Congratulations! You got on ”The List”! But, now what? Now, you wait. Hopefully your reputable breeder explained their process to you, so just follow their instructions. If you are ever in doubt of what is actually going on, then just contact them. Most reputable breeders are open and honest about their expectations and their process.
Reputable Breeders Aren’t News Outlets…
…so you shouldn’t expect 24/7 updates. Most do provide weekly updates starting at birth, some even put webcams in the whelping box. However, all of this depends on the individual breeder’s process. Some will contact you when the bitch comes into season, then when she is confirmed to be pregnant, when the puppies are born, and weekly after that. Others won’t announce a litter until the pups are 2-4 weeks old.
If a reputable breeder does promise weekly updates, but doesn’t send one at exactly 7 and 14 days, don’t get your panties in a wad. The first two weeks are volatile. If the breeder is going to lose any pups, it is most likely to occur during those first 14 days. Reputable breeders supervise mom and pups nearly around the clock during that time period, so it may be difficult for them to send you updates. Honestly, the pups are pretty boring during that stage anyway.
However, things can and do go wrong, so please be understanding if something bad happens. After all, it’s their dog and their breeding program. They have loved those puppies since before they were even conceived, so remember: the breeder is hurting and more disappointed than you are.
Multiple Reputable Breeders’ Lists
You may be tempted to try and get on more than one list and that’s actually okay IF you communicate this to both breeders up front. Most reputable breeders don’t mind if you’re on more than one list, but they do mind if you wait until the last minute to tell them you already got a puppy.
They also very much mind if you try to actually bring home puppies from both litters in a short time period. Especially if they are opposite sex puppies. This is something that those scummy BYBs try to do sometimes.
Here’s a Hypothetical for You
Anyway, let’s say that you are on the list for Breeder A and Breeder Z. Breeder A isn’t sure there will be enough puppies for you, but Breeder Z has you pretty high up the list. Breeder A’s litter is born a few weeks before Breeder Z’s litter and is larger than expected. You get a phone call and it’s Breeder A telling you that you are getting a puppy. Yay! Congratulations! Now go tell Breeder Z that you won’t be getting a puppy from them after all because you are getting one from Breeder A. And be quick about it. Like racing Greyhound quick.
I almost guarantee that Breeder Z has more people waiting to get a puppy than they do puppies, so they will be able to find that puppy another fabulous home. If they don’t keep a waitlist, they will likely advertise the pup on social media. If you wait until they are scheduling pick-ups and deciding who gets which puppy, you’re going to make them mad. They just spent 6-7 weeks sending you photos, videos, and updates and getting to know you. Then at the very end you tell them you already got a puppy? Not a good look.
Prepare For Your Puppy
If you want to make the wait seem faster, make a checklist of things you need when your puppy comes home. Some things you can do to pass the time include:
- Buying supplies and toys.
- Research AAFCO compliant foods and pick one out.
- Find a good, Dog World friendly vet.
- Book a well-puppy appointment.
- Research training facilities for puppy classes.
- Read training materials.
- Read everything you can about your breed.
- Watch Best in Show a few times.
A Word to the Wise
Again, I see the irony in this, BUT… be careful what you read on the internet. There is a TON of misinformation out there about dog food, vaccinations, training methods, spaying and neutering, etc. And most of it is targeted at Pet People. Do yourself a favor and read both sides of an argument before you make a decision. For example, if you read an article touting the benefits of grain-free dog food, then find an article discussing the detriments of grain-free dog food too. Make a fair informed decision, and as always, if you have questions, ask your breeder.
