General Information
What does F1 mean?
F1 is a short term for filial generation 1 - so 50:50 mix. This will give you a good mix of the two parent breeds - but individual puppies may show stronger physical ties to one side versus the other. F1B is where you breed back to one of the "parent" breeds - so a 75:25 mix. A F2 mix gives the most unpredictable phenotypic results. At this time, we only produce F1 mixes.
Are your puppies hypoallergenic or shed?
Because we only offer F1 mixes, these puppies are 50:50 with a shedding breed. They will be lower shed than their parent breed, but not no shed like a purebred poodle. If you are looking for a hypoallergenic puppy or a true, no-shed dog, you should get a poodle.
What kind of grooming do they need?
Poodles and doodles are not low maintenance breeds. They need daily brushing and grooming appointments every 4-12 weeks depending on how much home care you do.
If you like the long, fluffy doodle look - be prepared to spend significant time brushing your dog daily. Do not expect your groomer to undo 30 days of matting in 60 minutes.
What grooming tools do I need?
I recommend a good slicker brush and metal comb for all pet owners. If you are going to give baths at home - you need a high velocity power blow dryer. If you are wanting to groom at home - a set of shears and clippers (I personally use Andis 2 speed). There are plenty of youtube clips on how to groom. I feel strongly that everyone should groom their dog at least once...at least so you know what your groomer has to deal with.
When should we start training?
Start now! Your puppy is learning every second. You cannot start too early and every minute you spend teaching your puppy in their first year of life will pay off 10 fold for the rest of their life. Puppies have very short attention spans so 5 minutes is all they need for the first month or so. I highly recommend using meal time as training time! Have them sit or lay down to receive portions of their meal directly from your hand (this also helps reduce food aggression - especially important if you have kids). I also recommend group classes with other puppies once your puppy has received all of their puppy vaccines. This helps them get exposure to other dogs and people in a positive environment. It also helps teach them to focus on you and listen to your commands when there are other fun things going on around them. I am also a huge fan of crate training! It makes potty training so much easier and provides them a safe place later in life - like if they are overwhelmed with company or fireworks.
How do we keep our puppy healthy?
Follow your veterinarian's advice! Feed a high quality diet - Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan etc. Pick diets specific for large breeds - these diets help prevent hip/joint issues later on in life. DO NOT FEED A GRAIN FREE DIET! Grain Free Diets have been strongly linked to heart failure in dogs because they are missing essential amino acids. Keep your pet at a healthy weight - you should see a "hour glass" shape from both the top and the side and be able to feel their ribs with pressure - but not see them. Over 65% of pets in the US are overweight and the lifetime study of labs showed that even 5 lbs overweight resulted in 2 years shorter lifespan. Follow your vet's advice on vaccines. Rabies, Distemper-Parvo 5 way combo, Lepto, and Bordetella vaccines should be given. If you live in the city, you will likely need to give the influenza vaccines if you board/groom/go to daycare. Other vaccines are lifestyle/location dependent. We don't vaccinate for Lyme because we don't have it in our area but we do vaccinate for rattlesnakes!