Meet Lucy, she is a 2 month old puggle and we absolutely LOVE her. Technically she is Monkey Boy’s dog, but for some strange reason I seem to be the one taking care of her during the day and taking her outside to use the facilities.
For being a puppy {and I have zero experience with this of course} I think she is doing a fantastic job. We take her outside every 2 hours, then bring her in and play for about 15 minutes.
Then we place her “reward snack” in her open crate and hang out with her next for a few more minutes until she settles in. After that we close the crate door and she takes a nap. So far so good. We have the crate in the office right now where at least one of us is during the day.
We were told to crate train her for the first couple of weeks so she can get a routine down and to help potty train her. After this process is over we will get her a proper dog bed and hopefully she will sleep in Monkey Boy’s room. From what I’ve heard, the crate training method, when done properly, is more of a “happy place” for the dog. If and when they need to be transported {to the vet or on a plane} they won’t freak out because the crate is a familiar place to them.
I’m curious if once she graduates to her big girl dog bed if she will still want to sleep or hang out in her crate {I hear that’s pretty common}. Plus, I think it will be fun to see where she hangs out during the day. One of our neighbors has a dog that rests on a couch that faces out to the street and we can see him pretty much anytime of the day in his “spot” when we drive by. It’s kind of funny actually and we look forward to seeing if the dog is in the window every time we drive by. I wonder where Lucy’s spot will be.
As for what we are feeding her?
We are feeding her Nutri Source dog food because it’s what the pet store suggested, but if you have a small dog, maybe you could chime in and tell me what you are feeding your dog. I want to make sure she is getting the right food to eat.
The pet store also sold us a bag of treats to reward good behavior {Zuke’s Mini Naturals} for $18.99. Clearly we were robbed because I just checked Amazon and they sell them for $8.99 a bag. Can you say Holy crap that’s quite the mark up?
We have an appointment with a veterinarian for a new puppy check up so I’ll ask them too, but it’s always nice to hear other people’s opinions when it comes to pets.
So what do you think? Is she a total cutie? Do you think she’ll make a great garden dog?
~Mavis
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Tara says
You should’ve adopted a dog from the shelter, not given in to a puppy mill bred money maker.
Kelly says
Mavis didn’t say where she got the puggle from. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions. There is something in between a rescue dog and a puppy mill dog.
Mel says
You can get a puggle as well as many other types of dogs (purebred, designer breed) from shelters. You don’t know where Mavis got this little bean.
Elizabeth says
I’m sorry, but that was just rude.
Regardless of where the puppy came from, and I hardly believe Mavis would purchase a dog from a puppy mill – although that is beside the point – you have no right to attack her. Wow. I’m just kinda shocked. Shocked by the assumption and shocked by the attack.
Mavis – enjoy your puppy. She is freaking adorable.
Mavis says
I think she is adorable too. 🙂 And no, of course I did not get her from a puppy mill.
Elizabeth says
She’s just an appetizer! 🙂 And welcome to being owned by a dog! They make life better.
I’ve got a newfoundland/golden retriever mix (80 pounds and thinks she’s a lap dog,) a goldie – 75 pounds, and a border/crazy/mix – 40 pounds. They protect my chickens from the hawks.
Lots of good foods out there… and lots of opinions about crate training and other doggie stuff. You’ll figure out what works best for you. Enjoy the journey.
Gwenn says
She is freakin adorable!
Susie says
That was very rude, Tara, and you owe Mavis an apology.
Edie says
The names chiweenie and goldendoodle make me want to hurl. Those poor dogs with their ridiculous breed names.
Erin Kerbs says
We feed our dogs and cats Blue Buffalo food from Pet Smart because it doesn’t have grain. We have had several dogs over the years who were allergic to wheat and would lose hair and have other issues if they ever ate any. You can find coupons online, too.
Lisa N says
Our Goldendoodle was eating that when we got him. Our vet includes it as one of the worst. He says pet stores are notorious for trying to get pet owners to buy needlessly expensive foods. Dogs don’t need food to be grain free.
Our dog has skin problems and I changed his food to Diamond Naturals because the woman working there told me it would help, and had no corn, wheat, or soy. It didn’t help, and my vet says that it isn’t a quality food at all. He wanted me to go back to IAMS.
