Collecting your white swiss shepherd puppy

On the agreed collection day we recommend you arrive before lunchtime . Even if journey back home is a few hours your wss puppy will still have a chance to  have a good look around her new home and practice going potty in the designated area  before bedtime comes. If you are driving by yourself please make sure you have a crate set up in the car, if you have a companion and you would like puppy to travel on back seat with your companion please make sure you have a harness and seatbelt attachment for the pup and also a blanket or towel he can lay on while travelling. All pups will be leaving us with water and water bowl for their journey.  

Your white swiss shepherd puppy will also be leaving us with food supplies to last a few days . Please stick with the brand of food we weaned them on  for a few weeks at least as their tummy is very sensitive at this point to food changes. If you eventually choose a different brand please do the change gradually, to avoid any tummy upsets. 

For start your puppy will need to be fed three times per day and needs to have access to water at all times. After 6 months she can go down to two meals per day. Once pup settles in her new home you can add various toppers on her food ( wet food from the same brand, a spoonful of natural yoghurt, bits of meat and veg etc) . Be guided by the puppy's overall condition not by the ammount that it says on the kibble packaging -if you feel that puppy would need a bit more don't be afraid to increase the ammount offered. 

We compiled a list of items that we think will be usefull to have for the new arrival:

- collar & ID tag ( it is legal requirement that your dog wears an ID tag)

- poop bags

- lead and harness ( for start you should be fine with a regular harness, from 12 months onwards we recommend the Stop Pulling  Ancol/Pure Dog Listeners harness . It is extremely durable, comfy for the dog , gives you maximum control and can go in the washing machine (Amazon). For collection when pups are around 9-10 weeks you will need a size M harness ( they are usually around 8kg by then)

-cleaning spray for toileting accidents, a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and water also works great  

- large crate with mat inside and a blanket to cover crate ( dogs love to have their own little den where they can retreat if needed) . Also can be used in the car when travelling or if dog needs to be confined after surgery etc. All our pups are introduced to the crate at very early age so if you wish to crate train should be pretty straightforward. 

- food and water bowl for the house , portable water bottle/bowl

-snuffle mat ( Amazon-snuffle mat for dogs)

-dog guard for car or seat belt attachment 

-couple of big towels

-stairgate 

-variety of chew toys (to be offered as alternative  when they decide to munch on your new shoes ) Deer antlers, horns, natural chews are highly recommended. Plastic chewing toys can easily break and become dangerous. .LOTS of tennis balls and a -Large Kong 

- Small bottle of Colloidal Silver Spray 

Dont feel that you need to buy everything beforehand, going to the pet store together with your pup and choosing a collar and a few toys will be a great socialising opportunity for the  wss puppy . Of course, pup will have to be carried untill second course of vaccination is completed.

Your WSS puppy has a long double coat. Although you will hardly notice any coat loss in the first 6 months you still need to brush her regularly so she gets used to it and will happily get through the process when she actually needs it. Only grooming tools you will need through her life will be Groom Professional Undercoat Rake , a stainless steell pet comb and from 6 months onwards you can use a coat maintenance spray ( I use both at home and in my salon the Julie Harris  range - Amazon). All our white swiss shepherd puppies will be professionaly groomed before leaving us so they will be de sensitised to salon equipment if you prefer to have her groomed professionally in the future .

They very rarely need to be bathed, once /week brushing and the use of a maintenance spray will help them stay brilliant white and smelling fresh. Grooming is an opportunity for bonding but also  checking ears, eyes , nails and paws if they need special attention. Make sure you do it when both you and pup  are calm and relaxed, maybe after a walk or at the end of the day ; while brushing make sure you run your hands over her whole body feeling for lumps or any possible discomfort. Dont forget to check their teeth and mouth.  I also recommend you get a small bottle of Colloidal Silver Spray that is handy for ear cleaning, treating minor cuts and bruises - safe to use both on yourself and your pet. 

All recommended products can be easily found on Amazon. 

Socialise , socialise and socialise some more. Those who visited us in our house probably heard me repeating this a lot . One of the most important things you need to do for your white swiss shepherd puppy is to make sure she goes out to explore and gets to meet as manny other different size/shape dogs and other animals and people as possible. You will have a BIG wss puppy in a few months time and you really want to make sure she is comfortable in confident wherever she goes. If your pup had only first course of vaccine before you collected her she will have to be carried while out and about untill second course of vaccine is completed. But is important that she still gets to go out although in your safe arms ,gets to meet family members and see the world. Socialisation window closes at 4 months so it is very precious time and you need to make the most of it. 

 Pups are raised following The Puppy Culture socialization and training program specifically developed for puppies from birth through the end of their critical cocialization period.  

Your puppy has been also following The Puppy Socialisation Plan recommended by the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme. You can find further info and downloadable checklists for her further socialisation- 

www.thepuppyplan.com.

As requested in our contract , you will be required to visit your chosen veterinary practice with your new pup within 72 hours from collection and have her registered and checked over . It is very  important for the white swiss shepherd puppies to have this experience, on her next visit when treatment might be needed she will be going in happily as she will have had a positive experience first time around. 

We also recommend you join a puppy training class , they are great fun both for you and pup and great way to socialise in a safe /controlled environment. 

Your white swiss shepherd puppy has been treated for worms at the ages of two, four, six, eight  and  ten weeks with Panacur10%. 

When you register you pup with your chosen vet please let them know this information and they will advise you regarding future flea and de worming treatments . You do not necessarily need to purchase from them, a large selection of medication and other animal related products can be purchased from www.petprescription.co.uk  (pet drugs online) at significantly lower prices. 

Pups are also microchipped and will have had at least their first set of vaccines. When leaving they will have their have their vaccination books, microchip details with instructions regarding ownership transfer and 5 weeks health insurance .

A few of my favourite books regarding dogs and dog behaviour and training that will be useful for you and your wss puppy :

-The Other End of the Leash-Patricia B.McConnell

- Mine-A practical guide to resource guarding in dogs-Jean Donaldson

-The Culture Clash- Jean Donaldson 2nd edition

-Dont Shoot the dog! The new art of teaching and training -Karen Pryor

Total Recall-Perfect response training for puppies and adult dogs- Pippa Mattinson

Sarah Whitehead is a kind, fair, effective trainer  and on her website sarahwhitehead.com you can find lots useful videos .