Mt. Tabor Animal Hospital presents

Puppy Basics

It’s exciting bringing a new puppy into your life. You probably can’t wait to show your friends the cutie you picked out. And, of course, you want to play with him right away. But remember, your puppy suddenly is in an environment he doesn’t know. Give him some time to adjust to his new home. Here are some hints to make him feel as comfortable as possible:

• Teach children not to be rough with the puppy; no pulling ears, whiskers or tail
• Act calmly, not rowdy, around puppy
• Provide a warm, soft bed (or box or crate) in a cozy, out of the way place
• Give puppy a soft, indestructible toy or two
• Never let your puppy put his teeth on a human, even at play
• Never play tug of war

Yes, you’ll be excited to take your new pet on walks in public areas and to play with other dogs, but wait until his immunities

are built up to life-threatening diseases. There are numerous vaccines that your puppy should receive between six and sixteen to

twenty weeks of age to make him safe to go out into the world and socialize with people and other animals. Some vaccinations

require booster shots to maintain effective levels of protection. Be sure to ask your vet about these. Your veterinarian may

administer these at separate times a few weeks apart, each time in one injection.

Puppy Checkup & Vaccination Schedule

6 weeks: Doctor visit

• DHP/PV (distemper/hepatitis/parvo) - 1^st of 4 boosters
• Bordetella (kennel cough) – if pet will be boarded at a kennel
• Fecal sample – check stools for worms and intestinal parasites
• Physical exam – skin, ears, mouth, chest, abdomen, inguinal area (to check for hernias), open fontenelles, teeth,

hips, knees, eyes

• Discuss diet, housebreaking, puppy training class, grooming, heartworm disease, potentially harmful exposure to

parvo, spaying or neutering, vaccinereaction symptoms, emergency clinic, vaccine schedule, flea & tick control

• First monthly heartworm tablet

9 weeks: Technician visit

• DHP/PV booster #2
• Learn how to trim nails and brush teeth
• Heartworm tablet

12 weeks: Technician visit

• DHP/PV booster #3
• Rabies vaccination (required by law)
• Fecal check (if needed)
• Heartworm tablet

16 weeks: Doctor visit (if needed)

• DHP/PV booster - 4^th and final until yearly physical exam
• Rabies vaccination (if not given at last visit)

Important Canine Diseases

• Canine Parvovirus – young puppies are particularly susceptible to this insidious condition that attacks the lining of

the intestinal tract and damages the heart.  It is costly to treat and is often fatal.

• Canine Hepatitis – affects the liver and can cause loss of vision
• Canine Distemper – attacks almost all body tissues and affects the function of the brain and spinal cord
• Rabies – a virus contracted by exposure to a rabid animal, it attacks the nervous system and is always fatal

Protecting Against Worms & Fleas

Your puppy wasat risk for getting worms from his mother before he was even born. Worms are intestinal parasites and pose arisk that

should not be ignored.  Protecting your puppy requires constant,lifelong attention. Treating your pet iseasy, fast and painless.

• Heartworms – are one of the most deadly of all canine parasites. Heartworm disease spreads when mosquitoes bite an infected animal

andthen pass the larvae into the bloodstream of another dog. These microfilariae then mature into adultsand live in the dog’s heart. Symptomsmay include vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, weight loss,collapse or convulsions, even sudden death.

Alldogs are at risk – even indoor pets.

• Prevention of heartworm disease is achieved by annual heartworm tests and regular heartworm tablets or biannual injections.
• Roundworms – may develop prior to birth or from nursing, skin penetration, or later in life by ingesting roundworm eggs or larvae.

Theyattach to the intestinal lining and leave bleeding internal wounds. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite that canspread to

humans, especially children.  Symptoms include weakness, weight loss,haggard appearance, and dull unkempt fur.

• Hookworms – can come from their mothers while nursing or by eating infected animals. They are a zoonotic parasite that can be

spreadto humans. Symptoms included vomiting,diarrhea, and stunted growth.

• Whipworms – develop when a dog swallows whipworm eggs passed from an infected dog. Symptoms may include diarrhea,

anemia, and dehydration.

