The day after I have his health certificate in my hand. If the litter will be 8 weeks old Monday - Thursday, I usually make the vet appointment for the day they're 8 weeks old. If the litter will be 8 weeks old on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, sometimes I have to wait until the following Monday. My vet is only open a half-day on Fridays, and occasionally is too busy to do health certificates. He is closed on the weekends. As soon as I've made the vet appointment, I'll let you know. Tentative pickup arrangements can be made at that time. When I get home from the vet, I'll email you again to let you know how it went, and we can confirm the pickup date and time.

The last thing I do before you pick up your puppy is give him a bath. He's never had a flea, but he probably has some newsprint on his feet. If you arrive early or I'm running late, your puppy could still be a little damp (and unhappy). I have a professional stand dryer, and it's very loud. If you'll put him down and let him run around a bit, he'll forget about the noisy blow dryer and be a happy puppy again.

You can pay the balance for your puppy with cash, cashiers' check, or a money order. Unless your puppy is shipped, 6.5% sales tax will be added to the purchase price. Click here for the sales tax chart.

On the day you pick up your puppy, you will be given a copy of the health certificate issued by my vet, Dr. Robert Leonard. It will list the vaccinations (DA2PL+CPV and Bordetella), fecal exam result, and deworming done by the vet. It will not list the deworming I've done since the puppy was two weeks old, or the DA2P+CPV (Pfizer Vanguard Plus 5) vaccination I gave at six weeks of age. I will have written at the top of the certificate when the next DA2PL+CPV vaccination is due. This shot is also called the "distemper/parvo" combination. The next booster will be due three weeks after the previous one. The Bordetella vaccination mentioned on the health certificate is not a shot; it is dripped into the nose for rapid protection against kennel cough, and is required by Florida state law.

Even though my vet just examined your puppy, it's a good idea to have your own vet examine him within a few days, too (although certainly not manditory). Your vet will be able to start a medical record, and you'll have the opportunity to discuss the various options for heartworm preventative and flea control. If you would like to have another fecal check done, it would be best if you brought a fresh sample to your vet, rather than having your vet get a sample directly from your puppy. My vet just poked a stick up your puppy's behind; having it done two days in a row can't be comfortable! I DO NOT recommend immediately giving the puppy flea control and heartworm products. Please wait a few days, or even a week, to allow your puppy to adjust to his new home. He just had a shot and worming medication at my vet's office - it's not a good idea to overload a puppy with an assortment of medications. This can lead to loss of appetite, throwing up, and diarrhea, especially if you've changed his food.

It is very important that you obtain booster shots for your puppy on schedule, and that you don't expose him to potential hazards. A puppy's immune system grows stronger as he matures. The immune system of an 8 week old puppy is not as strong as the immune system of a 16 week old puppy who has received regular booster shots. Do not let your puppy play with other puppies (they may appear healthy but might be incubating a disease), don't take him to a place where a sick puppy has been in the past six months, and don't put him on the ground in a public place (example: the "pet walking area" of an interstate rest stop.)

While here, puppies have food in front of them all the time. You should continue this for at least the first 3 days. After that, feed three-four times daily, as much as he will eat in 15 minutes, and then remove the bowl. The last feeding should be about an hour before you go to bed. He should have fresh water at all times. I'll send you home with a sample bag of the food he's been eating.

Be consistent. This is a baby, and you need to be realistic about your expectations. If he has an accident, and you don't catch him in the act, just clean it up.

First thing in the morning, take him out - take him out the same door, go to the same area, and stay with him, walking around a bit. When he pees or poos, tell him in a cheerful, BUT NOT LOUD, voice that he's good. Don't move. Don't pet him while he's going. Don't do anything to distract him. Pet him when he's done, and continue telling him how good he is. (You should also check his behind to make sure nothing got stuck in his hair.) If he pees and says he's done, don't believe him. Give him another few minutes, walking around with him. If he still doesn't do anything else, take him back in but keep an eye on him. Within 10 minutes of eating, he will probably have to go. Take him out the same door, go to the same place, and stay with him. (Same instructions as above.) As soon as he wakes from a nap, he will probably have to pee, so take him out. If you have nothing better to do, take him out. Just before going to bed, take him out. Never just "put him out" or leave him outside unattended, even if you have a fenced yard. He could be injured, stollen, or attacked by a hawk. Even if you're going to immediately start outside housebreaking, I recommend providing newspaper as a backup. This is what he's accustomed to going on, and it's better for him to go on paper than on your floor.

Key factors: be consistent and be patient.

Parasites in Puppies - descriptions, photos of eggs, and medications. It's important to be familiar with these.
Puppy Progression - what puppies do at different ages.
How to make a puppy pen out of pvc pipe.
Purchasing and General Info
Health Guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
and if you have children living at home, Children and Puppies.

