Bringing Your Puppy Home and what to expect

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Our puppies are hand raised from the moment they are born. We are hands on throughout every stage of their development and spend countless hours caring for, handling and loving our babies. Raising puppies is a 24 hour commitment for us. We are constantly watching, caring for and working with our puppies to make sure they are healthy, comfortable and developing properly. 

From the very beginning, we introduce our puppies to new experiences in a safe, positive and age appropriate way. We believe early exposure and socialization help build confident puppies who are comfortable experiencing the world around them. As our puppies grow, we introduce them to different sounds, smells, textures, environments and experiences. We use a variety of enrichment activities to encourage curiosity, confidence and problem solving. Our puppies are introduced to mental stimulation through activities such as treat balls, lick mats and other forms of enrichment. We also use different texture surfaces and sensory tiles to help our puppies become comfortable walking on different surfaces and experiencing new textures under their feet.

We begin introducing potty training at a young age and continue working with our puppies as they grow. They are introduced to pee pads and appropriate potty areas and begin learning that there are specific places to go. Our puppies are also introduced to basic manners and early training. We begin working on simple commands such as sit and introduce them to the importance of listening and responding to their people. 

Crate training is another part of our program. Our puppies are introduced to crates from a young age and learn that their crate is a safe and comfortable place to rest and have quiet time. As they grow, we introduce our puppies to collars, clothing and other everyday experiences they may encounter in their new homes. 

These little experiences help make new things feel normal rather than overwhelming. Socialization and desensitization are a big part of what we do. Our puppies experience different sounds, people, environments and everyday activities while being given the opportunity to learn at their own pace. We even enjoy experiences such as puppy yoga, where our puppies can safely experience a new environment, new people and different surroundings.

Everything we do has a purpose. We want our puppies to leave our home with more than a clean bill of health. We want them to be confident, curious, affectionate  and ready to become part of their forever family. Our puppies are raised in our home, surrounded by love, attention and intentional experiences from the very beginning. 

By the time they leave us, we have already invested countless hours into helping them become the best family companions they can be.

Our puppies are raised on a natural, balanced raw diet. We have chosen a raw diet because we value quality ingredients, variety and knowing exactly what we are putting into their bowls. We feed a variety of proteins including beef, pork, turkey, rabbit and duck. A balanced raw diet consists of muscle meat, organs, bone and antioxidant rich ingredients. 

We introduce our puppies to raw food at approximately 3 weeks of age. We gradually transition them onto their raw diet as they grow and become more comfortable eating independently. By the time our puppies are ready to go home, they are fully transitioned onto raw food and are accustomed to eating several meals throughout the day. 

Your puppy pack will include four pounds of raw food to take home with you, giving you enough food to continue the diet they are already familiar with while they settle into their new home. When your puppy comes home, we strongly recommend continuing with the food they are already familiar with. Your puppy is going through a huge transition when they leave their mom and siblings and begin life in their new home. Keeping their food and feeding routine familiar gives them one less change to adjust to.

Feeding a raw diet may seem complicated or overwhelming at first, but it is simple: thaw, scoop and serve. You can easily rotate proteins and find a routine that works well for both your family and your puppy. We recommend feeding raw food from a stainless steel bowl. Stainless steel is durable, easy to clean and a great choice for raw feeding. Your puppy's food and water bowls should be cleaned daily, especially when feeding raw.  

When it comes to treats, we prefer to keep things simple. We recommend avoiding heavily processed treats and products such as highly processed dental chews, bacon style strips and treats with long ingredient lists. We prefer simple treats with ingredients you can recognize and feel good about giving your puppy. 

When choosing treats, look for a short ingredient list or a single ingredient. Some of our favourite options include SMACK, freeze dried raw treats, dehydrated beef liver, and other single ingredient meat or organ treats. Treats are a great tool for training and positive reinforcement. 

Potty training begins before your puppy comes home. Our puppies are introduced to pee pads and pellets around 3 weeks of age, helping them begin to understand that there are designated areas for going to the bathroom. Once your puppy comes home, consistency is key. 

