# 10 days until Birdie comes home!



## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Congratulations! Are you ready for her?


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Liz said:


> Congratulations! Are you ready for her?


I've had all the supplies for MONTHS now and I've definitely been watching youtube training videos nonstop since I decided to get her! I have spent the past few weekends puppy-proofing my apartment in anticipation, as well. Do you have any helpful tips?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Double down hard on the impulse control games right from the start: LAT, the relaxation protocol, Leave It, etc.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Yes! I've been watching Zak George religiously and feel pretty prepared for all those training activities. I've already taken a few days off from work so I can really devote time with Birdie while she's immediately adjusting. I work from home always (like, even pre-COVID) so I also know that I'm going to need to focus a lot on separation anxiety training.

The thing I'm most concerned about and am researching today is puppy socialization vs. parvo and the timing of it all. Everything I'm seeing says that the most crucial time to socialize your puppy is at the 12-14 week mark. At that point, she'll only have her second round of vaccines so I'm trying to make sense of the best and safest way to socialize her. Not many of my friends who live closeby have dogs, so access to vaccinated adult dogs isn't super super easy haha. I also live in an apartment complex, so I'm trying to figure out my potty training plan since I'm not sure if it'll be safe to take her to the grassy areas around the complex that other dogs use.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

So exciting! And the perfect amount of time to read and digest this:



https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf





https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf



I actually prefer the hard copy and refer back to it frequently with each puppy:









Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog: Dunbar, Dr. Ian: 8601200633603: Amazon.com: Books


Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog [Dunbar, Dr. Ian] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog



www.amazon.com





Have you signed up for a puppy class? If not, this will be doubly helpful:









100 Ideas For Socializing Your Quarantine Puppy


It is not an easy time for any dog owner (well, anyone at all); but the ones who are facing the most challenges definitely are new puppy owners. It’s already quite the task to socialize a puppy in a regular world. You need to make sure that he gets to know and learns to be comfortable with so...




spiritdogtraining.com





Birdie looks absolutely adorable.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> So exciting! And the perfect amount of time to read and digest this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh thank you! This is all so helpful!


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

You'll do fine. We live in an apt complex too and tried to find the cleanest patch within a reasonable walking distance. The patch that looks like it has a ton of pee stains and poop... Probably not the patch for you.

I hand carried Basil like a football around to do errands as a small pup to let her see the world. "Socializing" is a broad term. You just try your best. We did many small trips to qfc for 1-2 items. Dog in 1 arm, groceries in the other. Let birdie see and smell the world around her, you'll do great. You'll meet a lot of new pet parents too.

Since you have the time, look at local pet grooming/boarding/training facilities to see if they offer "puppy play". It's basically an hour on the weekend for your pup to play with another. The more experienced pet parents who we had playdates with did this... I.e. not me lol. It might be worth looking into.

Basil was born April 25th. So around the same time but older. We all collectively need to be aware of heat and temperature of the cement from spring to summer. You'll get a feel for this too. If it's too hot for your bare feet, it's too hot for birdie.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Congratulations, she has such a sweet expression.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Skylar said:


> Congratulations, she has such a sweet expression.


Thank you 😊😊 I think so, too!!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Congrats. I love that her breeder has already started exposing her to things like cars and has started shaving her face.


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## jessiemarielo (Jan 10, 2021)

birdiepoodle said:


> Birdie will be 8 weeks old on Friday, April 9 and I'm so so ready to go get her! Here are some recent updates from the breeder. She's in the middle in the car picture. 💛💛💛💛💛💛
> 
> View attachment 475157
> View attachment 475158
> View attachment 475159


Absolutely adorable! What is the color considered?


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## eeeeeek (Dec 13, 2020)

Congrats! She's a cutie. What size poodle is she?


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

She's such a sweetheart! The clock is ticking! Hope to see you around here!


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

eeeeeek said:


> Congrats! She's a cutie. What size poodle is she?


Thank you! She's a standard!


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

jessiemarielo said:


> Absolutely adorable! What is the color considered?


I think she's either a cream or a light apricot? Her dad was white and her mom was red. She's one of the darker of the litter, but still not a true red.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Congratulations!

There's a lot of good info and suggestions in this thread:









How did you socialize your puppy? 100 people by 12 weeks?


In reading "Before and After Getting Your PUPPY" (I'm 1/2 way+ thru) by Ian Dunbar, he says its critical to socialize with 100 people by the time he is 3 months of age. Especially men and children. This means it should be completed during the 1st 4 weeks I have him (2 months old when I get...




www.poodleforum.com





Potty places will be a challenge especially if dogs from outside the complex could have access.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Rose n Poos said:


> Congratulations!
> 
> There's a lot of good info and suggestions in this thread:
> 
> ...


Ah yes this is major, especially that socialization checklist. Thank you!

