Preparing for your puppy
How to prepare for a puppy? (A little humour)
Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places and walk around barefoot in the dark.
Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.
Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain and dark saying, "Be a good puppy and go potty! Hurry up now. C’mon, let’s go!"
Cover all your best suits with dog hair. Dark suits must have white, and light suits must have dark. Also float some hair in your first cup of morning coffee. (Good thing schnoodles don’t shed!)
Play catch with a wet tennis ball.
Run out in the snow in your bare feet to close the gate
Tip over a basket of clean laundry, scattering clothing all over the floor.
Leave your underwear on the living room floor because that is where the dog will drag it anyway (especially when you have company).
Jump out of your chair shortly before the end of your favorite TV show and run to the door shouting, "No NO! Do that OUTSIDE!" Miss the end of the program.
Put chocolate pudding on the carpet in the morning and do not try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.
Take a warm, cuddly blanket out of the dryer and immediately wrap it around yourself. This is the feeling you get when your puppy falls asleep on your lap. Awww.
There are some very good resources for preparing for a puppy on the Baxter & Bella website. They also have a fantastic training program.
Zak George also have a great video on puppy preparation as well as dozens of training videos.
Protecting your puppy from illness (A serious subject)
It is especially important to not take your puppy to public places until he/she has had all the required shots!!! If you do, you could expose your puppy to life-threatening diseases like parvovirus. This includes parks, pet stores, visiting relatives with dogs that are or have been ill, puppy classes, etc.
A top-notch puppy class will require proof that all the pups are up to date on their shots, including bordetella. If the puppy class does not insist on this proof, I would not participate in that class.
Parvovirus will almost always take a young puppy’s life. If it doesn’t, it may be awfully expensive for your vet to save your puppy’s life. So please just hold off exposing your puppy until he is protected.
When you take your new puppy to your vet, keep her in a crate or carrier until the vet looks examines her. When the vet is finished, place your puppy back in the carrier. If you do not see your vet wash his hands or put on gloves, be blunt and ask him to do so. The vet may have handled a sick animal before seeing your puppy.
Your puppy’s immune system is not fully developed yet. So even though you are going to want to take your puppy everywhere and show him off, please do not do this. Also, strangers are going to want to pet your puppy. But if they have just held or petted a sick puppy, they can infect your puppy. So please don’t allow this.
Use your best judgement but be aware that a new puppy is like a new baby. You wouldn’t take a baby to the pediatrician and let people hold and touch him if it might endanger your baby. Please read this article about parvovirus.
This information is extremely important, and I will ask you to sign and initial that you have read and understand this information. I consider this to be part of your agreement when purchasing a puppy from me.