CHAPTER 9
-Homecoming-
Planning for Your New Arrival
Before a new dog comes home for the first time, there are various preparations that need to be made by both the dog’s new family and the breeder.
Once a match has been made between a family and a Collie, your breeder will provide information and guidance to help your Collie settle into its new home. This is the perfect opportunity for the family to ask questions about their new Collie.
As part of the procedure for transferring a dog to its new owners, each breeder should provide a packet containing paperwork pertaining to that dog. Your breeder should spend time explaining this paperwork to be sure each part is understood.
The packet should include:
• Contract signed by both breeder and buyer that details the rights and responsibilities of both parties.
• The AKC registration of the dog or the written statement of when the registration will be delivered
• Health certificate, signed by a veterinarian, which includes all immunizations that have been given to the puppy and which are needed in the future.
• Copy of the dog’s eye check, signed by a veterinary ophthalmologist.
• Written feeding and care instructions.
• Starter supply of the dog’s food.
• Information on the Collie Club of America, local clubs and obedience training.
This packet might also include: collar and lead, bottle of the breeder’s water, grooming brushes and ear training instructions.
Family Preparations
Getting ready for the arrival of a new dog is exciting and fun. Some of the preparations for a new dog can be done quite quickly, while others require more advance planning. Your breeder can advise you how to prepare your home and family for the arrival of its new member.
Fencing
The most important long-term preparation you will need to consider is probably the fencing of your yard. Large breed dog breeders would all prefer to place a dog in a family with a fenced yard. Fencing keeps the dog safe and makes it much easier for the family to care for the dog, especially in poor weather. Four feet in height is the standard minimum height of a fence for a large dog, and this is fine for a Collie. Electronic or invisible fencing offers limited security. While it can keep the dog in, it does not protect the dog’s area from intrusion by other animals, neighborhood dogs, unwelcome human visitors, or automotive vehicles.
Training
When training your Collie, consider household traffic patterns and routines and how the dog will fit in. “It takes a village to raise a puppy,” so it’s best to engage the entire family. Specific plans you make will be determined by the age of your new dog as well as your family’s lifestyle and schedule. Working families with puppies may need a dog walker to assist them, and many families use the assistance of grooming shops in coat maintenance. All new dogs and their families benefit from training classes, starting with puppy kindergarten. The specific plans you need to make will necessarily be individual to you.
A general list of things you may need to buy or arrange include but are not limited to: collar and leash, crate or pen, dog bed, water bowl and feed dish, grooming supplies (pin brush, slicker brush, nail clipper, styptic powder, dog shampoo), and quality dog food. You breeder is a great resource to help you transition you new family member into your home. They will happily guide you along in this process with the added benefit of providing information as your puppy grows and becomes an integral member of your home.