Taking care of your puppy in 2008
December 28th, 2007
You probably already take great care of your puppy, but there are bound to be a few things that even the most loving owner didn’t know. For the new year, think about the following list of care items from Puppy’s Place:
“Make a ’safe puppy space’ in your home. Whether you live in a house with a yard or in an apartment, your puppy should have a space that is safe and just for her.
She should have a safe place to go if she is scared or scolded. Beds, baskets, and especially crates make an ideal place for puppy. She should have dog toys of her own all over to dissuade her from things that are not. She should have a special place where her toys are kept so she knows which are hers.
Make sure her home environment is a safe puppy space. If you can, get down on her level and crawl around looking for hazards. It is amazing how the view differs from down there! Look for electrical cords, small balls and toys that pose a choking hazard. Make sure all cleaning products are put well away. She should have no access to medications or cleaning supplies of any type.
Things like onions and chocolate can be toxic to your puppy. Never feed your puppy anything except her food. Changing her diet regularly or offering table food could cause her serious illness.”
Read the rest of this article at Puppy’s Place!
Why giving a puppy as a gift is a bad idea
December 21st, 2007
No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this season, please remember that it’s almost never a good idea to give a new puppy as a gift. You may have heard this before without being sure of the reasoning behind this statement. Petrescue.com has an excellent article that sums up many of the reasons why, including this one:
“THE ATMOSPHERE OF CHRISTMAS MORNING FRIGHTENS THE PUPPY.
People who study canine development and behavior have found that puppies, like children, go through developmental stages. The first fear/avoidance period in a puppy’s development occurs roughly between 7-12 weeks of age. However this is also when the puppy is developmentally best capable of leaving its litter and beginning to form bonds of attachment with its new family. Most breeders agree that this is the right time to send a young puppy home with its adoptive family. However, it is also extremely important not to over-stress or unduly frighten the puppy during this vulnerable time. Fears learned during this first fear/avoidance period can be very, very difficult to overcome later, even with the very best training or behavior modification techniques. In other words, traumatic experiences at this point can have a permanent impact on your puppy’s personality as an adult dog.
Your puppy’s experiences of leaving its mother and litter-mates, and its arrival in its new home and introduction to its new family, can permanently affect its ability to bond with and trust humans. The puppy needs to be introduced to its new home and family during a relaxed and quiet, gentle time, with a minimum of loud noises, flashing lights, and screeching children, ringing phones, visiting company, and other types of general hub-bub. Christmas morning is absolutely the worst time, in terms of the puppy’s developmental needs, for introducing this newly-weaned youngster to its new family.”
Read the rest of this article at http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm. Thanks, and have a happy holiday!
Playing safely with your puppy
December 7th, 2007
Paw-rescue.org has some great tips on how you can make sure that you and your children are playing safely and appropriately with your dog. A must-read for all dog owners!
“Screaming, laughing children racing about with a dog chasing them. Someone grabs a stick and starts playing tug-of-war with the dog. The dog grabs a sleeve and starts to yank. Another child holds up a ball and encourages the dog to jump for it. Another child snatches the ball and runs off. The dog gives chase, the children scream even more. Then the children “pig-pile” and start to wrestle with the dog.
How often do we see situations like this? Are we aware that all these games can lead to a child being bitten and undesired behaviors in our dog? Playing in the manner these children are encourages jumping, chasing and even biting. The sounds and speed of the children can excite a dog to the point where he forgets not to use his mouth. Play like this can also make a dog feel threatened. Part of having safer children and dogs is playing safer games and knowing the rules of all games.”