HEALTH
PET INSURANCE
I strongly recommend you get pet health insurance for your puppy.
Here is a great article comparing various pet insurance plans on the market:
Consumers Advocate Pet Insurance Review
VACCINATIONS
Dog Vaccinations website link
Dog Vaccines: What Every Vet and Owner Should Know website link
Dog Vaccines: What Every Vet and Owner Should Know (pdf)
Leptospirosis in Dogs: Why the Vaccine Doesn't Work
FLEA and TICK TREATMENTS
I am opposed to most pesticide flea and tick medications, and included in my
sales agreement is a clause that states the use of these products voids my health warranty.
Seizures is one of the reported side-effects to flea and tick pesticides in the isoxazoline class.
The FDA has issued a warning about potential adverse events associated with the use of these products.
Drugs included in this labeling are Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, and Credilio,
but use of any oral or injectable flea and tick medication voids my health warranty.
Posted below are a few articles and the Official FDA Alert and FDA Fact Sheet.
I'll add more information here as I find it.
Dr Karen Becker, Holistic Vet, author of The Forever Dog
This article discusses the use of chemical flea and tick pesticides and ways to detox your dog if using chemical products.
Flea and Tick Pesticide Support
A study on fipronil, the active flea and tick ingredient in Frontline, was recently published 3 April 2021.
Fripronil is listed with the FDA as a pesticide used to control ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, ticks, termites, mole crickets, thrips,
rootworms, weevils, and other insects. It is highly toxic to fish and bees and is responsible for colony collapse disorder among bees.
It works by disrupting the insect's central nervous system causing hyperexcitation of nerves and muscles.
I have to question why vets consider this appropriate to put on our dogs.
The effects of fipronil on emotional and cognitive behaviors in mammals
Why I Don't Recommend Seresto Collars by Dr. Coger, DVM
Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica: Are These Oral Flea and Tick Preventatives Safe?
by Julia Henriques, Managing Editor
Hold Off on Those Oral Flea-Killing Medications
Veterinary Medicine and Science, published 02 June 2020:
Survey of canine use and safety of isoxazoline parasiticides
SPAY and NEUTER
We place our pet puppies on a strict contract requiring spay and neuter by 8 months of age. This recent research from UC Davis largely supports
our feeling that spay/neuter older than six months old is in the best health interest of our mini and small medium size puppies. While
the study does not include our breed, by looking at the data on the parent breeds of the Australian Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever,
Poodle, Cocker Spaniel), we feel comfortable continuing with our s/n age requirement in our contract. We are hopeful that their
upcoming paper will include our Australian Labradoodle breed.
NUTRITION
Dog Food Advisoris a great internet source for dog food analysis and reviews.
I only feed my dogs foods that are rated at four stars and above. You can also sign up to be notified of product recalls.
See my Shopping page for foods I recommend.
Whole Dog Journal -- Diet, Dogs, and DCM
Pet Business -- FDA Finds No Evidence that Grain-Free Diets Cause Canine Heart Disease
Before and After You Get Your Puppy books by Dr. Ian Dunbar illustrate the "crate within a pen" potty training method.
I'm so impressed with BAXTER & Bella, an online puppy school I use to train my own puppies and dogs. This program is a fantastic way to get started on the right paw with your new puppy—with great helps starting before you take your puppy home! With more than 65 step-by-step lessons, over 100 how-to videos, unlimited LIVE one-on-one professional help, canine coaching classes, training games, field trip ideas and activities, printable charts and checklists, their program is all about successfully helping you and your puppy become best friends through love and learning. BAXTER & Bella believes in force-free training methods, positive reinforcement with well-defined boundaries and realistic expectations, lifelong learning to enhance methods, improve materials, and build better relationships.
Watch this video for
an overview of the
BAXTER & Bella
program!
I encourage you to spend some time on their website--they offer many helps for free. If you agree with me and like what you see, please click here or on their logo above to purchase their program with a 25% off discount they have offered to our Cherry Lane puppy families! Enter CHERRYLANE in the Discount Code box to receive your discount and become a LIFETIME member!
Be sure to watch the free Podcast #52 for information about "Puppy Biting Zones." This provides great information about the best times to do various activities with your puppy!
