Last instructions

I know how excited you all are! And trust me, we are excited too! In just a few days all the puppies will leave our home and arrive in different locations all over the US. Let me tell you that I have never been so certain that I have found great homes for my little ones.

A week ago we started to get the puppies ready for their departure. We started to separate them and let 2 puppies sleep together in 1 flight kennel, so they would get used to the separation of the siblings as well as the kennel. We also introduced them to bones, because every puppy will have a bone in his or her flight kennel to keep them busy. We also started to give them an Omega3 supplement for a healthy immune system and to help them growing out their puppy coat.

Please let me share a few last suggestions with you, for when your puppy arrived at your home:

Pick-Up

Most puppies will arrive late at the airport. Most airports close a little earlier on Sundays, so please go to the after-hours baggage claim to receive your dog. The airline has the phone number of every single one of you! You MUST bring a valid photo ID with your address on it! Leave the airport with your puppy and let him do potty. You can offer your puppy some water, but most puppies are not thirsty since the airline keeps them well hydrated. The best thing you can do is to leave the puppy on your lap while you drive back home. I would appreciate it if you all send me a short text message about the puppies arrival. My number is 910 922 9098.

The first night

You might want to let your puppy sleep in his kennel right next to your bed. That way you can hear if he needs to go outside, and you can comfort him if he feels lonely or sad. You can also have him in your bed (he will wake you up if he needs to go potty). Do not leave the dog somewhere alone in the house where he can explore everything. You would regret that the morning you wake up...

Puppies stink

They really do! I will give all the puppies a final bath before they leave and trim their nails, but it is unlikely that the puppy will arrive at your destination and smell like a flower. However, you might want for day 2 to give him a bath.

Food

We currently feed Purina Puppy Chow. It is a well balanced food for a very good price. Luckily, Whippets do not have a sensitive stomach and replacing their food should not bother them. We replaced their food with royal canine and fresh raw fish every now and then, and they all didn't seem to care. Something I can recommend is Omega3 fish oil. It helps your puppy to grow out of his puppy coat more easily, and it makes their coat shiny and healthy. In Great Britain, Whippets receive a mix of milk, honey and egg once or twice a month. I do the same, but use greek yoghurt instead of the milk. It is a boost for the immune system, tastes yummy and supports a healthy coat.

Water

Plenty! But you might want to take the water away about 2 hours before the puppy goes to bed. It helps a lot to get them sleep through the night without accidents.

Potty training

If you constantly keep an eye on your puppy and take him outside as soon as he starts to sniff around, you will have him trained within a week. Your puppy knows that he is supposed to do potty outside. They are used to it from our home. Please don't forget that the muscles of a puppy won't be fully developed before the age of 12 weeks. They are not able yet to hold pee or poop for a long time.

Vaccination

Your puppy got his first puppy shots at the age of (almost) 8 weeks. Follow the vaccination schedule we recently posted on our blog.

Deworming

Every puppy has worms. Please follow the deworming schedule we posted along with the vaccination schedule. Your puppy received his last deworming at (almost) 8 weeks. However, you can expect to see quite some worms until he is 16 weeks old and got dewormed a few times more.

Questions

You can always contact me if you have any questions about your puppy or Whippets in general. Please know that we will move at the end of April, so I might not have internet access for a few days ;)