She has had her first groom and boy did she need it!
Her shedding stopped after the groom at 6 months and so we only had 2 months of light shedding while she moved into her adult coat. The change of colour is super interesting to watch. Our Jett actually got a little darker which was interesting – lots of puppies go lighter so its interesting to watch. You can certainly tell when they need their first groom – you can see their adult hair under the puppy hair very clearly and the puppy hair starts matting and is hard to keep under control. So if you think your puppy needs a groom it probably does – trust your gut! If you are taking your puppy to the groomer from early on they will give you advice as well.
Jett is now able to follow orders super well. We continue to use Ian’s ‘Uh-uh’ method and it works super well! She is always in my office while I work and knows she has to stay in her bed now (although she gets FOMO and wants to go outside if there is anything happening out there!). She is well behaved now and a pleasure to take places and have inside or out. She follows commands super easy. 6 months things seem to get a little easier – although she still steals a sock every time she is inside! and shoes… she loves shoes. Having a well trained dog has made having Jett a pleasure. Ian’s training (which we now give away complimentary with all puppies) is amazing and helps you just tweak your training to get a dog who follows your commands and who you just adore being with (along with good breeding of course!).
So we have a little girl and a little boy. Our little boy (4) desperately wants to take after his dad and care for the puppies. He goes for the nursery nighttime visits and checks on the newborns, and spends all day at home playing with the puppies, but he is always incredibly sad when we tell him that the puppy he is playing with already has a new home and he has to say goodbye.
So we decided to let him choose a little cavoodle to take care of and live with him. We also think this is a good time to share the journey of this little girl named ‘Jett’ and what we go through. If you have any questions please feel free to let us know on this journey! Hopefully it will show some of our owners the normal parts of the puppy process.
Introducing Jett
Jett is a girl Cavoodle. She is sometimes referred to as little tiger as our boy’s favourite animal is a tiger and he is SURE that she loves tigers just as much as him. Here are some of our pics of her as a little one around 8 weeks of age.
Best New Puppy Products to get
We were very excited in the first week to get a pack of goodies from our Puppy Information Centre. There are two things that Jett (and we!) have loved the most.
One is the microfibre mat for the front door. A Dirty Doggy doormat that seems like it sucks up all the sand and dirt… not only good for dogs but for little kid’s feet too! Our house seems to be cleaner now than prior to Jett entering our home! So a hot tip – pick up your microfibre mat from the team at our Puppy Information Centre as the first thing you do!
The second is a little red Rogz toy. It’s an unassuming little toy and I never would have thought it would have created any interest but Jett seems to love it! I think it’s called Rogz Scrubz – ask the team at our Information Centre for more details. Also little squeak toys seem to have caught her fancy – there are lots of them around for only a few dollars so we suggest getting a range of toys as you never know what they will love the most and there are some good bouncy ball toys she loves too which we’re sourcing at the moment – Jett has been loving the samples!
Training
So we have only just started to have her in our life and have immediately called in Ian the Dog Trainer. Ian said to have her for 2 weeks on our own before he will come in and help train her (or us and our kids really!). Why are we having Ian come in? We bring lots of puppies up every year, we ensure they are healthy and happy; but our kids like every other child, wants a puppy to keep as their own, so now we need to teach our puppy, and our kids manners, and what to do!
So far we have had her inside and tried to toilet train her. She’s doing very well but we still have a long way to go for her! She doesn’t much like her inside play area and wants full reign of the house. We are teaching her ‘Sit’ ‘Stay’ ‘Fist bump ‘ (just for fun!) and ‘on your bed’. Training a puppy is very repetitive and very time consuming but the kids love to watch and see what is happening and all love the thought of training her.
Fur and Shedding
Her fur is gorgeous and fluffy, and right now if I wear black or navy I may find some hairs on me post-cuddletime, but we also have a pug x beagle and the difference is enormous. There are not many hairs around but I’m aware that over the next 6 months she will start to lose her puppy hair and get her adult coat. Will she keep her white tip on her head and tail? We’ll just have to wait and see!
Socialising
She is getting on well with our other dog Scatter. She pulls his ears and they play together now. The first week or so that wasn’t the case but they do seem to be liking each other more even though Scatter is 8 years old and a much different dog! They are both Banksia Park Puppies dogs and are both extremely well tempered both with each other and with any kids they come into contact with.