Young puppies have very small bladders and eating, drinking, playing, exercising and excitement can all increase the need to urinate. Many puppies will need to go potty shortly after eating. You should be prepared to take your puppy to their designated potty area approximately 15–30 minutes after a meal, while also taking them out frequently throughout the day. 

Your initial goal is not perfection. Your goal is to create a predictable routine.  Over time, you want to work toward no overnight bowel movements, longer periods between bathroom breaks, increasing reliability with urination and eventually eliminating indoor accidents. As your puppy becomes older and more reliable, you can gradually increase the amount of freedom they have in your home.

When your puppy first comes home keeping them in a smaller, puppy safe area can make potty training much easier. A visible pee pad or designated potty area can help prevent accidents while your puppy learns the routine. We do not recommend giving your puppy unrestricted access to the entire house immediately. Puppies explore with their mouths and a large space provides many opportunities for accidents, chewing and swallowing things they shouldn't. As your puppy matures and demonstrates better potty habits, gradually expand their space.

We love using bells as a communication tool. Our dogs are introduced to ringing bells at the door so they can eventually learn that ringing the bell means they need to go outside. You can continue this training at home by taking your puppy to the door, helping them interact with the bell and immediately taking them outside.  When your puppy successfully goes potty outside, reward them with calm praise and an appropriate treat.

French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic dwarf breed and because of their build, they can be more susceptible to orthopedic and spinal concerns, including IVDD.  A common misconception is that every French Bulldog will get IVDD or that it is genetic. However, what most people don't know is that IVDD is most commonly caused from injuries. 

We take injury prevention very seriously and believe that educating our families is one of the best ways to help keep our puppies safe as they grow. While you cannot completely prevent every orthopedic or spinal issue, being mindful of how your Frenchie plays, jumps and moves around the home can help reduce unnecessary impact and injury. 

One of the biggest things we stress with our families is no jumping from heights. We recommend preventing your Frenchie from jumping on and off couches, beds and other furniture. They should not be jumping in and out of vehicles, off high furniture, from boats or docks, down steep stairs or jumping excessively high for toys. Your puppy should never be encouraged to launch themselves off furniture or other elevated surfaces. 

French Bulldogs are naturally laid back dogs and are often happiest being right beside their family. They are not a breed that needs to constantly run, jump or participate in high impact activities. We want our puppies to enjoy play, exercise and exploring while also being mindful of their unique structure.

We recommend that all of our families consider purchasing foam stairs or a properly designed ramp for their couch and/or bed if their Frenchie will be allowed on the furniture. Teaching your puppy to use a ramp or stairs from a young age can become a normal part of their routine and can help prevent unnecessary jumping. If you do not have a ramp or stairs available, simply lift your Frenchie on and off the furniture. The same applies when getting in and out of the vehicle. Never allow your puppy to jump out of the car onto the ground. When lifting your puppy, support their body securely and avoid twisting or allowing their spine to bend awkwardly. Never leave your French Bulldog unsupervised in an area where they could fall or jump from a dangerous height.

This is not only about IVDD prevention, it is about preventing injuries in general. French Bulldogs are curious and playful and something as simple as jumping off a couch or bed can result in an injury.

As your puppy grows, continue to be mindful of how they get on and off furniture, navigate stairs and play. A little prevention can go a long way in keeping your Frenchie safe, happy and healthy for years to come.

French Bulldogs are very prone to overheating because of their short, compact airways. Warm weather, humidity, exercise and excitement can cause a Frenchie to overheat much faster than many other breeds. During hot or humid weather, we recommend keeping outdoor time short and avoiding strenuous exercise. Your Frenchie should always have access to fresh, cool water and a cool place to rest. 

We recommend being especially careful during the summer months. If it is hot outside, keep your Frenchie inside in a cool environment and limit outdoor time to short potty breaks when necessary. 

Watch your Frenchie closely for signs of overheating, including excessive or unusual panting, heavy breathing, weakness, drooling, vomiting, confusion, difficulty standing or collapse. If you believe your Frenchie is overheating, move them immediately to a cool, shaded or air conditioned area, offer small amounts of cool water and contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately.

 Heatstroke can become life threatening very quickly.