Welcome to the world, little ones! It's been waiting for you!
Your decision to adopt a Lumar Labradoodle is exciting and we are looking forward to working with you to help you find the perfect puppy for YOUR unique family!
Time to Prepare!
At this time, your reservation fee of $500 and first puppy payment of $1500 are now due. Please make payable to Lumar Labradoodles, 2908 Greenwood Circle, Suffolk, VA 23435. Your final puppy payment of $1800, which includes sales tax, is due when the puppies are 5 weeks of age, on January 19. We recommend FEDEX or UPS Priority, as the postal service is very slow and unreliable.
Now, it’s time to prepare to bring your puppy home! The first step is to order your PawTree Puppy Starter Kit! You will find the essential nutrition and treat products that Lumar recommends to get your puppy off to a great start! https://shop.pawtree.com/lumar/myrecommendation/Products-Lumar-Loves
We have a list of other recommended supplies, such as shampoo, crate, and toys, under Puppy Care.
Your puppy will need a crate! Be sure to get the crate with the divider, which you will use to keep puppy’s space small when little (it helps with potty training!) and their space will be larger when older. Your pup will need a 24 or 30inch crate.
24 inch crate: https://amzn.to/49CGBw5
As an adult dog, you want your pooch to have room to stand up and turn around freely! Crate training is important for many reasons, including help with potty training, giving puppy/adult dog a safe space to be unsupervised, providing a place for a nap, reducing anxiety, and setting proper boundaries. Please use the crate for your doggo’s entire life, even if they spend less time there as they grow!
There are three videos! Please watch them in order. Make a note of any questions you have and email them to us.
Video 1: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wNbHiSxSSZU
Video 2: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yFKLjv69yNo
Video 3: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iYxXU4G3Y4Y
Preventatives
Fleas and Ticks:
Heartgard is important for heartworm prevention! (NOTE: If you use Revolution/Stronghold, Heartgard is NOT needed)
Resources
We especially recommend reading: The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell. It’s a great introduction to puppies and their needs!
One of my favorite dog trainers has finally written a book! Adam Spivey of the amazing Southend Dog Training group in the UK has an uncanny understanding of canine behavior and shares it in a practical and easy to understand format in his book, How to Raise the Perfect Dog.
If you have children, the book “Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents” by Silvani is a must-read as well!
Perfect Puppy in 7 Days by Dr. Sophia Yin is wonderful! Highly recommend this one!
This is the time to look for a qualified TRAINER to help you being teaching your puppy. It’s important to start Puppy Kindergarten GROUP classes as soon as you bring puppy home!
In addition to this, we also highly recommend an online training program called Baxter & Bella which offers LIFETIME support at a very reasonable price. You can receive a substantial discount using our code “LUMAR25”! https://www.baxterandbella.com/
Snuggle Puppy
Want to make the transition home easier? Here’s a way! We offer a Snuggle Puppy to go home with your puppy. This adorable stuffed animal mimics the heartbeat sound of mama and has the scent of your puppy’s litter mates. It will provide tremendous comfort for your pup! Email us with “Snuggle Puppy” in the subject and we will prepare your puppy’s lovey!
Frequent Questions & Answers:
You can start puppy kindergarten right away! We provide vet records as well as proof of puppy’s first round of vaccines. A reputable trainer will require that of all the pups, so you can be assured that everyone is healthy and vaccinated! (Particularly for the pathogen that is the biggest risk to a young puppy: Parvo. But also for distemper and influenza.) We give the first vaccine at 7wks and provide a schedule so you can continue the series with your own vet.
Please set up a wellness and “get to know you visit” with your vet for within the first 3 days that your puppy is home. However, be aware that your puppy will NOT need any vaccines at that first appointment, nor should they receive any. They will have just had their first vax and it won’t be time for the next one yet!
It’s critically important to begin socialization right away! Do not avoid socialization just because the vaccine series has not yet finished. Lack of socialization is a greater risk to puppy. We follow the recommendations of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Please read their statement on this topic: Here!
Your puppy will come with a collar that fits. Please be sure that you have a lightweight puppy/cat leash. We do not recommend harnesses. Our dogs are smart and intuitive AND simply don’t need a harness. Also, a harness tends to be a signal to a dog that it is going to do “work.” For regular walks and general outings, just a collar and leash will work perfectly! You will teach your puppy this, and an advantage of enrolling in Baxter and Bella NOW is that you can start watching their videos and be prepared to introduce your puppy to the leash in the correct way!
(The other issue with harnesses is that there are hundreds of different types, and they all work in unique ways. It may be ok if you are the only one who EVER cares for your dog, but if someone else needs to care for your dog and they don’t know how to operate your harness properly, it could result in tragedy. Whereas everyone knows how to properly put a dog in a collar and leash!)
Reminders
We offer delivery!
Please TEXT Kristina if you would like more information! 757-943-1615. Our younger Lumar team members love to make puppy deliveries! (Ah to be young again when we thought driving up and down I-95 was fun!)
If you want to come to our home to pick up your puppy, that is fine too! Just text your address if you would like delivery.
Puppy Matches: I know you are excited to learn which puppy will be yours, but please be patient with us. First, we need to have the 7wk vet visit to make sure all the puppies are healthy. Second, we like to wait as long as possible to give us more time to get to know the puppies’ personalities and temperaments. We usually make puppy matches just a few days before Go Home to ensure that we are thorough in our process. We will send your puppy match with a picture and a description of YOUR unique puppy at that time! Trust us–it’s worth waiting for!!
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a specific gender and do not take requests. We do not have gender differences in our breed the way some breeds do. Your puppy will be spayed or neutered and will become essentially “genderless” at that point anyway! You will love your puppy for WHO it is, regardless of gender!
The pickup time for your puppy is Sunday, Febuary 9. We will assign your individual pick up time. We ask you to be prompt (and not early!) out of respect for the family coming in behind you!
Blessings, Kristina & the Lumar Crew
