Puppy Take Home Check List
Below are the steps we recommend following to help guide the process of preparing and added a puppy to your household.
Before your puppy comes home, we ask that everyone in your household review the puppy training videos recommended by Mark Sr.
Consistency is one of the most important parts of raising and training a young Labrador. These videos will introduce the training methods, commands and expectations we recommend so your family can start on the same page from day one.
Even if you've raised dogs your entire life, we still encourage you to review them. Our goal isn't to tell you there's only one way to train a dog, but to give every YFL family a consistent foundation to build from.
Action: Review the YFL Puppy Starter Training Guide and recommended videos before take home day.
View the YFL Puppy Starter Training Guide & Videos
Before take home day, make sure you've signed up for the YFL Take Home Package.
We've put this package together to take some of the guesswork out of preparing for your new puppy. It includes many of the essentials you'll need during those first few months, including your puppy's food, toys, crate and other recommended supplies.
Mark will review the Take Home Package with you before your second and/or final deposit so you'll have plenty of time to decide and prepare.
Important: You don't have to wait until take home day to receive everything. Your Take Home Package will be ready for you to bring home at Family Day, when the puppies are approximately six weeks old. This gives you time to get your crate set up, organize your puppy's space and have everything ready before the big day.
Action: Make sure you've confirmed your YFL Take Home Package with Mark before Family Day.
Before your puppy comes home, schedule their first wellness exam with your veterinarian within 36 hours of take home. We recommend scheduling this appointment in advance, as many veterinary practices book several days or weeks out.
Please bring a fresh stool sample from your puppy to this first appointment so your veterinarian can perform a fecal examination in addition to your puppy's complete wellness exam.
Plan ahead based on your take home date:
If you pick up your puppy on Friday, schedule a Saturday appointment.
If you pick up your puppy on Saturday or Sunday, schedule a Monday appointment.
At this visit, your veterinarian should complete your puppy's first exam, review the health and veterinary records provided by YFL, test the stool sample, and discuss your puppy's vaccination and preventative care schedule moving forward.
Action: Have your veterinarian appointment scheduled before take home day for within 36 hours of bringing your puppy home, and remember to bring a fresh stool sample with you.
Veterinarians We Recommend
North Oatlands Animal Hospital
Our primary veterinarian and go to veterinary practice
19275 James Monroe Hwy
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703) 777 7781
Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic
4038 Cherry Hill Rd
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 528 9001
Caring Hands Animal Hospital — Rockville
825 H Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240) 205 8300
You are not required to use one of these practices. If you already have a veterinarian you know and trust, that's great. The important thing is having your puppy's first appointment scheduled in advance and completed within the required 36 hour window.
Family Day is one of our favorite parts of the YFL experience and a chance for everything to start feeling real.
At approximately six weeks old, each family with a confirmed reservation on the litter is invited to our home at Labrador Land. You'll get to meet our family, spend time with the puppies, meet their mom, and of course enjoy plenty of puppy cuddles.
No puppies are selected on Family Day. Puppy selection happens later, at approximately eight weeks old, in reservation order.
Family Day is really about education, preparation and getting to know each other. Mark Sr. and Mark Jr. will walk through what you can expect when bringing home a Labrador puppy, including the fun parts and the not so fun parts. We'll talk about feeding, crate training, potty training, biting and chewing, exercise, children and dogs, training, veterinary care, expectations for the first few weeks and anything else you want to ask.
We don't care whether this is your first dog or you've owned Labradors your entire life. Your puppy may be a family companion, hunting partner, future service dog, your child's first dog, or a little bit of everything. We want every family leaving Labrador Land feeling prepared and supported.
If you're out of state or unable to attend, that's completely okay. YFL Labradors live all over the country and beyond, so it's very common for Mark Jr. to schedule an individual Family Day phone call with families who can't be here in person.
Action: Come ready with your questions and ready for puppy cuddles. This is your opportunity to learn, meet the litter and prepare for take home day.
Your puppy will go home eating Purina Pro Plan Puppy Under 1 Year, Chicken & Rice Formula. Please have this exact food ready before your puppy comes home. We do not recommend changing foods during the transition home, as your puppy is already adjusting to a new environment and routine.
At YFL, eight week old puppies are accustomed to eating three times per day at approximately 7 AM, 12 PM and 6 PM. Those exact times do not need to continue at your house. Adjust the schedule to fit your family's routine while maintaining the appropriate number of meals each day.
