OPTIONS FOR BRINGING YOUR PUPPY HOME FROM:
Marchwind Italian Greyhounds
YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO VISIT MARCHWIND AT ANY TIME TO PICK UP YOUR PUPPY
Its an easy drive along Interstate 75 to exit 109, go 2 miles east and the kennel is seen along the road. There is a big sign at the driveway that says MARCHWIND FARM.
The farm is 2 hours south of Atlanta and 109 miles north of the Florida border.
Please make an appointment 229-699-0290
If you made arrangements to meet me at the airport please call me the day before to remind me.
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IF YOU WANT TO FLY TO ATLANTA I WILL MEET YOU AT THE AIRPORT FOR A $300 FEE
Customers frequently fly into the Atlanta airport, and can fly home the same day. It is important to allow at least 3 hours of turn around time as this is the biggest airport in the world. Remember to make a reservation for your dog on your return trip and you will have to check in with your puppy at the desk.
This is a photo of Arrival and Departures. I can drive up and stop, give you your puppy, and drive on. It is covered so we wont get wet!
You can carry the puppy with you in an approved carry bag in the cabin. You are not allowed to take your puppy out of the bag but you can take him in the bag to the restroom if he gets fussy. Usually they are quiet and do well.
You can buy an air carrier bag from walmart or get many choices from Amazon. Get at least a medium size. Some of them come on wheels, or as a backpack. Some of the airlines have specific size requirements for the bag.
Other items you should bring with you include:
- Collapsible water bowl
- Disposable plastic bag
- A couple of potty pads
- A few paper towels or Wet Ones
- Small blanket for the bottom of the bag.
Another option is to fly in, drive to Marchwind Kennel, spend the night in my guest house which has one queen and one single bed, visit at your leisure and drive home with your puppy the next day.
The guest house is located next door and $150 fee is requested for cleaning, etc. It is fully furnished and has a full kitchen.
HIRE A DRIVER OR A FLIGHT NANNY
I have drivers and flight nannies that I have used many times and can refer to you. You can also post your trip, my house to yours, or Atlanta airport to an airport near you, on www.citizenshipper.com. Flight nannies and
drivers then offer bids. To get their contact information you have to pay the citizen shipper website $40.
This is an unregulated underground industry. Some are very professional and have USDA approval but many are not. When the driver arrives, I personally inspect their car and the crate which has to be clean, safe and big enough. I am equipped to replace their crate with one of mine.
Most of the flight nannies are well versed in flight schedules and are very professional. Some of them work for the airline industry, and carry pets part time.
Flight nannies usually have passports and can carry dogs to Canada and other countries.
Flight nannies must be met by me at the Atlanta airport and this service is subject to the $300 delivery fee.
The Best Time of Year to Bring Your Puppy Home
What’s the best time of the year to bring your IG puppy home?
If you’re fortunate enough to be getting a Marchwind puppy, any time of the year is the right time. But the winter can be perfect in many ways. Please let me share my personal experience…
Having discovered the breed, then deciding to become a first-time dog owner, the planning began in earnest. Since I live in Canada it seemed smart/logical to start raising my puppy in the spring, with the benefit of nicer weather allowing us outside.
There’s an old saying…Man plans, God laughs.
Long story short, I pulled out of Marchwind with my 9-week-old little baby girl in the middle of December to drive her back to Toronto.
Until she had all her vaccinations, she had to be restricted from going outside to minimize the risk of contracting parvo which I quickly discovered can literally be ANYWHERE!
The best guidance is to keep your puppy protected until the vaccines become effective at around 18 weeks. So even if I lived in Florida, we would not be hitting the beach or anyplace where other dogs might have been, putting her at great risk. That means mostly staying home.
(cont'd below...)
Georgia on her way home with a sweater from Lois
For these reasons and more to follow, in hindsight, it was the best time to bring her home.
Since we were inside, we bonded, played, trained and set the stage for a lifetime of togetherness. My plan was to get her little legs strong with games, tug of war and chasing toys and it worked perfectly.
Potty training was a breeze, we obviously had to use pee pads. Monitoring her closely, I quickly picked up on her queues, got her to the pad and did what everyone tells you to do, PARTY/CELEBRATION/PRAISE/REWARD on a scale of 11 out of 10. It works. I still do it to this day; she still gets her treat and always will.
What that means now is if we came to your house never having been there in the middle of a blizzard or hurricane outside, I can put a pee pad down, she will hit the target 100% of the time. It’s amazing and a huge relief as a dog owner who likes to visit friends and travel with my dog.
Back home in custom comfy crate with heating pad and TV (not shown!)
It’s not like we never left the house. We went to very safe places where she could meet people and start socializing. Fortunately, we also have some friends for safe doggy playdates with other vaccinated pets.
I’m very outdoorsy, by mid-February we were venturing out with proper fleece clothing to keep her warm and dry. Now she likes to go out in cold weather (she has more outfits than you) and I attribute that to her being exposed early on.
As we continued to get more accustomed to each other, our relationship just kept getting better and more trusting.
By the time spring hits you’ve got yourself an amazing dog who already knows some commands, can walk on a leash and is ready to join you on warm weather adventures.
Most importantly, you know them.
To recap, take the winter to set the foundation for you and your puppy, when warmer weather sets in you’ll be way further along so you can really enjoy the summer together!
Happy to answer any questions, Lois can put us in touch.
PS:
It’s much more important to find the best dog from the best breeder and like you, I discovered Lois March for whom I have the highest regard. She is a priceless resource, a true friend, retired MD, she’s won at the biggest dog shows in the world and has forgotten more than most breeders of ANY dog will ever know.
My personal side note on pee pad training from someone with a large fully fenced yard. If you told me as a human I had to hold it in and could only go potty at a few set times a day, I could not do it and would probably run away from you after I peed on all your rugs. When I gotta go, I gotta go! Pee pads are a blessing especially with IG’s.
-Abbey G., Toronto