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Welcome Home:
Welcome Home:
Essential Puppy Supplies
Containment & Comfort
Crate: We recommend sizing crates by height rather than weight, since a taller crate accommodates a medium poodle's full grown height comfortably. Look for a crate at least 21 inches high. For our medium poodles, we recommend the MidWest Homes for Pets 36-Inch iCrate, a double door folding crate with a divider panel, leak proof tray, and secure latches, which lets you adjust the size as your puppy grows.
Puppy Pen/Exercise Fence: MidWest Homes for Pets 36-Inch Exercise Pen, 36 inches high, 16 sq ft, foldable, no door design. Can attach to a wire crate with zip ties for daytime use when you're home but can't give constant attention.
Why We Recommend the Pen for Unsupervised Time
When your puppy is small, it's tempting to let them roam the house freely, but this usually backfires. Puppies don't yet have the bladder control or the training to know where they should and shouldn't go, so unsupervised free roam time often means accidents all over the house. Once a puppy has had a few accidents on carpet or in a certain room, it can create a habit that's much harder to break later.
Using a pen when you can't supervise directly keeps your puppy's world small and manageable. It gives them a designated potty area, with their litter box or pellets, right where they are, so successes happen consistently instead of by chance. This also makes the transition to going outdoors much smoother later. Once they reliably understand this is where I go, you can gradually shift that same instinct outside, rather than trying to untrain bad habits from an entire house of accidents first.
Think of the pen as training wheels. It's not about restricting your puppy, it's about setting them up to succeed so the habits they build from day one are the ones you actually want.
Bedding: Comfortable, washable dog bed or crate pad.
Baby Gates: MidWest 29-Inch High Walk-Thru Gate, works well for blocking off rooms.
Crate Training Note: Crates aren't punishment. They're a safe space for your puppy to relax when overstimulated. Start with nighttime crating and gradually work up to 1 to 2 hours during the day. Never leave a puppy crated more than 2 to 3 hours, or they may develop fear of the crate. Introduce gradually, keep sessions short and positive, and stick to a consistent routine.
Feeding
Primary food: Fromm Puppy Gold. The kibble size is small and well suited for puppies, with excellent quality.
Alternative (budget option): Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy and canned. Not recommended long term (2+ years), as some dogs develop yeast infections.
Future option (adult food): Iams Proactive Health Adult Lamb. Wet with hot water or heat and cool before serving. Our own adult dogs do well on this and love the lamb flavor.
Feeding Tips: Add warm water to kibble and let it cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving, to aid digestion and improve appeal. Feed 3 to 4 times daily under 4 months, then transition to 2 to 3 times daily.
Food & Water Bowls: Stainless steel or ceramic (plastic can cause tear staining).
Healthy Treats & Additions
Goat's milk, cottage cheese or full fat Greek yogurt, chicken gizzards, cooked beef or chicken liver (twice weekly, a great source of B vitamins), apple slices, plain pumpkin puree, Pedigree Dentastix, Calm Bites for stressful situations.
Potty Training
We litter train using alfalfa pellets: Standlee Premium Alfalfa Pellets in a boot pan or cat litter box. This method is more natural than puppy pads and prevents carpet confusion, since the pellets smell like grass. Puppy pads can be confusing because they train puppies to think it's okay to go on soft surfaces like rugs.
Watch: Litter Pan Training with Alfalfa Pellets
Grooming
Slicker brush and metal comb (Andis recommended), puppy shampoo and conditioner, nail trimmers, rose water for ears and eyes, cooled green tea bags for eye cleaning, coconut oil for conditioning, cordless clippers for heavy or thick coats. Daily brushing from puppyhood prevents matting. Between 1.5 and 2 years the puppy coat changes to adult coat, and daily brushing becomes essential during this transition. Bathe weekly (every two weeks in winter).
Walking & ID
Lightweight adjustable collar, ID tags, 4 to 6 foot leash (avoid retractable leashes at first), harness for walks.
Health & Veterinary Care
Your puppy comes with a 3 year health guarantee per your contract. To activate it, you must take your puppy to a veterinarian within 72 hours of pickup. Bring your puppy, their health records, and a copy of the purchase contract.
Vaccinations: your puppy comes with their first two sets (6 and 8 weeks). Consult your vet on the remaining schedule.
Deworming: every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then monthly until 6 months, then every 3 months for life.
Schedule your first vet visit within 3 days of bringing your puppy home for a full exam, vaccination verification, and a spay/neuter timing discussion.
Training & Socialization
Birth to 16 weeks is the critical socialization window. By 7 weeks, aim to expose your puppy to 7 different surfaces, locations, sounds, people, textures, and movements.
