Getting a New Puppy -What do I Need to Know
Getting a new puppy can be both an exciting time and an
uncertain one. You have this new living, breathing, chewing
addition to your family and you aren't sure what to do next.
Setup an Appointment with Your Local Vet
The first thing you should do once you have gotten your new
puppy home is set up an appointment with your local
veterinarian to have your new pet examined. Your
veterinarian will be able to detect or rule out any potential,
congenital, or acquired problems. He or she will also be
able to help you decide on the vaccination schedule that suits
your pet's needs. This brings me to the first of my top
three topics when speaking to a new pet owner.
Get your Puppy Vaccinated
Vaccinations are an essential part of keeping your pet safe,
healthy, and happy. There are a number of things your
veterinarian may
want to vaccinate your pet for depending
on your pets age, prior vaccination history, environment and so
forth.
Top Two Diseases Vaccinations Will Prevent
The two diseases that are in my opinion at the top of the list
for puppy vaccines are canine distemper and canine parvovirus.
Both diseases are potentially fatal diseases for dogs, especially
puppies, but they can be easily prevented by proper vaccination
of your pet. Remember that it is always necessary to have your
pet's vaccines boostered (a booster shot is a dose of an
immunizing substance given to maintain or renew the effect of
a previous one).
Spay or Neuter Your Puppy
The second thing that I discuss with new puppy owners is
spaying or neutering their dog. Spaying and/ or neutering your
dog simply makes he or she a better companion in many cases.
There are numerous health reasons why it is beneficial to
alter your pet at an early age, not to mention your
responsibility as a pet owner to help control the overall
pet population.
The Health Benefits of Spaying or Neutering
Health benefits include:
A decreased incidence in certain types of diseases specific
to both male and female dogs, ensuring that your female dog
will not have a potentially fatal disease called pyometra
(infected uterus)
Eliminating the chance of any pregnancy or birthing problems
Mental health benefits.
The bottom line is that if your pet was not bred or intended
to be a breeding animal, then it is in their best interest and
yours to have them spayed or neutered.
Heartworm Disease and Prevention
The last of the three topics that I discuss with new pet
ownersis heartworm disease and heartworm prevention.
Every day I speak to
people who have no idea what heartworm
disease is, where it comes from, or how to prevent it. Most
of these people are fantastic pet owners and would do anything
to keep their family members safe and healthy. The problem is
either a lack of client/ owner education or misinformation/
misunderstanding of the disease.
How are Heartworms Spread?
Heartworms are spread to dogs by the mosquito. When an
infected mosquito takes blood from a dog, the heartworm is
passed to the dog where it slowly makes its way to the heart
and stays. Over time the infection becomes worse with larger
numbers of worms infecting the heart and reproducing, making
this a downward cycle for your pet's health.
Diagnosing Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease can easily be diagnosed by your
veterinarian with the use of a simple blood test. Thankfully,
most cases I diagnose are asymptomatic cases and the dog is
diagnosed on his or her yearly physical exam. Dogs with
heartworm disease can be treated effectively and go on to
lead happy and healthy lives.
The point of this topic is to make it so that we are treating
our pets less for diseases like these and spending more time
and often less money preventing these diseases.
What Types of Heart Worm Prevention are There?
There are a wide variety of different types of heartworm
prevention available - from a monthly tablet to a topical
solution, and even an injection that is administered every six
months. Not all medicines are appropriate for all animals.
Ask your veterinarian what he or she recommends to use as
a heartworm preventative for your dog.
Our pets are our best friends and all they do is give us
unconditional love. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves
and do what we can to give them the happiest and healthiest
lives possible. If you have a new puppy or you simply have a dog
who has not been to see your veterinarian, then please contact
your local vet today and set up an appointment. Your dog will
thank you for it.
Why Puppies Need Special Food
Just like babies, puppies require a diet that is different from
adult dogs. The reason for this is exactly the same as the
reason for babies needing different food to grown human beings,
different nutritional needs and different processing abilities.
Younger puppies have a considerable amount of growing to do in
order to reach their adult size and in order to grow to that size
and remain healthy, it is imperative that they obtain the right
levels of vitamins and minerals their bodies need.
There are many
things to think about when you look at
bringing a new puppy into your family. From how to
pick
out the right puppy for you to what you will need to
prepare
for your puppy's arrival, there is so much to plan
for! The
planning doesn’t stop after your newest family member
comes
home either. The life of a new puppy owner is almost
as
hectic as the life of a new parent; however,
fortunately
for a new puppy owner, the baby phase is much shorter
and
much less expensive than having a human child.
