Caring for Your Puppy

About Fairfield Puppies

Our family lives in the heart of Ontario's recreational playground near Collingwood with access to the Bruce Trail, the beaches of Georgian Bay, lakes, conservation areas. The trip here is well worth it -- come visit the puppies and stay to enjoy the area's attractions!

We practise organic, sustainable agriculture with our nut trees, apple orchard and through beekeeping. In addition to our dogs, we've kept/keep cattle, horses, chickens, parrots and cats.

QUALITY BLOODLINES
Our puppy parents have multi-generational pedigrees with no inbreeding or line breeding. The Cavaliers are OFA tested for all breed conditions: patellas, eyes, elbows, hips, cardiac & DNA testing for EFS, DM and CKCSID. Our Bichons & poodle come from champion bloodlines in both the U.S. and Europe. Their quality pedigrees are backed up by health testing appropriate for the breed.
And yes, all our parents are on site for you to see!

HEALTH & SOCIALIZATION
Our focus is on making sure you take home a healthy, well-adjusted puppy with a friendly temperament. Our pups are handled from birth and we practise some Early Neurological Stimulation exercises so they learn to recognize our touch and become accustomed to being handled. Our puppies undergo formal temperament testing so we can find our clients the best match for their household.

Our adults get probiotics, fresh veggies & meat and prenatal supplements to ensure they're in top condition. They're on a deworming and flea treatment schedule year-round and get regular veterinary care. Puppies receive 3 dewormings and a flea treatment before going home. d

OFF TO A GOOD START
Our pups are weaned when they & mom are ready, usually around 6 weeks. Once their teeth come in, mom is definitely not interested in nursing any more so we take our cue from her! We introduce them to solid food when they show an interest in mom's meals, beginning with crushed puppy kibble to make it easier for them. We feed Fromm's, a quality food that's corn-free and wheat-free but does contain whole grains. Grain-free (notably the legumes such as lentils it contains) is being blamed for the increase in cardiomyopathy in dogs not normally prone to it.

PUPPY PLAYTIME!
Our puppies spend the first 4 weeks in our climate-controlled, draft-free nursery before being moved to a large playpen in our family room. We also provide a rotating selection of safe toys for the puppies and enough space for them to play & wrestle. Here they get used to all the sights and sounds of a typical home: they learn about phones, vacuum cleaners (some think it's a fun toy, others ... not so much), and even our cat & parrots. We also have playtime in our sensory gym where they get used to various sights and sounds. We want them to go to their new homes confident and secure! We often post videos of our pups at play on facebook, Fairfield Cavachons and Cavapoos (OurFairPups). Below the right is a posted video of Blossom's 2019 litter during their first encounter with the vacuum.
Video: Blossom's puppies 2019 (cut & paste in your browser)
https://www.facebook.com/OurFairPups/videos/330998984522926/

TRAINING PUPPIES ... AND THEIR FAMILIES
We start our puppies on crate training and also something we believe is unique -- our puppies go home litter trained! Yes, trained to use a litter box like a cat!

First-time dog owners are most stressed about potty training. Having the puppy litter trained gives the new family tons of flexibility. You can choose to potty train right outside from the start, taking the puppy outside several times a day and likely once overnight. Or you can choose to potty outside during the day and provide a litter box overnight so you can get some sleep. Or, provide the litter box only when you'll be away for more than a few hours and can't be back in time to let your pup outside. It's your choice; because they're already used to going to the bathroom in one spot, it's much easier to train them to go in a spot in your yard.

Our puppies receive their first vaccinations and vet checkup plus microchipping. You receive their health record, bag of puppy food, toothbrush, small toy with scent of mom & siblings to ease the transition to a new home, pet store coupon and Health Guarantee.

We're happy to give nervous dog owners support and training tips as they settle in with their new puppy. You can always call or e-mail with any concerns. In fact, we love getting updates and photos (so jealous of our dogs who get to spend the winter someplace warm)!! The adult photos throughout the website are from happy families who adopted one of our puppies.