Puppy Homing Tips

Tips for when you bring home your puppy

Jumping – you must always make sure the puppy does not jump or fall from any large height (couch, chair, bed, etc.) as that can be very damaging to the puppy’s knees and hips as they develop
Bathing – do not bath your puppy too often as it will dry out their skin, we recommend bathing them once a month. For cavaliers, try not to get water into their ears as it is harder for them to dry inside because their long ears hold in moisture. Westies should be bathed with a sensitive shampoo.
Eating – we recommend free feeding your puppy if possible, if your puppy likes to eat too much or you are unable to free feed due to other pets, etc then we recommend splitting up their food into 3 meals per day. They should be on puppy food until 1 year of age and then slowly transition to an adult food. It’s very important they are on a good quality food and that it is not grain free as that can lead to heart problems.
Drinking – make sure the puppy has access to water at all times, it’s a good idea to give a puppy distilled water for the first week to help their body adjust to the change in water
Exposure to other dogs – puppies are not fully protected until they have had all their booster shots, so it is not recommended that the puppy interact with other dogs until then
Vaccinations – our westie puppies have had a DHPP vaccine and will be due for their next set at 11-12 weeks of age. Our cavaliers are on a different vaccine protocol as they are sensitive to vaccines. They have had a parvovirus vaccine and can get the DHPP vaccine at 11-12 weeks. We have developed this modified vaccine schedule with our veterinarian, as we feel it is the best vaccine protocol for this breed
Vet check – we ask that you take your puppy to your vet within 2 business days for a puppy check-up. This helps establish a relationship with your vet and gives you an unbiased view of your puppy’s health. If at this time your vet feels this puppy is not in good health you are welcome to return the puppy to us for a refund minus any deposits given or exchange your puppy for a future puppy. We ask that you have a health certificate printed from your vet from this visit and that you email us a copy within 1 week of picking up your puppy. We also recommend bringing a stool sample with you to this visit to have the stool examined to ensure there is no need for another dose of dewormer.
Spay/Neuter – we ask that you have this done 3 months after a first heat cycle for a female and at 2 years of age for a male. These times allow for full bone and growth development and yet protects the dog from mammary and other cancers.
Crate training – we recommend crate training your puppy as this is a safe place for them to adjust to their new homes
Insurance – you will be provided with a 30 day trial insurance voucher from Trupanion and we highly recommend continuing with pet insurance as you never know when something unexpected can happen with your puppy.
Nuvet supplement – we have the puppies and our adult dogs on this supplement. We recommend keeping the puppies on this supplement as it’s a good multi-vitamin for them to have that will help with their overall health
Microchip – your puppy has a microchip which you will receive the documentation for when you pick up your puppy, you are to transfer the registration into your name when received
Teeth – it is extremely important to brush your dog’s teeth, not doing so can lead to major health problems
Grooming– if you can brush your puppy weekly with a puppy brush, it will get them used to being brushed
Trimming nails– this is very important. You can either do it yourself or have your vet or a groomer do it.