Bringing a New Puppy Home: Everyone On Board?
The first thing that you should take into
consideration when
you are looking to bring home a new puppy is whether everyone
in your household is on board. From roommates to family
members, it is important to make sure that every single member
of the family is happy about the newest addition. Adding a new
puppy
to a family that is not completely welcoming can be
difficult
both for family members as well as the puppy itself.
Puppies are extremely sensitive to changes in behavior
and mood
so living with an individual who resents the puppy can
cause the
dog undue stress. There also exists the possibility
that bringing
a new puppy home to a household where not everyone is
accepting
could open the puppy up to abuse – some roommates have
been
known to feed dogs beer when the dog’s owner wasn’t
home
simply because they felt no sincere attachment to the
dog and
wanted to “see what would happen.”
The Owners' (and Families') Responsibilities
Once everyone is on board to bring your new dog home
it is
of them once the dog comes home. Taking care of a new
dog
(especially a puppy) is hard work and involves a
variety of
chores. Someone must be willing to feed your new
puppy,
walk it, pick up after it when it goes to the
bathroom, train
it in basic obedience, reinforce housebreaking, and
someone
must even be willing to play with the puppy.
Some of these tasks can become extremely
repetitive
(particularly taking your dog out to reinforce potty
training)
so it sometimes helps to put chores on a rotating
schedule so
that no one family member comes to resent the new
puppy due
to their repetitive chores. Aside from the chores of
puppy
ownership there are also the more fun duties such as
whose
room the puppy’s crate will be placed in, who will get
to wash
the puppy, who will get to shop for (or pick out)
toys. If there
are younger children in the household it is important
to highlight
the positive as well as the not so positive chores of
taking care
of a new dog.
Getting Your House Ready For Your Puppy
Now that the chores have been designated and
your puppy has
been selected it is time to puppy proof your
house. Puppies, for
the most part, will chew. Puppies will chew
anything and
everything they can get their teeth on so it is
important to
emphasize picking up toys and clothes that should not
become
puppy food. It is important not only for the safety of
your
possessions but also for the safety of the puppy –
intestinal
obstructions from ingested toys and clothing cost
thousands to
remove and put the safety of your puppy at risk.
Just as with children it is also important that you
childproof
items like electrical sockets that your puppy can reach,
tie up
and cover wires that can be chewed and remove small
items
that can be choked on from your puppy’s reach. Puppy
proofing
a house does not just entail proofing items in the
house but it
also includes teaching children in the house
acceptable and
unacceptable behaviors when it comes to their new
family
member. Toddlers especially have a difficult time
understanding
the importance of gentle play, not only can rough play
scare an
eight week old puppy but it can also physically hurt
the dog as
well.
Young children should also be warned about the
sharpness of
puppy teeth and reminded to keep their hands out of
the puppy’s
mouth. A helpful trick to teach young children is to
have them
give the puppy an acceptable puppy chew toy in
replacement of
the hand that the puppy was trying to chew on.Lastly
it is
important to teach a child that they should never wake
a
sleeping dog. Like people puppies are unaware of
their
surroundings when they are sleeping and being shocked
awake
by a young toddler can lead to biting
incidences.
Bringing a Puppy Home: Must Have Items
Now your family is ready to accept your new puppy and
your
house is puppy proofed it’s time to go shopping for
those must
have items for your new family member. Most people
tend to
overshop for their new puppy and there are really only
a few
items that absolutely have to be on the puppy
list.
These include:
List of Must-Have Items for a New Puppy
Stainless steel bowls (stainless steel bowls are more
sanitary
and less likely to cause puppy acne)
A crate that is just big enough for your puppy to
stand in;
dividers can be purchased for larger crates to make
them
smaller and prevent the need for buying more than
one
(crates give your puppy somewhere safe to sleep and
assist with
housebreaking and training)
Carpet cleaner (there will be accidents)
Bedding for the crate (a large blanket or a fleece
crate liner)
An entertaining teething toy .
A comforting item (a soft toy that mimics a heartbeat
or a
t-shirt that has been rubbed on the puppy’s mother or siblings –
just be sure this doesn’t get ripped and
ingested)
A bag of dog food.
Finding the Right Dog Food for Your New Puppy
Picking a dog food for your new puppy can be
incredibly
confusing. With so many dog food brands it can be
extremely
difficult to pick one that is right for your dog and
one that
works with your budget. Most breed specific rescues,
breeders
and shelters will all have a puppy chow that they have
been
feeding their puppy, it is important if you intend on
changing
away from this food that you do so gradually,
replacing ¼ of
the old puppy chow with ¼ of the new puppy chow over
the
course of a few days until you are feeding all new
puppy chow.
