PUPPY WELL-BEING
Home Sweet Home!
We recommend that you begin the "nesting" process BEFORE bringing your puppy home. Ensuring that you have all the necessary supplies can be expensive, so we recommend starting with the basics:
- Bowls: Two bowls, one for food and one for water (tip-proof, stainless steel or ceramic)
- Food (we will send you home with a sample bag of Life's Abundance All Stages Dog food. This is what your puppy has been eating while here at the farm and we highly recommend that you keep your puppy on this food..
- Crate: Crate-training and house-training go hand in hand. There are a number of different types of crates available - we recommend you get one in which your puppy can grow into.
- Collar with ID and Leash: While we will microchip your puppy before he leaves for his new home, we highly recommend that you get a lightweight, expandable collar with an ID tag that shows your puppy's name and your phone number. We also suggest that you have at least a 6 foot leash (leather or nylon).
- Grooming tools: We suggest using a soft-bristle brush for grooming and purchasing pet-specific clippers (there are even some with sensors) for clipping their nails. .
- Toys: Labrador puppies love to chew, and in addition to that, they love to retrieve and carry things in their mouths, so tennis balls, training dummies, any kind of fuzzy toy, and Kong's are all appropriate toys for your puppy.
- Treats: Having small, puppy-sized treats will help during the training process! Our dogs love Life's Abundance Tasty Rewards Training Treats!
Choosing a Veterinarian
Before bringing your puppy home, it is critical that you find a good veterinarian that you trust with your fur-baby's wellness. You will want to schedule your puppy's first wellness check within a few days of bringing her home. We like to suggest bringing in your puppy for a "meet the staff" visit first so that the office can snuggle and coo over her. This will help your puppy feel safe about visiting the veterinarian versus feeling fear.
We practice strategic deworming, as recommended by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Your puppy will have received 4 deworming treatments, starting at 2 weeks of age and repeated at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Thereafter, you should talk to your veterinarian about starting your puppy on a heart worm preventive medication. Your puppy will also have received her first set of inoculations before going home with you. All of your puppy's health records will be provided to you in the Puppy Care Kit so that you can share it with your veterinarian.
We practice strategic deworming, as recommended by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Your puppy will have received 4 deworming treatments, starting at 2 weeks of age and repeated at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Thereafter, you should talk to your veterinarian about starting your puppy on a heart worm preventive medication. Your puppy will also have received her first set of inoculations before going home with you. All of your puppy's health records will be provided to you in the Puppy Care Kit so that you can share it with your veterinarian.
The First 12 Months...
Chances are, you will be taking your puppy home when he is 8 weeks old and you will soon become the center of his world. The time between 8 weeks and 12 months will be his primary growth and learning period, so proper nutrition, exercise, and training is critical to ensure your puppy matures into a happy and healthy adult dog.
Some things to keep in mind during this period:
8-16 weeks:
Questions about spaying/neutering your puppy...
There is great debate about when to spay or neuter your puppy. For many years, it has been suggested that this be done at or before 6 months of age. A variety of reasons are given to support this call to action. We are not certified scientists, researchers, or veterinarians, so we will not provide you with a definitive answer as to when you should spay or neuter your puppy; however, we will be happy to share with you information that we feel can help you make an educated decision. Below are links to various studies that have been done on the subject.
American Veterinary Medical Association: "Study Shines Spotlight on Neutering"
https://www.avma.org/news/javmanews/pages/131101a.aspx
AKC Canine Health Foundation: "Health Implications in Early Spay and Neuter in Dogs"
http://www.akcchf.org/news-events/news/health-implications-in-early.html
Veterinary Information Network: "Pet spay-neuter studies spotlight health risks, benefits"
http://news.vin.com/vinnews.aspx?articleId=27205
Some things to keep in mind during this period:
8-16 weeks:
- Your puppy will shed his baby teeth as permanent teeth begin to emerge (be sure to provide him with plenty of chew toys).
- Your puppy's bladder is small, so please be sure to give him plenty of opportunities to go outside.
- Your puppy is extremely curious about everything that is around him - this is a key socialization period and a critical time to positively expose him to as much as possible.
- Your puppy will experience a major growth period during these months, physically and mentally.
- This period is sometimes referred to as the "adolescence period" and like many teenagers, your puppy may rebel a bit, seemingly forgetting everything you and he have learned over the last few months...be patient and continue to focus on his training .
- Exercise!!!
- Reduce the amount of feedings per day
- Look into advanced obedience training classes, participate in AKC events, and consider the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification!
Questions about spaying/neutering your puppy...
There is great debate about when to spay or neuter your puppy. For many years, it has been suggested that this be done at or before 6 months of age. A variety of reasons are given to support this call to action. We are not certified scientists, researchers, or veterinarians, so we will not provide you with a definitive answer as to when you should spay or neuter your puppy; however, we will be happy to share with you information that we feel can help you make an educated decision. Below are links to various studies that have been done on the subject.
American Veterinary Medical Association: "Study Shines Spotlight on Neutering"
https://www.avma.org/news/javmanews/pages/131101a.aspx
AKC Canine Health Foundation: "Health Implications in Early Spay and Neuter in Dogs"
http://www.akcchf.org/news-events/news/health-implications-in-early.html
Veterinary Information Network: "Pet spay-neuter studies spotlight health risks, benefits"
http://news.vin.com/vinnews.aspx?articleId=27205
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