Go-Home Preparation Guide
Everything you need to prepare your home, your family, and your schedule before your Stokeshire puppy comes home.
Essential Supplies
What to have ready before your puppy arrives
These are the core items every Stokeshire family should have in place before go-home day. Every item below is available through The Stokeshire Setup, our curated purchase guide, which also includes a calculator that sizes the crate, collar, and leash to your specific puppy.
- Puppy food. Diamond Naturals Skin and Coat, Real Salmon and Potato, 30 lb bag. This is the food your puppy is already eating. Have a bag in the house before go-home day. See the Food section below.
- Crate. Wire or molded plastic, sized for your puppy as an adult. Not a soft crate. Used for nighttime and short daytime confinement, four hours maximum during the day. Get your crate size from the Setup calculator.
- Exercise pen. Portable wire pen, height appropriate for your breed. Your puppy's daytime room when you cannot supervise directly. Add a top if your puppy is a jumper.
- Buckle collar and 6-foot leash. Nylon, cotton, or leather. Not retractable. Keep the collar on and the leash nearby at all times during potty training. Size your collar and leash in the Setup calculator.
- High-value training treats. Small, soft, easily swallowed. Marine protein for the first 90 days. Used for potty training rewards and crate training.
- Enzymatic cleaner. Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle. Never ammonia based. Your puppy's nose is far better than yours. Enzymatic cleaners eliminate the odors that draw repeat accidents.
- Paper towels. Stock up. You cannot have too many.
- Water bowl and food bowl.
- Crate bed. Fake sheepskin or a Primo Pad. Avoid towels, blankets, and expensive beds until 18 months or older. Puppies chew, and swallowed fabric can cause blockages.
- Chew toys. Kong, Nylabone, marrow bones, bully straps. Chew toys serve two purposes. They keep your puppy occupied in the crate and they teach appropriate chewing habits.
- Baby gates. For gradually expanding your puppy's space room by room. Do not confine your puppy behind a closed door. Baby gates reduce anxiety, whining, and scratching.
- Poop bags. Never leave home without them.
- Flashlight. For nighttime potty trips, so you can confirm they went.
Your Puppy's Food
Order before go-home day
Your puppy is eating Diamond Naturals Skin and Coat, Real Salmon and Potato. Have a 30 lb bag in your home before your puppy arrives. Changing food during the first week compounds the stress of a new home, new water, and a new routine, and it is the most common cause of loose stool in the first fourteen days.
What to Buy
Diamond Naturals Skin and Coat, Real Salmon and Potato Recipe, 30 lb.
Salmon is a marine protein, which keeps your puppy compliant with the 90-day protocol described below.
For your puppy's daily feeding amount by weight and age, use the Puppy Setup Helper calculator on The Stokeshire Setup.
Amazon links are affiliate links. Stokeshire may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We do not accept payment for product placement.
Marine-Protein Diet Protocol
First 90 days, no exceptions
Your puppy must remain on a marine-protein only diet, both food and treats, for the first 90 days after placement. All proteins should be fish based. No chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, or other proteins during this period.
Why Marine Protein
Premature protein changes are a leading cause of gastrointestinal and dermatologic disruption in young dogs. The marine-protein protocol stabilizes digestion during the transition to your home and allows your puppy's system to adjust smoothly.
No protein rotation, substitution, or supplementation, including treats, chews, toppers, or supplements, without written approval from Stokeshire Designer Doodles. The only exception is a documented veterinary emergency.
Read the ingredient panel on every treat you buy. Many training treats that appear fish based list chicken meal or poultry fat as a secondary ingredient.
Go-Home Day
What to expect based on your pickup or delivery method
Pickup takes place at our facility in Medford, Wisconsin. Plan for a 30-minute visit that includes paperwork, a brief orientation, and your puppy handoff.
- Confirm your pickup date and arrival window with Stokeshire at least 48 hours in advance.
- Bring your crate or a secure carrier for the ride home. Your puppy should ride in the crate, not on a lap.
- Bring a leash, collar, and water bowl for the trip.
