ACC ... Assisi's Country Critters A tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of the Animal Kingdom.
A PERFECT PUPPY! QUICK
NOTES ON THE FIRST DAY/WEEK Stress can cause diarrhea in
puppies. Changes in their environment, travel, different water, food,
sounds and smells around them are all stressful to puppies. Some pups
will take it in stride and others may get diarrhea. This can last upwards
to 10 days. If the pup is eating, drinking and playful it shouldn't be a
cause for concern. Let their system adjust and they should return to
normal. A teaspoon of canned pumpkin or 1 ml of peptobismal can also be
added to their diet to help calm down upset tummies. Stress can also cause
bacterial imbalances in a puppy's system. If they are harbor bacteria and
are then put in stressful situations the bacteria can rise in number until the
pups immune system gets it back in check. We do frequently deworm the
pups so this is usually not a concern, but farm dogs can also catch to common
bacteria cultures called Giardia and Coccidia. Giardia or Beaver Fever is
usually caught by drinking from water sources that contain Giardia cysts or
poop. Coccidia is also picked up by being around animal poop. Our
adult dogs are raised on the farm and are mainly free to roam around.
Adults rarely show any symptoms of either bacteria but pups will show
symptoms. The most common of which is diarrhea, which can also contain
traces of blood or mucous. Symptoms usually only appear after the pups
experience stress so it is difficult to tell if the pups are carriers beforehand.
When you take your pup in for his exam it is suggested you take in a fecal
sample as well to have it tested. We feed our puppies Purina
Puppy Chow, and we will provide a small bag for your puppy. Our
pups are fed 3 times a day. Small breed puppies under 5 pounds can eat
anywhere from 1/4 a cup to 1 1/4 cup in a day. Certain pups may eat more
in the evening than in the morning or vice versa. Under stressful
conditions adding warm water to the food may make it more appealing but as a
general rule we do not wet their food down here. Smaller pups may need to
have more frequent meals as they eat less at each meal. DOMINANCE/LEADERSHIP BE
THE PACK LEADER Dogs
are pack animals and by nature need to live in a group situation. It does
not take a new puppy very long to accept its new family as its pack. A dog's
position in a pack can be at only one of two levels; the leader or a
follower. It is easier for a dog to be a follower and will easily accept
the position. He will need to know that you are in charge at
all time though. If he is not sure if you are a leader or follower he
will take the leadership role until you show him differently. You cannot
lead with cruelty but with a calm-assertive manner. You must be firm but
fair. It needs to be your goal to ensure that the dog learns what is acceptable
behavior and he can do this only if you are clear, consistent and properly
times. HOUSE
TRAINING/CRATE TRAINING TIPS IN CRATE TRAINING The crate should be large enough for
the puppy to stand up and turn around with ease but small enough the pup won't
eliminate in one end and sleep comfortably in the other. You may be
required to buy a larger size as your pup grows. MORE TIPS: Watch for Signs - BE with your puppy as much as possible so that you can learn
his different sounds and behaviors. You will notice he behaves in a certain way
before he relieves himself. If you see him start to circle and sniff the
floor, place him in his potty area. Pick a Potty Area - Pick a spot that you want your puppy to use as his potty
area. Place some of his stool in that spot. This will act as a cue
for the pup. Take him to his spot after he eats and praise him when he
starts to relieve himself. When he is finished shower him with praise and play
with him in a different area so that he does not associate play with his potty
spot. Keep this area clean everyday leaving just a piece or two of stool
as his indicator. Be Patient - Don't play with your pup until he relieves himself. I
he doesn't relieve himself in 10 minute put him back in his crate and try again
in 20 minutes. Example Schedule for Potty Training 6:30-7:00 Puppy wake up - take him
outside right away for a potty break 7-7:30 Breakfast followed by a potty
break. Put out water. Free time supervised by you. 9:00 Potty break followed by a nap
in the crate 12:00 - Take out of crate and let
him go for a potty break. Now it's time for some lunch followed by a
potty break outside. Supervised free time. 2:30-Potty break followed by crate
time. 6:00 Potty break followed by supper,
followed by a potty break. Supervised play. 7:30 pick up water until morning 9:00 Potty Break followed by
bedtime. Some pups will be okay over
night others will need a potty break around 3:00 in the morning. TROUBLESHOOTING
CRATE TRAINING Is your puppy defecating or
urinating in his crate? Here are some tips. A) Your crate may be too
large. You should have a crate that is just slightly larger than the
puppy, so that when he is lying down he covers most of the floor. B) The dog or puppy may have been
previously kept in a crate with a wire bottom so that when he went to the
washroom it did not affect his sleeping area. This is one of the main
concerns with pet store puppies. They are expected to relieve themselves
where they are without going for a walk or outside. If this is the case,
begin to take the dog out for walks to the potty spot very frequently.
