Woohoo! Puppies are ready to go home and meet their fur-ever families! This is a big time of transition for the both of you! Puppies often get a bit stressed from all the change and can begin to feel lonely and confused. Sometimes this can take a toll on the nervous system and cause digestive issues, especially diarrhea. I strongly recommend purchasing pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) to have on hand and begin adding that to their meals as soon as you get home. The issue should resolve within three days. Keep an eye on food and water intake. Please reach out to me immediately if your puppy’s little nose is warm and they are not eating/drinking and seem lethargic. If for whatever reason your puppy’s fecal test is positive for a parasite. I can provide medication at no cost to you to get things straightened out. Your AKC registration comes with 30 days of pet insurance but unfortunately, parasites are not covered. I realize bringing puppy home is a lot of change all at once but I strongly encourage you to set up an appointment immediately and get puppy in as I cannot guarantee their health if they are not taken in for a well-check. Once you have the well-check done, please make a copy and you can either snap a photo and send as a picture message or send it to kitkatbars@gmail.com.
Feeding
How often should the puppy be fed? According to an article from Hill’s Science Diet, “four feedings a day are recommended for ages six to twelve weeks. It’s also a good idea to start puppies with moistened food to help them chew.” Once they hit 12 weeks, you can drop it down to 3 and then eventually two times around 6 months of age.
Here at Graceful Goldens, I moisten the puppy’s food two times a day and offer dry kibble with supervised access to water during the mealtime the other 2. In the morning, I add hot water to the puppy food at a 3 to 1 ratio. (3 parts water to 1 part food) I let that sit for about 10-15 minutes then serve. The puppies lap the water and then eat the food at their leisure. At lunch time, I provide dry kibble and access to water during the mealtime. For dinner, I moisten the food once again and on the last meal of the day, I leave dry kibble with supervised access to water. I do not let the puppies have water in their puppy area unsupervised. I provide fresh water outside when I take them to potty. I do this because of the Golden Retriever’s tendency to play in the water and knocking it over / splashing things can really make a huge mess. I know it sounds like a lot of fun, but I am so over that! 🙂 I recommend starting off feeding them 1/2 cup food to 1 1/2 cups hot water and increase as needed. I feed the pups Science Diet Large Breed Puppy in the Lamb and Rice flavor. You can have your pet food delivered directly to your door on an autoship to make things easier on yourself. I try to keep up with the different big box stores and stock up when there is a sale. For your convenience, I have linked them here. Chewy, Petco, Pet Supplies Plus, Petsmart.
Crate-Training
Your puppy has already been in the crate. Crate-training is a valuable tool to use during the potty training period. I personally like to put a big cardboard box (The one I get from Chewy when I order the 30 lb bag of dogfood is perfect) that overhangs at least two inches on all sides on top of the crate and then drape a sheet or blanket while they are in it. Draping away from the crate is important because a puppy can pull the sheet inside and literally eat the fabric. This will help them to feel like they are in a den as well as block their view of all the distractions which helps them rest better. (When out of the crate be sure to fold the sheet up or they may pull the blanket off to play or use it to create a little nest to sleep on.) The crate area (24 x 18 x 19) that they are resting in should just be big enough for them to stand, turn around and lay down in. You can put in a couple of toys but I do NOT recommend putting any kind of fabric in there for them to sleep on. Your pup can sleep just fine on the black mat provided. Your pup should never be in the crate for more than 2 hours at a time at this age or you will be cleaning up a urine-soaked puppy or even worse the dreaded #2 and having to clean the cage which is not a fun endeavor especially in the middle of the night! As your pup continues to grow, you will need to get bigger crates. I very often use the Offer Up App to find things that are being offered by others in my local community rather than making a brand new purchase. You can find used crates that are usually for about 1/2 the cost of brand new.
you with) and you’re all set! 🙂
Registration, Vaccinations, Pet Insurance and Prepaid Wellness Certificate, AKC Reunite Microchip, AKC Pupdate and Spay / Neuter Information
If I have done things right, I have already registered your puppy by the time you get your puppy home. You should receive ta digital copy in your email and the physical registration papers in the mail in a few weeks. Your puppy will receive a limited registration unless we have discussed and agreed to transferring breeder rights. If this is something that interests you, please let me know. Some of the pups that are produced have show potential and are very good candidates for representing the Golden Retriever breed according to the Golden Retriever Club of America. The GRCA breed standards can be viewed here and the possibility exists for you to partner with me as a co-owner for mentoring and guidance or purchased outright for an experienced breeder.
Your puppy has already received the first round of vaccinations, dewormer and has been started on heart-worm prevention. (Heartworm prevention is a monthly pill and you will need to pay special attention to the size of your puppy as he gets older to be sure you are getting the right dosage. You will receive another three-month-supply of heart-worm prevention to help support the transition up to 25 lbs.) I usually give pups their first vaccinations in the 7th to 8th week so they will need to come back to me for their second round 3-4 weeks after the date I have written on the chart (or taken to your pup’s medical provider if you would like.) The puppy folder you received from me should have the vaccination and medical record chart inside it and has the dates for their shots, heart-worm prevention, and dewormer. The vet you choose will want you to bring that with you to your first appointment so that they can update your puppy’s file. The final vaccination is the Rabies Vaccination and should not be administered no less than 16 weeks of age. Please be sure to get this vaccine because if your puppy gets out and is attacked by a rabid animal, he will likely not survive without the antibodies. After the rabies vaccination, Your pup will be done with the vaccines until they reach their first birthday which is when you will need to get those boosters and any additional vaccinations that would be relevant to your needs. If you’re on a budget I highly recommend using Texas Coalition for Animal Protection. They can provide your puppy with an affordable way to be sure your puppy gets vaccinations, heart-worm testing and prescription and dewormer. In addition they offer spay and neutering at a much lower cost than your regular vet.
