New Puppy Guide

 

Bringing a new puppy into your home can be exciting, but as with any new parent, a guide on what to expect is helpful.  We have compiled some tips for you to help guide you through new parenthood. 

 

What supplies you will want and need for your puppy

 

Your puppy will want their own special space that they can feel secure in.  The best way to achieve this (aside from a nursery), is to invest in an adult size crate with a divider.  This will allow the puppy to grow into the size and give them a place to call their own.  We think some of the crates listed on this amazon list (below) are what would be ideal.  

 

 Other important supplies are food and water bowls, chew toys (remember to teach them in the beginning what is okay to chew on or not to chew on!), collar and leash, and good quality dry puppy food (some options you can find below).  Lastly, if you plan on having your puppy inside you will need training pads/newspapers (anything other than your living room carpet) to housetrain your puppy. We prefer you to train your puppy directly to “outside potty” that way you don’t have ‘retrain your puppy’. Our puppies when going home at 8 weeks are very familiar with a Doggy Door and doing their business outside of our nursery and barn areas. Also; a very popular system that a lot of our families use is the “Bell System”.  The Bell System is when your puppy learns to pull the bell rope when needing to go outside; this is great if you don’t have the Doggy Door option.

 

Taking your puppy home

 

Feeding:

 

By the time your puppy leaves our ranch they will have been weaned from their Mother’s milk and eating dry food.  We introduce wet food to puppies when they are about three weeks old (usually by soaking dry food in warm goat's milk & baby rice cereal) so they can start gradually working their way to solid food by the time they are about six weeks old which is when they are eating dry food completely.  We have several brand suggestions for food.  It is very important to pay attention to what ingredients are being used in your puppies food. The first and most important thing in finding a dog food for your puppy; is reviewing the ingredients and location of the manufacturer!  Make sure your dog food is getting made in the USA and NOT a Foreign country. Once you establish that you have an American based company check out the ingredients. There should be NO: By-Products of any kind or corn.

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You want a food that has real meat (ex. Chicken, lamb, fish, etc.) , rice, vegetables, and fruits plus vitamins. We will also show you some healthy choices. Remember this food is for your special puppy and needs a healthy well balanced diet. The better quality the food the less they need to eat because it has the proper nutrition that their bodies require.  When your puppy has top quality nutrition, their bodies flourish as they grow older, and their coat will be healthy, shiny, and look amazing.

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We free feed all of our puppies so that way they learn that food isn’t the most important thing and as well preventing food aggression with other puppies. However if you do not have a doggy door or plan on crate training I would suggest removing all food away by 5pm.  (that way you won’t have to make bathroom trips in the middle of the night...) 

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OUR FOOD RECOMMENDATION IS: LA (Life Abundance - All Life Stages green bag) To place in order and have delivered to your home click the Link: www.lifesabundance.com/csvistafarms

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If you want to learn about our dog food,  Life’s Abundance is holistically balanced and provides the nutritional harmony that’s important to help your canine achieve and maintain optimal health.

Made for all life stages, this recipe contains only the finest ingredients, like …

• A proprietary blend of vitamins & minerals
• High-quality protein from chicken meal for strong muscles
• An antioxidant system including vitamins C & E
• Prebiotic fiber & guaranteed probiotics
• A selection of nutritious vegetables
• Omega-3 fatty acids for healthy skin & a shiny coat
• Calcium & phosphorus for healthy teeth and strong bones
• Dietary fiber to help maintain a healthy digestive tract

To be the best dry dog food, this premium kibble contains …

• No artificial flavors or colors
• No corn, wheat or corn/wheat glutens
Fresher food is more nutrient-rich. While leading brands stockpile tons of food for months on end, our healthy dog food is made weekly in small batches. When you buy this Life’s Abundance dog food, your sweet pup will benefit from our strict inventory controls and product safety considerations that are second-to-none. Put your K-9 on the path to wellness. Provide them with a recipe for a long and happy life.

 

SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED:  Click on link to order:      www.nuvet.com/98667

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Great Immunity Booster: A perfect supplement to order before bringing home your puppy :)  

At NuVet Labs® we know that a major cause of poor health in our beloved pets is the lack of proper nutrition with their diets. This is the main reason we developed NuVet Plus®. NuVet Plus® is the culmination of 8 years of research and development, formulated with the goal of creating a nutrient-rich formula that would surpass mere vitamin replenishment. Instead, the supplement provides full-spectrum nutritional support that focuses on boosting your pet’s immune system and overall health.

Keeping your pet’s immune system strong is crucial in today’s environment. Household toxins, fertilizers, pesticides, and even many of today’s pet foods leave your pet’s immune system susceptible. Regular and even premium brand pet foods can contain toxins, bad bacteria, and “meat by-products” (an industry term for anything other than meat). Other common ingredients are fillers like corn, wheat and barley. These food ingredients and other environmental factors are prime sources for poor health in your pet.

Our team of pet industry scientists, veterinarians, and medical specialists created NuVet Plus® to be a high-quality supplement that incorporates a precise formula of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbs and more. NuVet Plus® brings together vital ingredients that perform synergistically to help improve your pet’s health and keep them healthy. Our supplement is made using Natural ingredients that are formulated in a FDA Registered Facility using CGMP standards.

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Supplements fantastic for your puppies growth 

NuJoint Double-Strength (DS)! This hip and joint supplement can help dogs of all ages by promoting optimal joint health.

NuJoint DS has increased amounts of the active ingredients MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), Glucosamine, and Chondroitin. NuJoint DS also includes Vitamin C (Ester-C®) which is required for the synthesis of collagen (a component of joint cartilage), and it can also reduce free radical damage to cartilage.