Check With Your Previous Owner/ Shelter
When you talk to the current owner about your puppy
make sure
to ask why they are feeding a certain food. Often
times puppies
are fed a certain brand of puppy chow due to special
offers
shelters receive on that brand, sometimes breeders
have great
results with a certain brand of puppy chow and use it
for that
reason and sometimes the particular puppy you may be
looking at
might have a food allergy and be on a special needs
puppy chow
diet. Whatever the reason your puppy is feeding on a
certain
food brand it is important for you to know before you
switch
your puppy to a new food. If you are considering
switching your
new puppy to a different brand of food do so gradually
as
stated above.
Finding Good Quality Puppy Food
Need a little help in picking a good puppy chow?
Look at the
ingredients list, a good quality dog food can be
determined
from the first three ingredients on the list. A dry
dog kibble
that lists grains as the first ingredients should be
passed over
for a better quality food that lists meat as the
first
ingredients.
It is also crucial that you feed your puppy
a puppy formulated food as the needs of a young
dog are much
different to the needs of an adult dog.
Finding a Veterinarian for Your Puppy
So now your family is ready, your home is ready,
you’ve
been shopping and you’ve picked out your food, what’s
next?
Finding a good vet to help you take care of your new
family
member! It may seem silly to find a vet for your new
puppy
before you have even brought it home but it is
important to
find a vet that you are comfortable with before your
puppy is
in need of veterinary care. One great way to find a
vet is to
ask friends who they use, or ask your breeder, shelter
manager
or rescue group owner who they can recommend in your
area.
Don’t be afraid to visit vets offices and interview
vets to find
one that you are comfortable with. It is important
that you are
completely comfortable with your vet since it is
entirely possible
that you will be visiting them more than once a year for shots –
because some dogs are just born making trouble!
Schedule Your Puppy Shots and Vaccinations in Advance
You can also find out from your shelter, breeder, or
rescue
group when your puppy is due for its next round of
puppy shots
and set up an appointment with your new vet to get
these shots
done on time. It is crucial for your puppy’s health
that it stays
current on vaccinations so if your puppy does not come
with all of
its puppy shots it is your job to find out when they
are due and
make sure they get done.
Welcoming a New Puppy Into Your Home: Checklist
So now you are ready to bring your puppy home, what
should you
know about bringing your puppy home? Firstly it is
important to
remember that your puppy has only been in the world
for a very
short time and as such it will be fragile and
sensitive to sound
and touch as well as changes in its routine.
Establish a Routine for Your Puppy
It is important to establish a routine from the
beginning of
your puppy’s life and enforce it as closely as
possible. It is also
important to refrain from over stimulating your puppy during
its
first few months of life. Puppies sleep a lot and the reason
for
this is because they grow a lot. It is advised that you
resist the
urge to wake up your puppy every few seconds to play with it
as
though it were a toy, much the same as babies; puppies need
as
much sleep as they can get. You will find that as your puppy
ages
it will become more playful and you will find yourself
wishing that
you had those sleepy days of puppyhood back! You should
also
always be conscious of your puppy’s whereabouts; many
trainers
attach a leash to their belt look and carry the puppy
everywhere
with them to ensure that the puppy is not getting
in to something
it shouldn’t be.
Housetraining Your New
Puppy
What else should you be working on with your
puppy from
day one? Housetraining is always the big one on the list of
things to work on. Puppies can be very easily housetrained by
ensuring that someone is available for the first few weeks of
its life to let it out every few hours. If someone is available
24/7 the fastest way to housetrain your puppy is to
take them
out every hour on the hour as well as immediately following naps,
playtimes and mealtimes. Such repetitive actions will quickly
teach your puppy that it is
expected to use the bathroom outside.
How Long Can My Puppy Go Without Peeing?
If you are not available 24/7 it is a good rule of
thumb to
remember that your puppy can hold its bladder for one
hour for
each month of age plus one, so a four month old puppy
can hold
its bladder for five hours; however, particularly
young puppies
have very little control over their bladder muscles
and as a
result they have accidents. Accidents should be
reprimanded
with a short firm “no” and cleaned up, if you do not
catch your
puppy in the act do not reprimand them. Remember,
they are
learning - they have no idea what's good and
bad, and the way
to teach them is through positive reinforcement, not
by being
mean and condescending.
Once your puppy reaches six months old they should be able to
fully hold their bladder for up to seven
hours; however it is not
recommend that you frequently make your puppy
hold their
bladder for such a long period of time. Imagine if you
had to
hold it for that long!
