CHECKLIST

Congratulations on your new Australian Shepherd puppy!

Here is a checklist of the fundamentals:

1. Food. Your puppy will be started on Purina Puppy Chow Complete. Please have his/her food ready when you bring them home and transition them to a different food of your choice (if you would like) over 3-5 days.
2. Crate. If you are a believer in crate training, make sure to buy a crate they can sleep in at night. This will help immensely with potty training. The crate should be large enough for them to be able to move around and stretch out. Make sure to put a baby blanket in there for them to comfort themselves with. They will cry and pout the first few times in it, but be patient, they will learn it is a safe quiet place to sleep/relax.
3. Toys. Kong toys and crinkle toys are the best. I prefer hard rubber toys because puppies cannot tear them apart and digest them like they can a rope or plush toy. Plus, you can fill them with a variety of different yummy snacks like yogurt, honey, sweet potato, peanut butter and nibbles. This provides a lot of mental stimulation for your puppy and can help them be more comfortable in their crate or lounging in the house. The crinkle toys provide great enjoyment as well with the sound and texture, furthermore they have no stuffing inside. Therefore you don’t have to worry about stuffing all over the house or them ingesting it.
4. PUPPY PROOF THE HOUSE. Please, make sure to thoroughly hide anything toxic or deadly such as cords or mouse poison. Puppies do not know what is safe and what is not. You must pay attention to what objects around your household are threatening to your baby.
5. Make a doctor appointment. Please make sure to schedule your puppies required vaccine and deworming appointments accordingly and discuss protocol with your vet. I also advise that you take your puppies medical record and the copies of the parents genetic panel clearances that I provide you with to your appointment so they can have them in their records.
6. Avoid dog parks, public parks, random yards, lakes, etc. Until your puppy has had more rounds of core vaccines, please be mindful where you take them.. I recommend holding them when taking them into your vet office for their first couple appointments to avoid any possible contamination of any different types of bacteria that may be present. It sounds over the top, but nothing is more important than your puppy and their health.Parvo is a real thing, and it can take a puppy very quickly. Please do your research on Parvo and its effects.Quick Tip: If your puppy begins to develop bloody or severe diarrhea or excessive vomiting, PLEASE contact your vet immediately.
7. Register your puppy. Following the guidelines on your AKC registration application packet. 
8. PRE-PAID MICROCHIP! I will pre-enroll your puppy's microchip an lock my, as well as your contact information to your puppy's microchip before they leave my care to ensure they are identified if they are ever lost, stolen, or dumped at a pound/shelter. WE REFUSE TO ADD TO THE POUNDS POPULATION.
9. Please file and save your puppy’s microchip info, AKC certificate, medical record and the copy of the sales agreement provided to you.
10. Collar,harness, and leash.
11. Enjoy your puppy, and be patient.Don’t forget to shower them with the love and tender care they need and require. 

It is with great hope that those who have never owned an Aussie, or have not had a puppy for a long time, take 10 minutes of their time to read this. I have created this article to help you set up your puppy for success. Bringing home a puppy does not need to be stressful: sure, there is going to be some frustration while you are navigating the teething & teenage years, but it is during that time that you are setting the bar for them as an adult. 

The biggest tool I want you to remember here is CONSISTENCY. They say that consistency is the key to success. Your aussie will learn VERY quickly if you are their leader or their follower by your CONSISTENCY (Trust me, you want to be the former with this breed). I have had enough experience with this breed to know that they like to have direction; they want a gentle, yet firm master. Be CONSISTENT with your rules and CONSISTENT with your rewards. 

When you first bring your puppy home, you MUST establish boundaries and a CONSISTENT routine. Show them IMMEDIATELY where their food and water will be, introduce them to their yard/potty area, their crate, and members of the household (human and animal). Have a CONSISTENT schedule with their crate/nap time, where you keep their personal items, etc. Potty training, as well as learning their names, needs to be enacted as soon as they come home. Call them by their name: no nicknames, no whistling, etc until they have a solid call back with their call name. 

If you don’t like a mouthy, nippy, or barky adult dog, or an adult dog that jumps on people and does not have manners, do not let them do it as a puppy! Teach them that as soon as you bring them home that chewing on your body parts and clothing, or jumping up on your legs is unacceptable. Furthermore, if they are chewing on something or chasing something off limits, redirect them by showing them something more desirable: for example, instead of chewing on dad’s shoe, let’s eat some peanut butter out of a kong ball! OR, instead of chasing the cat, let’s go out to the yard and throw your favorite ball! 

Also, it is okay for them to be told “NO!” Establish CONSISTENT BOUNDARIES. 

Until your puppy has mastered a task, positively reinforce good behavior: for example, when they come to their name, when they sit on command, etc, be over the moon happy and excited and proud with a CONSISTENT REWARD. 

Remember, YOU are their master. Sure, they are your companion and you love them endlessly, but I cannot stress enough that what you CONSISTENTLY do with them as a puppy,  you will CONSISTENTLY get in return when they reach adulthood. Make easy to follow commands that involve one or two words with very few syllables when they are pups, and as they master those commands and you feel they are ready for more, make them more interesting. Australian Shepherds love to learn!