It's time!
When your puppy is about 8 weeks old, it can leave
our home and head to your home. Here are some things to help
you prepare for and pick up the puppy.
The Big Day
For specific instructions to reach our home,
please see our Instructions
page. GPS sometimes takes people on a dirt/mud road,
so please visit our own instructions page.
Final Payment
Most people bring the final payment in cash at the time of
pick up, which is best for us because cash doesn't require
clearance time. It is also safer for you, as you have
your money until you actually have your puppy in your hands.
We have found with even PayPal
credit card
payments that there can be a processing time, depending upon
the actual card or account you use when paying. So, it's
just best to take care of that about 2 weeks in advance
unless you know yours is immediate.
Checks must be received 2 weeks before pick up to allow us to
get them to the bank and cleared.
Supplies to Buy/Have/Bring
-
A
small collar and light leash for potty stops on the way home and leash
training
-
Two short and heavy (flat-bottomed) tip-resistant bowls for food
and water
-
Some chew toys are good to have!
-
If
you have far to travel, a pet carrier is an excellent idea (and also helps
for vet visits down the road). We like the 14" tall or taller ones.
-
A crate for crate training or to
keep the puppy in (when you are not home) until it is completely
housetrained. Our favorite size for adults is 2' x 3', with a divider in it
so you can make the inside smaller for the new puppy.
-
A bag of puppy food.
Click here to see what we like to feed.
-
One can of soft puppy food for
emergency temptation only.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR PUPPY CANNED PUPPY FOOD in unlimited
amounts soon after receiving him/her. Puppies are healthiest when fed dry
food. Do keep a couple cans of soft food on hand to use to tempt the puppy
to eat if he/she is off feed. But give just a couple tablespoons at a time
to prevent overeating. If the puppy eats soft food until he bloats, he could
begin a cycle of vomiting/diarrhea that could lead to blood sugar problems
and anemia, and which could be fatal.
-
Pepto Bismol: You can give puppies Pepto Bismol if needed. If your puppy has a
little bit of loose stools for the first day or two, you can give Pepto to him/her to
help settle the stomach. The change of leaving littermates can sometimes cause a
little diarrhea. If the puppy is still eating and drinking, it's normally not
something to be worried about. But if he/she stops drinking, dehydration can
become a concern. I have given Pepto Bismol (or generic equivalent) to puppies
as needed....1 to 1 1/2 cc's orally, which is probably 1/4th to 3/8ths of a
teaspoon. A couple times that first day seems to help a lot.
-
Visit our Supplies page for a more complete
list of ideas.
Travel Carriers and Crates
Beagles from us are usually between 15 and
30 lbs
and around 12-15" tall when mature (at the shoulder), so look for a carrier
labeled for that size of dog if you want one for long-term
use.
If you want to just transport a dog in a carrier to the vet
for quick trips, a smaller carrier will work (but be careful
about carrying it so the handle doesn't break). If you want
to keep the dog in a crate/cage while you are away from home
to crate train him, we recommend a much bigger, coated metal
cage with a door. Pet supply stores sell large crates such
as these for $40 to $100.
Visit our Supplies page
for more information.
Feeding Your Puppy
Visit our Foods page for
a LOT of information!
Registration Papers
We will mail your puppy's registration
application to you about 2 weeks after you pick up your
puppy. This is because we want you to wait to register your
puppy until after you have had your vet check him/her, and
also to make sure you can keep your puppy.
Recommended
Vaccination Schedule
We give the puppies their first vaccination
at about 6-7 weeks of age, around the time of weaning. You'll need to
continue with a vaccination schedule recommended by your
veterinarian for your area. The Humane Society has some
recommendations:
Some common germs that are often preventable by
vaccination...
- Distemper - an airborne viral disease of the lungs, intestines and
brain.
- Hepatitis - a viral disease of the liver.
- Leptospirosis - a bacterial disease of the urinary system.
- Parainfluenza - infectious bronchitis.
- Parvovirus - a viral disease of the intestines.
- Rabies - a viral disease fatal to humans and other animals.
- Corona - a viral disease of the intestines.
- Bordetella - a bacterial infection (kennel cough)
Puppies - 6 weeks to 1 year
- 6 weeks - First puppy shot
- 9-11 weeks - Second puppy shot
- 12-14 weeks - Third puppy shot
- 15-17 weeks - Fourth puppy shot (some consider this optional)
- Over 4 months - Rabies (repeat l year later)
- 7 to 9 months - First heartworm test
Adult Dogs - After 1 year
- DHLPP - Yearly
- Heartworm test - Yearly
- Rabies - Every 1-3 years (after second Rabies shot)
- Bordetella - Yearly
Note: Some states have their own laws
regarding the frequency & requirement of certain vaccinations. When in
doubt, always ask your veterinarian or local humane society.
Deworming Schedule
Veterinary recommendations vary for deworming puppies, but
all resources we've encountered recommend deworming at LEAST by 6 weeks of
age and again at 3 months of age.
A schedule beginning at 2 weeks with deworming every 2 weeks
through the 8th week is recommended by some vets, while others recommend
deworming for the first time at 6 weeks. We deworm our puppies at least
twice prior to weaning (at least at 4 and 6 weeks), and hope you'll continue
with at least monthly deworming unless your veterinarian recommends
otherwise.
Training/Growth Stages for Puppies
This is a neat and short article about the stages of puppy
growth. Knowing what to expect for that first year can help you both
train and cope with your puppy's changes in personality and abilities.
Click Here to read the article.
More here...
FAQ's About Our Puppies
We are assembling some commonly-asked questions and answers about getting a
new puppy, and have created a FAQ page that might
help.
