Choosing Your Vet

  Finding a good, trustworthy veterinarian can be no small task, but the best place to start is by asking fellow pet-owners in your area. This can be helpful in so many ways. Ask questions like:

Did you feel that your vet had your pet's best interest in mind, no matter what? 

Is your vet willing to answer questions you may have over the phone?

Is the price range fair and competitive? 

Is the staff friendly and knowledgeable? 

  Every one of these factors is important, and should be taken into consideration. And don't worry, because if you don't get it right on the first try, you can count your losses and keep searching until you find the perfect fit for you and your pet.

Happy Searching!

Bringing Your Puppy Home

  There are so many things to remember when you are adding a new puppy to your family, so we've put together a checklist of things you will want to pick up before bringing your puppy home.

Crate (If you're not familiar with crate training, please research this option or ask us about it. In our opinion, this is the best thing you can do for your dog)
Food Bowl
Water Bowl
Toys (and more toys!)
Radio (to leave on all the time while puppy adjusts to new surroundings)
Dog Food
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Dog Bed
Leash 
Halter (We recommend halters over collars. They are safer and more comfortable for your pet.)
Puppy pads or newspaper (If desired, this can be used in correlation with outdoor potty training.)

Here are the items to bring along when you come to pick up your new puppy:

Crate

Towels

Water Bowl (if traveling for longer than 2 hours)

And don't forget to visit your vet within a few days of bringing your puppy home!

We wish you and your puppy the best as you adjust! 

Please call us if you have questions. We are happy to help!

Bridgette for the Hidden Hollow family

LOST: The Ins and Outs of Bringing Rover Home

     Despite your best efforts as a pet owner, sometimes your pet can slip away in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace. So what happens when your dog is suddenly nowhere to be found? How do you get him/her back home safely? Here's a look at some of the most common and most effective ways of tracking and finding your dog.
    You may have heard of one of the more recent forms of identification for dogs: microchipping. Microchipping has proven to be a great aid to being reunited with your pet. The good old-fashioned collar is still the best way to give your potential pet rescuer a quick and easy way to contact you, but that's only if the collar's still there. What happens when it slips off? Suddenly there is not a single trace of any identification to link your pet back to you. This is where a microchip can serve as a remarkable backup option. It's true, most families don't have a microchip scanner just hanging out in their garage, but a lot of shelters and vets offices are more than willing to scan the animal for free. 

    Once the ID# is found, the rescuer can then proceed with entering the number into a pet finding site such as this one: http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/ . This may be a good time to mention that the actual planting of the chip (about the size of a grain of rice; administered by needle, usually on the top side of the dog's neck) is only half of the initial microchipping process. The second step is to register your pet online with registries such as this one: http://www.microchipregistrationcenter.com/index.html . When the rescuer finds your pet, they will be able to enter your pet's individualized ID# into the registries. You will then be alerted that your pet has been found. 

    Animal shelters check for microchips as well, but DO NOT assume that they will contact you. Be proactive and contact them. Visit your local shelters and vets offices with all of the appropriate information about your pet. This includes breed, color, size, age, name, microchip number, any identifiable markings, what type of collar your pet was wearing when he/she became lost, location last seen, and any other information you may find useful. 

    One more option, although newer and a bit pricier, is the GPS tracking collar. There are a few variations of this, which include buying a system that has it's own hand-held device for you to track your dog, or going through your phone provider, which would enable you to see your dog's location from your smart phone. This could be a valuable resource, and may prove to be a good fit for your family.  

   There are also many social networking sites full of good-hearted people who are more than willing to help spread the word of your lost pet. Let's face it, when your pet is missing, you want to pull out all the stops to bring them back safely. Bring yourself a little more peace of mind and prepare ahead of time by making sure your pet is well identified.
    If they could just tell their rescuer their name and home address it would make the process a lot easier!! But since that's not an option, we must do what we can to prepare for any situation.

   

We wish the best to you and your pets! 

Bridgette for the 

Hidden Hollow Kennel family 

   

Moving Forward!

   This summer brought with it lots of projects and "to do" lists, but as the weather's getting colder, things are winding down and we are slowly checking things off. On the list was to work through some technical updates, which included changing our slogan. "Your Next Puppy" was what we FINALLY decided on! You would think these decisions would be easier than they are!

 Another big project was our new welcome area/showroom/playroom. (We haven't completely decided on a name for this new room! Maybe you have some ideas?) Our kennel operates out of a renovated agricultural building, so that in itself added many twists and turns and complications to this new undertaking; but Jeff rose to the task and has created a beautiful, welcoming space for your family to visit with the pups.

   We've also added a new patio for you to utilize once the weather warms up again! You're going to want to bring the family and stay a while. This patio will come alive in the spring/summer when the flowers and vines are growing!

   

  

  Our new welcome area is just another step in our effort to be a kennel that operates above the standard. We are always looking for new ways to improve the systems we have in place. These, of course, include the care of our dogs, the vaccination plans we choose for our puppies, and the type of information we can provide you with as you leave. 

   We believe that an empowered and informed family is the foundation for a smooth transition for the new puppy. Kay does her best with passing along the most helpful tips she's come across over the years, but maybe there's something we're missing. If so, we want to know! What information would you like to see in your take-home bag? You can email us at hiddenhollowkennel@gmail.com with your ideas.

   We look forward to having you visit us soon!

Bridgette

    

RIP Tiny

Hello to all who have been keeping Tiny in your thoughts and prayers. 

Sometimes the stories in life simply don't end in the way we had hoped they would. It's with much sadness that I report that Tiny has passed away. It's our hope that her legacy of hope, strength, and courage will live on, and be a blessing to those who hear her story. There is much that we can learn from Tiny's short little life... Even when you feel that there is no hope left, keep on fighting. That's what Tiny did! Her body may have been weak, but her spirit was strong. Live with a strong spirit to accomplish your goals and reach your dreams today! In honor of Tiny! 

Best wishes to you and yours,

Bridgette and the Hidden Hollow family 

Tiny's 2 Weeks Old!

Happy Monday to you! 

I wanted to give you an update on Tiny, and let you know she's still progressing! Kay has started bottle feeding her to help supplement what she's getting from her mom, in hopes that she will continue to gain strength. The main benefit of bottle feeding is that we can rest assured she is getting all the milk she wants. She and her brothers and sisters are still growing, with their eyes just opening up in the past several days. Continue to keep Tiny in your prayers!

Best wishes from our family to yours,

Bridgette

Let's All Root For Tiny!

  Say hello to Carmen's new little litter of Dachshund puppies. They were born on April 13, 2013. At birth, there was one very large puppy, and one very small, with the others being average size. Sometimes this can happen when the nutrients are somehow being cut off from one pup, and given mostly to another while in the womb. Sadly, a lot of times this results in the smaller puppy being underdeveloped, and not able to handle life in the outside world... But occasionally, there's a little girl like "Tiny," who puts up a fight that is absolutely remarkable. She has been eating well, and growing fast ever since birth. Granted, she's not completely in the clear just yet, but all of the signs at this point are looking very promising! 

So help us root for "Tiny," in hopes that she will continue to grow and one day be able to go to a family that will make her fight for life all worth it! 

Wishing the best to you and yours!

Bridgette and the rest of the Hidden Hollow family