PUPPY INFO

PUPPY PREPARATION 

Congratulations! You're getting a puppy, now what?  Now is the time where you get prepared for your new puppy's arrival!

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1. Clean and prepare your house for the puppy.  Puppies are curious and get into everything.  Put away anything you don't want chewed and do not let them have access to anything small enough to fit into their mouth.  They will eat and swallow all types of foreign objects that can cause choking or intestinal blockage. 

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2.  The car ride home and the initial 24 hours for the puppy can be scary.  This is normal.  They have been comfortable with their playmates and mom being around but have now been introduced to a completely new environment.  As much as you want to do everything with your puppy, try keeping things quiet for the first 24 hours.  Soon enough, he/she will be exploring, playful and into everything.

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3.  We suggest a crate for training initially.  All of our dogs were crate trained as puppies and know where their "house" is.  As they got older, grew out of chewing, were trained and learned manners, they now roam the house freely without destroying anything whether we are home or not.  This will be owner preference of course.

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4.  Food is everything.  Once puppies are weaned from mom, they will begin a high quality pet food.  By the time they leave us, they will be 100% on a high quality dry puppy food. We use Purina Pro Plan Puppy Chicken and Rice Formula.  We suggest keeping them on this because the quality and ingredients are wonderful and highly recommended by veterinarians.  If you choose to switch, do so gradually and please switch to another HIGH quality puppy food like Royal Canine or Science Diet.  There really is a large difference between dog foods and can make a difference in your puppies initial development as well as their long term health and life expectancy.

5. House training is hard but consistency is key.  We tried the puppy pad route but just found they would rather destroy them.  We find taking them out the same door and putting them in the same spot is helpful.  Also taking them out often- first thing in the morning, before bed, after feeding, after playing and after napping.  Remember puppies have small bladders and can only hold it for so long.  The standard rule of thumb is that the puppy can hold their bladder for the number of hours it is old (ie: 2 months equals 2 hours, 3 months equals 3 hours, etc.).  Always praise your puppy for going potty outside. Soon he/she will get the concept but you have to be patient.  

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6.  Puppies can choke on or swallow pieces from soft toys that they will rip apart, causing intestinal blockage or death.  We recommend hard toys or kongs, especially with teething.  We do not recommend rawhide or greenies, as they are known to cause choking or blockage.

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7.  You want your puppy to get exercise.  However, you do not want to force a puppy to run more then he/she chooses while still growing.  Golden Retrievers are known for hip issues.  Their growth plates are not completely developed until 18-24 months of age.  To decrease the instance of hip dysplasia, it is recommended to have small, short walks a couple times a day and to gradually increase over time as the puppy grows and hips become more developed.  We don’t take our puppies into public or on walks until they are fully vaccinated at around 4 months of age (due to risk of Parvo-see below). Small puppies should not be walking miles at a time.  We typically do short walks (1/4 mile) to get the concept of the collar and leash. We slowly increase the distance of the walks as they get older but still don’t fully run long distances with them until they are at least 24 months old. We do, however, let the puppies run around the fenced yard at their leisure as there is a big difference between forced exercise and them doing it on their own. 

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8.  Due to certain orthopedic issues and cancers, it is recommended to WAIT to spay/neuter until your dog is at least 18 months of age (females should have had at least one to two heat cycles before spay). We actually prefer you wait until the dog is closer to 24 months if possible.  

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9.  BE CAREFUL!! Puppies will get their first round of vaccines with us, however, they will not be protected from certain diseases like Parvovirus, rabies, etc. until they are fully vaccinated. I know people who have personally had puppies get parvo.  Some puppies have died, others have luckily recovered but the owners endured large medical bills.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT take your puppy into public places or near any other animals that are not vaccinated until they have gotten ALL their vaccines and have been cleared by your veterinarian.  This is typically around 4 months of age but will depend on when they get all their vaccines. 

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10. Consider a trainer. Whether you do one on one sessions or a doggy boot camp, it can make a world of difference in the behavior and manners of your pup. Golden retrievers are eager to please and have high energy. One of the best things we ever did was send ALL of our dogs to an amazing trainer. They all know your basic commands (heel, come, etc) and much more. They are off leash trained and some of the most polite pups you’ll ever meet. 

11.  Enjoy! Dogs are wonderful, loyal animals that will bring you years of joy.  If you have any questions, concerns or need advice, we are happy to help.