Puppy
Your puppy has left both mom and littermates, now it’s time for the little one to accept his/her new pack…your family. The next four weeks are critical to his/her development. The puppy will get to know his/her new "lead dog". To help the process, give praise mixed the appropriate levels of firmness, be gentle and remember consistency is the key.
Before your puppy arrives, discuss ground rules with the family. Everyone should agree on the meaning of certain words such as sit, stay, no and come. Define a routine and times for feeding (and the amount of food), walking and crating. It is very important to provide consistency with scheduled activities to avoid confusion.
Emphasis to your children the new puppy is not a toy. Provide them with instruction on picking up and carrying small breeds and show them how to gently pet and play with large breeds.
Playtime can be both enjoyable and educational. A simple game of fetch can develop into a learning experience. After a while your puppy and family will begin to understand each other’s body language. Hide-and-seek will teach your puppy to learn the difference between "find Sally in the kitchen" and "find Timmy in the living room".
Exposing your puppy to various sounds (fire trucks, motorcycles and the like) during walks gives you the opportunity to help him/her adjust to sudden noises. You will also be able to observe how your puppy interacts with wildlife and other dogs giving you insight to where he/she may need training.
Expose your puppy to stairs, car trips, elevators and parks. Once he/she is comfortable expand the horizon to stores, crowds, children, men and women.
Your puppy needs good food and plenty of it. A balanced diet will nurture growing bones, teeth, muscle, developing organs and help to maintain hair coat. Begin with a good commercial brand of puppy food (follow the manufacturer feeding recommendations) and once you find one he/she likes, stay with it. Feed your puppy at least three times a day until he/she is three months of age. At that point reduce feedings to twice a day. Between 6 and 8 months, gradually mix the puppy food with an adult formula for several weeks before switching to the adult food.
All puppies should be vaccinated. Booster vaccines should be given every three to four weeks until puppies are five months old. Vaccinations of adult dogs should be discussed with your veterinarian during their physical exams.
House training is the #1 priority for many new owners. Start by choosing a convenient spot in the backyard as the puppy’s bathroom. Keep the area waste free, even young pups don’t like navigating a "mine field".
Take your puppy out on a leash several times, in the morning, after breakfast, mid-morning, lunchtime, mid-afternoon, early evening and late evening. Additionally, it is important he/she be taken to the area after every meal, after sleeping and after chewing or playing.
Trips outside should be a positive experience. It can be helpful to keep the puppy moving to prevent him/her from getting distracted. Use a word or phrase, such as hurry up, for cuing the puppy to perform the desired behavior. Always provide warm praise after he/she accomplishes the objective.
When the effort is unsuccessful, take the puppy inside and confine him/her for 10 minutes before trying again. Use a create or 4-foot short leash. The restriction is not intended as punishment but rather as a deterrent. Puppies will not relieve themselves where they stand.
A crate can be your puppy’s favorite place as long as it is not abused. As den dwellers, dogs need a small, enclosed space in which they can hunker down. Crates are ideal for this purpose and should be a regular feature of even an adult dog’s environment. Ideally, the door of the crate should never be shut except for short periods during house training.
Puppy
Your puppy has left both mom and littermates, now it’s time for the little one to accept his/her new pack…your family. The next four weeks are critical to his/her development. The puppy will get to know his/her new "lead dog". To help the process, give praise mixed the appropriate levels of firmness, be gentle and remember consistency is the key.
Before your puppy arrives, discuss ground rules with the family. Everyone should agree on the meaning of certain words such as sit, stay, no and come. Define a routine and times for feeding (and the amount of food), walking and crating. It is very important to provide consistency with scheduled activities to avoid confusion.
Emphasis to your children the new puppy is not a toy. Provide them with instruction on picking up and carrying small breeds and show them how to gently pet and play with large breeds.
Playtime can be both enjoyable and educational. A simple game of fetch can develop into a learning experience. After a while your puppy and family will begin to understand each other’s body language. Hide-and-seek will teach your puppy to learn the difference between "find Sally in the kitchen" and "find Timmy in the living room".
Exposing your puppy to various sounds (fire trucks, motorcycles and the like) during walks gives you the opportunity to help him/her adjust to sudden noises. You will also be able to observe how your puppy interacts with wildlife and other dogs giving you insight to where he/she may need training.
Expose your puppy to stairs, car trips, elevators and parks. Once he/she is comfortable expand the horizon to stores, crowds, children, men and women.
Your puppy needs good food and plenty of it. A balanced diet will nurture growing bones, teeth, muscle, developing organs and help to maintain hair coat. Begin with a good commercial brand of puppy food (follow the manufacturer feeding recommendations) and once you find one he/she likes, stay with it. Feed your puppy at least three times a day until he/she is three months of age. At that point reduce feedings to twice a day. Between 6 and 8 months, gradually mix the puppy food with an adult formula for several weeks before switching to the adult food.
All puppies should be vaccinated. Booster vaccines should be given every three to four weeks until puppies are five months old. Vaccinations of adult dogs should be discussed with your veterinarian during their physical exams.
House training is the #1 priority for many new owners. Start by choosing a convenient spot in the backyard as the puppy’s bathroom. Keep the area waste free, even young pups don’t like navigating a "mine field".
Take your puppy out on a leash several times, in the morning, after breakfast, mid-morning, lunchtime, mid-afternoon, early evening and late evening. Additionally, it is important he/she be taken to the area after every meal, after sleeping and after chewing or playing.
Trips outside should be a positive experience. It can be helpful to keep the puppy moving to prevent him/her from getting distracted. Use a word or phrase, such as hurry up, for cuing the puppy to perform the desired behavior. Always provide warm praise after he/she accomplishes the objective.
When the effort is unsuccessful, take the puppy inside and confine him/her for 10 minutes before trying again. Use a create or 4-foot short leash. The restriction is not intended as punishment but rather as a deterrent. Puppies will not relieve themselves where they stand.
A crate can be your puppy’s favorite place as long as it is not abused. As den dwellers, dogs need a small, enclosed space in which they can hunker down. Crates are ideal for this purpose and should be a regular feature of even an adult dog’s environment. Ideally, the door of the crate should never be shut except for short periods during house training.