Recommendations for Supplies
Some things you definitely need are crates (I have 5 crates and only two dogs…), collars and leashes, food bowls, poop bags, toys, training treats, LOTS of paper towels, enzymatic cleaners, puppy shampoo, ear cleaner, nail trimmer, canine probiotics, etc. You can find most, if not all of those things on Chewy or Amazon. However, for most reputable breeders (and definitely for me) crates are non-negotiable. And remember…
One thing I have strong feelings on are slip leads: I LOVE a good slip lead. If I could go back in time and do things differently with Rocket, I would put him on a slip lead from the day he came home. I truly believe it would have made a huge difference in his pulling habit. Fun fact: I have won two slip leads with Eevee at specialty shows. Dog People in general love slip leads, so you should too. 😉
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
I actually like and use these products on a daily basis.
- Crates: for dogs Golden Retriever sized, a 36″ crate is usually big enough. I have a 42″ one for the house and both of my dogs fit in it comfortably (they voluntarily get in there together)
- Slip leads: I prefer 4-ft leads for puppies and 6-ft leads for adults
- Food bowls: I love these bowls because they are dishwasher safe and easily portable. I literally have 6 of them. And trust me, unless you have a Giant breed, you don’t need anything larger than the small size
- Toys: I use different toys for different life stages, so here are few that I love and my dogs also love.
- For destructive land sharks (AKA puppies): West Paw Zogoflex Toys
- For less destructive adults: GoDog brand plushies; Eevee loves the fluffy “FurBallz” ones and they last for a couple of months at least usually
- Training Treats: here are a few of my go to’s
- Zuke’s Mini Naturals (salmon flavor)
- Stella and Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch
- Charlee Bears – most dogs are obsessed with these!
- Enzymatic Cleaners: Nature’s Miracle is the only brand I’ve ever used, but it seems to work really well – if you’re fast!
- Shampoo: I’ll go ahead and give you recs for both puppy shampoo and adult shampoo because I’m just nice like that. 😉
- Puppy Shampoo: Earthbath is far and away my favorite puppy shampoo. It is super gentle and smells like Grandma’s cherry pie!
- Adult Shampoo: Fair Advantage from Chris Christensen is my absolute favorite adult shampoo for regular maintenance. It is really gentle and smells great. Clean Start (also from Chris Christensen) is my favorite for a really dirty dog. Both of these shampoos are highly dilutable, so they last forever. I buy a gallon of Fair Advantage about once every couple of years and that’s it.
- Conditioner: Bonus! I only use conditioner on Eevee to help her feathering grow back after she blows coat, but Pro Gro (again, Chris Christensen) is the only one worth my time and money.
- The three Chris Christensen products can also be found on Amazon, Cherrybrook, and the Chris Christensen website.
- Ear Cleaner: Mystic Ear by Chris Christensen really is mystically good. It’s like magic. Personally, I think it works better than some of the cleaners by veterinary supply companies. It is NOT an ear treatment; if your dog has an ear infection, you still need to go to the vet.
- Nail Trimmers: I like to have traditional nail clippers on hand, but most of the time is use a grinder. You get some free advice on this one too – puppies will be much more tolerant of nail trimming when they are adults if you MAKE them let you trim their nails when they are young. I started out using peanut butter or squeeze cheese as a distraction and weaned them off of it as they grew, but I do not tolerate being a turkey on my grooming table or running away.
- Traditional Clippers – I’m like 98% sure this is the brand that I have in my tackbox, but honestly, most traditional clippers will be fine.
- Nail Grinder – This appears to be a newer, fancier version of the one I have
- Last, but far from least, Probiotics: Purina’s Forti Flora is one of the best and most well researched probiotics on the market. I LOVE this stuff. I give it nearly every day, whether my dogs are having issues or not. I would give the powder version to puppies, but the chewable tablets are what I give to my adults.
Speaking of Food:
One thing that drives me nuts is when the people at a pet store say that the vets get kickbacks from the Big 3 for selling their brands in their practice. Y’all, it’s a literal pet STORE. THEY get kickbacks off of every bag of food sold in their store. Pet store employees are also (usually) not trained in pet nutrition and it is their job to sell you the brands they have in their store. Not exactly a great source for unbiased opinions. So, if your vet recommends that you feed Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet, Royal Canin/Eukanuba, listen to them. The only foods on which they might make a small margin are the prescription diets that can only be obtained from a vet.