Michelle says
We use Blue Buffalo (5 ingredient) for both of our dogs. We have a Miniature Schnauzer Mix with allergies (common to a lot of small breeds) and its the only all natural, grain free food that he doesn’t itch to the point he loses all his hair. Our other dog is an English Springer Spaniel that we adopted 2 years ago that has seen great results on this food too. Congrats on the new puppy – she is adorable!
Rachel says
Mavis – lucy is just a doll! I just bought a french bulldog puppy from a breeder, we pick him up in March. I believe everyone should make their own choice of what is right for their family.
Jen J says
I have absolutely no advice on crate training a puppy, or what’s the best food to feed her, I just wanted to chime in and say Yay! You got a dog!!
I got two dogs from a rescue group about a month ago (darn PetSmart and their adoption event sucked me in!) and my family absolutely adores them. And whether you got your new sweetie from a breeder, a rescue or the local animal shelter, I think it’s wonderful you are giving her a home. All animals, regardless of where they come from, deserve safe and happy homes.
I say it again – Yay!
des says
I would really recommend Orijen brand puppy and dog foods. Its a biologically appropriate food, containing extremely high quality ingredients and no grains or corn. A big no no for dogs. I’ve been using this for years and my dogs have not suffered from any problems or health conditions whatsoever. It is very reasonably priced and highly recommended by vets, and has won numerous awards. Its imperative to invest in a great dog food to increase the quality and length of life for your new addition!
Madam Chow says
Yes, if you don’t feed raw, my vet says that EVO and Orijen are good brands.
Shana says
We feed our boys Natures Dominion from Costco -it’s Taste Of The Wild rebranded for Costco, and it’s all life stages. Terrific food, no fillers or byproducts, and our boys have been thriving on it!
Jenn says
Both of my boys have been crate trained. My 7 year old, Bentley is a mix, but he looks like a Puggle. Bentley is now crate free and sleeps where ever he wants. Normally it is in the bed with us. My 2 year old Bo, is still in his crate. He loves it. He goes in when we leave home and then at night. We have tried leaving him out at night to choose where he wants to sleep, but he normally goes to his crate. It is his house. Good luck on the potty training!
Amanda M. says
We have a pug and she LOVES to hang out in the garden with me. Also, she is very kind to our chickens. I worried about her with them but one quick peck to the nose from a hen and she has respected their boundaries! We have a purebred pug and she sheds like a crazy thing….. I hope the beagle in a puggle will stop that little issue for you! Talk to your vet but I buy all our animals Taste of the Wild pet food from the feed store. Your vet is going to recommend what ever type of food they sell (duh!) but I have read nothing but good things about the Taste of the Wild food. Plus its convenient to get when I am getting my chicken food. I can’t wait to read more about Lucy!
chefbna says
we’ve always fed our pups Iams, but I am sure your vet will have suggestions for you. You are right about the crate- She will want a place that is just for her. congratulations on your new puppy! And for those who have commented on where you got your pup- I think it’s a personal decision whether or not to adopt from a shelter. AND Not all puppies come from puppy mills. My family raised a litter of labs several years ago. It was an amazing learning experience for me (never again) hub (also never again) and the kids (who didn’t do much of the work to begin with). We were very careful to properly socialize them, and we were very careful about who we sold them/gave them to.
Carol says
Adorable!! We crate trained our dog when she was a pup, and she still uses the crate to sleep in at night. In fact she loves it so much, she won’t sleep anywhere else in the nighttime. We tried to get rid of the crate (which is in our bedroom) and she would have nothing doing.
During the day, she naps on ‘her’ chair!
Mel says
What an adorable pup!! Crate training is great. Our guys love their crates and will choose to go in them and sleep or chew on a toy whenever the mood strikes. Since they are house broken, they do get full rein and both of them have their fav spots. It’s cute!
We feed The Honest Kitchen http://www.thehonestkitchen.com – it’s a bit more expensive then some other food, but it’s so healthy and good for them. You can get it right from amazon (PRIME available!). Since they have been on it for a bit, they look and feel great. What I do notice is that when we take in a foster dog, and start them on it, their coats become shiny and soft, they smell better and they love the food.
Erin says
We feed our Boston Terrier the Kirkland brand dog food from Costco, it was recommended by our breeder and it’s sooooo much cheaper than the fancy pants food at a pet store. Plus, our dog loves the Costco food, she hardly ate for the 2 years that we bought the spendy food.