Feeding Guidelines
8 weeks to 6 months
Feed 3 times per day, approximately 1½ cups per feeding.
6 to 12 months
Feed 2 times per day, approximately 2 cups per feeding.
Continue feeding Purina Pro Plan Puppy Under 1 Year, Chicken & Rice Formula throughout your puppy's first year.
12 to 18 months
Feed 2 times per day, approximately 2 cups per feeding.
At this stage, transition to Purina Pro Plan Development 2+ Years, depending on your dog's needs.
18 months and beyond
Feed 2 times per day, approximately 1½ cups per feeding.
We typically recommend Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials, or another appropriate Purina Pro Plan formula based on your dog's activity level and your veterinarian's recommendations.
These amounts are starting guidelines. Every Labrador is different, and food intake should ultimately be adjusted based on your dog's body condition, activity level, metabolism and development.
Feed Meals in the Crate
We recommend feeding every meal in your puppy's crate.
This helps your puppy develop a positive association with the crate while also creating a predictable routine around eating, potty breaks and crate time.
Labradors are not grazers. Put the food down at mealtime, allow your puppy to eat, and then pick the bowl back up. Don't leave food available throughout the day.
Skip the Puppy Treats
You don't need separate treats for an eight week old puppy.
Instead, use your puppy's regular kibble as training rewards. Take kibble from their normal daily food and use it for name recognition, recall, crate training, basic commands and rewarding good behavior.
Labs are incredibly food motivated. Their regular food is more than enough motivation for training at this age and avoids adding unnecessary calories or introducing a bunch of new foods to a young puppy's stomach.
Supplements Recommended by YFL
We recommend two supplements as part of your puppy's daily routine.
NuVet Plus
NuVet Plus is the daily multivitamin we recommend for YFL puppies.
When ordering, use YFL Distributor ID: 733275.
Any breeder commissions YFL receives through NuVet are donated to Labrador Rescue of the Potomac.
Purina FortiFlora
We recommend ½ packet of Purina FortiFlora daily.
You may notice that the package recommends a full packet. For our puppies, we recommend half a packet each day, particularly during the transition into their new home when changes in environment, routine and stress can affect stool consistency.
Keep It Consistent
The first few weeks home are not the time to reinvent your puppy's diet.
Keep them on the food they're accustomed to, feed scheduled meals, feed in the crate, use their kibble for training instead of treats, and maintain their recommended supplements.
As your puppy grows, their feeding schedule and portions will change with them.
Action: Before take home day, have Purina Pro Plan Puppy Under 1 Year Chicken & Rice, NuVet Plus and Purina FortiFlora ready at home. Choose three feeding times that work with your family's schedule and plan to feed each meal in your puppy's crate.
There are three important items that need to be completed when bringing home your YFL puppy: AKC registration, Fi microchip registration and pet insurance. We will provide everything you need and walk you through the process at pickup.
AKC Registration
Your YFL puppy is AKC registered, and you will receive the paperwork and information needed to complete the registration in your name.
You'll also have the opportunity to choose your puppy's registered AKC name. Please follow the instructions provided by YFL to ensure the registration is completed correctly.
Fi Microchip
Every YFL puppy goes home already microchipped with a Fi Nano microchip.
At pickup, you will receive a unique QR code associated with your puppy's 16 digit microchip number. Scan the QR code to register the microchip with your contact information.
You do not need to have your veterinarian implant another microchip. At your puppy's first wellness exam, ask your veterinarian to scan the existing Fi microchip to verify it.
Please remember to keep your contact information associated with the microchip current throughout your dog's life.
Pet Insurance
Every YFL puppy is eligible for 30 days of complimentary Trupanion pet insurance coverage.
Activation of the complimentary Trupanion coverage is required at pickup before your puppy leaves YFL. We will provide the information you need and help make sure the coverage is activated before you head home.
After the complimentary period, you are not required to remain with Trupanion and may select another pet insurance provider. However, maintaining qualifying pet insurance is a requirement of the YFL Genetic Health Guarantee, so please review your puppy contract carefully and make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
We also require a copy of your pet insurance declaration page for our records.
