My Doodle Ate My Homework!

Depending on the homework, I'm sure some homework is more tasty than others.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that incomplete homework gets eaten way more than completed assignments!  Now, children if your homework was in the same backpack as your lunch then it's very possible that your doodle smelled that homework and it smelled just like your delicious lunch.  If it smells good then a doodle may eat it.  I'm just saying, it's possible.  

some of the questions we get about  eating & drinking

As you read through our site you are going to see lots of recommendations.  I do worry as you read all of this, how you're feeling.  Above all, I don't want you feeling overwhelmed.  On the contrary, not having these recommendations could be worse because you could go out and get things you think are amazing, when in reality they aren't the best choices.  

Below are Sugar Pine Doodles recommendations, after you read them please continue to the bottom to read a note from me.

"What should I feed my new puppy and how much?"  

Your puppy has been weaned onto Life's Abundance, All Life Stages Grain Free, Dry Dog Food.  We feed our puppies three times a day and around 8 weeks we move to twice a day.  Your puppies current schedule is eating at 6 am and again at 4 pm.  The amount to feed will depend on each individual puppy based on age and weight.  A feeding guide will be on every bag of Life's Abundance dog food.  Most foods for an 8 week old puppy require approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups a day.  This amount is divided up between the morning and evening meals.  Feeding consists of offering your puppy all he can eat for at least 30 minutes then removing his/her food.  This encourages your puppy to know it's good to eat when the food is around.  On the hand, some families do prefer to open feed.  Open feeding is having food available to your puppy all day.  The drawback to open feeding is your puppy can become overweight and it can result is more challenging house training.  

In all honesty, we have done some open feeding at Sugar Pine Doodles and it's typically been when we have pregnant mommies.  In addition, we do have some families that have open fed and I've never seen any real issues with it.  I believe it's a matter of personal preference and how each family wants to raise their doodle.  I can see the value in deciding once you have your doodle and you see their natural tendencies.  Ultimately, I like to try everything and watch how my doodles respond.  I can see the value in both open feeding and feeding twice a day for a half of an hour.  If you need help deciding, please let me know and I would love to help you.  

Please watch this 12 minute video from Life's Abundance and you will see why we recommend Life's Abundance and use all their products. 

"Should I give my doodle supplements?"  

Yes and yes.  Plus, Life's Abundance has made this choice so easy.  Every dog has unique nutritional needs which can be affected by life stage (puppy, adult or senior), differences in personality (high-strung or laid-back), living conditions (sole “child” or one of many in the household), environmental factors and activity level. Life's Abundance Nutritional System unites All Life Stage Dog Food with Wellness Food Supplements in a single purpose – to provide your doodle with excellent nutrition, every single day. Not only can you help meet your dog’s unique dietary requirements, you can take advantage of the savings offered by purchasing Life's Abundance Nutritional System, too.  Give your dog the full-spectrum nutrition offered by the superior combination of our premium food and nourishing supplement … it’s everything doodles need to thrive!

"How much water does my new puppy need to drink?"  

Your puppy has been offered water all throughout the day until around 7 pm. Essentially, around an hour after the evening meal, water should be removed for the rest of the night.  In addition, your puppy has drank from a dog water bowl and a lix-it.  Recently, we introduced Lix-its because our puppies were playing and being puppies when their dirty paws would constantly make their way into their water bowls.  Within minutes of introducing the lix-its our puppies were loving them.  One puppies laid on it's back and kept licking the lix-it.  I think they loved the fresh, unlimited supply of water.  From this experience I do recommend putting a lix-it on your faucets, as well as having a water bowl.  Outdoor water bowls can get contaminated quickly and can introduce unwanted critters into your puppies system so having an indoor water bowl and outdoor Lixit is an option worth considering.  We have been using this system for a while now and our doodles are loving it.  

From left to right here are some examples of faucet lixits, an adapter to allow for a Lixit to always be on a faucet without need for removal, and then indoor or traveling Lixits.  1)   Lixit Dog Faucet Waterer L-100,  2)  Yardsmith Brass 2-Way Restricted-Flow Water Shut-Off ,  3) Lixit Dog Waterer,  4) Lixit No Drip Dog Bottle.

"Doesn't my puppy need puppy food?"  

