Happy New Year!!
The holidays have come and gone and I know that means some of us are in kind of an after holiday coma. Whether it be financially , emotionally or mentally the holidays can be extra stressful , they fly by way quicker than we want them to and spit us out in a new year scrambling to get back to daily life.
But a couple of families may have gained themselves an extra member over the holidays which could also be adding a bit of stress. Christmas is the most popular time for people to add puppies to their families!! And if you’re a new dog owner or are even just stressing with this pup because he/she is so different than your last dog , im hoping to help out with a couple of topics new puppy owners may need help with.
Of course if you have any questions or concerns about your pup don’t hesitate to reach out to your local vet or contact us through email or comments and we will do our best to help.
I will also add a couple links with relevant information to the end of this blog for some extra clarification.
First off, there are some key elements needed to help raise and train a puppy.
-Crate : make sure it is fitted to your puppy so they have enough room to turn around, stand up and lay down. You want to make sure not to give them too much room in their crate as they are liable to use one half as a bathroom and the other as their “den” so to speak. This will be absolutely necessary in properly potty training your puppy.
- Collar/Harness and leash: While a collar is most necessary so that you can put their ID tags and Rabies tag on it , a harness a lot of times is a lot easier to help leash train a puppy. Especially if you plan to use a harness when they get older. A good harness for puppy’s especially keen on pulling is an easy walk harness, which has theeash hooked on the front of the harness instead of the back. Another good option for training not to pull is a head collar which helps redirect them when they go to pull.
-Quality Puppy Food: Make sure to get your pup on a good quality puppy food. I recommend if you have a large breed puppy feed them a puppy food specifically for that size dog , as it will have extra supplements to help with a large dogs growth. There are also some foods that are catered to the breed of a dogs as well which may be something that interests you. Some of the Brands that come recommended by vets are Iams, Royal Canin , Hills Science Diet and Purina.
**If you are wondering how much too feed your puppy : something i’ve learned is that you call almost never feed a puppy too much. Their metabolisms are constantly working because they are incredibly active , so you have to give them all the nutrients your puppy needs to grow. Some people feed their puppy 3 times a day just to keep their stomach more balanced and to make sure they are not getting too much at one time , while others feed two times a day. I recommend checking with your vet to see what they recommend for your lifestyle and your puppy’s breed.
- Puppy Pads: Some people use these to help potty train their puppy while others simply use crate training it all depends on what works best for you and the puppy.
- Lots & Lots of toys: Make sure to have plenty of toys of different kinds for your new pup to play as this will help stimulate and keep their mind thinking and learning. Choose puppy appropriate toys, making sure never to get a pup something to hard for them to chew on. One good suggestion to go by is to make sure you can make an indent into the toy with your finger nail. If you can then its safe , if not then it may be too tough for your puppy to chew.
-Ensure your puppy gets all of the necessary vaccinations and deworming necessary.
A lot of breeders will do first deworming & vaccinations before they leave home at 8 weeks old. Before going to your normal vet make sure to have records of all the breeder has done for your puppy so the vet may plan accordingly.
Normally a puppy is vaccinated at 6-8 weeks old for its first set of Vaccines which will be the DHPP ( or Distemper Parvo Vaccine) and will be dewormed at that time as well.
Then the DHPP and deworming will need to be boostered again around 12 weeks (at 12 weeks your puppy can then be vaccinated for Bordetella and Lyme if you so choose) . Your pup will then go in for their last set of vaccinations around 16 weeks, which is when they will get the Rabies vaccine and booster any other vaccines they have been given.
**Veterinarians may differ in vaccination schedule , so check with your normal vet to see what they would be comfortable giving. **
Around 12 weeks your vet will probably recommend you start your puppy on flea/tick and heartworm prevention. This is paramount in keeping your puppy safe throughout its life. They should stay on this prevention throughout the course of their life taking one dose monthly of each.
At 6 months your puppy can be spayed/or neutered , though some vets recommend 12-24 months for extra large breed dogs.
Potty Training: with potty training comes crate training, unfortunately for the first couple of months you should be taking your puppy out on a schedule. A good rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold their bladder for as long as they are in months in hours plus one. So if your puppy is 2 months , they can hold it for 3 hours and so on. Keeping your puppy on a schedule is the best and most efficient way to potty train. So after you feed him/her take your puppy outside and wait until they go to the bathroom. If they don’t , put them back in their crate and take them out again about 15-20 minutes later. The idea is to show them that outside is for bathroom time and inside means fun. If they go , reward them with treats and then they can stay out of their crate. If you catch your puppy going to the bathroom or about to go to the bathroom in the house immediately take them out side and then reward them when they go. NEVER EVER punish your puppy after the fact. Dogs don’t understand what you are punishing them for as it happened 10 minutes ago. All they know is you are yelling at them. Just clean it up and try again with a clean slate next time.
Below are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with puppies:
BE PROACTIVE!!
A good tip with puppies is to always be proactive. If they exhibit a good behavior even without you asking immediately reward them. Reward them every time you see a behavior you want them to learn or repeat.
DONT ROUGH HOUSE!!
I know when we get puppies we want to play and run around with them , which is totally fine. But rough housing , especially using hands is not a good way to play. Especially if you’ve got a large breed puppy. All that rough play is going to lead to is being mouthy , jumping , and a lack of impulse control when they get older. Now that’s not to say you cant play with your puppy , of course you can! Just make sure to use their toys to do so , play tug of war and fetch. Squeak their toys and hide them or throw them around , play interactive games , anything thing to keep their mind working.
REDIRECT!!
If your puppy is ever displaying a behavior you don’t like , redirect them into one you do. If they are biting at your hands or chewing on something they are not supposed to be redirect them to their favorite toy , if they are jumping all over you step into them or ignore them and redirect them into a sit before you pet them. Almost an behavior can be redirected with a toy.
TEACH!!
Start teaching your puppy early! Make sure to teach them their name , come , sit and down at an early age. Especially come. Most puppies will go through a phase when they are around 6 months where they act like they’ve forgotten everything you've ever taught them but trust me they haven’t forgotten. If you train them well when they are younger and stick to it you will have a very well behaved puppy. There are a multitude of trainers and classes out there for those that are interested.
PLAY GAMES!!!
A really good game to play with a puppy is a trade game. Where they have something of value (like a toy or whatever) and you trade it out for something of equal value ( a treat) then immediately give them the toy back. This really helps to eliminate resource guarding especially with people as it teaches them that when something is taken they get something of equal value. You can also play games like look at me , follow me stuff like that. These games will help train your puppy into looking to you instead of the outside world for guidance.
Below are a couple of links that may be helpful in dealing with a new puppy!
Amazing ideas & Tips on a New Puppy! - https://3lostdogs.com/43-tips-for-new-puppy-owners/
Training Tips - https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/training/top-ten-training-tips-for-new-puppy-owners
Schedule for a 8-10 week old puppy - https://theonlinedogtrainer.com/puppy-schedule-for-8-10-weeks-old/
How to prepare for a new puppy - https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/bringing-home-new-puppy#1
Introducing your new dog to your other pets- https://topdogtips.com/introducing-new-dog-pets/
New Puppy Tips & Checklist- https://www.iams.com/pet-health/puppy-care/what-to-know-when-you-bring-your-puppy-home