Before You Leave YFL
Before heading home with your puppy, make sure you have:
Your AKC registration information
Your Fi microchip QR code and 16 digit microchip number
Activated your complimentary 30 day Trupanion coverage
We will review all three with you at pickup so you know exactly what needs to be completed.
Action: Register your puppy's AKC paperwork and Fi microchip using the information provided by YFL, and activate the complimentary 30 day Trupanion coverage at pickup before leaving with your puppy.
Socialization starts long before your puppy leaves YFL, but the work continues with you the moment your puppy comes home.
During their first eight weeks at Labrador Land, our puppies are handled by adults and children and introduced to household sounds, different surfaces, outdoor environments, other dogs, water when weather permits, and new experiences appropriate for their age. Your job is to continue building on that foundation.
Socialization does not mean letting everyone hold your puppy or taking them straight to a dog park. The goal is to introduce your puppy to the world through positive, controlled experiences that build confidence.
Take your puppy with you when appropriate. Let them experience car rides, different people, children, new sounds, different surfaces, stores that safely allow dogs, outdoor environments, umbrellas, hats, wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles and all the normal things they will encounter throughout their life.
Keep experiences short and positive. Your puppy doesn't need to experience everything in the first week.
Be Smart Until Vaccinations Are Complete
Your puppy will not be fully vaccinated when they leave YFL, so socialization needs to be balanced with disease prevention.
Avoid dog parks, communal water bowls, heavily traveled pet relief areas and places where large numbers of unknown dogs use the bathroom until your veterinarian tells you your puppy has appropriate vaccine protection.
That doesn't mean keeping your puppy isolated at home.
Controlled interactions with healthy, appropriately vaccinated dogs that you know and trust can be a great way for your puppy to learn appropriate dog to dog behavior. Talk with your veterinarian about safe socialization while your puppy completes their vaccination series.
Quality Matters More Than Quantity
We would rather see your puppy have ten great experiences than fifty overwhelming ones.
Let your puppy observe. Reward curiosity and confidence with pieces of their regular kibble. Don't force interactions if your puppy is unsure. Give them time to process something new and allow confidence to develop naturally.
The goal isn't to create a puppy that runs up to every person and every dog.
The goal is to raise a Labrador that can enter new environments, experience new things and remain confident, comfortable and focused on you.
Action: Begin introducing your puppy to new people, places, sounds, surfaces and experiences as soon as they come home, while avoiding high risk dog areas until your veterinarian confirms your puppy has appropriate vaccine protection.
This is the big day! At approximately eight weeks old, it's finally time to select your puppy and bring your newest family member home.
Each family will receive their own scheduled appointment time for puppy selection and take home. Selection takes place in reservation order, so the puppies available to you will depend on the selections made by the families ahead of you.
When you arrive, you'll have the opportunity to interact with the puppies available for your selection. We'll also share what we've observed about each puppy's personality and temperament over the previous eight weeks to help you make the best decision for your family.
There isn't necessarily a "best puppy" in the litter. The goal is to choose the puppy that feels like the best fit for your family and what you're looking for in a Labrador.
Your Appointment
Please arrive on time and be respectful of your scheduled appointment window. We typically have another excited YFL family arriving after you, and we want every family to receive the same individual time and attention.
Before you leave, we'll review your puppy's paperwork, veterinary records, feeding routine, AKC registration, Fi microchip information, Trupanion activation and final care instructions. This is also your opportunity to ask any last minute questions before heading home.
What to Bring
Please bring a properly sized collar and leash for your puppy, along with anything else you'd like to have for the ride home.
If you purchased the YFL Take Home Package, you'll already have many of your puppy essentials set up and waiting at home from Family Day.
Final Payment
Any remaining balance is due at pickup.
Cash or bank check is preferred for final payment to avoid last minute technical issues, transfer limits or delays that can sometimes occur with Venmo or Zelle.
Please have final payment prepared before arriving so we can spend your appointment focused on the important part: your puppy.
Before You Head Home
Before leaving YFL, we'll make sure you have everything you need and that your puppy's 30 day complimentary Trupanion coverage has been activated.
And then comes the part we've spent eight weeks preparing for.
You get to take your YFL Labrador home.
Take pictures, keep us updated and don't disappear on us. We raised them from their first breath, and we genuinely love getting to watch them grow up.
Take home day isn't the end of your relationship with YFL. It's the beginning of the next part of it.
Family Raised. Purpose Bred. Supported for Life.