So you've placed a deposit, now what?
Once you've placed a deposit and are officially a puppy parent-to-be, here is what you can expect. Once the mother of your puppy has been bred, you can expect an email or text from me with the expected due date of her litter. The gestation period is approximately 9 weeks (63 days). Once the puppies have arrived, I will call you and notify you that the puppies have been born. Usually within the first 24-48 hours I take individual pictures of each puppy. Which puppy you get is determined by the specifications that you list on your Puppy Application. Typically, we know right from birth which puppy is yours and you will receive pictures and information pertaining to your puppy specifically.
APPROXIMATELY once a week you can expect to receive an email or text from me with a picture and an update as to how your puppy is doing. You will also receive information as to when Pick Up Day will be so you have ample time to arrange your schedule accordingly. I capitalized the word approximately to emphasize that a weekly picture is not a guarantee. Taking puppy pictures is very time consuming and although I do my best to send pictures on a weekly basis, sometimes life happens and as a busy mother of nine, from time to time I am unable to take a weekly puppy picture. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. Additionally, the balance for your puppy is due in full when he/she is BORN and NO LATER than 4 weeks of age.
When your puppy is between 3-5 days old, he or she will take their first trip to the vet where they will have their tails docked and their dew claws removed. For the first 4-5 weeks, your puppy will spend all of their time in the whelping area (an extra large crate) with their mom. She cleans them, feeds them and snuggles with them 24/7. My mommas are very attentive and take excellent care of their babies. I change their bedding regularly and monitor their growth. Once they around 4-5 weeks old, I move them from the whelping area to my living room, where I have a puppy nursery area set up (for a picture of the nursery area, please visit my 'Available Puppies' page and scroll down to the bottom). Mom continues to nurse the puppies during this time. In the nursery area, there is a small crate for the puppies to sleep in and newspaper for them to potty on. At 5 weeks of age, the weaning process begins. I replace a feeding with mom with a bowl of warm goat milk (the puppies LOVE it). After several days of replacing nursing sessions with bowls of goat milk, I then introduce kibble (Purina Pro Focus Puppy Lamb and Rice Formula) mixed in with their milk. Eventually, I separate the milk from the kibble and replace the milk with water. By the time they go home, they are eating hard kibble and are used to having constant access to water.
When your little bundle is 7 weeks old, they take a second trip to the vet for a puppy check up. My vet will give them an overall check up, listening to their heart and lungs, examining their ears and eyes and checking their hips and testicles (for the boys). I also take in a stool sample at that time to make sure they are parasite free. The puppies are vaccinated at that time and receive their signed health certificate from my vet. They are also microchipped at 7 weeks.
Right before you pick up your puppy, I will give them a bath, trim their nails and trim the hair around their eyes and their little bums. I give them their first flea and tick preventative as well.
Pick Up Day is usually on the Saturday of the week your puppy turns 8 weeks old. When you arrive, we will go over the Five Year Health Guarantee and the Spay/Neuter Contract and you will be presented with your puppy and puppy package.
And then that's it...no not really! I love to stay in contact with my puppy families and I LOVE to receive updates on how your puppy is doing. I am available to you for the lifetime of your pet for any questions that you may have. Raising Miniature Schnauzers is my passion and I want my puppy families to know that the relationship doesn't end when you walk out the door with your new bundle of love.
APPROXIMATELY once a week you can expect to receive an email or text from me with a picture and an update as to how your puppy is doing. You will also receive information as to when Pick Up Day will be so you have ample time to arrange your schedule accordingly. I capitalized the word approximately to emphasize that a weekly picture is not a guarantee. Taking puppy pictures is very time consuming and although I do my best to send pictures on a weekly basis, sometimes life happens and as a busy mother of nine, from time to time I am unable to take a weekly puppy picture. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. Additionally, the balance for your puppy is due in full when he/she is BORN and NO LATER than 4 weeks of age.
When your puppy is between 3-5 days old, he or she will take their first trip to the vet where they will have their tails docked and their dew claws removed. For the first 4-5 weeks, your puppy will spend all of their time in the whelping area (an extra large crate) with their mom. She cleans them, feeds them and snuggles with them 24/7. My mommas are very attentive and take excellent care of their babies. I change their bedding regularly and monitor their growth. Once they around 4-5 weeks old, I move them from the whelping area to my living room, where I have a puppy nursery area set up (for a picture of the nursery area, please visit my 'Available Puppies' page and scroll down to the bottom). Mom continues to nurse the puppies during this time. In the nursery area, there is a small crate for the puppies to sleep in and newspaper for them to potty on. At 5 weeks of age, the weaning process begins. I replace a feeding with mom with a bowl of warm goat milk (the puppies LOVE it). After several days of replacing nursing sessions with bowls of goat milk, I then introduce kibble (Purina Pro Focus Puppy Lamb and Rice Formula) mixed in with their milk. Eventually, I separate the milk from the kibble and replace the milk with water. By the time they go home, they are eating hard kibble and are used to having constant access to water.
When your little bundle is 7 weeks old, they take a second trip to the vet for a puppy check up. My vet will give them an overall check up, listening to their heart and lungs, examining their ears and eyes and checking their hips and testicles (for the boys). I also take in a stool sample at that time to make sure they are parasite free. The puppies are vaccinated at that time and receive their signed health certificate from my vet. They are also microchipped at 7 weeks.
Right before you pick up your puppy, I will give them a bath, trim their nails and trim the hair around their eyes and their little bums. I give them their first flea and tick preventative as well.
Pick Up Day is usually on the Saturday of the week your puppy turns 8 weeks old. When you arrive, we will go over the Five Year Health Guarantee and the Spay/Neuter Contract and you will be presented with your puppy and puppy package.
And then that's it...no not really! I love to stay in contact with my puppy families and I LOVE to receive updates on how your puppy is doing. I am available to you for the lifetime of your pet for any questions that you may have. Raising Miniature Schnauzers is my passion and I want my puppy families to know that the relationship doesn't end when you walk out the door with your new bundle of love.