Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
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One of the most frequent questions we are asked is about crate training. We do recommend crate training. If you can not watch the puppy the entire time it is roaming freely in your home, then a crate provides a safe place for the puppy. It is easy for a puppy to slip off and potty behind a chair or find a lamp cord to chew.
Our two girls in our home are crate trained. They love their crates. If they think we are leaving, they will run to their crates. All I have to say at night is, “It’s time to go night night” and off they go to their crates.
Crates provide a safe place for puppies to escape the busy activity of a home. There is a lot of information on the internet about crate training. Please let us know if you have a question and we will try to assist!
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A great place to start is by using the Purina Dog Chow feeding calculator: https://www.purina.com/pet-food-feeding-guide-calculator. When you first bring your puppy home, it might not eat well for a few days. It may take a couple days to establish a schedule with eating. Try wetting the food a little or add some shredded chicken to entice the puppy to start eating. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is that your Goldendoodle puppy is drinking water!
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We do not recommend leaving the food bowl down all the time. Offer food twice a day about 12 hours apart. Leave if for about 20 minutes and then take it back up. The puppy will soon learn that that is dinner time and they need to eat.
Removing access to water a few hours before the last potty of the night, will help your puppy sleep all night. New puppies are like having a toddler in your home!
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Here is a great link to determine how big your puppy might be when grown: https://sydneyanimalhospitals.com.au/puppy-weight-calculator.
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Male puppy vs female puppy is an interesting topic. We are often asked which is better a male puppy or female puppy. We posed that question to our vet and this was her response: In some of the more aggressive breeds, male puppies vs female puppies can be a real consideration. In Goldendoodles, it is generally not a real concern. Happy, friendly, smart, and people-orientated are all trademarks of Goldendoodles regardless of sex. Many people think females have better concentration when house training. Males are often considered goofy and distracted. Goldendoodles are so smart, both are easy to train with positive reinforcement.
Personal Preference
When all is said and done, it is really just personal preference. Many people think females are easier to house train. We have even heard people say that males will not completely empty their bladder and then come in the house and mark. Leaving a dog intact can definitely cause marking. Neutering before the testosterone starts kicking in may stop the marking syndrome. From our own experience, we will never have an unneutered male in our house again. We have had several neutered males over the years and never had any marking issues. There is a lot of opinions on the internet but it still end up being a personal preference.
Another Consideration
Maybe you already have a dog in your home. Trying to decide what sex of puppy to get can be another consideration. We have seen people have two males together or a female and male together. This often depends on the personality of the older dog. This article has seven helpful tips:
Additional Information
Here is a great article that addresses this topic: https://www.oneminddogs.com/blog/male-vs-female-dogs-for-families/
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Play dates are becoming very popular! If you are in Raleigh, Cary, Burlington, Greensboro, or Charlotte areas, scheduling a playdate should be easy. One great way to connect is on our Facebook page for our owners. Hummingbird Doods Facebook page is a lot of fun.
Check out Hummingbird Doods: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1703979446505882
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When discussing sizes of Goldendoodles, it seems everyone has a different opinion. Here are the sizes that we usually breed:
Petite ~ 20 lbs or less
Miniature ~ 20-25 lbs
Medium ~ 25-45 lbs
Standards ~ 45 lbs or over
We generally do not try to breed for puppies that will mature over 45 lbs. It seems that is too large for most people, especially families with small children.
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There are several things to consider when deciding on what size of Goldendoodle puppy might be right for you and your family:
Toddlers/Pre-K children are often knocked down or intimidated by large dogs.
Do you need to consider your ability to lift the dog ? It is very important to consider getting a large dog into the car, bathtub or up/down steps can be a struggle if the dog is too heavy for your size or age.
Where will my dog’s crate be located? The larger the puppy, the larger the crate will need to be. Think about what room in your house you will be locating your puppy.
Cost of grooming and vet care. The larger the dog, the higher the price is to get them groomed. Medications are also more expensive the larger the dog is since preventative medications are prescribed by weight ranges.
Do you have a fenced in yard or access to a dog park? A larger dog usually needs more exercise than a smaller dog that might be ok just being walked on a leash.
These are just a few things to get you thinking about what size Goldendoodle will be the right fit for you or your family.
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There is an interesting article that was written by a vet from NCSU about vacinosis. He spoke at the World Organization for Animal Health about this subject in regards to animals.
Twice we heard of situations where puppies we had bred were over vaccinated. Subsequently, they developed an autoimmune disease. Our Purchase Agreement addresses specific vaccines that we feel should be spaced apart. We recommend that multiple vaccinations not be given at a single vet appointment but be spaced apart
Handling Vaccines
There is a possibility that your vet will not recognize vaccine(s) that were not given by vet. A recommended alternative to routine re-vaccination is the use of titer tests (simple blood tests) to measure a pet’s existing antibody levels and determine if they still have adequate immunity. This will provide your vet with the information needed to know if the vaccines need to be repeated or that the puppy is safely protected with the vaccines that they have already received.
It is understandable that a vet doesn’t want your puppy to receive a vaccine that was purchased at the local farm supply store. For instance, it may have been removed from refrigeration and then left laying on a shelf somewhere in the store. A couple hours later, an employee spots it and puts it back in the refrigerator. When a vaccine is purchased in that environment, you do not know if was handled safely or not.
When your vet orders vaccine from their supply company, it is shipped over night, on ice, and immediately placed in the refrigerator when it arrives at their office. This is exactly how WE handle our vaccines.