Jen J says
We tried the Kirkland brand (Costco) with our two new dogs and they love it too. Shiny coats, good breath and most importantly, they are in great health!
Sherri says
I agree! We buy the small breed version Kirkland brand and my dog does great. I think it is fabulous that people opt to get their dogs the organic stuff but frankly, I don’t even feed my kids all organic! (we do a lot but not all). Plus we live on a farm and he is just going to go out and eat cow poop or a dead rock chuck and ruin his diet anyway. 🙂
Lynne says
Congratulations on the new addition – she is absolutely adorable!
Dogs can be great companions as you work in the garden, but watch Lucy until you are comfortable how she behaves. I had a Cocker Spaniel who, as a puppy, liked to dig up transplants as I planted them. He got a stomach ache necessitating a trip to the vet, who told me the dog didn’t need a stool test on the sample I’d brought as much as a soil test. I hadn’t realized he’d also been eating the dirt. No lasting harm done – that dog passed away recently at age 16.
Enjoy your little girl!
crlzmmr says
To this day I still remember (and smile at the memory of)
a dog I had (4 dogs ago)
who watched while I carefully planted several outside plants.
What an angel! What an excellant garden companion!
Next morning I woke up, and went outside
to find the dog had dug up everything I had planted the day before.
Dogs…got to love them.
Ashley says
We feed our shih tzu mix blue buffalo. We tried to crate train him after we adopted him as an adult dog. He would sleep in the cage at night in our bedroom without issues but he would freak out if we left him in the cage and left house. Eventually we gave up on that and he found his own “safe place” in a corner behind the recliner. He keeps his cache of squeeky toys back there…
I crate trained my parent’s dog when she was a puppy with no issues though and it IS a big help for traveling. Good luck with the house training!
Jen says
A. Dor. A. Ble!!! Seriously. What a wonderful addition to your family!
As for food, I highly suggest Orijen. They are a Canadian company and all the ingredients are from Canada – nothing is imported. I had to switch my 11 yr old lab mix to a new food a year and a half ago and she started prancing around like a puppy after a couple of weeks. And she LOVES it. It’s not cheap, but it’s very high quality. Here’s the site. http://www.orijen.ca/
Jennifer Jo says
She’s precious!
AndreaW says
She is adorable! Love the name and she is almost as cute as my daughter who is also named Lucy! Lol 🙂
You Can Call Me Jane says
I’m not really a dog person, but I must say she is one of the cutest puppies I’ve seen. I’m deliberately hiding the screen from the kids. They would SO love a dog.
Lisa says
Lucy is super cute and I love her little face and her coloring!
Lori B says
Lucy is adorable! I have a Yorkie that is crate trained and her crate is her safe place. If she is feeling stressed or scared and I’m not immediately available to run to, she goes to her crate. She gives herself little time outs sometimes in her crate. The key is to never make the crate a bad place. It is always a sanctuary. I have a Shih Tzu and she is not allowed to go into the Yorkie’s crate. It is HER place and only hers. I’ve never done crate training before this dog and I have to say it is very nice. When I have to crate her for whatever reason it isn’t a bad thing for her. She is comfortable and feels safe in her crate. For about the first six months that I had her she chose to sleep in her crate. She slowly weaned herself out of that, but still likes to hang out in it from time to time. When I pick it up to clean or move it for some reason I have to watch because she kind of launches herself at the door! LOL
Gitte Kaan says
When ever we can we feed ouer dog raw meet. We are dumpster diveing to times a week, and often we find meet for her. She had puppies last fall, and they grew up om raw meet and fish.
Its in the dogs nature to eat meat, and it is the healtiest for them.
Good luck with your lovely Luci.
<3 Gitte from Denmark.
Michelle Wright says
She is adorable, congrats! I am responding to your what to feed her request. NO KIBBLE. The dry food is not good, none of it. I have researched extensively. Wet food or raw food is the way to go. Dogs need at least 50% protein for one thing. There is a lot of filler in dry foods and things they don’t need. Plus, you only have the one and she’s a small breed so it wouldn’t be too expensive to feed her the good stuff. You will have a healthier dog, less vet visits and health issues. WAY worth it. Just like we are what we eat. Again, lots of studies to back this, feel free to email me if you want to get into it further. I switched my cats and dogs over to all wet awhile back and the couple that needed to lose wieght did and they all have shinier coats. Also, the dry stays in their teeth and over time they have more plaque and dental issues from it. Wet or raw is the way to go.
