Biggest Mistakes Puppy Owners Make

[@staciamj1]

Poor baby who fell, bit it was so cute. Lol.

[@DoodlesofNC]

❤️

[@thanksididitmyself]

All so good! I love the exercise pens that only have vertical bars so the puppy can't climb it like a ladder and escape. Nadine is over a year old and just shy of 25lb and she has still never made an escape, so I highly recommend for new puppy owners!

[@DoodlesofNC]

So true!

[@sheryn61]

Same here! We bought a play pen that has vertical bars and sure enough the puppy immediately used the bars as leverage to climb out and it’s kind of risky too as their bellies can get injured from those thin metal edges as they force themselves to climb out of it.

[@genv8428]

This should be a must watch before owning a puppy. Too many people get upset with the puppy when they've not taken time to work with them to teach them these things. Very important! I got lucky with my doodle and she was puppy pad trained the first day I got her she went to it every time because they had used them with the litter. I put it by the back door and when she went to it I took her outside to potty. She did awesome and I always got so excited and said yea good girl for going potty. She'd get so excited when I'd praise her for it. Now she's almost 4yrs old, when she potties she comes running back to me like she's telling me she went and I have to praise her for it and she just eats it up. These fur babies are the best! Don't know what I'd do without her. ❤

[@DoodlesofNC]

That is awesome! I’m so glad you had a good experience with her

[@andreavisconti1491]

My beagle is a very quiet older senior. She's good.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Awww so precious - beagles are precious

[@anitajonsson4379]

That was such a great video! I loved how you balanced the need for limits and structure with their need for encouragement and acknowledgement/praise for successes. I also appreciate your commitment to teaching your future Owners / Moms and Dads of your Puppies by showing how you have gone to great lengths to care for your Momma Doodles and their babies. Your videos are wonderful teaching tools that equip us all with the right kind of skills and the reasons for them, and how to ensure that our new family puppy member receives the best care and love from all members. I was cheering for you when you revealed a few mistakes of your own (not sure if it was in this video or the other video of yours that I just finished before continuing my education with this one). No one is perfect, accidents and poor choices happen weather you are a puppy, a new Family adopting a puppy, or even a Breeder. I think you and Doodles of NC are such an asset to the world of Dog Lovers and Caring Families. You have my sincere respect, appreciation, love and support. Watching your puppies and family care for and play with your doodle babies and doodle parents helps me deal with the separation from my beloved Poppy. I adopted Poppy when she was 10 weeks old. (Poppy is a female, black colored F1-B Standard Goldendoodle). A few months before my Mother died she told me to hurry up and do her income tax so I could buy my dog. I was shocked when my Mother said this as I didn't think she was even aware of my heart's desire. My mother had come to live with me almost 10 years earlier as she had severe arthritis, diabetes, and could no longer care for herself. Eventually she went blind too. I was working full time and caring for my Mom before I went to work, most days on my noon hour, and then all evening and on weekends. As Mom's only child we were great friends too so I never felt like Mom was a burden. In the last year of her life things got harder, she needed to be living in Fulltime in Assisted Care and I got Cancer. Mom's life was so hard for her in the end (especially because she lost her sight and 100% of her independence). So, when out of the blue she encouraged me to fulfill my dream of having a Goldendoodle with her income tax money I was overwhelmed with her loving generosity. A couple of months later, after Mom passed away, I was missing Mom so much and that was when I remembered her gift. It was Nov. 11, th, "Remembrance Day" in Canada: the day Canadians honor those who have served and sacrificed for our nation. It seemed a perfect day to buy my puppy. I named her Poppy, in honor of my Mother's lifetime of love, service, and sacrifice to me, my children, and grandchildren. Poppy is the most loving, smart, playful, and perfect companion who is currently being cared for by another dog loving family with a big yard, two other dogs and two cats (who are now Poppy's great friends). I know Poppy is loved and well cared for. All of the animals sleep with the Mom and Dad in their king size bed. Poppy sleeps between the Mom and Dad under the blankets and has her own pillow. I hope Poppy will want to come home with me when I have double hip replacement surgery and have recovered. I plan on adopting another Goldendoodle puppy when I have regained my mobility. After having 4 animal friends to play with daily, I knew she would feel at a loss without a animal friend. And, one goldendoodle is never enough. Which I am sure you and your family will agree! P.S. I am sorry I wrote such a long entry. Thank you for everything, I am learning a lot and having fun watching your channel. I look forward to being in touch to schedule time for picking my puppy in 2024. XOXO

[@DoodlesofNC]

Wow thank you for sharing your story, Your mom was lucky to have you and she seemed like a wonderful woman! Poppy is lucky to be taken care of by such wonderful people with animal friends too! Good luck on your treatment and we will be praying for you!

[@deborahharnett1060]

I’m so happy to see another video. Your tips are great as always. I loved when you were talking about potty training and the puppy you were holding was just staring so lovingly at you. It was priceless ❤. Looking forward to more videos 😊

[@DoodlesofNC]

That is so kind, thank you.

[@lorac4126]

OMG!!! She's back!!!

