What You Need to Know

Potty Training

Taking home your new puppy is an exciting change! A young puppy needs special love and attention as he/she is adjusting to an entirely new environment. It is very normal for the puppy to take several days before he/she has adjusted. You will need to be patient, and understanding while he/she goes through the transition. This is a very important time for the puppy's socialization. Continue as normal with your daily routine with efforts to bring your puppy into it, creating your "new normal"

Be attentive to the signs your puppy will give when he/she has to go to the bathroom. Typically sniffing, and circling, and take him/her outside immediately. If he goes, praise him, but don't punish an accident. They will not understand and may learn to go to the bathroom when you are not around.

We suggest using a crate when it comes to potty training. Your dog will instinctively try to keep his sleeping/eating area clean so he most likely will not go in the crate. Keep your puppy in the crate whenever you are not directly supervising them. Take the puppy outside every 45 minutes to one hour (once during the night).Take the puppy out the same door and to the same spot every time. Stick to it! It will pay off. 

  Transitions 

Your puppies fun and playful spirit can play him into a stupor, so it is important to make sure he has a nap time to rest and a warm cozy place to sleep. Make sure they make time between their play to eat and drink. Make sure you supervise your puppy when introducing them to other pets, or new situations. Keep your puppy away from puppy play parks, or other animals until they have had all of their puppy immunization shots. A puppy is not fully immune to these devastating viruses until all booster shots have been given. The puppy shots are usually finished around 4-5 months of age.

Your new puppy should be eating two times a day 1/4 cup of dry food. Please pick a dog food that is high quality and nutritionally dense. Blue Buffalo chicken and brown rice life protection for puppies & Native Small Breed Puppy Food is the choice we would suggest. Follow the directions on the bag for the age and weight of your puppy. Just because you feed your puppy does not mean he is eating it. Pay close  attention to how much he is actually eating. 

Your puppy can be switched to an adult food between 9-12 mo. of age. If you choose to switch to a different brand of dog food, the change must be a gradual one. Change the food over a 3 day time period, Starting with 75% original food and 25% new food the first day, 50% of each the second day, and 25% of the original and 75% new the third day.

The small toy breed puppies do not have a large fat reserve, so it is essential that these puppies eat small meals frequently. Missing a single meal can cause these puppies to have dangerously low glucose levels (hypoglycemia). Once a puppy’s glucose levels are low, he might become too confused to eat and could refuse food.