So, you have decided, (or almost decided) to adopt one of my puppies! The information on this page will help you with all those questions you are now contemplating and will make the puppy’s transition from our home to yours a more pleasant experience for everyone involved.
My babies are like human babies. They can get injured, so make sure you prepare your home, garage, and yard before giving my baby the run of these areas. Remember the home and yard are exciting and potentially dangerous places for a new puppy. Inside, check for exposed electric cords, open cabinets with anything toxic (oven or drain cleaners, insect poisons or traps, floor and furniture polish, anti-freeze, lawn chemicals and paint, anything that common sense tells you wouldn't be healthy for your puppy) stored there, closets that you don't want the puppy in, doors that do not latch securely, trash cans should have lids to keep the puppy out, plants or anything on the floor that could harm the puppy. Holiday's are potentially dangerous for the puppy. Electrical cords, Christmas tree tinsel, ribbons, needles and thread, string and rubber bands can all be deadly if swallowed by your puppy. Use baby gates to keep your puppy in safe areas. My butler plays a keyboard, and Prissy chewed through the cords to his foot peddle. He was pretty upset about that. Puppies will chew ANYTHING!
Shoes are common casualties to new puppies so keep them safely put away in closed closets. Prissy chewed the tassels off of my butler’s loafers. He wasn’t very happy about that, either. Children's toys also frequently fall victim to teething puppies. (Good way to teach the kids to keep their toys picked up?) Have a few chew toys ready for the puppy to start proper training right off the bat. Don't forget the yard! Check your fence for escape holes, gaps at the bottom of the fence, between gates or corners that may have been fine to hold an adult dog but not your new little puppy. Make sure the fence is high enough to hold an adult dog. Extra fencing may be necessary to surround backyard swimming pools, ponds, gardens, and compost piles. Keep outdoor trash, lawn chemicals, gardening tools, potted plants, and any other object that may hurt the puppy out of reach. Remember this little guy or gal is in a new world, very much an explorer, and has no idea what is dangerous and what isn't. Also, it’s expensive to go to the veterinarian after-hours hospital if something gets lodged in the puppy’s stomach or throat!
First, check with your local airline to see exactly where to pick up your puppy. In some cases, puppy's come into the main terminal, and in other airports they go to the cargo buildings. You will need your airway bill number, which you will get when shipping arrangements are made, and a photo ID in most cases to claim your puppy. Leave home in plenty of time to get there and find the place to pick up your puppy. Don’t forget cash or your checkbook to pay for the COD shipping. When my baby leaves here, it should be freshly bathed, but often, puppies get airsick or can't hold their potty needs for the entire trip. Bring along some paper towels, a large trash bag, and something to put in the bottom of the crate. Shredded paper works much better at keeping messes off your puppy than just a towel or newspapers laid flat in the bottom of the crate. There should be food and water dishes attached to the crate, so you don't have to worry about bringing those.
Depending on how far you have to drive home, you may need to bring some bottled water, so if you have a source of non-chlorinated water, it would be better for the puppy. If you are not far from home, it most likely will be better not to feed the puppy at the airport, although a drink of water should be offered. Please do not try to leash break your puppy in the airport parking lot. New collars can be difficult to get adjusted right, and your puppy will undoubtedly have a tantrum his first few times on a leash, and a busy airport parking lot is not a good place to have a loose puppy! If there is a private, grassy area, your puppy may enjoy running around and going to potty there for a little bit. You can offer water there, too.
If you are picking up your puppy from me, it would be best to transport it home in a crate. Puppies often get carsick. You will need the same supplies as for the airport pickup. Tillie’s Tots will send home some food for your puppy, and if you have a long trip, a bottle of good water will be needed.
