Puppy Pickup
The big day is arriving and we want to help you prepare for the transition. This is an important transition in your life and in the life of the precious puppy or puppies. To help you plan and ease the stress here is some helpful information to assist you in a smooth, lower stress (notice I did not say “stress-free”) transition.
Schedule Vet Visit: Once you’ve reserved your puppy, please schedule your puppy’s vet exam. We recommend your puppy exam to be within the first few days of pick up. We recommend taking your new puppy to your vet and establishing that new relationship and care. This is also a great time for any needed vaccination boosters and or deworming. We will give you your puppy's health records when you pick puppy up.
Puppy Transition: Love, love, love your new puppy! Your puppy will be sad at first, may cry a lot, may look a bit lost, may not eat much at first, but things will begin to get better after a few days. Your puppy is sad to leave his/her home and its siblings. Your puppy has lived with his mother and litter mates for the past weeks as well as our family. Talking to your puppy sweetly and giving it affection is the best way to help it feel secure and within a few hours to days it will find its new sense of security in you! Try to establish a routine as noted below (i.e. feed, water, potty, play, kennel training etc.) this will also help your puppy be secure quickly.
Car sickness: This is almost a certainty. Bring old towels, old blankets, etc., you don’t mind getting soiled with pee, maybe even poo and perhaps some throw up, or any combination of the above! If you are able to bring a designated driver so you can hold your puppy the entire ride home that is best—the puppy will enjoy being cuddled in your arms and will begin bonding on the drive home. Unless you have a long drive, avoid giving food while driving. In the event of a long drive, offer some of the puppy dog samples and water, allow time for breaks—potty, move-around—and hopefully the puppy will take care of potty time outside. Make certain to always have your new puppy on a leash with collar and name tag.
Puppy collar, leash, and name tag: Please bring a new collar & leash to take your puppy home. We recommend you bring a collar or two (size small-medium adjustable is best), and a tag with your dog’s name, town, and your phone numbers on it. This will allow you to be prepared for potty and move-around breaks safely having your puppy secure.
Purchase Food: We recommend that you purchase a bag of our brand of dog food before you pick your puppy up. It is very important to transition your puppy's food to a different food very slowly (most food says at least 10-14 days). This will also reduce the chances of diarrhea due to a quick of a change and eliminating one big stress on their system. Everything is changing for your puppy and not changing food right away is one way to keep their bodies in balance better and it will make your life easier not having to deal with the added messes of changing it to quickly. Your puppy is currently eating Kirkland Signature Puppy Formula Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Dog Food www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-puppy-formula-chicken%2C-rice-and-vegetable-dog-food-20-lb..product.100343452.html
It is currently available at Costco. If you don't shop at Costco let us know and you can purchase a bag from us for $30. IMPORTANT: We need to know ahead of time if you need to get some from us so we have enough on hand. Again please make sure you buy some or arrange to purchase from us prior to getting your puppy. The more ready you are for your pup the easier the transition will be. Maintaining the protein/fat content at the same level for the first year of your puppy’s life is essential. Allow your puppy to free-feed! If you are doing crate training you will need to cycle with eat/ potty/ play/ potty/ crate. After potty training has been completed (if you wish to have your puppy inside) then allow him/her to eat freely and have free choice. If you intend to use your puppy solely as a livestock/poultry guardian it needs free choice(always available) of food for its first year of life. We also can help you find other solutions and share tips that has worked for us to keep livestock from eating puppies food. But please consult your veterinarian for what's best for your pup and situation.
Patience: Studies indicate it takes 21 days for something new to become routine. Allow yourself time to get into a new routine. The investment in time up-front to train your puppy will reap rewards. Great Pyrenees pups are very intelligent. Following a solid routine and consistency most are trained in a week for potty training.
Here is an example of a routine:
- Allow the puppy to sleep in a crate in your bedroom with puppy toy/chew.
- When puppy cries at night, let him hear your voice to soothe him or provide a touch.
- When he wakes up from sleeping, take him to his designated potty spot.
- Come inside and allow puppy to eat (during the day) and drink water from their eating spot.
- Out for a potty break again within a few minutes.
- Play time, potty again, and then back in the crate for a nap.
- After nap time, up again to take care of potty break and time to eat and play. Remember, lots and lots of love and snuggle time (not hard with these fluffy pups). Your puppy is used to sleeping and snuggling with his/her siblings—now you and your family have to fill this role.
A note about crate training: Limit the time your puppy spends in the crate. A crate used properly is a good thing in the very beginning ensuring your puppy know he has a special place of safety and comfort of his own (like his/her own bedroom). Crates are a transition time only, and should never be abused. Limit the puppy’s time in the crate: it is not the puppy’s home. Lots of love and attention during transition and training are essential. Over time, the crate can be put away and you can transition to a large space in your home, and then the entire home, or whatever you allow. Some owners choose to keep a crate around and leave it open so the puppy/dog can go in and out as they please to provide a den like comfort. I suggest the later.
Exercise: Great Pyrenees love and need the outdoors. They were created to be outdoors and must have a place of their own to guard and move around. Ensure your pup and dog have access to the outdoors for a great portion of their day. They are not meant to be “couch potatoes” (but may become more of one as they age). Take them out for walks, let them run free in your well fenced yard. They love the rain, snow, and mud. Once they reach about 6 months, they can easily handle these type of climates, as long as they have a place of shelter to go to when they get too hot or too cold. Please be aware their bones are still forming and their joints are not fitting together tightly as they do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet. When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in. But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint. You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one. Once grown you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.
To shave or not to shave: Do not shave your Pyr’s coat. Their coat protects their skin from the harsh heat and cold. Shaving your dog could cause serious sun burn in the summer months – instead give your dog a shelter from the elements.
Extra dew claws, do they need them? Yes, the trademark of the Great Pyrenees is their double dew claw on their hind feet. Please leave them intact. Dew claws help them with balance and prove it is a Great Pyrenees! They have never been a problem for us on the ranch all these years.
Socialization: Whether a loved family companion, guardian livestock dog, or a therapy dog, spend lots of time with your puppy. Great Pyrenees are very kind, calm, and loving dogs. Your puppy needs a lot of attention from you and other people. If a family pet, or therapy dog, expose your dog to as many situations as possible—take him to the store, to your local pet store, to dog parks and allow your puppy to see other dogs, people and noises. Your puppy will enjoy these trips and will help get them used to people and a variety of settings. Your puppy will love to be around other dogs and people. If your puppy will eventually be in the pasture, do the same introducing them to their animals and area/boundaries. They will do their job of guarding and will naturally guard without training. They need to be loved just as much if going to the pasture and have daily interaction with people. A Pyr that is in the pasture should have another Pyr with him – dogs are pack animals and need one of their own kind at all times (could be another breed), but another pyr is best if guarding. They work as a team: one dog fights the battle while the other dog guards the flock or they will work together to eliminate a predator.
Education: We recommend you give your puppy basic obedience classes to establish a better relationship, good manners and habits. Please be familiar with our education page. We have provided resources we think are very helpful for you and your puppy.
We are looking forward to working with you and are very thankful that you choose our dogs for your family!
Please contact us if you have any questions, we are always happy to help!
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