Give extra praise when he relieves himself outside. C) You may be leaving the puppy in
the crate too long. Get him on a shorter schedule. An 8 week puppy should
be in a crate a maximum of 3 hours. At 12 weeks - 4 hours. at 16 weeks -
5 hours, at 6 months - 7 hours and at 1 yr - 8 hours. Just because your
puppy is able to stay in his crate for a longer period of time than what is
recommended doesn't mean you should keep him in the crate that long. D) Your puppy may be sick.
Your vet may want to check for urinary infection or disorders or an upset to
the digestive system. There is a defect in some dogs that causes the leakage
of urine when the bladder is partially full. E) Your dog or puppy won't relieve
himself in his potty area but then does relieve himself in his crate when you
bring him in. Have you ever caught your dog in the act of relieving himself
where he shouldn't be doing so? Did you scold him? The puppy may think you
don't want him to relieve himself at all, so is waiting until you are out of
sight before doing so. Give extra praise to puppy when he is eliminating
outside where you want him to. SUBMISSIVE
URINATION MARKING/SPRAYING If marking is a Dominance issue -
the dog is confused about who is in charge - a few brush up lessons on the
leash will remind him that he is not the dominant member of the family.
If you use a firm fair hand in training the dog will normally stop the
behavior. Males in small toy breeds are notorious for marking if not
neutered. FEEDING
SUGGESTIONS HYPOGLYCEMIA PUPPIES
LOVE (AND NEED) TO CHEW DOGS
AND TEETH COMMAND
TRAINING GROOMING
Email Us...Click Here at
ACC Ranch & Kennels "My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am..." Peyton, Colorado 303-648-3553
You are well on your way to having a perfect puppy. You have chosen a puppy
that has had a great start at life. It has been well fed, well handled
and well loved. It is our sincerest hope that this is the least this
puppy will receive from you for the rest of it's life.
Please accept this puppy into your family and treat it as
one of your own. A puppy is a great novelty but they do grow up and will
need to know it is secure in your home. Puppies are a friend for life not
just a cute, small, entertaining ball of fur for the next few months. So
enjoy your new addition and Congratulations.
We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, getting pictures of our puppies sent to
us. Please feel free to send updates and pictures to our e-mail address
or by snail mail to the address below.
Please spend the time to help your puppy become a "Good
Dog".
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PUPPY
Many dog owners don't realize how much a puppy will change their
lifestyle. A new puppy isn't like a house plant; you can't add it to your
home and expect everything else to remain the same. A puppy is a
wonderful addition to your life if you are aware of the changes it will make
and if you are ready to make those changes.
Expect the first 24 hours to be the most difficult. Your puppy will be
missing his family and will be making adjustments to new rules and living
arrangements. We have tried to make this transition as easy on your puppy
as possible but it is still a transition for a little puppy.
Show your new puppy his area. He should have time without family
distractions to get used to this new area. If you are going to be away
for 8 hours of the day this area should be a pen, section of the kitchen or bathroom.
Somewhere he can have a place to sleep, play and defecate.
Make your puppies place warm and cozy. The ideal situation is a training
crate. Whereas some people think this is cruel, it provides your dog with
the cave-like atmosphere dogs have enjoyed for as long as there have been dogs.
They feel instinctively at home. It is a cozy place to be when it is necessary
for him to be unsupervised for short periods of time.
Puppies can usually hold their need to go to the bathroom for as many hours as
they are months old for a maximum of 8 hours. For a two month old puppy
that is only two hours. Keep that in mind while choosing his area and planning
your schedule.
Supervise your new puppy. There will be many things that he will try to
explore. You will need to puppy proof your home just like you would for a
baby. Do not forget your back yard when doing this. There are
several plants and berries that can be poisonous to dogs.
