hi , i would like some views and ideas on the best places to purchase puppy starter packs and how much they are ready for when my pups go to their new homes, not for 7 weeks yet but i like to be prepared :D or would i better off making up my own?

also im planning on endorsing my pups papers to stop them from being exported and also to stop them from being bred from until they are old enough and proven to be of good enough quality to breed from, just out of interest as it is the first time i have done this, if one of my pups in 2 years or so time turns out to be good enough to breed, is it fairly straight forward to lift the endorsement and do i have to pay to have it lifted? im not worried if i do would just like to know in advance, regardless of outcome all pups will be endorsed anyway for their own protection i personally feel its the best way as im sure most people will agree :D thanks Kwacker

Costs nothing to remove the endorsements, but annoyingly the Kennel Club tell you it ahs been lifted, but do not write to the new owner.

If you endorse you do have to put it in writing and have the new owners sign that they understand and know about it.

Pupy packs of food and literature can be appled for from the company of the food you are feedign, some chargew some give them free of charge hoping for the new oweners custom.

To this I add a book on dog care, collar and lead, piece of Vetbed, BVA health leaflets, Breed Club application forms, book list, and pups are ear tattooed.

I get the new puppy people to sign two copies of a letter stating that they have acknowledged
that the said puppy has endorsements (in the case of any white puppies endorsements will never
be lifted). That way it satisfys the KC that people were well aware of puppies endorsements at time
of purchase. I keep one copy signed by myself and new owners and new owners have one copy.

In my puppy pack I give a general run through of training, equipment that they might find useful,
book list on breed and general training books plus other books of interest.
Breed club contact details, KC contact details (if they need to find out for KC licensed training clubs/ringcraft etc). Puppy heart handout sheet (as Boxers can suffer from murmurs etc)
Worming certificate, innoculation certificates (if puppy is old enough to have them), 5 generation pedigree
KC registration document, Tattoo document (I got my pups tattooed)/Microchip document.
Leaflets about worming, flea prevention, pets passports etc.
Puppy diet sheet - both for meat & biscuit diet and complete diet feeding & tips for changing to what
they would like to feed.
Piece of vet bed that smells of home & their litter mates/mum. A toy. Some food that I have been feeding them.
Plus the fact that I am always at the end of a phone if they need me or in person etc just because the puppy no longer lives with me doesn't mean that I no longer care about it's welfare etc.

Basically your puppy packs can be as comprehensive as you want them to be...but as an absolute minimum diet sheet, basic run through of what their needs are,KC reg certificate, 5 generation pedigree.

Mine consisted of a Nutro Holdall, a bag of Nutro puppy food, a folder containing, a 5 Gen pedigree, KC Reg, Contract (2 copies), Information on feeding, toilet training, mouthing etc etc. A recommendation of books & websites abnd also what equipment you'll need. A piece of vet bedding, a frisbee. I aslo included a picture CD with Dam & Sire and pics of that particular puppy that were taken from the day it was born to the day it left which included a B&W picture of that puppy for the front cover, everyone was delighted with these ;-)

Rather than a sample bag of puppy food I gave my new owners a 15k sack each, that way I know the puppies will stay on that food for a while. I also gave them a tin of lactol, a piece of vetbed that had been in their bed and smelled of home. I gave them a copy of a chart I had used to track the puppies weight, worming etc and I also gave them a cd with the photos I had taken daily of the litter since they were born. I didn't really know what to include but the owners seemed very pleased and are reciprocating now with lots of pics of the babies in their new homes :)

thanks everyone thats great :D

Also, a "tick off" socialisation chart and a list of useful websites.

Oh, and someone told me she started an internet group for all her owners, which I thought was a nice touch.

