
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:
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
hips, knees, eyes
parvo, spaying or neutering, vaccine
reaction symptoms, emergency clinic, vaccine schedule, flea & tick control
9 weeks: Technician visit
12 weeks: Technician visit
16 weeks: Doctor visit (if needed)
Important Canine Diseases
the intestinal tract and damages the heart. It is costly to treat and is often fatal.
Protecting Against Worms & Fleas
Your puppy was
at risk for getting worms from his mother before he was even born. Worms are intestinal parasites and pose a
risk that
should not be ignored. Protecting your puppy requires constant,
lifelong attention. Treating your pet is
easy, fast and painless.
and
then pass the larvae into the bloodstream of another dog. These microfilariae then mature into adults
and live in the dog’s heart. Symptoms
may include vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, weight loss,
collapse or convulsions, even sudden death.
All
dogs are at risk – even indoor pets.
They
attach to the intestinal lining and leave bleeding internal wounds. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite that can
spread to
humans, especially children. Symptoms include weakness, weight loss,
haggard appearance, and dull unkempt fur.
spread
to humans. Symptoms included vomiting,
diarrhea, and stunted growth.
anemia, and dehydration.
can then easily attach themselves to the
pet when the pet comes in contact with those locations. Symptoms include itching, skin
irritation, extreme discomfort, and tell-tale
flea “dirt” in the pet’s fur. Effective
flea control products not only kill adult fleas but will prevent flea larvae
from reproducing or hatching.
Puppy
Basics

Puppies
require very little compared to the love and companionship we get from
them. Below are the basic items you
should always provide.
Identification Tag
Immediately
have an ID tag made for your puppy in case he wanders from home. Include his name, your name, address and
phone number. Veterinarians and pet
stores usually have resource for obtaining ID tags. When your puppy is spayed or neutered,
consider a microchip identification.
Food & Water Bowls
Stainless
steel is easiest to keep clean and doesn’t break. And puppies can have allergic reactions to
plastic bowls.
Collar
You should be
able to fit two fingers under the collar when on your pet. Check the
fit often as your pet grows!
Leash & Harness
For potty
walks or for spending time in an unfenced location, outfit puppy in an
appropriate leash and harness.
Retractable leashes allow you
to control how
far puppy wanders from you without him tugging or pulling. By hooking the leash to a harness, your puppy
won’t be choked
if he tries to outreach the leash lead.
Grooming Brush or Mitt
Brushing your
puppy regularly keeps his coat looking nice and feels good to your pet. And just as important, this is time for you
and your
puppy to bond.
Toys
Playing with
toys helps puppy’s balance and motor skills.
Chew toys can help him shed his baby teeth. Choose indestructible toys and stay away from
toys and toy parts that can be swallowed.
Safety
You’ll soon see
that a curious puppy will explore anything and everything he can reach. And he doesn’t know which things are
puppy-safe. “Puppy-proof” your house by
doing these important things:
Traveling with
Puppy in a Car:
Feeding Your Puppy
At first, it’s
important to feed your puppy the same thing he was eating before you brought
him home. As he gets used to his new
environment you can gradually introduce the food you chose. Many commercial foods are acceptable but be
sure to choose a well-balanced one.
Consult your
veterinarian for how much and how often to feed your puppy. It will depend on his energy level.
Choose a
convenient place to feed your puppy and use this spot consistently. Be sure to clean your puppy’s dishes before
every use and always give him fresh water at each feeding.
Store-bought
puppy treats are fine to give him, but they are actually full of fat. Be aware of how many treats your puppy eats
and try to adjust the amount of food in his regular meals accordingly. Giving table scraps is never a good
idea. They throw off the balance in
nutrition in your puppy’s diet and can upset his stomach. And if you don’t feed your puppy from the
table or your plate, he won’t learn to beg for food.
Loving
Puppy
One of the
healthiest things you can do for your puppy is give him lots of love and
attention. Dogs are extremely loyal by
nature and are happy when they please you.
Their ancestors, wolves, ran in packs, so you can understand that puppy
can get lonely if you don’t spend enough time with him. Studies show that emotionally, dogs benefit
from 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’s
dirty or smelly; bathing too often can cause dry skin. It helps to brush puppy’s coat before the
bath. Use the proper dog shampoo,
lukewarm water, and gently scrub from head to tail, taking care not to get soap
or water in eyes or ears. Rinse
thoroughly and stand back. Puppy will
shake, shake, shake! Dry with a towel or
hairdryer (not to hot!) as quickly as possible so puppy doesn’t get cold. Bathing is an opportunity to check for fleas,
ticks
and skin
problems.
Caring for Teeth
A healthy diet
keeps teeth clean and gums healthy.
However, tartar will inevitably build up so have puppy’s teeth checked
regularly by a veterinarian. Between
visits you can brush puppy’s teeth yourself with special pet toothpaste and a
soft brush.
Like children,
puppies will lose their baby teeth.
Between three and six months old baby teeth will gradually fall out and
are replaced with permanent teeth. A
mixture of soft and hard food, puppy biscuits, or hard rubber chew toys will
help loosen baby teeth naturally.
Clipping Nails
Clip puppy’s
nails about every six weeks using special dog clippers. Some owners prefer to have a veterinarian do
the clipping because it’s a delicate task to keep from clipping into the
quick. However, just using a nail file
will often help keep nails in check without the danger of
cutting into the “quick” of the nail.
Training
and Discipline
One of the
most common reasons so many puppies and dogs end up in shelters or pounds is
behavior problems. Now that you have a
puppy, you also have a responsibility to train your puppy to behave. Teaching him to act appropriately in all
situations will ensure safe and enjoyable times for you, your puppy and other
people with which he comes in contact.
There are many
philosophies on disciplining and training puppies and dogs. Read about several before making your
decision, especially if
you decide to
take discipline or training classes.
Some methods are based on punitive principles but the preferred methods
these days are
reward and
praised based methods. The goal should
be to communicate with your pet about the difference between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior so that you can get along at
home and when socializing. Repetition
and consistency are the keys to achieving this.
Socializing Puppy
Like people, your puppy needs to learn
how to act around others and in places outside his home. Help build his confidence by introducing him
to the family right away. Watch him
carefully so you can offer safety and reassurance if he seems frightened; but
over time he will learn to be with other people and display appropriate
behavior. Introduce puppy to
birds and cats
and squirrels (carefully). Go hiking or walking in your neighborhood or a park
where there are lots of
people.
These things will help puppy feel comfortable in social settings and
keep him from acting inappropriately because he is afraid
(aggressive or out of control).
Disciplining
Puppy
You should
start disciplining your puppy right away.
Use a firm “NO!” and lots of praise to differentiate between things you
want him to do and things you don’t. Two
things 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 him
for chewing the toy.
Potty Training Puppy
Your should
start potty training right away. You may
want to seek out the help of a trainer to assist in potty training, but with
consistency
and repetition
you can do it yourself. Start by
committing to take puppy outside as soon as he wakes up, before and after every
meal, after a round of play, and at least once during the night. Always take him to the same spot so he starts
to 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 the
same phrase every time. Always praise
puppy each time
he goes potty outside. Again, reward the
behavior you like by praising puppy. A
low calorie treat will also help your
puppy know that he has been “good.”
If puppy goes
potty inside and you catch him in the act, tell him “no” emphatically, then
take him outside to THE POTTY SPOT and
tell him to
“go potty.” You may have heard or been
advised to rub puppy’s nose in the potty when he goes inside but this is bad
advice.
It is
unsanitary and there are better praise-based methods for training your
puppy. If you don’t catch him in the act
of going inside, do not
scold
him. Too much time has passed for puppy
to understand what he has done wrong.
Just clean up the mess and wait for the next opportunity to teach.
As you can
see, 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 leave
your 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 hours
or so and give him a chance to go potty outside.

