Rearing Protocol
Raising Confident, Well-Socialized Goldendoodle & Bernedoodle Puppies
At Doodling All Day, our Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies are raised with intention from the very beginning. Our goal is to raise healthy, happy, well-rounded puppies who are confident, loved, and ready to make an easier transition into their new homes.
We put a huge focus on temperament, early socialization, enrichment, crate introduction, potty training foundations, and daily handling so each puppy has the best start possible before joining their forever family.
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What Kind of Environment Are Puppies Raised In?
Our puppies are raised inside our home, in a bedroom that we converted into a clean, comfortable puppy nursery and enrichment area. They are not raised outside or away from our daily life. They are raised where we can closely watch them, interact with them, and help them become used to the normal sights and sounds of a family home.
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Scroll down to view photos of our nursery ↓
Even when we can’t be with them, we are always checking in on them through our Ring cameras. This allows us to keep a close eye on our moms and puppies throughout the day and night, especially during those important early weeks.
Because our puppies are raised in our home, they receive daily interaction, gentle handling, socialization, and exposure to everyday household life. This helps them grow into more confident puppies who are better prepared for the transition into their new homes.
Our Puppy Curriculum Starts at 3 Days Old
We start our puppy curriculum very early, when the puppies are only 3 days old. We begin by performing ENS, which stands for Early Neurological Stimulation, and ESI, which stands for Early Scent Introduction.
These early exercises are short and gentle, but they are an important part of our rearing protocol. They help introduce puppies to mild, age-appropriate stimulation during a critical stage of development.
Our goal is to help support confident, adaptable puppies who are better prepared for new experiences later in life.
Early Sound Desensitization & Household Noise Exposure
Around day 18, we begin introducing puppies to different sounds in a gradual and age-appropriate way. We start with gentle sound exposure and slowly build from there.
At night, we play classical music, as this has been shown to help produce calmer puppies. During the day, we play soundtracks with random everyday noises so they can begin getting used to the sounds they may hear in their future homes.
These sounds may include things like the vacuum cleaner, doorbell, household movement, outside noises, and other normal daily sounds. My big dogs still get stirred up over the doorbell, so we like to start this exposure early!
The goal is not to overwhelm the puppies, but to gently expose them to normal life so those sounds are not scary or completely new when they go home.
Texture, Surface & Confidence-Building Activities
As the puppies grow, we slowly begin introducing different surfaces, textures, and age-appropriate enrichment items. They may experience soft surfaces, slick surfaces, crinkly surfaces, raised surfaces, and other safe textures that help build confidence.
Once they are ready, we also introduce less stable surfaces, such as a wobble board. These activities help puppies learn how to use their bodies, recover from new experiences, and approach unfamiliar things with more confidence.
We also introduce balls, squeaky toys, steps, new people, other animals, and other safe enrichment experiences.
Our goal is to expose them to lots of new things while they are still with us so they are less likely to be fearful of new sights, sounds, and situations later in life.
Socialization With People, Animals & Everyday Life
Socialization is a big part of how we raise our puppies. We work with them multiple times a day to make sure they receive plenty of human interaction, gentle handling, and positive experiences.
Our puppies are introduced to new people when appropriate, and they are exposed to normal household routines. This helps them learn that people, movement, sounds, and new situations are a normal part of life.
We want our puppies to leave here feeling loved, secure, curious, and ready to bond with their new families.
Crate Training & Potty Training Foundations
We also begin crate training and potty training while the puppies are with us. While we cannot promise that a young puppy will go home fully crate trained or fully potty trained, we do work hard to give them a strong foundation.
Most of our puppies go home comfortable being in a crate and already understanding that there is a certain place they should be going potty. This makes the transition easier for families and gives puppies a helpful head start before they go home.
Families should expect to continue crate training, potty training, structure, and consistency once their puppy comes home, but we do our best to make those first few days and weeks easier.
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Temperament Testing Before Puppy Picks
Before families choose their puppy, we perform temperament testing to help each family make an informed decision. Puppy picks are done at 7 weeks of age for a very good reason — by that age, the puppies’ personalities have started to develop enough for us to better evaluate them.
Before puppy picks, the puppies also visit our vet for their first set of immunizations and a complete puppy exam. After their exams, we complete temperament testing and share as much information as we can with our families.
This may include personality traits, energy level, confidence, social tendencies, and any health findings our vet may discover.
Our goal is to help you choose the puppy who is the best fit for your family, lifestyle, and home environment.
Health, Wellness & Early Care
Health is a major part of our rearing protocol. We raise our puppies with close daily observation, regular handling, age-appropriate care, and veterinary support.
Our puppies receive their first vet exam around 7 weeks of age, along with their first set of immunizations. During this visit, our vet checks the puppies for overall health and development before they begin the process of going to their new homes.
We also follow a thoughtful early care routine that includes proper nutrition, cleanliness, monitoring, socialization, and age-appropriate wellness support.
Preparing Puppies for Their Forever Families
Everything we do during the first 8 weeks is designed to help our puppies become confident, well-adjusted companions. From ENS and ESI to sound exposure, enrichment, crate introduction, potty training foundations, temperament testing, and daily handling, each step has a purpose.
We know bringing home a puppy is a big commitment, and we want our families to feel as prepared as possible. Our rearing protocol is built around raising puppies who are loved, socialized, and ready to begin life with their new families.
At Doodling All Day, we don’t just raise puppies — we raise future family members.
Ready to Find Your Doodling All Day Puppy?
We'd love to meet your family. Whether you're ready to apply or just have a few questions, we're always happy to talk doodles.
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