Your puppy’s current schedule (when you bring her/him home) is as follows:

• 2 feedings per day – at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm . Please keep in mind that your puppy has been eating in a group situation with his/her litter mates. Therefore the exact amount of food needed to main tain your puppy’s optimal weight will vary. A good place to start is between 1 – ½ to 2 cup s at each of the 2 feedings (3 to 4 cups total daily) ; this can be adjusted based on the puppy’s weight. This will increase as your puppy grows; and will then decrease once he/she reaches maturity. If you choose to do so, you can a dd canned chicken breast and mix well with the dry food to help increase your puppies appetite .

• Typical day during puppy hood; week 4 through 9 – Rise in the morning at 5 : 3 0am, lights out at 10 :00pm; play, eat, and sleep throughout the day. This schedule can be modified easily by simply changing the feeding schedule to match your life. If you would like a later start in the morning…..simply hold the last meal until a later time . Note: Your pu ppy will likely not sleep through the entire night for the first few days, and will most likely need to have at least one potty break during the night. Be sure to take his/her water away approximately one hour before bed time, and be sure he/she has had th e opportunity to potty before turning in for the night.

3) Do not leave your puppy unattended to roam the house……that is when potty accidents will occur ; a nd once started, it can become difficult to correct. If you do have an accident, be sure to clean the area thoroughly, as dogs are scent oriented. And please remember that if an accident occurs; it is not the puppies fault.

4) Be sure to pick up all children’s toys, cords, shoes, socks, etc., as these items can be dangerous for a puppy…….and costly for you.

5) Do not change your puppy’s food, and do not introduce new foods; as this will cause stomach upset and diarrhea …… which is not fun for you …. or your puppy. Keep treats to a minimum , and use treats that will be easily digested. We recommend boiled boneless/skinless chicken breast (no seasoning), c ut into small bite size pieces. If you do decide to change the pupp y’s diet, do so very slowly, by mixing in the new food, and steadily increasing the mixture ratio. When done properly, it should take about 3 – 4 weeks to tran sfer over to a new diet. And again……do not do this during the puppies first few weeks at home.