New Owner's Checklist

Plan Your Schedule And Have A Support System
The best time to plan out your puppy's schedule is before you bring him home. Consider where the pup will stay during the day when no one is home, and have a list of reliable friends and pet sitters handy in case of emergencies.  Remember, young pups have small bladders and are lucky to "hold it" for 4 hours at a time!
Make An Appointment With Your Veterinarian
Remember, your puppy MUST see a veterinarian within 3 days of leaving Red Spring Farm or our Health Warranty is void! If you do not have a current veterinarian, don't just choose a random vet clinic in your area. Check out reviews and ask local pet owners.
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Our current and past veterinarians:
Asheboro, NC - Randolph Animal Hospital (current)
Roanoke, VA - Botetourt Veterinary Hospital
Clemmons, NC- Animal Hospital Of East Davie
Find A Local Trainer and Develop A Training Plan!
Your pup has a great foundation here, but perfect family dogs are made, not born. I highly recommend that you build a relationship with a local trainer in your area. Sign up for in person puppy socialization and training classes as early as your trainer will allow. Starting this immediately is crucial. You want your puppy to start off on the right foot.

If you want to go above and beyond, start training yourself before puppy even arrives! Amy and Scott Jenson of Baxter & Bella, and their online puppy school has step-by-step lessons, how-to videos, training methods, materials, and resources which will help your family successfully integrate your pup into your home. Unlimited one-on-one video conferencing and online canine coaching classes are included.

Enter discount code RSF (for Red Spring Farm) at checkout to save 25%. The program is set up for you to complete the first two units before your puppy comes home. Visit Baxter & Bella's website HERE to learn more about how it works and what’s included.
Do Your Own Research On Types Of Parasite Prevention
There are problems with counterfeit pet medication. Please make sure to get medication directly from your veterinarian, chewy.com, or 1800petmeds.com

I really struggle with recommending specific flea/tick preventatives. The "best method" varies greatly depending on who you ask, your location, lifestyle, and each individual dog.  While you  do not want your pup to have fleas/ticks, I personally believe that regular exposure to the pesticides used in most flea/tick prevention medication (oral or topical) is not necessarily healthy for your dog either. So I ask that you do your own research before automatically giving your puppy the first oral or topical preventive medication that your vet recommends.
Purchase Your Puppy Food
We start out puppies on Royal Canin Small Breed Puppy Food because it is convenient for most families because it can be found at Petsmart or similar pet stores near you. Royal Canin Small Breed is my recommended food if you prefer to go purchase your dog food at a store near you.

We feed our adult dogs Life's Abundance All Life Stages dog food. If you prefer a mail ordered dog food, or a brand without corn gluten or wheat gluten like we do, Life's Abundance is an excellent product which we have been using for over a decade. You CANNOT buy this dog food in stores! It is made fresh in the U.S. and delivered to your door.

*If you decide to switch your puppy to another food, you must still start with a bag of royal canin, as sudden changes will cause tummy upset. Once your puppy has eaten half of their Royal Canin bag, slowly start adding the new food until they have fully transitioned.
Treats/Chews... In Progress!
Porky Puffs, Safe and yummy chew for puppy

Enzyme Cleaner- a MUST for cleaning puppy messes! You cannot clean urine with conventional cleaners... puppy will still smell it and continue to potty there until it is cleaned with enzymes! 
Biobase Deodorizer (what we use)
Natures Miracle, commonly used

