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 ;)