Your AKC puppy’s registration comes with 30 days of of Pet Insurance so now is the time to start thinking about where you are planning on taking your new addition to see a veterinarian. I have prepaid your pup for a free wellness check up which serves as proof of health confirmation as stated in my contract. You can begin your search here for a participating provider in your area. Once I register your baby, you will get the wellness certificate in your email to print and take with you. Please keep in mind I cannot guarantee the health of your puppy if you do not have them checked out by a veterinarian within 3 business days. Once activated, you only have 30 days to get this done so don’t delay because time will fly by before you know it!
In addition to Pet Insurance, your puppy has already been microchipped for the AKC Reunite Microchip Program. You will need to scan the QR code in your folder to complete the registration with your contact information in the event that your puppy gets lost. The temporary puppy tag that they come home with will not be able to stand the test of time so as such, I strongly recommend purchasing a couple of stainless steel tags to last over their lifetime as your getting them registered. The tags will have their name, Reunite telephone number as well as their unique ID number which is the same as their microchip that has been implanted between their shoulder blades. I can personally testify to the speed and accuracy of the Reunite program. I have lost a pet and have been reunited in a matter of minutes!
AKC Pupdate as a digital subscription resource of weekly updates for the first year of your puppy’s life. I have already activated this as an educational resource to help you along the way. Super cool right? Try to plan on setting a little bit of time each week to read through the pupdate and apply what you are learning as it should coincide with what your puppy is going through developmentally. By the time your puppy celebrates their first birthday, you will be an expert in all things puppy! As an additional educational resource, there is an 8-week training protocol for completing the socialization, exposure therapy and skill building to capitalize on the critical development period. Once puppy has reached 18 weeks old, this critical development period closes so don’t wait too long because the rest of your puppy’s life depends on it!
If you are planning to spay (female) or neuter (male) your dog, please make research regarding the right time to do that because Golden Retrievers are a large breed dog and research has provided quite a bit of insight on the appropriate timing for that to happen. According to the AKC website, “Dr. Benjamin Hart of the University of California, Davis, has been researching the effects of spay-neuter for a decade, with support from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. His first paper on the subject, published in 2013, revealed that Golden Retrievers that had been spayed or neutered had a correlation of being three or four times more likely to develop certain cancers, including lymphosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma, and also more likely to develop joint problems such as hip dysplasia and damage to the cranial cruciate ligament. “
Training Resources
While you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of your baby, you can start to learn more so you are prepared and confident with your approach. There are many videos on YouTube as well as AKC Canine College that has a video library on the basics to get you started! Your puppy has received daily instruction so they are ready to listen and learn from the very beginning. It is critical that you have the area prepared before you pick up and have an action plan for continuing learning new skills and reinforcing what they already know. Your puppy has been trained through exposure therapy to tolerate and feel safe during thunderstorms, loud noises, meeting people, going into the crate and grooming. Your pup has been bathed, groomed, had their nails trimmed, teeth brushed, ears cleaned and paw pads hair clipped many times and you will need to keep doing that regularly to solidify emotional stability. Have a crate set up, toys ready, baby wipes for quick pick ups of accidents, leash, collar, harness, and high value treats as a reward for good behavior. In other word, BE PREPARED! If you fail to plan you plan to fail.
Socialization – Get outside and introduce to the world!
Now it’s time for your puppy to meet the world. So many sights and sounds and people and places! Everyone loves meeting a supercute puppy so now It’s time to get out there and mingle! They now make puppy stroller‘s for you to take your pup out in public without them being exposed to the ground. (Check Offer Up App for a used stroller as well as these can be pricy.) Until they have been fully vaccinated, pups should not be allowed to walk on a foreign floor or any grassy areas in public. Lowes, Home Depot, Petsmart, Pet Supplies Plus, are all places that welcome pets so this could be a great opportunity to introduce your puppy to other people. Please keep in mind that If you choose to keep your puppy isolated, you run the risk of having a puppy who is fearful of strangers and that is not a good scenario if you want to take your pup with you when they get older. P.S. This is also a GREAT time to share my information as I offer a $100 referral reward for any puppy that is purchased from me in the future. I have put a few of my business cards in your puppy folder to give to prospective puppy parents. 😉
A STRONG WORD OF CAUTION: Pups at this age should never be taken to a dog park where other animals are. They are not fully vaccinated (until 12 weeks) and traumatic experiences are likely to happen with other animals who enjoy being bullies without the supervision of their owners (who don’t realize that it’s their responsibility to control their animal’s aggression.) Trust me, I learned this one the hard way. 🙁 I strongly recommend play dates as they are a wonderful way for your pet to be socialized and give you control over who they are playing with.