Time for bonding cannot be overemphasized. You want your puppy to bond strongly with you, spend time playing gently with your puppy, get down on the floor and let her play with you. Spend time holding and cuddling her.
Time for grooming. You should daily brush and comb your puppy. Clean and wash under their eyes. Weekly check nails for trimming.
Time for exercise. At first a young puppy does not require a lot, playtime will usually be fast and furious, then the exhausted little puppy will sleep. Short walks around the yard (until shots are finished) not only exercise her but help her get accustomed to a collar and leash.
Time for training. Training will happen throughout the day and until bedtime. An established routine and consistent household rules will help a lot but your puppy will also need specific training sessions for such things as sit, come, stay and leash work.
A Puppy as a Gift
Is the puppy a gift? This is a very important consideration. It seems like a puppy would make an ideal Christmas or Birthday gift. What could be better? At MollyDogs we agree, what could be better then an affectionate little companion that will give unconditional love and acceptance? It’s how you do it that’s important to the wellbeing of the puppy. We all know what Christmas morning is like, the chaos of the presents, excited people opening gifts, wrapping paper all over – for a little puppy that has just left the only home he has ever known this would be so overwhelming! The same goes for a birthday party, excited children, noise, too much for such a little puppy. We suggest that if you want to give a puppy as a gift do so with some careful planning. At Christmas put a picture of the puppy in a stocking, put some of the puppy’s new toys and crate under the tree. Pick the puppy up the day after Christmas when the homecoming can be a little calmer and more controlled. The same for a birthday – have the birthday child open presents for the puppy as a surprise, have a big blown up picture of the puppy there for her to see and show her friends. Pick the puppy up after the party or the next day. Leaving his mother and littermates behind and going to all new surroundings is very stressful for a new puppy, the calmer and more prepared you are can make all the difference in the world.
Other Pets
Do you have another dog already, maybe a cat? How will they adjust? Are they friendly animals? A new puppy should not be left alone unsupervised with existing pets. At MollyDogs all our puppies are exposed to other dogs, obviously, but they are also exposed to our outside cat and our indoor cat. Our outside cat allows the puppies to chase her on our deck, chew on her ears and pull her tail. But not every cat is like that. Our indoor cat usually takes the high road and gets herself up above a new puppy and watches it closely for a few days before letting the puppy approach her. Because our puppies are used to our cats they are not afraid of cats and will run to play with them when they see one, so if your cat is not friendly please do not leave your puppy alone with it. We find that gradually all the cats and dogs seem to work out their own “pack” order and living arrangements.
Space
Where will your puppy live, ideally her crate should be in the kitchen or wherever your family spends their time during the day and in your bedroom at night so that you can talk to her and comfort her if she gets upset. Where will she eat, play, have a potty area? You should consider these things and have a plan in place before you bring her home.
Cost
When you purchase a puppy the cost of the puppy is just the first of many expenditures. There will be Vet costs. Your puppy will need the remaining series of his shots, he or she will need to neutered/spayed and then there are always unexpected costs like stitches if she gets cut, maybe antibiotics for an ear infection, etc.
Then there are the “accessory” costs, collar, leash, ID tag, crate, food and water dishes, food, toys, etc. What about fencing, is your yard fenced, do you need to build an enclosed run?
Grooming is another part of puppy parenthood. A MollyDog puppy requires regular grooming. So the cost of grooming supplies and/or the cost of a professional groomer need to be considered as well.
Personality
Finally, you should consider what type of dog you want as an adult dog. Do you want a cuddler, a pal to lie on the couch and watch T.V. with. Are you an active person, maybe you’re looking for a dog to be with you outside in the park, throwing Frisbees, walking, jogging, etc.
Things to Look For
 When you arrive at the breeders home/kennel there are some things you should look for and expect:
Healthy adult dogs should be available for you to see.
Watch the interaction between the breeder and the adult dogs as well as the puppies. Do they come to greet you or hang back and act afraid.
Are the puppies in good shape. Watch for thin bodies, discharge from eyes/nose, diarrhea or stained fur around the rectum. Are they dirty, are they running through their own messes or does their "living" area provide a place for them to do their business away from their food, bedding and toys.
Are the puppies’ friendly and happy, tails wagging? Are there a variety of toys available to them?
Are the facilities clean and well maintained, lots of room inside and out for the dogs to play and have exercise for the adults and the puppies.
Fresh water and high quality food available.
Will you be provided with a bill of sale and written health guarantee?
The breeder should be asking you questions as well regarding your ability to care and provide for a puppy.
Ask to see references but you should also be able to be provided with a name/phone number/email of someone you can make personal contact with to ask questions of if you want. A reputable breeder will have no problem with this, neither will their customers as they are usually quite happy to talk about and show off their dogs!
Also very important – is the breeder available to you after you take your puppy home for general questions or training help? This can be done via phone, email, depending on the distance.
Things to Avoid
Stay away from breeders that are reluctant to answer questions directly or make you feel like you’re asking too many questions. A good breeder should be available for any and all questions no matter how much time it takes. They will want to help you decide if this is the puppy for you.
Walk away if they won’t allow you to view their facilities or see their adult dogs.
Walk away if the puppies are “brought out” to you and you can’t see where they spend their time or their living conditions.
Walk away if the facilities are unclean, overcrowded or the dogs are kept isolated. Does their outside area provide lots of room for play and running; is it clean?
Walk away if the adult dogs are unapproachable and slink away, they may act like they are not used to people or being handled.
And if you can’t be given references or a written health guarantee Walk Away.
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