GOTCHA DAY!
GOTCHA DAY IS COMING FAST!
Gotcha Day will be here before you know it. Check out the information on this page to help you ensure you are set for your furry family member!
Picking Up Pup!
When you arrive at our home to get/visit your puppy, be sure to take shoes off outside and wash hands BEFORE handling pup. Due to the spread of illness, we ask only YOUR puppy is held and snuggled. It is so hard to resist a bunch of wiggly cuteness, and for that I am terribly sorry.
REMINDER:
ONCE YOU BOOK YOUR GOTCHA DAY & TIME,
SCHEDULE YOUR VET APPOINTMENT SO YOU CAN BRING PUP IN DURING THE 72 HOUR HEALTH GUARANTEE TIME FRAME
First Days Home
The first days home are about connection, confidence, and helping your puppy feel safe and empowered in their new world.
Rather than full, unsupervised free roaming, we encourage intentional freedom with active supervision. This allows you to prevent accidents, guide good choices, and build trust from the very beginning. Use these moments to reward your puppy for choosing to stay near you, offering eye contact, settling calmly, and checking in. These small choices build the foundation for lifelong engagement and recall.
At this stage, we are not focused on commands or obedience. What matters most right now is:
• Bonding and relationship
• Emotional regulation
• Trust and communication
• Confidence in choosing you
By reinforcing these choices, you’re teaching your puppy that you are safe, rewarding, and worth paying attention to—everything future training is built on.
When you arrive home, immediately guide your puppy toward success. Take them outside to a familiar-feeling potty area—turf, pine shavings, or cedar chips. Sprinkle a few treats in the grass to encourage sniffing, which helps regulate the nervous system and often leads naturally to pottying.
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Structure is just as important as freedom.
Begin tracking scheduled nap times and intentional time away from you. Puppies need frequent rest to process new experiences, and learning that you can come and go safely helps prevent separation anxiety later on.
We strongly recommend setting up a designated puppy play area or play pen:
• A large waterproof pad
• Their kennel or crate
• Fresh water
• A turf patch
• A cozy bed and one simple toy
This space allows your puppy to settle, decompress, and practice calm independence—while giving you peace of mind and the freedom to step away without hovering.
The puppies are currently being fed 1/2 cup, three times a day. At 10 weeks (or sooner if needed) you can increase to 1 cup three times a day. Remember, keeping pup trim will make for a healthy dog. Chubby babies are always adorable, but it doesn’t serve a dog to live it’s healthiest life. Studies show an overweight pup will carry that weight into its adult years, so let’s get ahead of the problem by being proactive.
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Check out the following articles from the AKC on feeding puppies.
The Importance of
Early Training
These pups are the sweetest and getting more playful and robust in their character by the day. They are sensitive and they read emotions and body language very well. A gentle approach to discipline will ensure that your trust and bond is not broken.You will not need to raise your voice or use physical discipline. In fact, doing so may harm your relationship and the pup’s trust. A firm voice and positive reinforcement will solidify your pup’s good behavior and your relationship with them!
No matter which puppy you take home, we highly recommend securing a professional trainer to help give your puppy the best start. We strongly encourage you to enroll your pup in the Good Canine Citizen program. This will set them, and you, up for lifelong success!
Ask your friends and family if they have a trainer that they recommend that uses positive reinforcement training.
Training always starts with YOU! Training yourself to understand what the dog is thinking, read body language, will help you troubleshoot in a timely and effective manner. This will help avoid potential pitfalls such as: jumping on people, eating off the counter or table, potty accidents, chewing things OTHER than toys, running away, unhealthy interactions with other animals, etc.
Obedience training is the single most kind thing you can offer your pup in the first year of his or her life. I can not stress enough, the importance of searching and securing a trainer so you’re ready for the first day your pup arrives home: kennel training, potty training, and practicing respectful, good manners. We will have a foundation started in all these areas passing this important torch to you when Puppy Gotcha Day commences!
JUST A FEW REMINDERS!
Your remaining balance is due upon pickup.
We accept Zelle, Apple Cash, Venmo, Credit Card or Cash.
💡 Per the contract, your pup needs to be sterilized or altered at 16 months of age, but not before they turn a year old. Proof of alteration/sterilization needs to be sent to Life Unleashed Farm upon completion. We know life gets busy, so we will check in with you at 16 months. You can take a look at the contract for all of the details.
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📸 Don't forget to send us updates on your pup's growth so we can share them on our website and Instagram!