Welcoming your new puppy

Setting up your home is an important step before bringing home your new puppy. It is not only important for your new addition but for you! The beginning weeks are fun, tiring and sometimes challenging, but you need to make sure you have secured any dangerous items and have locked up your valuables!

I highly recommend you attend a session with Therapy and Support Animals Australia. https://www.facebook.com/therapysupportanimalsaust/ (a Brisbane based company). We now ask all our guardians to attend this course before bringing their puppy home.

I also recommend Amy’s Puppy Preschool http://www.puppypre-school.com.au/. This is an online course that gives you a lot of information about how to get ready to bring your puppy home and then lots of tips once you have your puppy.

Alternatively organise an in home visit from a trainer (usually around 2 hours) to help you develop a system and setup that will suit your puppy and your lifestyle.

Make Everything Safe

The following checklist has been created from our experience and we believe that if you check off all the items, your first week at home will not only be fun but safe as your curious puppy explores their new space and tests their boundaries.

Shopping List

Your new puppy will need a few essential items before you bring them home. We suggest you spend a little bit of time reading over the following list and our tips to see what you need to acquire before collecting your new puppy.

Bowls for food and water

• Stainless steel is best – can’t break or be chewed, they last forever and are easy to clean (regular cleaning is essential)

• Fresh water must be available to your dog at all times, except in the crate at night..

Beware of Cane Toads - if you live in an area where there are cane toads, know that they’re attracted to water bowls and are highly toxic to dogs. Empty outside water bowls nightly and replenish them each morning.

Collar and Lead

Caralee Labradoodles will provide you with your first puppy collar and lead which should last you at least the first month - depending on size of your puppy. As puppy grows quickly in these early stages, you will need to buy another collar. We recommend you take your puppy to either your vet or local pet store so one can be appropriately fitted. We do not recommend choker or chain collars.

Leads can be enticing to chew so buy a well-made sturdy lead. We also sell leads and collars that are made locally so please contact us if you would like a gorgeous Caralee lead and collar.

Bedding

Crates are excellent to use from the start. It provides puppy with security and a place of their own. Crates can be purchased on many online stores or again from your local pet store. We highly recommend the use of crates as it allows alone time, security and structure for your puppy, they’re also a great tool to train puppy to sleep through the night.

Alternatively they need a warm place where they can be secured at night (i.e. an ensuite, bathroom or laundry). Never ever leave a puppy to roam free around the house at night.

We provide you with a warm fleece that can be used in your puppy’s crate. It will have the puppy smells on it from your puppy’s litter mates. Fleece are easy to wash and dry quickly.

Grooming Gear

• Dog/ Puppy Shampoo

• Slicker brush and/or wide pronged comb

• Small blunt ended scissors to trim around eyes and ears when necessary

• Nail Trimmers

• Ear Care

More detail about grooming on the Grooming page.

We sell a grooming pack to get you started.

Treats

Rawhide or liver treats to reward good behaviour (these are not a substitute for their meals and shouldn’t be given too frequently). There are many different treats available commercially.

Left-overs from the fridge e.g. small bits of chicken, cheese, bits of leftover meat etc. can also be used to treat especially as training rewards.

Larger chews such as pig and venison ears are good distractions when leaving them alone or at those times when shoes, plants, furniture and clothing seem enticing (see training notes).

Antlers are also great chews but should be given when puppy is over six months.

Toys

These are necessary so your puppy does not get bored and can use their sharp teeth on something other than your shoes, other personal items and hands and feet. With toys, you do get what you pay for - some brands last longer than others, cheap soft toys are often quickly destroyed and you’ll end up with stuffing everywhere and plastic squeaker boxes from inside these toys can often be swallowed by puppy, requiring a trip to the vet. Kong soft and chew toys are very good quality, however they are more expensive. Keep an eye out for sales to nab some of these.

We sell a toy essentials pack to get you started.

The RSPCA and some pet stores sell tug ropes made from plated flannelette that are entertaining and last forever.

Avoid giving clothes or shoes as playthings – you could be asking for trouble, as puppy will see this as permission to chew everything else as well!

Resources

Amy’s Puppy Pre School

Which Pet Food & Water Bowls (petcircle.com.au)

Choosing Toys for your Puppy (petcircle.com.au