Puppy Resources
Start Here: Bringing Home Your Puppy
Bringing home a puppy is easier when you understand the foundation they already have and how to continue it. These resources are designed to help owners prepare for a Takikawa puppy, continue early training, and support a smooth transition home.
Takikawa puppies begin life with early socialization, handling, crate exposure, manding, settling routines, and age-appropriate real-world experiences. The goal of this page is to help you build on that foundation with confidence.
New Puppy Guide
Our New Puppy Guide includes additional notes, handouts, and links to help owners prepare for a new puppy and continue the foundation started here.
We are gradually moving more of this information onto the website so it is easier to find, read, and revisit. For now, the guide remains a helpful place to access extra details about supplies, routines, training, socialization, and the first weeks at home.
Recommended Supplies
Preparing for a puppy is easier when you have the right setup before they come home. I keep a detailed list of crates, pens, cleaning supplies, enrichment toys, grooming tools, training gear, and other products I personally use and recommend through K9 Level Up.
For Takikawa puppy owners, the most important first priorities are safe containment, an easy potty routine, appropriate chews and enrichment, cleaning supplies, and equipment that supports calm, consistent training from the beginning.
Continuing the Training Foundation
Takikawa puppies begin learning that people are worth paying attention to, calm behavior opens doors, and training can be enjoyable. After go-home day, the goal is not to start over, but to continue the foundation your puppy has already begun.
New owners are encouraged to keep practicing simple skills such as name response, recall games, polite sitting for attention, food manners, handling, crate comfort, and settling routines. Short, positive sessions are usually more helpful than long training drills.
The most important thing is consistency. When owners continue the same calm, thoughtful approach, puppies are more likely to carry their early confidence and cooperation into everyday family life.
New owners are encouraged to keep practicing simple skills such as name response, recall games, polite sitting for attention, food manners, handling, crate comfort, and settling routines. Short, positive sessions are usually more helpful than long training drills.
The most important thing is consistency. When owners continue the same calm, thoughtful approach, puppies are more likely to carry their early confidence and cooperation into everyday family life.
Extended Puppy Preschool
Some Takikawa puppies stay for additional Puppy Preschool beyond 8 weeks when owners want extra support before bringing their puppy home. Extended training may include crate routines, leash foundations, socialization, confidence-building, travel preparation, and transition support.
Availability depends on scheduling, and extended Puppy Preschool is offered at $500 per week.
“The structured socialization, field trips, and early training gave our puppy a fantastic foundation and made the transition home easier.”
--Chibi's Owner
Socialization After Bringing Your Puppy Home
Socialization does not mean taking a puppy everywhere or letting everyone overwhelm them. The goal is thoughtful exposure: helping your puppy notice the world, recover from small surprises, and stay connected to you.
After your puppy comes home, continue introducing new people, sounds, surfaces, places, and gentle life experiences in safe, manageable ways. Short outings, calm observation, car rides, stroller or carrier trips, and quiet visits with trusted people can all help your puppy build confidence.
Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, avoid high-dog-traffic areas such as dog parks, pet store floors, rest-stop dog areas, and busy public potty spots. Choose cleaner, lower-traffic places instead, and focus on positive experiences rather than checking off a long list.
Training Book and Videos
For owners who want more step-by-step support, K9 Level Up resources can help you continue training at home. The Puppy Edition training journal walks through early skills and foundation exercises, while the YouTube channel includes short videos that demonstrate training games and practical puppy work.
These resources are especially helpful for owners who want to understand not just what to practice, but how to practice it in short, positive sessions.
Just Fun Shiba Merch
Takikawa Shop
We’ve added a small shop with Takikawa-inspired stickers, gifts, and artwork for Shiba lovers. It’s a fun place to find breed-inspired designs and little reminders of the dogs we love.