Eating
Jett eats very differently to other breeds of dogs (as we know many Cavoodle owners talk about and are sometimes concerned about). We are feeding her our new grain free kibble by itself and she picks at it rather than scoffs it down like Scatter our puggle. This is quite normal for a Cavoodle and alot of our Banksia Park Puppies Families ask us about their dog picking at the food and whether they are actually eating enough. Jett is probably 10 weeks old now and only eats probably half a cup a day. She will have bursts where she will each more after going through a growth stage, but will eat what is required for her needs we’re sure. We know that if we put enticing leftovers in her bowl she will eat it all in one sitting, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t like the kibble, or that we need to change what she is eating. The kibble gives her all the nutrients she needs at this stage.
What a wonderful day again with the Gumnuts school holiday program. It is so fantastic having the children out and they absolutely love it with the last comments being ‘this is the best day ever!’.
This is the second time the school holiday program has attended and it is an amazing experience for both the children and the dogs and puppies. The children have a fantastic day looking at all our facilities and learning about the development of the dogs and puppies and why socialisation is really important. They spend time in the Early Socialisation Pen, the surface training area, the youth agility park, and also through our nurseries. They see the live in yards as well as the playgrounds. The puppies absolutely love the day and it is great for their development to see so many children over a 2 hour period. They are picked up and held and a few we saw even having massages! The dogs thrived in the attention and it is great to give them different experiences like this as it broadens their brains from a young age making them more confident dogs for their entire lives.
The Gumnuts kids we must say always behave INCREDIBLY well and are a credit to their carers and parents for how they listen to instructions, information, and are keen to learn. They always treat the dogs and puppies with respect and care, and it’s a great thing to see in children.
Our dogs and puppies were presented with a big box of 301 doggie biscuits cooked specially by some of the older girls including things like peanut butter and bacon which we all know are loved by the dogs. The dogs all gobbled up the biccies within a couple of days and we loved the presentation by the older girls.
Here are some lovely photos of the day!
Cuddles and kisses
Surface training area fun
Learning about the puppies and why early socialisation is important
A survey of puppy buyers has found just that; that people want dogs which will be family friendly, low shedding and suited to their lifestyle, while ‘cuteness’ is of least importance to them.
Banksia Park Puppies is one of Australia’s largest dog breeders and has been breeding dogs for more than 50 years. Banksia Park is situated on a 220 acre property near Sale in Gippsland where the climate and local environment is ideally suited to dog breeding.
More than 1700 Banksia Park customers were surveyed over the past 18 months on their preferences when making a puppy purchase.
Highlights from the survey results included:
90 per cent of people surveyed said their decision was primarily based on the puppy being family friendly, followed by low shedding and whether the dog would suit their lifestyle. ‘Cuteness’ was the lowest rated factor, and it did not feature at all in 37 per cent of responses.
81 per cent of those surveyed knew exactly the type of dog they wanted prior to purchase, with only two per cent undecided;
65 per cent of customers did their research online, with breeder websites the most popular information source;
51 per cent of Banksia Park customers visited an animal shelter when looking for their puppy. However, they didn’t get a rescue dog due to the breed they wanted not being available or concerns about the temperament and suitability of the dogs available.
Matt Hams, the owner of Banksia Park Puppies, said the survey results highlighted the amount of thought and effort that many people put into making a puppy purchase.
‘People really care about the kind of the puppy they are getting and its background, including its health and temperament,’ Mr Hams said.
‘For families in particular, choosing the right type of puppy is essential to make sure it is suitable for their lifestyle and home environment.
‘We put a lot of care and attention into the health and socialisation of our puppies to help their transition into a family environment, for the benefit of the dog and its owners,’ Mr Hams said.
The survey also found puppy buyers placed a high priority on getting the type of dog they wanted, followed by a health guarantee. Purchasers also wanted to get their puppy from a reputable and experienced breeder, including those who were full-time breeders. For three-quarters of those surveyed, price was their lowest priority.
Mr Hams said the survey highlighted the important role of professional breeders in meeting the demand from customers for healthy, happy and well-socialised puppies that become much loved and valued members of Australian households.
These accessories have a pattern which is unique to Banksia Park Puppies. Why? So that if we see a dog out and about with one of these products then we will be able to stop and say hi! Also so that if you see another dog in the dog park with one of these accessories you know you can walk over and introduce yourself and see who the parents are and if you have a sibling or even a cousin.