• Fleas – flea eggs that have fallen off a pet develop into larvae which hide in carpet, furniture, leaves or other dark places. Adult fleas

can then easily attach themselves to thepet when the pet comes in contact with those locations.  Symptoms include itching, skin

irritation, extreme discomfort, and tell-taleflea “dirt” in the pet’s fur. Effectiveflea control products not only kill adult fleas but will prevent flea larvaefrom reproducing or hatching.

PuppyBasics

Puppiesrequire very little compared to the love and companionship we get fromthem. Below are the basic items you

should always provide.

Identification Tag

Immediatelyhave an ID tag made for your puppy in case he wanders from home. Include his name, your name, address andphone number. Veterinarians and petstores usually have resource for obtaining ID tags.  When your puppy is spayed or neutered,consider a microchip identification.

Food & Water Bowls

Stainlesssteel is easiest to keep clean and doesn’t break. And puppies can have allergic reactions toplastic bowls.

Collar

You should beable to fit two fingers under the collar when on your pet. Check thefit often as your pet grows!

Leash & Harness

For pottywalks or for spending time in an unfenced location, outfit puppy in anappropriate leash and harness. Retractable leashes allow you

to control howfar puppy wanders from you without him tugging or pulling. By hooking the leash to a harness, your puppywon’t be choked

if he tries to outreach the leash lead.

Grooming Brush or Mitt

Brushing yourpuppy regularly keeps his coat looking nice and feels good to your pet. And just as important, this is time for youand your

puppy to bond.

Toys

Playing withtoys helps puppy’s balance and motor skills. Chew toys can help him shed his baby teeth. Choose indestructible toys and stay away fromtoys and toy parts that can be swallowed.

Safety

You’ll soon seethat a curious puppy will explore anything and everything he can reach. And he doesn’t know which things arepuppy-safe. “Puppy-proof” your house bydoing these important things:

• Keep electrical cords our of chewing reach
• Keep household and garden chemicals locked away
• Keep cans/bags secure from puppy
• Check around vehicles before moving them
• Keep chocolate away from puppy because it is highly toxic and can kill

Traveling withPuppy in a Car:

• Put puppy in a special doggy seat belt or crate (seat belts are best)
• Put puppy in the back so the driver is not distracted
• Never secure puppy to something in the car with his leash to prevent choking should the car stop suddenly
• Never leave your pet alone in the car for more than a few minutes
• Never leave your pet alone in a closed-up car on a hot day for any amount of time. Car heat can kill puppies even at lower temperatures.

Feeding Your Puppy

At first, it’simportant to feed your puppy the same thing he was eating before you broughthim home. As he gets used to his newenvironment you can gradually introduce the food you chose. Many commercial foods are acceptable but besure to choose a well-balanced one.

Consult yourveterinarian for how much and how often to feed your puppy. It will depend on his energy level.

Choose aconvenient place to feed your puppy and use this spot consistently. Be sure to clean your puppy’s dishes beforeevery use and always give him fresh water at each feeding.

Store-boughtpuppy treats are fine to give him, but they are actually full of fat. Be aware of how many treats your puppy eatsand try to adjust the amount of food in his regular meals accordingly.  Giving table scraps is never a goodidea. They throw off the balance innutrition in your puppy’s diet and can upset his stomach.  And if you don’t feed your puppy from thetable or your plate, he won’t learn to beg for food.

LovingPuppy

One of thehealthiest things you can do for your puppy is give him lots of love andattention. Dogs are extremely loyal bynature and are happy when they please you. Their ancestors, wolves, ran in packs, so you can understand that puppycan get lonely if you don’t spend enough time with him. Studies show that emotionally, dogs benefitfrom being petted by humans as much as humans do from petting dogs.  So, play, talk, pet, and love.  You’ll both be happier and healthier.

Bathing

You’ll only need to bathe puppy if he’sdirty or smelly; bathing too often can cause dry skin.  It helps to brush puppy’s coat before thebath. Use the proper dog shampoo,lukewarm water, and gently scrub from head to tail, taking care not to get soapor water in eyes or ears. Rinsethoroughly and stand back. Puppy willshake, shake, shake! Dry with a towel orhairdryer (not to hot!) as quickly as possible so puppy doesn’t get cold.  Bathing is an opportunity to check for fleas,ticks

and skinproblems.