I should also say, I am a HUGE animal lover and have cats and dogs and only feed them all wet food.
Laurel says
Amen! Listen to this lady!
Lisa N says
I just read an article that says “…wet dog food becomes trapped in their teeth, it starts to decay and cause plaque build up.” That dry food cleans the teeth and makes the breath better. I guess we can find any viewpoint out there, even vet to vet.
If you trust your vet, then I say do what he or she advises. And ignore any other advice! Same thing about child rearing, and baby care. Trust your doctor, and your instincts.
Rachel says
Just to add my 2c worth, our dog Cooper (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) was never interested in dry food. As a puppy we had to coat it in canned food for him to eat it. When he swapped off of the puppy kibble I tried a few varieties over a couple of months but he got a terrible upset tummy from one so I did more research and came to the conclusion dry foods are not at all natural – no matter the claims. I swapped to one raw chicken wing for breakfast and 1/2 BARF patty (not sure if it’s an Aussie thing, but it is a dog mix of raw mince, minced bones, offal, grated raw vegetables and oils all in a frozen package with no preservatives). Cooper had his one year check a few months ago and the vet was impressed that he was a good weight, in good condition (Cav’s tend to be gutses and end up overweight). He also LOVES his raw food and there is no way I will go back to buying mass produced rubbish. Also, the chicken wings are great for cleaning their teeth – natures’ toothbrush. Worth thinking about.
Michelle Wright says
One other thing for your new baby: Check those chicken treats and make sure they aren’t made in China. There are different brands of chicken jerkey made in China that is killing dogs and others are getting kidney failure and all kinds of bad illnesses. Not to scare you but people are trying to get the word out. Bad brands for treats are Waggin Trail or Train, Milo’s and some others.
Madam Chow says
Agreed. Nothing made in China after the melamine scare of a few years ago.
Mavis says
Thanks Michelle. I’ll be sure to check.
Cindi Myers says
Lucy is adorable. It sounds like you are doing a great job with her. My dogs love those Zuke’s treats!
Heidi says
I would like to recomend making one corner of the yard her “potty spot” and training her to go only in that spot. It makes the yard so much cleaner and you won’t have those brown grass spots all over. A surface like wood chips works great as you can just pick up a few chips with the mess and get all of it. Enjoy your new sweet puppy.
Mavis says
Done! 🙂
Madam Chow says
Mavis, I recommend going with a high quality, grain-free dog food. Yes, they are more expensive, but your Lucy will be healthier in the long run. EVO is a very good brand. I feed my dogs mostly raw, but supplement with EVO from time to time. I keep it in the freezer so that it does not go rancid. A good book to read that is coming out soon is Pukka’s Promise, by Ted Kerasote. He is a nature writer who took an in-depth look at vaccinations, the pet food industry, etc. Good luck with Lucy! What a sweetie!
Lacy says
Evo is actually probably not the greatest thing anymore because Natura (who makes Evo, California Natural, and Innova) was bought out by Proctor & Gamble and they have changed their formula to mostly just filler with the minimum amount of protein as possible. I work at a dog store and we were told this by several unhappy customers.
SC says
Maybe once create training is over, she will find her preferred spot, or move her bed like this dog does https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=479507788778259
Susan Burgess says
Lucy is beautiful! My cutie-pie neighbor, Keith has a boy version of Lucy and his name is Jake. Let me tell you, Jakie is one funny little dog! I love him! When he gets all excited while playing his tail straightens out and he’s alway ready to play! Me – I always have cats and when I’m around little dogs like Lucy, I always expect them to purr! Hell, I think every animal should purr…. I was fixing a piano at a customer’s house today, and his big Huskie was very affectionate and playful and let me give him a big hug! Then I asked him why he wasn’t purring. He just looked deep into my eyes with his beautiful blue eyes and smiled. Well, needless to say, the only thing I left with was lots of dog fur on my tool bag and my pants! My boys (the cats) will be all over me when I get home tonight, wondering WHO I’ve been hanging with. Have fun and keep the photos of Lucy coming!!!!!!!!
Mavis says
Cute! Everyone needs a little sun. Thanks for sharing.