We only use the highest-quality pharmaceutical ingredients, cold-processed and specifically compounded in a FDA-registered laboratory for maximum potency and effectiveness.

NuJoint DS supports optimal joint health and mobility.  NuJoint DS comes in chewable wafers are flavored with real chicken liver and easy for pets to digest. NuJoint DS is safe and beneficial for dogs of all ages, including pregnant females.

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Initial Bonding Time:

 

When your puppy leaves our ranch, there will be a certain level of anxiety present- after all they are leaving their Mother and littermates.  You can help make this transition easier and allow for a premium bonding time if you can arrange your schedule to be home with your puppy for at least 3-4 days.  This introductory period will start an incredible bond with your puppy, helps significantly in house training, and helps give the puppy confidence in their new home.  It is also helpful if young children are in the home for you to supervise the interactions for the first few days so that both puppy and child can learn manners with each other to avoid future injuries.  

 

Vet Visit:

 

Please take your entire AKC folder with you while visiting your vet and having that first introduction (this lets your vet know what kind of breeder you adopted your puppy from). When you take your puppy home, you will be provided with their health record that will list all vaccinations, dewormings, preventative treatments, and the dates that they were given. It will also include the future dates for the next vaccinations to keep your puppy on schedule. This is very important to take to your vet within 1-2 weeks of coming home.  Your vet will assist you in getting your puppy on a vaccination and deworming schedule, and may also recommend a heartworm and flea and tick preventative plan.   WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you do not allow your vet to recommend spaying / neutering before your puppy is the age of  1 ½ years of age. There is a lot of new research regarding the long lasting damages of early spaying and neutering can cause your puppy.  UC Davis provides an excellent article which you can read here:

 

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/early-neutering-poses-health-risks-german-shepherd-dogs-study-finds

 

*NOTICE*: YOU MUST KEEP ALL RECORDS AND RECEIPTS FOR ALL VETERINARY VISITS.  OUR CONTRACT REQUIRES THEM FOR THE 5 YEAR PUPPY HEALTH GUARANTEE TO BE CONSIDERED VALID AND ENFORCEABLE.    

 

Crate Training:

• The crate is a ‘SAFE PLACE’ - never a place for punishment! Its their DEN - A place where kids are NOT ALLOWED to go in. Like a human a dog could have an off day - maybe not feeling 100% and they need a place to rest and not be bothered.

• While training your puppy in the crate give them the best treats!

• Bully sticks, kongs stuffed & frozen, pig ears etc.

• You can feed in the crate  but not past 5pm! (unless you like going out in the middle of night.) lol

• Make sure you have a crate that is not to big for your puppy to divide into a sleeping space & a potty space. ( crate can have dividers to help with the growth.

• If you are not able to watch your puppy constantly in the beginning for accidents - use your crate.

• Keep your crate open while hanging out with your puppy so they can go in there and have a place to lie down.

• Take your puppy out potty as late as possible before bed 11:30pm? That way they can sleep until the morning.

• And the most important thing do NOT ALLOW your puppy out of his/her crate if they are crying/whining. (just like a baby in a crib)

 

Socialization:

• Socialization far most the important thing to creating a ‘GOOD DOG’ without proper socialization one could create a fearful, terrified unruly dog with people and other animals!

• Your puppies first 8 weeks with us - they experience many different things.

• Once your puppy goes home & receives his/her 2nd vaccination they are ready to begin some outside socialization to healthy clean places. Yes- you still need to be careful -(NO Downtown, Walmart, Dog-parks, gas stations or rest stops) but take a blanket with you and you can put them in the cart at PetSmart, Petco, Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Barnes & Noble, coffee houses, Jamba juice, etc.

• you can get one of those ‘Baby Carriers that strap to your chest and put your new puppy there; works fantastic! Puppy gets exposed and never touches the ground!

• Play dates with your friends (healthy- vaccinated pets) is also a great place to get them exposed to other dogs.

• Once they have their 3rd  vaccinations - it opens up more places for your puppy like the beach! and free puppy play dates at Petco :)

• NO DOG PARKS until they are older than 8 months at least! ( dog parks have lots of UNHEALTHY diseases like dog flu, parvo, etc)

• Allow your puppy to meet people (this will help them become social and like people) this does not stop them from being naturally protective over their family! But makes a great dog! (The goal is to meet 100 different people in a 100 days) example: old, young, disabilities, skateboards, cycles, wheelchairs, etc. 

• INDEPENDANT Time is just as important for your puppy as socialization. Puppies need "ALONE TIME" to play and entertain themselves in a safe environment like a playpen or yard. This will help you in the future to create a good dog that can handle being home without causing "SEPERATION ANXIETY" from his human parents. we all have to go to work, school, doctors, or grocery at some point in time! LOL  

• LAST Thing: Make sure everyone has a part to play in caring for the puppy, feeding, cleaning, training, giving treats etc. this will the puppy not just become attached to one person in the family (causing over protective behavior/jealousy  towards other members in the family.

 

Obedience Classes:

 

• Although this is optional, we highly recommend that every puppy attend a basic obedience course.  PetCo offers a variety of classes, as well as the opportunity to participate in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class and test, as well as the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification.  

 

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/petco-dog-training

 

PetSmart also offers similar basic training courses as well as therapy dog training.  

https://www.petsmart.com/pet-services/training/

 

• Of course, these are just examples. You can always research what is available to you in your area for basic obedience classes.  

Another great way to find more trainers is ask the puppy families          in our group for their advice and experience with local trainers too.

 

• Your new puppy would also could be great for:  agility, obedience trials, rally, scent work, search & rescue, possible schutzhund, IPO, therapy, or service work. If you are interested in one of these please lets us know and we can help you get started.