Mandi's Doodles follows a comprehensive and holistic protocol for raising puppies, incorporating various techniques and experiences backed by science to promote their well-rounded development and prepare them for a successful life as confident family pets. The protocol includes several key components, as outlined below.

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1. Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) also known as the SuperDog Program: A structured set of exercises designed to stimulate the neurological development of puppies is used during their critical early developmental stages between 3 and 16 days old. The purpose of ENS is to enhance the overall health, resilience, and performance of the puppies as they grow into adulthood. The program includes five specific exercises that are briefly (3-5 seconds) administered: head held upright, head held downward, held on their back, tactical stimulation, and cold thermal stimulation. The exercises aim to create positive stress responses that help improve the puppy's ability to handle various challenges later in life. It is also said to have additional benefits such as improved cardiovascular performance, stronger immune systems, better stress tolerance, enhanced problem-solving abilities, and increased resistance to disease.

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2. Scent Exposure: Puppies are exposed to various scents to broaden their olfactory experiences and sensory awareness in conjunction with ENS. This exposure helps them develop their sense of smell and adapt to different environments.

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3. The Puppy Culture Method: Mandi's Doodles adopts the Puppy Culture Method, which is a comprehensive and science-based approach to raising and socializing puppies. It is designed to provide a structured and enriching environment prior to sending puppies home with their new owners. This program focuses on early socialization, training, and the development of a puppy's emotional resilience to create confident, well-rounded, and adaptable dogs. The Puppy Culture Method incorporates various strategies and techniques, including socialization exercises, problem-solving games, and positive reinforcement training. It emphasizes the importance of early handling, early exposure to various environments, surfaces, sounds, and experiences to build a solid foundation for the puppies' future well-being. It emphasizes the importance of positive associations, rewards, and clear communication to establish a strong bond between the puppy and owner.

 

Exposing puppies to a wide range of positive experiences and stimuli during their early developmental stages creates confident, well-rounded puppies

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4. Positive Reinforcement Training: Puppies at Mandi's Doodles are trained using a clicker, a useful tool for positive reinforcement training. The clicker is especially useful when working with a litter that will likely have new names when they go home. This technique helps puppies learn and understand desired behaviors through reward-based training methods.

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5. Socialization Opportunities: To further expand the puppies' experiences, they are exposed to chickens, a very confident cat, children of all ages, and adults of all ages and abilities. These experiences help puppies learn how to interact with small animals that may be in the home and how to handle social situation with various people of all ages. I own a small flock of backyard chickens which has become increasingly popular. I wished for my own dog to learn that 'chickens are friends not food' thus prompting early exposure to provide puppies with the initial foundation to learn appropriate manners around barnyard animals.

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6. Bite Inhibition Techniques: To address common puppy biting behavior, we utilize bite inhibition techniques to discourage typical puppy biting. We do not allow puppies to mouth on our clothing , hands, or skin and offer an immediate correction when they behave in such a way. This training helps puppies develop proper manners leading to more gentle and appropriate interactions. With consistency in the home and continued practice, this should reduce biting once puppies leave our home.

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7. Regular Bathing: Regular bathing is important for Goldendoodles due to their unique coat characteristics. Goldendoodles require diligent maintenance to prevent matting and keep the coat in optimal condition--depending on the length at which you prefer to keep your pup. As such, we place great emphasis on regular bathing as an essential aspect of puppy care. Nails are trimmed regularly beginning as young as 1 week old. By introducing puppies to the bathing process at an early age, they become familiar with the grooming routine and equipment involved. The puppies are bathed using Pride and Groom Non-shedding shampoo and conditioner. We follow washing by blow drying each and every pup with a high velocity dryer to desensitize them to the noise and air blowing, making future grooming sessions more comfortable and enjoyable for the puppies. This helps them develop a positive association with bathing to ensure they behave well for their future groomers. 

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Instilling a routine of regular bathing from an early age ensures that puppies grow up accustomed to the grooming process, promoting good coat health, and setting them up for a lifetime of proper grooming care.

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8. Additional Learning Experiences: Puppies are gradually introduced to stairs to ensure they are comfortable and confident when encountering them in different environments. They take car rides in crates, begin crate training, feel different textures underfoot, and begin potty training. Puppies are also taught to mand, or sit quietly and offer eye contact. If the weather is appropriate, they may also get to experience water exposure.

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9. Nutritional Variety: Puppies are provided with a diet consisting of a variety of protein sources. It is believed that early exposure to a variety of food types may reduce the prevalence of allergies and food sensitivities. By introducing a diverse range of protein options during their formative stages, the puppies' immune systems have the opportunity to build tolerance and adapt to different food types. This can potentially lower the risk of developing adverse reactions or sensitivities to specific proteins commonly found in commercial dog foods. Introducing puppies to a variety of protein sources can help them develop diverse food preferences and increase their acceptance of different flavors and textures. This can be beneficial in ensuring that the puppies remain open to trying new foods throughout their lives and don't develop into picky eaters. Puppies exposed to various protein sources are more likely to adapt to different diets and transition easier in the future. This can be advantageous if dietary changes become necessary due to health concerns, special dietary requirements, or personal preferences. 

 

Providing a high quality kibble that is balanced and nutritious is optimal for their growth and well-being. This is why we feed PawTree. For more information on PawTree and why this high quality kibble is provided to our dogs, please see the Dog Food Recommendations page.

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By following this comprehensive protocol, Mandi's Doodles aims to raise well-socialized, confident, and adaptable puppies, setting them up for a successful transition into their forever homes.