Back to My Pseudo-Recommendations
Hopping off that soapbox, AAFCO compliant dog food really is a must. I’m not going give any specific food recommendations because it’s so personal, but that AAFCO statement on the back of the bag really is important. The primary thing you need to look for when your dog is a puppy is that the food is formulated to include puppies. I personally prefer an “All Life Stages” food. I think puppy food is too rich. If you have a large breed, make sure the statement says “including growth of large breed puppies.”
Reputable breeders typically recommend brands that they have had success with in their own dogs (your puppy’s mother and maybe father). Therefore, the chances of success are high for your puppy to also do well on that. But, most reputable breeders don’t care what you feed as long as it’s a quality, AAFCO compliant food. Preferably formulated by a board certified veterinary nutritionist. Even better if it went through feeding trials. Science matters when it comes to nutrition for any species. Science matters always, really.
That said, if the breeder has the puppies on a quality food when they go home (and they will), there is really no reason to switch. I don’t know why, but so many new puppy owners want to immediately switch foods. Y’all… This is not helpful for your puppy. You don’t know more about what to feed puppies than the breeder does. If you just have super strong feelings, then by all means, switch foods. BUT, it will go better for the puppy if you wait to switch until the puppy has been home for a month or so, and even then, do the transition slowly.
Regarding Vet Clinics
Choosing a vet can be tricky. When we moved across the country and didn’t know anyone, I had to just Google vet clinics and pick one. I checked for AAHA accreditation, private ownership (preferably by the head vet), and used reviews to help, but in the end I went with my gut and I could not be happier with the clinic I chose. It’s important to find a vet that keeps up with current research and issues for your breed. It’s important to find a vet clinic that shares your values as well. Your breeder will greatly appreciate it if you do not spay or neuter early. Check back in a few weeks (two years later and still no article… yikes, y’all!) later for an article on early spay and neuter.
Regarding Training Facilities
This part largely depends on what type of training you want to do. If you want to go the more positive route, then don’t forget about my experience with internet certified, “purely positive” trainers. Choose your positive training facility wisely. Try to find one with Dog World obedience competitors as instructors.
Positive reinforcement is a wonderful tool, but the other three quadrants of operant conditioning are just as important. The definition of reinforcement in the psychology world is a consequence of an action that increases the likelihood of that action being repeated over time. I really think it’s worthwhile to find trainers that know how to use the other quadrants as well. It’s called balance. Don’t go with a one-trick pony trainer.
Puppies need – and thrive on – discipline, structure, and clear communication. I prefer puppy classes that follow the AKC S.T.A.R. puppy system. A good training facility will train you to train your dog and won’t allow free-for-all puppy play time. Free-for-all play is actually a great way to reinforce reactivity in a dog that’s already prone to it.
Survival of the Patient
You can make it through this process to getting your dream dog if you are patient and honest. A lot of people aren’t patient (or honest) and even though I’ve explained that puppies aren’t a commodity, they will still purchase a puppy from a BYB, commercial breeder, or even a puppy mill just because it’s convenient. You do you folks, just remember the potential consequences.
I know that you can make it because I did. I’ve been where you are now: trying to step across The Chasm into the world of reputable breeders and well-bred dogs. If you read my introductory post, then you know that I got both rejected and ghosted, but I persevered. I ended up with not one, but two dream dogs. It can definitely be done and it is ALWAYS worth it. And honestly, the three years in between Rocket and Eevee were harder than the initial wait for Rocket. I was DYING to get that second puppy!
Reputable Breeders Appreciate You
And don’t forget, great pet homes are invaluable to reputable breeders. You make yourself even more valuable by educating yourself. The closer you get to the Dog World side of The Canine Chasm, the more valuable you are and the more likely it is that you’ll get priority on a second puppy when/if you want one.