Feeding:

Puppies are an exciting new addition to the family. If you are considering bringing home a puppy it is important to remember that the nutritional needs of puppies are much different than those of an adult dog. Dogs need the right food, at the right time, depending on their stage of development and size. The energy needs of a puppy is double those of an adult dog of the same breed. Because of this a puppy requires to be fed a high-quality puppy food that provides the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that will help him/her grow into a healthy dog. A puppy's stomach is also smaller than an adult dog, which requires them to need smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. We free feed our puppies and nursing mamas and feed our adult dogs that are over a year old, two meals per day (usually morning and afternoon).  It is generally recommended to switch from puppy food to adult food once a puppy reaches about 80% of their projected growth. This is typically around 9-10 months for smaller breeds and 12 months for bigger breeds, such as, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Collies, Standard Poodles, etc...

Providing your puppy with quality food, care, exercise, and love will help ensure your puppy grows up to live a long, happy and healthy life.

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Vaccinations:

Parvo vaccinations (AKA puppy shots) are given in a series of three shots. The shots are usually given at 6-7 weeks, 9-10 weeks, and then 12-13 weeks, so about 3-4 weeks apart. Until your puppy gets the entire series, your puppy is not fully immune to parvo. Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that can be life-threatening to dogs, and especially puppies who are do not have complete immunity. Parvo can be transmitted by people, animals, or objects (such as shoes) that have come into contact with an infected dog's feces. Parvo can live in soil for over a year. It is recommended you do not take your puppy to public places, such as, dog parks, pet stores, or even on public outings until your puppy has completed his/her series of puppy shots. Your new puppy will come with his/her first parvo vaccine (puppy shot). We typically give the puppies their first shot around 6-7 weeks of age, after they are almost completely weaned from their mom. Parvo is a reason many breeders, like us, are paranoid to let visitors into their home to see puppies. Parvo is one of the saddest illnesses to see a puppy go through and die from. Keeping our puppies safe is very important to us, as well as spreading awareness to our future puppy parents to help prevent this sad illness. 

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Exercise:

We are firm believers in the saying "A worn out puppy, is a good puppy". Like children, puppies need exercise to stimulate their minds and stay healthy. Exercise can help puppies from becoming bored and learning bad, destructive behaviors. Supervised exercise and games will help satisfy your puppies instinctive nature to chew, chase, dig, and bark. Once your puppy has been fully vaccinated you can start taking short walks to help leash train your new puppy. Keep in mind your puppy's growth plates are soft and not fully closed. Until they are fully closed, typically around 18 months old, your puppy is vulnerable to injuries. It is recommended to avoid strenuous activities and long walks. Remember if the pavement is too hot for your feet it is too hot for your puppy/dog's paws. Heat stroke is also a good thing to keep in mind, especially during warm days. Some tips include: Walk your dog in the mornings or night when it is cooler. Keep your dog in a cool place with lots of water. Never leave your dog in the car when it is warm. Heat stroke can be brought on in minutes. It is better to be safe than sorry. 

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Grooming:

Getting your new puppy accustomed to grooming is important. Especially for breeds that have a lot of hair that needs regular grooming, like the Cavapoo and Poodle. We start socializing puppies with the brush, blow drier, and nail clippers as soon as puppies are old enough for first baths. It's important to make bath time and grooming a fun and positive experience for your new puppy. Cavapoos typically need a daily brushing to keep their hair fluffy and mat free. A weekly bath is a good idea and will keep your puppy/dog looking clean. Remember to use a safe shampoo, never use human shampoo on your puppy.

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Socialization:

Early socialization starts with us (the breeder), we handle our puppies from day one and believe socialization is key to having a happy, confident, and well-adjusted dog. We only have your puppy for a short time period though, and the rest of your puppy's socialization will be up to you.

 

The first three months of your puppy's life is the key time period that will shape your puppy's future personality and how your puppy reacts to his/her environment as an adult dog. Gently exposing your puppy to a wide variety of people, places, situations, sights, sounds, and smells, makes a huge difference in your puppy's future temperament. Proper socialization can prevent a dog becoming fearful of the vacuum cleaner, for example.  Teaching your puppy how to behave in a variety of situations and to enjoy interacting with different people, will help your puppy develop into a happy companion.