All of our rat terrier companions going to their new homes will receive when picked up:
• Health Records of Immunizations and worming
• Going Away Basket with all the information their new family will need, including the food they have been raised on,  toy, their first blanket, and information on how to take care of your new family member. (airline no longer allows us to include blanket and toy when shipping, for safety reasons)
• We are always available to help new owners with any questions.. please remember these are living beings, and as we are NOT God, size is an educated guess  ;-)

Supplies you will need for bringing your new friend home:

• Good quality feeding dishes that are easy to clean and very difficult to tip over. Two separate bowls are highly recommended one for food and the other for water. Bowls that are made together seem to make a mess of water and food, and can't be easily taken away one at a time if needed.
• Your puppy will come to you with at least a weeks supply of the food that he/she has been raised on. If you feel it necessary to change the diet of your puppy please remember that puppies need a high quality puppy food which has a high protein content and meat as its primary product, not corn, wheat, or rice. The first ingredient on the back of the package should be chicken, lamb or beef, making the food 80% digestible compared to 50% with the first ingredient being corn or other bi-products. When higher quality food is fed, your puppy will one get the best nutrition possible, and less food will be fed (80% stays in and 20% is waste, compared to 50/50 with corn diets), and there less stool for less clean up, it's that simple! Please do not feed dog food that uses BHA or BHT as a preservative..We can recommend some meat-based foods for you if needed. We feed BeefNMore from Sam's Club and feel strongly that it is the best over the counter you can buy..
• Toys: Your new friend will arrive with his/her own special toy, however we know it is fun to go shopping before your new friend arrives or with your new friend. With that in mind remember there are several unsafe toys on the market today. Make sure toys cannot be chewed apart making choking a threat. Rat Terriers are smaller dogs and can choke on small pieces that a larger dog may not have any problem with. Also, be careful of toys that have squeakers, these have a tendency to come off and the pup can choke on them as well. Our favorite toys are Kong small breed toys, Nylabones, and Booda Velvet bones that are made of corn starch(they love those).
• Crate: Every dog loves to have a place to call their own where they feel safe and secure, and a well made crate will create this environment for your new member. You will want a medium sized kennel or crate which will be large enough to accommodate your friend when he/she is an adult. Crates are great for housebreaking because puppies learn they don't like to soil their beds! When your puppy comes home he/she will need to be relieved about every two hours for the first few days. It is very important at this time to watch your little one's mannerism at this time to learn what he/she does just before "going". This will help you to understand he/she needs to go outside. Leave the crate available to him/her at all times with the door left open while you are home or can watch him/her. You will find they quite enjoy their new napping quarters. Let your children know that the crate is for the puppy only and it must be left alone while in the crate. Never leave your new friend in the crate for more than 4 hours in the beginning. Most can go longer through the night, but should never be left over 6-8 hours. Take them outside right before you turn out your lights and first thing when you get up, (yes sometimes this means you have to hold yours), if awakened by you, you may find an accident while your friend was waiting on you.
• Obedience: Rat Terriers are very smart, and are very easily trained when properly done so. They are also a very sensitive breed, meaning they get their feelings hurt emotionally by too much negative reinforcement (and can hold a grudge for some time). They learn much better by positive reinforcement being they are very eager to please you and their loved ones.
• Grooming: Very little grooming will need to be done to your new friend. It is a great idea to brush them just to get them used to the sensation of being groomed and for their special time.
• Most of our puppies are house broken to a doggie door when you get them.
• We recommend a halter, NOT a collar, due to danger of getting a collar hung and choking.. we recommend the Coastal brand comfort halter as safest (available at Petsmart).. second choice the "T" style, NOT the "X" style..

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