Get ready for your new puppy

Congratulations on your new little dood! If you only read one resource before picking up your doodle, we want this article to be it! We are so excited and here to help make this new journey an easy transition for your newest family member. We strongly recommend that you read through all of this within a week of picking up your puppy; especially if you’re a NEW dog owner. Below you will find several topics that we hope will be helpful in your preparation:

What to bring at time of pickup:

We highly recommend a crate for transporting your new puppy safely. Towel(s) to lay down in crate in case of a poop/pee accident. For a full list of items you will need to purchase for your puppy see this link.

Nutrition

At Homestead Designer Doodles, we believe in high quality food for your puppy! We have been feeding your puppy prior to pick-up 2 times a day. In the morning (7:30-8:30am) and evening (4:30-5:30pm). Most Doodles tend to be sensible and not over eaters. All of our puppies come with a bag of puppy food. Which will allow you time to buy and/or transition over to the puppy food of your choice. We strongly recommend NEVER EVER stop their current food “cold turkey” but transition them over a 2 week period. If you decide to switch dog foods, please follow the instructions of the packaging for the most accurate amounts, especially when your dog grow so should the amount.

Ever since 7 weeks old, we have been giving your puppy NuVet supplements. These supplements provides a full-spectrum of nutritional support that focuses on boosting their immune system and overall health. These puppy supplements are safe, rich in nutrients and made to strengthen your pet and to help them live healthy and happy for years to come! To learn more about NuVet or to purchase visit this link.

Veterinary Care

In order for our health guarantee not to become void (per contract signed when puppy purchased) you MUST bring your new puppy to your veterinarian for an initial visit within 3 DAYS OF PICKUP from Homestead Designer Doodles. So if you are picking up your puppy over the weekend, plan on making an appointment for that following Monday. This is for the protection of your puppy. Your vet will advise you when to begin Flea & Tick and Heartworm prevention and when to have follow-up vaccinations.

We will give you a list of all vaccinations with your ownership papers at the time of picking up your puppy. We will specify when additional vaccinations and deworming will be needed. Please don’t let your vet give any vaccinations on that first visit as it shouldn’t be necessary, so call us if your vet is saying so. Vaccinations stress a puppy out, so during this new transitional time of moving into your home isn’t the best time. Please call us if you have any questions regarding this. To know what to expect at your first vet visit checkout this link.

Health Guarantee

All of our puppies are sold with a one-year health guarantee if the puppy remains on NuVet supplements for their entire first year of life bought through our breeder link (which is how we track that you give the supplements). This is how much we believe in these supplements!

Deworming

Don’t panic over this! Worms are an inevitable part of any and ALL puppies lives, so knowing what to look for and how to treat them is important. MOST puppies are born with worms, which is why puppies should be de-wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age, and really for the rest of their lives (check with your vet for the best option for you). At Homestead Designer Doodles we have been de-worming up until you pick them up; so you MUST give another treatment at 12 weeks of age. All vets will assist you in this. See our deworming link for additional information on this.

Potty & Crate Training

Your 8-week-old puppy can “hold it” 4 hours during the day and about 6 hours at night. Puppies and adult dogs love their “den” and like to keep it clean, so a crate is a helpful tool for easy potty training and for keeping your small puppy safe. We recommend using a divider to adjust the crate size as your puppy grows.

Take your puppy out frequently during the day and reward with a treat and lots of praise. Having all food and most water up until 6 p.m. will eliminate the need to go “out” during the night (you’ll know when they start to bark). Adjusting to a crate without siblings might take a couple nights. Some puppies find comfort in having a blanket draped over their crate. Visit our crate training link for more information.

Spay/Neuter

All of our puppies are sold as family pets and not for breeding purposes. We ask that you have your puppy spayed or neutered by their first birthday, but not before 6 months as this can interfere with normal growth patterns. Setting up this appointment at your puppies first initial visit is a good way to ensure not forgetting. Check out our spay and neuter link for further information.

Chewing & Toys

Puppies love and NEED to chew. We strongly recommend you have a lot of chew toys available. If not, they will find things you do not want chewed like shoes, furniture or others. Diverting them is the best way! Visit our online store link for our top recommendations.

Final Words

Thank you for reading this puppy resource article! Along with your veterinarian, we want to be your partner in knowing your puppy so please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have lots of resources on our website so please check them out. We are very happy to have you apart of our quest to make the world a better place; one Doodle at a time! We love to see pictures any and all the time.

Thank you very much,

Meg Bullock 706-224-4284

Homestead Designer Doodles