New Puppy Ownership Guide
DAY ONE: Pickup or Delivery?
Be sure that you have your puppy's travel plans made at least 1 week in advance to the scheduled go-home date.
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Final payments for pickup can be made on the day of pickup in cash, cashier's check from a bank. If payment is by credit card, please make arrangements to pay prior to pickup.
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Delivery: We offer several delivery options. Please contact us to discuss pricing and availability. Payment will be determined by choice of delivery method. See estimated delivery costs here.
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What We Provide:
BLANKET
TOY
PUPPY FOOD
MICROCHIP DOCS
NuVET SAMPLES
HEALTH RECORD
VET REPORT
TRUPANION INFO
The most important item: Your new family member! In addition, your go-home bag includes a blanket and toy with the a familiar smell he/she will find comforting, and a small bag of Diamond Puppy Food.
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Your information packet includes all the necessary documents you need to register your puppy with his Microchip ID, NuVet vitamins, Trupanion health insurance info, and his vet & shot records. We will review these upon your arrival.
If your method of delivery prevents us from meeting you personally, we can schedule a consultation to review the paperwork.
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Deaz Swag! These will rotate based on stock, and can include both human and puppy goodies!
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Browse our page below for more details, or click one of the direct-links here:
What You Should Bring:
If we are not delivering to your doorstep, you will need the following:
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A way to secure your puppy for the ride home. These can include​​
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A small pet carrier. In most cases your puppy will weight less than 10lbs on go-home day. Prepare accordingly with an appropriate size.​
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A harness/collar
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A leash or seatbelt attachement.
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A blanket or towel and a few wet wipes in the case of an accident.
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Your final payment if arrangements haven't be made in advance.
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And last but not least....Lots of smiles, hugs and love for your new puppy!
FAQ's on Puppy Care . . .
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Will my puppy be potty trained? Puppies are on a routine here at the ranch that includes going outside several times a day to potty. This is not formal, one-on-one training, but rather socialization with several other dogs in the yard. We feel that the socialization and exploration at this age is more important than attempting to potty train a group of puppies at once. Your puppy will have a good start, but will need that one-on-one with you in your home to adjust to his new environment and for you to learn his ques.
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Where should my puppy sleep? We highly recommend crate training. This establishes a safe space for your puppy when you can't have eyes on him. He will learn to find comfort and have time to process everything he has learned that day. With patience, you and your puppy will both learn to appreciate the security of a crate. This is not only for night time. Short breaks in the crate during the day can lead to a calmer, more well-behaved dog. See more on crate training below.
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When should my puppy eat? We are transitioning to Diamond Puppy Food three times per day. 8 a.m., 1pm, and 6 p.m. It is more important to set a routine as opposed to the amount of food being fed. Your puppy is young and growing and will have days when it will eat a lot and others not so much. If you do choose to switch foods please do not do it in the first month. The puppy has had enough change by moving to a new home. When/ if you change, do it gradual and mix old food with new food.
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How much should my puppy eat? Recommendations based on size are typically located on the puppy food packaging. From the Diamond Pet food website, the recommendations are:
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How can I help my puppy adjust to his new home? Your puppy is accustomed to sleeping with siblings. The first few nights will be an adjustment for the little one. Warm a blanket or towels in the dryer and place them in the sleeping area to help with the transition. If you wanted to purchase something to help with the transition, I recommend the SNUGGLE PUPPY
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Is my home safe for a puppy? Much like a new born baby, a puppy will explore the surroundings using his mouth. He will chew. and it is important that he does not have access to anything that may harm him. They love electrical cords. Get on the floor and look for any small objects or anything that may harm the puppy if it were chewed. Around the age of 6 months old they will lose their baby teeth and chewing will increase until all teeth have been lost. Sometimes they experience a period of biting where you are their chew toy. Have patience... it doesn't last long, but you will need to redirect them or give them a frozen washcloth to help with teething pain.
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Do I need to take my puppy to a vet? YES. While all puppies are seen and cleared by my vet prior to going home, it is your responsibility to get them to your vet to get reassurance they are healthy. This appointment should be made before picking up the puppy and planned to be within 2 days of bringing them home. Please take a fecal sample to the vet with you. When a puppy goes to a new home it is stressful and can cause a flare up of Coccidia or Guardia. Both are stress induced, but are extremely easy to cure. We appreciate a report after your visit. We deworm at 2, 4, 5, 6, & 7 weeks of age and the puppy will come with a current shot record to take with you to the vet. Your puppy will need puppy shots at 6, 9, and 12 weeks old and a rabies shot before 6 months old. They will come up-to-date on these, but it is IMPORTANT they keep this schedule. If you miss one you have to start over.
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What Flea/Tic and Heartworm Preventatives should I use? DO NOT USE TRIFEXIS OR COMFORTIS! Anything with Spinosad is extremely poisonous and can cause seizures. I personally know a dog that that crossed the rainbow bridge because of Comfortis. Prior to knowing better, I gave Trifexis to my dogs, none of them liked it and one would vomit every time. We now use Advantage Multi, an all in one topical treatment. We have experienced bad reactions and even death from products containing Spinosad, including (but not limited to) TRIFEXIS and COMFORTIS. Spinosad is extremely poisonous and can cause seizures. We now use Advantage Multi, an all in one topical treatment.
