*Raising Your Puppy 

Arrival :
  When your new puppy arrives it may be a little apprehensive. Leaving its littermates, a long trip and new surroundings are a lot for a 8 week old puppy to take in. Within 72 hrs. your pup should be settling in just fine. We recommend crate training your pup from the start. There are many puppy books available and the majority of them cover crate training methods. (It may be tough for the first few nights, but it will pay off in the long run!)

Feeding :
  We recommend you feed your puppy a good quality adult dog food with a protein level between 23 - 26% As long as you are feeding a quality dog food, there is no need to feed puppy food, as it is often too high in protein.  We recommend feeding your puppy 2 times a day,  and continuing  with this throughout adulthood. Feed only enough to maintain a lean, healthy weight. Too fast of a growth rate is unhealthy and not necessary. A slightly slower growth rate is far better than one that is too fast! **As with all large breed dogs it is very important NOT to exercise them 1 hr. before or 2 hrs. after meals. This can cause bloat, a painful twisting of the stomach which can result in death.**

Exercise :
  Your new puppy will be full of energy, and directing this into fun games will be enjoyable for both you and your pup. You should never leave your puppy unattended, but under supervision  your puppy may run and play as much as it wants. Be careful as not to force exercise on your puppy and do not run your growing dog long distances or let him or her jump from high areas (anything higher than the pups shoulder is too high for a young growing dog) Also for the first few months try to limit your pup from stairs, as this is also hard on their growing bones and joints. Remember to be consistent with training, and keep it fun. Most important just enjoy your puppy and remember there are times to just let a puppy be a puppy :)

Socialization :
  You should socialize your new puppy as much as possible, from its arrival at 8 weeks old until 6 months old is a very critical time to develop proper social skills. A good place to start is puppy classes. Also make a point of bringing your new puppy with you everywhere, car rides, trips to the store, busy sidewalks, strange sights and sounds, introduce him to children, other animals etc... (If you plan on having your puppy around strange dogs, please wait until after their second booster shot and first rabies shot, which should be given at 12 weeks of age.)  Try to ensure all interactions are positive. If your puppy acts fearful or hesitant of something, do not react, try walking to the situation or object and calling your pup. If he comes to you give lots of praise, if he doesn't, ignore him. It is fairly common for puppies to react this way, what matters is how the pup deals with it (recovery time)  Do not praise your puppy for acting fearful, this will only reinforce this behavior. Overall, just enjoy your new puppy and have lots of fun!!

Ear Cropping :
  If you plan on cropping your dogs dogs ears, make sure you talk with your vet ahead of time. Not all vets do this procedure and you want someone with ear cropping experience! Also please make your vet aware of the sensitivity this breed has with anesthesia (do not use Acepromazine). Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these matters.