Potty training outside here will be a big issue for sure. I know there are 6 dogs in my building alone, and occasionally other residents don't pick up their poop 🙄 (management recently sent out an email about this, thank goodness. I'm hoping that helps) so I guess I'll have to train her on potty pads until she's fully immunized? I'm hoping the indoor pottying habit won't be terribly difficult to break.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

If access is only for dogs in the complex and you can confirm that those dogs are all UTD in vaccinations and could limit potty to a specific less used area, outside is a possibility, but probably not one you'd be comfortable with. You could carry Pup outside, even bring a potty pad with you as many do when traveling on Gotcha Day. 

If you'd just feel better keeping things inside, look for the Potty Patch/Tinkle Turf/WeeWee Patch option. You can DIY this too. Some sod or artificial grass over a tray gives an outdoor feel without being outdoors. 

Transitioning to outside might be a bit easier if the underfoot area is similar. Some members have done the transition, keeping the pad/patch option for times when outdoors just won't work.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Rose n Poos said:


> If access is only for dogs in the complex and you can confirm that those dogs are all UTD in vaccinations and could limit potty to a specific less used area, outside is a possibility, but probably not one you'd be comfortable with. You could carry Pup outside, even bring a potty pad with you as many do when traveling on Gotcha Day.
> 
> If you'd just feel better keeping things inside, look for the Potty Patch/Tinkle Turf/WeeWee Patch option. You can DIY this too. Some sod or artificial grass over a tray gives an outdoor feel without being outdoors.
> 
> Transitioning to outside might be a bit easier if the underfoot area is similar. Some members have done the transition, keeping the pad/patch option for times when outdoors just won't work.


Unfortunately it's just kind of an open grass area, not a specified dog park or anything like that. So I feel pretty fearful about exposing her to anything out there :\


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Congrats - lovely puppy. My advice is to pay much attention to grooming and getting puppy used to it. Good on your breeder for shaving face and starting her in grooming. I did NOT pay attention to Asta in this matter and now he thinks grooming is evil. Trust me you don't want that to happen.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

birdiepoodle said:


> Unfortunately it's just kind of an open grass area, not a specified dog park or anything like that. So I feel pretty fearful about exposing her to anything out there :\


Understandable. This is a real issue for those without access to private greenspace. Creative socialization is doable but pottying has limited options.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Some more photo updates of Birdie the breeder sent yesterday!


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

birdiepoodle said:


> View attachment 475207
> View attachment 475208
> View attachment 475209
> 
> ...


So darling—soon the fun begins!


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Congratulations on your beautiful Birdie! You must be so excited.

I'm assuming you do not have a private patio/balcony with your apartment? It's hard, because your puppy will need to go urgently, but the safest potty areas outside will be the most inconvenient- the further away from the apartment building where no one wants to take the time to walk to.

You've been given lots of good suggestions. Here are just a few more to think about: a whelping pad you can throw down on the grass and fold up afterwards (slight advantage of holding on to a bit of smell that may be encouraging to a puppy). On newspaper right outside your front door (clean up right away of course). In your bathtub on newspaper/pad/fake grass. Is there a way to setup a small x pen near your front door?

Good luck, and keep us posted. We love to hear puppy stories.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Newport said:


> Congratulations on your beautiful Birdie! You must be so excited.
> 
> I'm assuming you do not have a private patio/balcony with your apartment? It's hard, because your puppy will need to go urgently, but the safest potty areas outside will be the most inconvenient- the further away from the apartment building where no one wants to take the time to walk to.
> 
> ...


I _do_ have a private balcony, but it's in the opposite direction of the door outside to where I'll take her to potty. The newspaper outside the front door is a good idea! There aren't any puppies in the 3 apartments that share my landing, so that is definitely do-able.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Do you know if the breeder is she coming home with a shaved face or long as is?

I ask because the hair on the inside by their eyes grows kinda fast, and puppy needs to see (duh). So, you'll have to confront the situation sooner rather then later. If you take birdie to the groomer for a puppy trim, they typically just give them a bath and trim out that eye area.. or you could go the diy route too.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

She is the cutest little thing!! Ahhhhh!! Puppy fever. 😭

I agree that her eyes are gonna need a scoop ASAP. Potentially her paw pads, too, for traction. Can her breeder do this?

Peggy had one groom before coming home and our groomer said this was the bare minimum. She should have been done at least twice by that point. It really makes a world of difference for future tolerance and also just for day-to-day comfort. Puppy eyes can get pretty goopy, and clumsy growing bodies need all the traction they can get.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Do you know if the breeder is she coming home with a shaved face or long as is?
> 
> I ask because the hair on the inside by their eyes grows kinda fast, and puppy needs to see (duh). So, you'll have to confront the situation sooner rather then later. If you take birdie to the groomer for a puppy trim, they typically just give them a bath and trim out that eye area.. or you could go the diy route too.


I'm not sure! My breeder isn't a professional breeder, she's just a family friend who wanted her girl poodle to have a litter before they get her fixed. She's working with a friend of hers who IS a breeder, though, so she's doing everything properly and all that. But I will ask her today about grooming! I've read online that groomers don't typically let puppies come to get groomed until they get their 12 week vaccines, is that correct? As far as clipping the face hair myself, I could probably do that! Do you have any tips for trimming puppy face hair? haha. The thought makes me nervous, but I could definitely get in there and do it if I needed to for her to feel better/see better!


