Your puppy left healthy. A few days later the phone rings, the family says he’s sick, and somehow it’s your fault. Every breeder has had that call. The good news is that most first-week problems are small and predictable, and you can catch them before they turn into a blame fight.
The fix is simple: you make the call first. Put a check-in on your calendar for day three, before the puppy ever leaves your house.
Why day three?
By day three, the new food schedule, the car ride, the new house, and a houseful of excited people have all hit a young puppy’s stomach at once. That’s usually when loose stool, a skipped meal, or a tired, clingy puppy shows up. If you call then, you’re coaching. If you wait for them to call you, you’re defending yourself.
The questions to ask on the call
- What is he eating, and how much? Ask for the actual amount and how many meals a day. A big bowl left out all day, or a fast switch to a new food, is the most common cause of first-week tummy trouble.
- Is he still on the food you sent home? If they switched already, walk them back to your food and explain a slow change over about a week, if they want to switch at all.
- How is his stool? Normal, soft, or watery. Soft stool from stress and new surroundings is common. Watery stool, blood, or a puppy who won’t eat is a call to their vet, today.
- How much is he drinking and sleeping? Young puppies sleep a lot. A puppy who is too tired to play at all, or won’t drink, needs a vet visit.
- What treats and table food is he getting? Kids love to share. A few treats a day is fine. Snacks all day are not.
- Have you booked his first vet visit? Remind them of the date in your contract, and that the vet records you sent home should go with them.
What to say when something is off
Stay calm and specific. “Thanks for telling me. Let’s go back to the food he was eating here, use the amounts on the sheet I gave you, and skip the treats for two days. If he isn’t eating, or the stool turns watery, please call your vet today, and let me know what they say.” You’re not diagnosing. You’re helping them do the simple things right, and you’re pointing them to the vet when it’s more than simple.
Write down the date of the call and what they told you. If a health question comes up later, you’ll have a record that you followed up.
Make the call impossible to forget
The day-3 check-in is on our free Puppy Going-Home Checklist, along with the feeding sheet, what to send home, and the first-week notes families actually read. Print one for every puppy, and the call becomes part of your routine instead of something you remember after the phone rings.
Get the free Puppy Going-Home Checklist
This article is general education for breeders, not veterinary advice. When a puppy seems unwell, the family should call their veterinarian.