The first several months with your puppy will require a lot of care. Be sure you have the time and resources available to make this a successful time for both of you. The decision to adopt is making a commitment to your puppy for its entire life. Your puppy will love you for it and reward you with many happy times together.

Congratulations on your new family member!

Your new puppy will come home with:

Small bag of food (ValuPak)

Collar

Training treats

Familiar toy

Blanket with home scent

Health record

Registration papers

Health Guarantee


Shots: Your puppy will receive a Neopar shot at 5 weeks of age and a 5-Way shot at 7 weeks of age. He/She will need a 5-Way shot again at 10 and 13 weeks of age. You need to be aware that your puppy will NOT have full immunity at this time from some very deadly puppy diseases such as Parvo etc.  Great care needs to be taken not to expose your puppy in any way. Pet shops, parks, or any public places should be avoided until at least a month following your puppy's third set of shots.


Deworming: Your puppy will have been dewormed at 2, and 4 weeks with Pyrantel, and at 5 and 7 weeks with Safeguard. You will need to continue to deworm at one month intervals with an all around wormer. You will need to include a dewormer for heartworms at around four months.  We also treat our puppies for coccidia before they go to their new home.


Tear Stains: Around four weeks of age your puppy will begin teething. During this time the tears in your puppy's eyes start having a higher acid content which can result in tear stains. This is not noticeable if your puppy is dark in color. A lighter puppy may start to show a tear stain in the corner of it's eyes. This is temporary, and will fade as your puppy grows.  



Food: We feed our puppies ValuPak (purple bag).   We will send a small bag home with you. If you decide to change to another brand, please mix the food slowly so your puppy can adjust easily. Failure to do so can result in an upset stomach, diarrhea, or even blood in its stool.

Feeding Schedule:  8-16 weeks  feed 1/4 cup three times a day. 17 - 52 weeks feed 1/2 cup twice a day.


Spay or neuter: It is important to have your puppy spayed or neutered at the proper time. Male puppies should be neutered between five to 7 months of age to prevent any unwanted male habits. A female should be spayed around six months of age.


Adjustments: Our puppies are socialized and love being with people. They are completely weaned  at 6 1/2 weeks (normally) which gives them a week and a half to adjust to being away from their mother. They are still used to being with their litter mates so they may cry the first night away. To help with the adjustment, we send one of their toys along home. To help your  puppy settle for the night, place it in it's crate with its toy in a dark room away from you. If it cannot see or hear you, it will settle down and fall asleep much more quickly.


Potty Training: We recommend crate training. The approximate time for this can be anywhere from 2 -4 weeks depending on the puppy. The method we find that works best is to crate your puppy. Immediately upon removing your puppy from it's crate, carry your puppy to the appropriate potty place. Give them 5 minutes to accomplish their task ( they will be very interested in their surroundings at this point and may take them a while). If they are successful, give them up to an hour play time in the house. Crate them again and start the cycle over. If they are not successful, do NOT give them playtime (VERY IMPORTANT). Crate them for another 20 minutes and try again. Once they are successful in pottying outside, only then give them play time. They will quickly learn to associate going potty with fun play time in the house. You should give them opportunity to use the bathroom every two hours at this age. This will stretch out as your puppy's bladder grows. At night your puppy can often hold its bladder for up to 7 hours. It is suggested to potty your puppy around 11 pm and then around 6 am in the morning.



Ear Cropping: If you wish to have your puppies ears cropped, it will need to be done between 9 - 12 weeks of age. Consult your vet for more details.



What supplies do I need for my new puppy?

Here is a list of the basic supplies that you will need when you get home: 
Food:  I feed ValuPak and will send a small baggie of it home with you
Bowls:
Harness/collar and leash: I prefer a mesh style harness while the puppy is learning to walk with a leash. An extra small should fit your new puppy when he/she first gets home.
Crate: I recommend this crate here but there are quite a few options out there. The size I prefer is the 22 inch with divider.
Soft puppy training treats: It is great to use these as rewards for potty training and obedience.
Chew toys: He/she will be teething so he will need something to chew on. 
Puppy Pads: If you are gone for more than about 3 hours you will want to confine him/her in a small room with puppy pads so he has an area to use the restroom.
A soft bristle brush: I really like the slicker brushes but there are  quite a few of options.
A small dog bed or pillow: Make the crate cozy.



What should I bring when I come to pick up my new puppy?

This will depend on the distance you have to travel but if it a long trip you will want a small travel crate, a few soft toys/blankets for the crate ( I will send a familiar toy and blanket home), food and water bowls (I'll send food home and it will be plenty for the trip), some baby wipes/paper towels just in case he/she would get carsick, a harness/collar and leash for potty breaks.