GOLDENDOODLE PUPPY'S FIRST FEW WEEKS IN THEIR FOREVER HOME
Welcome Home!
Bringing your golden doodle home is such an exciting time! It's also a little intense, like having a baby or a toddler getting used to a new home, there are ups and downs. Prepare ahead of time by being well rested with groceries and even meals prepared to make this transition as easy on yourself as possible. Drink lots of water and keep yourself cared for as you transition your new puppy!
After pick up, consider bringing a towel or blanket if you want a family member to hold the puppy in case of accidents and for puppy to chew on for comfort, or travel crate for the drive home.
I recommend the first thing you do when you get home is immediately bring your new puppy to their potty spot. Decide where this will be beforehand. Ideally their "spot" is outdoors and near one of the exterior doors of your home, but some people have a designated newspaper spot inside near their door (this potty method may take a little extra time long term, but is helpful for situations where outdoor access isn't readily available). Your puppy will most likely need to go potty when they get out of the car so this will be the perfect time. Verbalize and use a word you choose like "go potty", or some people say "business", or "go pee" or "go poo". Give them lots of praise and a treat when they go. Verbalizing is important, and you can say it to them each time so they know what to do. If they don't go right away give them some time. You may want to come back later, but getting them used to their new spot will set them up for success.
After they've eliminated, introduce them to their new home, including their own confined area. For some people this may be a small room or closet near a door, or a little fenced playpen. But just like we wouldn't let a toddler roam the house, we need to have a confined place for puppy. Have their crate in there with the door open and a treat inside. Encourage them to go in the crate, but keep the door open. They may be tired and want to rest. After they rest you can show them the rest of the house. Play and snuggle, offer them water to drink and something to eat. They may not eat much the first few days. You are going to want to take them outside as often as you can to their potty spot, especially after they eat, as their bladders are pretty small!
Get them on a schedule of eating, potty and outside or activity time, and then letting them sleep in their crate. They will be used to this rhythm, which should repeat about every 2-3 hours and have a sense of what to expect. It's very important to stop feeding and giving them water at/around 7:30pm, and take them out for a last potty right before you go to bed. Don't water or feed after this time.
The first couple days may be a little unpredictable, but they should settle into the Eat, Potty, Activity, Sleep rhythm that repeats every 2-3 hours, with maybe a few extra potty breaks while they are young, and expands in timeframe as they get older. A sample schedule for the first weeks after arriving home
7:00 Feed, water
7:35 Potty, play, sleep
9am Feed, water, potty
9:10 play, then sleep
12pm Water potty
12:10 play, then sleep
2pm Feed, water, potty
2:10pm Play, then sleep
5pm Feed, water, potty
5:10pm Play, then sleep
7:30pm Feed, water, potty
7:40 play, then sleep
9:30pm Potty, then sleep
11pm potty, then sleep
1am potty, sleep (if Method 1)
4am potty, sleep (if Method 1)
Method 1 potty training involves taking the puppy out to potty during the night, and is recommended for faster housebreaking. Method 2 involves keep paper in their confined area to use at night until they can be in a crate all night and their bladder is big enough to not need to potty at night.
FIRST NIGHT AND CRATE TRAINING
Small golden doodle puppies are used to sleeping with their littermates. This is best for their development when they are little. They have also been wired to find warmth until they can regulate their body temperature. They are also bred for companionship, so when they find themselves on their own at night it's a big, initially lonely mental adjustment and they will likely whine or bark. It's tempting to bring them into the bed, and for some this is may be something you want to do when they are older and not a disruptive, restless puppy. I recommend starting off with crate training at night.
For Method 1 I recommend taking puppy out for potty as late as possible- 10 or 11pm. Then, the most recommended method for night training is waking up every two-three hours to take the puppy outside to their potty spot. Waking the puppy up is ideal, and this really, really teaches them where they go potty. After about two weeks the timeframe can be expanded by an hour to every 3-4 hours, then after a few more weeks depending on the puppy and its size they can go all night until about 7am. This method is difficult but has been reported to make lifelong potty training work very well. It's not recommended to have kids or teens wake up in the middle of the night during school days as many parents have found their kids often struggle to stay awake during school when this happens.
Method 2 is to let the puppy sleep in their confined area with their newspaper sprayed with potty attractant spray. They will typically use the paper if they have to go to the bathroom in the night. As their bladders get larger and ability to stay in the crate for longer expands they can move into their crate for nighttime. Sometimes this is the method of choice, but this typically extends the time it takes to potty train and requires extra care during the day to always keep puppy in a confined space or closely supervised when inside to house train.
Crate training takes time. Puppy should have a good activity period where they really get worn out. Put them in the crate when they are drowsy with their blanket and chew toy. I really recommend Simply Total Health puppy blanket. It makes a big difference for my puppies when I put them in with this blanket and without. Try to let them stay in there for at least fifteen minutes. building up their tolerance and ability to stay inside for longer periods. If puppies whine or make noise in the night, it's best to let them figure out how to self soothe, and only go to them for potty. Some owners get earplugs, and it may be something you choose to do. Every puppy is different, and they will adjust in time.