Huey says
I did some research when we adopted our rescue pup a few years ago. Orijens is one of the top rated (available at Sophie’s Touch on Harborview). Also Blue Buffalo is good. We give our dog a mix of the two. The vet may recommend a puppy formula food til she’s a bit older. She is a cutie!
Tori says
She is soooo cute! We have an almost 7 y/o poodle mix. We had him tested over a year ago for allergies (cost about $500) but it was worthwhile because he had all sorts of reactions to food (vomiting, skin & nail issues), and most of them have been mitigated/eliminated by changing his food. The only commercial food he can have is California Natural Lamb & Rice (he is allergic to chicken, corn, and HOST of other typical ingredients). Hopefully your little cutie will be healthy and eat a variety of foods. Enjoy her!
Carol says
Lucy is a doll! She is a lucky girl to be a part of your family. The Vet appointment is a good first start. They will have lots of information for you to help keep her healthy. Hopefully your vet has a “puppy class.” In the weekly class your pup learns to socialize with other puppies and people. It helps them to learn that the vet’s office is a fun place, too.
Enjoy motherhood in a way you never knew it before, Mavis!
Sarah says
Mavis, that puppy is ADORABLE! I had a Pug (that has since passed) and they are great companions.
He was crate trained as well and loved his crate.
Keep us updated, but I know that little dog will love hanging out and gardening with you. My Pug was very gentle with all animals & children.
Lauren says
Cute pooch!
This is actually a pretty useful site: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/
I generally feed my dogs Iams from Costco, Canidae (which is spendy, but good), or there’s another brand I get from Costco that is really good. Of course I can’t remember the name of it! It comes in either a red bag (turkey, I think?) or a blue bag (salmon), and has a picture of a husky-looking dog face on the front. I’ll have to look next time I pick some up for you, but it’s really affordable, corn-free, and as good or better than Iams.
Also, check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Raising-Puppy-Monks-Skete/dp/B000NI56XK/ref=zg_bs_886526_2 I have used their methods with 4 rescue dogs now, and they are FABULOUS!
Lana says
What a beautiful puppy, she is adorable. We have a 6 year old beagle, who is allergic to lots of things and our vet recommended Wellness Core Grain Free! We have had amazing results!
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=dog&pid=68&dm=grainfree#product
susan says
Thank you for posting the picture. I didn’t want to ask, but I will be looking every morning for updates, along with other fabulous posts!
Wish I would have known our dogs were prone to allergies, we ended up switching to a grain/corn/soy free food. We found out they were allergic to beef (totally wrong!!), wheat and corn. Lot’s of choices for you and Lucy out there!
Lacy says
Lucy is adorable, Mavis! I just bought a puppy as well and he was on Nutri Source (which is an okay food while they are puppies). I’ve switched mine to Puppy Taste of the Wild because it is just as good as Orijen (a top 5 on dogfoodadvisor.com). It’s high in protein which is great for their coat and overall health! Good luck with the new puppy! 🙂
Lisa N says
The “best” food would be what your vet recommends! NOT what the store recommends, they just want to make money. They even sell the ridiculous breed specific foods that are total nonsense!
I have had dogs for years and years, and decades and decades! They all lived to be 14 or 15. They ate corn based foods. Wheat based foods. I feed IAMS now at the advice of our vet, as one of our dogs needs “better” food and IAMS is one of the cheaper “good” ones he recommends (the vet, not the dog!).
She should be eating what they fed her before you got her, then changed gradually.
Please, ask your vet. Then when you get advice, you can just answer, “My vet recommended….” and the subjects closed!
Susie says
When we adopted our Siberian Husky, my BF wanted to crate train her, as he had his German Shepherd & Doberman before. I thought it was mean to keep them in a “cage”. OH, how I have changed my tune! She LOVES her “space” and now uses it as her refuge when she doesn’t want to be bothered.
My one piece of advice (since someone already suggested a “potty spot” in the yard – brilliant!) is to start very young with brushing Lucy’s teeth & getting her used to it. Teeth cleaning by the vet is very expensive and traumatic. The dog needs to be anesthetized and then take antibiotics for a week after. Doing it yourself is MUCH gentler.
Lissa says
I work as a veterinary technician and while brushing your dog’s teeth is great when you can do it, it is NOT an adequate (total) replacement for a professional cleaning under anesthesia. Just like for people, daily brushing/flossing doesn’t prevent our needing cleanings at the dentist. Think about it, you can’t floss dog’s teeth. You can’t brush the inside of the teeeth.
