our older babes
Get ready to learn about our older babes and discover all the details about their vet care, recommended accessories, and daily routines!
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Here is a Amazon link for recommended supplies: LINK
Feeding & Crate Time
With our dogs and puppies, we choose not to use wire crates. This could be why your puppy seems uncomfortable in a wire crate!
We prefer using Ruffland, Impact, and airline crates. These crates provide a den-like environment, are easier to sanitize and keep clean, and eliminate the risk of broken teeth or puppies getting stuck between wires.
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Our puppies are crated by 9 PM each night after plenty of exercise, playtime, and a potty break. They are let out of their crates between 6:30 and 7 AM.
Dinner is typically served by 5 PM most days, and breakfast is around 7:30 after morning play and potty.
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Please keep in mind that your routine with one puppy will differ significantly from our routine with multiple puppies and adult dogs. You’ll need to adjust and find a schedule that works best to help your puppy transition smoothly into your household.
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We feed kibble with oil. The kibble we feed is Good Friends Hi Energy Performance, purchased at Rural King. Specific amount your puppy is eating that time of go home, will be in their folder in the informational packet.
Vet Care
Before leaving us, older puppies will receive a thorough exam and a fecal check. Any remaining vaccinations will be completed if needed. All of their veterinary records will be included in the go-home folder provided when they leave us.
We travel two hours each way to our vet at Covington Vet Care in Andalusia, Alabama. Please make sure we have enough time to get this completed between our schedules and appointment availability.
Daily Routines
As we mentioned earlier, the routine for a single puppy will differ from caring for multiple dogs. Here’s a glimpse into our routines and why we follow them:
All of our adult dogs are exercised together, then the puppies are exercised together, allowing them to run and play as a group across our 5-acre property. They enjoy activities like chasing each other and playing freely, checking out the horses, and tom the turkey.
When it’s time to be crated, they each get a bone or pig ear chew individually, so there’s no competition or conflict over resources. We also stop using toys when the puppies leave the whelping area to prevent adult dogs or mothers from being pushy or intimidating to others, ensuring a harmonious environment and preventing resource guarding. (This will change in early 2025 when the puppy yard is finished)
Your puppy is accustomed to being around other dogs, but with proper attention and affection, they will adjust well to being the only dog in your home. If you already have a dog, your puppy will likely adapt wonderfully, especially if your current dog is welcoming.
We provide detailed information about each puppy through the videos you watch before reserving them. These videos highlight each puppy’s pros and cons, often showing them on a leash and exploring the property. We recommend watching our previous YouTube videos to see how the dogs interact and get a better understanding of how we raise them, and what their personalities are like.
Since we manage this business along with another, we have a specific routine to ensure our puppies get plenty of engagement throughout the day without being crated for long periods. Instead of leaving them in their crates when we’re unavailable, we follow this schedule:
In the morning, the puppies are let out of their crates to run and play for about 30 minutes before breakfast. After eating, they go into the outdoor kennel to interact and play with each other. Around noon, they come out again for some more running around before being rotated back into the kennel. At 5 PM, they are let out for dinner in their crates, and then from 6 PM to 8:45 PM, they enjoy time in the big kennel before returning to their crates for the night at 9 PM.
This routine ensures that the puppies have individual time as well as time with their siblings, while we also manage free time for our adult dogs and client dogs, and complete tasks on the farm. We prioritize giving the puppies plenty of opportunities to engage and play, even when we’re busy. By early 2025, we hope to have all of our cross-fencing completed, which will include a dedicated puppy yard where they can have more free range outdoor time with play equipment, and a larger play space.
We make it a priority each day to bring every remaining puppy into the house for one-on-one time. This helps them adjust to being away from other dogs and learn how to be comfortable with just us and the kids. Whether they’re spending time playing with the kids, following them around the house, or curling up in laps to watch movies, this time helps them acclimate to household life.
They also get used to different floor textures, like carpet, linoleum, stairs, and thresholds, which are essential for their transition into home life (if they haven’t completed a training program). Puppies not enrolled into training programs will have things they need to learn, and work on.
Trained Puppies
Trained puppies, depending on the program, are truly exceptional! Once a puppy is enrolled in a training program, they live full-time in our home, allowing us to establish a consistent potty schedule and provide individualized attention. This helps them become less reliant on other dogs and focus on learning their manners and obedience skills, tailored to the specific program.
Investing in a training program really pays off. These puppies typically receive multiple hours of one-on-one training, mastering commands and participating in public training sessions that prepare them for the AKC Puppy STAR and Canine Good Citizen tests.
There’s nothing quite like a puppy that has completed these programs; they are well-equipped to thrive in the world with very few weak spots. Their transitions to new homes are usually seamless, and they know exactly how to behave!
Puppies over five months old are typically sold with our high school graduation program, which is offered at a more reasonable price - The training begins once the puppy is reserved and is structured over a 2-3 week period to fine-tune what hasn't been focused on while waiting for their perfect family, versus starting at 8 weeks and training that puppy daily. The difference is the amount of training hours, put into that puppy, changing the cost.