If you've seen Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp you will remember the scene
when Lady is a puppy and cry through the night. Expect this. It is
a natural instinct for puppies to cry when separated from the pack. If
you go to him you will be reinforcing this behavior and it will continue.
Ignore it and it will stop in a day or two. Please realize that any attention
from you, both negative and positive, will reinforce this behavior.
Affection to a crying puppy will train a puppy to cry. Intermittently
ignoring and encouraging the behavior will cause your puppy to become more persistent.
Keep your puppy at home and away from other dogs until his vaccinations are
complete. Taking him into pet stores or places other dogs may defecate
before he is properly vaccinated is dangerous for your puppy. A puppy is
not fully immune until he has had three sets of shots.
Begin teaching your puppy right from wrong from the start. Do not let him
get away with things because he is a puppy. If you are not going to let
him on the couch as an adult don't let him on the couch as a puppy. Say
no to play biting, begging at the table, Jumping up, and other behaviors you
wouldn't find acceptable in an adult dog.
The number one complaint from dog owners is house training. It is hard to
enjoy life with your dog if everyday you�re cleaning up accidents. The ONLY way to succeed in this area is CONSISTENCY on your part.
Begin house training your puppy right away. If you follow our crate
recommendations and establish a cozy environment for your puppy, house training
will be easier, because his instinct is to not soil in his bed.
Start by putting your puppy on a regular feeding schedule and by making
frequent trips outside. If you are feeding a good quality pet food you
will find that this period will be easier because his feeding and elimination
schedule will be more routine. Puppies will defecate approx. 20 minutes
after eating.
There are certain signs you should watch for that will alert you that it is
time for him to go outside. He may walk around in circles, whine or sit
at the door. You should routinely take him out; first thing in the
morning, right after naps, before you leave, and immediately when you get home,
right after meals, and last thing before bed.
Always stay outside with your puppy to watch and encourage him.
When he has finished quietly praise him and bring him back inside. He
will soon connect elimination outdoors with praise and will be eager to please.
Accidents will happen. Be patient. Should you discover a mess, do
not raise your voice, spank your pup or rub his nose in it. While he will
certainly cower in fear, he is too young to connect your reprimand with his
mess.
If you catch him, immediately take him outside to finish, and when he does,
praise him for his efforts. You must catch him in the act for him to
understand what he is doing wrong. Puppies will not understand scolding
or negative attention after the fact.
To clean up the mess, deodorizer and repellents may work effectively. DO
not use ammonia-based cleaners. Chemically ammonia and urine are very
similar. Once you have cleaned the area barricade the spot until it is
dry. Otherwise your puppy will be back to investigate the scent and may
feel the urge to repeat the mess. Vinegar works well for this - keep a
gallon on hand.
Crate Training is a useful tool when house training your puppy because his
instinct is to not soil his bed. Although some people do not like the
idea of crate training, most dogs love their crate. It provides them
security and comfort like a den does to wild dogs.
Crate training is useful in a variety of circumstances:
It prevents vocalization at night because
the crate can be moved to your bedroom
It prevents
chewing or other destructive behavior
It is the BEST method for house training
A crate trained dog will travel calmly.
It is a handy place for your dog to go
when company or repairmen are expected
The only disadvantage to crate training is it cannot
be used if the pup is isolated for long periods. DO NOT leave your puppy
in the crate for more than 6 hours during the day without checking on him or
letting him out to eliminate. However it is fine to leave them all night.
It should be kept in the kitchen or bedroom. You may wish to keep it in
the kitchen for the day and move it to the bedroom at night. It should
not be left in isolated areas.
To start with, put treats, meal, water, and toys in the crate so the pup can go
into it on his own. Associate the crate with fun things - DO NOT USE IT FOR PUNISHMENT.
Put the pup in for a few minutes with the door closed. If he misbehaves,
try to distract him. Try to leave him in his crate if he is barking,
howling, or whining, as you are reinforcing this behavior if you let him
out. Instead, try to distract him by making noise, (Shake a tin can full
of pennies) and if he quieting for a few seconds, let him out of his cage
and praise him or reward with a treat. Gradually extend the amount of
time you leave him in his crate. Once he is comfortable in the crate for
about a half an hour without making a fuss, then he can be left alone. By
crate training in this manner you will teach your pup that he will not get out
of his crate by making a fuss and you are rewarding his quiet behavior with
praise and attention.
