How to take your Puppy away?

When you come to collect your puppy please bring a Pet Carrier. This can be used to safely store your puppy and can be held in place with a seat belt. You will be supplied with some vet bed, which will have the scent of mum on. If you are going on a long journey, it may be a good idea to have one or two puppy pads in the event of an accident.

* Pet Crates

We don't promote pet crates and to clear up our interpretation of a Pet Crate, `A Pen with a Roof'. These can restrict movement in that they don't allow your puppy / dog to stand on hind legs. We feel the best solution is a Pet Pen, `Cage with four sides, no roof'. Your puppy will be used to sleeping in a pen during his /her time with us, however there may be a reluctance to continue to use one. If this happens don't force your puppy / dog into it, Remember this is a place of safety / sanctuary for your dog. Try tempting your dog with a treat, keep the door open / unlocked to start until they get used to it. When buying a pen, buy one for the future and not just to suit a puppy. If you look to get one approximately 1m x 0.5m this will allow your dog to move around and grow into, together with sufficient space for toileting.

* Dog Leads

We would strongly advise getting a fixed length lead whilst your puppy is in training, Puppy could be startled and if on a extending lead may run out.

* Toilet Training

We will endeavour to toilet train your puppy, over the years we have had some success and this has been mainly down to size of litters. We would suggest that you get some puppy pads to use in and around the house until you puppy is toilet trained. We use `Reusable pad types, we find the puppies just rip up the paper disposable types. When toilet training, look for the signs, this is generally your dogs head lowering to the floor, `Sniffing'. Take you dog out side first thing in the morning and after meals.

* Training your dog

Just like a toddler, a puppy will need some guidance and training, your puppy will do things, that maybe it shouldn't, its a way they learn. You have to remember your puppy / dog is simply that and as such they have to be taught their position in the family. Like toddlers /children, if you ignore the behaviour and reward the positives for instance if you puppy /dog is jumping up all the time, don't react verbally, turn your back on the dog, where as if your puppy `Nips /bites' a sharp `Ouch' etc will suffice. When you have been out and arrive home and your puppy is jumping up at you, walk straight past, ignore your dog initially, until its on your terms.

These are just a few tips until such time you can take up training.

* Feeding

There is information in your puppy pack on how much and how often you should feed your puppy, however most pet food manufacturers will have feeding information on their products.

* Vaccinations

When you collect your puppy he/ she will have received its first vaccination, this will be recorded within the vaccination record card you will receive informing you of the vaccine received and when the next one is due. There is further information on vaccinations, flea treatment and worming on the page `Your puppies first 12 Months' on this site.

* Grooming

Grooming is a personal choice, some like the hair long, some like it short, its down to you, however we generally have ours groomed around 3 times a year. When considering grooming, concider what you are after, if you want a professional, competition standard cut, then this comes at a cost. If you just want a trim, then consider a groomer who has a grroming school, somewhere where students will carry out the groom under supervision, but at a fraction of the cost.