Start these commands right away: "Look at Me," name recognition, Sit, Come, Leave It. Keep sessions to 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 times daily, using positive reinforcement only.
Exercise & Physical Development
8 to 12 weeks: short play sessions (15 to 20 min, 3 to 4x daily), gentle walks (5 to 10 min), no stairs, no jumping from heights
3 to 6 months: walks up to 15 to 20 min, still avoid excessive stairs, swimming is excellent low impact exercise
6 to 12 months: 20 to 30 min walks, twice daily
12 to 18 months: gradual increase; save formal sports and long distance running for 18 months, once growth plates have closed
The First Few Days
Night crying and accidents are normal. Puppies sleep 18 to 20 hours a day, so let them rest. Tire your puppy out before bed, feed a small snack beforehand, do a final potty break right before crating, and place a worn t-shirt with your scent in the crate to help with the transition.
Teething (3 to 8 Months)
Increased chewing, drooling, mild gum bleeding, and irritability are all normal. Provide appropriate chew toys, frozen washcloths or ice cubes to numb gums, and redirect chewing toward toys.
Recommended Reading & Resources
Raising the Empowered Puppy: Have the Dog You've Always Wanted, K9 Training Institute, Free Workshop, Potty Training Book, r/puppy101 on Reddit, AKC Puppy Training Resources, Poodle Club of America
This guide is meant to supplement, not replace, veterinary care. Always consult your veterinarian for medical concerns.
you forgot things from this didnt you?
Reconciled unintentional omissions against deliberate editorial choices
You're right, a few things got dropped along the way as we kept revising. Here's what's missing compared to this version (aside from the poison control section, which you asked to cut on purpose):
Sizing guide for collars/harnesses: girls usually start Small and end Medium; boys start Small and may end Medium to Large
Treat pouch for training sessions (under Food & Water)
Clicker (optional) under Training Aids
Weekly ear checks specifically (I generalized grooming but dropped this exact line)
Professional grooming start age: around 4 to 5 months
"When to call the vet immediately" list: vomiting or diarrhea over 6 hours, refusal to eat over 12 hours, lethargy, difficulty breathing, seizures, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning (this one is worth keeping even though you cut poison control, since it's about recognizing an emergency, not treating one)
Want me to add these back into the full document, or do you want to look them over first and tell me which ones you actually want kept versus which ones you're fine leaving out?
yes
Orchestrated document reintegration
Here's the complete document with everything restored:
Welcome Home: Your Poodle Puppy Care Guide
Welcome Home: Your Poodle Puppy Care Guide
Essential Puppy Supplies
Containment & Comfort
Crate: We recommend sizing crates by height rather than weight, since a taller crate accommodates a medium poodle's full grown height comfortably. Look for a crate at least 21 inches high. For our medium poodles, we recommend the MidWest Homes for Pets 36-Inch iCrate, a double door folding crate with a divider panel, leak proof tray, and secure latches, which lets you adjust the size as your puppy grows.
Puppy Pen/Exercise Fence: MidWest Homes for Pets 36-Inch Exercise Pen, 36 inches high, 16 sq ft, foldable, no door design. Can attach to a wire crate with zip ties for daytime use when you're home but can't give constant attention.
Why We Recommend the Pen for Unsupervised Time
When your puppy is small, it's tempting to let them roam the house freely, but this usually backfires. Puppies don't yet have the bladder control or the training to know where they should and shouldn't go, so unsupervised free roam time often means accidents all over the house. Once a puppy has had a few accidents on carpet or in a certain room, it can create a habit that's much harder to break later.
Using a pen when you can't supervise directly keeps your puppy's world small and manageable. It gives them a designated potty area, with their litter box or pellets, right where they are, so successes happen consistently instead of by chance. This also makes the transition to going outdoors much smoother later. Once they reliably understand this is where I go, you can gradually shift that same instinct outside, rather than trying to untrain bad habits from an entire house of accidents first.
Think of the pen as training wheels. It's not about restricting your puppy, it's about setting them up to succeed so the habits they build from day one are the ones you actually want.
Bedding: Comfortable, washable dog bed or crate pad.
Baby Gates: MidWest 29-Inch High Walk-Thru Gate, works well for blocking off rooms.
Crate Training Note: Crates aren't punishment. They're a safe space for your puppy to relax when overstimulated. Start with nighttime crating and gradually work up to 1 to 2 hours during the day. Never leave a puppy crated more than 2 to 3 hours, or they may develop fear of the crate. Introduce gradually, keep sessions short and positive, and stick to a consistent routine.
