7 Grooming

Grooming

Your puppy’s coat

The fleece coat is typical of the Labradoodle and is what breeders aspire to. It is slow growing, non-shedding, silky and easy to care for. The other “non-shedding” coat is the wool coat, which is more like a poodle’s coat. It needs trimming a little more often and can be clipped with clippers.

Please note that a small amount of hair will be lost from “non-shedding coats” but it won’t stick to your clothes.  Because the Labradoodle coat catches any hair that is lost you will need to groom your dog. A quick brush every second day or a couple of times a week will do the trick. Almost all Amalie Labradoodles have non-shedding coat as we breed advanced generations of the breed.

The hair coat of the Labradoodle occurs in early generation crosses and rarely at any generation. They will need grooming to remove loose hair and if your pup has this type of coat I will have discussed this with you in detail so you know what to expect.

Tools of the trade

The comb and slicker brush (left) are great to use on your Labradoodle’s coat whether it be fleece or wool. They will be useful through all ages and coat lengths. The pink zoom-groom or equivalent is easy and gentle to use on the young puppy. If you only buy one grooming tool, buy a comb!

Do start grooming your pup at a young age to get him familiar with the contact and the routine. Standing the pup on a table makes life easy if he learns to stand to be groomed, or grooming your pup while watching TV while he sits on your lap can be relaxing. If you bath your pup regularly, two-three times weekly grooming should not be a chore. Beware of grass seeds that lodge in the coat because if they are left in there they can be the beginning of a matt which will be more difficult to remove.

Your puppy’s coat will change to an adult coat usually between 10-18 months. At this stage more frequent grooming may be necessary to avoid matting as the junior coat moults.

The Mars comb 

This is a great tool for thinning the coat for summer and for managing mats if they occur. It is rarely needed though if your dog is bathed regularly and clipped to a manageable length. 

 

Bathing

You will need to brush your dog or at least make sure there are no mats in the coat before he gets wet (beach or bath) otherwise the coat will felt up – not a good look! Martha Gardner’s wool wash is gentle on puppy coats and also helps repel fleas apparently. I use either Aloween Oatmeal Shampoo or Fido’s Everyday soap free shampoo - both are available from pet shops, online and your vet.

Clipping

I prefer to scissor clip our Doodles to get that shaggy dog look. It is an art that needs to be learnt and takes practice. Fortunately dogs are very forgiving if your give them a haircut that is not quite super cool. You’ll need an 8” (20cm) pair of scissors for general clipping of the coat and a blunt or rounded tip pair for near the eyes. Generally puppies will not need a full coat clip until at least 8-10 months of age. Before their first clip they will only need a tidy up around the face and tail.

Doing the eyes, ears and face

Get your pup comfortable with having the scissors near the eyes and also the sound of the snip, snip before you do any cutting.   Do this by moving the shaft of the closed scissor over the eye area and making snipping noises well away from eyes and ears but within earshot.

You will need to trim the hair around the ear and inside flap to improve ventilation to the ear. This will help keep the ears healthy. If the fleece on the ears is getting in their feeding bowl, excess length can be cut but keep your fingers between the scissor blade and the leather of the ear to prevent your pup from being snipped.

Puppies wriggle so don’t start clipping until you are confident as pups will sense your nervousness and wriggle even more! Hold their beard to steady their face (therefore always clip this part last!)

Ear care

As the Labradoodle ear hangs down, circulation to the ear canal is reduced. There are three things you should do to ensure healthy ears:

·         Check the canal regularly to ensure it is not inflamed or smelly which are signs of infection or irritation for which a visit to the vet would be necessary. 

·         Clean the ear weekly, after bathing and swimming or more frequently if indicated or advised by your vet. We like Milo’s or Kleo (pictured left).

·         Clip the hair in front of the base of the ear to improve airflow. You can even gently pluck the hair from the ear canal, which is numb so shouldn’t hurt if done correctly. Use your fingers – not tweezers.

Nails

Puppy toenails need trimming from time to time – especially the dew claw (equivalent of the thumb nail) as this doesn’t have as much contact with abrasive surfaces like the footpath.  Please ask your vet how to do this – he or she will be able to demonstrate at an early consultation when vaccinations are given.

8 Rest time

Sleeping
Dogs need a safe place to retreat to and sleep and the best place for that is one that is quiet, maybe slightly dark and out of the way. Set up a place that suits you and encourage your pup to go there. Make it a positive place – i.e. don’t use it to banish your pup or punish him.

Your puppy has spent time in the crate and should happily sleep and rest there. He can keep his sleeping place clean as long as he is let out for wee breaks when necessary. At 7-8 weeks Amalie pups may wake me around midnight to be let out for a wee and then again around 5-6am when it gets light.

Whatever sleeping arrangements you wish to use, start them from night one. Remember that your pup has come from a warm environment with littermates – he will cry a lot less if not too hot or too cold. In cooler climates, a draft free place with adequate warm bedding should suffice. A hot water bottle is not needed as it can cause injury or overheating. They are used to settling in the dark so lights off will help him to settle if he is crying out. 

Put a towel over the top of the crate to give you a longer sleep in and to keep him warm but still retain adequate ventilation. A medium Doodle crate is approximately 65 x 75 x 55cm (H x W X D). www.ddfl.org/behavior/crate-train.pdf

9 Training

Socialisation and Training

There is a big difference between these two - socialisation started here at Amalie and is essential for you to continue from the time your pup comes home. The socialisation period  extends well into the first year of life with the "super sponge" time where your pup's brain learns very easily and rapidly being between approximately 3 and about 18 weeks of age.

