• First and for most, do not take your puppy into areas where other dogs could have been until 2 weeks after its last set of shots.  Parvo can live in the ground for 20 years and you'll never see it and  your puppy comes down with it.  Distemper is airborne and can be brought in by other unvaccinated dogs. kennel cough is also airborne. 
• Very important to keep up to date on vaccinations. At least 3-4 puppy shots 3 weeks apart will be needed. Your puppy will have the first shot when it leaves my property. A record will be included in your puppy pack.
• I recommend NuVet Vitamins, for the life of your dog. Its great for hypoglycemia , digestion, allergies, hotspots, overall good health and much more, you can read about it at http://www.nuvet.com
• Potty training should be started as soon as you take your puppy home. There are many different ways to do this, but and we start them on both of the following ways. First we start them with a litter box. We use pine pellets you can get at your local farm store, with a small cat litter pan. They usually learn to go in this as soon as they start walking. They are use to being kept in a large dog pen while here, if you don't use a large dog crate create a small area for them in a bathroom or laundry room perhaps with a puppy gate. Potty pads in one corner and food and water in another and sleep area of course. Take your puppy out as much as possible in the first few weeks. Or where you want it  to learn to go. When it does what you want where you want pet it, play with it give it treats.  At 8 weeks of age your puppy may or may not be able to hold it for 8 hrs at a time.  I would suggest in the beginning to put your puppy somewhere away from your own sleeping area and not get it if it cries at night. That will only teach it to want to be picked up or go out in the middle of the night.  I do start puppies with a litter box inside their pen. 
• I leave food down for my puppies 24/7 as they will just pick a little at a time. Within the first 2 weeks of taking your puppy home I recommend you keep food down for them like this so they do not get hypoglycemic.  They will be stressed weather they show it or not and may not eat as well as they should. You can also add water to the dry food or put Karo's syrup on it or add some Nutri-cal to their diet.  Canned food is fine to as long as its a good brand. Just a caution canned food has more water content and sometimes causes diarrhea. 
• Deworming your puppy is important. Your vet can give you a one dose dewormer after they do a fecal and if they think it needs it. You can also buy over the counter de wormers at Walmart or Petco. I use Safeguard goat dewormer liquid and treat for several different types of worms.  
• Puppies need plenty of quiet and sleep time. Please supervise when little children are playing or holding them. Always have small children sit on the floor and let the puppy crawl in their lap  and never allow them to pic it up. Puppies are vulnerable to being dropped and hurt. Never leave a puppy unattended on a bed or a couch, it can fall and get hurt. Broken legs and head trauma. 
• Always take your puppy to the vet if you feel it is lethargic or warranted for some reason. 
• Be careful when introducing a new puppy to other dogs, they can be territorial and bit or hurt a new puppy that just wants to play.
• Keep papers, garbage, electric cords, shoes, socks undies and anything else they may chew on out of reach. 
• Long eared dogs and puppies need their ears cleaned regularly. I use Nuvet ear cleaner. (http://www.nuvet.com) Squirt a little cleaner in ear rub outer ear with fingers. Swab ear with a cotton wipe or paper towel. Sometimes the hair in the ears needs to be plucked to keep from getting an ear infection.