Picking up a new puppy? What to bring and know for the trip home?

Have a crate for her to sleep and ride in on the way. It will make her feel more secure and is safer for your pet in the event there is an accident. Make sure she has access to plenty of water and make sure to get some of the food she has been getting at the breeder, even if you plan to switch her to something else. Abruptly changing her diet can cause diarrhea and she doesn't need that additional stress on a long road trip. Make sure you have a secure harness and leash and keep it on her at all times when she is not in the crate. That way if she runs from you, you have a way of catching her easily before she gets herself into trouble. Have honey or light Karo syrup on hand in case she gets low blood sugar, as small breed puppies can be susceptible to hypoglycemia when under stress. Just take it easy on the trip and hopefully she'll be a great traveler for you. Good luck with your new baby!

I don't recommend to give a new puppy something for car sickness as Lady is very young and she may not have issues with car sickness. It will help to make sure she is not given any vaccines or dewormers within 24 hours of her trip. Keep her in your lap in the back seat or have her carrier easily accessible. Try to take a towel or something with the scent of her mother. Hopefully you will have a quiet trip back home. Congratulations and best of luck!

When you pick up the puppy ask the breeder to give you a week's worth of the food he is used to so you can either buy more of the puppy food (sometimes breeders use strange brands that cannot be found in your local petshop) or have time to slowly transition your puppy to the new complete puppy food for large breeds. You should also schedule an appointment with your vet, preferably within 7 days or picking up the puppy for a puppy wellness exam to make sure the puppy is healthy. Your vet can then advise you on what vaccinations to get when and which flea medication to use as well as on heartworm prevention.

Congrats on your new addition! Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian within 3 days of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. At the very least, she will likely need to be dewormed. Vaccines can start around 6 weeks of age and will continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Discuss monthly parasite prevention with your vet to protect against worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm. Feed a good quality puppy food. Look for brands such as Canidae, Acana or Merrick. You can feed according tot the directions on the bag, just know that each puppy is different and you may need to adjust the amount if Coqueta is gaining too much weight or not enough weight. Avoid store or discount brands as these may contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Puppies typically need to go about about 20-30 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. Expect accidents, they are going to happen. Since dogs thrive on routine, start a consistent schedule for potty breaks; first thing in the morning, midday, evening and before bedtime to begin with. Choose one spot in the yard and use it for bathroom training. She can have a short walk or playtime after she does her business. Praise and reward her each time. Avoid areas with other dogs and dogs of unknown vaccine status until she has at least 2 rounds of vaccines. Visit the PetCoach Educational Center for additional information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ https://www.petcoach.co/educational-center/

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Ensure the puppy has been fully health checked, microchipped and vaccinated and contact the vet involved to confirm they know the puppy - I see you have her down as 6weeks old and spayed/neutered - this is very early and you should question the breeder as to if and why this has been done. You should arrange a puppy safe area of the house (indoor crate or partitioned off area) with no low hanging wires or cords they can chew or become tangled in, have plenty of spare, war, soft bedding and at least 2 food/water bowls, puppy training pads (if using) and an appropriate sized leach and collar to start training around the house. Have some appropriate sized chews and rope toys (avoid human items such as old shoes etc as this can encourage unwanted chewing of important pairs!). Ensure a dog sitter/walker or daycare is available if you will be away for longer than 4-6hours and arrange a vet check within the first 3days to ensure all is well! Good luck

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What an exciting time. You would need to start by getting a high quality diet (I like the Purina Pro Plan diets though there are plenty to choose from). Also, a dog bed and toys will be important as well. I recommend that you check with your veterinarian to get him in for initiation of vaccines and to start other preventative care medications such as flea and tick preventatives and heartworm preventatives. Good luck and enjoy your pup!