Preparing for Your New Puppy
Transportation:
You will need a crate to transport your puppy to its forever home.
Supplies:
Food, dog bowls, toys, crate, collar, leash, training treats, dog bed, snuggle puppy (highly recommended), can of puppy food (good for emergencies if puppy isn't wanting to eat) dog brushes and combs (some breeds require daily brushing)
Vet Appointments
​Your puppy needs a wellness checkup 48-72 hours after he/she is picked up for our facility. Your vet will need to fill out our mandatory wellness form in your puppies folder and you are responsible for sending it back to us via text, email, or mail
Puppy Training at Home
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Understanding the importance of training and wanting to help you get started correctly, we have teamed up with BAXTER & Bella to provide discounted pricing on their LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP, which includes their signature step-by-step program, as well as unlimited LIVE! HELP from their team of professional trainers, and so much more!
In fact, their online puppy school program has all the training resources you will need to successfully integrate your dog into your life, family and home, in addition to their personal promise of helping you each and every step of the way toward achieving better animal ownership and experiencing the very best in canine companionship!
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LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
Where EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED, and your membership NEVER EXPIRES!
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This is Bruno a golden mountain doodle! I have found the golden mountain doodles to be calmer than the parents ( bernedoodle x goldendoodle) They are super trainable as well!
Early Neurological Stimulation
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ENS requires handling the puppies one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference, the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:
1. Tactile stimulation – Holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
2. Head held erect – Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
3. Head pointed down – Holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
4. Supine position – Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
5. Thermal stimulation— Use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
It is extremely important that you do not repeat the exercises more than once per day and do not extend the time beyond that recommended for each exercise. Over stimulation of the neurological system can have adverse and detrimental results.
What Does ENS Do?
When performed correctly, ENS is believed to impact the neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected, the result being an increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in its performance, according to Breeding Better Dogs. ENS is time sensitive and must be performed from the third to the 16th days of a puppy’s life.
The exercises are not a substitution for daily handling and stroking of young puppies.
Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to ENS, including improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate); stronger heart beats; stronger adrenal glands; more tolerance to stress; and greater resistance to disease.
In tests of learning, ENS stimulated pups were more active and exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates, according to Breeding Better Dogs.
Puppy Evaluations
By offering puppy evaluations (along with score cards and interpretations for families), we help take the guess work out of picking the right puppy for your personality and lifestyle. Not every puppy is the same, and this is where we take some of the guess work out of deciding which puppy/family pairing is best suited.
After evaluations occur, we work with each family on our reservation list and hash out the pros and cons of each puppy. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for both puppy and family, and not only are families needs addressed, but also that particular dog. This sets up both puppy and family for a beautiful, life-long partnership to heal hearts and change lives.
We walk away knowing each puppy gets the right family, and each family gets the right puppy.
Understanding score interpretations will help you see what type of puppy traits would best fit your lifestyle. Access both the test guide and the score interpretations below.
Few events rival bringing home a new puppy, but did you know that the cutest puppy may not be the best one for you? Of course, all puppies are cute, but they also grow into adult dogs with their own personalities, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. What if you could see into a puppy's future to determine his future behavior? It's possible, thanks to puppy aptitude testing.
Puppy aptitude testing dates back to the 1930s, but it was in the 1970s that Wendy and Joachim Volhard, internationally recognized experts on canine behavior, developed the popular Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT). The sole purpose of PAT is to help breeders, trainers, and owners select the right puppy for the right home.
An alternative to PAT is P.A.W.S. Working Dog Evaluation, which evaluates possessiveness, attention, willingness, and strength (PAWS). Unlike PAT, which is geared primarily toward pet dogs, PAWS tests prey drive—a dog's natural desire to chase, capture, and kill prey. Prey drive is completely natural and forms the foundation for a wide variety of canine jobs, such as obedience, herding, search and rescue, and so forth.
That said, the phrase puppy aptitude test is a bit of a misnomer. The process is not a test. No one wins or loses. It's not based on a pass or fail system, nor governed by any organization. Testers need not be board certified in animal behavior or possess a Ph.D. in genetics. The test is relatively simple to perform and anyone with commonsense can do it. However, it's helpful if you seek out an experienced tester—or at least someone with a bit of canine and testing knowledge.