Say Yes Dog Training
Susan Garrett is a world-renowned dog trainer and Champion Agility title holder. She bases her training on building a bond with your dog, which is the next step beyond positive reinforcement training and is the training philosophy we support. She encourages training that engages a dog's brain to make behavioral decisions. While her full training program is quite expensive, she does offer great ideas and videos at low to no charge. Her It's Yer Choice game is the game we show our families when they come to pick up their puppies.
This blog post, 5 Games for Puppies, demonstrates the effectiveness of teaching your dog to make decisions, all while doing fun activities together. Check out her website, blog, and podcasts for more training ideas. Crate games is the cornerstone of her successful training program and is reasonably priced.
Library
This down to earth article by a professional dog trainer gives you permission to feel exhausted and overwhelmed, at times, by your new puppy.
Below is a link to a groomer in Georgia that specializes in Doodle coats.
She has great advice regarding how to get your puppy ready for visits to a professional groomer.
How to Trim Toenails
Here are a few links and videos of nail clipping instructions:
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/trimming-your-dogs-toenails/
Washington State University--choose claws, trimming, dog from index.
What is Dog Parkour?
Are you looking for something fun to do with your dog? You may want to consider parkour, also known as urban agility. Just like the human version of parkour, dogs work on ways to conquer obstacles, such as climbing, balancing, and jumping. One of our families has enjoyed working with their girl, Jade (Seri x Bailey litter). Thank you Ron and Mary for allowing us to share Jade's accomplishments!
Here are some great articles about how to socialize
your puppy during quarantine restrictions:
Puppy Culture: Socializing Puppies During the Coronoavirus Pandemic
This great article from The WholeDog Journalemphasizes much of what I coach my families to do with their new puppies. It's a must read!
The 10 Most Important Things to Teach a Puppy
I strongly recommend you subscribe to this powerful resource magazine.
Baxter & Bella
This image is owned by Know Your Dog. Please visit their Facebook page for more information.
GROOMING
Love Is All You Need
is a wonderful book
about bond-based training.
Sit On the Dog (Leash) Exercise
The Sit on the Dog exercise helps dogs calm themselves. It can be done anytime and almost anywhere. Click HERE to read about the exercise, and then watch the video below!
To help families who are bringing home puppies during this time of quarantine, Puppy Culture recently introduced a FREE puppy course and support materials. Due to Covid-19, they have extended the free class with their resource materials until they finalize the DVD version of it, at which time it will become a program for purchase. I watched the videos and they are excellent. You will need to set up an account on their Madcap University page and add the puppy class to your shopping cart. The class will be marked free at checkout.
Aggressive Puppy - When Their Behavior Starts to Get Troubling
Puppy aggression is one of the most commonly misinterpreted behaviors. This article tells us how to tell the difference between normal puppy behavior and aggressive puppy behavior.
Puppy Culture
Article by Smart Dog University and YouTube video below
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Susan Garrett blog and video link
Susan Garrett's video of It's Yer Choice is part of her paid training, but this video shows another trainer demonstrating the game.
Puppy Leaks is the website/blog of a dog trainer who has great ideas about bond based training techniques.
Getting and holding your dog's attention through learning impulse control is the training foundation upon which all other behaviors are built. Here is an article about how to help your dog learn impulse control:
The Family Dog
Did you know that 77% of dog bites come from the family dog or a friend's dog? Here are a couple great videos about how to read dog body language—dog bites are predictable, they don't come out of the blue. Teach your puppy bite inhibition, don't punish the growl, and learn to read what your dog is trying to tell you. Stop the 77.
I love The Family Dog website and training program—the videos below are produced by them. For those with children, please watch the videos with your children before your puppy comes home to you. Children would enjoy the Kids Club videos—The Family Dog has several that are free on their website and many more that are included in their training program. If you decide you want to purchase the program, click here to receive a discount. I am really impressed with their training modules and highly recommend that you go through their program with your children, in addition to working with a local trainer.
This article from The Science Dog is about how children should interact with dogs and how adults can teach correct interactions:
The Kids Are Alright
Click on image above to link directly to Puppy Culture
or select the link below to see an overview video.
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution is another great resource. Zak George has a YouTube channel that covers a lot of dog training topics. Here is a link to his channel:
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution
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Cherry Lane Labradoodles ~ Doodles of Distinction