NOW THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED ON A CRESTRIDGE PUPPY YOU WILL NEED TO GET YOUR HOME READY FOR HIM/HER THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE RECCOMEND GETTING BEFORE YOU BRING YOUR NEW PUPPY HOME. WE FEEL IT IS OUR JOB TO HELP YOU SO WE CREATED THIS LIST TO HELP YOU GET STARTED!

1. LARGE DOG CRATE..... I really like the wire crates with the divider in the middle so you can block one side off when the puppy is younger and smaller.

2. DOG BED FOR THE CRATE.... You will want to make the crate very conformable for your puppy as she/he will be sleeping here at night and through out the day. Make sure you get one that is washable.

3. DOG BOWLS... Use stainless steel bowls for the food and water. They are healthier and be sure to clean with warm soapy water regularly. (Plastic bowls attract and hold bacteria.) Stainless steel does not give off any chemical odors like plastic or improperly fired ceramic bowls do. Raise their bowls as they grow so that as they eat, their neck and head are on the same line level as their back. This is much better for their digestion and skeletal structure.

4. PUPPY TOYS You will want to have some toys to keep your new puppy busy. There are a lot of different toys. I like the soft ones, they are a comfort to them can take the place of their littermates. They will need something hard to chew on when they are teething and if you don’t provide it they will find a shoe or something. Nyla-bones, or thick rolled rawhides are wonderful and will keep them occupied for along time. Be sure to have a ball to play fetch, it will probably be her favorate game with you. Another great toy that will keep your puppy busy for hours is a “Kong” It is a hollow chew toy that you can stuff with puppy treats. She will spend many hours trying to unstuff the yummy treats. Here is their website you can also get recipes to stuff the Kong with.

5. TREATS.... are good too when used for training, however if you are going to give a treat to your puppy make it a healthy one, as we like to use the Nu Vet Vitamins as a treat.

6. NU VET VITAMINS... We strongly recommend you to continue to give your puppy one Nu Vet Plus wafer each day which is a powerful antioxidant that gives a tremendous boost to the immune system to prevent skin and coat problems and creates a defense against over fifty major diseases, including hip and elbow dysphasia, and extending the life span of your dog. This can only be ordered by calling 1-800-474-7044 order code #69324 or you can order through their website you will see the links on our site. This is truly a great product and I will not be without my vitamins on my dogs as I can really see the difference they have made in their over all health.

7. VET APPOINTMENT.... Go ahead and get your puppies vet appointment scheduled within 3 days of arrival to your home. This will be a good time to have your vet do a complete puppy exam and schedule the next vaccinations needed. We will give the first puppy shot at 6 and 8
weeks, he/she will then need another around 11 weeks. Most Veterinarians advise you to give them a booster every 3 to 4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. Also you may want to discuss a heartworm preventative.

8. PUPPY SHAMPOO &.DOG TOE-NAIL CLIPPERS (The ones that look like pliers work great)... A tearless puppy shampoo will be fine.

9. COLLAR AND LEASH.....Your puppy will come with her first collar, however if you want to buy one as well the adjustable ones are great since your puppy will grow quickly. Start out with the 8 inch to 16 inch adjustable.

10. INDENTIFICATION TAGS.....Once you have decided on a name go ahead and get a tag made with the dogs name as well as yours and a phone # or address so your puppy can be returned to you if lost. MICRO-CHIPS are also very good as well, you can have your puppy micro chipped here before she leaves for an additional $20.

11. LARGE BREED PUPPY FOOD....Please remember it must say LARGE BREED on the bag. You would not feed the same food to a bullmastiff that you would feed to a small dog.
Your puppy will be on Diamond Lamb and Rice large breed puppy food. Your puppy needs to be on a puppy food for large breeds for a full year then you can switch to an adult food for large breeds. You may not be able to find the same kind we are feeding your puppy since however some of the foods we prefer and recommend to you are: Purina One for large Breeds,
Nutro Natural Choice, Life’s Abundance, or Wellness.

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! Your puppy will be on Diamond Lamb and Rice Large breed puppy food -DON'T CHANGE Puppy FOOD until the puppy has been at your home for at least one week. I will provide you with a small bag of food to mix with what you are going to be using. Try to stretch it over a weeks time before going to your new choice of dog food. Remember if you do not mix the food and change them slowly your puppy could have and upset tummy and diarrhea. Please do not soak the food as this to will cause runny stools, your puppy will be used to eating it dry. By 7-8 weeks.

Also NEVER take the puppy out of your car to go to the bathroom on your way home because at the rest stops all kinds of dogs have been there and you don't know what dogs were sick and could carry to your puppy because your puppy only has its fist serious of shots and need 2 more serious to keep it safe. If you really need to stop I would stop at a farm or along woods because it would be more safe then rest stops!!!

(that could be very serious to your puppies health) Also very important to carry your puppy into your vet clinic until she has had all of her vaccinations.

MAKE SURE YOUR PETS WEAR IDENTIFICATION TAGS
SO THEY CAN BE RETURNED SAFELY IF LOST.

