Welcome to Our Puppy Blog!

Welcome to our blog! I am a small hobby breeder of Schnoodle puppies. My Schnoodles are a cross of the White Schnauzer with a Red Poodle. These dogs do not shed, are great for allergy sufferers, are friendly and easily trained.

We have 4 breeding females and sell our puppies face to face as required by APHIS rules for hobby breeders.


Our breeding dogs are from purebred Akc lines and the Schnoodle puppies are registered with ICA (the registry for Designer breed dogs.)

They will be vet checked, have their first set of shots, and they have been using a Ugodog Potty tray from 4 to 8 weeks. But this is just the beginning! Read through our posts to see the special care and attention we give our litter. You will enjoy watching our Growing Puppies!

We sell our puppies through our Waiting list. To reserve your spot on the Waiting List requires a $250 deposit. If you have any questions please email me at GrowingPuppies@gmail.com

Visit www.SchnoodlePuppy.weebly.com for more information on buying a puppy.

Monday, November 30, 2015

2-4 month Puppy Bite Inhibition....A repost from 04-15-13

The following is a post that I wrote when Coco was about 3 months old.  I know it will be helpful for the families who have little children and new puppies.   Please note that if you have a question about anything like this, you could use the search bar on this blog.  Enter the word, "biting" and many posts will come up discussing this topic.

Also, if you have any question about how to raise a brand new puppy you can read through the posts beginning in February 2013.   I wrote a post for every step of our puppy training of Coco...as it happened....So that I would have a record for all my future customers.   This method came from a lot of reading and first hand experience.  It is much easier than regular crate training.  I used that method with Toby 13 years ago, and it was so much more work and more setbacks.   But a pen with Ugodog worked great with Coco, and Misty was even easier.   So I know from first hand experience that this is the easiest way to raise a puppy.

But enough talking....here is the post about nipping...... 

Ever since we got Coco, one of the more annoying things about play time has been her mouthing and biting.
11 weeks old puppies can be very nippy!

When an 8 week puppy goes to its home, it has been use to puppy playing.  Puppies naturally mouth and bite eachother in their regular playtime.  A puppy will yelp if one of his littermates bites too hard.  This is a good thing, since this allows puppies to learn 'bite inhibition'.  A puppy begins to learn how to have a soft bite, and eventually not mouth at all.






At 11 weeks Coco was still biting quite a lot in her playtime.
But it is not soo cute, when you bring a puppy into your home and she wants to bite and mouth you like her puppy siblings.  When we bring Coco out to play with us, she usually starts mouthing us and biting.  It can be really annoying!   So we distract her with a toy and encourage her to chew on that.

Even then when she gets rambunctious she can really start biting hard.   I have taught my kids to yelp loudly when she bites on them.  If she bites hard, we yelp and walk away from her.  Sometimes we just put her back in her confinement pen.  Playtime is over, and she has to live with the consequences of her biting. 

I have also noticed that it is very helpful to take our energetic puppy on a brisk walk around the block at least once in the day.  This has reduced a lot of the rambunctious puppy play biting.

Over time Coco's biting has become much softern.  But we eventually do not want her to mouth us at all. 
Dr. Ian Dunbar says that biting usually peaks at 3 mths old and should decline after that.   Coco is 15 weeks now, and her biting has gotten quite a bit better.  But she is still learning.  At this time we are becoming much more firm with her about it.   We also need to take longer walks with Coco.  Now that she is having more confinement for her outdoor potty training, longer walks are a must.
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Sunday, November 29, 2015

8 week Old Puppies go Home

On Saturday morning all four of our puppies went home with their families.  It is always bittersweet to see them go, but at the same time, I know so much greater happiness awaits them as they will be the special puppy in the homes of some really great families.   What a joy it is to see the happy faces of everyone as they take their new puppy home!

Below are the last photos that I took the day before the puppies left....

Strudel, is now named George.

Pretzel was the biggest puppy in the litter weighing 5 lbs.

Cinnamon was named Aubey, she is the smallest puppy of the litter at 4 lbs.

Nutmeg  at 8 weeks old.


Nutmeg meets her Girl!




On Saturday morning, Nutmeg finally got to meet her little girl, and this little girl finally got to meet her dream puppy!   I think the two of them are going to be very good friends!

Friday, November 27, 2015

Veterinary Visit and First Shots

  Last Friday, Nov 20,  I took the puppies to the veterinary.    The veterinary found all the puppies to be in excellent health.   They got their shots and were wormed.   For those who requested it, some puppies received microchips.  The veterinary visit went very well, and all the puppies were very well behaved!




