Recommendations
Food
Ginger’s breeder said that his dogs had issues with ear infections, and their veterinarian recommended that they switch to a non-grain-based dog food, and he said that helped. So I have always fed Ginger and Sophie grain-free dog foods, and have had good results. I researched the ingredients and nutritional values of the top dog foods, and found that Costco’s Kirkland brand offered comparable quality at a cheaper price. Right now, the puppies are eating “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy – Chicken & Pea Formula.” I’ve included photos of the package, ingredients, and nutritional information for your reference. Your puppy will come home with enough food for you to transition to a new dog food, should you choose. I feed my adult dogs the Kirkland food in the brownish red-colored bag (I forgot to take a picture of it before I threw it away.
A few of you have asked me about what food I feed, or what tools I use for grooming and training tips. Here is what I do -- but of course, you might find something that works better for you.
Grooming
You should expect to groom your dog at least once every 3 months. Not only does grooming your own dog save you a boat-load of money, I think it is it can be a good bonding experience for you and your dog, as well as allow them to not have to do a complete grooming from start to finish in one day. I usually provide a bully stick for my girls to chew on while I groom them, so they have come to look forward to grooming time.
The list below shows some items I recommend, with links to Amazon pages.
Blade -- #7 Andis UltraEdge Detachable Clipper Blade -- I LOVE this blade! It lasts a long time, and it cuts through my girls' thick curly coat easily without getting all clogged up. (I like to keep my girls pretty short because we do a lot of hiking and walks in areas with a lot of brush and water -- also, it helps me to find any ticks that they might pick up.)
Clipper -- If I shop for another clipper, I think I might look into Andis clippers (because I love my Andi's blade above so much). I have Wahl KM2, which I've had for several years and it is still going strong. If you end up with a doodle with less "poodlely" (tight curly) hair, it will be easier to keep it a bit longer, but you should be prepared to brush more often. My Wahl KM2 came with with stainless steel guide combs, which are much better than the plastic ones (I used to use the blue one). The clipper comes with a #10 blade, which will be good enough for the puppy coat, but as your dog’s coat gets coarser, you should switch to a coarser blade. Be sure to stop if the blade is getting bogged down, and take off the guide and brush out any hair stuck in there, and add a few drops of oil. (It’s tedious, but will help your blades to last longer.) If you find the blade not cutting even when the hair is brushed out, it’s time to get a new blade. I like to keep a new one on hand, so I don’t get stuck halfway in.
$156.95 Wahl Professional Animal KM2 Deluxe Dog Pet Clipper Kit #9757-1001
Grooming Scissors -- The grooming scissors are nice because they have rounded points and they are sharp. I use these for the head and feet. $19.99 Pet Magasin Grooming Scissors Kits - (2 Pairs - 1 for Body and 1 for Face + Ear + Nose + Paw) - Sharp and Strong Stainless Steel Blade Dog Grooming Scissors with Round Tip Top for Dogs and Cats
This dematting comb is nice to use if you happen to get mats.
The ear cleansing solution helps to keep the ears clean and healthy. If you use it every week or two, you’ll probably avoid any ear issues. 15.48 Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution (16 oz)
The wire brush shown below isn’t the exact brush I’ve used, but I like the one that looks like it.
$5.89 Safari Wire Pin Brush, Medium / Large
I would be happy to help you groom your puppy for the first time, or you can come when I’m grooming mine, and I’ll show you what I do.
I hope this helps!