Timing Is Everything
The concept behind puppy testing is that a puppy's brain is neurologically complete at 49 days of age—that is, he emits the brain waves of an adult dog. Yet his brain is a blank page, minimally affected by experience and learning. Aptitude tests performed at 7 weeks of age reveal the raw material of the puppy's individual temperament. At this age, puppies have learned to use the inherited behaviors that make them dogs, but they have not yet had a range of experience to influence the test results. In other words, they have not yet learned any annoying or undesired habits, so an experienced tester can objectively evaluate their personality and temperament.
If testing is done later, say at 8, 10, or 12 weeks, it's compromised by intervening experiences that may influence a puppy's responses. It then becomes difficult to ascertain a true reading of behavioral tendencies. For example, by 16 weeks a puppy may be well on his way to learning the annoying behavior of ignoring the "come" command. Or he may have been exposed to situations during the "fear period" (between 8 and 10 weeks) that affect his willingness to please, follow, approach strangers, or retrieve objects.
Of course, as with anything pertaining to dogs, different opinions abound. Opponents of PAT cite the potential lack of consistency and tester knowledge, while others pooh-pooh the entire concept. Many experienced breeders come up with their own system of evaluation, and they will tell you the best predictor of a puppy's future behavior are his parents. Because temperament is inherited, experts say your best source of "puppy temperament testing" is to look at puppy's ancestors.
What does this mean to you?
​Puppy aptitude testing evaluates a puppy's behavioral tendencies ranging from social attraction (degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence), to retrieving, to sound and sight sensitivity. The test parts are done consecutively and in a specific order. The "scores" are tallied, and a pattern of inherited behavioral tendencies becomes visible. Remember, it's not a pass or fail system, and no puppy test is absolute. But when applied correctly, puppy aptitude tests provide breeders and trainers with an objective approach for evaluation and understanding individual behavioral tendencies—a window, so to speak, into the puppy's future. For example, is he bossy? Bold? Independent? Does he charge into a room full of energy and self-confidence? Is he aggressive? Is he timid or aloof? Nervous? Is he inquisitive, curious, fearful or timid?
Many breeders characterize a puppy as sweet, faithful, lovable, quiet, and so forth, but such words don't give much objective information on the puppy's temperament, inherited tendencies, or working ability. In other words, how your puppy is likely to perceive and interact with the world as an adult dog. For example, a high-drive, high-energy dog may do well with an energetic, type-A owner who likes to hike, jog, swim, and so forth, but will most assuredly clash with a sedentary or novice owner. An extremely noise-sensitive dog may do well in a calm environment but would surely be terrified in a dynamic dog sport environment. Likewise, a fearful or shy dog is not likely to flourish in a home filled with rambunctious, noisy kids.
Doing Your Part
Puppy aptitude testing will help to evaluate a puppy's inherited behavioral tendencies, but it's important that you look at your own personality too. Are you outgoing? Quiet? Are you active, or more of a couch potato? Do you jump out of bed full of energy, or do you require a double latte before facing your day?
If a particular breed interest you, find out first what the dog was originally bred to do, be it herding, retrieving, going to ground, etc. Understanding a breed's history and origin will give you a good idea of his future characteristics. Remember, the majority of today's retrievers, hounds, terriers, and herding dogs descended from strong working ancestry. Most breeds were bred for a specific full-time job that required enormous amounts of energy, drive, stamina, courage, tenacity, and intelligence. The qualities that make them superior working dogs are the very qualities that can make them unsuitable as urban pets.
Keep in mind, the puppy you choose will be with you for 12 or 15 years. Be smart. Do your homework and pick a puppy (or adult dog) who meshes with your personality and lifestyle. Understanding a puppy's inherited behavioral tendencies will go a long way in making your life—and your dog's life—more enjoyable.
What temperament traits we look for to help guide you
Assertiveness
Confidence
Touch Tolerance
Energy Level
Sound Sensitivity
Prey Drive
Tenderhearted
Dog Friendliness