The purpose of Goodest Pups is to provide free documentation for dog rescues, which are inevitably understaffed, overworked, and overwhelmed with providing day-to-day care of all of the dogs and puppies within the rescue, whether on-site or in foster.
Please find downloadable, shareable handouts that are free for fosters, rescues, and shelters to use to educate fosters and volunteers. These handouts are very summarized versions of content published in full throughout the Goodest Pups. They are designed to be digestible and easy for anyone to understand. They may also be adapted and customized by animal non-profits with attribution to the Goodest Pups.
Click/tap the title to download the PDF! If there’s a coordinating blog post that the PDF was adapted from, I have linked it. The blog post will be the information in long-form and include citations/references.
If you need minor changes and/or would like to have co-branded PDFs, please feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to help.
Rescue Puppies: How-tos and Guides for Fosters and Adopters
The following are downloadable PDFs for fostering or managing puppies over three weeks old. Some of these will be most useful for fosters or shelters, while some also work well for adopters!
| Title | Summary | Matching Blog Post |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Foster Guide | A six-page guide on supplies, handling, care and development milestones for fosters caring for puppies aged 3 weeks to 12 weeks. | |
| How-to Puppy Proof Your Home | One-page guide to instructing fosters on how to puppy-proof their home before taking in foster(s). | How to Prepare Your Home for a Foster Puppy |
| Setting Up the Puppy Pen | One-page guide on how to set up a puppy pen for success. | |
| Introducing Food + Water | One-page guide on how and when to introduce food/water. | |
| Introducing the Potty Area | Two-page guide on building the foundation for potty training with proper setup. | How to Start Potty Training a Litter of Puppies |
| Introducing Grooming | One-page guide on how to introduce elements of grooming. | |
| Setting Up the Puppy Outdoor Area | One-page guide on securing outdoor space and how to enrich outdoor spaces. | |
| KinderPUP | Our puppy socialization program, which includes enrichment, familiarization, desensitization and socialization that can be used by fosters + adopters. | KinderPUP |
| Crate Training Guide | Three-page guide on how to crate train a puppy or adult dog | Crate Training Guide for Puppies + Dogs |
| Potty Training Guide | Three-page guide on how to potty train a puppy or adult dog | How to Potty Train Your Puppy or Dog |
| Puppy Vaccination Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to vaccinate puppies based on age. | Puppy Vaccination Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
| Puppy Dewormer Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to deworm puppies based on age. | Puppy Dewormer Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
| Puppies + Children Tips | Three-page guide on how to manage puppies with children | Training Puppies and Children to Build a Long-Lasting Bond |
| Obedience Cheat Sheets | Pictorial, step-by-step training cheat sheets for teaching a dog their name and how to sit, lay down, come, stay, release, and place. |
Mom and Pups: How-tos and Guides for Fosters + Rescues
The following are applicable PDFs for fostering or managing a pregnant mama dog and then a mama dog with her newly-born pups.
| Title | Summary | Matching Blog Post |
|---|---|---|
| Mom and Pups Foster Guide | An eight-page guide on supplies, handling, care and development milestones for fosters caring for mom and her pups. | |
| Supply List for Fostering Pregnant Dog | A list of necessary and optional supplies that a foster should have when taking on a pregnant dog. | Supplies You’ll Need to Foster a Pregnant Dog |
| How to Set Up a Whelping Box | A detailed guide on how to set up a whelping box for a pregnant dog – before, during and after giving birth! | How to Set Up a Whelping Box |
| Stages of Labor | An overview of the three stages of labor, including subtle and more obvious signs of the start of labor and active labor. | The Three Stages of Labor for Pregnant Dogs |
| Foster’s Role During Labor & Delivery | A guide to what foster’s should expect during labor and delivery and what they should do (if anything). | The Three Stages of Labor for Pregnant Dogs |
| When to Be Concerned During Dog Labor and Delivery | A list of possible complications and problems that may arise during labor and delivery, both for mom as well as newly born pups. Includes solutions and when to go to the vet! | When to Be Concerned During Dog Labor and Delivery |
| When to Wean | A one-page guide (with references) on when to start weaning pups. | |
| How-to Puppy Proof Your Home | One-page guide to instructing fosters on how to puppy-proof their home before taking in foster(s). | How to Prepare Your Home for a Foster Puppy |
| Setting Up the Puppy Pen | One-page guide on how to set up a puppy pen for success. | |
| Introducing Food + Water | One-page guide on how and when to introduce food/water. | |
| Introducing the Potty Area | Two-page guide on building the foundation for potty training with proper setup. | How to Start Potty Training a Litter of Puppies |
| Introducing Grooming | One-page guide on how to introduce elements of grooming. | |
| Setting Up the Puppy Outdoor Area | One-page guide on securing outdoor space and how to enrich outdoor spaces. | |
| Crate Training Guide | Three-page guide on how to crate train a puppy or adult dog | Crate Training Guide for Puppies + Dogs |
| Potty Training Guide | Three-page guide on how to potty train a puppy or adult dog | How to Potty Train Your Puppy or Dog |
| Puppies + Children Tips | Three-page guide on how to manage puppies with children | Training Puppies and Children to Build a Long-Lasting Bond |
| Obedience Cheat Sheets | Pictorial, step-by-step training cheat sheets for teaching a dog their name and how to sit, lay down, come, stay, release, and place. | |
| Puppy Vaccination Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to vaccinate puppies based on age. | Puppy Vaccination Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
| Puppy Dewormer Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to deworm puppies based on age. | Puppy Dewormer Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
Bottle Baby Puppies: How-tos and Guides for Fosters + Rescues
Please find downloadable, shareable handouts that are free for fosters, rescues, and shelters to use to educate fosters and volunteers on how to care for, handle, and help newborn puppies!
| Title | Summary | Matching Blog Post |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle Baby Foster Guide | An 11-page guide on supplies, handling, care and development milestones for fosters caring for newborn puppies (under 3 weeks). It’s the full walk-through while guides below are more like handouts. | The Neonatal Stage: Caring for Newborn Puppies |
| Newborn Puppy Milestones | One-page cheat sheet on neonate development and milestones. | The Neonatal Stage: Caring for Newborn Puppies |
| Bottle Feeding Supplies | One-page cheat sheet on what you need to bottle feed a puppy. | How to Bottle Feed a Newborn Puppy |
| How to Bottle Feed Newborn Puppies | Two-page guide on how to properly feed newborn puppies. | How to Bottle Feed a Newborn Puppy |
| Bottle Baby Feeding Chart | Approximate amount to feed to a newborn puppy based on their weight (in grams and ounces). | How to Bottle Feed a Newborn Puppy |
| Bottle Baby Feeding Schedule | One-page guide on how often to feed newborn puppies based on age and healthiness. | How to Bottle Feed a Newborn Puppy |
| Bottle Babies: Common Issues | One-page cheat sheet on troubleshooting common issues bottle feeders have with their newborns. | Bottle Baby Puppies: Common Issues + Solutions |
| Bottle Babies: When to be Concerned | Five signs to look out for along with initial solutions and when to escalate. | Newborn Puppies: When to be Concerned |
| Puppy Vaccination Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to vaccinate puppies based on age. | Puppy Vaccination Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
| Puppy Dewormer Schedule | One-page cheat sheet on when to deworm puppies based on age. | Puppy Dewormer Schedule for Rescues and Shelters |
