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We strongly recommend that as you wait for your new fur baby you and your family learn as much as possible about the following: puppy development, training thru positive reinforcement, potty training, crate training, having a great recall, bite inhibition, how to teach puppy good manners (sit, stay, heel, polite way of greeting people with and without direct contact), & create a plan to promote a positive bond between puppy and each member of the household. In addition, it is good idea to decide ahead of time how you and every member of the household will deal with the possibility of the following inappropriate behaviors: accidents in the house, chewing things they are not supposed to chew, barking or whining to get attention. If you decide as a family how you will deal with the possibility of these behaviors you will be better equipped to deal with them in a way that is positive for all. Last, but definitely not least, make a family plan for appropriate socialization. Well socialized puppies become stable, safer, more enjoyable adult dogs.
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If you are wondering where to start, below you will find informative videos and other resources to help you be ready for your puppy's arrival. Please do what works for you and most definitely don't do anything you are not comfortable with. Well mannered, friendly adult dogs do not happen by accident. Don't stress! Loving, bonding & teaching a puppy is lots of fun if you know what to expect & have a plan of action! I hope the videos below help you be ready for your new puppy! If you have children, please make sure to pick a few of the videos and watch them as a family. Your children can help you raise a happy, stable & well behaved puppy:)
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I would like to thank Nigel Reed & Revival Animal Health for allowing embedding of their videos. I have also added a link to other trainers & content creators that I'm sure would be of great benefit to you as you prepare to bring home your new puppy. I will encourage you to watch these with your families (kids included). It will help open the conversation as to how you, as a family, you will teach and manage your new puppy. It will help get everyone at home on the same page. I truly believe it will make for a much better puppy owner experience. Forever Families, please check them out, if you like their content please follow & subscribe. This will show your support for these awesome professionals & content creators. It will also allow you to stay up to date with their latest teaching/training videos. Some of my favorites are Victoria Stilwell & Rachel Fusaro:)
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So much to do, so little time! Where do I start? Start with...
Crate Training, Potty Training, Recall & Bite Inhibition.
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Other Potty Training Videos You'll Find Helpful
Importance Of
Positive Reinforcement
Puppy's First Few Days- What Do I Do?
Good Manners- It's very important to start teaching your new puppy manners early. It will help him/her become a much more pleasant adult dog. Get the whole family involved and have fun with it!
Greeting People At Your Door/
Staying In Place When Door Opens
Below you will find links to books and other items we have found to be of value in our time raising our puppies. Please know these are affiliate links. All commissions will be donated to Heshima Children's Center in Kenya. Heshima Children's Center provide special education, therapy, food, and medical intervention to children who have disabilities in Kenya. They also provide clean water to about 500 people in the surrounding village. In Nairobi, Kenya there are not many organizations that serve the special needs population and Heshima Children's Center is standing in the gap.
Happy Shopping & Supporting A Great Cause!
*2021-Our pups are on this food
This is a food for adult dogs (older than 1 yr old). It's gentle on the stomach and skin. What I like about it is that it is gentle on the stomach and provides all the nutrients adult dogs need.
Some of our litters are on this food. I find that lamb is gentle on the stomach and helps to promote good firm stool.
Our 2023 puppies are on this food. It's appropriate for all ages so for families with 2 or more dogs this may be a good option.The only watch out is that it has a higher fat content so must watch that stool stays firm. Do not over feed or they may get loose stools.
I DO NOT recommend any grain free foods. There are serious concerns as it is possible grain free foods (or taurine deficiency) are contributing to dogs developing heart disease, more specifically canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We also do not recommend raw food at this time as many of the raw foods can contain bacteria that may harm your puppy or humans. Also, some of these diets are not balanced and may damage your dogs health if given for an extended period of time. We respect the right of our forever families to pick the food they prefer for their puppies but we feel it's our duty to let you know our concerns. Please know, if you choose grain free foods or feed raw our the health guarantee would be void.
Pros: Will keep food in tight closed container.
Cons: May be too big, please check the size
Pros: Very hard for puppies to spill the water. Yes, puppies love to flip & play with their bowls if left unattended. This design makes it harder for puppies to tip the bowl:)
Cons:If left unattended, he/she could figure out how to spill their water & could eat or shred the rubber, which could be dangerous if ingested.
Pros: Very sturdy, puppies will not be able to spill the water
Cons: Very expensive for a dog bowl. Puppies could decide to get inside the bowl and take a bath:)
One of our forever families bought this item and loved it. One day I took care of their pup for a few days. I was very very pleased with this bowl's durability, sturdiness and stability. I have not purchased yet because of its price, but I keep thinking about it.BTW apparently you can customize these with your pups name.
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Pros: Two doors, will fit medium size dog, has a divider to make space smaller for puppy
Cons: Can't think of any
I really like this seatbelt tether, I use it with a safety vest, which you can get separately.
Pros: Affordable, washable
Cons: I have found that until puppy is old enough to hold it all night it may be better to use a towel inside the crate. I also like to watch my puppies with any new bedding. They may tear it, take out filling and eat it. This is a health hazard. Puppies must be supervised to make sure they do not tear bedding open
I have not used this particular one but I like that it already comes with the safety vest and the price is affordable. It also has great reviews.
Pros- Price, great for car & airplane travel, can be attached to the car
Cons- Will only fit while puppy is small
Pros- Earth friendly
Cons-None
If you want your puppy to use a puppy pad, these work well.
These work well if you decide to have your puppy continue to use the litter box at night for a couple of weeks only in the beginning. I recommend to start teaching them to go potty outside from Day 1 when you get your new puppy.
This is a hands free leash. Its perfect for when your puppy is a bit older and you want him/her to be supervised at all times. This is not the original I got, but this one is more economical and includes a bag you could use to keep treats with you for training. It also includes a travel bowl. Be aware if you don't pay close attention puppy could bite the leash and render it useless. I once sat down to do some work, I got distracted and my pup chewed it up. It happens!:)
Play Pens & Gates-
I have 2 of the ones below, one that os boy 2 ft tall and one that is much taller.
Pro: Easy to store, easy to move, right size as long as dog does not learn to jump it!
Cons: Could scratch floor so I place mine on top of fake flooring for extra protection.
I have the 2 of these below and I like he fact that I can remove individual panels. That cannot be done with the Midwest gate on the left.
Pros: Easy to to store, easy to install, good safe space for puppy
Cons: Could scratch floors so under it I also use a fake vinyl floor I got at Home Depot
I feel I took too long to get the gate below. I finally got them this year. I got 3 of these and I'm very happy with them. Im not even sure how I managed before having these gates!:)
I like to have a safe place for my puppies to play, that way if there is a time I cannot watch them, I know they are safe. I usually attach these to the crate wit zip ties & I leave the crate open and comfy so that they can go in or out at will.
Books-
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