Pickup day is exciting for the family and busy for you. Kids are excited, the puppy is excited, and the important stuff gets rushed. That’s how a family drives away without the feeding sheet, forgets which vaccines were given, and calls you three days later worried and confused.
A simple handover routine fixes most of that. Do the same steps, in the same order, for every puppy.
Before the family arrives
- Paperwork in one folder. Your contract or sales agreement, the vet and vaccine records, the deworming dates, and registration papers if you provide them. Make a copy for your own files.
- A bag of the food he’s eating now. Enough for at least a week or two, so the family isn’t forced into a sudden food switch.
- A written feeding sheet. The food name, the amount per meal, and how many meals a day. Families forget what you tell them. They keep what you hand them.
- Something that smells like home. A small blanket or toy that has been with the litter helps the first nights go easier.
- The puppy’s day-to-day notes. When he usually eats, sleeps, and goes potty, and anything about his personality the family should know.
At the handover
- Go through the folder together. Point out the vaccine record and the date the next shots are due. Ask them to bring it to their first vet visit.
- Walk through the feeding sheet. Explain why you’re asking them to stay on the same food for now, and how to switch slowly over about a week if they want to change later.
- Set expectations for the first week. A little soft stool, some crying at night, and a lot of sleeping are normal. Watery stool, blood, not eating, or a puppy too tired to play means a call to their vet the same day.
- Remind them about the first vet visit. Use the timeframe in your contract, and have them book it before they leave if they can.
- Tell them when you’ll call. “I’ll check in on day three to see how he’s doing.” Then put it on your calendar.
- Sign and date. Have the family sign that they received the records and instructions, and keep that page.
After they drive away
Make the day-3 check-in call. Ask what he’s eating and how much, how his stool looks, and whether the vet visit is booked. A short call from you, before they have a reason to worry, does more for your reputation than any listing or ad. (We cover the exact questions in What to Ask on the Day-3 Puppy Check-In Call.)
Print it once, use it for every puppy
Everything above is on our free Puppy Going-Home Checklist, in a one-page format you can print and check off at the door. Families notice when a breeder is organized, and organized handovers lead to fewer panicked phone calls.
Get the free Puppy Going-Home Checklist
This article is general education for breeders, not veterinary or legal advice. Follow your veterinarian’s guidance and your own contract terms.