Yes, animals do need to be anesthetized to have REAL cleanings done. Don’t get fooled by the wackos at pet stores that say they can do anesthesia-free cleanings. They are not licensed, not trained, not regulated people holding down the dog or chasing their head around, scraping at the outside of their teeth with sharp, potentially dangerous instruments – making the outside look shiny while actually doing nothing substantial to improve the health of the teeth.
A quality veterinarian will do a full exam prior to anesthesia, testing if needed to make sure anesthesia is safe, run fluids during the procedure and have plenty of monitoring to make sure the pet does well. They will have a trained an licensed technician performing the cleaning with the same tools used in human dentistry. They can take dental xrays and do other tests to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy. If not, the veterinarian can extract teeth (or even do root canals and other crazy stuff!). Only when there is disease in the mouth or a tooth is pulled should a pet be put on pain medication or antibiotics afterwards. A healthy mouth with a routine cleaning does not need medications afterwards — just like for people.
Athena says
I have found this site pretty useful as far as comparing dog food brands: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/
I like that they break all the foods down by ingredient and tell you why they are good/not so good. I was VERY surprised to see that Kirkland dog food from Costco is rated 4 out of 5 stars. This is better than the much more expensive food my parents feed their dogs. My dog also seems to really like it. I say try to choose the best food you can based on your dog’s needs and your budget.
Jules says
Mavis – such a cute little pup! When we got our pup, all the kids and husband said, yes of course we will help train her and take care of her! But guess who ends up doing it all now? Yep,… me. Except for the poop clean-up. That is definitely the kids’ chore. I’ve cleaned enough diapers, I’m not cleaning up after the dog!
Jenni says
Check out dogfoodadvisor.com. It will answer all your questions about what to feed little Lucy. She is so cute by the way!!
Lisa N says
A lot of the highly rated foods shown there are ones are ones my vet told me not to use. I trust my vet’s advice, he knows my dogs.
Deana says
I have always crate trained all my dogs even the rescues we get now and then. Even once they get used to being in the crate I still put them in it at night. I do this for my own sanity and for their protection. Just in case we have to get out of the house quick in the middle of the night I know where everyone is and not running around the house looking for them. Specially the rescues. They are all in one room unless I bring them in our room for the night for some reason. I also taped a peice of paper to my window Next to the front door Telling any Emergency Worker that I have dogs in the house and where they are located so they can get to them fast enough to get them out of the house in case of a flood, fire, ect. I have a Neighbor that has a key to my house and knows where all the dogs are as well in case something happens and they need to get them out before I get home.
I like knowing they are safe.
During the day the cages stay open so they can come and go as they please to either nap or play and its not a threat to them. All I have to say is get in your beds and off they go. Sure makes it nice when they have their DR. Visits and car Trips.
Ariel says
Lucy is so precious!! My pug puppy, Daisy, would LOVE her. She looks like she’s got a lot of pug qualities and, call me biased, I think that’s amazing!! We use Holistic Health Extension for small breeds. Daisy LOVES her chicken pebbles. If Lucy is like a pug with her food preferences prepare for a LOT of begging. Daisy will eat anything and everything, which is a blessing and a curse. She loves produce and we use it as “treats” for training (another use for your reclaimed produce!). She also has a liking for gum, tampons, and safety pins…so be careful 🙂 Enjoy her–I look forward to more pictures 😀
Joy says
Too cute! I have a pug and I had another one who just passed away in August after 13 years. (I also have two large dogs). I have feed them many things over the years but I cannot say enough wonderful things about the food I have been using for the last three years or so. I get it from Dr.’s Foster and Smith online. They are a couple of vets who developed it themselves. I have noticed a huge difference in all of my pets since they have been on it. The really cool thing is that you can get on an auto delivery program (I know you love to have stuff shipped right to your door) and every 10th order is free! It totally rocks. My dogs eat the adult chicken formula, but they also offer puppy food which I am sure your vet will reccommend that Lucy be on for at least the first year. Good luck with the crate! You are about to have so much fun!
Terrilyn says
Mavis, you are so into saving money that you should give it a thought to making your own healthy dog treats. My dogs love, love, love the treats I make them at home. And they are healthy for them! Hugs to Lucy from Delia, Cruiser, Beamer & Olive
Terrilyn says
P.s ~ If you do not have the time to make your own dog treats, I sell them! Trust me your dog will do back flips over them!
