Bringing Home Your New Puppy

The puppies are now 7 weeks old!  Where has the time gone?   It is only a week before the puppies start going off to their new homes.

Your puppy will be given to you with his veterinary vaccine records, the puppy has been wormed, I will give you his ICA registration records, a small blanket, and a bag of food.

Here are a few things you may need to know about your new puppy....



The Trip Home:
   When you come to pick up your puppy you have two options:  Put your puppy in a travel crate, or have a companion hold your puppy.  Either way, your puppy should be on a towel, in case he gets car sickness.   I only give your puppy a light meal before a big trip.  Have paper towels and a bag handy, in case he should get motion sickness.  Most of the time, our Schnoodle's travel well.....but Coco cannot take a 5 minute car ride without losing her breakfast....so every puppy is different.

Give your Puppy some Quiet Time
When you bring your puppy home do not plan to have a meet the puppy party right away.   You should allow your puppy to have peace and low activity for the first 2-3 days.  He is going through a major adjustment being separated from his litter, his mom, and his birth place.   You should take advantage of these first few quiet days to help your puppy get use to his new crate and or pen.   You can hold your puppy occasionally, but don't overdo it right now.  He needs to adjust to being on his own.  If he has time to feel secure in his new bed, he it will be easier for him to get through the first night without you.   You can read about Coco's first days at home on our previous posts.


A familiar item from the litter:
I am sending home a blanket with the scent of the litter on it.  Others have also left Snuggle pets with me for the puppies to sleep on.   So one or both will help your puppy to have something familiar to snuggle up to during nap time.

Feeding your Puppy 
Your puppy may not have much of an appetite when he first gets home.  Try to make sure he gets a little bit of food.  Softening the food in water will make it more palatable during those first few days.  I soften food well in advance of the meal and keep it in the refrigerator.

I will send a small bag of Blue Buffalo dog food home with your puppy to be sure you have food for the first several days.   Your puppy eats 1/4 cup per meal.  And eats 3 meals per day.   As he grows he will eat more.  Follow the instructions on your bag of dog food bag.  From 6-12 months, he will only need to eat twice a day. 

The little bag of food I send with your puppy will last you several days, but don't wait for it to run out to get more in stock.  If the Blue Buffalo puppy food is difficult for you to find, you can switch to another brand of food.   It is best not to do it all at once, but to do so gradually.   I have chosen a high quality food for your puppy.  Do some research before you choose your brand.   I don't particularly like any of the dog foods that are typical store brands.  But Purina One is considered the best of what the grocery store offers.


Veterinary Visit and Vaccinations
Your puppy is scheduled to have a health check and his first set of vaccines on Monday, Aug .19.  He has also been wormed this week.  You may want to call your veterinary now to set up your upcoming vaccination appointment.  The next set of shots is around 10 weeks.

The schedule for vaccines is up to your vet, as some do it differently.  But your puppy will have first shots at 7 weeks.  The next set is at 10 weeks. 

Until your puppy has completed his vaccinations, it is best that you keep puppy away from any place where other dogs may frequent.  (unknown dogs).   Those dogs that belong to family and friends who you know are vaccinated regularly, are safe.   If you live in an area where the outdoors is frequented by unknown animals, then I recommend keeping the puppy indoors, and using the Ugodog until the puppy has completed his vaccines.

 DO NOT hesitate to take your puppy to the veterinary if he does not look well!  The first several days is the most stressful time for a puppy and the puppy needs to be watched carefully to be sure he is adjusting well to his change of environment.   Dehydration and Hypoglycemia are something to watch out for and need to be responded to immediately as both are life threatening!.


Setting up your Pen
Some people will start crate training their puppy and taking him to a safe outdoor potty spot right away.  Others will find that using a UGODOG puppy potty in a pen is an easier way to go.  Either way, have your crate or pen ready for your puppy with a water dish/ and water bottle  (optional)

For a list of all the supplies that are helpful to have for a new puppy, please visit the Puppy Supplies page if you have not already done so. 


Feel free to send an email, or ask me any other questions you may have!