Caring for Teeth

A healthy dietkeeps teeth clean and gums healthy. However, tartar will inevitably build up so have puppy’s teeth checkedregularly by a veterinarian. Betweenvisits you can brush puppy’s teeth yourself with special pet toothpaste and asoft brush.

Like children,puppies will lose their baby teeth. Between three and six months old baby teeth will gradually fall out andare replaced with permanent teeth. Amixture of soft and hard food, puppy biscuits, or hard rubber chew toys willhelp loosen baby teeth naturally.

Clipping Nails

Clip puppy’snails about every six weeks using special dog clippers. Some owners prefer to have a veterinarian dothe clipping because it’s a delicate task to keep from clipping into thequick. However, just using a nail filewill often help keep nails in check without the danger of

cutting into the “quick” of the nail.

Trainingand Discipline

One of themost common reasons so many puppies and dogs end up in shelters or pounds isbehavior problems. Now that you have apuppy, you also have a responsibility to train your puppy to behave. Teaching him to act appropriately in allsituations will ensure safe and enjoyable times for you, your puppy and otherpeople with which he comes in contact.

There are manyphilosophies on disciplining and training puppies and dogs. Read about several before making yourdecision, especially if

you decide totake discipline or training classes. Some methods are based on punitive principles but the preferred methodsthese days are

reward andpraised based methods. The goal shouldbe to communicate with your pet about the difference between acceptable and

unacceptable behavior so that you can get along athome and when socializing. Repetitionand consistency are the keys to achieving this.

Socializing Puppy

Like people, your puppy needs to learnhow to act around others and in places outside his home.  Help build his confidence by introducing himto the family right away. Watch himcarefully so you can offer safety and reassurance if he seems frightened; butover time he will learn to be with other people and display appropriatebehavior. Introduce puppy to

birds and catsand squirrels (carefully). Go hiking or walking in your neighborhood or a parkwhere there are lots of

people. These things will help puppy feel comfortable in social settings andkeep him from acting inappropriately because he is afraid

(aggressive or out of control).

DiscipliningPuppy

You shouldstart disciplining your puppy right away. Use a firm “NO!” and lots of praise to differentiate between things youwant him to do and things you don’t. Twothings that puppies do by nature are bite when they play and chew. Bite and chew, bite and chew!  When these occur, tell puppy “no”emphatically and give him something he is allowed to chew, like a toy.  Reward the behavior you like by praising himfor chewing the toy.

Potty Training Puppy

Your shouldstart potty training right away. You maywant to seek out the help of a trainer to assist in potty training, but withconsistency

and repetitionyou can do it yourself. Start bycommitting to take puppy outside as soon as he wakes up, before and after everymeal, after a round of play, and at least once during the night. Always take him to the same spot so he startsto associate “going potty” with this spot.

While inside,if you see puppy looking distracted, walking in circles, sniffing the ground,or squatting, get him – he’s about to go potty!

Pick him up,take him to THE POTTY SPOT and tell him to “go potty” or “get busy,” using thesame phrase every time. Always praise

puppy each timehe goes potty outside. Again, reward thebehavior you like by praising puppy. Alow calorie treat will also help your

puppy know that he has been “good.”

If puppy goespotty inside and you catch him in the act, tell him “no” emphatically, thentake him outside to THE POTTY SPOT and

tell him to“go potty.” You may have heard or beenadvised to rub puppy’s nose in the potty when he goes inside but this is badadvice.

It isunsanitary and there are better praise-based methods for training yourpuppy. If you don’t catch him in the actof going inside, do not

scoldhim. Too much time has passed for puppyto understand what he has done wrong. Just clean up the mess and wait for the next opportunity to teach.

As you cansee, repetition and consistency are the keys to successful potty training. If you are persistent, within a few weeks,puppy will ask

to go outside when he has to potty.

If you leaveyour puppy for long periods of time (while you’re at work, for example),confine him to an area of the house that you don’t mind cleaning up. It’s best to check on puppy every four hoursor so and give him a chance to go potty outside.

CrateTraining

Many peoplebelieve that their dogs view crates as cages and, as a result, will notconsider crating their beloved buddy. Veterinarians say that cages actually satisfy a dog’s denning instinct.

