Puppy Care

Caring for your puppy

Our Puppy Folder includes puppy care advice from trainers and breeders who have been in the pet industry for nearly 2 decades or more. We have included much of it here.

Immunizations

The first puppy immunization will have been administered after weaning and before your puppy leaves the farm. Please let your vet know that the vaccines are shipped to us in polar boxes with ice packs to keep them at the right temperature, and that our vaccines do not come from a “feed store” or other outlet where the vaccines may not be kept cool enough. The first immunization given protects against:

Canine Distemper
Adenovirus type 2
Parainfluenza
Parvo Virus

De-worming

Your puppy was de-wormed at two, four, and six weeks of age with Pyrantel Pamoate, Safeguard de-wormer, and Metronidazole. Drontal Plus is given at 7 weeks. The de-wormings listed on the health record are 4-day treatments. Your vet will advise you about your puppy’s need for ongoing deworming and/or testing.

Food & Water

We feed our puppies dry Open Farm Puppy Food. Feed 1/2 cup twice a day. Continue with this excellent food, or consult with your vet about what to substitute. Include liquid Kefir and powdered Carna4 probiotic with the Open Farm dry food.

Exposure

Do NOT take your puppy out in public, to obedience classes, or to other places outside of your home and back yard until the complete series of immunizations has been administered. This will prevent risk of exposure to contagious diseases before puppy has adequate immunity. Also, be careful to keep your puppy off of lawns that have been treated recently with chemicals.

Obedience Training

We strongly urge families to schedule an in-home trainer to work with the puppy and all family members for at least 3 sessions. This helps get off to a really great start together, and prevents any bad habits from starting. Your puppy has been well socialized with adults, children, other dogs, a cat and should do very well in its new home, with your love and patience. Once the puppy’s immunizations are complete it will be safe to take the puppy to group obedience training classes outside of the home. If you don’t already have a trainer, you may want to visit www.canine professionals.com.

Spaying & Neutering

Be SURE to have your puppy spayed or neutered at 5.5 months of age. This must be done before the puppy reaches sexual maturity to prevent (hormones) sex-related behaviors.