- Bring a towel for the bottom of the crate in case of motion sickness.
- Take your puppy out to potty immediately before loading into the car.
- Plan stops every two to three hours on longer drives, always on leash.
Pickup Location
W4954 County Road O, Medford, WI 54451
Schedule your pickup window at schedule.stokeshire.com
Stokeshire offers ground transport and flight nanny services. All transport arrangements must be confirmed and paid in full before your delivery can be scheduled.
- Confirm your delivery date, address, and time window at least 72 hours in advance.
- Ensure someone is home to receive the puppy at the confirmed address.
- Prepare a quiet, crate-ready space. Your puppy will be tired from travel.
- Have water and a small meal ready, but do not feed a large meal immediately after arrival.
- Give your puppy time to decompress. Limit visitors for the first 24 hours.
- All transport and boarding fees must be paid in full before delivery is scheduled.
Transport Details
Transport dates are not guaranteed and may shift due to availability or weather. Stokeshire will communicate any changes promptly.
For transport questions, email or review our Transport and Delivery page.
Potty Training Foundations
Continuing what we started
Your Stokeshire puppy has been raised on a structured potty training foundation using the Stokeshire Method™ and the principles in the Stokeshire Potty Training Solution, included in your go-home packet. The key to continued success at home is simple: confinement and consistency.
The 5-Step Process
1. Confine. Your puppy is in their room, meaning the crate or exercise pen, whenever you are not actively watching them.
2. Respond. When they signal they need to go out by whining, scratching, or circling, respond immediately.
3. Leash and treats. Put them on leash, take treats, and go out the same door to the same potty spot every time.
4. Reward or return. If they go within ten to fifteen minutes, reward with a treat, praise, and supervised freedom. If they do not go, return them to their room.
5. Back to the room. Before they need to go again, put them back in their room. This builds bladder strength and teaches them to ask.
Never punish accidents. Scolding causes fear, not understanding. Clean thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner and tighten your supervision. If accidents increase, the space is too large. Make it smaller.
Expect a timeline. Most puppies are not fully potty trained until at least six months of age. This is a function of muscle development and mental maturity, not effort.
Crate Training Foundations
Quiet earns freedom. Noise earns nothing.
Your puppy has been introduced to crate training during their time at Stokeshire as part of the Stokeshire Method™ behavioral framework, but the transition to your home is new. Expect some adjustment. The goal is a puppy that is calm and relaxed in the crate, not one that tolerates it under protest.
Key Principles
Reward quiet behavior. Drop treats into the crate when your puppy is settled, calm, or sleeping. Build value for being there.
Do not engage with barking. Do not look at, talk to, scold, or approach your puppy while they are barking in the crate. Any engagement, including negative attention, rewards the behavior.
The only exception. If you believe they need to potty, take them out immediately on leash. This is why you should always potty your puppy before crate time.
Nighttime. Place the crate in your bedroom next to your bed. Drape an opaque sheet over the sides and back, leaving the front open. Keep the leash and treats on top of the crate, ready for nighttime potty trips.
Crate time limits. No more than four hours during the day, and up to eight or nine hours at night. Use the exercise pen for longer daytime stretches.
Trupanion Insurance Activation
Required within 24 hours of pickup or delivery
Activation Steps
1. Visit trupanion.com/enrollments/certificate
2. Enter breeder code BR1SD121520
3. Complete enrollment within 24 hours of receiving your puppy.
This provides a 30-day trial period. Coverage must be active before your puppy leaves Stokeshire's care. Insurance is strongly recommended for every family and is required for all Bootcamp™ and Doodle School™ enrollments.
Your First Veterinary Exam
Scheduled within 72 hours. Completed within 7 days.
Schedule your first appointment with a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours of checkout, and complete the wellness exam within seven calendar days of go-home. This examination is required to activate the Stokeshire 3-Year Health and Wellness Partnership Guarantee. If your veterinarian cannot accommodate that window, contact us before the seventh day.
For a detailed guide on what to expect and what to bring, visit our First Puppy Vet Visit Guide.
