Getting Your Boxer Puppy Home

Three Ways to Bring Your Puppy Home

Once your puppy is reserved, you choose how it comes home. We arrange the details with you, and the cost depends on the method and the distance, so tell us your town and state and we will give you the options and a quote.

1. Pick up in person

Come and collect your puppy from us in Macedonia, Ohio. We arrange a time, go through feeding, sleep and house training with you, and hand over the starter kit and paperwork. Bring a crate or a carrier with a towel in it, and plan stops for water and a quick potty break on the way home.

2. Ground delivery to your door

A pet transport service drives your puppy to your address, with a handler who sees to water, food, rest and potty breaks along the way. It suits families too far to drive comfortably but not so far that a road trip becomes days long.

3. A flight nanny

For long distances, a flight nanny flies with your puppy in the cabin, under the seat in front of them, and hands it to you at your nearest airport. Your puppy is never out of sight or in cargo, and the whole trip is usually done in a day.

Bama flew to his new family in the cabin with his nanny, right by the window. Flight nannies go a long way, too: Khloe flew with hers all the way to her new family in Brussels.

Before Your Puppy Leaves

Every puppy has a vet visit before it goes home and leaves with its health record, showing the vaccinations and deworming it has had so far. It also takes the standard starter kit:

• A few days of the food your puppy is already eating
• A blanket that smells of the litter
• A comfort toy and a chew toy
• A puppy collar
• The health record with vaccinations and deworming to date
• A care guide for the first weeks
• The written health guarantee

Getting Ready for the First Day

A little preparation makes the first night much easier. Before your Boxer comes home:

• Set up the crate in a quiet corner of a room you use, with a bed and a water bowl nearby.
• Have the same food your puppy already eats, to keep a nervous tummy settled.
• Puppy-proof the house at Boxer height: cables, shoes, children's toys and anything on a low table.
• Book your own vet check for the first 72 hours, as the health guarantee asks.
• Agree the house rules as a family before the puppy arrives: sofa or no sofa, and who walks and feeds.
• Choose a name; our Boxer names guide has plenty of ideas.

Boxer Puppy Supply List

• A crate: One sized for an adult Boxer, with a divider so it can grow with your puppy.
• A large-breed puppy food: Start on the food your puppy already knows, then change over slowly if you want to.
• Heavy bowls: Stainless steel or ceramic; Boxers push light bowls around the floor.
• A flat collar, a harness and a 6-foot leash: A front-clip harness helps while you teach loose-leash walking.
• Tough chew toys: Boxers have strong jaws and teethe hard until about six months old.
• Puzzle feeders and a snuffle mat: A Boxer that has to think for its food is a calmer Boxer.
• A rubber curry brush: The short coat needs a weekly rub to lift loose hair.
• Nail clippers or a grinder: Boxer nails grow quickly and click on hard floors.
• Baby gates: To keep a curious puppy out of trouble while you are busy.
• A dog coat for winter: The short single coat gives little protection in real cold.
• Enzyme cleaner: For the house-training accidents that will happen.

The First Week

Keep the routine simple and the same every day: meals at set times, a trip outside after every meal, nap and play session, short play and training games, and an early bedtime in the crate near you. Boxer puppies are bold and busy, and they also need a lot of sleep, so give your puppy quiet time to rest. Start teaching sit, a name response and gentle mouthing from the first day; our Boxer puppy training guide takes you through it.