Brookwood Collies' Puppy tips

New Owner Guide

Before You Decide To Get A Collie Puppy

Are you thinking about adding a Rough or Smooth Collie puppy to the family? While being a 'puppy-parent-in-waiting' is super exciting, please take a moment to consider the investment as well:

Time and Lifestyle: Puppies need constant, immediate, and high-frequency care (potty breaks, training, socialization). If you plan to be gone from home for more than 4 hours, you will need to plan for a friend or dog-walker to check on your puppy while you're gone.
Financial Commitment: Beyond the purchase price, prepare a budget for food, gear, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and a $3-5k puppy emergency fund.
Puppy Training: Training a puppy is nonnegotiable. A well-behaved Collie does not happen by accident! Find yourself a great local Puppy training coach/ Dog Trainer who can provide in-person training support and also connect you with other local doggie resources!
Landlord/HOA Rules: If renting, ensure pets are allowed and check for weight or breed restrictions. Also consider what space you have available for exercising your dog.
Breed Research: Consider how this breed matches your activity level and living space (e.g., high-energy dogs in apartments, grooming needs).
Reputable Breeders: Only buy from breeders who allow on-site visits, show you the puppy's parents/mother (temperament and health), and provide proof of vaccinations, deworming, puppy Veterinary examinations, and parent's health testing results.
Long-Term Commitment: Puppies grow into adults with evolving needs; they are a 10–15 year commitment.

Preparing to Bring Your Puppy Home

Plan ahead so you can be at home with your puppy as much as possible for the first couple weeks while you both adjust to life together. Your puppy will feel secure when he knows where you are, and feel abandoned when he does not.
Schedule a vet exam for your new pup. We ask that your puppy be seen by your veterinarian within 10-14 days of purchase to ensure that you received a pup who was fit for sale as well as to establish care for your pup.
Check out local or online puppy training support options! In person puppy classes are great because not only do you have in-person trainer support, but also you and your puppy get to collaborate with other new puppy parents and their puppies in your area!
Check out AKC events near you where you can watch competitions or enter for AKC Star Puppy Classes and CGC preparation classes.
Check into Pet Insurance, your puppy trainer or veterinarian might have a recommendation.

The American Kennel Club gives perks for AKC Pet Insurance when you register your pup with the AKC.

Look at your house thru the eyes of your puppy! Sweep your floors to make sure there’s no staples, medications, etc. on the floor that your pup could swallow. Make sure all electrical cords are out of your pup’s reach. Fence off carpeted areas the puppy should not enter.
Set up your pup’s crate or limited space area and make a plan with the others in the house for night and daytime schedules.

Get basic supplies on hand.
Adjustable 12”-14” collar and leash
Food and water bowls.
Crate and/or exercise pen for confinement when you cannot be with your pup.
NutriSource Large Breed Puppy Food

Puppy Pick-up Day!

Finally the big day has arrived! Taking a new puppy home is an exciting adventure for the entire family! Here's a few tips to make the memories of the special day more pleasant:

Pack a couple of old bath towels or paper towels, just in case the puppy gets carsick on the way home.
Your puppy will ride most happily if cuddled the first part of the journey. However, it’s a good idea to have a crate along for if you get tired of holding him or if you do not have someone else along to drive.
Stop every 2 hours for a potty break. If the pup is sleeping at the 2-hour point, you can keep driving and stop when he does wake up.
The pup will not need to eat on the way home unless you need to drive more than 5 hours. Have a bottle of water and a water dish along to give your pup a drink.
If you have another dog or cat at home, introducing your new puppy to your older dog requires a slow, supervised approach, starting with meetings on neutral ground. Use barriers like crates or gates to manage interactions, prevent the puppy from pestering the senior, and ensure both dogs have separate, quiet spaces for rest and feeding. Allow 3-7 days for the puppy and your other pets to accept each other!

Feeding your puppy

Getting Settled At Home

Focus on getting acquainted with and bonding with your pup. Your presence gives the pup security. Your pup will most likely want to sleep near you the first night.
Begin the housebreaking process immediately. But otherwise do not do too much training until your pup seems to have settled in and is past the stress of transition.
Make sure your pup is eating and drinking to keep your pup from experiencing low blood sugar or dehydration. If your pup doesn’t want to eat, try some low salt, low fat cooked chicken and/or chicken broth soaked with your pup’s kibble. Peanut butter is also an irresistible treat. Another option is some high quality canned puppy food.
Your pup should be fed around kibble 3 times a day. Analyze how much your pup eats each time and adjust his portion accordingly as individual pups need different amounts of food. An additional bedtime or midnight snack may be a good idea the first week or two to keep its blood sugar stable overnight.
If your puppy cries a lot in the crate at night, consider alternatives. Turn on some calming music. Sleep on a couch nearby. Maybe your pup would appreciate having his crate inside an exercise pen so he does not feel so closed in. Give him some food, water, toys, and a blanket. He may enjoy having his own space but still hearing you go on with life in the next room.
A tired puppy is a happy puppy, so play with your pup and then put it to bed!
Make sure your pup is getting adequate rest. Pups need to sleep about 2 hours for every hour of playtime!