Training, which is also started here - we often don't use words but we have introduced the clicker and we start by giving our pups some problem solving challenges. Training and obedience are activities we encourage you to view as a lifelong partnership and goal.

• Socialisation is familiarising your pup to a wide range of smells, sounds,sights, people, surfaces and experiences (see video in post 4 "Health Care")
• Training is more to do with the communication between you and your dog 

Tip: don't try too much too fast and watch your dog's body language to learn how he communicates his response to novel experiences. Beacon Puppy Guide has some great info for you.

ALWAYS set your puppy up for success 

What's clicker training you ask...

Toilet training

Your Amalie Labradoodle pup started his toilet training at 3 weeks of age as soon as he could toddle about. We segregated the sleeping area into a clean and a dirty area and worked with mum to keep the puppy sleeping area really clean and fresh. He has developed an aversion to pooping in his nest, so to speak! If you are observant you will soon work out when puppies need to go, usually just after waking and after eating or drinking. They sniff about for a place that’s been used before and circle – often they will find a place out of sight to poo.

If you want to keep your floor free of puddles you are going to have to invest some time and energy. It’s no good getting cross at him for weeing in the wrong spot – he will just get confused. You need to take him outside at times when he's likely to need to go (approx every 2-3 hours) until he knows that that’s the only place that’s acceptable to go to the toilet. That will be after drinking and eating, waking and during play.

If your puppy continues to wee in one place inside – wash the floor with white vinegar, then feed him there…he will soon make it a place he keeps clean.

How do I teach my pup not to jump on people? 


Your pup has been taught to sit at our feet if he wants attention – we only touch puppies when their bottoms are on the ground. Your pup can do this if he is not too excited but may forget when he has just been let out of the crate. 

To continue to reinforce what he’s been taught, lift your hand, palm up in front of his face and say “sit”. If he doesn’t sit immediately, gently place his bottom down with your other hand. Later, if the pup jumps up to greet you, turn your back on him and ignore him. When you think he’s quieter, turn around, say “sit” while lifting your hand as before - a treat might help! Reward him when his hindquarters touch the ground repeating the drill while gradually removing food incentives. But always give him a reward afterwards if he's followed your rules. This doesn’t have to be food - a pat under the chin means a lot to the little guy. Once he learns the command, ask him to "Sit!" each time he greets someone.

Other animals

It may be a advisable to introduce a new pup gradually to an older dog in your household. A polite doggy greeting is not face-to-face but approaching side on. The puppy's body may curve to greet his new friend. If you have a dog that is older that may not be too thrilled about all that puppy energy, first introduce their smells to each other but keep them separated for a while.  It is important for you to stay relaxed. If there is aggression on either side, take a break! 

Other training tips

There is heaps of info on the internet – explore!!

Be gentle. Never hit, threaten, frighten or force-train your puppy. Such strategies might result in a change of behaviour, but it won't be the kind you're after. If you need some timeout from your pup, take it. Don’t train when you are tired, busy, frustrated or distracted. 

Probably the best (but most difficult) piece of advice I have ever had re dog training and obedience is “one command – one action”. This means say it once and mean it …. and if you can’t carry this through, don’t even bother giving the command. Remember, training is hard work mentally for both you and your pup. 

An obedient dog has a pack that knows how to teach the newbie how to fit in … obedience training is often as much about teaching humans as it is about training dogs as it helps to make sure the entire pack uses the same commands and is consistent in its approach - interaction with your dog is meant to be fun - set yourself up for success!

A good download for new puppy owners

https://www.beacondogtraining.com.au/ultimate-puppy-guide

Talks about puppy nipping, toilet training, socialisation and more.

10 Our promise

From here on...

We have raised your puppy as our own, in our home. He has been just as much a part of our family as he is about to be a part of yours so we love to hear your news and certainly want to know if you have any concerns. While we hope that your pup has a long and healthy fun filled life, we know that this can never be guaranteed. In most circumstances, we will have activated a complimentary pet insurance for you that Pet Plan offer us, on the day you take your puppy home. Please consider your future needs and discuss these with your vet before the 6 week offer lapses.

If you have health concerns at any stage throughout your puppy's life - please contact us. Our guarantee is in place because we know we have done all that we can to offer you a healthy pup from healthy breeding lines and we have no issues with activating it should an unexpected and serious health issue arise. That said, to give you piece of mind, there have been very few occasions when we have needed to do this. Our breeding dogs are health tested as you know and we have a long understanding of our pedigrees so that we can do our very best to bring healthy and well balanced pups into the world.

Having fun with your Labradoodle

Labradoodles love to play, they have lots of energy and are intelligent. They respond well to positive reinforcement and stimulation. They also love the water, can learn tricks and love to fetch the ball or Frisbee.

It is really important to use positive reward based learning - if you are not sure what this means, please ask and we will gladly point you in the right direction with appropriate resources (there are many). It is very easy to set up bad behaviours so please, only reward those that you wish to continue.

 Some things to consider:

• Socialise your puppy first and foremost, from day one
• Attend Puppy preschool to get you on the right track from the beginning
• Register your dog with your local council by 12 weeks of age
• Check for local dog obedience clubs & agility programs 
• Check with the council for dog friendly parks and beaches (be aware that status may change with the season and not all dogs love the dog park... and that is OK)

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