[@DoodlesofNC]

Woohoo!

[@helenpaul4886]

Thanks for the advice. My puppy is 6 months and just got spayed. She is such a sweetheart

[@DoodlesofNC]

I’m so glad!

[@khanhhm5762]

This is a great educational video, Erin. I'm going to share it with our families, especially the less experienced or newer dog people. As a dog handler who needs to be very tactile with every dog I work with, the body handling exercises you demonstrated are part of what I do effortlessly without thinking about it and constantly. I'm always bemused when people who see me touching my dog say: "Oh, you do it because you can't see your dog. I don't have to do that with mine." When in reality, a dog that gets handled correctly and frequently becomes very used to being touched, not to mention touching your dog provides very valuable information about his/her body and well-being. Another thing I do that may sound weird but again, can be very useful, is to sniff a dog's ears to determine their health. Yes, you can look to see if their ears are infected. But if for a variety of reasons looking isn't giving you enough information--i.e. poor lighting, fluctuating vision, etc--your sniffer can tell you a great deal. Some dogs are weired out by your nose being close to their ears, so patience, a slow approach, and lots of rewards may be a must. (My Shepherd allows me to sniff his ears but mumbles and grumbles the entire time, then shakes them vigorously in my face afterwords like: "Humph! Just so you know, I'm offended!") When I trim nails, I first take my dog's paw in my hand, then carefully locate each nail and feel for where I will clip. I thought everyone does it this way until a friend of mine said that it never occurred to her to do it that quickly because she just picks up the paw and clips. Fascinating. I love all of your tips but especially the one about giving dogs too much freedom. A lot of people don't think about preventing bad habits before they develop. But another reason for gradual freedom is training. One of the first things I begin developing with every dog is the foundation of recall, and I start very close to the dog, then gradually move further away. Having him/her on a leash allows me to feel their movements and as you said, redirect them if necessary... So many opportunities for capturing and rewarding good behaviors to build toward a good recall. I've never used a play pen but Meghan does. Also, attaching a bell to the dog's collar can keep you apprised of her whereabouts. (I understand you, Erin, wouldn't want to do that if you've got over twenty puppies. But for others with one or two dogs, that can be an option. If I have several dogs, I put a different size and sounding bell on their collar. For the little dogs, I get those jingle bells found at craft/sewing stores. For my big dogs, the bear bells that are found at camping stores are my favorite. Of course there is always the chance of a crafty dog who figures out how to remove the bell or catch it in his mouth and move around without making it jingle. Ahem. "German Shepherd.")

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you so much for such a detailed review! I really appreciate it! I love the idea of the bell! That is so cool.

[@khanhhm5762]

@@DoodlesofNC I hope bells can be a useful tool either in your training with your pups or as something you suggest/offer as a tip to your families. I think like so many things, working with and supervising dogs can be a multi-sensory experience. It's possible to train one's self to listen, at home for example, to where your dog is, assuming he/she is loose and able to make good life choices. With a bell, I've learned how each dog moves because the bell jingles differently. For example, when my current Shepherd runs, his bell jangles constantly--JINGLEJINGLEJINGLEJINGLE--and when he wanders, its jingle is softer and slower--jingle, jingle, jingle. To learn to do this, having the dog on a leash and at close proximity is helpful, then gradually increase the distance. I also love using a bell when I'm doing targetting exercises or teaching someone clicker work. It's easy to tell the person's timing if the click comes too late after the dog has bopped the bell with his/her nose. Also some dogs just really get a kick out of banging the bell. "Hey this thing makes noise! Let's keep doing it and maybe the human'll click and give me more treats!" My favorite bear bell for large dogs is made by Auburn Leathercrafter. it's fifteen dollars on Amazon, but it's got a metal clip that's attached to a piece of leather which I like better than the velcro bear bells. The bell feels nice and heavy and has a nice jingle that carries well, especially in an open area where you're doing recall or the dog is running and playing.

[@kathleenshoemaker6943]

Always enjoy your videos! Such good information.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you!

[@remingtonstealmyheart]

All good information! Missed seeing your videos!

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you!!! We will get back to doing more video’s regularly!

[@jrowlove7328]

When are you going to have more puppies? Where do you get those floor mats that are in the playpen?

[@DoodlesofNC]

We have new puppies now! Next weeks videos will feature them.

[@spragit3834]

Missed you guys! Thanks for sharing so much valuable information. I did crate training, but never thought of the pen!

[@DoodlesofNC]

We missed being on here!

[@ordysparrow7574]

Nice antique white table? That puppy was set up! 😂

[@DoodlesofNC]

I’ll tell Honey you are on her side!

[@ushashrilakshmin3231]

I admire u

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you so much

[@leemiller2811]

Fantastic Erin. ❤ Can’t wait to get a sweet puppy from you in the fall!!

[@DoodlesofNC]

Yes!!!

[@tinapetrick9792]

Thank you!! I've missed your posts lately! This provides so many practical and easy ideas!

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thanks! Another video coming out Sunday!

[@jilljackson5662]

What type of mat do you put down in the puppy playpen?