My mom has been feeding me 3x a day dry food. I do need water at all times during the day to keep my kidneys working well but what goes in me must come back out so its a good idea to monitor how much I need. My mom has been feeding me like this but you can put me on your schedule that's fits your life style because I will adjust to it. I (promise) When I am five- six months old you can start feeding me 2x a day. You will need to increase my feeding amounts as I grow. I will go through growth spurts where I will need more food than at other times.

Morning 1/2 to 3/4 cup dry around 7:00 am

Lunch 1/2 to 3/4 cup dry around 12:00am

Supper 1/2 to 3/4 cup dry around 5-6:00 pm

PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAPE MY EARS IF NEEDED SO I WILL LOOK LIKE I’M SUPPOSED TO WHEN I AM OLDER. IT MAY TAKE MORE THAN ONE TAPING TO GET IT RIGHT BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

If my ears start to look silly and not lay correctly it is because I am teething and I will need you to help me correct them. Please read more about ear taping at the Bullmastiff website.

PLEASE REMEMBER IT MAY TAKE MORE THAN ONE TAPING TO GET IT RIGHT BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

*CRATE TRAINING If you are having your puppy shipped you will receive a crate that will work fine for the first month or two. You then may want to purchase a large one to fit your puppy when she is an adult. Use your crate as your puppy’s bedroom or den. Decide on a quiet room or corner, this is a safe place for your puppy to go to nap or when you need to leave home for a few hours. Use the crate at night at least until she is potty trained. Be sure to make it comfortable for her so she wants to go in. Use a soft blanket for padding, and a few toys to play with. It is a good idea to throw a treat in the crate when you kennel her.

The crate is an important tool for Housebreaking. The crate teaches the puppy that he doesn’t want to soil the place where he sleeps. Usually puppies will have to go to the bathroom within 10 to 15 minutes of eating, then every 2 to 4 hours throughout the day. So 10 to 15 after she eats take her out to the part of the yard you want them to go as you are doing this routine use a code word such as “go potty” or “go pee pee”. Say your phrase until she goes and while she is going. Then reinforce it by saying “good puppy” (use his/her name). It wont take long and they will know what you are talking about when you want them to hurry up and go. If you want them to go in certain area you must walk them out every time to that spot and only that spot.

If she has an accident inside tell her “no” and show her to the door even if she is finished take her out to the spot. When her feet hit the grass praise her whether she goes or not. She will soon get the idea that indoors is a “no no”. When she goes in the grass praise her lavishly. It helps reinforce the desire to go outside.

Use your crate as a place to put your puppy when you can’t supervise what she is doing. If you need to leave the house for a few hours you can put her in the crate. Never leave a puppy in the crate for more than 2 to 3 hours at time. You may need an alternative place if you plan to be gone longer than 3 hours. Never put your puppy in the crate for punishment! They should never associate the crate with being punished. We use the bathroom we they need a time out for being bad.

* FEEDING SCHEDULE You can start by feeding your puppy three times a day. Let her have as much food as she wants for fifteen minutes then take it away until its time for her next feeding. Don’t feed her the soft canned food until she is housetrained because it can cause a runnier stool, which will be harder to clean up. At five to six months you can start feeding her twice a day. Keep fresh water available at all times unless you are having difficulty in potty training.

One symptom for stress is a loss of appetite. It isn’t unusual for a new puppy to not eat for the first 24 hours, however, very small puppies most eat every eight hours or they may get low blood sugar, which can be fatal. It is a good indicator that she is adjusting to her new home and family she is eats at meal times. If however, she continues to refuse food after the first 24 hours call your veterinarian or us in this order.

*SOME POISONOUS FOODS AND PLANTS TO AVOID Onions; Can cause anemia. Chocolate; can cause, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tremors, seizures and coma. Rhubarb; vomiting, severe abdominal pain, muscle cramps-large quantities. Convulsions, coma, and death. Nutmeg, Grapes and Raisons, Apricots, Asparagus Fern, Caster Oil Plant, and Ivy. Never feed your dog any form of pork.

* BATHING AND NAILS You can start bathing your puppy every other week or as needed, or depending how active she has been outside. I use a washcloth on the face instead of pouring water over the head. Start trimming the nails every week as soon as your puppy arrives. Be careful not to get them to short or they will bleed it can be painful for them. If you do nails every 4-5 days when your puppy is young for the first year, when they become adults you wont have to do them so often.

*OBEDIENCE TRAINING I highly recommend obedience training to everyone you will be much happier with a dog that knows your commands. Every one of my customers who have had obedience training said it is worth the time, and money well spent

*We ask that you keep your puppy away from all other dogs, and parks frequented by other dogs, until at least it has its second set of shots. Your pup’s immune system has not fully developed and he/she is vulnerable to many airborne bacteria and diseases. Although she currently does not have worms, she can pick them up rather quickly simply by smelling an infected area.

*We also ask that all puppy owners keep in contact with us and let us know how your puppy is developing. We need feedback to be good breeders. We are available at any time to answer your questions throughout the course of your dog’s life.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN WITH YOUR NEW PUPPY!!!!

Ryan & Teresa Winberg