We order our vaccines from a veterinarian supply company and ship them overnight on ice at a considerable expense. They are then delivered when someone is here to receive the package and place it in the refrigerator. It cannot be done any more safely regardless of who ordered the vaccine.
We are able vaccinate our puppies because no Rx is required in NC to purchase a 5-way puppy vaccination. It can be given easily as it is administered sub-q (under the skin) and not in the muscle.
Over Vaccinating Certain Breeds
Vaccines stimulate the immune system to build antibodies that will prevent your pet from contracting certain diseases. Overly-stimulated immune systems can trigger immune mediated diseases. Over vaccinating certain breeds can result in vaccinosis. All though all breeds of dogs can develop vaccinosis, Poodles and Golden Retrievers are in the top 14 breeds that are most susceptible.
In an article written by W. Jean Dodds, DVM and republished by Dr Judith Shoemaker, DVM, of Always Helpful Veterinary Services, Dr. Dodds references a 2011 revision made by the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) which recommended revaccination every 3 years or more for dogs once the core vaccinations have been given. Drug companies now make a vaccine that is given every three years.
If you would like to read about the article written by Dr. Shoemaker Here is a link that better explains over vaccinating:
https://www.alwayshelpfulveterinaryservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Vaccines-and-Titers.pdf
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Yes. BAXTER & BELLA is an online puppy training school that makes training your puppy easy. Here at Hummingbird Hill Farm, we are excited to share BAXTER & BELLA’s exclusive online puppy school for our families with a savings of 25% off of a Lifetime Membership! You can sign up by using our unique discount code: HHF25
Because this is an easy-to-use online dog training program, you will learn everything you need to successfully train your new puppy. For example, many people have told us that using BAXTER & BELLA to train their puppy provided them with great video modules that their children really enjoyed. Including your children in the training process will make them feel responsible for the care of their new puppy.
What Is Included
BAXTER & BELLA includes more than 75 lessons and over 100 how-to videos. You will have a lifetime access to supporting resources. Their team of professionals are committed to helping you integrate your new canine into your family. Unlimited one-on-one video-enabled video coaching and courses are included too! You can Zoom with a professional dog trainer. What if you have a specific issue or problem? It will be great to have someone to ask how to correct an issue!
Lessons to Be Learned
For instance, you will learn the skills that you need to be a successful animal owner and your puppy will learn incredible manners and behaviors. Is anything worse than visiting someone’s home and having their dog jump all over you? An important part of training your puppy is obedience and manners.
Visit their website here: https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more
Here is an overview video:https://youtu.be/VdbrmycYiNM
Sign up today and begin preparing now. You will be ready to build a lifetime of lasting happiness with your new canine companion!
Purchasing a Puppy
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Yes. Please contact us for an appointment. We are not always home so we like to know you are coming.
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Here a is a link on our website that has our pricing and what puppies are available:
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On our website, there is a page called “Bringing Your Puppy Home”. It contains the name of the food our puppies are eating as well as other tidbits we feel new puppy owners may find helpful. Here is a link to that page:
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A helpful page is on our website that explains the different generations. It can be confusing, but it’s really basic math. We never really know for certain, what % of Poodle vs Golden Retriever a puppy may inherit. Here’s the page:
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It is basically 4 months from conception until a puppy is ready to be weaned.
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Yes. When you pick your puppy up, you will a folder that includes all of the puppy’s health records including vaccinations, weights and deworming. It also contains the puppy’s birthdate and pictures of the parents.
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A blanket or toy with the mother’s scent is comforting for a puppy when it is weaned. There’s no need to bring a blanket or toy. We will give you a small blanket that has been rubbed on the mother.
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Yes, they are and several of them were raised and bred here on our farm.
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We free-feed our puppies since they are still in a “litter environment” when they go home. Here is a link to the feeding chart that is furnished by Purina:
https://www.purina.com/articles/puppy/feeding/how-much-to-feed-a-puppy-chart
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Absolutely! We are here to help! This page has a lot of information about taking your puppy home:
Trupanion Pet Insurance
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We have offered 30 days of free pet insurance through Trupanion for many years. Hummingbird Hill Farm was one of the first breeders to partner with Trupanion. Owners have told us how thankful they are that they maintained the coverage on their Goldendoodle. (Doodles are known for eating ANYTHING….squeakers, socks, underwear, etc!)
Trupanion is now allowing owners to sign up as early as the day when they select their puppy. You can now enroll around the puppy’s age of 6 weeks. This will be one less thing to do on the take home day.
The activation window has been extended. Buyers can now activate the Go Home Day Offer from match date until 24 hours after go-home! Buyers will have more time to activate their offer.
“Match date” means the buyer has paid a deposit AND selected a specific puppy. To take advantage of the extended activation window, buyers must call to activate their offer. Call 1-855-266-2156.
Need a refresher on the benefits of the Go Home Day Offer?
This exclusive Trupanion offer is designed to provide peace of mind for you:
Waived waiting periods for new, unexpected accidents and illnesses
Comprehensive Trupanion policy coverage
Trupanion’s ability to pay the vet directly*
Puppy or kitten pricing for life
Terms and conditions apply. See the policy at Trupanion.com/pet-insurance.
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Many larger companies are now offering pet insurance as a employee benefit. Check with you human resources office and see if your company does offer this. Please go ahead and sign up for the 30-day free Trupanion insurance. This gives you a window of time to check on your company’s benefits.