Here is some ideas if you need them for what to get for your new puppy. A crate can be a big help if your busy and cant keep an eye on them or just for a place for them to have a quiet place they can go. Get at a 48" at least you can block it off if needed but they will get big. Facebook market place or craigslist/ yard sales are a good place to find a used one cheap.
A big floppy arms n legs stuffed animal (no little beads and make sure eyes n such are attached firmly) it gives them something to cuddle with when they don't have their siblings to lay on. The pictured ones are about 22" long so a size a big puppy. There is also a product called "CUDDLE PUPPY" has a heartbeat and warmer around 30$ that works great if you have the extra to spend.
A collar that has a medium of 9" that adjusts up or down just a cheap one again they will outgrow it fast.If you dont have a fenced or huge yard I also like the long 25 foot training leashes along with the regular leash. They are great to let them run without getting to far and a great way to reinforce "come" till your sure they have it down.
Chew treats like pork chomps , bully sticks , if you have steak save them the bone, or soup bones from the butcher these work great as a night time help keep them from crying if you dont let them sleep with you. And some nylon puppy teething bones for during the day.
A basketball is a wonderful thing for them to herd around the yard and with inside toys dont give them all at once rotate so they stay interesting.
Feeding your new puppy Once a day for the first week cover 1/2 cup of dry food with hot water, give when soft and warm. I feed dry food free choice 24/7, if you are going to feed on a schedule it may take a few days for your puppy to get use to this. Don't be alarmed if they don't eat or only eat a small amount at first once they realize food is limited to certain times they will start to finish it. Make sure to up the amount as they grow. DO NOT give any treats except plain animal crackers and pieces of their dry food ( always a treat when it comes for your hand) till they are settled in their new home. Then add treats gradually one kind at a time or you could end up with an upset tummy and diarrhea!!
I send each puppy home with a small bag of food so you can mix if you want to switch. I feed ProPlan puppy.
I write their deworming and vaccinations in the Proplan record keeper which includes a helpful puppy book and a 7.00 coupon towards puppy food and on an index card with the labels from the vaccinations dates when given and when next one is due and deworming so it is easy to take to your first vet appointment.
A towel that smells like mom and siblings to help when they have to be alone, the smell comforts them sometimes.
A bag of dirty wood bedding pellets that i use to help house break while they are here*** as you can see in the picture of their pen these puppies are only 1 mth old and this is what their pen looks like in the morning before i clean!!. I may have 1-2 potty outside the litter box at this point but they get the idea potty is separate from eating & sleeping. I also take them outside but its impossible to take them all out when they go every 15 min. I have you put the dirty pellets in the yard where you want your puppy to potty so the scent is there.
Before you come to pick up your puppy you should puppy proof your house. Try to hide any cords near the floor. Have a place for your shoes the puppy can't get to. Anything knee level or below is fair game to a puppy if you like it or don't want to have to clean up pieces of it put it higher till they are out of the puppy stage. If you have kids this means their toys and also make sure small pieces like legos and barbie shoes are not where a puppy and eat them, it may result in a trip to the vet!
I suggest you bring an old towel or blanket for the car ride home, even tho i take food away they sometimes get car sick.
Please do not take your puppy to a place where there are dogs you dont know are healthy till after their 2nd vaccinations. Family and friends dogs that you know have their vaccinations ect are fine to play with. So no dog parks and pet smart ect.
These first few weeks your puppy is more dependent on you. Its the prefect time to teach them to come to you. I kiss to get them to come so start with that and add "come & their name" give them a tasty treat start with plain animal crackers or their dry puppy food, then add things like small piece of cheese or hotdog or chicken just tiny pieces they are not use to human food and dog treats yet so only one new treat at a time or they make get diarrhea and always give lots of good boys and petting. NEVER call your dog and punish them this will only teach them to run away.When they get to the teenage years and maybe decide not to listen I will clap my hands and run in the other direction and in a high chipper voice say come on lets go and reward if they come, if i have to go get them then they have to go inside as a timeout or i will put them on a leash.. And even when they have "come" down as a puppy i will still even with my old dogs have treats on me sometimes and treat them when they come. That way they will think maybe this time i get food i better go see what she wants lol.
Puppies will chew on you if you let them. Dont let them when you first get them home cuz its cute and doesn't hurt..it will! when they chew on something not allowed I will gently shake their nose and growl NOOO at them and give them a chew toy or if its my fingers i will use my thumb to pressed down on their tongue with my finger under their chin. Most of the time I lift my hands out of their reach and will soon learn if they don't mouth you they get petted and ignored if they do. The love attention so ignoring them is a great punishment for this and jumping.
If you want a calm puppy/dog then dont raise them to be hyper. I dont allow my dogs to play in the house except for the basement. They learn that inside is time to lay on their beds or follow me around but i dont let them chase a ball or run around the kitchen island. They can play quietly with a toy on their bed or chew on their bones. If ive been gone i dont get all excited greeting them when i return. I also dont make a big deal about leaving. I never let them jump on me even starting as a puppy. If they jump on me i ignore them or tell them to sit and when they are sitting calm i pet them. Again this is really cute when they are small but they do not stay small for long! When I want to cuddle and love on them I sit/lay on the floor and then they are allowed to climb all over me. Same goes with furniture it's cute when they are 10# to have them on the couch just make sure you are going to like it if they are 70#, otherwise don't allow if now. I do sometimes let a new puppy sleep in bed with me during potty training then when they are housebroke I make them stay on a rug beside my bed. Especially if they have to be alone 8+ hours a day instead of crating them all day and all night. See Housebreaking below for more info.
If you have kids let them know the puppy is still a baby and needs lots of rest. A crate is a great place to let the puppy go in when it wants and to have the kids leave it alone while its in there.
IF YOU DONT HAVE KIDS or other dogs and think you will someday make sure to get your puppy around little kids now and other dogs ect. Aussies love their person and can be jealous when you bring home something that takes your attention away from them. It is not that they are aggressive dogs they are wonderful family dogs. Its just that they may not want to share you so it helps if they know what little kids are before you bring one home. My saying is if you dont want a shadow you dont want an Aussie, and other dogs have loved me but my boy Case is in love with me!!!
Never let your puppy get away with growling except play growling. If anyone takes a toy/bone or goes near the food dish and the puppy growls take that item away from them! Stop it while they are young. Wait a little while then put the item back on the floor but make the puppy sit and wait till you say he can have it. Repeat this after a few minutes and do this allot if needed. Rarely does this behavior only happen and if it does it always seems to be when they are not fixed and the hormones kick in.
Reasons to have your puppy fixed...behavior issues are less likely, less likely to develop prostate or mammary cancer, a male dog can smell a female in heat up to 6 miles, less likely to wander off in search of a mate, a female is in heat for 2 weeks twice a year and they can bleed allot during this time. Raising puppies is full time work, birthing is not on a schedule can take all day and sometime your help is required. Puppies are messy they poop n pee allot, its a ton of laundry in a separate washer then the one you want to use for your clothes, lots of paper towels and cleaning supplies. The cleaning and feeding is never done! Advertising and answering questions taking photos ect is time consuming and then what happens if you dont find homes for all the puppies! Please have your pet fixed if you are not prepared it really makes them easier to train and happy companions.