Obtaining a Crate for Your Puppy
Leaving a puppy home alone can be a huge step for a
new puppy
parent, there is constant worry about what the
little guy is up
to which is why it is recommended that you crate your
puppy
from the beginning. The crate not only gives your
puppy a safe
place to sleep but it also keeps your puppy safe from
getting in
to danger when you are out of the house. When leaving
your
puppy in its crate you should always remember to
return home
for potty breaks or to hire a dog walker who can do
this for
you. There is also the option of doggy daycare after
your puppy
has been spayed or neutered and has received all of
their shots.
Doggy daycares offer your dog the chance to socialize
with other
dogs and develop social skills as well as run off all that
extra
energy that you can’t seem to burn off on your
daily walks!
Teaching Your Puppy Social Skills
Social skills must also be taught to your puppy in the form
of
formal training classes. Training classes are not only of
benefit
to you by giving you a well behaved dog, but they are
also of
benefit to others who experience your dog, as well as to
your
dog itself. Dogs thrive from structure, routine and
having a
purpose. As your dogs master you give it a purpose each
and
every time you issue a command and it obeys you,
something
as simple as “sit–stay” can bring more joy to your dog
than
you could ever imagine!
Basic puppy training classes will serve to introduce your
puppy
to other puppies as well as teach them the basic
commands
expected of them including: sit, stay, down, off, leave it,
heel
and wait. After graduating puppy class with your puppy it is
also
recommended that you enroll in a more advanced obedience
class
to firm up the lessons that your puppy recently learned as
well
as to ensure that your dog does not turn in to one of those
dogs
who drags its master through café at peak business hours
in
pursuit of a cream puff. Following obedience classes if you
are
so inclined you can even research specialty classes to turn
your
dog into a therapy dog, a dock dog, a hunting dog, a search
and
rescue dog, a tracking dog, an agility dog and much more!
Puppyhood is a time of joy, much like new parenthood;
however,
that joy on four legs also has ways of testing you to your
limits.
There will be nights of howling, accidents on the carpet and
perhaps even that emergency trip to the vet at3am after
your
dog contracts giardia from infected lake water (this can
be
avoided by keeping your puppy inside until your vet
recommends
that it be allowed outdoors, as well as avoiding standing
water!),
but in the long run puppyhood can be one of the most
rewarding
moments of a dog parents life. Take every day as it comes
and
always keep in mind that while you are frustrated with
your
new puppy’s lack of understanding, your new puppy is just
as
bewildered by what you are asking it to do. Take
puppyhood
and add a lesson of patience and you’ll enjoy watching
your
newest family member growing old with your family.
Common Mistakes Made by Puppy Owners
The first few weeks of owning a puppy can be tiring
and
frustrating. It is common during this time, even for those
who
have had puppies before, to make some common mistakes.
While all new parents make mistakes, it is important to
be
able to recognize them and avoid repeating them in order
to
raise a healthy well balanced dog. There are a number
of
common mistakes that puppy owners make, whether they
are first time puppy owners or not.
Taking Him Out of the Crate
Many puppy owners choose to crate train their dogs.
Crate
training is a great idea for many reasons but primarily
because
it provides a dog with a safe personal space where they
are
unable to harm themselves when not being watched.
Unfortunately, many dog owners who claim allegiance to
crate
training give up after their first sleepless night. It is
not
uncommon for puppies to cry through the night when they
are
first placed in their crate. Many new dog parents
especially,
find this crying heartbreaking and decide to take their
puppy
out and let it sleep on their bed instead. While allowing
your
dog to sleep on your bed is not necessarily a bad idea,
allowing
a puppy to sleep on your bed may be. Puppies do not have
the
bladder control that older dogs have and allowing a puppy
to
sleep on your bed may soon result in accidents. Accidents
are
not the biggest concern with taking a puppy out of his crate
at
nighttime however. Responding to a puppy’s cries when they
are
unhappy in their crate lets your dog know that they can cry
for
you and get what they want. This behavior may make you
feel
needed but when your dog continues it in their adult years
it can
become annoying and problematic particularly if you live in
an
apartment or a townhouse.
If your puppy cries when placed in their crate at night try
to
help them to fall asleep by covering their cage to leave
them in
darkness. If you feel that your puppy may be “missing
home”
you can try placing a ticking clock outside their crate or
playing
a heartbeat sound effect to try to soothe them. In the long
run
however, the best thing you can do for your puppy is to let
them
fall to sleep by themselves. Do not allow your dog to “rule
the
roost” even at 8 weeks old.
