keep it consistent.

Decide on a schedule

Puppies are creatures of habit, particularly during their first year. But they won’t form the proper habits without some guidance. So you will need to spend some time before they arrive to create a schedule for when they will eat, when they will be allowed to go to the bathroom, etc. Your puppy will follow the schedule you lay out for them, so make sure to set their schedule around yours.

When picking up your puppy, or if your puppy is being shipped to you please be sure to call, it may help to confirm with us what schedule your puppy has been on during training. If this schedule works with yours, it would be the obvious best choice to stick with it as the puppy’s body will already be accustomed to it. However, creating your own schedule and sticking to it will work just fine. For best results, you may want to transition over a period of days to the new schedule if it is vastly different from their training schedule. An immediate and drastic change can sometimes upset your puppy’s health and demeanor.

Do not give into the temptation to feed your puppy whenever you may feel they look hungry. Also, do not keep their bowl filled at all times. Fill it at the designated feeding time and empty it if they don’t finish everything. You will soon learn what your puppy needs and you can adjust as necessary.

Once a schedule is determined, be sure that all family members are aware of it. In addition, if anyone else will be watching your pup, it will help to have the schedule documented somewhere(on your fridge works well) so they know what to do as well.

You may check out our potty training page for more pointers on deciding a bathroom schedule.

Making Your Goldendoodle Puppy Comfortable And Safe

Your new puppy hopes to be as much a part of your family as anyone! As far as the little one is concerned, they are one of your children. They will love you for many years and stay loyal to you. But if they aren’t comfortable in your home, you may see a lower level of happiness in your puppy. So there are a few things you can do to help avoid this.

Make sure your home is puppy proof

Your new puppy is going to be quite curious about their new surroundings. And while they will be trained to behave, they won’t know every rule in your home about what they can or can’t play with. So it is essential that you go through any area where your puppy will be living, playing, sleeping or any other activity, and make it safe for your curious furry friend. These rules are the same for both inside and outside your home.

You will want to be sure that all electrical cables are out of the way, or better yet, taped down or hidden in some way. Taping them to the floor molding is an excellent option. You will also want to remove any items that the puppy could injure themselves on, such as hanging curtain strings or dangerous objects like tools or spare lumber.

Be sure not to leave things like chemicals or non-refrigerated food close to the floor where your puppy could potentially get into it. Moving plants out of the way might be necessary as well if they can be knocked over.

If there are places in your home that you do not want your puppy to go, be sure there is a way to keep them out. Doors are the obvious choice, but you can install baby gates in hallways and stairways to prevent travel beyond those points. Doing this will also prevent you from having to puppy proof every single room in the house, as that may not be practical.

The best way to know what to puppy proof is to put yourself in the place of the puppy. While it might sound strange, getting on your hands and knees and walking around each area will reveal to you many hazards you may not have thought about.

Purchase any comfort supplies ahead of time

There are many items that you should have on hand before your puppy arrives that will not only help to keep them comfortable, but will also prevent a mad scramble to get everything together while your puppy is learning the wrong habits in his or her new home.

You’ll want to have a great dog bed that is comfortable and looks good. You don’t want to have to hide it every time a visitor comes over!

If you don’t have a crate, you will want to pick one up that is appropriate for your puppy’s size; no bigger, no smaller. Having a crate too big might seem like a good idea so your puppy can ‘grow into it’, but in reality, this will possibly hinder your continued potty training routine in your home, among other things. For obvious reasons, you won’t want a crate that is too small either.

You’ll want a healthy supply of dog food and treats, along with accessories like a non-retractable leash(retractable leashes just breed bad control habits), a harness(you may need to purchase this with your puppy present to ensure an accurate fit),  a backup collar, a pet ID tag with your phone number and a good variety of toys designed to stimulate curiosity in your puppy. Be aware that squeaking toys, while fine, can also become a source of annoyance for both you and your pup. If you don’t want a constant barrage of noise, opt for noiseless toys. Also be sure not to purchase toys designed for dogs that are much larger or smaller. Balls and Kong toys and other items typically come in a variety of sizes, so be sure to choose ones appropriate for your puppy’s size.

We have a lengthy list of recommended items for you to purchase which you can find here.

Find a good veterinarian

Last but most certainly not least, you will want to start your search for a good vet well before the arrival of your new Goldendoodle puppy. Not only do we require a vet visit in the first couple of days after you take your puppy home, but you will want to get your puppy used to their new doctor and office. If you choose a vet that doesn’t have the best reputation, you may find yourself bouncing around, which is inconvenient for everyone involved.

Finding a good vet ahead of time will also allow you to speak with them about dangers in your area such as certain types of bugs or parasites to watch out for. And your local vet will be able to help you with getting on a proper schedule of medicine and shots, which is essential for a long and healthy life in your home.

If you have any questions about what types of things to ask your new vet, please feel free to contact us immediately so we can help you find a vet who will provide everything necessary for the health of your puppy.

Clear your schedule and enjoy your new puppy!

There is a lot to consider before your new puppy arrives. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you start putting your plan in place ahead of time, you will have much more time to enjoy the company of your new Goldendoodle. They will certainly be ready to enjoy yours!

When you pick up your puppy, you should plan on spending as much time as you can during the first couple of days. This is an absolutely key time in the new life of your puppy as they will be learning exactly what they can do, where they can go, who is in charge and much more. It may be a little overwhelming to them at first. So plan to be there and give them as much consistency as you can.

Your new puppy will hopefully bring many years of joy to all your family members, and by being consistent and watching out for their safety, they will find plenty of joy in you. So have fun and get ready to welcome your new puppy home!