Happy Mother’s Day week to all our Banksia Park Puppies mums
Yesterday we showcased all our future mums, and today we are showcasing our adult mums! Our mums live and play in our adult area with their own adult playground. We have 3 dedicated socialisation staff in this area and the mums here love to play in the playground. They are led into the playground by our socialisation staff to learn leading, and then have exercise in groups of 4-6 which they adore!
Here are some of our mums having a great play with two of our socialisation staff!
Where did the mum of your puppy grow up? What interaction did she have with our socialisation and play staff? Where did she play? When she was 10 weeks old where was she? These are all questions which we go through on a customer tour of Banksia Park Puppies, so this special Mother’s Day post is for all of our future mums!
Why did we choose her as a future mum?
Our Banksia Park Puppies mums are chosen to breed here at Banksia Park because they have the healthiest and best temperament in their mums, and she is healthy herself. We look at her mum and dad and pick the healthiest parents for her, and then she is also checked incredibly closely by our Vet to make sure she is also healthy and strong.
Where was your puppy’s mum as a puppy?
After 8 weeks when her siblings have left to go to their new families, our young future mums spend their days in our ‘Early Socialisation Pen’ – we call it our ESP. There are three of these. They have dedicated socialisation staff to make sure they are growing and learning every day, and therefore will grow into confident, happy, healthy adult dogs. Our ESPs are set in the middle of the property where they see the most people, the most machinery, the most cars, and the most kids and visitors to ensure they are top of mind and always getting a play and a pat. Here are some photos of our current puppies in our ESP.
How did your puppy’s mum receive enrichment?
When our puppies are between 8-12 weeks they start to play in our surface training area where they spend lots and lots of time playing with us, our socialisation staff, and on/with different surfaces. This helps them become confident dogs with the ability to settle into different experiences and places. This is incredibly important for our puppies as they will be rehomed at 4-5 years old and need to be able to assimilate into new environments – often into city homes from a country environment! Here are some photos of our puppies playing with our socialisation staff in our surface training area.
Where did your puppy’s mum spend her youth?
After spending time in the ESP and in the dedicated surface training areas they move to an area which is dedicated for our youth. The dogs here are usually 6-12 months old and start moving into group play in our youth playgrounds and individual lead training. They still have dedicated socialisation staff and a dedicated playground. They also have individual playgrounds in their live-in yards to make sure they are always entertained and have things to jump over, run through, and play with. Here are some photos of our future mums in the youth live-in areas and youth playgrounds! You can see the puppies are very used to coming out for exercise and play; after a good play the puppies are very happy to run back into their live-in yards for a drink and a rest 🙂
playgrounds in the live-in yards
playgrounds in the live-in yards
playgrounds in the live-in yards
playgrounds in the live-in yards
playgrounds in the live-in yards
I know where the playground is!
I know where the playground is!
We’re had enough, we’re going back now
We’re had enough, we’re going back now
Happy Mother’s day to all our future mums here at Banksia Park!
Lolly is one of our gorgeous schnauzers and we have absolutely adored watching her grow. She was a lovely puppy with a lovely temperament who has grown into a gorgeous loving mum! Here are some photos celebrating our lovely Lolly; she has really stolen a little place in our heart!
Here is Lolly with her latest litter of schnoodles, then her having fun in our adult playground. Some of the photos also include socialisation time we had with her when she was little with her siblings. Together their names are Lolly, Loopy, Lulu, and Lila!
Who knows Taylee? She is one of our much loved cavoodle mums here at Banksia Park Puppies. We are very sad but happy to say that our beloved Taylee will be going to her new home in the next couple of weeks. She has been very much loved by us. She is leaving us earlier than our other mums to go to her new home. A family came to us to rehome one of our dogs as a therapy type dog, and we just knew Taylee would be perfect for their family.
They have a boy who needs extra care and attention, and therefore they need a dog who will walk with them easily, be gentle, caring, and understanding with him, but also be a companion and a teacher. They need a very special dog, and so Taylee will be rehomed to this lovely family. As our fourth Mother’s Day tribute, and with a tear in our eye, we are going to miss you Taylee. Here is a little trip down memory lane of our time with the lovely Taylee.
