When parents find out they are going to have a child they make all sorts of preparations. A room is set aside and possibly the walls are covered with an appropriate wallpaper or paint, a supply of formula fills the pantry, baby bottles and diapers are purchased in huge quantities, toys and pacifiers are picked out, the baby's doctor is selected, etc. You need to make the same preparations for the puppy, and think about the supplies you will need, the car ride home, and the new puppy's activities, feeding, and health care check-up.

 

Equipment

 

Your puppy is going to need a room or at least a place he can call his own, and a cage or crate will fill this bill. You are better off getting one that is big enough for him to use as an adult. The pup will need food and water bowls, toys to chew on and play with, a collar and leash, a bag of a good quality dry puppy food, and plenty of newspapers or training pads if you are going to housetrain inside.

 

 

The car ride home

 

     The big day arrives, and it is off to pick up the new puppy. Coming home will start out with a car ride from the airport if shipping, or our home. Try to keep this from being an overly stressful experience for the pup. The main problem dogs have with car rides usually is not what we humans refer to as motion sickness, but simple anxiety about the vibrations, sounds, and to a lesser degree, the movement. Many dogs that have developed problems with car rides get nervous or even nauseous before the engine is even started. It is important that this first trip not be a bad experience that regresses into a repetitious behavioral pattern.

Before you leave for home, try to get the pup to go to the bathroom so there are no floods or surprises stimulated by all the excitement of the ride. On this first trip home, we break a cardinal rule about traveling with pets. We do not put them in a crate for traveling. Remember, they are small and easy to hold. Rather, we have someone other than the driver hold the puppy in a blanket or towel and talk or in some way try to distract him from the ride. If you have a long way to go and need to stop for the puppy to relieve himself, do not use a highway rest stop. At his young age, the puppy has very little, if any, protection from common dog diseases, and these areas can easily be contaminated with the organisms causing these conditions.

 

Being with people the first day home

 

     Leaving her mother and littermates will probably bring about some anxiety. However, this can be greatly diminished if you plan your schedules so that you will be home with the puppy the first 3 to 4 days. Some breeders suggest leaving the puppy alone and give them time to themselves to adjust to the new surroundings. We disagree. In our homes, we plan for this introductory period by keeping the puppy involved with plenty of attention from children and other family members. When we are not with the puppy, it is sleeping. You will be amazed how time spent in this manner will speed up the housebreaking process. If the children are young or are not familiar with how to handle puppies, you should spend some time with them during these first few days explaining common sense rules on how to play with the puppy.

 

Getting a health check

 

     One of the first things you need to do is get the puppy into a veterinarian for an initial puppy examination. You will want to make sure the puppy is in perfect health. Your puppy will go home with a health record that will list all vaccinations, dewormings and the dates that they were given. It is important that you get your puppy into the vet within the first 6 days of bringing your puppy home. your vet will assist you in getting your pup on a vaccination and deworming schedule, and may also reccomend a heartworm and flea and tick preventative plan. It is necessary to keep all records and reciepts for all vet visits, our contract requires them otherwise our 2 year puppy health guarentee will be considered null and void.

 

 

Feeding the puppy

What, when, and how to feed puppies becomes a major issue on the first day. Many new owners worry that without his mother’s milk, their pup is going to have a hard time adjusting to his new home. We will give you instructions on what your puppy has been eating. It is a good idea to continue feeding the same type and brand of food for at least a few days. Most people are soon surprised how well puppies make it through this transition because they do not understand how far along dogs are in their development at 7 weeks of age. We typically introduce wet food at 21 days of age. Even though their eyes did not open until 11 to 13 days old, just ten days later, puppies are ready to start on something in addition to Mom’s milk. We will usually take dry puppy food, soak it in warm water for thirty minutes, and then give it to the litter when they are 21 days old. The first day, they may only stick their noses in it and try to lick some of the liquid. But after that, they eat and they eat very well.

After a week or so, the puppies are getting these feedings twice or three times a day. This takes a huge burden off the mother, especially when she has a large litter. Puppies fed on this sort of a schedule grow rapidly and with fewer problems.

As soon as possible, the amount of water mixed in the food is decreased, and then finally eliminated. This depends on how fast the teeth are coming in and is done on the judgment and experience of the breeder. We always tell all new puppy owners to use a dry food formulated for puppies. Most 7 week old dogs can eat this, as it comes from the bag, without any problem. By the time puppies go home at 8 weeks, they are good to go on solid food.