C. West says
What a cutie pie! Crate training is the way to go. It will become her safe place. I truly believe any grain-free dog food will be best for her. The Internet has lots of good training tips, nutrition info (dogadvisor.com and/or doganalysis.com), etc. Have fun and enjoy the journey (and the cuddles)!
Liz says
Your puppy is adorable-how fun! We currently feed our dog a food manufactured by Diamond but sold as a Costco brand. I have done a lot of research on this subject as of late, as our poor guy has ulcers and seasonal allergies so I wanted to really maximize the nutritional benefits of his food and avoid grain. We are in the process of transitioning him over to Blue Buffalo though as the diamond brands have had many recalls and they do source some of their ingredients from China, and I am uncomfortable with that. I found the website DogFoodAdvisor.com to be very helpful as they list all of the ingredients of many dog foods and give them a rating, as well as explaining any “questionable” ingredients. I found that we were feeding him a 3 star food and paying near the price of a 4 star food. I’m sure you will find something great-Enjoy your puppy! (PS-we trained our dog with a book called Dog Talk by John Ross (in addition to an obedience class at our pet store to socialize him). It is amazing! He likens someone that “swatts” their dog with the perverbial rolled up newspaper to hitting a foreigner everytime they do something you tell them not to despite the fact that you don’t speak the same language and they don’t understand a word you are saying. His approach is along the lines of how a mommy dog would correct her puppy. I have to say that it worked very well for us, and we get many compliments on the manners of our yellow lab.)
Veronica H. says
Mavis I’ve never commented–I’m more of a lurker, but this little puppy is so stinking cute! I don’t have food advice as I haven’t had a dog since the 70’s, but many of the commenters above seem to have that covered. Hope you and your family enjoy this little darling.
Dottie says
We recently switched from Krkland to the Nature’s Domain grain free brand also from Costco once we figured out our big dogs gas was from grains and its easier to feed both dogs the same. Everyone is going to have an opinion, I personally wouldn’t spend mega bucks on fancy food if my dogs did fine on normal food. That’s just me. If she develops an allergy or special need then I would slowly go up the price ladder. I love my dogs but I can’t personally justify spending more per month on their food than mine. Also crates are awesome, wish we started on those long before we actually did!
Heather says
We have a very large dog (90 pounds) that we adopted from a shelter when he was about one. We crate trained him after he ate a couch and chair his first night home. It took a few days and lots of love. Now, 9 years later his crate is “his place.” When ever he wants to be left alone he goes to his crate and climbs in. If he is getting scolded for bad behavior, he slinks off to his crate. When the kids were little and bugging him to much, he would go to his crate (we tought the kids the had to leave him alone when he was in his create). After about 2 or 3 months, his crate has always been left open and he can come and go as he wants. He usually sleeps in his crate at night. It is his decision and his safe spot. It is really kind of nice.
As a side note, if Lucy gets in the habit of sleeping with your son and he goes away at some point (college?). That is going to be a very hard transition for her.
Jane says
We have a 6 month old Goldendoodle and we have fed him Blue Buffalo from the start. I also use the same treats you got but I bought them at petsmart with a coupon:-) We crate trained too and Cooper (our goldendoodle) does go into his crate occaisonally on his own. Hope you don’t hurl too much Edie
stacy says
Your puppy is adorable!
Sarah says
Most pet foods out there are pretty good choices. They are required to provide all the adequate nutrients and minerals necessary for all life stages. However, I am partial to Iams and Eukanuba. After working in the veterinary industry for over 11 years (technician, humane society director, veterinary school student) I’ve tried so many pet foods…and at the end of the day…I love the outcome of regular Iams puppy and Mini chunks for adult dogs. In my opinion, it is the most economical and healthy pet food on the market.
I commend you for crate training your pet! It is the best tool you can use to keep your dog safe, healthy, and happy. You are absolutely right about using a crate to transport your pet. So many people allow their dogs to run around their car wile driving! This is insanely dangerous for you and your dog. My only suggestion would be NOT to feed or water your pet in the crate….especially if you are going to be gone for more than an hour or two. Eating and drinking fills the bowls and bladder and forces the pet to eliminate in the kennel. This only disrupts your crate training.
I think you are doing awesome! Beautiful dog! Congrats!