Favorite Products for Puppies

Getting prepared for a new puppy in the home is extremely exciting as well as stressful because you have to not only get the house puppy proofed but also make sure you have all the right supplies. Customers always ask me for advice on products, food, toys, and books so this year I wanted to ask the experts= fellow Cockapoo owners, and they happily shared what products they use. I may not be familiar with all of the suggested products so I have also added a few tips on things that I like to use or am familiar with.

CHEWS:

Puppies like to chew and I even have a few adults that will destroy any toy that isn't made strong enough so make sure that you have things in your house to keep them busy.

Roasted Pig ears and Bully Sticks were the most recommended product to help with teething and to also use as a reward or item to keep dogs busy. When I bought my first batch of Bully Sticks I couldn't believe how smelly they were and didn't even want to touch them but once the dogs got a whiff of that smell they were all over me. Thankfully you can buy odor free sticks and you can also screen for ones that are specifically made within the USA. You can also buy less greasy Pig ears in various sizes that are specifically made in the USA.

Himalyan Dog Chews and Elk Anters were also recommended several times.

TOYS:

Treat Balls were also highly recommended. You place special treats or food within the ball and your dog has to roll it around in order for some of the treats to fall out. I recently purchased one for my adults and they spent the entire afternoon playing with it.

Go Dog toys with "Tough Chew Guard Technology" these are made to withstand the extra wear and tear that other stuffed toys can't and even come with a guarantee.

http://www.godogfun.com/chew-guard-technology

The Wobble Wag Giggle Ball was recommended by a Cockapoo owner and they said it has lasted 3 years and their dog has not grown tired of it. My dogs love toys that make noise and this too is one of their favorites.

Kong brand toys. I have purchases several types of Kong toys and can say that they stand up to a lot of play and chewing. Some are built extra tough for chewers, some are softer for seniors, and some have options to add treats or peanut butter to them to help keep your dogs busy. (If you feed your dog Peanut Butter be sure not to use any brand that contains Xylitol, it is toxic and deadly to dogs!!)

My adults personally love the Kong Jumbler Ball

My puppies do great with the Kong Senior because it's softer and easier for them to chew on

Fluff and Tuff Dog Toys were also suggested due to extra durability and longer life span

https://www.fluffandtuff.com/

GROOMING:

The Tangle Teaser was the #1 brush recommended for Cockapoo Coats

Zen Clippers for clipping toenails

Earthbath Ear Wipes

If you're going to tackle grooming your dog by yourself I have always used, and been happy with, the Andis Ultraedge 2 speed clipper. In the summertime I use a #10 clipper blade to completely shave off their thick Winter coats and if I want to leave a bit of hair on I use a #7 blade.

POTTY TRAINING:

Cockapoos are extremely smart and are people pleasers so Potty Bells are a great way to teach your dog to let you know when they need to go outside

FLEA & TICK

If you're not comfortable using the standard flea and tick topical or pills recommended by your vet someone suggested chemical free flea and tick like Petzlife Herbal Powder, Essential Oils, and Springtime Garlic Powder.

TRAINING BOOKS                                                                                                                             

Over and over again I have had several people recommend a book called "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete                  

                                                                         

Also very popular is the Cockapoo "Owners Guide from Puppy to Old Age" by Alan Kenworthy

Cockapoos and Itchy Skin

If your dog is showing signs of itchiness, chewing at their paws, scratching their ears, or has developed a rash or small red bumps on their skin they may have allergies. Here are some tips to help remedy the problem :

-Change their food to a chicken free formula, it is common for this breed to develop allergies to Chicken. Completely erase chicken from their diet, no treats, chews, scraps, or bones that contain chicken.

-Use Oatmeal or Chamomile based shampoos that are gentle and soothing to their skin.

-Ask your vet if your dog could be suffering from Pyoderma which is a bacterial infection in the skin that can be quite common in dogs.

-Ask your vet about a medication called Apoquel (or similar product,) I've heard great reviews and my vet also said that he uses it for many of his customers.

-Ask your vet if your dog could be having an allergic reaction to the flea/tick topical that you are using.

-If you don't treat your dog with a flea/tick medication could they have fleas?

-Pay attention to the time of year that your dog becomes itchy, just like humans they can have allergic reactions to dander and pollen that are seasonal and medications can help relieve their symptoms.

-Pay attention to when their reactions are most prevalent, did you just do the laundry? Did you just burn a scented candle? Did you just use a cleaner in the house? Do you use essential oils in the house? Dogs can have reactions to ingredients found in many household products.

-If they are scratching at their ears check to see if they have ear mites or a yeast infection. Ear infections are quite common in floppy eared dogs.

A popular product that may help is called Coat Defense, here is a link to their website:

https://coatdefense.com/collections/for-your-dog

As with all products, check with your vet before using them to be sure they are safe for your animal.

Beware of Puppy Scams!

This year has been notorious for puppy scams aimed at Cockapoos. It seems like every week I am contacted by a family who did, or almost, got ripped off. I constantly am reading posts on Facebook from families that lost their money and I keep seeing new "fake websites" and "fake Facebook sites" popping up online. To me some of them are obvious-bad grammar, incorrect spelling, pictures that have already been posted on other fake sites, prices that are too good to be true, free shipping, etc. but to the first time buyer or super excited family they may look past all of that because they simply want to add a beautiful puppy to their home, so they fall for it and lose their money. 
I'm not sure why the Cockapoo has become the main focus this year but I have a feeling that the scammers are most likely a group of people working together. I personally know a couple real breeders that have their text/photos/videos stolen from their websites and used on fake ones, they were used on multiple sites making me think that these scammers are sharing their material or just producing multiple fake sites to rip off more people. I have been trying to keep up with the names of fake sites and have them posted on my website but if you know of any that I have missed please share so that we can possibly help someone out. 
I fear that with the holiday season coming things are going to get worse because sometimes people wait too long to start looking for a puppy and they then become desperate and overlook all the warning signs. If you are looking for a puppy please beware of: Prices that are too good to be true! Free Shipping! Bad Grammar! And most of all anyone that asks you to wire them money because once they have it, it is gone!
I have spoken to several people that have either been ripped off or were in contact with some of these fake sellers and they have reported that they mostly contact you through text and once they receive your deposit via wire transfer you never hear from them again. Others have reported that once they send the deposit the seller demands a huge amount of additional money for a specialty crate that the airport requires or they will not ship the puppy, this is not true, I ship all the time and you don't need super expensive 'specialty crates.' Another lady told me that the scammer told her she is offering free shipping because she has 'coupons for free flights from the airline.' I don't know about you, but I have never received a coupon from any airline offering me a free flight, so again, a claim that is too good to be true because it is!
As of right now (10/12/17) most of the scammers are claiming to be in Virginia, I have no idea why they are using this location but this again makes me think that it's a group of people working together. 
I promise you that there are good breeders out there, we work very hard to raise our puppies the right way so please do not take the bad actions of a few out on the rest of us. Due to all the scams going on I don't blame people for being extra careful about who they are dealing with but I've had a few phone calls from people who were obviously very untrusting of anyone they were contacting and that makes me feel uncomfortable too.
Good luck to all of those that are out there in search of a puppy, please do your homework to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate breeder, I really hope this recent phase of scams comes to an end soon.