As soon as you arrive home, take your puppy out to the spot in your yard where you want it to potty. Give him some time to explore, sniff, and in general take in his new surroundings. Give him a chance to settle in before offering food, but be sure to offer your puppy some food soon after you get home – no matter what time it is. Your puppy needs to know this is HOME and all of its needs will be met there. A bag of food will be attached to your puppy’s crate if shipped, or given to you when you pick up your puppy. This is the food that they are accustomed to eating. You should decide before hand what type of puppy food you wish to feed my tot, then over the puppies first few days at home, mix the 2 foods together, gradually increasing the amount of the new food. This will help prevent sudden changes to the digestive system of the puppy.
Puppies will react in one of two ways to new surroundings. They will either be a bit nervous and shy, or in the case of more active dogs, they will be ready to explode into action after being crated for so long during shipping. Let them get some exercise, but remember, especially if you have children, puppies are just like babies - they do sleep a lot. Make sure you give the puppy some rest time between romping with the human kids. Do not be alarmed if the puppy is shy at first. Remember, they have just left me, and the only home they have ever known. They are in a totally strange, new place. Even the climate may be different.
Our sense of smell is far more sensitive than humans, so even the air will smell different. And with that comment, I want to tell you about a true and funny dog story that a great breeder told my staff. "I spend a lot of time socializing my puppies to make them great family companions, so it worries me if puppies act unfriendly or frightened when visitors come to see them. On several occasions, I have seen puppies that were the most lovable, friendly little guys you ever saw, that would freeze in total terror when held by some woman. I just couldn't understand it. At that time, all my kennel helpers were female, so they were accustomed to women. Had they had a reaction like that to a man holding them, it would have made more sense. It took me forever to figure out what was causing it. It bothered me for a long time, but one day a lady came to look at a pup, and it came to me in a flash … well, actually, it came to me on the breeze. I smelled her when she opened the car door, even though I was a good 20 feet away. She must have stumbled when putting on her perfume and dumped half a bottle on herself! Sure enough, when I handed her a sweet, friendly little puppy, the poor puppy froze in absolute terror! I have to add, I'm one of those people that can't even walk down the detergent isle in the grocery store without choking. I hate perfume as it chokes me to death, so I never wear any.”
The shot record will be in an envelope attached to the kennel. Also, the crate your puppy is shipped in will be sufficient in size that you can use it for several weeks if you choose to house break your puppy by crate training.
My puppies need a lot of things, so lets go shopping! Most Pet Stores have a discount card, so you will want to register for those. Your puppy will need a food and water dish. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls with a non-skid base are best. They are easiest to keep clean and sanitary for the puppy. The ones with stands work well, too. Now, let’s get food! I’ll send a starter amount of food the puppy has been eating. See "Feeding" above on this page.
A crate … Ahhhh … I love my crate! It’s a place where I can be alone and safe. Some people feel a crate is more of a cage than a secure and safe place where we dogs can retreat when we are tired or stressed. I think of it as my personal bedroom and bed. My crate is bigger than Maxxy and Prissy’s because I love to stretch out when I sleep. Putting your puppy into his/her crate to rest in the daytime or sleep at night is an effective house training method. It’s a secure, private place for your puppy. Most puppies won't soil the area where they sleep unless they are left there way too long. Crates can be constructed of plastic, fiberglass or wire. If your puppy arrived on an airplane, he/she may already have a starter crate. Be sure to replace it when your puppy gets big enough to be cramped. Some dogs curl up to sleep while others stretch out on their back. You’ll need a longer crate for a back sleeper. Do not be discouraged if your puppy cries or yelps at first. I didn’t like being confined when I was a puppy, but now I LOVE MY CRATE! My maid covered it at night so it became very private. That helped me sleep better after I stopped throwing a fit! Now, I just go to my crate by myself when I’m tire of all the activity. The staff doesn’t cover it any longer.