House Breaking/ Potty Training Tips:

Scheduled Potty breaks. Your puppy has a small bladder and will need to go outside often! Puppies often need to have a potty break about every two hours, after naps, and after meals and/or drinking water. A consistent schedule is very important.
For nighttime, get your pup tired out and have him go potty before tucking him in for the night. Most pups need to go out once in the middle of the night and again as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Always take your puppy out to the same general location to go potty. The location should be clean and quiet. Some bushes or other foliage may give your pup a feeling of privacy. If your pup doesn’t go potty after being outside for a while, just stand still or walk in a small circle while holding your pup’s leash so your pup can hold still long enough to focus on what it needs to do!
Crate training is an excellent way to house-train a puppy. Your puppy's crate should be large enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. If you don’t use a crate, an exercise pen or doorway gate will be helpful to limit your pup’s access to the house by keeping the pup contained to a certain area of the house without carpet on the floor. Puppies want to keep their living area clean, limiting their space when they are not attended helps them to wait until they can get outside to go potty.
Pay close attention to your puppy's behaviour to identify signs they need to go to the bathroom, like whining, sniffing, or circling.
If your pup doesn’t pee when you take him outside and you think its time for him too pee, don’t let your pup run around in the house when you go back inside. Either hold your pup or have him in the crate for about 20 min. and then try again to see if your pup will pee outside. Letting them run around the house in this circumstance puts you at high risk for accidents.
Clean up accidents properly: Thoroughly clean any accidents inside with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent and discourage future accidents in the same spot.
Positive reinforcement: Immediately praise and reward your puppy with a treat when they go potty outside.
For pups who are difficult to housebreak, try the Umbilical Cord Housebreaking Method. It involves keeping your puppy on a leash attached to you at all times when inside the house. Choose a lightweight leash that's comfortable for your puppy to wear. Attach the leash to your puppy's collar or harness and always keep it on your wrist or belt loop when your puppy is inside the house. The ideal length of the leash for the umbilical cord housebreaking method is around 6 feet. This length is sufficient to allow your puppy some space to roam around but also keeps them within your reach and supervision. With an “umbilical cord”, your puppy is under constant supervision, and you’ll quickly recognize the signs that your puppy needs to go potty. This method works well when combined with other potty-training techniques to create a solid routine for your puppy.
If your puppy continues to have trouble with peeing in the house, consult your veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical conditions (such as UTI) that could be impacting your puppy's ability to potty train.

Tips to help with Nipping/Biting

Why do puppies bite? Puppies bite because that is how they discover and interact with the world around them - it plays an important role in their socialization. They can’t pick things up with their paws, so they try to do it with their mouths! It’s important to know that puppy biting is extremely normal and expected.

Never encourage nipping by enticing a puppy to chase your hands or toes. If your puppy bites to start play or during play and will not be redirected to a toy, immediately get up and remove yourself from the puppy’s area. Go into another room or to the other side of a gate or barrier so the puppy can’t follow. Remain out of the area for about 30 seconds. When you return, get a toy and resume play. You may need to repeat this process.
Your puppy really wants to please you. A simple, firm "ouch" or “no” can let your puppy know their bite is not welcome. Most puppies are very intelligent about what the tone of your voice means.
Giving your puppy a "time out” in its crate gives your pup some time to “reset”. Choose a calm, quiet area like a crate or a designated corner where your puppy can't see you and won't be actively engaged. Keep the timeout brief, usually only a few minutes, as puppies have short attention spans.
If your puppy continues to bite inspite of attempts to redirect them, they may be overly tired. Put them in their crate or designated area with a treat to encourage them to nap. Your puppy may cry or paw at the door when you do this. Ignore them until they settle down for at least 5 minutes. (Set a timer.) Often, you’ll find that when that 5 minutes is up, your puppy is resting quietly or has actually fallen asleep! This is because puppies frequently start nipping when they are overtired and not able to self-regulate. In the absence of the opportunity to get excited and bite you, they wind down and start to rest. Keep in mind that puppies sleep for 18-20 hours a day: that’s a lot of rest! If your pup has been awake longer than 60-90 minutes and is getting mouthy, it is almost assuredly time for a nap.
Try Puppy Socialization Classes. Attending puppy socialization classes is also a helpful (and crucial!) part of your puppy’s education. Here, puppies learn how to read other dogs’ body language, bite inhibition, and how to communicate with a wide variety of similarly aged pups.

When To Spay Or Neuter

It is generally recommended to wait until 12 to 24 months to spay or neuter a Collie. Because they are larger dogs, waiting until they are physically mature (around 1-2 years) allows growth plates to close, which reduces the risk of joint issues and certain cancers.

Key Considerations for Timing:

Orthopedic Health: Neutering before one year, especially before 6 months, can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and cruciate ligament ruptures.
Females: To reduce the risk of urinary incontinence ("leaking"), many experts suggest waiting until after the first heat cycle, or until the dog is at least 12–24 months old.
Males: Waiting until 18 to 24 months is generally recommended for proper bone, joint, and physical development.
Individual Factors: While early fixing can manage behaviors like roaming or marking, the long-term health benefits of waiting often outweigh the inconvenience.

It is highly recommended to discuss the best time for your specific dog with your veterinarian, as they can assess your dog's physical development and risk factors.

Be sure to do your research before deciding when to spay or neuter your Collie!!