FAQs
Chances are you have a few questions about bringing home your highland goldendoodle, bernedoodle, cavapoo, or golden mountain dog puppy. Take a look at our FAQs to learn more information about my program. Please contact me if your questions remain unanswered.
Are doodles hypoallergenic?
Technically, no dog is completely hypoallergenic, as some people can be allergic to things other than a dog’s fur or hair, like a dog’s saliva or urine. Doodles have allergy friendly properties, making them suitable for individuals who suffer from mild to moderate pet allergies. If you or someone in your home has severe pet allergies, we recommend additional testing before deciding on a puppy or litter.
Do doodles shed?
Our doodles are low- to non-shedding. We cannot guarantee any dog to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding as each coat can vary—although shedding in our adult doodles in generally very mild. Multigen doodles and F1Bs will typically shed less (if any) than an F1.
Do your puppies have a health guarantee?
Yes, Highland Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles offers a two-year health guarantee. I increase the health guarantee to five years provided that the puppy is fed PawTree dog food and does not run on asphalt or cement the first year of its life. Details for this extended guarantee are outlined in the puppy contract.
Do doodles like children?
Doodles do very well with children. Before you bring your puppy home, we work hard to socialize puppies to children of all ages so they’re ready to meet your family. Once you bring your puppy home, make sure to provide adult supervision when your children interact with the puppy, as children hold puppies differently than adults.
Do doodles like the outdoors?
Doodles generally love the outdoors. They enjoy hiking, going to the park, boating, and swimming. In winter time they love the snow but can get bad snowballs in their hair. You can get paw and leg protectors for them.
What happens if the dam of the litter does not get pregnant?
There are instances when a female does not get pregnant even when she has been bred. We do everything we can to prevent these situations from happening, but sometimes there is nothing we can do and nature takes its course. We appreciate your patience in these cases. Individuals with deposits in these litters will be moved to the same mother’s next available litter or can move to any other litter of their choice.
How do I reserve a spot in a litter?
I require a $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve a puppy pick in any litter. The deposit is transferable to another litter should you decide to go with a different dog, and the deposit is deducted from the total price of the puppy.
How do I pick up my puppy?
You have a couple of options to pick up your puppy!
I can arrange for a flight nanny to deliver the puppy to your local airport for a fee, usually $600, depending on the price of the plane ticket. The puppy rides in the cabin area and is never sent in the cargo hold.
If you wish to pick up your puppy from Utah, I can meet you at the Salt Lake City or Provo airports for free to deliver your puppy.
You can also choose to pick up your puppy locally at my home in Highland, Utah.
When do we pick our puppies from the litter?
When the puppies are six weeks old, picks are made in the order that puppies are reserved in the litter. For example, if you were the second person to reserve a puppy in the litter, you are the second person to pick the puppy.
When can I visit the litter?
You can visit your puppy each week after it is six weeks old by setting up an appointment. When you come to my home, we ask that you leave your shoes on the front porch and wash your hands in the kitchen before handling the puppies. Please do not visit pet shops, vets, dog parks, or animal shelters within 24 hours of your visit.
What comes in the puppy pick up bag?
When you pick up your puppy, I provide a bag of goodies to take home with you:
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The puppy’s health and shot record
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Snuggle Puppy
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Bone
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Chew toy
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Blanket that smells like mom and siblings
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Samples of PawTree treats and PawPairings
What size of crate should I buy?
The size of the crate depends on the expected full size of your dog. Here are a few recommendations and measurements:
5-25 pounds: 24L x 18W x 21H inches
26-40 pounds: 30L x 21W x 24H inches
41-70 pounds: 36L x 24W x 27H inches
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Find my favorite crates on the supplies page.
How many times a day should I feed my puppy?
Puppies should be fed four times a day. On the back of your dog food, it should suggest a daily amount for the age/size of your dog—split that into four servings. Once the puppy is six months old, you can switch to feeding your pup three times a day until they are one year old. This will ensure that your puppy will get all the nutrition it needs while growing for proper brain and organ growth.
