Adoption Check List

House Training

Your new puppy will need lots of attention and care! It will be easy to spoil them, but remember your puppy can become too spoiled without proper training and discipline. Have lots of patience, supervision and of course, gentleness. Your puppy will want lots of attention, so always give lots of love and affection! Moving to a new home is a big change for a puppy! The first few weeks of acclimation will be the most important. Puppies are very social, but it might take them a couple days to get comfortable. This is very normal. Try to socialize the puppy with positive encounters and acquaint them with your normal routines.

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Potty Training

Take note Folks! The key word is CONSISTENCY with a lot of patience. When the puppy has to go there are several signs to be attentive to: sniffing, whining, scratching, and circling. If you recognize any of those signs, take him outside immediately. If he goes, praise him. Never punish an accident. If you do, he may learn to go when you are not looking. Crate training is a successful way to promote potty training. Some people may dislike the thought of using one, but dogs are actually den animals. They find comfort and security in their “cave” crate environment. This makes it easy to train your dog to love her crate! The principal in using a crate is that dogs like their "den" clean and avoid going to the bathroom near their eating and sleeping areas. Their instinct will be to keep their crate clean! Keep your puppy in the crate whenever you are not directly supervising them. They may whine at first during “crate time,” but some tough love and consistency will lead to the best results.

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Puppy Schedule

Patience and Consistency are the keys to success in training!

Potty Schedule:
- First thing in the morning
- After eating
- After drinking
- After napping
- Before bed
-Once in the middle of the night

Take the puppy outside every 2 1⁄2 hours and 1⁄2 hour after eating (once during the night). Take him out the same door and to the same spot every time. This will create a “Potty for Life” spot. Once again be patient and be consistent! Keep in mind, overnight potty break between 2-4 AM: JUST THE FIRST 2 NIGHTS AFTER PUPPY COMES HOME. As your puppy begins to recognize the schedule, it becomes easier. Potty training can be done in 3-4 weeks depending how the puppy responds to its training.

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Nap Time
Your new puppy will need to take naps throughout the day to rest. It is also important that he has a warm place to sleep. Be aware that play times are kept short, whether it’s with people or other pets. Puppies can play themselves into exhaustion or not take the time to eat or drink. Your puppy should also be able to retreat to his "den" when he desires, whether he becomes tired or frightened.

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Meeting New Friends

All contact between your new puppy and resident pet should be 100% supervised for the first two weeks, minimum. Be especially careful if your other pets are much larger than your new puppy. We suggest separating your pets with child safety gates or pet exercise pens until they are acclimated. Until your puppy has completed its immunization shots, remember to keep him away from areas where non-resident pets may frequent. (public parks, rest stops) When your puppy comes home, it is not fully immune to the many viruses until all booster shots have been given. We encourage you to speak with your licensed Veterinarian about completing these vaccinations when you receive your puppy. Your puppy will be up to date with our de-worming and vaccination program when he/she goes home.

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Your Puppy's Diet

Do not put the food in a bowl and assume your puppy is eating. Pay careful attention to how much they are actually eating each day because this is critical to their health. Your new puppy should be eating three times a day, 1/2 cup of dry food total (approximate). We feed our puppies “NutriSource Puppy Food". If you are concerned with minimal eating habits use Nutri-cal and/or blend a small portion of warm water with his normal ration, creating thick smoothie consistency for enticement. The small breed puppies do not have a large fat reserve, so it is essential that these puppies eat three meals a day. Missing a single meal can cause these puppies to have dangerously low glucose levels (hypoglycemia). Once a puppy’s glucose levels are low, he might become too confused to eat and could
refuse food.

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Whichever food you choose to feed your puppy, always read the label! Look for these ingredients: meat meal, whole meats, Whole grains (Oat and Rice), Natural preservatives or none-at all, Animal based Proteins, Good Fats (Omega 3&6), Fruits, and Vegetables. The best dog foods contain high quality ingredients that are appropriate for your dog's digestive system. If you choose to switch to a different brand of dog food, the change must be a gradual one. Change the food over a 4-day time period, giving 100% of the original food the first day, 75%
original food and 25% new food the second day, 50% of each the third day, and 25% of the original and 75% new the fourth day. This gradual change will reduce the amount of stress to the puppy.

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Hazardous Items

Keep household cleaners and chemicals out of his reach.

Restrict access to food, plants and chemicals that are dangerous to dogs:

 

Foods:

chocolate, caffeine, onions, garlic, chives, moldy foods, alcoholic beverages, nuts, grapes, raisins, yeast dough, corn on the cob, Xylitol (found in sugar free diet foods), milk, bleu cheese.

Plants:

Azalea, Amaryllis, Daffodil, Bird of Paradise, Eucalyptus, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Iris, Calla Lilly, Morning Glory, Rhododendron, Rose, Jade, Tomato plants, Tulips, Poison Ivy/Oak

Chemicals:

Antifreeze, Ibuprofen, rat bait. Remember to safely store all chemicals out of reach.

Make sure breakable items are out of reach. Put up electrical cords so he/she won’t chew on them. Keep toys off of the floor-since some parts may be small enough for your puppy to swallow. Use a cover and/or protective fencing if you have a pool or hot tub.