First of all, please realize that your new puppy has just been ripped from everything he/she knows. She no longer has his/her litter mates, his/her momma, the other dogs here in our house and his/her main caregivers – me & my husband. It is normal for him/her to experience some initial separation anxiety. He/she may or may not cry, be withdrawn and be scared in and of his/her new surroundings. Please realize that EVERYTHING is NEW – all the smells, sights, sounds and people. He/she will no longer have their support system of their litter mates. Patience is needed during these first few days.

Here are a few tips to make the first few days an easier transition for your new puppy.

• DO NOT isolate your puppy. As hard as this might be when they are crying, isolating your puppy will only increases his/her fear and may reinforce his/her insecurity and feeling of being vulnerable.
• Limit the amount of new people he/she comes in contact with for the first few days. Allow your puppy to get to know you and be comfortable with you and his family. Too many new faces too soon may add to his/her anxiety.
• Limit the activity in the home. Find a quiet place for your puppy to rest, but always be close to you. Crate training is ideal. A crate should never be used as punishment. Your puppy should view it as a place of comfort – like their den.
• Keep your puppy by you. He/she is already used to being around people most of the day.
• If he/she cries at night, DO NOT bring him/her into bed with you. Patience is the key. You may offer your puppy some play time, and to go out potty. If they don’t calm down and if you don’t mind, putting their crate in the same room as you sleep in should also help the puppy adjust.
• Play, play, play, play, play and more play. A tired puppy is a good puppy! Remember Aussies are very active puppies and have oodles and oodles of energy. By playing with them and offering them new things and teaching/training them, it helps to keep them engaged and a way to expel their extra energy.
• Start your training right away. Don’t wait till your puppy is 3-4 months old. These guys learn fast and want to learn. Start right away. I can show you how to train your puppy to sit while you are here so you have an example of what you can try at home.

• First and foremost puppies go home with our commitment to be available to answer questions, address concerns, and provide assistance as needed with the continued training and growth.
• All T & R Australian puppies go home with a written health guarantee, vaccination record and a schedule to follow.
• They also will go home with their registration paperwork and copies of important health papers,
• A collar, leash, a few days of puppy food.

These are some of the things that you may have on hand before your new puppy gets home.

• Dog Food: ORIJEN Puppy Dry Dog Food.
• Collar 15" and a flat leash at least 6' long
• Retractable leash
• Water and food bowls
• Kennel: Large or dimensions similar to 36"L x 23"W x 25"H. I prefer the metal and you can section it off and make it smaller to help with potty training should you need to in the beginning.
• No Bedding in the kennel. Some tend to chew and can be a choking hazard.
• Toys – Try to use natural rubber toys & animal toys without the stuffing - they are called Skinneeez. Avoid vinyl toys.
• Dog bones
• Dog rawhides – rolls and chips – made in USA only.  (make sure to supervise and remove any small pieces to avoid choking.)
• Dog Treats - anything really. My puppies are usually pretty food motivated.
• Petmountain – is a great place to get good prices on dog supplies - like dog shampoo and toys.

• Interceptor (or a wormer that your vet will recommend) I give the wormer at the beginning of each month.
• Frontline - if you choose

I do recommend initially following this schedule.

• First thing in the morning I put the puppies out.
• Feed 2x a day 1 cup of puppy chow between the hours of 6-7am & then 4-5pm
  • 40 - 60 minutes after the he/she eats, put him/her out. Puppies will not ask yet, you must be observant and diligent to put them out. If they don’t go potty, then put them in the kennel until they do. Free time is earned when you have seen them potty, then it will be less likely they will make a mistake.
• Then until you know your puppy and he/she knows you, I would recommend putting him/her out to potty every 2-3 hours. The command is "go potty". How to prevent accidently training your puppy to dillydally. When you see excessive smelling and wondering, bring them in. They are out to do business. Do not encourage playing when it’s time to potty.   
• NO MORE WATER after 7pm. Put your puppy out one last time as late as you can.  You will have to listen for your puppy during the night as they may be ask to go potty. Don’t be upset if your puppy makes a mess during the night in the beginning. It will take time for all of you to adjust to each other. If your puppy goes potty in the kennel, don’t scold them unless you catch them doing it. Quietly take your puppy outside to potty, clean up the mess and try again. If they made a mess, then shorten the time in the kennel for your puppy. As your puppy is successful, then increase the time.
• I recommend kenneling at night. I recommend this until he/she has earned his/her trust and you know he/she won’t get into things he/she’s not supposed to or go to the bathroom. I also put a hard bone in his/her kennel or a hard rubber toy (one that won't break into small pieces) So if he/she wakes up during the night he/she won't be bored.

Using the same commands as I do will help you communicate better with your puppy until you both learn and figure each other out.

Here: is used instead of “Come.” Come is used in other commands when herding.

Sit

Bring it (When playing ball)

Drop it  (When playing ball and can be used for all items) Use a second ball to encourage them to drop the ball they just brought back.

Shhhhhh  (to quiet down)