Getting Ready for your Puppy

A great time to get this part done is before you bring your puppy home. Aside from the riskiness of taking your infant puppy into a pet store, having a new puppy in the house can be stressful enough without getting home and realizing you are missing some key items.

Shopping List:

Food… glorious food!

Your puppy will need to eat three times per day for the next month or two. Right now, puppies are eating a combination of wet and dry food, and a combination of protein/carb sources. I tend to stick to a lamb and brown rice combination, to prevent sensitive tummies. Some dogs can have allergic reactions to chicken or corn.

Puppies are used to:

  • Beef
  • Lamb
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Brown Rice
  • Sweet Potato
  • Vegetables
  • Pumpkin
  • Chickpeas
  • Blueberries

What we are feeding:

We like American Journey because it is a high quality food and has never been recalled. Nature’s Recipe is also a good food, but is a little less expensive. If you plan to switch your puppy’s food, choose something that has not been recalled and slowly taper from one food to the next, to avoid any digestive issues.

Typically, we mix the dry food together so that puppies get a blend of protein and carbohydrate sources, and then add a couple tablespoons of the canned food on top of their dry food for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be kibble only. The amount of dry kibble does not matter much; puppy will eat all of the wet food and some of the dry food. Whatever puppy eats in the first 5 minutes is about all it will eat, so feel free to pick up the bowl after that time has elapsed.

Make sure to have more than one water bowl available for your puppy, and show him/her where they are. Bernedoodles loooooooove their people, so puppy will be so focused on you that he/she can forget to drink water. This can leave your puppy dehydrated which can develop into a bladder infection, and then you’re off to the vet. You may need to remind puppy to drink by tapping on the edge of the bowl from time to time.

The First Week

Routine is very important for puppies, and sometimes the first week in a new environment can be a little rough. Just remember, this too shall pass…. and a lot faster than with human pups! Your puppy is smart and wants to please, and will get more and more comfortable and relaxed in its new surroundings once it knows what to expect. Puppies have never been alone in their life! They are ingrained with a pack mentality, so in the dog world, alone means death. Puppies are used to sleeping in a pile with their littermates. You may find that developing a bedtime routine is helpful in getting your puppy in the right mindset. Calm and patient consistency will be your strongest asset.

At bedtime, put your puppy in his/her crate with the transitional toy (that smells like littermates) and a chew (something to do if he/she isn’t quite ready to sleep). You can also try a Snuggle Puppy (https://www.chewy.com/smart-pet-love-snuggle-puppy/dp/196019). Some people will play soft music or diffuse a small amount of lavender oil to help puppy relax and fall asleep. We used low lighting, quiet sound and lavender while puppies were growing up with us. If you follow the pattern – nose, eyes, ears – it will make sense to your puppy.

Whenever puppy goes into the crate, give him/her a small treat. Always make going into the crate a positive experience! The crate will become the puppy’s den, the safe space. Never use the crate for punishment.

For a great Bernedoodle puppy guide, including a crate training schedule and bonding exercises, I highly recommend Sherry Rupke’s book, Bernedoodles: A Head To Tail Guide! https://www.amazon.com/Bernedoodles-Head-Guide-Sherry-Rupke/dp/1492249661/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sherry+rupke&qid=1638746895&sr=8-1

Recommended Reading

  • SwissRidge Bernedoodles: A Head To Tail Guide by Sherry Rupke
  • How To Raise The Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Millan
  • The Art Of Raising A Puppy by The Monks of New Skeete
  • Cesar’s Way by Cesar Millan