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Will my puppy need grooming? YES. Most Cockapoos and other Doodles will need groomed every 4-8 weeks depending on coat length and look that you want to keep. See our Grooming section below for more tips.
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Is my puppy insured? Your puppy will come home with 30 days of Trupanion insurance. (must be activated within 24 hours of go-home) See below for information on how to extend the policy.​
Potty Training:
We have had great success using bells hanging from the door knob. As soon as the puppy rings the bell, let them out. It does not take long for them to associate the bell to going out to potty.
If you want the puppy to potty in a certain area then take them on a leash to that area as soon as you go out and give the command "go potty" when they go, act like it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and go bananas with belly rubs and praises.
Always take them out the minute they come out of the crate, 10-15 minutes after eating, after any nap, and before putting them in the crate.
Crate Training:
We highly recommend crate training. This establishes a safe space for your puppy when you can't have eyes on him. He will learn to find comfort and have time to process everything he has learned that day. With patience, you and your puppy will both learn to appreciate the security of a crate. This is not only for night time. Short breaks in the crate during the day can lead to a calmer, more well-behaved dog.
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When deciding on a crate, use the size of the parents to determine what size crate you will need.
Under 30 pounds as adults 24-36 inch
30-60 pounds 36-42 inch
60+ pounds 48inch or larger
If it is too large a puppy will tend to have accidents, but if it is the right size the puppy should adjust without many accidents. Get a crate that comes with a divider that can be used to adjust the amount of space the puppy has as he grows.
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Crate training is also a highly effective method used to speed up potty training.
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Once your puppy is fully potty trained, it is at your discretion and comfort level to determine how much free reign you want your puppy to have. Always base your decisions on your particular puppy, as each learns at a different pace.
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Hang in there! It will all be worth it!
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Socializing Your Puppy (the right way)
It is important to continue what we start out training here at Deaz.
Socializing your puppy sounds like you should take him around town and show him off, but in reality, preparing your puppy for social situations is an important first step.
Get him used to different sights and sounds within the safety of his home so that when the stimulation of a new world has him frazzled, he will have the confidence and knowledge to adapt more quickly.
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Give your puppy the chance to succeed by preparing him before "throwing him off the deep end to see if he can swim".
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Children are educated for years before being turned out into the world. Show your puppy the same courtesy and you will reap the rewards of a well-mannered companion.
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Microchip Registration
Your puppy will be microchipped. You will need to register your puppy to you. Information on how to register will be in your go-home folder.
The brand of microchipping we use is Buddy ID.
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Grooming
Most low-shedding dogs require grooming every 4-8 weeks. Timing depends on how long or short you want your puppy's hair to be. There are sanitary areas that should be addressed periodically.
If you are new to this, I recommend attending the entire first grooming session to make sure you are comfortable with the groomer. Some places want you to drop off and pick up, but it is important that you know how your puppy is being cared for.
Some groomers use sedation to calm a squirmy dog or extreme restraints. Be wary. A good groomer will use patience and care with every dog.
Combing fur and tugging on the feet and ears will help the puppy get used to being handled in the manner the groomer will handle them.
We recommend a puppy cut at an early age before 6 months old to get them socialized to grooming.
Grooming at home tips: A metal comb is the only tool that will maintain the undercoat. Most brushes only get the top coat. Brush your puppy as often as daily, not only to keep him clean and matt-free, but also to be accustomed to being handled in a grooming situation. Get him comfortable with someone touching his ears, mouth, tail, and feet.
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Training and Treats
It is always helpful to sign you and your puppy up for a Basic Obedience Course, but puppy training can start right away at home. This builds a trust and understanding between you and your puppy.
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Be careful not to Over-Treat your puppy. A single treat is comparable to an entire Snickers bar for a human.
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Dogs get pleasure when you use a happy tone and pet them. If you use treats for training try dry kibble or cheerios.
The more time you spend working with your dog the better their manners will be. The one on one training time allows them to learn your tones and they will associate that with everyday living.
When I train a puppy, I always do it before a feeding and use their regular dry dog food. The puppy will be hungry and you will have their full attention and they learn very fast this way. You have to establish yourself as the Alpha in the relationship, set boundaries, and BE CONSISTENT.
Nuvet Plus Immunity Booster
NuVet is an immunity booster that helps protect puppies for getting sick between nursing and adulthood.
We have started the puppies on NuVet and recommend you give it daily for their entire life. We crush the wafers over the food in the morning, so do not be alarmed if it takes them a bit to learn how to chew the wafer.
It can be ordered by calling (800) 474-7044 or online at www.nuvet.com use code number 29242. This code allows me to track who is using the product so that I know who qualifies for the extra year on the health guarantee.
TruPanion Insurance
Your puppy will come home with 30 days of Trupanion insurance.
We have had a huge request for information on pet insurance. We believe this is a trustworthy company, but leave it at the discretion of our customers to decide if insurance would benefit your needs.
We are not affiliated with the company outside of giving you information on them. We are unfamiliar with everything the policy includes and recommend you doing your own research to determine if the policy will meet your needs.
BRANDS WE TRUST