Respect you puppy's privacy when he is in his special place. Don't just
reach in and pull him out. Let him come out to you. Don't let
children tease or bother him. He needs to feels safe in his special
place.
If you are leaving for longer periods of time a puppy pen will be
required. Petsmart or Toys R Us sells super
yards that are approx. Four feet wide, eight feet long and 3 feet tall and
retail around a hundred dollars. These are great enclosure for
puppies. A bathroom, Section of your kitchen, entry way, or any easy to
clean surface will do. The area should be large enough for your puppies
kennel (door off so he can move in and out), water bowl, and a paper lined
area.
Initially the entire floor area should be covered in paper so that when the
puppy needs to eliminate it cannot miss this area. Do this for about a
week. Week 2 put paper on a smaller area of the floor but leave a sheet
that already has been soiled (urine) on top. The puppy will go to that
smell and eliminate on the paper.
Using this method you should be able to reduce the puppy�s area to a small
patch of paper that he will seek out to go pee. This works really well if
you would prefer to litter train your puppy. Gradually reduce his
paper area until the only area with paper is inside his litter box.
Remember to always use a piece that is urine scented on top.
Puppy training pads are usually urine scented and also work well for inside
puppy pens. These also do not leave newsprint stamps on your floor as
most are rubber backed. Wal-Mart sells these cheapest. They are a
little quicker to clean them up and whereas some puppies may still choose to
play with them, they are not shred-able like newsprint.
Some dogs are easier to house train than others. Mismanagement and
miscommunication cause most problems with elimination behavior.
Sometimes puppies realize they should eliminate outside but don't know how to
ask to be let out. You can easily hang a bell from the doorknob of the
door leading to your puppy area. Every time you take the puppy out to do
his business, ring the bell (with HIS or HER PAW) before opening the
door. Puppies notice the connection between the bell ringing and the door
opening so readily on their own that they don't need to be taught. Within
a few days to a week you will hear that bell ring and when you go to the door
your pup will be waiting to go out.
House training your puppy will take time and patience. If all goes well,
your puppy could be house trained in about a week. However many dogs take
longer. Persist and be consistent and don't give up.
When training a puppy to use a litter box start with the same basics as paper
training. Keep the puppy in his pen with paper on the entire floor so
that when he needs to eliminate he cannot miss. Gradually reduce the
paper down until the only paper is in his "litter box". Once he
is consistently going to his litter box to eliminate, slowly begin increases
his area. Increase the area slowly, making sure before you increase his
space he is consistently returning to the litter box prior to giving him more
room. Eventually he will have run of the entire house but always return
to his litter box.
Many puppies even some adult dogs crouch and urinate when they greet people
they perceive as high ranking. This is normal gesture of submission
intended to placate higher ups. Dogs appreciate this sign of respect but
most people find it annoying. Puppies generally outgrow submissive
urination. To change this behavior do not scold or act displeased.
Punishing submissive peeing will cause the dog to act even more
submissively. He will crouch lower and grovel while peeing, or perhaps
flip on his back and wet his belly.
It's best to greet a dog with this habit outdoors. Keep walking while
saying hello so the puppy doesn't get a chance to squat and piddle. Don't pet the dog until his excitement wanes and never reach over their head to pet him as this is a
dominant position and will cause submissive peeing.
Marking is urinating with the purpose of leaving a message. It is a big
part of canine life; it isn't about elimination but about communication.
They mark to show fear, friendliness, flirt, express rank, blaze trails, claim
resources, and to leave calling cards.
Intact males mark more than neutered males if it is caused by hormones.
Neutering occasionally does stop the habit. It is better to neuter a male
before he reaches sexual maturity in order to nip the instinct before it
starts. There is no guarantee but it does reduce the behavior
dramatically. It does sometimes take 3-4 months of management to stop a
dog from marking indoors. The best cleaners never get rid of the urine
smell and a dog should not be let into a room unsupervised where he had
previously marked.
Good feeding habits start as soon as you get your puppy! His diet will
influence health, development, appearance and attitude. How you feed him
will influence many behavior aspects, from house training to begging. It
is also important to prevent him from gaining too much weight, which can
predispose them to obesity and its associated health problems.
Following are some good steps to get you off to a good start.