Cinnamon is being a very good girl for her check up!

Nutmegs first selfie! Each puppy gets some time on my lap as they wait their turn.


Not sure of this strange place, the puppies sit close to my feet for comfort.



Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving!

As the smells of Turkey and Pumpkin Pie come wafting out of my kitchen I sit at the computer counting my many blessings!

On this Thankgiving Day I am grateful for 4 adorable puppies who are healthy and ready for their homes!  I am grateful for 4 awesome families who are ready to give these puppies an very happy life!   I am grateful for all the puppies and families that have come before and that have made it possible for me to enjoy all the JOYs of being a Schnoodle breeder!   Thank you to God for our blessings!  And to all of you who have participated in the blessing of puppies!



Does a Ugodog create Confusion in Potty Training?


This morning, when I came downstairs the first thing I did was visit the puppies.   The room is stinky since the puppies have used the potty trays during the night.  The puppies bark and whine to tell me they are hungry for breakfast.  After filling their bowls with food and fresh water, I take away the dirty Ugodog trays outside to be cleaned.   I grab a few fresh Ugodog trays and put them back in the pen.  The room smells so much better!  As the puppies are finishing up their breakfast, I recruit a few kids to take the puppies outside for a romp in the grass.   The timing is perfect, since the litter will need to go potty soon after eating their breakfast.  I don't want them soiling their Ugodog trays that we just brought in.  It is a beautiful morning and the puppies seem to have a ball running and playing in the grass.   They come inside thoroughly exhausted.  Time for morning naps!   We will repeat this process again at noontime.  Meals, outdoor playtime and naps.   The Ugodogs will stay clean all day while we keep this schedule.

This is a much more relaxed schedule than you would have if you were strictly "Crate Training" a puppy.   With Crate Training a puppy is confined to a small crate and gets taken out every few hours.   But when a puppy is not 'forced' to hold their bladder, and is not tightly caged (the crate door is open to a pen with a Ugodog), we have the ability to wait for 4 hours before taking them out.  If the weather is too cold or too wet, I would not take the puppies outside, but would let them use the Ugodog potty and then open the pen so they can run around the Nursery/ Office Room.  After they have had lots of time to run, I put them back in their pen for naps.

You can continue a very easy schedule like this one, when you take your puppy home.   It will make caring for your puppy almost fool proof.   As long as you keep periodically taking your puppy out to play, he will not see his pen as a prison.  But a place to eat, drink, nap and relax!

But you won't find this advice on most Puppy Training websites or books because most puppies are not kept very clean at their breeders and do not know how to use a potty tray..  Dr Ian Dunbar does describe a good setup in his book, How to Raise a Puppy.   He suggests a potty train lined with real turf.  Turf is far too much trouble....and rather stinky.  But it works better for puppies that were not raised with a Ugodog from birth.   Lucky for us, our puppies already using a Ugodog trays, which is much more practical than turf. 

Here are a few questions people have asked me about Ugodog trays vs Crate Training......

Does a Ugodog create confusion for a puppy when training him to use the outdoors?..

I have never found that using a Ugodog confuses potty training.   I used the Ugodog exclusively with Coco from 2-4 mths.  She spent those first few months in her pen with her crate and Ugodog.   Yes, we took her out of her pen to play with her.   But the weather was so cold and wet, we played inside on a washable floor.  We always took the Ugodog out so it was in the play area with her.   It was always accessible.   When the weather warmed up and  I started taking her outside to potty on a regular schedule.  She just stopped using the Ugodog on her own....even though it was still available for in her pen.   The reason for this is that when you take a puppy outside, they start running around, which stimulates the elimination functions.  Also the multitude of earthy smells also encourages them to go potty.   So if you are taking them out to go potty, they will prefer the outside to their Ugodog.  

Even my puppies that are 6-8 weeks old will do the same thing.   They use the Ugodog when they need to.....but they do NOT have to LEARN to go potty outside.  This is a natural desire for them.   As they get older and they are eliminating larger amounts of liquid and solids, it is to our advantage to take the litter outside on schedule.   When we take them outside, they always go potty within the first several minutes.   Again, running around, and smelling all the earthy smells is natural for them to go potty on the dirt or grass.  

If I had an 8 week puppy that I was raising as my own I would surely continue to keep a Ugodog available until 4-6 months of age.  (longer if I was in the thick of winter at 6 months!)

