* IMPORTANT INFORMATION
*
NEW PUPPY TIPS
The
first weeks your new puppy is with you will be busy
and demanding. There may be times when you wonder
if getting a puppy was such a good idea. Things will
go better if you have patience and keep your sense
of humor. Remember that puppy hood only happens once.
The extra effort you put into it now will pay off
in the future.
Visit
Your Vet
Make an appointment with your veterinarian
to give the puppy a complete checkup within 72 hours
of your purchase. This is an important condition of
health guarantee. Although the puppy has been health
checked prior to leaving the breeder, an exam is additional
security against health defects, problems that were
not apparent the first time. If the vet offers microchip
ID implants, this an excellent time to get one. You
should also discuss with the veterinarian plan for
spaying or neutering you puppy when he or she is older.
Having a vet you and your pet are comfortable with
and can trust is very important. Be sure to talk to
us, we can provide with a coupon for low cost spaying
or neutering.
Colds
Your puppy may develop a runny nose or a slight cough
within the first few days. This is quite normal. Just
as children get colds due to change in environment
and climate, so do puppies. If it persists, call us
and we will further instruct you.
Diarrhea
Stress is one of the main causes of diarrhea. Feed
the puppy boiled, drained Chickens mixed with cooked
rice or try a little Pepto-Bismol, only until symptoms
have diminished. Stress may also cause the diarrhea
to have small traces of blood in it; this is completely
normal, but if you notice more than a little blood,
please call us immediately.
Feeding
Your Puppy
Your puppy is used to eating whenever it wants. Puppy
food is always in front of the mom and the pups learned
to eat from her. Experts say that as long as a pup
is raised that way, it shouldn’t over eat. If
you are not comfortable with that, or overeating becomes
a problem, then feed your puppy three times a day
until they are three months old. After that you can
feed your puppy twice a day. When first taking home
one of our babies, the puppy should be fed 2-3 times
a day with Merrick or Fromm wet food. Should also
leave a dish of By Nature or Fromm dry food out at
all times. All Small, Toy and T-cups and the following
breeds: Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Poodles, Pomeranians,
Chihuahua’s, Miniature Pinschers require special
feedings for the first 2-4 weeks and ½ an hour after
special feeding as follows:
- Mixture
of the following: Tsp of cottage cheese, tsp of
yogurt, 1/8 of baby rice cereal, ¼ jar of Gerber
beef/chicken baby food 1st stage, add a tsp of honey
plus ¼ cup of evaporated milk. Serve.
b)
- Give Caesar select as 1st
choice. If the puppy prefers you can also give chopped
meat, roast beef, American cheese, broiled chicken,
ham, baby food or milk.
c)
- Give ½ teaspoon of honey or Karo syrup
3-4 times a day. Also add honey or Karo syrup into
the water plus ¼ cup of pedialyte. Give 1”
of nutrical twice a day for one year in order to
maintain a healthy immune system for your puppy.
THESE
LITTLE PUPPIES GENERALLY DO NOT EAT ENOUGH REGULAR
DOG FOOD TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES!!! THIS IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
Crates
Long ago, when dogs were still wild animals, they
often slept in dens and shallow holes they dug in
the ground hidden away in places where they felt safe
from predators. A “crate” is just a modern
version of a den. Just as you enjoy having your own
room, too. As well as giving him a safe, cozy place
to stay, crates can make training your dog a lot easier.
Housebreaking goes much faster when you use a crate
and destructive chewing becomes easier to control.
Traveling is safer for both you and your dog when
he’s in a crate. The most popular crates are
made of plastic or heavy welded steel wire. Plastic
crates are lightweight, portable and are easily taken
apart for storage or travel. Some of them come in
decorator colors. Most plastic crates meet federal
regulations for airline travel. Wire crates are very
popular and depending on your dog’s needs, may
be a better purchase than plastic. Look for sturdy
crates with heavy gauge wire that are easily folded
down into a “suitcase-style” shape for transportation
and storage. Although they wire crates are not approved
for airline use they offer better ventilation. A crate
need only be big enough for your puppy to stand up,
turn around and lie down comfortably. The crate should
be large enough for your puppy to stretch out on his
side to sleep. If you had your puppy shipped, this
crate will be adequate for a long time. Keep in mid
the size your puppy will be as an adult. You may want
to purchase a “grow with me” crate that’s
size can be adjusted, or you may simply want to purchase
a new one when your puppy outgrows the old.
