Bringing home your new puppy can be a fun and exciting time. However, it can also be a very stressful time if you are not prepared. I have put together a small check list of items and suggestions to help you prepare as much as possible for your new puppy. If there is a question you have that you don’t see here, please visit the FAQ page. If you still don’t find an answer to your question, contact me.
Please Note: Most of these items are available in our Care Packages on the Pricing page.
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There are differing opinions about the crate. Many believe it’s cruel while others swear by them. I actually encourage crate training. My dogs are crate trained and my puppies are actually born and raised in a crate. I do this to make it easier for the new puppy owners to crate train their puppy, which has proven to be successful with past customers. From the time they are born, my puppies learn to associate the crate with feeling comfortable and safe. Dogs are den animals and the purpose of the crate is to provide the puppy with its own space and sense of security. It also helps with potty training as dogs will not relieve themselves where they sleep. The crate is only supposed to be large enough for the puppy to be able to stand up and turn around, but I suggest purchasing one your dog will grow into to cut down the cost of having to purchase a larger crate later on. Larger crates do come with dividers in order to limit the amount of space your puppy has. As your puppy grows, you can adjust the divider until it is no longer needed.
With so many puppy foods on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one to purchase. I have had the most success with Wellness. It’s all natural and my dogs love the taste. I have only seen it at Petco, Pet Supermarket, and Petsmart, but Pet Supermarket is definitely cheaper. With Wellness being an all natural puppy food, it can be a little pricey so it is understandable if you want to switch your puppy’s food to one that fits your budget. I highly encourage you to not do this though for the first two weeks. During this time, your puppy is adjusting to its new surroundings and changing its food could add to the stress it might already be feeling. When you bring your puppy home, I will provide you with a days worth of food, but I suggest buying the smallest bag ahead of time and continue feeding it to your puppy for two weeks. After that, if you wish to switch brands, be my guest. Just make sure you are changing the food gradually. Here is a suggested schedule for changing your puppy’s food:
* Days 1 – 3: 75% Wellness with 25% New Food
* Days 4 – 6: 50% Wellness with 50% New Food
* Days 7 – 9: 25% Wellness with 75% New Food
* Day 10: 100% New Food
Although Wellness is a great food that I highly recommend, your puppy still may not be getting all of the vitamins and minerals it needs. I currently use Dinovite. In fact, I swear by it. When Patches had her first litter, she lost a fair amount of her hair along with her energy. After hearing about Dinovite on the radio, I decided to give it a try and have stuck with it ever since. After only two weeks, Patches hair started growing back much thicker than it was before and much more shiny. Not only did she get her energy back, but she was like a brand new dog. She was more playful than the puppies! Because of these astonishing results, I continue to mix Dinovite into the dog food and feed it to my pregnant dams. So your puppy is being fed Dinovite starting at conception and it is mixed into their food once they start weaning away from their mother. Dinovite has proven to decrease shedding, foul odors, relieve skin allergies, treats hot spots and sores, and itching and scratching. Visit www.dinovite.com for more information. I highly recommend the continued use of this supplement once you bring your puppy home.
The ever dreadful potty training! Have no fear….half of the work will be done by the time you bring your new puppy home. Puppies typically start relieving themselves on their own around 3 weeks of age. At this time, I immediately begin the potty training on puppy pads (potty pads, wee wee pads, pee pads, etc.). By 6 weeks of age, the puppies are usually 75% potty trained on the pads and at 12 weeks (when you pick up your puppy) they are 90% potty trained. There are several brands on the market, but choosing which one to buy isn’t a difficult decision. Some have more layers than others for added protection against leaks, but it all boils down to personal preference and budget. We use Wee Wee Pads. They can be found at Petsmart, Petco, and Pet Supermarket. The grocery store does sell puppy pads, but we have learned from experience that these aren’t as durable. There are also different size varieties. Until your puppy masters using the puppy pads, I recommend buying the extra large pads since puppies will sometimes move off of the smaller ones.
This is an obvious necessity. I recommend just buying one dish, preferably a stainless steel one, and then purchasing a water bottle for your puppy to drink from. The water bottle is not cruel and the puppies actually enjoy drinking from it. I prefer the water bottle because it’s less messy, keeps water from entering your puppy’s nose, and keeps the puppy’s face clean. My dogs drink from water bottles and the puppies quickly learn from them how to use it so your puppy will already know how the water bottle works by the time you bring him home. I recommend a stainless steel food dish because it’s much easier to clean and they last a very long time. With plastic food dishes, you run the risk of your dog teething on it and eventually eating bits of the plastic, which could lead to a very expensive emergency vet visit. With glass food dishes, there’s always the risk of dropping it and breaking it. Most stainless steel dishes also come with a rubber bottom to prevent the dish from moving while your puppy is eating and from the puppy trying to turn it over.
For puppies, I recommend buying toys that are made of tough material like rubber. They will be teething for the next year so it’s important for them to have something tough enough to chew on that will last so they won’t resort to chewing your furniture! I also recommend having a variety of toys. Puppies and adult dogs can get bored with the same toys so having a variety will keep them entertained and challenged. However, be sure not to let your puppy have too many toys at once. This can actually be very stressful for them. Let them play with two toys at a time and then just switch them out whenever you feel it is necessary. You may have to buy a toy box! If you do buy your puppy plush toys, like stuffed animals, be sure to cut off any tags. The puppies always find them and want to tear them off themselves. Cutting them yourself will prevent any choking accidents.
One thing to remember, less is more! Fancy and expensive bedding means nothing if your dog won’t sleep on it. A couple of fleece blankets, or even towels, should be just fine. Your puppy will be used to sleeping in a crate that is lined with a fleece blanket that is big enough to fold over once or twice to provide the puppy with enough comfort.
Your puppy will receive its first round of shots at 6 weeks and a second round at 9 weeks. However, I strongly recommend that you make an appointment with your vet the week you bring your puppy home, preferably within the first 3 days for a routine check up and for your puppy to get acquainted with his new vet. I do vaccinate my own puppies so when you make the appointment, be sure to let them know they won’t need their puppy shots. I will provide you with your puppy’s shot records for you to show your vet. If your vet says they don’t recognize vaccines given by breeders, find another vet! This is just a marketing ploy for them to get you to consent to more shots so that they make money. By doing this, you are putting your puppy at risk of over vaccination.
