5 Tips to Follow When Bringing Home Your New Puppy

CONTINUING POTTY TRAINING

Your puppy is still a baby and is still learning; try to be patient and understanding if your puppy has accidents. Yes, they should know to go on their puppy pads or outside but they just went through a huge move and can be stressed and even scared. You should take your puppy out to go potty:

*Every time they wake up from a nap

*15 minutes after they eat or drink

*When they get up from lying down for a while

*Once every hour or two (Yes, that often!)

*Make sure they are going both poop and pee regularly. 

FOOD/DIET

We recommend that you keep your puppy on the same food we have provided or have informed you that they are being fed right now for a minimum of 3 days after the move to their new home. After this time, you can slowly start to change it to whatever food you prefer. We recommend that you do this slowly over the span of about a week so as to not give your puppy the runs. Slowly add the new food to their old food and then slowly add less of their old food and more of their new food. This makes the transition much easier on the puppy’s stomach. 

We free range feed here, which means that the puppies have access to food and water all day long. We only take it away about 2 to 3 hours prior to bed –time. (This helps cut down on the number of accidents in their crate.)

*Give them access to their food often (at LEAST 3 times a day) if you choose not to free range. Puppies need to be fed more than an adult dog because they are stull growing.

*They should always have access to water.

*If they are not eating very much add a small amount of canned food to their dry food to entice them to eat. Some puppies get stressed after a big move and do not want to eat.

*Wet food can cause loose stool, as well as the stress of a big move. Be sure to give wet food in small amounts.

*Make sure they are eating and drinking.

BED TIME

We have already started your puppy on crate training, however; this DOES NOT MEAN your puppy will be perfectly crate trained and will not make a peep when they are in their crate. They are still babies and are still learning. Be patient with them. 

The biggest tip with continuing crate training is once you put them to bed for the evening, do not get them back out if they are whining/barking. If you do, this will teach your puppy that if he/she whines or barks enough that you will come get them out. They need to know that no matter how much they bark or whine that this is bedtime and they need to go to sleep. They should calm down in about 10-15 minutes. 

*If you are crate training, put them to bed and DO NOT PICK THEM BACK UP.

*Place a puppy pad in the bottom of the crate for accidents

*Place a chew stick or bone in the crate as well to help keep them occupied. 

*I also recommend placing their puppy blanket in their crate for the first few nights as well. This blanket smells like home and will be a comfort to them. (Yes, they will probably have an accident and get some on the blanket, it is important that you do not wash this blanket for the first 3 days even if they have had an accident on it. You can clean that area of the blanket but do not wash the whole thing until at least 3 days after you have had your new puppy.

VETERINARIAN VISITS 

You should set up a vet visit as soon as you can after getting a new puppy. Your vet will put you on a vaccination chart as the puppy grows and make sure they are staying completely healthy. Your puppy will come to you completely up to date on shots and dewormer but they will need more as they continue to grow. Talk with your vet about when you should schedule your next appointment. 

BRINGING YOUR PUPPY OUT IN PUBLIC

We recommend that you carry your puppy when you bring them out to a public place until they have had their second round of shots. (Typically their second round of shots is given around 9-10 weeks old; speak with your vet about what is best for your puppy.) Letting the puppy walk in a public place before their second round of shots is something to be cautious about because they can still pick up diseases from other animals. We recommend that you wait until at least 10 weeks old to let your puppy walk in public places. 

At The Real Doodle Co. we start working with your new puppy on many of these areas so they can go home and be the best they can be. But without repetitive and habitual continued training these pups will lose what they’ve learned quickly. The best practices that will stick and last a lifetime are those that are practiced constantly.