PAW PRINT’S
PUPPY CARE GUIDE
Supplies You
May Need :
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Collar & Leash
(halter for smaller puppies and dogs) |
I.D. tag |
TOYS: Nyla bones, Kong toys, cow hooves or
knuckles bones |
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Crate/taxi cab kennel |
Nail clippers |
Plush,
squeaky toys |
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Food/water bowls |
Slicker brush |
Tennis balls |
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Treats for training |
Puppy shampoo |
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Eukanuba small breed puppy food |
Stain remover for accidental soilings |
*Please no small or thin rawhides as puppies chew these
up and ingest them which swell in their tummies and cause bloating, possibly death |
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PUPPY PROOFING:
Before your puppy arrives you should puppy-proof your
home. Electrical cords, toys with small
parts, plastic bags, any sharp objects and even garbage pails are all potential
hazards to your puppy. Medications,
insecticides, mouse poisons, household cleaners, and especially antifreeze are
sweet tasting to your dog and need to be out of reach. Houseplants: dieffenbachia, philodendron,
azalea, English Ivy,, and caladiums and possibly others as well are
poisonous. Make sure your puppy has
nylabones, knuckles bones, ect… to chew on to help prevent the temptation of
inviting plants and other household items.
NATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CENTER # 1-900-680-0000.
TAKING YOUR
PUPPY HOME:
Your puppy is probably more excited then you are so contain
your own excitement as much as possible to help your puppy adjust. Your puppy will either welcome or fear the
car ride and may even get carsick.
Upon arriving at home make sure your puppy is safely on a leash to avoid
him/her from dashing away and possibly getting run over.
Children need to be
calm and no sudden moves as this frightens a puppy the most in his/her new
environment. You want to make this an
enjoyable experience for the puppy to adjust better and quicker. Teach the children how to hold, handle, and
respect the puppy.
By now your puppy probably needs to relieve itself from the
long ride and excitement. Make sure
this is done before going inside. After
that show the puppy to it’s water and food as it may need a drink or need to
eat. Your puppy may not be hungry right
away or may not want to eat when you want it to. This is why the first few weeks, it’s better to leave free choice
food for the puppy until he/she can make adjustments to it’s new environment
and home and family.
The puppy’s crate is off limits to everyone but the
puppy. That is his/her personal,
private space to get away from all the overwhelming outside world. This crate is used for housetraining, and
left open for the puppy to return to when he/she is tired. Expect a few accidents. Making an adjustment from our home to yours
may require a refresher course in housetraining. Set up a regular schedule and take your puppy outside frequently
to eliminate, preferably by the same door.
Be patient and reward with lots of praise. A frightened puppy is hard to train.
SOCIALIZATION:
Your puppy needs that human socialization, love and security,
to establish a person-dog relationship.
Your puppy needs plenty of play area and time with you. Socialization means taking the puppy with
you wherever and whenever possible.
During the puppy’s first months, the number and quality of different
situations, people and events the puppy socializes with can affect it for the
rest of the pup’s life. Take your dog
to public parks, dog events, or drives.
If you intend your pet to be a member of your family, treat it like one.
DO NOT TIE your dog.
This causes distrust to who did the tying and induces aggression as this
takes away the dog’s defense to run away from frightening or harmful
situations.
CRATE
TRAINING/HOUSEBREAKING:
Crating is based
on the idea that dogs are denning animals.
In the wild, canine species use a small cave or dug out for sleeping,
protection, and having pups. However they
do not spend the day in their den.
Crating is useful but may be over used and improperly used. Using a crate makes it easier to supervise
and prevent the puppy from having complete access to the house. Also since the puppies have a natural
tendency not to soil their den or sleeping areas the puppy will more likely
eliminate outside. However problems
can arise if the crate is over used.
Puppies cannot control their little bladders or bowels for hours,
especially not an entire day. Leaving
the puppy in the crate 8-10 hours is not useful in housetraining. The puppy needs to be released from the
crate when the puppy needs to eliminate.
A puppy forced to soil in the crate will be much more difficult to
train.
Crate training
may be accomplished in several days or may take weeks, depending on the pup’s
age. Don’t expect too much too
fast.
Introducing your
puppy to the crate with a nice towel or rug to lie on and a favorite toy will
make the crate a better experience.
Keep the new puppy at bedside during the night, you’ll want to be able
to hear the puppy whine when it needs to go outside. At bedtime take the puppy on a final evening walk, then straight
to the crate. A puppy will fuss a bit
and whine but should settle down. Don’t
let the pup out of the crate if he/she starts to fuss or association to fussing
means getting free. Wait til the pup
becomes calm. If it becomes
unreasonably vocal a few squirts from a water bottle should do the trick,
making sure the pup isn’t frightened or needs to go outside. Once the puppy is sleeping through the
night you may move the crate to a more suitable location.
Make sure to
give the commands “kennel up” for putting the puppy in the crate and “outside” for going to the door and “go piddle”
when in the yard for a bathroom break.
Praise the puppy every time it eliminates where it should. During waking hours take the pup outside
every couple hours. A young puppy has
no bladder control and needs to eliminate after eating, drinking, sleeping, and
playing.
NEVER scold your
puppy when an accident occurs. Scolding
only teaches your dog to fear you or repeat the bad behavior when you are out
of sight. Instead scoop up the mess and
take it to the location you want your puppy to eliminate. The pup will find it, sniff it, and soon get
the idea. If you catch the puppy, a
firm “NO” or throwing an object to the floor to distract the puppy, quickly and
immediately take the puppy outside to finish eliminating.