1. CHOOSE YOUR PUPPIES DIET CAREFULLY. There is excessive
misinformation in the market regarding puppy foods. We know it is
confusing, particularly with all the advertising and marketing efforts by
competing companies. The old adage "you get what you pay for"
probably applies more to pet foods than in many other instances. We
encourage you not to compare foods by the guaranteed Analysis on the label - it
is a chemical analysis only that measures gross quantities of ingredient types
- it tells you nothing about the quality or digestibility of the
ingredients. There are many things to consider with dog food such as protein
content, filler content, amount of grain, and possible allergens.
The more filler in the food the more your puppy will eat and consequently
poop. The more preservatives the softer and runnier the poop.
Additions of egg and other possible allergens can cause problems with your dog�s
skin and coat condition. We feed a high quality dog food that will keep
your puppy eating less but still getting the proper nutrition, because they eat
less they poop less and their poop is nice hard little nuggets. Easy for
pick up and clean up.
2. DO NOT FREE CHOICE FEED YOUR PUPPY. Free choice feeding is essentially
feeding your puppy as much as he wants to eat. This can contribute to
digestive upset (vomiting and diarrhea), bloating, difficulties in training and
obesity. The best approach is to feed your puppies allotment of food in
two to three feedings through the day. If your puppy hasn't eaten his
measured amount of food within 15 minutes, remove it. Continue on with
the same measured proportion at the next meal. If you find he
consistently isn't finishing his meal but is otherwise doing well, cut back on
you daily allotment, likewise if he is devouring it and seems hungry, do NOT
give more. He may just be greedy and will get fat.
3. AVOID FEEDING HUMAN FOOD. Establishing right from the start the human
food is off limits will reduce begging, and possibility of your pet becoming
obese. It also helps minimize the chance of dogs becoming picky
eaters. If you must feed some human food stick to small amounts of low
calorie options such as veggies, rice, etc.. But always put them in your
puppy's bowl. Never feed them at the table as certain human foods can be
toxic to pets.
4. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH HEALTHY TREATS. We all like to treat our
pets. It helps us in socializing, training and just plain, loving
them. There are several healthy treat options now on the market.
Ask your vet about home and packaged treats that would be suitable.
Remember that more treats on the market have more calories than you would find
in half a cup of puppy food.
5. USE MEALS AS A HOUSE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY. Puppies normally
eliminate 5-15 minutes after a meal. Therefore after you feed him, take
him outside to the appropriate place in the yard and wait for him to do their
business. Praise him for doing such a good job and he will realize that
it is a good thing to go outside. Puppies also need to eliminate after
nap and play times, use this to your advantage in training and avoiding
accidents.
6. FEED YOUR PUPPY IN A QUIET PLACE. AVOID FEEDING JUST PRIOR TO OR JUST AFTER
EXERCISE. This helps establish consistency, reduces excitement around a
meal and reduces the incidence of stomach upset.
7. CHANGE DIETS SLOWLY. If you are changing his diet, mix the new food
with the previous diet in small amounts the first day or two. Then the
proportion of the new diet can be gradually increased over a week or so until
your puppy is completely on the new diet. This will reduce the likelihood
of vomiting and diarrhea. Your puppy should make a formed stool that is
easy to pick up.
8. BONES AND MILK. Please do NOT feed your puppy any bones.
Digestive upsets, bone fragments and their damage can result in having to use
medication and possible surgery for your puppy that can be avoided. Many
puppies cannot digest milk, and it ends up giving them diarrhea. This can
interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract.
The majority of puppies will never experience this condition. Some dogs, when
arriving in a new environment, become homesick for their litter mates or
mom. Often they will become mildly reclusive and tend not to eat.
What you must understand is: Small dogs, especially newly brought home puppies
DO NOT posses much fat reserves, their tiny bodies have not built up fat
stores. If your puppy does not eat regularly (at least 3 times each
day) they may become hypoglycemic. Dehydration and over
stimulation can also play a factor.
Early detection of Hypoglycemia will alleviate undue medical expenses.
Early signs:
Lethargy accompanied by loss of balance
(Unintentional sideways walking and stumbling)
Intermediate signs:
Inability to walk, no desire, legs not
functioning.