Housebreaking
Your Puppy
A puppy should have a schedule. He should be taken
to his outside relief spot last thing at night and
first thing in the morning as well as after meals
and naps, and that he should be praised when he does
his duty. When taking the puppy to his outdoor spot,
don’t play with him or allow the children to
do so. First things first. If the pup does not relieve
himself, put him in the crate for a few minutes, and
then try again. Most puppies will not soil in their
crates if they can possibly help it. Take your puppy
out every 2 hours to the “potty” area, whether
it has eaten or not. Don’t play with the puppy
until he relieves himself. If he doesn’t urinate
and defecate within 10 minutes, bring him inside and
place him in his crate for 10-15 minutes, then try
again. Continue this routine until he is successful,
and then praise him. The times that a puppy will most
likely want to eliminate are after eating or drinking,
after a nap, or after a period of play or vigorous
exercise. Be patient, consistent, regulate what goes
into your puppy’s tummy, so you regulate what
comes out. Many small dogs owners live in apartments
and have found that they prefer to train their puppies
to the disposable pads which have a plastic backing
(puppy pads, wee-wee pads, etc.). Puppies train well
to these pads and many use these for their entire
life.
Never
punish your puppy for mistakes. Once you’re confident
that the puppy understands where to relieve himself,
scold him for mistakes, but don’t spank, scream
or push his nose in the mess. The spot should be cleaned
up, preferably with an enzyme odor eliminator (“Petastic”
or “Natures Miracle”). If the odor is left
untended, the dog will find it again, even if people
cannot detect any smell. Failures in housetraining
are human mistakes, not puppy errors. The puppy does
not understand that carpets are for walking, not bowel
relief. After four to five months of training, if
the puppy is still having regular accidents in the
house, make sure he does not have a bladder infection,
intestinal parasites, or other medical reason for
his failure to signal that he needs to go outside.
Then redouble the efforts to teach him what you want
him to know. Be sure to ask us about free dog-training
consultations.
Use
a schedule
Work out a schedule for you and the puppy. Housetraining
is much easier when the puppy’s meal, exercise
and playtimes are on a regular schedule throughout
the day. Plan your housebreaking schedule and create
a game plan before the puppy arrives. Many people
like to bring their puppy home on weekend in order
to devote extra time to settling in and housebreaking
those first few days.
Everybody
needs their own place
Decide where to put the puppy’s crate, and have
it set up and ready for his arrival. Where to keep
the crate will depend on what’s most convenient
for you as well as the puppy’s response. Many
puppies don’t like to be isolated in one part
of the house while their family is in another but
some puppies’ wont settle down in their crates
if there’s too much activity going on around
them. You might have to experiment with different
locations until you learn what works best for both
you and the puppy.
Socializing
Your Puppy
Because your new puppy will quickly grow up, you should
give serious thought to the socialization process,
as soon as you bring it home. Decide what rules you
want obeyed, and stick with them from day one. Inconsistent
rules do not work. If you don’t want your puppy
to beg while you eat, never feed it from the kitchen
or dining room table, and never feed it soon after
you eat. By feeding your puppy before you eat, feeding
it in a place away from where you eat, and requiring
it to remain away from the table while you eat, your
puppy will become a polite dog. Just a few pieces
of food dropped on the floor (by accident or on purpose)
that the dog gets to eat during your meal, and all
of your previous work will be undone. Many people
have trouble at first with their pups biting. It is
very important to understand and get control of the
situation. If you allow the puppy to jump up onto
people when it is little, it will do it when it is
an adult. If the puppy sees what life is like from
on top of a chair or sofa, it will be at home there
when it is an adult also. Decide what rules you want
the adult dog to obey in your house and apply them
to your puppy now. Be consistent. Exposure to new
environments, situations, people and animals is all
part of the socialization process. If your dog has
had limited exposure to the outside world start slowly,
keeping in mind that it may be stressful for your
dog. Gradually add distractions and new locations.