Good nutrition
plays an important role here as it helps with minimal stool production, fewer
trips to the bathroom, and small firm stools for easy clean up. Cheaper brand foods make softer stools and
more of them as the puppy eats more trying to get the nutrition out of it the
pup needs.
CRATING WHILE
LEFT ALONE:
After your puppy is spending short periods in the crate
without becoming anxious or afraid while you are there, you may begin leaving
the pup crated alone while you are gone.
Use the “kennel up” command and vary the times when you put your puppy
in the crate during the process of leaving.
Praise your puppy briefly and give a tidbit then quietly leave. Do not make departures long and emotional
and vary the time you put your puppy in the crate between 2 to 20 minutes prior
to leaving. Only crate your puppy for
short periods of time. When you arrive
back home do not reward your puppy for excited behavior and keep arrivals low
key. Reserve playfulness for after the
puppy has been let outside and has calmed down. Continue to crate your puppy for short periods of time when you
are home so that he/she does not associate the crating with being left alone.
FEEDING:
Puppies attain 80% of their growth in 6-12 months. They burn double the calories mature dogs do
so from weaning til 1 year old your puppy should be fed the best puppy food
available (dry food is best). We like
to use the Eukanuba
puppy for the first year and then Iams after the puppy is 12 months old. Another good food is Science Diet. Only the dry is recommended unless your
puppy is not feeling or eating well for some reason. Canned is bad for their teeth and is mostly water. For the first twelve weeks we like to keep
free choice food available to our puppies until night when the food and water
is picked up to avoid those late night outings. From there you may feed your puppy 3-4 times daily, gradually
reducing it to morning and evening feedings by five months of age. At about a year switch to a maintenance
kibble, again gradually by mixing it with the puppy food. We like to use the Iams mini
chunks.
SNACKS:
Doggy biscuits, doggy treats, tidbits, small pieces of meats
are okay if you are using them as training aids, such as calling them to the
door, potty training, tricks, ect…
Instead of doing this every time though try treating your dog 3 out 4
and rewarding with praise more often then treats. That way curiosity will draw the pup’s attention toward you ,ore
rather taking the tidbit for granted.
Do not use the food as a bribe but rather a reward, for instance do not
stand by the door and wave the treat as you call. This is allowing the puppy a choice in whether to come or not. Get the dog inside then present the treat
and praise. Table scraps are a no-no,
especially in smaller breeds where choking is a hazard as well as bloating and
not being able to digest the scrap. As
we all do, look at them irresistible begging eyes and can’t help ourselves, but
remember very little and in small amounts only. Dairy products are hard for dogs to digest. NO spicy food, chicken bones, or
chocolate!!!
HELPFUL HINTS:
Your puppy so very much wants to please you so lots of praise
and love for good behavior.
Your pup knows little or no English. Your puppy only understands body signals and
movement and tone of voice right now.
One or two words for commands is best.
“Sit” is not a six syllable word.
More than one person at a time giving commands will confuse the puppy.
Your puppy doesn’t know your street address. They wander off chasing squirrels, children,
or even other dogs and can’t find their way back. Leashes and yard fences will keep your dog from getting lost or
run over.
Being alone out in the yard is not exercise and it’s lonely
and boring. Your puppy will find ways
to expend the energy destructively if left this way. Long walks, games of fetch, frisbee, and agility events are all
good ways for you and your dog to get along better and make that special
bonding relationship.
VACCINATIONS:
Most puppies receive their first vaccination between 5-6 weeks of age and continue receiving a series of follow ups until they are 6 months old. An annual booster ensures their protection for life. I have a vaccination program already started with each puppy and you must talk to your vet to do the follow up program. Each puppy leaves here with it’s vaccination record to show your vet.
SPAYING/NEUTERING:
Spayed and neutered pets have a longer life span and a decreased risk of cancer. The basic disposition and temperament of your dog will not be changed. Neutering your male will make him more tolerant of other males, but neither spaying nor neutering will turn your dog into a lazy obese animal.
Benefits will include not having to worry about accidental
breedings, stress and inconvenience during the season, and unwanted
puppies. A litter of puppies is a lot
of work and a big responsibility. The
spayed dog will not develop uterine infections or tumors of the reproductive
system as many unsprayed females do.
Neutered males will not be stressed or upset with neighboring
females and are less tempted to escape or wander off. Also a neutered male will not lift it’s leg in your house marking
his territory. A neutered male will not
develop testicular cancer and the risk of prostrate cancer is lowered.
Some veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering at a very
young age, five to six months. The
procedure has greatly improved over the years so that is safe at a young
age.
I highly suggest getting your male neutered early before the
hormones develop and he starts raising his leg on everything! Including your guests who stop by that have
their doggy smell on them.
(The following is taken
from the “TEN COMMANDMENTS” of the software program CANIS and are used
with permission by the Centron Software Technologies, Inc.)
PLEASE READ:
My life is likely to last ten or fifteen years. Any separation from you will be painful for
me. Remember that, before you buy me.
Give me time to understand what you want from me.
Place your trust in me, it’s crucial for my well-being.
Don’t be angry at me for long, and don’t lock me up for
punishment. You have your work, your
entertainment, your friends, I only have you.
Talk to me sometimes. Even
if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice when it is speaking
to me.
Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget it.
Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that can easily crush
the bones of your hand but I choose not to bite you.
Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy,
ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps, I am not getting the right food, or I’ve been out in the
sun too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.
Take care of me when I get old; You too will grow old.
Go with me on difficult journeys.
Never say “I can’t bear to watch it,” or “let it happen in my
absence.” Everything is easier for me
if you are there.
Remember, I Love You.
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