Not only can acrate prevent a puppy from potential injury running free in the house, it alsohelp to housebreak the puppy. Crates,whether made of plastic or metal, should be tall and wide enough for the dog tostand up and turn around comfortably. They can contain water, one

or two toysand a terry towel for warmth. Newspapersshould not be used in the crate because the dog may confuse the area with onethat is acceptable for urination.

Trainingbegins in the morning as it is important to integrate the training scheduleinto one that is followed in the household. Once the dog is taken out of the crate and has been given food andwater, it should be placed outside to urinate or defecate. It is important for the dog to

associatebeing taken out of the crate with being put outside. This will help housebreak your pet and soonit will associate a sense of freedom when taken out of the crate.  At first, puppies six to eight weeks old willneed to be taken out every three or four hours to initiate the housebreakingpattern. Older dogs can be left in forlonger periods of time and will then need to be placed outside and receiveplenty of

exercise.

The crateshould be wiped out daily with a mild disinfectant or soap and water. If the dog has urinated or defecated in thecrate, it will need

to be cleanedmore frequently.

Placement ofthe crate is also important. The dogshould not feel isolated. An area thatthe pet can hear and see people is recommended.

When the ownercan visually supervise the dog, it can be let out for short periods oftime. While some dogs may adjust to thecrate training

more rapidlythan others, be patient.

After the pet becomesaccustomed to the crate and times of day it is expected to be in the crate, itwill seek the area on his own without the prompting of the owner. Not only will the pet go in the crate duringappropriate times of the day, but he may also seek out the crate when

he needs asense of security. Feeling poorly andthe onset of bad weather are two occasions when a dog may go to the crate onhis own.

Once the doghas become familiar with crate training, the owner can allow the dog to roamfreely in the house when away for short periods

of time. The length of free time in the house can gradually increase as the dog’sdestructive behavior is curbed by the crate training.

Dogs of anyage can benefit from crate training. While some owners consider crate training a lifetime commitment, othersmerely want to

instill trustin the dog when the house will be unoccupied.

Dos and Don’tsfor Crate Training:

DO:

• Introduce the crate gradually
• Praise the dog for being calm
• Give him a treat to go in
• Keep the crate clean
• Keep the crate near the family
• Give him something to chew

DON’T:

• Use the crate for punishment
• Put your dog in a crate with a leash or collar on
• Keep your puppy or dog in the crate all day

The trick isto take as much time as the dog needs and keep linking the crate to the goodthings in life: snacks, snoozes andsecurity!

PreventingIllness

It won’t takeyou long to start noticing traits and behavior characteristics of yourpuppy. This will serve you well. If puppy acts out

of character atany time you should pay attention because you may be noticing symptoms of anillness.

Besidesgenerally being “in touch” with your puppy, there are regimented measures youcan take to prevent illness.

• Always administer the veterinarian-prescribed medicines to your pet as directed. Since there are some diseases that are almost

alwaysfatal, the best approach is prevention.

• Always take your pet to see his veterinarian at least once a year for a check-up and more often than that if your veterinarian

recommends. Vaccinations and boosters are routinely handled at these check-ups andmissing even one injection could put your pet

at risk for disease.

• At home, get in the habit of regularly checking your puppy for fleas, ticks or skin conditions. Preventing fleas and internal parasites

is easy. Ask yourveterinarian.

HavingFun with your Puppy

Ways to havefun with your puppy are endless! Becreative. The more your puppy does andsees, the more confident, happy and socialized he will be.

• Periodically mark puppy’s height (measuring at the shoulder blades) on a wall. Be sure to put the date beside each measure mark

soyou can see how quickly your puppy grows.

• Retrieving games are fun and help sharpen puppy’s mental skills.
• If puppy seems interested, playing in water is a great way to spend time together. Make sure puppy can get in and out easily and

alwaysmake sure you can see the ground or bottom through the water.

• They grow up so fast! Take photos of your puppy and start a scrapbook. Staged and candid shots will make you smile for years

to come.

• Teach your puppy tricks by constantly showing him what to do when you say a certain command. Rewarding puppy every time

hedoes the trick will have him sitting and shaking hands in no time!