Whether you are a first time puppy owner, or are bringing home a new addition after a long interval, these are some hints that we hope will help!
1. Getting Ready For The New Arrival
There are several things that you should have on hand for your new puppy. It is best to be prepared. Below is a list of items to have on hand, and some things to do that may help you get ready for your new addition:

           1. SAFE AREA: Either a baby or puppy playpen, crate, kennel, large box, or baby gate to partition off a small area. It should be large enough to hold a little bed, small dish for food and water, with enough room left over to relieve themselves if necessary.  Puppies can get into lots of trouble if they are left unsupervised, so it is necessary to put them in a playpen or other small confined area to keep them safe. This is just a temporary place until the puppy is older, less mischievious and hopefully housebroken!

              2. PUPPY PROOF YOUR HOUSE: Just as you would for a child or baby! You need to move all houseplants, electrical cords, household cleaning supplies, or anything else dangerous near floor level that a small puppy could possible chew on or be harmed by.

              3. FOOD: It is best to find out ahead of time what brand of dog food that your puppy has been on, so that you may have a bag ready for them. We always send a sample bag of food home with our puppies when they leave. It is best to keep your puppy on the same diet that it is used to so that it will not be subjected to too many changes at once. Changing to a different food can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea. Any switch in diet should be done gradually by mixing the old food with the new food.
             
              4. NUTRI-CAL: This high calorie dietary supplement in a tube (looks like a tube of toothpaste) is a must have if you are bringing home a tiny toy or teacup size dog. It will help keep a tiny dog or puppy from going into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It is also a great source of extra vitamins for any size puppy. It will insure that your puppy is getting some good nutrition while it adjusts to it's new home. A small amount should be given 2 or 3 times a day for the first week or two, until your tiny puppy is settled in and eating well.

             4. BOTTLED WATER: If your puppy comes from a different district or state, you might want to try bottled water for your puppy for a few days. Start with pure bottled water and gradually mix in your own water over several days time. Water in different places sometimes vary greatly in the amount of minerals and/or chemicals that they use to purify it with and a big change can sometimes cause stomach trouble or loose stools.

              5. CHEW TOYS: It is a good idea to have on hand several types of toys and chew toys to help keep your puppy amused and away from things he shouldn't chew on. Young puppies seem to especially like soft stuffed toys to chew on and sleep with. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell, so we always send a soft toy that smells like our home and siblings along with our puppies when they leave. This seems to help their adjustment, and many people say that years later, this is still their dogs favorite toy. It is also a good idea to give your puppy some harder teething bones or toys too. But remember to only purchase toys that are safe for puppies!

              6. BEDDING: A small box or washable plastic surface with a baby blanket in it is usually the best type of bed for your puppy at first. These can be easily cleaned and the blankets thrown in the wash in case of accidents. Many puppies are very clean and would never soil in their bed. But most are too young to know the difference between their bed and any other potty spot and can make quite a mess! Cushy foam beds look adorable, but are best bought after your puppy is housebroken and done teething. It is amazing how one little foam bed can generate so much mess when chewed into a thousand pieces by busy teeth! Also stay away from wicker beds, as wicker will splinter when chewed on and can become leathal to a puppy if swallowed.

              7. PUPPY PADS: Puppy pads or " Wee wee" pads are good to have on hand for your puppy to relieve themselves on. Since puppies should be kept away from other dogs, and from parks or grass that other dogs have been around until they have finished all their shots, many people are choosing to litter box train their small pups. Most puppies we place have already been started on newspaper training.  To litter box train, it is usually easiest to start with a litter box lined with newspaper or piddle pads.

              8. BOWLS: You will need a shallow food bowl and a semi-shallow water bowl for your puppy. Do not use a bowl that is deep, especially for water, because it is possible for a  small puppy to fall in or even drown.  Also they cannot reach if the water or food  level gets too low.
2. Picking Up Your New Puppy
Whether picking up your puppy in person or greeting them at the airport, here is a list of a few helpful things to bring with you:

              1. A box, basket or carrier to keep your puppy confined in the car
              when it is not in your lap. It is really better to travel with the
              puppy in a secure travel crate, if possible, in case of an accident.

              2. Some newspaper, and something absorbant such as
              paper towels in case of car sickness or other mistakes. Moist baby
              wipes are also great to have on hand for quick clean ups.

              3. A soft towel or baby blanket for your puppy to snuggle in.

              4. A plush toy to rub on your pups mom or siblings so they will
              have something with a familiar scent at their new ome.

              5. A small bottle of bottled water and a shallow bowl for drinking,
              in case your puppy gets thirsty.

              6. Nutri-cal for a quick pick me up, if it has been a while since your
              puppy has eaten. It is best not to feed your puppy any actual dog
              food just prior to or during your car trip, as this can cause car
              sickness.
3. Once You Get Your Puppy Home
Once you get your puppy home there are some things to know that will help your pup get acclimated:

           1. Be courteous! If you receive your puppy by plane, once you get home and settled , please give the breeder a call and let them know that your puppy arrived safely. We spend many hours raising these babies as our own children and we really worry about their safety!! Also if you pick them up in person, drop us an e-mail or give us a quick call to let us know how your puppy is getting along.

           2. Remember that puppies are still babies and need their rest. Place them in their playpen or crate several times a day so they may rest and eat and drink in peace.

            3. Schedule an appointment with the vet for a "well puppy visit". Most breeders give you anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week to have your puppy checked out by your own veterinarian and to return it for a refund if anything serious is found. This is a precautionary physical to make sure that your pup is in good health. Make sure that you take your puppies shot record with you so your vet will know it's medical history.

           4. Get your vet to schedule your puppies shots. Every vet has a different schedule, but most shots are given every 3 weeks until the series is complete. Remember, until your pups immunizations are complete, make sure to hold your new pup in your lap and keep them away from other dogs and off the floor at the vets.  This also means not letting strangers or children pet your puppy. This is how many diseases such as parvo are spread and these diseases can be deadly for your puppy.

           4.Training should start immediately. If you want a well mannered pet, you must set the ground rules as soon as you get home. There is nothing cuter than an 8 week old puppy dragging a shoe that is bigger than itself around the house! But it is not so cute when that 6 month old puppy chews the toes out of every shoe that you own! So remember to set "House rules". The more time that you spend with your dog, the smarter they will become.

           5. Set a date to have your pet spayed or neutered. There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering and neutering a male at a young age will help control leg lifting and wandering.

           6. The most important thing, is just to give your new pet a lot of love and attention. And remember to keep in touch, as we enjoy hearing how our babies do and we just love photos!!!
Sharminpet@aol.com
All pictures and printed data in this website are the exclusive right of  Sharmin's Toy Poodles and may not be altered, copied, distributed or otherwise used without our written consent.
A Bit Of Humor !!
How to really prepare for a new puppy

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 toe shredded by a blender.

Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain and dark saying, "Be a good puppy, go potty now - hurry up -come on, lets go!"

Cover all your best suits with dog hair. Dark suits must use white hair, and light suits must use dark hair.

Also float some hair in your first cup of coffee in the morning.

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, scatter clothing all over the floor.

Leave your underwear on the living room floor because that's 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 program 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 don't try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.

Gouge the leg of the dinning room table several times with a screwdriver -it's going to get chewed on anyway.

Take a warm and cuddly blanket out of the dryer and immediately wrap it around yourself. This is the feeling you will get when your puppy falls asleep on your lap and makes it all worthwhile!