Choose A Hard Toy, A Soft Toy & A Couple Chewing Options
You are going to want to buy your puppy all sorts of different toys before you get them home... but WAIT! There is no need to buy your puppy 20 toys before it arrives home. Puppies have preferences, some like soft toys, others like "hard" or rubbery toys.  Buy your pup a small variety and once you see what you puppy prefers, then you can buy new toys. 
Set Up A Playpen
You need to have a puppy pen set up for the protection of your puppy. This is a place that you can put your pup when you can't have BOTH eyes on him, and when you are gone for extended periods of time (too long to leave in the crate alone). The playpen shouldn't be large. It should be retangular in shape with the a crate on one side and a potty space on the other (I aim for 1/3 crate, 1/3 middle/play space, 1/3 potty space). Most puppies quickly learn to tear up disposable potty pads so I recommend a potty "grid" of some sort which will hold the potty pad in place and allow the poo/pee to fall through so the pup doesn't step on it and track the mess all over the pen!
Puppy Fences/Pens:
Potty Grids: (Pro Tip, we have a sprayer bottle and one spritz in the bottom of the pan before putting the disposable pad down helps it stay in place).
Have A Crate Ready
Providing your puppy with a crate is like providing your puppy with its own space. If introduced to the crate properly,  your puppy will learn to love it! You can choose a wire or plastic crate. In recent years, wire crates have increased in popularity and most of my puppy owners choose the wire crate with a divider. This allows you to expand the crate as your puppy grows, and therefore, you won't have to buy multiple crates. Plastic crates gives pups den-like privacy.  Whichever style you decide, your puppy will adapt to either. You can buy a fleece crate pad from a petstore as bedding for the crate... but I find than an old towel or fleece blanket from the dollar store is easier to clean after potty accidents with a new pup. I would wait to pick out a fancy crate pad after the pup adapts to the crate.
Crates
Consider A Snuggle Puppy/Comfort Item!
We provide a blanket with every one of our puppy packs. This blanket is kept in our home and is rubbed all over your puppy's littermates before you leave. This gives your puppy a "comfort item" which you can keep handy as your pup transitions into your new home. If you want to go a step further than the blanket, let us know in advance and you can purchase a snuggle pup from us (at cost, we just order it off Amazon HERE). We will keep the snuggle puppy in our puppy room and let the litter sleep with it. When you take it home, the snuggle puppy has a heat pack and a battery operated "heartbeat" that gently vibrates, simulating your puppy sleeping with its littermates. Many pups who struggle with sleeping alone in their crate greatly improve with a Snuggle Puppy.
Collars, Harnesses & Leashes
Even though your pup has a microchip, make sure that your pup has a collar on with an ID tag anytime that you leave the house or let them out in the yard!  The only time that the ID collar needs to be removed is when puppy goes into it's crate. A well fitted harness is the most comfortable and safe method of walking your dog.  Do not use extendable leashes when walking your pup. They teach your puppy to pull and they are not safe. Standard 4-5' leashes are best for walks.
Harnesses/Collars:
Get The Grooming Basics & Schedule 1st Grooming Appointment
Your puppy will have a very easy to care for "puppy coat" until it turns 8-14 months old. Once its adult coat comes in, it will be significantly more prone to knots and "mats." It is so, so important that you get your dog used to grooming as a puppy to prepare him for adult grooming. There are 3 brushes that you will need for your pup, a slicker brush, a rake brush, and a dematting tool. Your puppy will get a "Triple F" groom before it leaves us (Feet, Face, and Fannie).

​At your first vet visit, ask what date your puppy will be fully vaccinated and safe to go to the groomer. Go ahead and schedule that appointment immediately (good groomers are often weeks out, so you must do this ASAP). It is extremely important that your puppy goes to a professional groomer when it is young, ideally on a 4 week schedule for the first few months. Even if you plan to groom at home, get your puppy started with a professional so IF you need to have your dog professionally groomed in the future, it will not be fearful. Grooming is a non-negotiable for this breed!
Grooming Brushes (I use these 3 often)!
Remember, Grooming Includes Ears, Nails & Teeth!
Grooming doesn't stop with just the hair! Ears, nails, and teeth must be managed as well. Every dog is different, but we have found that minimal intervention is often best. We trim the ear hair on the outside of the ear, and if we have a pup with particularly hairy ears, ask your groomer about plucking some of the hair to keep moisture from getting trapped in the ear canal. Nails need to be clipped regularly. When your pup is young, handle the toes and ears daily.
Other Grooming Supplies:
Provide Good Footing On Hard Surfaces
While we do everything that we can to prevent genetic ailments, certain conditions (such as hip dysplasia) can be caused by the environment as well. Slick floors, such as hardwood and linoleum, can cause a puppy to slip and slide which can damage developing joints. Do NOT encourage your puppy to chase toys on a slippery floor. Flights of stairs can also be damaging to growing hip joints. Carpet runners and rubber mats will provide traction and prevent these issues. If your pup must go up stairs, carry her until she is fully grown.