One of the biggest differences in our Labradoodle puppies is where we raise them. Our puppies are raised in our home in a clean, warm environment. Our mamas are provided with high quality whelping boxes to whelp their litters in. Their whelping boxes are cleaned daily and include clean whelping mats, warm blankets for extra comfort/padding, and a heating pad to keep puppies warm.
Our puppies transition out of their whelping boxes and into to toddler pens around 3-4 weeks old. This includes a designated potty, sleep, and play area. Our puppies are also provided with different age appropriate curriculum items daily to grow their confidence and curiosity.
We play daily sounds on our television starting at 3 weeks of age. This ensures your puppy is being exposed and desensitized to different sounds including thunderstorms, fireworks, trains, traffic, different types of music, different movie genres, dogs barking, kids playing, talking, fire crackling, beach waves, and more! This makes such a difference in our puppies and their confidence level.
We highly believe in crate training all of our puppies. In our puppy room, you will find an area dedicated to crate training. We begin open crate training at just 4 weeks old. This allows our puppies to explore the crate on their own and become comfortable in it. By 5-6 weeks of age, we begin introducing our puppies to short crate exposures. By 6.5-7 weeks, our puppies begin sleeping overnight in their crates. This will make all the difference when you bring your new puppy home who is already used to sleeping in a crate at night.
Our puppies also have their very own play yard equipped with even more fun curriculum activities such as slides, tunnels, swings, water activities (weather permitting), stepping stones, ball pits, and more! Our puppies have their very own area in our yard so they are able to safely be outside and explore and grow their confidence while also getting a head start on potty training.
Our puppy room is something we take great pride in. Raising a puppy in our home is what makes our puppies worth the wait. Our goal is to send our puppies home being exposed to a house, family, dogs, car rides, vacuum sounds, different floor textures, sounds, music from the television, hearing us cook, talk, and live our everyday life just as any other home would encounter. Our puppies have their very own area in our home where they are able to grow and thrive. This is what we believe truly makes a difference. Our puppies know nothing but love and safety from the moment they are born.
See pictures below of our puppy room! At Raising Doodles, we believe in being honest and transparent about how and where our puppies are raised. We love showing off our puppy room and how we raise our sweet puppies! We even allow visits at 5 weeks of age to all approved applicants to see our puppy room, mamas, and puppies.
Be sure when you are looking for your Labradoodle puppy, you get a chance to check out where it is being raised. Your breeder should be able to provide you with lots of pictures of the puppies, mama, and their environment. Things to look for:
Are newborn puppies (3 weeks and under) in a proper whelping box with whelping mats and clean bedding? Beware for puppies being raised in pine/wood bedding, newspapers, or other shredding. A proper whelping box with clean bedding is a necessity to keep thing’s sanitary and shows your breeder is investing in the care of their puppies. This also keeps the expectation of cleanliness from you puppy.
This will vary on the age of the puppies. Be on the watch for a variety of toys and activities including plush and rubber toys, slides, stepping stones, swings, movement toys, musical toys, tactile toys, puzzles, tunnels, and more. This shows your breeder is investing in their puppies and providing them with the enrichment they need to grow their confidence and curiosity.
This is crucial! Starting potty training early (we start at 3 weeks!) is a game changer when getting your new puppy. Having a playpen with a designated sleep, play, and potty area shows your breeder is giving your puppy a head start to potty training and also teaching them to entertain themselves. Puppies who have free roam of an area will not learn there are designated areas for sleep, play and potty. This will create more work for you when bringing home your puppy. Also be sure your breeder is not overly handling their puppies. A puppy who has only been loved and snuggled with 24/7 will only expect the same from you. Be sure they are safely able to entertain and play by themselves.
Where and how your puppy is raised will make such a difference when your bring him/her home. Puppies should be raised indoors in a clean, warm environment. Research your breeding and the pictures they share. Are they sharing pictures of dirty matted puppies, unclean puppy areas, food thrown everywhere, puppies being left outdoors? I can guarantee if this is being share publicly, what’s going on privately is far worse. While things do get messy having puppies, (pee and poop happens, a lot!) it is important to recognize when puppies are being raised in a constant state of filth and uncleanliness vs. just normal puppy messes. Make sure you are investing in puppy from a Breeder who is also investing in your puppy!
Allowing the puppies to have a safe place outside is great to kick start potty training as well as getting them used to outdoor sounds and textures. Having a large outside area is a necessity in allow the puppies to explore and grow their confidence. This is also great for outdoor water activities such as puppy pools, splash pads, and sprinklers on warm sunny days!
If you’ve gotten a puppy that has never been introduced to a crate, then you know how tough the first several weeks can be. Be sure your breeder is introducing the puppies to crates! Even if you do not plan to crate your dog for an extended period of time, it is very important your puppy feel comfortable in a crate. This ensures your puppy is safe when not being supervised, feels comfortable if ever needs to be crated (boarding, vet, car ride, etc.), aids in potty and sleep training, plus gives them a safe space to relax and unwind. Dogs are natural den animals so naturally will adapt to having their own quiet area to rest. This is a game changer for new puppy families when they are getting a puppy that already has a start to crate training!
Puppies who are raised in a clean environment will want to keep a clean environment. Make sure the puppies appear properly groomed and fed. Watch out for a puppy who appears dirty and matted. If grooming practices have not already been started by your breeder, you will be the first to introduce a new thing to your puppy. Nail trims should be started at one week of age and continued weekly. Weekly, or even daily brushing depending on the age and coat of the puppy is very important, especially in doodle breeds who require lots of grooming. This is crucial that the puppies get an early start to grooming!
The first 16 weeks of a puppies life is crucial and they only get to experience this once. Be sure to choose your breeder wisely. If you are investing in a puppy, be sure the breeder is as well!
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