Here are the PROs of Using a Ugodog tray:
1) It is awesome not to have to take your puppy outside in the middle of the night .
2) It allows you to go places for several hours at a time, and not worry that you have to get home fast to take the puppy outside. 
3) If you get snow or rain, the puppy will NOT want to go outside.  You and your puppy may get soaking wet, and he may still not go potty.  Often the puppy will wait until he is back inside and choose some corner inside to potty.   If your puppy on the other hand has a pen with Ugodog, you will not have any problem. 
4) If you do not have a Ugodog, and you forget to take the puppy outside or don't give him enough time to finish all his business, then the puppy will potty inside as well. 

Please note:  Once you take the Ugodog away, the puppy might forget what it was all about, and it may never use it again.

Important note about Crate Training:  Crate training requires you to lock a puppy in a crate until you take him outside to go potty.   You have to really be diligent to keeping a schedule and spending a lot of time playing with your puppy after he has gone potty.   It is your responsibility to exhaust your puppy so he doesn't mind sleeping in his crate at intervals during the schedule.   But REMEMBER...it is cruel to leave a puppy in his crate too long.   A good rule of thumb is no more than 1 hour per month of age.  And a maximum of 4 hours when he is older.   Do not go away from home and leave your puppy for dog for 8 hours in a crate!   That is cruel..    If you keep your puppy in a large pen with the crate, he can come out, walk around, vary his position and it will be easier.   And eventually an adult dog can be left home  in a safe room while you are away for the day..

 Here is a list comparing the two methods of Outdoor training:

Advantages for Puppy of the UGO Dog while Outdoor Potty Training
The puppy is never confined to his crate with door closed.
The crate door is always open to his pen with Ugodog access.
The puppy can walk about, eat food, drink, and play with toys.
Feed meals on schedule and take puppy outside soon after he eats!
You can have longer gaps between taking the puppy outside to potty
Puppy is safe, since he is not left to wander the house before he is reliably potty trained.
Puppies pen area can be gradually increased  and eventually he can be kept in a small room.
If you keep the regular schedule the Ugodog will mostly stay clean.
But the Ugodog is there....Just in case the puppy did not finish his business when he was outside.

Disadvantages of Crate Training exclusively
Puppy is given water on a schedule. (increased danger of bladder infection or dehydration)
Puppy is confined to a closed crate according to a schedule.
Owner must play with the puppy on regular schedule throughout the day.   (you cannot avoid this)
Owner cannot go away from the house and miss the puppies schedule....or else someone has to come to the house to take the puppy out regularly.


Every Potty training expert will tell you that Potty accidents in the house are major setbacks to potty training.   So isn't the Ugodog also creating problems too?
The Ugodog is very different from a Potty accident.   The Ugodog is a specific place, with grate under foot that the puppy associates with going potty.  The plastic tray keeps the urine and the smells contained to that particular area.   There are no urine odors soaking into your carpet or floors.   (Please remember to always use some kind of washable pad or disposable pad underneath the Ugodog, in case the puppy misses his mark.)   Because all the mess is in one spot, the puppy will prefer that spot to some random place in your house.  The Ugodog has the distinct advantage of being removed completely whenever you are ready to remove it.  And your floors and furniture do not have any urine stains on them.  When your puppy no longer has the tray to go potty, there is no smell or association to temp the puppy to go potty in your home.   However, again, when you remove the Ugodog, it is your responsibility to give the puppy access to the outdoors on a regular schedule.  If your puppy is not fully potty trained and you are not on a strict schedule he may again choose to go potty some place inside.   That would have nothing to do with the Ugodog, but with you not keeping to his schedule.

I have had other customers use the Ugodog with a crate and a pen just like I do.  Most people use it until they feel their puppy is reliably potty trained for the outdoors.  (and can easily hold his bladder....4 or more hours).   Some will keep their Ugodog accessible to the puppy  through the Winter and discard it in the Spring.   Everyone tells me it is a great convenience.  I have never had anyone tell me it was a problem for potty training.   I personally would never raise a puppy without a Ugodog.  It is the only way I know to eliminate potty accidents completely.  (this may be a huge money saver....carpets are expensive!)   In my experience the Ugodog tray takes away all potty training frustrations for owner and puppy.   I am always interested to hear about your experience with the Ugodog as well!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Strudels new Family comes to visit

Here is a photo of Strudels family meeting their new puppy.  They have named him George.  We took the puppies out on the lawn and enjoyed lots of laughs watching the puppies bounce around.  George is going to enjoy living with this family!




Pretzels new family comes to visit.



Last Saturday Pretzel met his new family.  The kids were so excited to meet their new puppy.  Pretzel is definitely going to be well loved!