[@DoodlesofNC]

It’s an EZ whelp mat. You can find them here. kit.co/doodlesofnc

[@kimodonnell8141]

Thank you for making another video ❤ we love all of your videos ♥️♥️♥️ the way you interact with everyone, including puppies of all ages, is so compassionate♥️♥️♥️

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you! More videos are coming!

[@bouboodog]

Very informative video..

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you!

[@leemiller2811]

What is the mat under the playpen and where can I buy one?

[@DoodlesofNC]

kit.co/doodlesofnc

[@tessjones5987]

Much needed video. Great information. Thanks

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you!

[@cordiehigh2152]

Hard to block off areas the bigger the dog is or gets

[@DoodlesofNC]

You do have to be creative!

[@ariesworld9125]

These are all super great tips! 👍

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you!

[@jmk1962]

Missed you. Great tips.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you! We Missed being on!

[@christinevian7198]

What a great video…I wish I had known some of your tips when I got my puppy……thank you for sharing..

[@DoodlesofNC]

Your welcome! Help for the next fur baby.

[@JulieB4444]

Thank you for this amazing video. Have a great weekend!

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you! You too!

[@sandyj479]

Great video, Erin. It's been awhile since we've seen you. Hope all is well.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you! We are back in action!

[@ruthmarielewis899]

This is so great! Can you tell me more about the blanket with the paw prints in the playpen area? Does it have a water proof side to protect floors? Where can I buy one?

[@DoodlesofNC]

Yes to both! They are on our website. kit.co/doodlesofnc

[@sharonfoster4523]

That video was very informative thanks Erin

[@DoodlesofNC]

Your so welcome!

[@MWMw-di4pj]

POTTY TRAINING WHEN THERE IS snow on the ground quite difficult

[@DoodlesofNC]

I bet! You could train on a pad indoors during that time?

[@MWMw-di4pj]

@@DoodlesofNC Thats what i been doing the problem he eats the snow. no to the snow!!

[@guccilouis2697]

Great info I’m training my 2nd French Bulldog puppy right now.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Good! Frenchies are so cute

[@guccilouis2697]

@@DoodlesofNC Oh wow 🤗 that was so nice of you to reply 😬!

[@ushashrilakshmin3231]

Hi mam ..hope u and ur dogs r fine....u r doing a grt job....I recently bought 6 months old Shitzu that was not potty trained ...it was all the time in crate with earlier owner and so he used to pee and poo inside ..the thing s after pooping he s lying on it and stamping on it, running over it.. Even i can't take him out for potty bcoz here lots of diseased infected street dogs r there....in the terrace I've made rainwater harvesting Kindly suggest me how to make him sit apart and indicate by barking Any training method will work out One more s as per regular timing he s not peeing or pooping like after food, play, eat, drinking water...he goes at any time....

[@DoodlesofNC]

Oh man! That is a disaster. I’m so sorry that you had to deal with that. I hope it gets better.

[@8hmachine]

Yay, another video. We need more. You are so good at what you do.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Working on it! Thank you!

[@corinehoward8383]

How do I connect you

[@DoodlesofNC]

[e-mail]

[@aprilsunflower7440]

I've been trying to teach my dog to stay home alone ( my fault taking him everywhere) I now give him a busy bone to chew only when I leave and I bought a Kong today. Have you used those before? Any advice about them?

[@Theresebonath6077]

I would never ever leave my dog with a bone when they are alone. There are better ways to teach your dog to cope with being alone if you just have a little time and patience

[@aprilsunflower7440]

@@Theresebonath6077 These bones are meant to be used to keep them entertained for periods of time. They aren't real bones and don't splinter

[@DoodlesofNC]

Try putting peanut butter in the kong and freeze it!

[@niecee1961]

Quick question, what’s the longest anyone’s been on your deposit waitlist?

[@DoodlesofNC]

About a year!

[@Theresebonath6077]

In Sweden where i live we are not aloud to put them in cages without open doors.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Oh wow! Didn’t know that.

[@leannelrod7046]

How is Nala

[@DoodlesofNC]

Fantastic! With her family and so happy.

[@Jfre2]

Shaking your dog by the neck? (0.46) Ridiculous! Also shows many examples of picking up by the front arms.. Can easily cause injury. This woman gives me the impression she has temper issues. Nevertheless, really poor dog handling. Get your advice elsewhere.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you for your comment

[@HurshRoad]

I always say puppy owners don’t give your puppies to much freedom until they have earned it. Don’t want bad habits to start. If your attention isn’t in that puppy 100% need to be crated or in a pen. We always used baby gates to secure a area.

[@DoodlesofNC]

So smart!

[@ariesworld9125]

You are exactly right!

[@rachelcrossen8136]

Really good video! So many people get puppies and don’t do half of this then blame the dog

[@DoodlesofNC]

So true .

[@adelaaguilar6975]

I love your videos, and I have been preparing for my future fur baby . Thank you so much for always showing us your video training tips. Your house is very organized and clean.

[@DoodlesofNC]

Thank you! It helps I am a minimalist