When picking up your puppy, at Nemo Frenchies you’ll receive a care package usually containing a blanket or toy that your furry friend already loves. Be sure to try rubbing a blanket or soft toy on the puppy’s mom and/or littermates so that your puppy has something that has their familiar scent. This will be comforting for your new furry friend, especially the first night or when left alone.

We have also had really good luck with the heartbeat toy. It's a stuffed animal with a recorded heartbeat. This too gets rubbed on mom or littermates for a comfort toy.

Potty” supplies, like potty patches or pee pads, are essential at the beginning but at Nemo Frenchies we don’t suggest you continue this when you leave our kennel. We have a magnificent tool that was implemented from day one of potty training. It’s called “Gotta Potty”. Created by one of Nemo Frenchies puppy parents who is a well known trainer in the St. Louis area, Gotta Potty is a touch pad that’s placed by the door that has your recorded voice of “It’s time to potty”. It lets you know when your pup needs to go. This device has been a game changer for all of our pups. Everyone should have one regardless if you get a puppy from us or someone else.

At Nemo Frenchies, we concentrate on crate training from the very beginning. If you plan on crate training, get a crate for your home that’s big enough for your puppy to stand, sit and lay down in. If the crate is too large, your puppy might have accidents in it. Generally speaking, a crate will keep your pup safe when you are away or are unable to give your furry friend your full attention. We at Nemo Frenchies encourage crate training. We have never viewed it as punishment. I can guarantee you will thank us down the road.

Be sure to pick out a soft, cozy bed and comfy blankets you can use inside the crate or elsewhere in the house. We shop at Marshalls & TJ Maxx quite often for beds, crate liners and clothes, they tend to have a fabulous selection. When shopping for a bed be sure to get one that will unzip and allow it to be washable.

Things we don’t like to discuss but need to be addressed with new pups would be diarrhea, soft stool and simply just bad gas. So let's avoid it. Be proactive. We at Nemo Frenchies start our pups with Gastro Pro Plus the moment we start solid foods. Gastro Pro Plus is a natural and complete combination of probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and soothing herbs that help dogs maintain a healthy active lifestyle with good gut health. Know that when you take your new furry friend home anxiety is a given. They will be taken from the only home they have known and gut issues are quite normal because of this. Do not be alarmed if you see soft stools for the first couple of weeks. Simply use the Gastro Pro Plus daily and you will ease the situation tremendously. Also know if your pup gets into something they weren’t supposed to, Gastro Pro Plus will become your go to product. We at NemoFrenchies love this product!!! It’s a must have regardless of any dog's age.

Always have small treats, or treats that you can break up into small pieces on hand, because training begins as soon as you bring your puppy home. You’ll want to give them plenty of rewards as they learn, but not plenty of calories. We at Nemo Frenchies actually use a couple different types of treats. When training we simply take the pup’s kibble that they are currently eating and pour a small amount into a plastic bag and add powdered Bone broth to it and mix around. Not only is this a fantastic treat but it’s packed with lots of nutrition. The second type of treats we use is Pawtrees real food freeze dried treats. We particularly prefer the grain free freeze dried Chicken Liver when training. It’s small enough pieces specifically for a pup that you don’t have to be concerned about them choking. At about 4 months we introduce the larger freeze dried treats but a lot of times end up breaking them into smaller pieces just for peace of mind.

Proper nutrition for your puppy is vital. Start them off with quality, premium pet food and be sure to not change their food until the pup reaches a minimum of 12 months of age. You want to avoid creating any allergies. Changing foods too early can do exactly this. At Nemo Frenchies we use two varieties of Pawtree food for our pups. We use both a Grain Free and Healthy Grain food with our new pups so you as the owner can decide what type of grain to have or not to have. The best option is one that has higher protein and higher fat to help your new puppy develop properly. Remember, a small breed dog is a puppy for 12 months, and a large breed dog is a puppy for 24 months.

Make sure to get BPA-free food and water bowls. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls with a rubber base that won’t tip or slip are best. Some dogs can get “acne” around their mouths from bowls made of plastic, so definitely aim for the best.

We do not recommend raised bowls for Frenchies. We have found choking occurs more often when lifted.

Specifically with French Bulldogs we recommend a harness vs. a collar. We prefer to use a harness that is easier on their neck, should they pull away.

You should also have a leather or nylon leash that is long enough, so you can comfortably walk your puppy next to you. Training your puppy right from the start to walk by your side will make for years of happy walks for you both.

Fun dog toys to play and cuddle with while you’re away will make your puppy feel more at home. Make sure the toys are durable to stand up to lots of chewing, as your puppy will be teething! One toy that we implement for the pups is the CBD bone. Very strong, very durable. The dogs love them.

Please, please, please under no circumstances give your dogs rawhide treats or cooked bones. They are huge choking hazards and can create intestinal blockage.

Puppy grooming supplies like shampoo, ear wash, pet toothpaste, pet toothbrush, nail clippers, and brushes suited to your pet’s coat will make bath time a lot easier for both you and your new furry friend.

The Ear Wash and Dry is specifically how we at Nemo Frenchies got introduced to Pawtree. We use it on all of our dogs both big and small. After trying many other products, we used the Pawtree Ear Wash and Dry and saw an immediate difference. We have yet to find another product even close in comparison. Frenchies are prone to ear problems, keep them clean all the time with this amazing cleaner!

Know that at Nemo Frenchies, we raise AKC registered French Bulldogs. We highly recommend you check out all of the amazing resources through the American Kennel Club. They can aid you along the way of raising a healthy happy puppy for years to come.

Lastly, definitely get ID tags to ensure your puppy can always find her way home! We at Nemo Frenchies have microchips inserted at 6 months old. Be sure to register at AKC and the microchip can be added to their profile. AKC will be able to report to you if your microchipped pup has been found. Feel free to add Nemo Frenchies kennel name on your registration . This could be helpful if your pup is lost and found. Just a backup in case they can’t get in touch with you!