Basic Grooming Tools

A few people have asked what they should get for grooming their puppy.  Here are the grooming tools that I would not do without.,,

1.  Blunt nose Scissors.

You have to have these to keep the fur trimmed at the corner of the puppies eyes.  Even if you take your pup to a professional groomer, these will come in handy in between visits.  Never use pointed scissors near the puppies eyes.





 2. Soft Slicker Brush. 

You want a slicker brush that is not going to scratch your puppies skin.  Run the brush along your arm to see how it feels so you know how it will feel on the puppy.   A small brush is good for all over daily bushing.  It is important that your puppy get use to being brushed long before he is in desperate need of it. I chose the small li'l pals brush because it has a small head for a little body.




3. Nail Clippers.   Clipping a puppies nails is not difficult.  Just clip a small bit off the tip and you shouldn't clip the wick.  There are numerous instructional pictures on the internet.  Your vet can instruct you on this as well.



4..  As the puppy gets older, his fur will get thicker and you will occasionally find matts and knots in his fur.  Check under the legs and behind the ears for matts.   When my dogs need serious attention the following tools are what I find indespensible....


  The scissors shown are good quality hair cutting scissors.  I bought mine from a hair dresser supply store.  I believe buying the highest quality scissor you can find will pay for itself in the long run.  The blades need to stay sharp for a long time.


  The comb in the picture is called a greyhound comb.When your puppies fur gets really long and thick, you will need a serious comb like this one.  This is the comb I have and I love it.





 A good quality slicker brush.   This particular slicker brush is the absolute best for getting matts out of fur.



Pull the fur forward and brush out small sections at a time.  If you find a knot, hold the know with the comb, or your fingers and gently work out the pieces for hair from below the knot.  When you have removed as much fur as possible, if a knot still remains, then you can cut the last bit of knot out with the scissors.   Patience and gentleness is the key.  Treat your puppy periodically to keep the experience positive.   But don't let your puppy squirm away during grooming.  Make grooming sessions short and often and he will become more patient with the process over time.

For more information on the best Dog Clippers do a search on the blog for Andis and the post on the Andis Clippers should come up.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Supplies for New Puppy

Buy the Puppy Food !!
 Here's my personal list for what I consider to be essential supplies for my 8 week old puppy.

Puppy Supply List:


1. Puppy Food:  Blue Buffalo Puppy Food
The Puppies are eating this now and should stay on this food for at least the first few weeks at home.  This is a good quality food for puppies.  If you decide to switch foods, do so gradually.




Wire Pen, Puppy Crate, Ugodog, Food/Water dish
2.. Bed for crate -  An old blanket works too!3. Small Crate - A pups personal space

3. Puppy pads  -  We use reusable Whelping pads

4. UgoDog potty tray

5. Wire pen- Midwest Black E-Coat Excercise pen


At first you can attach the pen to the Crate to be sure the puppy uses his Ugodog at least once.  When the potty tray is 'broken in' with the right smell, you can enlarge the crate and put it on the far side of the pen, away from the bed.





 6.Karo Syrup - Emergency supply: In case of a Hypoglycemic attack.
 07  puppy collar -  6-8' neck length.  

08  puppy leash -(harnis is optional)


09 Puppy Training Book  and or Kindergarten Class

 10 Puppy chews and toys - a variety
My favorite puppy toys are from Pet Stages because they are small enough for small puppy mouths.


Get a few durable toys at first and figure out what puppy likes best.




Friday, November 20, 2015

5 week old Puppies Camera Photos

These photos were taken 2 weeks ago, when the puppies were 5 weeks old.  They were on my phone and finally got a chance to upload them.  Someday I will get a direct link from camera to blog!

This was the puppies first time outside.  It was a bit chilly and they were quite unsure of themselves.  So it was a quick introduction to the wonderful world of nature.





Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Cinnamon meets her new family. She is named Aubey!

We started puppy visits last weekend.  I have been sick twice this month and so it have gotten behind on updating photos on the blog.   Luckily I did not have to cancel any puppy visits.  The visits have been really enjoyable.  And I know you will enjoy seeing the happy faces!

The three little girls pictured below have been waiting a very long time for a puppy.  The puppy their family  have chosen is Cinnamon.  They picked out a name, Aubie, short for Auburn.  They chose this name 6 months ago, as they dreamed about their future puppy, before Cinnamon was even born!    Aubey is clearly going to have a very happy life showered with lots of love and kisses!



This lovely family could not be happier with their little Schnoodle, Aubey!

Hidden Camera Catches the Excitement of Kids over new Schnoodle

One of our families waiting for a Schnoodle puppy set up a hidden camera to catch the excitement of their girls to the news that their puppy was born.  You won't want to miss this.  It is priceless!