Now let’s get your puppy something to sleep on. For bedding, you can use an old towel, blanket, or buy an easy to wash puppy pad that fits your crate at your local pet store. At least two pads are needed so you’ll have an extra one when one gets soiled. Don't forget you can use a baby gate to keep your puppy in safe areas. Be careful to get a good gate. When Prissy came to live with us, she could climb the gate or fence, so my maid bought one with vertical bars. If your puppy or dog is going to go in the car with you, you can buy him/her a doggie seat or seat belt. A seat pad is necessary, too, although you can use an old mattress pad, too. Auto restraints and pads may be purchased at your local pet store. Doggy seat belts or seats will limit your pet’s movement around the car and protect him/her if you have to stop suddenly.
Your puppy will need a collar. This is to attach his/her identification and his/her rabies tag and license, so if he/she does get lost you can be found, You can purchase your baby’s identification tag at most pet stores. It should be engraved with your puppy's name, your name, address, telephone number and any important medical information. For sure, make sure your puppy’s name, your name, and your phone number fit on the tag. Wearing an ID tag really works! When my staff was sitting on a Lanai in Hawaii, my maid received a phone call from a man who said Maxxy was in his garage. Maxxy escaped when the lawn men came to mow the lawn and left the gate open. I was too scared to escape, so I hid under the BBQ grill. It was a good thing that Maxxy was wearing his collar and ID! The nice man brought Maxxy home to our back yard, and my maid called the dog-sitter to tell her what had happened.
Our hair often gets matted, so a leather or plastic collar helps prevent matting. Cloth collars seem to exacerbate the problem. You will want to buy a good doggie hairbrush, too. Of course you are going to exercise and walk your new friend so you will need a leash. Get at least a six-foot standard leash or a retractable leash, which will allow you to shorten or lengthen the leash with the touch of a button. I really like the shorter leashes for walking, but the longer leashes work best for going potty on road trips. Usually, I don’t even need a leash because I like to stay close to my staff, and I know how to come when they call me to come back.
You want your puppy or dog to look nice and it is important that your puppy be groomed. Your puppy will need a brush that I mentioned, a flea comb, a nail trimmer, and a doggie toothbrush and doggie toothpaste for his teeth. Talk to your vet or groomer for specific brushes you need for your puppy or dog. Take your puppy to a groomer when his nails get too long. If your take your puppy for haircuts and nail trimming while he/she is young, it won’t be so traumatic as he/she gets older. It’s a good idea to take a picture to the groomer so they will know how to groom your puppy. The Teddy Bear look is sweet for puppies, but as they grow, a more mature look is good. Maltepoos need long ears and a fluffy, Maltese tail. Also, many Maltepoos have ugly, hard tears that form under their eyes. It’s important to keep those cleaned off. There are products in the pet store for this, or you can use old-fashioned water and a washcloth. Angel Eyes is a product that you mix with the puppy’s food to help alleviate the problem.
Now! Chewies, treats, and toys to help keep this little bundle of teeth from destroying everything he can get his mouth around. There is a variety of chewies and toys to choose. Rawhide, rubber and nylon chew toys can keep your puppy or dog busy for hours. Also, there are toys that you can freeze with dog treats inside. This truly DOES keep your puppy busy for a long, long time. Please watch your puppy or dog to make sure he/she isn't swallowing large unchewed chunks of the chewie toy. We love Mini Dingos at our house. I’m particularly good at stealing Maxxy and Prissy’s Dingos! We growl at each other while we are chewing our Dingos, but it’s not serious! We are just guarding our own Dingos.
You will need those toys! There are rope toys, squeaky toys, rolling toys, fat toys, flat toys, green toys, red toys, toys that look like tools and toys that look like just about anything. We like toys that are easy to carry in our small mouths. Be sure to watch your puppy with a new toy so he/she doesn't destroy it in a matter of minutes or choke on a piece of it. You may have to try several toys to find one that is sturdy enough for your puppy or dog and one that he likes. We tore open some with squeakers, and that’s not a good thing. Be sure all toys and balls are large enough not to get lodged in your puppy’s or dog’s throat.
Lastly, you may want to get some pads to cover your couch. My staff uses the ones you get at a nursing home supply.
They have waterproof backing on them. Also, we love our small pillows and love to sit on them to eat our Dingo bones.
