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It's very exciting when the day arrives and your new puppy either flies to you or when you come pick them up. Once the puppy is introduced to it's new environment, such as your home, it will be under a great deal of stress. It will require time to adjust and will require a lot of your time and attention. Do not wash the puppy at this time as this will cause further stress. It is important the the puppy is kept well fed and kept in a comfortable environment to allow the puppies own immune system to develop well. The puppies immune system is a key factor in avoiding and fighting potentially fatal diseases.
The puppy will be exposed to diseases that are spread in the air, by contract with other dogs and also by contaminants such as saliva and feces. The puppy should be confined in your house and kept away from other dogs and away from other areas where other dogs have been. It should only be released from this confinement once the necessary vaccinations have been given. The best thing you can do when you receive you puppy is take him/her straight home and let them rest. They might be excited and want to play or they might want to find a corner and take everything in. It's a new environment, new smells and sounds. They left their siblings and went on a plane or a long car ride and now in a new home. We know and understand what went on they are still trying to figure things out. It's best not to let kids play with them and it's extremely important to let them rest for the next few days. That's not to say you can't hold them, pet them, love and start them bonding to you.
When you take them to the vet's office please remember that is the place where sick dogs and puppies go. The diseases there are extremely high , on the floor, in the air, on the vets stethoscope etc. When I take puppies to the vet I keep them in the crate or in my arms. I'm polite but I don't let people pet or touch them. When I set them on the table I either bring some newspaper to put them on or make sure I see them clean the table off with the proper cleaning agent. You might feel a little picky about it but this is your new baby and it's important to keep them away from diseases as much as you can.
Also when certain diseases get in the ground such as parvo and distemper it can remain there for years. (7-10 years). So please don't let you young puppy out walking where other dogs might have been. Adult dogs might have a disease and be putting off the parvo , even though it might not be affecting adults dogs it's deadly to puppies.
Taking your new puppy to stores like Petco etc is a very bad idea too, along with taking them to a groomer. Even when puppies finish all their puppy shots it's still only 40% effective. In other words it's still a gamble. Their immune systems and organ need time to develop.
I never ever give puppies rawhides that contain terrible chemicals, or cheap doggie treats with dyes and other things in it that keeps their immune system down. The best treat you can give them is bits of real meat. I also believe in raw bones. I'll talk about that in another article.
So in short before you give something to your puppy think about it and make sure it's going to be something that is going to help their immune system and build them up.
I never ship extremely tiny puppies. Someone either has to come pick them up, and they will have to know how to care for a tiny one before they leave here, or I keep them until I'm comfortable and feel they are ready for a short plane ride to their new home. I know we call them puppies but motherly instant kicks in and they become our babies and we are passing off our loved babies to a new home and only want the very best for them. Yes it can be hard to send puppies away but on the other hand we know the extreme joy they will be bringing to their new family. I think one of my biggest rewards is seeing the puppies in their new homes with the smiles on their new families faces. Please send pictures if you can. It makes the sleepless nights and all the hard work worth it when we hear back from you. I've even gotten videos and Christmas cards. Talk about bringing tears to my eyes and joy in my heart!!
Some puppies might have a little different feeding routine than others. All puppies will come with some food either taped to the top of the crate or when you come pick them up. When you introduce a new puppy food it's best to mix up a little ( about 25% ) of the new food the first day and the second day. Increase the new food a little at a time until it's all the new food. That will help them not to get a runny stool. It might already be runny from stress but it's the best way to introduce new puppy food to their system. I get asked if they should have food all the time. Personally I have food available for the small puppies all the time ( the hard kibble) . On the very tiny ones I give them a natural high grade canned food 2-3 times a day. I also keep raw honey in the water for the extremely tiny ones. This is a great way to keep their sugar levels up. Raw honey has wonderful nutriments in it as well. Honey never molds or goes bad as it's a natural antibiotic. I do keep their water fresh. I never feed puppies sugar or corn syrup unless that is the only thing available. Please get raw honey if your getting a tiny one from me. You may never need it or use it, if you don't it's great in tea or on toast. Honey that isn't raw has been heated up and the good nutriments are gone. I'll go into more depth about food that is very good for your puppies and adults, on another page.
To sum everything up. Please rest your puppy when you get them. Take them to
the vet but away from other public places unless your holding them and they are
away from other puppies or dogs. Feed them plenty of food and always have fresh
water available. Enjoy and have fun with your new baby and don't forget to send
pictures!