Acute stage:
Animal is down!!! Stiffness in the neck
and legs
(Neck and head rolling backward
involuntarily)
Past the acute stage
Animal will not be able to regulate body temperature
disabling the ability to digest, will become cold, eventually slipping into a
comatose state followed by death.
It is critical to recognize these symptoms early at the acute stage and beyond
the remedy is more complicated.
If you recognize these symptoms in your puppy we suggest...
If your puppy is in the first two stages. Give your puppy a �
teaspoon of corn syrup, honey or NutriCal. Wait 20 minutes and your puppy
should be recovered.
If you are into the acute stages or beyond...
Ensure their body temperature is at least 99.5-100 degrees.
(A cold puppy cannot
digest)
Use a thermometer, lubricate the end, insert in the puppies anus.
If your puppies temperature is not 99.5 or above (warm them
slowly)
Hot water bottles, heat lamps, magic
bags. Remember your puppy is dehydrating; gently warming them
over the next 15-20 minutes will
be more beneficial than
rapidly heating them.
When they have reached 99.5 degrees Celsius administer � teaspoon of corn syrup or honey.
Monitor for progress over the next 20 minutes.
Failing any improvement, drive your puppy to your
veterinarian.
Some vets are better than others, some lack integrity and WILL take advantage
of you in your time of need. Remember, most vets are owners of their own
clinics. Your business pays their bills. Do not be afraid to get second
opinions.
Hypoglycemia is scary, but easily managed. Some vets don't want you
to know that.
Hypoglycemia is a manageable condition and is not covered by our health
guarantee. It affects a very small percentage of the smallest
puppies and usually dispels after the first 2-3 weeks when the puppy has
increased fat stores.
Some suggestions to avoid hypoglycemia.
Observe your puppy eating 3 times a day. It's not enough to simply have
food available. Your puppy MUST
eat.
This is even more important in households with other animals. Your
puppy is the at the bottom of the dominance pyramid, and is often intimidated
by the other animals until a balance is worked out between them.
New puppies are rarely assertive in new environments and will go without to
keep the peace.
Softening the food for the first few days using water is sometimes more
enticing than dry food. Remember dry food will help promotion of
natural tooth growth and replacement and help manage tartar so is still preferred.
Canned food is a final stage for puppies that are over finicky.
Acceptable canned food is available at the vets. If you change to
these canned alternatives, expect runny stool until you get the puppy back on
dry food please refer to changing food section of this manual to reintroduce
dry food gradually. If your puppy is not eating you will probably
not be able to introduce the canned food gradually.
Puppies teethe between the ages of 3-6 months, and they need to chew on
something to help the teeth come in. Help avoid destructive chewing by
giving your puppy a choice of good, indestructible objects to chew on, a really
hard rubber ball (large enough so your puppy won't swallow it) or a tough
rubber bone. Giving a puppy an old shoe or any shoe like material will
make him think all shoes are acceptable for his chewing enjoyment. The
same goes for stuffed animals. If you have young kids or stuffed animals,
don't give your dogs plush toys as they will find all plush acceptable.
Don't give you puppy real bones - cooked or uncooked. These could
splinter and hurt his mouth, cause choking if swallowed or vomiting and
diarrhea.
Make the puppy's rubber ball or bone especially attractive to him by playing
games with it. Give it to the pup whenever he starts to chew on an
unacceptable object, say NO, sternly, take the forbidden object away and
replace it with the toy. When your puppy starts to chew on his own toy
praise him for the good behavior.
Puppies seem to enjoy chewing on fingers and may appear to be biting. Use
the same procedure as above and replace your fingers with the toy. He
will soon get the idea that his not to chew on hands, remember to praise him
when he begins to chew on his toy.
Remember that puppies forget really fast so you may have to repeat the chewing
corrections many times. Eventually he will get the right idea. Once
again we need patience to train our puppy.
He will be less likely to feast on your best pair of shoes if he has his own
toys to chew on. Help your puppy avoid the wrong things by keeping them
out of reach.
Puppy toy boxes work well. Your puppy will soon learn that his toys are
in the box and when he feels the urge to chew he will go to his toy box and
retrieve a toy.
Remember puppies are like babies, and we have to keep the household cleaners out
of reach, they will get into them if they can.
Pets live a healthier and longer life if they have healthy, strong clean
teeth. The teeth are the first stage in the digestion process. If
food is not chewed well, the food may not be as completely digested or the rest
of the intestine will have to work twice as hard to get the job done.
