jikhalsa
- Jul 26, 2020
- 3 min read

Resources for new puppy parents!

Updated: Jan 10, 2021

Info found in this post

How do I find a good breeder?
What food should I feed?
How to I train my puppy or handle behavioral issues?
How do I groom my own doodle?
What's the best Goldendoodle generation (F1, F1b, etc)?
Where can I find information about other puppy questions?

Please let me know what other resources you need and I’ll do what I can to find them for you!

How do I find a good breeder?

A responsible breeder does complete health clearances on their puppies and raises them using an established enrichment and training program. To find a responsible breeder, look for one that is certified through third-parties such as Good Dog and that adheres to standards set by their breed organization.

In most cases, responsible breeders have a waiting list.

Responsibly bred puppies also cost more because more is put into them.

Unfortunately, you often get what you pay for with puppies, so please consider a breeder that is giving your puppy a responsible start.

What to look for and avoid:

Many breeders aren’t allowing visits with covid, but you should be able to Facetime with them and see the puppies and where they are being raised.
Parents of the puppies should have health clearances. This is breed specific, so check with your breed's parent organization for specific recommendations or look your breed up here.
Puppies should not go home as wild beasts! A good breeder will start to socialize your puppy. A great breeder will start crate training, housetraining, and obedience training. While they are still puppies and can’t be expected to be perfect, puppies can be comfortable sleeping in their crate at night, and understand some basics, like sit and not jumping (also known as impulse control).
ALL puppies in many states are required by law to have a health certificate (sometimes known as a “Certificate of Veterinary Inspection"). If you state does have a health certificate requirement and your puppy doesn’t go home with one then your breeder is violating the law, and I’d question what else they aren’t doing right, since the requirements for the health certificate are very important.
No puppy should be sold before 8 weeks of age. Again, a violation of law in most states and a bad practice.

Puppies have been in great demand since the covid restrictions and so many people staying home.

That has opened the door for scammers, so please check out a breeder carefully. Look for reviews, a thorough website, and certifications.

What food should I feed?

You want to look for a food that:

Is sourced and made in the US
Has real meat as a first ingredient
Has NO recalls, no poultry by products, no corn, wheat or soy

This is the food I use and recommend. https://bit.ly/Puppyessentials

It’s a holistic company and you can get customized recommendations here: http://bit.ly/mypetprofile

Please also feel free to message me if I can help with food choice, I’ve been breeding and training for over 30 years and have tried just about everything out there.

How do I train my puppy or handle behavioral issues?

Baxter & Bella is an amazing online training program. The program has many formats for your learning style, from text to video to podcasts.

It's fun, and there’s live help and consultations.

The program starts even before you get your puppy home and helps you set up your home, and focuses on more than just sit and down—it’s all about appropriate puppy behavior.

Plus, lots of games and you can even learn some easy tricks to teach your dog!

This program is fun, affordable, and easy to use—I’ve even seen 6 year olds train their pups using this program!

Enroll here: http://bit.ly/2Qf5Qyw

For 25% off a lifetime membership, use the coupon code HAPPYPUPS