Picking Her Up
There are two reasons that we pick our puppies up, one is
that
we want to cuddle with them; the other is that we are
afraid
for them. Both of these reasons are poor reasons and can
result
in severe maladjustment for an adult dog.
Turning Your Dog into a Person
There is nothing wrong with cuddling and playing with your
new
puppy, but try to limit picking them up to do so.
Constantly
holding your dog can make them begin to feel as though
they
are human and can encourage behavior that causes
dominance
struggles within your home. Your dog should understand
that
their place is on the floor where they are not equal to
you.
For the same reason that you are discouraged from getting
on
the floor with your dog to play in “their territory,” you
should
not bring your dog in to your territory. It is difficult not
to want
to cuddle your new puppy every
minute of the day but try
to limit affection to petting and playing behaviors rather
than
constantly lifting your dog up and holding them.
Turning Your Dog into a Nervous Wreck
Just as we do with human children, most of us have the
instinct
to protect our dogs. This instinct is particularly strong
when we
have new puppies that are so small and appear so
defenseless.
As dog owners we become nervous when an 80lb dog comes
lumbering towards our 12lb puppy and our first instinct is
usually
to pick them up. It is important not to give in to this
instinct
however, because it encourages fear rather than curiosity in
a
puppy. Puppies are naturally curious and the only way they
can
learn to socialize with and understand other dogs is
through
interaction with them. If you have concerns as to whether
an
approaching dog is friendly, simply ask their owner if their
dog is
friendly and if you can allow your puppy to greet them.
Picking up
a dog because we are afraid for them instills that same fear
in
the dog and leads to a terrified and mentally unstable grown
dog.
Allowing Hiding Behavior
Hiding behavior is another behavior that should be
discouraged.
Just as some of us are driven to pick up our puppy when we
feel
afraid for them, many of us allow our dogs to hide behind us
as
well. This type of behavior should not be cooed at or
encouraged
in any way because it also encourages fear that can lead to
a
fearful adult dog. If your puppy tries to hide behind you
simply
push them forward and encourage them to face what they
are
hiding from.
It should be noted that if at ANY time your puppy
shows
extreme fear responses along with hiding behavior or
begging
to be picked up, immediate professional intervention should
be
sought. Extreme fear responses include snapping, biting or
fear
based urination.
Feeding Table Scraps
Feeding table scraps is one of the hardest habits to
break
which is why it should never be started. Eating at a
family
dinner can make you feel guilty, particularly if your 9
week
old puppy is watching and drooling over your pot roast. It
is
important not to give in to feeding table scraps
however,
because once you feed your puppy one scrap of food
they
will come to expect food every time you eat at the
table.
Not only is human food unhealthy and the cause of a
number
of common dog ailments such as pancreatitis, but it is
also
extremely bothersome once the dog is older and takes
to
drooling on dinner guests. Avoid this situation altogether
by
teaching your puppy to go to their crate during your
mealtimes.
The "What If’s" of Bringing a Puppy Home
There are a number of “what if” situations that may
arise
shortly after or even a few months after bringing home
your
new puppy. Most what is scenarios never happen or if they
do
the resolutions to the problems are easy with a visit to
the
vet, a little puppy training or simply some patience. Not
all
what if’s are as easy to cope with. Below we will take a
look
at a few of these situations.
What If My Puppy is Poorly Behaved?
One of the most commonly asked questions and most
frequently
worried about concerns for new puppy owners. Puppies are
like
children and require education, patience and
stimulation. The
best way to prevent a puppy from misbehaving is to
ensure
that he or she is tired out. Tiring out a puppy does
not
take much, a couple of short walks (after the puppy
has
completed their shots) and a few games should tire
them
out and leave them sleeping for most of the day.
There are times when misbehaving is more than problem
chewing however. Examples of this type of behavior are
signs
of aggression and dominance. These types of behavior should
be
addressed immediately and if they are more than you
are
prepared for as an owner, you should consult a
professional
behaviorist as soon as possible. This type of behavior is
usually
not seen in very young dogs; however, in some cases it
can
become evident and it is crucial to put a stop to it
immediately
to avoid the same behavior from the dog when they are
fully
grown.
In most instances when this type of dominant behavior is
seen
it is the result of an imbalance in the natural hierarchy in
the
home. This frequently happens when one human treats the
new
puppy like a child and gives them the impression that they
are
human and more important than other family members.
Treatment for this type of behavior should be active in
which
you and your dog are learning causes of behaviors and ways
to
avoid them.
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