Usually, the day he's 8 weeks old. I start confirming pickup dates and times up to a week in advance so I don't end up with everybody coming over on the same day.

The last thing I do before you pick up your puppy is give him a bath. If you arrive early or I'm running late, your puppy could still be a little damp. We can let him run around in the living room or outside on a nice day, and then he'll be dry.

You can pay the balance for your puppy with cash, cashiers' check, or a money order. If you've purchased a puppy from me before, a personal check will be fine.

Close to the day you pick up your puppy, I will email you his medical record to show your vet. It will include the names of the vaccines your puppy received at 6 and 8 weeks (DA2P+CPV). These are important; your vet needs to know exactly what your puppy has had, and when. Your puppy will have been de-wormed by me with Safegard as he's been growing up. This de-wormer is given three days in a row. The medical record will also indicate when the next booster shot is due (three weeks after the previous one). You might want to discuss the Bordetella vaccine with your vet. It is to prevent kennel cough and is a requirement of boarding kennels and obedience classes.

You are encouraged to have your vet examine your puppy within three business days of bringing him home. Your vet will be able to start a medical record, and you'll have the opportunity to discuss the various options for heartworm preventative and flea control. I have a professional grade microscope and am quite qualified to do fecal checks for hookworm and roundworm eggs and coccidia, but your vet will want to do his own fecal check. I DO NOT recommend immediately giving the puppy flea control and heartworm products. Please wait at least a week to allow your puppy to adjust to his new home. He just had a shot and worming medication - it's not a good idea to overload a puppy with an assortment of medications. This can lead to loss of appetite, throwing up, and diarrhea, especially if you've changed his food.

It is very important that you obtain booster shots for your puppy on schedule, and that you don't expose him to potential hazards. A puppy's immune system grows stronger as he matures. The immune system of an 8 week old puppy is not as strong as the immune system of a 16 week old puppy who has received regular booster shots. Do not let your puppy play with other puppies (they may appear healthy but might be incubating a disease), don't take him to a place where a sick puppy has been in the past six months, and don't put him on the ground in a public place (example: the "pet walking area" of an interstate rest stop.) Playing with an adult dog who is current on his vaccinations is fine. You want to protect your puppy both from diseases and from fleas.

By the time puppies are 8 weeks old, they are being fed four times daily. If a particular litter is on a different schedule (for example, food in front of them all the time), I'll let you know. For the first few days, if your puppy doesn't eat all his food, leave the bowl down so he can nibble when he's hungry. Puppies adjusting to a new home are easily distracted and don't always eat as well as they should. After the adjustment period, let him eat as much as he wants in 15 minutes, and then remove the bowl. The last feeding should be about an hour before you go to bed. He should have fresh water at all times. I'll send you home with a sample bag of the food he's been eating. Recently, I've been using Diamond (brand) small breed puppy food, and have been quite happy with it. I use Pedigree canned food when they're just getting their teeth in, and this can be mixed in with dry to make it more tempting.

Be consistent. This is a baby, and you need to be realistic about your expectations. If he has an accident, and you don't catch him in the act, you can show it to him and tell him "BAD, NO!" and "POTTY OUTSIDE!", or whatever works for you. No spanking.

First thing in the morning, take him out - take him out the same door, go to the same area, and stay with him, walking around a bit. When he pees or poos, tell him in a cheerful, BUT NOT LOUD, voice that he's good. I say, "Good potty outside." Don't move. Don't pet him while he's going. Don't do anything to distract him. Call him to you and pet him when he's done, and continue telling him how good he is to potty outside. (You should also check his behind to make sure nothing got stuck in his hair.) If he pees and says he's done, don't believe him. Give him another few minutes, walking around with him. If he still doesn't do anything else, take him back in but keep an eye on him. Within 10 minutes of eating, he will probably have to go. Take him out the same door, go to the same place, and stay with him. (Same instructions as above.) As soon as he wakes from a nap, he will probably have to pee, so take him out. If you have nothing better to do, take him out. Just before going to bed, take him out. Never just "put him out" or leave him outside unattended, even if you have a fenced yard. If he goes to the bathroom, you won't be there to reinforce how wonderful he is. He could also be injured, stolen, or attacked by a hawk.

Even if you're going to immediately start outside housebreaking, I recommend providing newspaper as a backup. It's better for him to go on paper than on your floor.

Key factors: be consistent and be patient.

Parasites in Puppies - descriptions, photos of eggs, and medications. It's important to be familiar with these.
Puppy Progression - what puppies do at different ages.
How to make a puppy pen out of pvc pipe.
Purchasing and General Info
Health Guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
and if you have children living at home, Children and Puppies.

PetSmart has everything you'll need, but it's a little pricey except for food. They do have the best price on Eukanuba, and they're one of the few stores that carry 8" Coastal (brand name) collars with matching leashes. Wal-Mart has a nice selection of reasonably priced beds, fuzzy mats, toys, and pet carriers. To order pet supplies online check Revival Animal Health and Jeffers Pet Supplies; excellent prices, wide selection of merchandise, and reliable service. Revival has a very nice catalog which you can request by calling 1 800 786-4751.