Important Notes
Common puppy ailments such as Giardia, Coccidia, ear mites, and intestinal worms occur in young dogs and do not indicate negligence. Parasite exposure is a normal part of puppy development. Your veterinarian will advise on appropriate treatment if needed.
Your puppy's first DHPP dose is given at six weeks at Stokeshire. Your veterinarian completes the remaining series, and local law governs rabies timing.
Stokeshire Companion App
Your hub for training updates and resources
The Stokeshire Companion App is where you receive weekly training updates, behavioral development scores, trainer notes, and milestone observations during your puppy's Doodle School™ or Bootcamp™ program.
After your puppy comes home, the app continues to serve as your resource hub for training guidance, socialization checklists, and ongoing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Go-Home Preparation
Diamond Naturals Skin and Coat, Real Salmon and Potato Recipe, in the 30 lb bag. This is what your puppy is already eating at Stokeshire, and salmon keeps them compliant with the 90-day marine-protein protocol. Buy it before go-home day so you are not changing food during the first week, when your puppy is already adjusting to new water, a new home, and a new routine. For daily feeding amounts by weight and age, use the Puppy Setup Helper calculator on The Stokeshire Setup page.
The Stokeshire Setup page lists the gear our families use, selected for doodle coats and temperament. It includes a calculator that returns your puppy's daily feeding amount, the correct crate size for their adult weight, and collar and leash sizing, along with the discount codes available to Stokeshire families. You are not required to buy anything through us. The list exists so you are not guessing, and so you are not returning a crate that turned out to be the wrong size.
Most puppies are not fully potty trained until at least six months of age. Puppies can understand the concept within weeks, but the physical ability to control the bladder for extended periods takes time to develop. Consistency with confinement and the five-step process is the most effective approach. Toy and smaller breeds often take longer.
No more than four hours total during the day, and eight to nine hours at night. For longer daytime stretches when you cannot supervise, use an exercise pen. If you must leave your puppy longer than they can hold it, add a potty pan to the exercise pen so they have an appropriate option.
The marine-protein protocol stabilizes digestion during the transition to a new home, new water, and a new environment. Premature protein changes are a leading cause of gastrointestinal and skin issues in young dogs. Holding to marine protein for the full 90 days, in both food and treats, gives your puppy's system time to adjust. Read ingredient panels carefully. Many treats that look fish based list poultry fat or chicken meal further down.
Never punish your puppy for having an accident. If you catch them in the act, say their name firmly to interrupt, then take them outside on leash to the potty area. If you find the accident afterward, clean it thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner and evaluate what to do differently, whether that was too much freedom, a missed cue, or too long between breaks.
Barking in the crate is normal for a puppy adjusting to a new home. The most important rule is not to engage. Do not look at, talk to, or approach your puppy while they are barking. Any attention, including scolding, rewards the behavior. The only exception is if you believe they need to potty. If they stop barking even for a moment, reward that quiet immediately with a treat. Quiet earns freedom. Noise earns nothing.
Within 24 hours of receiving your puppy, and ideally before pickup or delivery. Use breeder code BR1SD121520 at trupanion.com/enrollments/certificate. Insurance is required for all puppies enrolled in Doodle School or Bootcamp programs.
Contact Stokeshire as soon as you know. Veterinary availability varies, and we will work with you so that health guarantee activation is not jeopardized, provided you communicate before the seventh day. Visit our First Puppy Vet Visit Guide for details on what to expect at the appointment.
Once per week through the Stokeshire Companion App at app.wisconsindesignerdoodles.com. Each weekly update includes behavioral development scores, trainer notes, and milestone observations. The app is your central hub throughout the training program and after your puppy comes home.
We Are Here for You
Questions about go-home preparation, supplies, or anything else, email us any time. Written questions get a written answer you can keep and refer back to.
We respond Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central.
Open The Stokeshire Setup Open the Companion App
Stokeshire Designer Doodles, Medford, Wisconsin
License #514401-DS, Wisconsin Licensed and Inspected