Windsong Shop
To simplify the puppy shopping experience we have created a basic shopping list of our favorite things you will need when you bring your puppy home. Please keep in mind raw bones and such must be purchased locally at your favorite butcher or grocery store.
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Food
Fromm Puppy - Our dogs and puppies are loving this food! This is the food your puppy will come home eating. While we have a few day’s worth in your Windsong go-home bag, you should have a big bag at home. No one food is going to settle well for 100% of our pups. If your puppy doesnt seem to be loving the Fromm, here are some other foods / brands I stand behind and have used with my own personal dogs. For Standard size litters choose the Fromm Gold (Blue Bag) Large breed puppy food.
NuVet Supplements
I would HIGHLY recommend giving both the NuVet Plus (multi vitamin and immune support as well as the NuJoint DS (to protect the hips and help with proper devel- opment). This is what my personal dogs get and i’ve noticed a huge difference in their health since starting this protocol. Supports Immune/Digestion System and more.
Call (800) 474-7044
Must Use CODE: 38717
Probiotic Powder for digestive support
Your dog's gut makes up 70% of their immune system, acting as a barrier against harmful germs. Probiotics help balance the digestive system, supporting the immune system to work well.
Training Treats
I actually use a high quality freeze dried dog food to train with! Treats can cause diarrhea and stomach upset. Freeze dried food is like a super food for dogs and does not cause this! Also, they go crazy for these yummies!! Nulo Freestyle Freeze Dried Raw are our favorites. I also order these on Amazon Sub- scribe & Save. I get a variety of the proteins to change things up. The favorite around here is the Duck and Lamb!
Dog Beds
Inexpensive dog bed to place inside the crate. My advice is to wait until your puppy is older before you buy the expensive stuff. Also, please know that most doodles get hot (think thick coat) so don’t get surprised when your puppy prefers the hard crate bottom and cool tile/wood floor.
Dog Crates and Pens
If you are brining home your puppy at 8 weeks, we highly recommended that you set up a puppy play pen. Especially if you are a working household. If you can’t watch puppy he/she needs to be put in his/her play pen. This cuts down on accidents.
For dog/puppy crates… I like the 36 inch and the 42 inch crates best. I personally use 42 inch for my dogs as I’d rather them have extra space. Petites, Minis & Medium dogs buy the 36 inch. Small and Large standards go with the 42 inch. I personally go with a metal crate for the air flow. Doodles get HOT! Do NOT cover the crate in the attempts to create a safe space. Let the air flow!!
Coat Care.
I personally splurge on the “Isle of Dogs” brand as their products work well and smell amazing.
Dog Blowdryer and Brushes
You will hear me say time and again, that the key to a gorgeous long doodle coat is proper drying after bath. These dogs are not “wash and wear” and they need to be dried thoroughly after swimming or bath time. If you plan on doing your own baths, please invest in a blower. It will be a lifesaver to you and your dog. Also, using this weekly (we start your pup at 5 weeks old) will condition your dog for good grooming habits. The one listed below is found on Amazon and many of our families have given it a thumbs up. SHELANDY 3.2HP Stepless Adjustable Speed Pet Hair Force Dryer Dog Grooming Blower with Heater.
Ear Cleaner - Preventative
Floppy eared dogs are notorious for getting ear infections and yeasty ears. I use the Dechra Otic Cleanser anytime my dogs get their ears wet. I squirt in as a preventative after baths, swimming and beach days. The ingredients in the cleaner will dry out any water left behind in the ear canal thus helping to prevent ear infections from starting.
If you notice your dogs ears are getting yucky or stinky, clean thoroughly and then use the Dechra Otis Cleaner or the Vet Well Cleaner twice a day. Each time you use clean the ear canal thoroughly and remove and debris with a cotton swab and cotton balls. Use generously. If you don’t notice improvement within 2 days, then its time for the vet to take a look. Use the Zymox when you feel like you need a little something more to combat the ear ickies. Try Zymox before heading to the vet. 9 times out of 10 it is all you need.
Leashes, ID Tags, and Collars
Although we microchip our pups, it is important to provide ID Tags for emergency contact information. Here are a few of my favorite leashes, tags, and collars. When you pickup your pup, we recommend a xsmall or small sized collar to bring with you!
Nail Clippers & Kwik Stop Styptic Powder (Blood Stop Powder)
DO NOT Clip too Close. Clip to the bloodline. You can also choose a Dremel and file the nails. It is your preference. We cut the pups nails each week starting at birth so they are conditioned to having their nails clipped.
Traveling with your pup!
Our trainers train our pups for car travel with a puppy car seat.
Litter Box with Artificial Turf !!!
Our litter box system is a washing machine pan with a piece of cut (cheap) artificial turf. We buy everything we need at Home Depot. We buy the cheap artificial turf that many RV’ers like. It is more like a green carpet type of turf. It doesn’t have any grass like strings that poop can get stuck on.
I would recommend getting 2 trays so you can always have one clean and ready to go. To clean I spray down with a garden house and let soak with either bleach water or vinegar water. Then I spray off again and let dry in the sun.
You can layer the bottom of the pan with pee pads to catch the urine. However, my pups are super smart and tend to pull the grass up so they can play with aka shred the pee pads in a million different pieces. So I omit the pee pads myself as I’d pre- fer them not to ingest the toxic ingredients in the pads.
We start potty training our puppies using this system at 2 1/2 weeks old. Typically, our pups go home 80-100% litter trained. While you don’t necessarily need a litter box when you take your pup home, I personally find that having one as a back-up plan cuts down on accidents, especially on my throw rugs.
When setting up your puppy pen you want a space to sleep, play and potty. I prefer to zip tie my metal x-pen to the crate so that the puppy has a bit more room inside the pen itself. They are very used to sleeping in a crate with the door open. I achieve this by placing their dog bed and blanket inside the crate. I place the lit- ter box on the far side of the pen. Then they have the open space to play as well as eat and drink.
If you choose to crate your dog in your room next to you at night, but you also want a play pen in the main part of your house for the daytime, I would suggest you pur- chase 2 crates. 1 for the playpen set up and another for your room. Make sure both crates have comfy beds and blankets to encourage good sleep habits (imitating what we do at Windsong).
As I send videos of the pups you will watch the progression of the pups from a whelping box into a toddler pen and eventually into the full size pen that you will create at home. Keep in mind this is a slow process from 2-7 weeks. I don’t place them in a full size pen at 4 weeks old. It is a gradual process. If you choose NOT to do a playpen and your pup is having a lot of accidents in your home, it is because your space is TOO BIG! Limiting the space the pup has to roam will ensure he/she can quickly find the litter box when the need arises.
Bones, Dog Toys & Puzzles!
LOTS of Toys: Balls/Kong Toys/Nyla Bones/Antlers/Teething rings/Soft toys with squeakers/Toys that make fun noises. You need a minimum of 12 different toys for your puppy to come home to.
Choose your bones wisely: We don’t use rawhide or bully sticks (as they can choke). Our dogs and puppies love Real Beef Marrow Bones. They can be found in your local grocery store. I find them inexpensively in the frozen section at Sprouts.
Challenge the mind with puzzles: Its much better to work a puppy’s brain then their body. It will tire them out quicker and they will sleep better! Try one puzzle at a time and when they master it, buy a new one!
