Bringing home a puppy is a big decision, hopefully the following information will help you decide if one of our amazing aussiedoodle puppies is right for you.
Food and Water
When a puppy is brand new to your house we recommend feeding 3-4 times a day. We use a gravity feeder for both our water and kibble we find that our dogs are much happier to eat when they are hungry and drink when they are thirsty...plus it is one less thing for us to do. We recommend feeding the same kibble for at least one month and then slowly transitioning to what you like for a kibble. Please do your research as many brands out there are using fillers that are causing long term health problems. We are feeding Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20 All Life Stages and have been very happy with it. This can be ordered online and delivered to your house through Chewy or purchased at local stores.
Grooming
Aussiedoodles need to be groomed either professionally or if your willing to take the plunge...by you. This is a preference some groom every 6 weeks and others groom every three to four months. Your dog should be bathed and brushed regularly. I brush my dogs several times a week for 5-10 minutes usually while we are watching tv in the evenings. I have a couple of different brushes I use when needed. A good quality slicker brush, a covered pin brush, metal comb and a dematting comb with long teeth not curved teeth. I do not use all of these brushes every time but it is nice to have an assortment. Make brushing fun and relaxing, know when your dog has had enough and stop. You should give your puppy a bath monthly at least and blow dry them on warm setting, again this should be relaxing for your puppy. A good quality shampoo and conditioner formulated for dogs is ideal.
Teeth Care
Dogs need to chew especially puppies, it helps them relieve teething pain, clean their teeth, relieve stress and also boredom. They need a variety of toys and bones to chew on including soft, hard, rubbery as long as they are for dogs you are good to go. That being said please do your research as rawhide seems to be the go to but there are much safer and better options out there. Always supervise dogs with chew toys or only leave safe chew toys available when you are not there to supervise. We have used filled white bones for years with our dogs they last and we have never had a problem with them.
You should brush your dogs teeth regularly as well. There are dog toothbrushes out there we often use a human toothbrush and we use dog toothpaste or coconut oil. We do this weekly.
Ear Care
Check and clean ears every week with a dog ear cleaner, it is very simple just a few drops of liquid and wipe ear out.
Nail Care
Dogs need their nails trimmed regularly, we trim our dogs nails every other week, you can also use a dremel or take them in to have them trimmed.
Exercise
All dogs need exercise but we humans do to and what better motivation to get outside than to explore with your puppy. Walks are great or a little fetch in the yard. I find a combination of walks and free running in my backyard help expel extra energy and leave me with happier dogs.
Leashes, Harnesses, Collars and ID Tags
Our dogs wear collars with their ID tags all the time. ID tags are available at many dog store places you can choose a design and have information put on it in right in store for a very reasonable price. Please include your address and phone number and the dogs name on the tag, Each one of my dogs has gotten away from me from at one point to "explore the neighborhood" and within 10 minutes all of them were returned because their tags were easy to read and people called to tell us our dog came to visit. Although your puppy will be microchipped an ID tag is often faster.
We use harnesses when we go places with our dogs or go on walks. Our harnesses have a "human handle" on the back and two leash attachment areas- one on top of the dog behind the head area and on on the front chest area. There are many different harness options out there and it may take more than one try to find a good option for your dog.
We have a leash that has two handle areas one near the dog and one at the end of the leash. The handle near the dog is great for more control in a store or on a walk so you don't have to wrap the leash around your hand several times. There are so many different styles and options find one that works for you.
Most importantly leashes, harnesses, collars and ID tags should be inspected regularly to make sure they are in good repair.
Training
You should start training your puppy on day one. Yes day one, choose one command and work on that command first and then move on. Sit is usually a great one to start with. Do not let puppy chew on fingers, toes, etc you are telling your puppy that it is ok to do this and it is not. Enroll in puppy classes or contact a puppy trainer watch videos out there to gather information about training. Teaching a dog takes practice and patience and positive rewards. Teach for a short period of time daily, often after exercise is best. You have to be the pack leader, Aussiedoodles are very smart and should catch on quickly with good human guidance. We use kibble as a reward while training.
Crates
We crate our dogs for their safety when we are not home. I used to feel bad and then I watched them on our camera app, they sleep all day long in their kennel so after seeing this I did not feel so bad because they sleep all day long when we are home too. Just make sure the kennel is the correct size. We use the metal crate that folds down easily that way if we need to bring it somewhere we can fit it in the vehicle more easily. Our crates are 42" x 26" which gives them plenty of room for when they are full grown to move around and typically come with a removable divider for when they are smaller. Some dogs like blankets in their kennels, some like pillows, some like nothing, I would choose something easy to wash in the washer and dryer.