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

birdiepoodle said:


> I'm not sure! My breeder isn't a professional breeder, she's just a family friend who wanted her girl poodle to have a litter before they get her fixed. She's working with a friend of hers who IS a breeder, though, so she's doing everything properly and all that. But I will ask her today about grooming! I've read online that groomers don't typically let puppies come to get groomed until they get their 12 week vaccines, is that correct? As far as clipping the face hair myself, I could probably do that! Do you have any tips for trimming puppy face hair? haha. The thought makes me nervous, but I could definitely get in there and do it if I needed to for her to feel better/see better!


Im not 100% sure on the timeline to get them in. I've groomed Basil at home since I got her, however, I've watched hours and hours of grooming videos on youtube, and seen many of the poodle puppy before & afters for their first visit on this forum. The first visit is typically a short introductory type of visit getting the pup use to the new vibrating feel and sound of the trimmer. It's like the scaffolding analogy used in childhood learning.. you start with 1+1 before moving onto simple multiplication, then fractions, then algebra... You start with a quick initial session to the desensitizing process with treats so puppy learns that grooming = treats = good. Then, eventually you can push the time and expectations.

If you choose the DIY route, like many of us here (don't be nervous, you're not alone... Ever. you have a super supportively community of poodle parents at your finger tips. But, we can't take the leaps for you.) Start by searching "poodle puppy trim" or "puppy face trim". Take baby steps. It's a dance your taking together birdie. It certainly pays for itself if that's an incentive to do it yourself. It gets easier and better over time.

In an ideal situation she's had her face shaved by the breeder 1-2 times to start the desensitize process early, but sometimes life happens and we don't always get the ideal situation . I wouldn't worry about it then until you get birdie. It sounds like everyone's trying their best.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Im not 100% sure on the timeline to get them in. I've groomed Basil at home since I got her, however, I've watched hours and hours of grooming videos on youtube, and seen many of the poodle puppy before & afters for their first visit on this forum. The first visit is typically a short introductory type of visit getting the pup use to the new vibrating feel and sound of the trimmer. It's like the scaffolding analogy used in childhood learning.. you start with 1+1 before moving onto simple multiplication, then fractions, then algebra... You start with a quick initial session to the desensitizing process with treats so puppy learns that grooming = treats = good. Then, eventually you can push the time and expectations.
> 
> If you choose the DIY route, like many of us here (don't be nervous, you're not alone... Ever. you have a super supportively community of poodle parents at your finger tips. But, we can't take the leaps for you.) Start by searching "poodle puppy trim" or "puppy face trim". Take baby steps. It's a dance your taking together birdie. It certainly pays for itself if that's an incentive to do it yourself. It gets easier and better over time.
> 
> In an ideal situation she's had her face shaved by the breeder 1-2 times to start the desensitize process early, but sometimes life happens and we don't always get the ideal situation . I wouldn't worry about it then until you get birdie. It sounds like everyone's trying their best.


Thank you so much! Yes, this is all so helpful. I can't believe I get to pick her up in almost exactly one week from right now!! 😱Hurry up, time!!


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## lialili338 (Mar 13, 2021)

She is so pretty! Birdie is such a cute name : D


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

lialili338 said:


> She is so pretty! Birdie is such a cute name : D


Thank you so much!! 😊


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Will there be someone else in the car when you pick birdie up on day 1? How long of a drive is it?

Picking up your puppy is an event that requires some for thought. Not sure if you've got that far yet. If you search the forums for "picking puppy up soon" or "puppy first car ride" you can get an idea of best practices, and past experiences from other poodle parents.


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## birdiepoodle (Feb 19, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Will there be someone else in the car when you pick birdie up on day 1? How long of a drive is it?
> 
> Picking up your puppy is an event that requires some for thought. Not sure if you've got that far yet. If you search the forums for "picking puppy up soon" or "puppy first car ride" you can get an idea of best practices, and past experiences from other poodle parents.


Yes! My mom drove and I held Birdie the whole ride home. She did great, didn't get carsick or anything! We will be staying at my mom's house until Sunday, which is when Birdie and I will make the drive back to my apartment. Just the two of us. It's an hour and a half drive.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

birdiepoodle said:


> Yes! My mom drove and I held Birdie the whole ride home. She did great, didn't get carsick or anything! We will be staying at my mom's house until Sunday, which is when Birdie and I will make the drive back to my apartment. Just the two of us. It's an hour and a half drive.


Yeahhhh!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

birdiepoodle said:


> Yes! My mom drove and I held Birdie the whole ride home. She did great, didn't get carsick or anything! We will be staying at my mom's house until Sunday, which is when Birdie and I will make the drive back to my apartment. Just the two of us. It's an hour and a half drive.


Congratulations! Birdie is yours!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

congratulations on picking up your puppy.


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

Congrats! Now the fun begins! I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences with Birdie and seeing lots of photos!


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