Puppies can generally be taken from their mother and littermates

beginning at 7 to 8 weeks of age. Puppies, like babies, require a lot of

attention, including veterinary care, feeding, socialization, and training.

Importance of Veterinary Care

Just like people, dogs receive a certain degree of immunity (known as maternal immunity) that is passed from

their mothers at birth and also shortly thereafter through her milk. Vaccinations cannot effectively stimulate the

puppy's immune system until this maternal immunity wears off. Because maternal immunity declines slowly

over time, puppies should be vaccinated every 2 to 3 weeks until they are about 4 months old. This ensures

that the puppy receives an effective dose of vaccine soon after maternal protection is gone. Restricting access

to unvaccinated dogs until the full series of vaccinations has been given is important to avoid disease.

Puppies need frequent vaccinations until they are 4 to 5 months old.

Intestinal parasites are most common in puppies. Larvae are often passed through the placenta or

mother's milk. Worms are so common that new puppies are often treated with a broad-spectrum

wormer as a routine preventive measure. 

Fecal examinations, with additional treatments as necessary,

are usually done every 2 to 4 weeks, until 2 successive fecal examinations are negative.

Diet

Proper nutrition is important throughout a dog's life and is especially critical during puppyhood. It is difficult for

growing puppies to take in enough calories, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals to meet their needs for rapid

growth and development. Puppies need multiple daily feedings of a specially formulated large breed puppy food. The

number of daily feedings can be gradually decreased as the puppy ages but in Standard Poodles free feeding helps to insure against Bloat.

Feeding with a name-brand puppy diet should continue until adulthood, 

which is about 12 to 18 months in most dogs but up to 2 years in giant breeds.

Socialization and Training

The earliest training that your puppy must learn is housetraining. With patience, persistence, and consistency,

housetraining usually takes only a few weeks. The key is to take the puppy outdoors at the times that dogs

naturally eliminate and to praise them enthusiastically when they do. Establishing a designated area that the

puppy can associate with elimination can be helpful. If accidents happen, take your pet outside to the

designated elimination area and praise it for eliminating (if it does so). Punishment, such as rubbing a dog's

nose in urine or feces, does no good and can even have a negative effect on training. Each accident indoors

sets the process back a little, so the fewer accidents, the better.

I agree to take my new puppy to the veterinarian by at least (2) days or 48 business hours from the time

I pick up the puppy for an exam, and for ALL regular wormings, vaccinations and health screenings as

recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Failure to complete the first visit (2) days or 48 hours, and the subsequent screenings and vaccinations

will result in voiding my guarantee of health and a replacement puppy as outlined in the paperwork I

have previously received. Completing these vaccinations and health screenings at home will also void

the guarantee as a 3rd party must be involved to ensure the validity of treatment and help to ensure a

healthy and happy puppy.

I further Hold Harmless, Stacy Roland, of any and all responsibility for my failings if I decide to not seek

the professional services of a licensed veterinary professional and to follow the proper protocol as

outlined by AVMA for vaccinations, health screenings and regular parasite prevention.

All dogs should learn to pay attention and respond to everyone in the household. Teaching young dogs basic

obedience commands, including sit, stay, down, come, and heel, increases the control that you have over your

dog, which can prevent potentially dangerous situations (such as running away or running into the street). Dogs

have an early socialization period, lasting from roughly 2 to 4 months of age. During this time, they more easily

learn to accept new people, places, animals, and other experiences. 

Giving your puppy positive experience

with new events during this period can help reduce the chances of 

fearful behavior and other problems later in life.

Many good books are available on raising and training puppies. Included in your puppy package is

an e-book on How to Raise the Perfect Puppy. In addition, many local trainers, kennels, and

community services offer socialization and obedience classes. Socialization classes can begin as early as 8

weeks of age, with obedience classes generally starting at 4 to 6 months of age. In general, obedience training

is an activity that you and your dog learn together. The trainer teaches you, and you teach your dog. It takes

only a few hours per week, is generally fun for both you and your pet, and can establish good behavior and a

strong family bond for the life of your dog.