I put in my puppy packs a sample of the food they are eating,free 8 weeks insurance,a toy,worming tabs,a peice of blanket/vet bedding with mums smell on it,a pic of both sire and dam,collar,full heath check card and vac card, personalised printed pedigree,and a lovely card from puppy to new life long owners explaining feeding times,do s and donts,and a great big thank you in the card thanking them for welcoming puppy into their family, and i tell them in the card that puppy will love them unconditionally until the end of earth and please love me as much as i love you,and 99% of the new owners phone me to say thanks for the card and they tell me how lovely it is for them to receive the card from their puppy,and the words make them cry,but beleive me they dont cry as much as me when i wave bye to my best pals that i have dedicated my life to for 8 weeks.but what a great feeling you get when the little darlings enter the great big wide world knowing all your good hard work has paid off and youve done the little beautys proud.

Make sure you put a feeding chart in there. I have heard about someone who sold a puppy only to be phoned a few months later to sat he had bitten when they tried to stoped him raiding the bin (again) them, she went over to the house a found him half staved, they were feeding him a 8 week old puppy diet and hadn't increased the amount. And that was the reason they had been bitten, they were taking away his much needed food.  :( You really need to make sure you point out the obvious to new time puppy owners.

sarah xxxxx

I don't breed but I do the paperwork for a good friend of mine who does (and bred my bitch).

I wrote the puppy packs, training pack, nutrition and contracts.  I made the puppy pack into a book, it included routines, house training, showing, breed history, common ailments, feeding etc.  I also put in useful websites - general for training stuff, toys etc. and the breed clubs.

I can send you an electronic copy if it helps?  It is Rottweiler specific but you might find some useful bits and pieces.

thanks keeper that would be great as my pups are that breed anyway :D

Hiya,

The soft copy is in a "printable" format as it forms a chunky book so the pages are laid out for continuity when they print (if you know what I mean!).  If you would prefer I can send you a hard copy that you can sit and read through?

Let me know which format you would prefer (if you want a hard copy just drop me a message with your address).

Keeper,
Can I be really cheeky and ask if you could forward me a copy as well, please?   (sarah.langman@lfrs.org)

thanks in advance

sarah

Hi there keeper,

Would it be terribly cheeky of me to ask if you could possible send me a copy that I could read? If you don't mind doing that my email address is sarah_watkins_@hotmail.com its just it sounds really interesting and useful. I would be really really grateful if you could. ;) Thanks

Sarah xxxxx

Hi i wondered if i could take you up on a copy many thanks Andrea

Hi Kwacker

I do not know if you realise, and no one has mentioned, that endorsing the pups papers does not stop them being exported.  It prevents them getting an export pedigree which means that any puppies they may have cannot be registered in other countries

I do have a chat group for all my new puppy owners. They say its been the most invaluable thing I could of done, as they chat daily. I also invited the Stud owner of their puppy to join so she too could give advice. Its really worked well, and we have helped so many people now.
Our puppy packs really are like a booklet now a days.  Most people refer to it as their "Bible". But some people just chuck it in the bin. Its handy though when I have a behaviour page, when someone gets back to me say 6 months later asking advice, I can say bring out your booklet and look at page whatever, and they do and it works. 
I have diet sheets, and times of feeding, etc, as well as training, house training, how to stop bad habbits, worming info, including chart for the next 12 months, flea treatment chart which they can fill in during the year so they cant forget.  Also we have links to websites of help.  urr, I am trying to think as it has such a lot of info in. 
Then the goody bag at the end varies. I have put a book in such as Jan Fennells, Dog listner, once I put in Culture Clash, but I must say alot of people have already brought books so it is not always wise to put a book in. But yes we put in toys, treats, food etc in the pack, including puppy poo bags, and scoop.  I change mine every time what I put in, but they are always handy. I always send away either blanket with smells of litter, but I usually ask for an old jumper someone has worn before hand, and that goes in. 
The best thing for my owners has been the chat group. Nothing fancy just a place they can talk and realise that their is support for them.  Also I love seeing all the photos of my dogs growing up over the years.  I extend the group also to people that have puppies from my sire, and I offer free of course, lifetime support for them.  Thats just the hobby!! My family think I am crazy, but it gives me so much pleasure seeing all those pups.

Most of what everyone else has said and also a DAP diffuser.

Sorry folks, I am horribly behind with emails and message boards!

I tried to email the puppy pack but the darn thing is huge and won't send - if anyone wants one, send me a note of your address and I'll pop you a hard copy in the post.