What do I feed my puppy?
Ultimately you can feed your dog anything. If they are hungry, they will eat it. However tummies are sensitive and we want to prevent any issues with that. The puppies eat what mom eats. This makes transitioning from nursing to eating real food easy for them. Its familiar. In your puppy package I have added a bag of the food they currently eat. It is Orijin Puppy. You can find it on Chewy.com, PetCo., or Amazon. After a year of age I transition them to the Orijin Reginal Red style in the same brand.
Where's my water?
At 4 weeks of age the puppies start drinking water. I use a stainless steel bowl. They are easy to clean and do not harbor bacteria and germs as easy. My older dogs have a water fountain. Sounds fancy? Maybe.. but I don't do this because its fancy. I do this because it offers them non-stagnant water that is filtered 2 times. Why do I like filtration? Frenchie's have eye and nose wrinkles. Nitrates found in non filtered water cause discoloration in these areas. It is hard to keep those wrinkles clean and remove that stain once its there. The water fountain helps reduce staining tremendously.
Where does my puppy sleep?
Up to this day, your puppy has shared every moment of its life with its siblings. Including sleeping. When its time to go to bed I let the puppies know its time by turning out the lights, I do have a night light though, I turn on classical lullabies and I place them all on their comfy dog bed in their pin. To help with transition it works best if most of the routine is consistent. Set a time for bed, turn down the lights and turn up the lullabies, and tuck in your puppy in their new safe space. You can crate them, they will be ok. You can use a pin area, they will be ok. They can sleep with you, they will be ok. This is based on what you want their sleeping situation to look like. Keep it simple though. Over stimulation will result in an active, over tired puppy. They need a bed, a blanket, I have supplied a blanket in your puppy package that has the litter and moms scent on it, and to feel safe.
Do I need to get a pee pad subscription?
NO! Your puppy started potty training and learning to use a doggy door at 4 weeks old. If you worry about accidents while your grocery shopping or taking a shower, there's no harm in putting down a pee pad in their area. We don't rely on pee pad training. We go straight to doing business in their litter box when in the pin and training to use the doggy door and going on the grass right after sleep, naps and meals.
What type of collars do we get?
Rolled Leather dog collars are the best. Let me tell you why. 1- the rolled leather does not pull or tear out fur. 2- It is easy to wipe clean if it gets dirty 3- long lasting! Besides updating to larger sizes as they grow, I've never had to replace an adult collar due to wear and tear. Frenchie's should be walked with a harness. I never walk my dogs using just their collar. Frenchie's are broncular dogs and I don't want to risk them pulling and causing damage to their tracheas and airways. Harnesses come in millions of styles and colors. Find what strikes your fancy. Leashes are easy, pick one that you like. Your the one holding it=)
Toys, Toys, Toys
Puppies love toys. They don't need to be automated. They can be simple. I read a theory from a dog trainer that one dogs needs to have 10 toy options to stay encaged and not fall to boredom. This does not mean all 10 toys in with puppy at all times, this means to have 10 toys to rotate through daily. A few squeaky toys, a good old water bottle, minus the cap, rope toys are great for teething pups, toys that roll, so like balls, tug of war toys, and toys that you can hide treats in or fill with cheese or peanut butter. 20 minutes of licking or chewing is equal to an hour of physical activities for a dogs brain. You will find a few toys in your puppy package to get you started.
Treats
Treats are good to use when working on commands or training. Its also just nice to give your dog a treat for being your buddy! I try and stay away from treats with grain. I prefer natural treats like dehydrated lung or chicken hearts. Keep in mind treats have calories and its fun to give your puppy treats but its hard to put puppy on a diet if they gain too much weigh. Frenchie's have a hard time when they gain too much weight. It effects their breathing, their heart and joints and muscles.