If you are a Tibert Terrier breeder or giving away a litter of new puppies, here is what I do to help the new dog owner to take care of the babies.
When I prepare my “keepsake puppy package,” I attempt to make the arrival of the packet an exciting event for the puppy’s new home! I stick to the litter theme when selecting ribbon, ornamental paper, and so forth, and all of the information is kept within the package to be kept forever.
After completing the package, it is placed in a box, wrapped with theme tissue paper, and hugged in a large bow!! When it comes to puppy placement, I make sure that every step of the procedure adheres to my high standards of perfection. Over the years, I’ve discovered that these souvenir packets wind up on living room bookshelves rather than in a drawer with all the essential material you meant them to learn from. When they have a question regarding crate training, for example, they know just where to look!
Puppy Take Home Kits
My kits include a small decorated photo album I have made with puppy photos from the time they were born to going home.
Other items included in a small decorative bag include – a copy of pedigree, parent photos, feeding instructions, a new toy, samples of food, health records, puppy kit information from the food I feed, and all my contact numbers so if they have questions at any time they can reach me, registration forms, information on the TTCA, suggested grooming items/care information, etc. I am sure there is other information that I have forgotten but this is the bulk of what I do.
- Puppy Bowl, collar, leash, ball, fuzzy squeaky,
- puppy bones, puppy food to start them off,
- Do Do bags (Filled with plastic bags) Help keep America Clean !!!
- Puppy blanket for puppies crate. – a piece of lightly-used unwashed (but not filthy) bedding so the puppy has something that smells like his/her first home.
- a small photo album of pics of their puppy in the early weeks (including nice pics of mom, of dad, of pup with littermates)
- copies of the record of growth during the early weeks
- copies of the pedigree
- copies of health certifications on parents (at least hips, eyes)
- copies of health certifications on puppies (at least BAER tracings)
- names and addresses and emails of littermates (whose owners are willing to share this info) (makes a great support group as their pups go through stages at more or less the same time)
- For my last litter, I also started making up a CD Rom with all the puppy pictures and videos I had taken of all the pups since birth. These were the full-size photos, not just a few selected compressed/cropped ones I post on my website.
- Puppy notes, feeding instructions, contract. Information on how to help raise a puppy.
- a puppy kong
- a signed-as-sponsor application for the TTCA
- is the family going to show the dog? Perhaps an application to join AKC (or CKC in Canada) and give them a past issue of the monthly publication to show what they get for their membership fee.
- from the TTCA, a copy of the OWNERS MANUAL. These are great, and a copy accompanies my departing puppies.
- a list of recommended SUPPLIES, esp. re. grooming and bathing. Perhaps a catalog from a good Supply House or the websites of several and they can procure their own catalogs. I like to send home a sample of shampoo and conditioner. For this I buy empty bottles at the dollar store and fill will the with shampoo and conditioner (which I buy by the gallon). Then I make labels on the computer for the bottles, including dilution ratios and where they can order more.
- Grooming is such a Big Issue with Tibetans, it’s wise to launch their purchase of the Right tools.
- a tip about the Topica TT List, how to subscribe……
- I try to encourage new dog owners to take obedience classes and send them home with a notebook containing information on grooming, crate training, surviving the first night, housebreaking, pedigrees, TT history, medical information, suggested supplies, collars, leashes, information on dog foods, treats, toys, pictures of their parents and the puppy, and so on.