Crate
Training
Many people
believe that their dogs view crates as cages and, as a result, will not
consider crating their beloved buddy.
Veterinarians say that cages actually satisfy a dog’s denning instinct.
Not only can a
crate prevent a puppy from potential injury running free in the house, it also
help to housebreak the puppy. Crates,
whether made of plastic or metal, should be tall and wide enough for the dog to
stand up and turn around comfortably.
They can contain water, one
or two toys
and a terry towel for warmth. Newspapers
should not be used in the crate because the dog may confuse the area with one
that is acceptable for urination.
Training
begins in the morning as it is important to integrate the training schedule
into one that is followed in the household.
Once the dog is taken out of the crate and has been given food and
water, it should be placed outside to urinate or defecate. It is important for the dog to
associate
being taken out of the crate with being put outside. This will help housebreak your pet and soon
it will associate a sense of freedom when taken out of the crate. At first, puppies six to eight weeks old will
need to be taken out every three or four hours to initiate the housebreaking
pattern. Older dogs can be left in for
longer periods of time and will then need to be placed outside and receive
plenty of
exercise.
The crate
should be wiped out daily with a mild disinfectant or soap and water. If the dog has urinated or defecated in the
crate, it will need
to be cleaned
more frequently.
Placement of
the crate is also important. The dog
should not feel isolated. An area that
the pet can hear and see people is recommended.
When the owner
can visually supervise the dog, it can be let out for short periods of
time. While some dogs may adjust to the
crate training
more rapidly
than others, be patient.
After the pet becomes
accustomed to the crate and times of day it is expected to be in the crate, it
will seek the area on his own without the prompting of the owner. Not only will the pet go in the crate during
appropriate times of the day, but he may also seek out the crate when
he needs a
sense of security. Feeling poorly and
the onset of bad weather are two occasions when a dog may go to the crate on
his own.
Once the dog
has become familiar with crate training, the owner can allow the dog to roam
freely in the house when away for short periods
of time.
The length of free time in the house can gradually increase as the dog’s
destructive behavior is curbed by the crate training.
Dogs of any
age can benefit from crate training.
While some owners consider crate training a lifetime commitment, others
merely want to
instill trust
in the dog when the house will be unoccupied.
Dos and Don’ts
for Crate Training:
DO:
DON’T:
The trick is
to take as much time as the dog needs and keep linking the crate to the good
things in life: snacks, snoozes and
security!
Preventing
Illness

It won’t take
you long to start noticing traits and behavior characteristics of your
puppy. This will serve you well. If puppy acts out
of character at
any time you should pay attention because you may be noticing symptoms of an
illness.
Besides
generally being “in touch” with your puppy, there are regimented measures you
can take to prevent illness.
always
fatal, the best approach is prevention.
recommends.
Vaccinations and boosters are routinely handled at these check-ups and
missing even one injection could put your pet
at risk for disease.
is easy. Ask your
veterinarian.
Having
Fun with your Puppy
Ways to have
fun with your puppy are endless! Be
creative. The more your puppy does and
sees, the more confident, happy and socialized he will be.
so
you can see how quickly your puppy grows.
always
make sure you can see the ground or bottom through the water.
to come.
he
does the trick will have him sitting and shaking hands in no time!