No but you can if you prefer.  We have been feeding all our dogs and puppies the same food, All Life Stages Grain Free Dog Food.  Over the years, with many conversations with Vets, that I respect, I've learned that puppy food is essentially a marketing ploy.  In fact, when we first found Life's Abundance they didn't even have puppy food.  It was redundant for them to carry puppy food.  However, after pressure from so many customers that had decades of "Puppy Chow" commercials engrained in their heads, Life's Abundance decided to include a puppy food.  Now, Life's Abundance's puppy food, which is a smaller kibble, is essentially the same thing as the All Life Stages Dog Food.  If you prefer to feed the puppy food for the first couple of months we understand and feel is your decision to make and we do support you.  We just ask that you stay with Life's Abundance as it's the best dog food and it's what your puppy has been consuming it's entire life, as well as, it's mother's entire pregnancy and life.   

Is Life's Abundance Really Affordable?

This video is a great video to explain how to compare dog foods.  

A Note From Me

How did I learn all of this and why are we directing you on so many choices?  First, I have strong opinions about most things, it's just my personality.  I'm a Momma Bear type with my doodles.  Some of my insanity I was just born with and the other sixty percent   was gained by enduring some tragedies I don't ever want any of my families, including you, going through.  

In case you don't know, Life's Abundance, the company that makes all our food, supplements, treats, grooming products, and cleaning products are all delivered right to your front door for a very affordable amount.  Life's Abundance food is very affordable and I will include a video at the bottom for you to watch.  The dog food is made fresh every two to four weeks then immediately shipped out so your doodle's food isn't sitting on some shelf, on some semi-truck, in some warehouse, who knows where , and for who knows how long.  Instead, we know where the food is being made and it's then on our front door step.  Why does this matter?  Well, your doodle can't say to you, "Hey, my food tastes moldy and I think it's why my liver and kidneys are hurting me but you won't know until I have bloody urine or I'm really sick.  Do you think you could get me some fresh food?"  I wish this wasn't true but it is.  Many years ago I had a lab mix that was getting really sick and after being diagnosed with terminal liver problems did we realize the food was moldy.  

Next, one of our doodles many years ago got into a bag of China made chicken treats and ate more than the recommended serving and within four days she was dead.  It was the worst tragedy that even writing about it now makes my stomach ache and my eyes tear up.  My doodle was a normal, happy, fun loving doodle then suddenly the next morning she was so severely ill we had to go straight to the vet.  Once at the vet's office we saw the FDA warning for Dog Owners regarding the Chicken Jerky products from China.  Our doodle had no appetite, didn't want to move, was non-stop vomiting, with increased diarrhea with blood in it, she kept drinking water despite her belly looking so full, and she was constantly peeing and it was text book for poisoning from these treats.  Telling this story has done me in for the night and I'm going to continue with my site later.  I only explained this to help you from experiencing the heartbreak our family endured.  

From our experiences we searched long and far for a USA made dog food that never had a recall.  When we did this search we found Life's Abundance.  I checked and double checked this company.  We learned it was started by a Vetrinarian which really impressed me from the beginning.  Our doodles tested the food and loved it.  We tried all the products and loved them.  I searched all the dog food review websites and found rave reviews with an average of 4.5 to 5 stars consistently.  I love that it was made fresh and never sat in a warehouse or on a store shelf for months, in most cases.  I've heard of some big box companies buying tons of food from different companies to get discounts and most of the food sits and waits, in some random warehouse that isn't temperature controlled, for the food to sell so it to can make in onto a shelf at your local store to then be purchased by you.  The question remains, how long has that food sat from when it was first made?  With Life's Abundance, I know the answer, it was made fresh then shipped to you and I.  

Without a doubt, I will continue to find good products for our doodles and I will passionately share them with you, our doodle families.  If for some reason Life's Abundance changes their quality or their product goes downhill or there is a better product then I will change our website and I will tell you why.  I take being a "Full Service Breeder" seriously.  I believe that my job begins once you adopt one of our doodles.  When you adopt your doodle and take it home you are also gaining a doodle friend and confidant that you can call and get support from for life.  I'm here to help you so you can just enjoy your doodle and come to one place for sound, honest advice.  As my mother used to say, sometimes I'm too honest so be careful what you ask :) lol.