Socialization is like any other part of training,
building on small successes to make the foundation
strong. Reward your puppy when he exhibits relaxed
behavior, by using treats, praise, petting or play.
Ask friends if you can bring the dog along when you
go for a visit. Make a list of all the places you
can take your dog and start taking him or her.
Biting
Many people have trouble at first with their pups
biting. It is very important to understand and get
control of the situation. We have a few excellent
tips to prevent play biting.
Puppy-Proof
your home
Raising a puppy is a lot like raising small children,
they get into everything. Some of what they get into
can be hazardous to their health or to you possessions.
You can make life safer for the puppy and your furniture
by getting rid of hazards and temptations ahead of
time. To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating.
He seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely
everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies
do most of their investigating with their mouths.
Murphy’s Law says that a puppy will be most attracted
to the things he should least have electrical cords,
the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand
new shoes, etc. Preventing destructive and dangerous
chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy
every second. Look around your home. Check for objects
that could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy.
Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs
woodwork and other immovable items. If there are rooms
your puppy should be restricted from entering until
he is better trained and you can also install a reliable
gate or keep the doors closed, check the boundaries
and openings for potential escape routes. Puppies
can get through smaller place than an adult dog. The
grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,
even to a puppy. If you yard is not fenced, make a
resolution right now that your puppy will never be
allowed to run off lead without close supervision.
Keep him safe by keeping him on leash. If you have
a swimming pool, exercise extreme caution with a puppy.
Curiosity as well as the need for a drink can lead
a puppy easily “over the brink”. He may
quickly become water logged. If you do not see him
fall into the water, he has no escape route or does
not know how to use it; he can easily drown in just
in a few minutes.
Bedding
When your puppy first comes home he will need a lot
of rest following his exuberant and playful excursions
in his new environment. It is important to find a
place for the puppy’s bed that is out of the
main stream of the household traffic that will allow
him to rest he needs. The crate he arrives in will
make an excellent bed. The addition of a washable
soft pad should make the crate a cozy bed your puppy
for years to come. If your puppy will sleep in a bed
other than a crate do not purchase one made wood or
wicker as you puppy might chew on this and harm himself.
Leash
& Collar
Your puppy will need a leash and collar. I personally
do not like metal or leather collars. The metal collar
can catch in the coat and the leather ones can wear
it down. A thin, nylon, one piece collar seems to
work best. A metal buckle will last a lot longer than
plastic pinch snaps. Many of these have a ring at
one end that can be used to clip a lead to. Select
a lead that is made from a similar lightweight material.
Water
& Food Dishes
Your puppy will need bowls for food and water. These
can be made from metal, plastic or a ceramic material.
It is wise to purchase heavy, wide bottom bowls as
a puppy will tend to knock their bowls over spilling
food and water all over the floor. I like automatic
feeders and waterer’s. An automatic waterer is
particularly helpful as you won’t need to be
running around filling up the water bowl all day.
Toy & Chewies
When shopping for puppy toys small
is best. Look for things that squeak and things that
are interactive. Puppies particularly like the fuzzy
plush soft toys as well as the latex chewable ones.
The small twisted ropes with knots at both ends can
be a delight when there is more than one dog in the
household to play tug-of-war. Gumabones and Nylabones
are great for exercising the gums. A “nutritious”
toy many enjoy is a mini carrot or a piece of vegetable.
Puppies are very inquisitive little creatures. It
is wise to have a good supply of toys for your puppy
or he may find his own and you never know what he
will drag out of your closet.
Identification
Owners of purebred show and breeding
dogs have long used tattoos to comply with the rules
of identification of the American Kennel Club and
to provide permanent, visible identification should
their dogs get lost. Many pet owners also tattoo their
dogs to prevent loss. A tattoo is etched on the inside
of the dog’s thigh near his abdomen. A recent
addition to identification is the microchip, a tiny
transponder the size of a grain of uncooked rice.
This is a permanent identification system implanted
under the dog’s skin and read by a chip scanner.
Implantation is done with an injector that places
the chip under the loose skin at over the dog’s
shoulder. The process to implant to the microchip
is quick and no more painful than a vaccination, the
number is unique and the owners name and address is
available on regional or national data bases so a
dog can be returned quickly and safely. Of course
there are always the popular “ID” tags.
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