Puppy Go Home Information
#1. ORDER FOOD
Puppies are eating Muenster Milling Ocean Fish w/ Grains. They will come home with 3 pounds of food to get you started. While not required, I highly recommend you keep them on this food for at least the first 30 days after you take them home. Click the box to go to the ordering page. It ships straight from the manufacturer to your home via UPS. Use code ROBISON55 to get 55% off your first order.
I am an affiliate and do get credit for purchases made with my link or coupon code.
#2. ORDER NUVET IMMUNE SUPPLEMENT
Puppies get one NuVet tablet a day. I break it into multiple pieces and it's a great, high value, treat. Your puppy pack includes a 90 day supply of NuVet to get your puppy started. While it is not mandatory to keep your pup on this supplement and does not affect the original 3 year health warranty, consistently keeping your Belle Vista Schnauzer on NuVet extends the health warranty by two years.
I am an affiliate and do get credit for purchases made with my link or code.
#3. SIGN UP FOR 30 DAYS OF ACCIDENT/ILLNESS INSURANCE
I am partnered with Trupanion to provide your new puppy with 30 days of insurance.
Overview of the Go Home Day Offer
· 30 days of coverage with no obligation
· Immediate coverage, waiting periods are waived
· $250 deductible and 90% coverage, no payout limits
No matter where you live, their coverage for accidents and illness is the same. No waiting periods, no payout limits, and immediate peace of mind coverage with a full Trupanion policy. I don't get any credit if you sign up, only the piece of mind that your puppy is covered for the first 30 days. Even if you plan to insure your puppy with a different company, there will most likely be a waiting period for coverage to begin. Protect them with immediate coverage from Trupanion until your other policy begins.
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Your offer is time sensitive—YOU must activate within 24 hours before or after go home. If you choose not to activate this offer, Belle Vista will not be responsible for any Vet expenses incurred in the first 30 days.
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CODE: BR1BV41621 *for all clients except New York
NY PROMO CODE: BR2BV4162
#5. MAKE A VET APPOINTMENT WITHIN 5 BUSINESS DAYS PER THE CONTRACT.
Call your vet as soon as you know your pick up date to schedule this appointment.
No vaccines are necessary at this time. You are asking for a puppy wellness exam to ensure you took home a healthy puppy. My vet has given what are considered "core" vaccines. There are other vaccines that are optional such as Bordetella and Lyme. If you think your puppy will be exposed to situations that could put them at risk of either of these, then your vet may recommend them and those could be given at this appointment. If you will be taking your pup to a professional groomer, doggy daycare, or boarding, the Bordetella vaccine may be necessary as many of those places will require it.
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#5. JOIN THE PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP
Comprised mostly of Belle Vista Schnauzer owners.
We share, ask and offer advice, host a monthly contest, some families set up play dates, and much more! I love that it helps me stay up to date with my puppies and it allows me to share "bonus" content that I might not put on my website.
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You do not need to already own a BVS to join the group.
You do have to request to join and answer the questions!
#8. PUPPY PROOF YOUR HOUSE AND REST
You will have a baby in the house soon and the first few weeks can be tough on everyone. Please remember to reduce the stress for the puppy. For 5 days do not go anywhere except the vet. Let sleeping puppies lie unless it is absolutely necessary to disturb them. They need lots of sleep and time to adjust!
#10. PAY FOR YOUR PUPPY
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When I schedule your pickup date/time I will let let you know the final total owed. The amount is affected by any repeat customer discounts, prior dog titles earned, deduction of waitlist and deposit fees, etc.
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I only accept the following payment types on pick up day:
Credit/debit/bank transfer through Gooddog.com (link below)
Cash (preferably in large bills)
Checks, money orders, and PayPal will not be accepted and coming unprepared could cause you to be bumped to another litter.
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#11. PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH
Whether it's an annual Christmas card, a short email or text every now and then, or participating in the Facebook group, please keep me updated on how your Belle Vista Schnauzer is doing. I will occasionally ask you to fill out a short survey about the health of your dog and this helps me make future breeding decisions. I love to know that all is well. The old adage of "no news is good news" isn't always accurate and I'd rather know for sure.
NEW PUPPY OWNERS…….
As puppies head to their new homes I wanted to touch base on a common issue that breeders come across with new owners.
Realistic Expectations
You see my pictures and videos and the pups are all social. They are quiet in the pen and totally relaxed, happy, playful. All looks amazing and you bring your puppy home.
Then reality hits. The puppy may cry in the crate for the first few nights making you tired and agitated. The happy social puppy is refusing to greet the half dozen overly excited friends you invited over to see your new puppy. Or the overly excited playful children you have at home. The puppy refuses to walk on a leash. Many are wondering how did my perfect puppy turn into a nightmare?
So let’s discuss realistic expectations of when a puppy goes home. First of all the puppy has been in my home since birth. They had their mother and littermates. They had their routine, were taught expectations and were completely in their comfort zone. I've changed their environment and situations as best I can within the space to help them learn to acclimate to change more quickly.
Now suddenly they are taken to a totally new environment. Picture yourself being dropped into an unknown country. You know only a few words of their language. Different trees, animals, smells, temperature and people. Now in the middle of this we are switching up your routine, decide to have a party with people you don't know, and ask you to do jobs you have no idea about. How overwhelmed would you feel?
This is what every puppy goes through when going to their new home. Stress manifests in different forms. From not eating, reluctancy to play and greet people. Being apprehensive at the vet’s office or as strangers reach for them. Diarrhea, vomiting and depression can occur.
So what can you as a new owner do to help your new puppy?
- Most puppies take 3-4 weeks to acclimate to their new home. Repeat after me THREE to FOUR WEEKS sometimes even longer! Not 1-2 days. I can’t stress this enough about how much time is needed for a dog or puppy to feel comfortable in their new home!
- Limit guests and traveling during the first week. We understand you are excited to show off your new pup but they need time to adjust and feel comfortable with you and their new home before meeting other new people and traveling to even more strange places. Plan on waiting 1-2 weeks before inviting people over
- Ask guests to sit on the ground and let the puppy approach them. No squealing, and definitely not grabbing the puppy!
- Set up a good routine
- Restrict the puppy to a small area of the house. This not only reduces them being overwhelmed but also allows you to watch them
- Don’t expect a 8-13 week old puppy to walk on a leash. Instead work at home with a leash where they are comfortable. Let them drag the leash, use treats to encourage them to walk with you
- If your puppy is refusing to walk give them time. We only move when they initiate the movement as they need time to take in the different environment
- Understand your puppy needs time to see you as family. Expecting an immediate bond is unrealistic
- TRAIN YOUR PUPPY! This not only helps you to bond, but the puppy learns to look to you for direction and input.
-Children are also big stressors to tiny fragile puppies, please keep an eye on puppy at all times when around children. Both children and puppies need to be protected from each other.
- BE PATIENT. Don’t declare “omg there’s something wrong with this dog”. Nothing occurs overnight. Outings should be planned at puppy speed. So while you might imagine a fun walk around the lake in reality your puppy might only be able to handle walking a short distance that day.
Remember if the puppy was wonderful at my house but now is struggling, you as the owner, need to help the puppy adjust which takes time, patience and training. Have realistic expectations and give the puppy positive experiences. Each puppy is an individual, don’t compare your current puppy to past pets and judge their behavior based on how another dog handled things.
Lastly, try to see thing’s from a puppy’s perspective and adjust situations accordingly.