PetSmart has everything you'll need, but it's a little pricey except for food. They do have the best price on Eukanuba, and they're one of the few stores that carry 8" Coastal (brand name) collars with matching leashes. Wal-Mart has a nice selection of reasonably priced beds, fuzzy mats, toys, and pet carriers. To order pet supplies online check Revival Animal Health and Jeffers Pet Supplies; excellent prices, wide selection of merchandise, and reliable service. Revival has a very nice catalog which you can request by calling 1 800 786-4751.

Your basic shopping list: baby gate, baby playpen, or wire crate preferably 36" long, pet carrier for car trips, pet bed, curved slicker brush, metal comb, mild pet shampoo, scissor-style (or "puppy") nail trimmers, latex squeakie toy, fuzzy toy, small nylabone, 8" (long) x 3/8" (wide) nylon collar, 4' x 3/8" nylon leash, two bowls (I use heavy ceramic), and newspapers or wee-wee pads.

It's best to ask your vet what he or she recommends, but Advantage and Frontline are the most popular. My vet does not recommend Bio-Spot or the "spoton" products sold at Wal-Mart. When choosing a chemical to put on your pet, use caution, and purchase the veterinarian recommended products.

Here's a tip from one of my clients: if you're going to be walking your dog or puppy on a leash in a neighborhood with larger (potentially aggressive) dogs, put a harness on your dog or puppy, rather than a buckle collar. In the event a larger animal approaches to attack, yell "NO", "GIT", or "HEY" in a loud, firm tone, and pull your baby back and/or up towards you. With the harness on, he won't be choked. This could save his life in a split-second emergency situation.

When you first put a collar on a puppy, he's going to scratch at his neck. Most of my puppies will take an 8" collar when you first bring them home - a 10" will be too big. Ask me which size your particular puppy will need before buying one for him. Make sure you put it on properly: not too tight and not so loose that he can get it in his mouth. When you first start training him to walk on a leash, just follow him around in a familiar area, and let him get used to it. DO NOT drag or jerk him, or expect him to immediately get the hang of being attached to you. This takes time and patience. Your expectations must be appropriate for your puppy's age. If you do it incorrectly, he will learn to hate being on a leash. If you have problems with any kind of training, it's best to sign up for a basic obedience course so you can learn directly from a professional under supervised conditions.

I will do the first grooming on your poodle puppy. You can go to Poodle Puppy Grooming Choices to pick out how you'd like your puppy groomed, or you can leave it up to me to make him or her the cutest.

Unless you have the proper equipment, and really know what you're doing, it's best to take your new poodle puppy to a professional groomer. If not done properly, clippers can cut between a puppy's toes, and burn a puppy's face. For home bathing between groomer visits, you'll need the following supplies: mild shampoo, sprayer attachment for your sink or bathtub, medium tooth metal comb, "slicker" brush (I prefer the "curved" slicker brush), towel, blow dryer, and nail trimmers. I use q-tips dipped in alcohol to clean the ears. Your groomer will remove the excess hair out of your poodle's ears, so this isn't something you should have to do. If you see your poodle "crab walking" or scooting his behind on the carpet, he may need to have his anal glands expressed. Do not try to do this yourself - take the dog to the vet or your groomer as soon as possible.

If you're confident in your grooming abilities, but haven't purchased a set of clippers yet, I recommend Oster products. They're usually sold with a 10 blade. You might want to purchase a 7 blade separately for body clipping. You should also get clipper spray and blade cleaner. If you have several poodles (or any breed with hair - works great on a pomeranian) and would like to spend less time getting them dry after a bath, order a Metro AirForce Commander 3 blower. It's available in most pet supply catalogs (compare prices - they don't all charge the same), and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. There is a less expensive model with 1.7 hp that works perfectly fine, too. I used the 1.7 for at least 10 years and had no problems with it.

I have a fax machine. My fax number is the same as my home number (386 345-3388), so you'll need to let me know that you're sending the fax, and when.

When you take your puppy home, he should have a pretty good grasp of paper training, so even if you're going to immediately start with outside training, it's a good idea to provide newspaper as a backup. Your puppy will have been in a large wire crate when he was younger, but he's only been in a plastic pet carrier for his trip to the vet. He will have had at least one car ride. He will have been outside on the ground, and he probably will have seen at least one cat. I whistle while I mop the floor and change puppy papers, but I don't have a radio. Until you teach him his real name, he will think his name is "Puppy" or "Pupcakes". If you need to give him a pill, you can hide it in a little bit of canned food. He will be accustomed to other dogs, and should show no fear of them (unless they're obnoxious.) He will not know that if he jumps off your lap, he will get hurt. Please keep at least one hand on him at all times when he's in your lap, even when he appears to be resting comfortably.

Yes you can! Spayed or neutered purebred CKC registered dogs can obtain ILP registrations through AKC, and compete in obedience and agility events. Information about obtaining an ILP number is at www.akc.org/reg/ilpex.cfm.

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