Dirty or tartered teeth collect bacteria, which can be spread into the rest of
the body. The heart is one of the closest and most vulnerable
organs. Bacteria from the mouth can cause the valves to thicken and lead
to a heart murmur. The kidneys have to cope with the bacteria which can
cause kidney infections. Teeth that have collected tartar become loose
due to gum infections. The gums become inflamed, infected and finally
recede. Once a tooth is loose it can be painful so the animal is
reluctant to chew well. This also will cause very bad breath.
Part or all of your pets diet should be crunchy food, but bones help. Do
NOT use bones that may fragment, like animal bones. You can use
dentabones, or nylon bones or many others on the market. Cooked animal
bones may splinter and cause many other problems with the mouth and the
gastrointestinal system. Raw bones are suggested. Brushing the
teeth is very helpful and if you start when the puppy is young, it will become
habit and won't mind you doing it.
Once the tartar has built up to the point where you cannot brush it off, a vet
can use an ultrasonic cleaner to get it off. Using an anesthetic, they
can clean both the outside and the inside of the teeth and polish them to help
prevent tartar from coming back.
If you become aware of a painful mouth, bad breath, red inflamed gums, or
tartared teeth, take your dog to your vet for an examination.
Training is fun and rewarding for you and your puppy. They have an
amazing capacity to learn complex demands quickly.
Start training as soon as you obtain your puppy. They learn rapidly but
their attention spans are short, so spend 10-15 minutes twice a day.
Training should be conducted when the puppy is not excited and when the home
environment is quiet. Once the puppy has learned a response in one
environment, move the training location to progressively more complex and more
stimulating environments. That is, the puppy will have to be trained in
the environment you will be expecting him to react to you in.
Learning occurs more rapidly if one person trains the puppy first and then
other family members get involved. Teach the puppy using one word
commands such as sit, down, stay, and heel. Try not to use their name in
association with a command, using to many words can confuse them.
Reward appropriate behavior as soon as possible after giving the command.
Give valued rewards such as, food, touch, and praise every time he responds
correctly. You will quickly learn which reward is more valued by
them. Once the response is learned, give them rewards intermittently this
will result in rapid learning and make the response more permanent.
If he fails at any level of training stop, don't reward and start the training
again at a simpler level. How consistently they respond to a command is a
function of the degree of training. If they respond only when they feel
like it or when the environment is quiet, start again, and train more
intensely.
Be patient and never punish. This causes pain or excitement, does not
work and generally causes problems. Punishment may also interfere with
the owner and animal bond. The opposite of reward is no reward, not
punishment. If the puppy is doing something that is inappropriate,
distract it or reward it for responding to a command which is incompatible
with the unwanted behavior.
A trained puppy is a happier puppy and a great companion.
Grooming is essential to all breeds of dogs and more so in long coated
breeds. Daily brushing is a great way to bond with your pet and keep them
looking great. Brushing and Grooming your dog keeps his skin and coat
healthy and makes them a more pleasant companion.
A puppies first visit to the groomers should occur at 3-6 months of age.
Most of the time their first visit will just be a bath and blow dry to get them
used to the environment. Blow dry your puppy at home so that he is used
to the handling he will get when visiting the salon.
Long coated breeds can be kept with their hair long. This requires
continually brushing by you and trips to the grooming salon to have it done
professionally monthly. It is a more costly appearance if it is a desired
one.
Some people choose to keep their dogs in a puppy cut or "teddy bear"
cut. This keeps their hair shorter, easier to care for and still gives
them a cuddly poofy appearance.
We keep our dogs shaved 3-4 times a year in what is known as a kennel
cut. This cut is very easy to maintain and looks quite dapper on the
dogs. If your dog has accumulated lots of mats this will be the cut the
groomer suggests rather than putting your dog through the stress of brushing
out the mats.
Hair grows around dogs eyes and like with us can irritate them. This
causes tearing. Hair can be brushed out of the eye area or cut back to
stop this reaction.
Hair also grows around the bum of these small dogs. This hair can retain
poop and make it difficult for a puppy to continue pooping. Special care
and attention is needed to ensure that a puppy�s bum doesn't become blocked
causing intestinal infections. Clean this area well and keep
the hair trimmed neatly.