The time has finally come !! I pick my boy up tomorrow at noon! Couple questions.
he is 8 weeks.

Should I use something other than a collar and leash to walk him for the 10-15 min walks? I know its 5 min. per month old to walk right? But is that once a day or like can I do morning and evening?

Breeder has him on eukanuba but I have TOTW at home, whats the best way to ween him off of the eukanuba like in cups? Even though the breeder feeds him 2 times a day I think should I still stick with that regiment? How much should I feed my 8wk pup with TOTW since it has less filler?

I got a small deer antler chew and bully sticks. Will these be ok for him to use as a puppy that young? Also, any grain free treats you guys would suggest for positive reinforcement?

THANK YOU!!

I wouldn't start taking him for walks until he has about 2-3 DHLPP shots, don't let him play with dogs that you don't know their vacc history, and don't walk in highly populated areas that lots of dogs go. He will be vulnerable to Parvo and Distemper and this period (8-14 weeks) is crucial. To get him used to the leash, I'd have him walk around the house with it attached and let it drag behind him. After that, you can pick it up without any corrections, so he gets used to him being attached to you.

As far as food goes, I like 3 times a day feeding puppies that young, they can't hold very much food and you want to make sure they are getting what they need throughout the day. Rule of thumb when switching food is 1/4 of the new mixed with 3/4 of the old for a few days. Then start increasing the amount of the new.

Thanks Brooke! How much food do you suggest? 1 cup per sitting? 3x a day (3 cups a day)?

I let Kale eat as much as he wanted in a 10 min sitting. Puppies tend to self-regulate. I started measuring when he hit about 3-4 months. But if you want to measure I think 3 cups a day is a great starting point. You can always increase or decrease the amount depending on if he seems hungry or not finishing the meal. Congrats on finally bringing Shadow home! I hope you get some sleep tonight! The night before I picked up Kale I slept maybe an hour! lol

hahah! I hope I can get some sleep! What about the toys and treats? Antler and bully sticks going to be ok for him? Any other good meaty treats for training that will be good for him at that young? i have carrots cause my breeder told me he loves them!!

The antler may be to hard for his delicate puppy but the bully stick should be okay, it may be too much for him at this age though. I used to make my own dog treats for kale when he was a puppy, that way I knew exactly what was in them. There are a ton of recipes floating around online. I also like stuffing Kong toys, I started out easy with just some peanut butter, then gradually made them more challenging. When he got around 3-4 months I started feeding some of his meals from a treat dispensing toy like the Kong Wobbler. Making them work for their food helps their problem solving and provides mental stimulation.

Agree that the antler is too hard for puppy teeth, the bully stick should be fine. I fed my Balon 3 times a day 1 cup each feeding and it was fine. Once in a while if I felt he was still hungry I added a handful or so more. Now he is eating 1 1/4 cup twice a day and is doing fine with weight at almost 5 months old.

Good luck, pictures please!