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Now that you have chosen the right breeder, have read "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson as well as any books by Ian Dunbar, and are now counting the days/weeks before you bring your new puppy home, see the list of "things
to do and buy" prior to your puppy coming to live with you.
There are many different developmental periods in a puppy's life and you should
be familiar with them and know the appropriate way to respond and handle them. Click on this link for a puppy developmental chart so you are prepared for what's to come!
These are not nice-to-do's or nice-to-have's...everything on this
page is something required if you are bringing a new puppy home.
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Things To Do
Time Off from Work
If you are like most familes these days, everyone in the home works. If this
is the case, I would highly recommend that you plan on taking the first two weeks off from work to bond with your puppy.
An alternative would be to leave them with a friend or relative, but remember that means the bonding with that person will
be strong! So don't get upset if your dog is more excited about seeing them, than you!
During this critical time with your puppy, you have the advantage of getting their
housetraining off to the best start since bad habits won't have as much of a chance to begin. It also gives you a better
opportunity to gradually prepare them for crate training and being gone for longer periods of time. Do NOT spend
every minute with your puppy those first two weeks when you are off and then expect them to be happy in a crate when you go
back to work unless you utilized that time to also properly crate train them!
Dog Sitter
If you do not live close enough to work to come home during the day, it is imperative
that you have a dog-sitter, whether it is a releative, friend or someone you pay to relieve your pet throughout the day.
BEFORE your puppy comes home, you should have a suitable pet sitter lined up to
provide potty relief and human interaction for your puppy. Once they are an adult (not until about 2 years old).
Puppies' bladders are not mature enough to hold their urine for extended periods
of time, although, thankfully they can hold it better through the night when sleeping as their metabolism changes and their
need to urinate is diminished.
See the chart below for guidelines on how long you should leave your puppy or dog
alone before needing to relieve himself.
2 -4 months old - 2 -3 hours
5 - 6 months old - 4 hours
6 months 1 year- 5-6 hours
1 year to adult - maximum 8 hours
Veterinarian
Find a veterinarian who understands the benefits of minimal vaccines
who is willing to either order vaccines that only have parvo and distemper (no other vaccines included like lepto, corona,
parainfluenza, etc.), or are willing to administer the vaccines the breeder supplies you with. It is hard for a breeder
to guarantee your dog's health if you are continually damaging their immune systems with annual vaccines. Check out
the "vaccine" page in my website and familiarize yourself with information about this issue. You can print out and take the two documents
listed to the vet for ammunition. Remember, Rabies is the ONLY vaccine required by law, the rest are not required by
anyone and you can just say NO to your vet.
Trainers
You MUST enroll your puppy in classes BEFORE they are 13 weeks
old, during the prime socialization age, optimally starting a class by 10 or 11 weeks old. You may have
to wait until your puppy's second set of shots, depending on the rules of the training center you will be attending.
Making sure you get your puppy scheduled for a class is critical and you don't want to wait until the last minute or
a class may already be full.
This aslso requires you do some homework before your 8-9 week
old puppy arrives home to find the appropriate trainer. The trainer should (MUST for Yandisa puppies) be approved
by the breeder and should utilize primarily positive motivational methods. Going to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers'
website (http://www.apdt.com) and doing a search for available trainers in your area is the first place
to start. Don't assume, however, that if they are listed on that website, that they are acceptable trainers but it is
a good starting point. Look for trainers who have the CPDT certification first as they are most likely to apply appropriate
training techniques and have a good understanding about dog behavior in general. Ask to watch a class and for references
of people who have attended. Also ensure they allow your puppy to play with other puppies for socialization, in addition
to the companion dog training they will be assisting you with. As a breeder, I always ask for the name/number so I can
interview the prospective trainer as well.
Their vaccination requirements of puppy is also a factor because there are some
who require even a rabies shot prior to starting a puppy class at 10 weeks old. Ideally, they only require one set of
shots of parvo/distemper before starting the class. Your puppy should have had its shot a week prior to starting
the class.
 Puppy Proof Your House
You need to start thinking about what you would do to keep a child safe if
you had a toddler coming to stay with you, because you will have to do the same things for a puppy. All breakable items
need to be out of reach. Any chemicals need to be completely inaccessible to the puppy. Keep shoes, socks or any
small edible items out of the reach of the puppy. You may want to use a small x-pen or child-pen to confine the puppy
for the first month in an area of the house for a play area when you cannot watch them 100% of the time. This can be
an alternative to their crate, giving them room to play, but still not giving them the run of the house.
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Things to Buy
Crate - This is
not a negotiable investment if you are bringing home a Yandisa puppy. Click here for more information about crating, including what size to buy, how to properly crate train, etc.
Chew Toys - Ropes,
Kongs, Teething rings, Natural Bones (I highly discourage feeding Nylabones and rawhides for safety reasons)
Food - If you are planning on feeding kibble, you should find one with only meat meal products listed first in the
ingredients and as wholesome of other ingredients as you can find (i.e. human grade meats and organically grown vegetables.)
The best foods will utilize sweet potatos or rice instead of other grains such as oatmeal or barley. Each dog is unique
and may have different dietary needs as a result so you may have to use trial and error to find the right food for
your puppy or dog. You probably won't find that high quality kibble in your grocery store or wholesale market,
Pet Smart or Petco, but rather at upscale pet stores or on the internet so you will need to do some research.
Yandisa puppies will be weaned on Canidae and Orijen Large Breed Puppy. Canidae is a good all-around food for all life stages. Orijen has a high protein content so wouldn't be a
good food to feed alone, but can be mixed at 1/3 Orijen, 2/3 Canidae.
Supplements
If you are feeding a high quality kibble, most of them are packed
full of most vitamins/minerals you need so adding extras should be avoided. Adding Vitamin C is not a problem, however,
since any excess is eliminated in their urine.
Homeopathic Remedies
I would highly recommend you purchase the following to have on
hand at all times. They can all be purchased from www.naturalrearing.com. If you cannot find them in the product catalog, just call "Roger" and
he will send you what you need.
Thuja and Sulpha Tinctures- given immediately after parvo/distempervaccines.
Give Thuja 1/2 dropper 2xs per day for 1 week and then Supha at same dosage for the 2nd week.
Thuja and Lyssine Tinctures- given immediately after Rabies vaccine, 1/2 dropper
Thuja in am and 1/2 dropper of Lyssine in pm.
Arnica Tincture- given immediately after any trauma or injury...dosage provided.
(I also use this for humans after trauma or injury)
Heartworm
Based on information supplied in the March/2006 edition of "Whole Dog Journal," a periodical I highly recommend you subscribe to, I would recommend giving
"Heartguard" every 45 days...and only during the mosquito season.
Ticks/Fleas
I am very reluctant to utilize the Frontline liquid that is administered between
a dog's shoulder blades. Does it work to rid the dog of fleas and ticks? Yes it does. My concern, however,
is the detrimental affects on the dog's overall health. Just thing about it...any chemical that kills fleas and tickes
FOR A MONTH or longer by just applying it to the skin, HAS to be strong. They've discontinued the 6 mos. Frontline
shot because of so many dogs dying from it.
That said, I am equally as concerned about Lyme's disease since I have had two
dogs diagnosed with it. I do use the Frontline Spray and don't use nearly as much as the directions say. If your dogs
aren't regularly exposed to ticks, you wouldn't have to apply it until it was necessary. The manufacturer says
it is safe to use on puppies and I have used it, but sparingly.
I also utilize natural sprays that help repel the fleas and ticks. "Cloud Nine" is a great natural spray concentrate you can purchase from many internet sources, including
www.naturalrearing.com.
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