Your basic shopping list: baby gate, wire crate preferably 24"-36" long (whichever you prefer), pet carrier for car trips or smaller restricted area if needed for housebreaking, pet bed, curved slicker brush, metal comb, mild pet shampoo, scissor-style (or "puppy") nail trimmers, latex squeakie toy, fuzzy toy, small nylabone, 8" (long) x 3/8" (wide) nylon collar, 4' x 3/8" nylon leash, two bowls (I use heavy ceramic), and newspapers or wee-wee pads.

It's best to ask your vet what he or she recommends, but Advantage is the most popular. My vet does not recommend Bio-Spot or the "spoton" products sold at Wal-Mart. When choosing a chemical to put on your pet, use caution, and only purchase the veterinarian recommended products. When your puppy is 14 weeks or older, speak to your vet about Comfortis flea control chewable tablets. I have found it to be 100% effective, although very few of my dogs will readily eat it. For a "quick fix", you can use Capstar, which is sold at vet's offices and grooming shops. It is a non-prescription pill that will usually kill all the fleas on a dog or puppy within a half hour. It's not a 30-day product; it only kills the fleas that are on your pet at that time.

Here's a tip from one of my clients: if you're going to be walking your dog or puppy on a leash in a neighborhood with larger (potentially aggressive) dogs, put a harness on your dog or puppy, rather than a buckle collar. In the event a larger animal approaches to attack, yell "NO", "GIT", or "HEY" in a loud, firm tone, and pull your baby back and/or up towards you. With the harness on, he won't be choked. This could save his life in a split-second emergency situation.

When you first put a collar on a puppy, he's going to scratch at his neck. Most of my puppies will take an 8" collar when you first bring them home - a 10" will be too big. Ask me which size your particular puppy will need before buying one for him. Make sure you put it on properly: not too tight and not so loose that he can get it in his mouth. When you first start training him to walk on a leash, just follow him around in a familiar area, and let him get used to it. DO NOT drag or jerk him, or expect him to immediately get the hang of being attached to you. This takes time and patience. Your expectations must be appropriate for your puppy's age. If you do it incorrectly, he will learn to hate being on a leash. If you have problems with any kind of training, it's best to sign up for a basic obedience course so you can learn directly from a professional under supervised conditions.

I will do the first grooming on your poodle puppy. You can go to Poodle Puppy Grooming to see examples of how your puppy will be groomed. I'll pick the cutest style for your puppy.

Unless you have the proper equipment, and really know what you're doing, it's best to take your new poodle puppy to a professional groomer. If not done properly, clippers can cut between a puppy's toes, and burn a puppy's face. For home bathing between groomer visits, you'll need the following supplies: mild shampoo, sprayer attachment for your sink or bathtub, medium tooth metal comb, "slicker" brush (I prefer the "curved" slicker brush), towel, blow dryer, and nail trimmers. I use q-tips dipped in alcohol to clean the ears. Your groomer will remove the excess hair out of your poodle's ears, so this isn't something you should have to do. If you see your poodle "crab walking" or scooting his behind on the carpet, he may need to have his anal glands expressed. Do not try to do this yourself - take the dog to the vet or your groomer as soon as possible.

If you're confident in your grooming abilities, but haven't purchased a set of clippers yet, I recommend Oster products. They're usually sold with a 10 blade. You might want to purchase a 4 or 7 blade separately for body clipping. You should also get clipper spray and blade cleaner. If you have several poodles (or any breed with hair - works great on a pomeranian) and would like to spend less time getting them dry after a bath, order a Metro AirForce Commander 3 blower. It's available in most pet supply catalogs (compare prices - they don't all charge the same), and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. There is a less expensive model with 1.7 hp that works perfectly fine, too. I used the 1.7 for at least 10 years and had no problems with it.

I have a fax machine, but no home phone. I can't get faxes, so if you will scan and email what you need to send me, that will work great.

In nice weather, your puppy will have spent some time outside either in a 6'x10' covered pen with his littermates or walking around with me. He will have seen two cats and had direct interaction with two big dogs. Until you teach him his real name, he will think his name is "Puppy". If you need to give him a pill, you can hide it in a little bit of canned food. He will be accustomed to other dogs, and should great them happily (unless they're too rough.) He will not know that if he jumps off your lap, he will get hurt. Please keep at least one hand on him at all times when he's in your lap, even when he appears to be resting comfortably. I take larger puppies for walks around the pond, so if you're getting a larger or older puppy in the summer, it's likely he will have been wading or swimming. If I see your puppy go to the bathroom outside, I will tell him he's the best puppy in the whole world.

Yes you can! Spayed or neutered purebred CKC registered dogs can obtain ILP registrations through AKC, and compete in obedience and agility events. Information about obtaining an ILP number is at www.akc.org/reg/ilpex.cfm.

Q: I lost the puppy papers you just gave me, what should I do? A: Email me. I'll call CKC and request another for you. Not a big deal.
Q: We're buying a puppy and thinking about another - is there a discount for a second puppy? A: As long as your first puppy is within the normal, posted price range, yes, there is a discount for a second companion puppy.
Q: My time is limited, can you meet me somewhere with my puppy? A: I'm sorry, but I've had to discontinue doing this.

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