New Puppy Owners

How to care for Your Labrador Puppy

Step-by-Step Process

One of the most exciting parts of the puppy experience with Smoky Mtn Labradors is when you get to see your puppy! For the safety of our litter, we do not allow any in-person or interaction with the litter for the safety of the entire litter. This is critical for our puppies’ health, and for every new family that is getting a pup. On “PUPPY DAY”, we will set up a time to either show you a photo of your puppy or FaceTime you to watch your puppy on video, and you will get to see your puppy! The selection of your puppy is done by us and is determined by the type and date of your deposit. We will then reserve this puppy as yours until pickup/delivery day!

After selecting the perfect pup for you and your family, many pet owners are not aware of the long and rigorous journey we, as breeders, have been on in making this selection (a long 4-5 month journey). We are never more excited when we have left our veterinarian office, and they tell us that we can now sell you a Smoky Mtn Pup that is healthy for you and your family. Your balance is due the day of the Veternarian Health Check. Smoky Mtn Labradors will send you a specific Quickbooks link for your remaining balance (Including Credit Card Fees, Bank Draft No Extra Charge) Your remaining balance for your puppy will be collected when your puppy reaches 6-weeks of age, and is getting ready to come home! If you have any questions about billing or payment, please feel free to call us. All Balances are paid thru Quickbooks for secure portal reasons.

Smoky Mtn Labradors is USDA certified to transfer puppies across state lines and thru commercial air. If your puppy is picked up here in the State of Tn. we do collect the state Sales Tax for the Tennessee Department of Revenue. If your puppy is being delivered the delivery fee will be attached to your final invoice. We will put you in contact with one of our delivery drivers two weeks in advance from the designated delivery day. We appreciate your understanding! If you have any questions about this, or would like to request a special circumstance pickup, please contact us. You can find specific details about Delivery on our Pickup & Delivery page.

Once your puppy comes home, there will be a long list of things that you will need. One of those is food and proper supplies. Knowing the Pet Industry and having over 4 decades of experience with dog food and supplies, we know there can be purchases made early on with all the excitement of getting a NEW PUPPY that can be a waste of money! We feed Royal Canin, and highly recommend it to all new dog owners. Not only do we love it for the quality of the food, but we also love it for convenience! You can easily set up your order and auto-ship before your puppy even arrives home so that you have one less thing to worry about!

ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS we stress above all is to put your puppy on NUVET SUPPLEMENTS. They are the BEST in the world. We will send you the link to order these via a text message.

It can be difficult to wait for your new pup to come home, but it is crucial that your puppy get as strong and as healthy as possible before moving into their new home. In the mean time, we will continue to keep you updated on your puppy’s progress! This is also a great time to get the whole family involved in getting ready for your new family member! AKC recommends the separation of the entire litter at the 7-8 weeks old. We are extremely experienced in transporting your newest family member across state lines. After paying for your puppy, please feel free to message us with any and all questions.

This is the time to began to absolutely devour all of the information available on our website. Read! Read! Read all you can concerning your new puppy. The links that are available are from very credible websites and experienced breeders. We want to warn you of just researching any and everything on the internet. By now, you have already selected a very qualified veterinarian and your breeder (Smoky Mtn Labradors). Crate training is absolutely vital to you enjoying your puppy, and at some point in the future, returning to a normal life. Please do not justify allowing the puppy to sleep with you early on. It will be a detrimental thing when you are needing to run errands and continue your life. Now is the time to implement very strategic training early on, and then you will enjoy your puppy for a long time. The only way to “puppy proof” your home and to ensure the safety of your puppy while you are away is to start crate training early.

On Delivery Day, it is so vital that you have all of the necessary supplies, you have eliminated all future travel, and as many outside obligations over the next several weeks. On Delivery Day, we go over the importance of puppy isolation. We constantly cannot stress the absolute importance of keeping your puppy completely isolated from all outside activities and other guests until your puppy has received their 2nd and 3rd shots. The final step after holding your puppy is to sign your Smoky Mtn Health Puppy Guarantee. We work hard to provide you with the Industry Standard Health Guarantee at Smoky Mtn Labradors, and that includes very clearly what is outlined in the Smoky Mtn Health Guarantee. If any issues or problems arise, please call us.

Smoky Mtn Labradors experience in puppy training is absolutely vital to teaching your new puppy that he/she is a dog. Our training schedule stays busy, and we book in advance. You will be able to bring your puppy to one of our trainers so that you can have the absolute best dog for your family. We have multiple training package options, and encourage you to schedule your training sessions before puppy delivery. We recommend these training session start after their 5 month old birthday, and all shots are completed at your veterinarian office. To learn more about our training options, visit our Puppy Training page.