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Check out our nutrition page for links to my recommended dog food.
What is the best age to socialize my puppy?
As puppies get older, it’s more difficult to socialize them as they become extremely cautious of anything they haven’t previously encountered. The best age to socialize your puppy is between 3 and 12 weeks old because they are more accepting of new experiences at that young age. Socializing your puppy after 12 weeks of age will be difficult, but I’m happy to recommend a dog trainer or training programs for older puppies.
How can I socialize my puppy?
Have you ever met a dog that was hesitant around new people or situations? Or perhaps a dog that acted out aggressively? Chances are it’s because the dog was never properly socialized as a puppy. Proper socialization is key to ensuring that you’ll have a well-adjusted pet that is able to adapt to a variety of situations as well as be an overall enjoyable pet, both now and later in life.
Added bonuses? Socialized dogs will be more a more relaxed and enjoyable pet, not only for you but also for any other dog or human it meets.
It’s up to you to decide on the amount of socialization that’s appropriate for your puppy. Just keep in mind that the more experiences your pup encounters, the more comfortable he will grow as an adult who is more likely to adjust to new experiences.
To start, know that socializing your puppy is a big project. You’ll need to be cognizant of the people, grooming practices, sites, sounds, places, and a variety of other factors that your puppy will be exposed to throughout its life.
For example, If you live in a big city, you may want to get your puppy well adjusted to the sounds of traffic—loud trucks, honking horns, police sirens—to the sounds of public transportation, loud groups, and so forth.
If you’re bringing home a puppy to a home with lots of children, make sure your little ones are also prepared to meet their new best friend. You can bring your children to visit the puppy and teach them how to properly teach and respect the puppy.
Keep in mind that it will likely be impossible to introduce your puppy to every sound it will ever encounter, but the more you introduce in that 3-to-12 week age period, the better your pup will adjust to new things over time.
What do I need to do to help my puppy adjust to its new home?
First and foremost, be sure to keep an eye on how your puppy is reacting to the situations you put him in. There’s nothing worse than trying to introduce your puppy to other puppies, only to find him hiding from the other animals out of fear. Adjust as necessary and keep trying until you and your puppy find your stride.
If you do find that your puppy seems frightened or scared during socialization, try to relieve him or make the experience more enjoyable. For example, if you’re introducing him to other dogs at the park and he doesn’t want to leave your side, try sitting further away from the action, which will allow your puppy to observe the situation, but at a more comfortable distance. Giving a treat whenever something loud or scary happens to show him that the place isn’t so bad. Additionally, you can always try a quieter dog park or adjust the location as necessary.
If you’re finding it difficult to socialize your puppy on your own, it’s always beneficial to take your puppy to a “kindergarten” training class. Most pet stores offer these classes, which are a great way to introduce your puppy to other dogs. They encourage off-leash play, which helps teach your pup how to be gentle with other dogs, how to play without it becoming a harmful fight and how to get used to being handled by a variety of different people.
An added bonus? Most puppy classes also teach some obedience training, so your puppy will learn to be better behaved overall.
Find more resources on our training page.
How often should I groom my dog?
Brush your puppy a couple of times a week.
Trim around her eyes with cuticle scissors every two weeks. In hot months, I suggest you get their haircut every two months. If you go longer than two months, be sure you are brushing behind their ears, their bums and stomachs (this is where they mat first).
The first puppy trim should be around six months. Waiting until they are a year old is not recommended.
If you’re interested in grooming your dog yourself, I recommend checking out Pupwell grooming tools and classes. You can find more information on my grooming information page.
If you’d like to find a groomer, search for a groomer that is familiar with the goldendoodle hair style and does them regularly. If you see a dog with a haircut you like, ask the owner what groomer they use. When you drop off your dog the first time, it’s helpful to take a picture with you of how you want the dog’s haircut to look. Don’t be afraid to be specific. Please note that if the dog’s coat has mats, the groomer will not be able to give your dog the haircut you want.