Feeding
Primary food: Fromm Puppy Gold. The kibble size is small and well suited for puppies, with excellent quality.
Alternative (budget option): Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy and canned. Not recommended long term (2+ years), as some dogs develop yeast infections.
Future option (adult food): Iams Proactive Health Adult Lamb. Wet with hot water or heat and cool before serving. Our own adult dogs do well on this and love the lamb flavor.
Feeding Tips: Add warm water to kibble and let it cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving, to aid digestion and improve appeal. Feed 3 to 4 times daily under 4 months, then transition to 2 to 3 times daily.
Food & Water: Stainless steel or ceramic bowls (plastic can cause tear staining), small soft training treats, treat pouch for training sessions.
Healthy Treats & Additions
Goat's milk, cottage cheese or full fat Greek yogurt, chicken gizzards, cooked beef or chicken liver (twice weekly, a great source of B vitamins), apple slices, plain pumpkin puree, Pedigree Dentastix, Calm Bites for stressful situations.
Training Aids
Standlee Premium Alfalfa Pellets, boot pan or cat litter box, Calm Bites, clicker (optional but helpful).
Potty Training
We litter train using alfalfa pellets in a boot pan or cat litter box. This method is more natural than puppy pads and prevents carpet confusion, since the pellets smell like grass. Puppy pads can be confusing because they train puppies to think it's okay to go on soft surfaces like rugs.
Watch: Litter Pan Training with Alfalfa Pellets
Grooming
Slicker brush and metal comb (Andis recommended), puppy shampoo and conditioner, nail trimmers, rose water for ears and eyes, cooled green tea bags for eye cleaning, coconut oil for conditioning, cordless clippers for heavy or thick coats. Daily brushing from puppyhood prevents matting. Weekly ear checks are important, as poodles are prone to ear infections. Between 1.5 and 2 years the puppy coat changes to adult coat, and daily brushing becomes essential during this transition. Start professional grooming around 4 to 5 months. Bathe weekly (every two weeks in winter).
Walking & ID
Lightweight adjustable collar, ID tags, 4 to 6 foot leash (avoid retractable leashes at first), harness for walks. Sizing guide: girls usually start in size Small and end in Medium; boys start in Small and may end in Medium to Large.
Health & Veterinary Care
Your puppy comes with a 3 year health guarantee per your contract. To activate it, you must take your puppy to a veterinarian within 72 hours of pickup. Bring your puppy, their health records, and a copy of the purchase contract.
Vaccinations: your puppy comes with their first two sets (6 and 8 weeks). Consult your vet on the remaining schedule.
Deworming: every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then monthly until 6 months, then every 3 months for life.
Schedule your first vet visit within 3 days of bringing your puppy home for a full exam, vaccination verification, and a spay/neuter timing discussion.
Call your vet immediately if: vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than 6 hours, your puppy refuses to eat for more than 12 hours, or you notice lethargy, difficulty breathing, seizures, uncontrolled bleeding, or suspected poisoning.
Training & Socialization
Birth to 16 weeks is the critical socialization window. By 7 weeks, aim to expose your puppy to 7 different surfaces, locations, sounds, people, textures, and movements.
Start these commands right away: "Look at Me," name recognition, Sit, Come, Leave It. Keep sessions to 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 times daily, using positive reinforcement only.
Exercise & Physical Development
8 to 12 weeks: short play sessions (15 to 20 min, 3 to 4x daily), gentle walks (5 to 10 min), no stairs, no jumping from heights
3 to 6 months: walks up to 15 to 20 min, still avoid excessive stairs, swimming is excellent low impact exercise
6 to 12 months: 20 to 30 min walks, twice daily
12 to 18 months: gradual increase; save formal sports and long distance running for 18 months, once growth plates have closed
The First Few Days
Night crying and accidents are normal. Puppies sleep 18 to 20 hours a day, so let them rest. Tire your puppy out before bed, feed a small snack beforehand, do a final potty break right before crating, and place a worn t-shirt with your scent in the crate to help with the transition. Giving some goat milk before bed may help and I defiantely recomend the puppy in a open crate with a play pen and the litter box with alfalfa as I suggested.
Teething (3 to 8 Months)
Increased chewing, drooling, mild gum bleeding, and irritability are all normal. Provide appropriate chew toys, frozen washcloths or ice cubes to numb gums, and redirect chewing toward toys.
Recommended Reading & Resources
Raising the Empowered Puppy: Have the Dog You've Always Wanted, K9 Training Institute, Free Workshop, Potty Training Book, r/puppy101 on Reddit, AKC Puppy Training Resources, Poodle Club of America
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