FEEDING
What Food
Choose a dry food intended specifically for puppies, avoiding generic foods and those that sell for unusually low prices. We suggest name brand puppy food because it is impossible to distinguish good dog food from poor dog food simply by looking at the ingredient list on the label. Many things that owners look for, such as high protein levels and extra vitamins, some of these extra ingredients can be harmful rather than helpful. For example, overfeeding and over supplementation are factors contributing to hip dysplasia. If you have a large-breed puppy, purchase “large breed” puppy food. The actual formula is different, not just the kibble size, and is better for rapidly growing puppies.
We feed all of our puppies: TLC Whole Life Natural Dog Food, we chose this dog food for several reasons:
-It is the highest quality dog food we have found at an affordable price,
-It is an all life stages dog food.
-It is only available directly from the manufacturer, so there is no time for it get stale sitting in a warehouse for years.
-Auto-ship makes our live a little easier.
How Often
Offer food to young puppies three times a day. If your puppy isn’t hungry that often, reduce the frequency. After nine months of age, feed twice a day. Even adult dogs should have their food split into morning and evening feedings. When fed once a day dogs become overly hungry and are more likely to overeat at mealtime.
Let your puppy eat as much as she wants in fifteen minutes and then pick up the food dish. Having food continually available encourages overeating, and chubby puppies are more likely to have hip dysplasia and weight problems later in life. Also, because free-fed puppies never get very hungry, they don’t enjoy their food unless given special treats. The combination of special treats and freely available food encourages them to become bored, overweight and picky.
People Food
Do not give people food. If you start with a balanced diet and add goodies from the table, you won’t have a balanced diet anymore, and your puppy will have more digestive trouble. Treats that are reasonably balanced, such as Milk Bone Biscuits are OK, but since they are not very nutritious, don’t let them become an important part of the diet. Canned puppy food is perfectly fine, but we usually suggest feeding dry food because it is less expensive, easier to use, and better for the teeth.
Vitamin Supplements
One of the major causes of poor health in our beloved pets is the lack of proper nutrition with their diets. This is the main reason we use and suggest the continue use of a daily vitamin supplement. Find a supplement that provides full-spectrum nutritional support that focuses on boosting your pet’s immune system and overall health.
Keeping your pet’s immune system strong is crucial in today’s environment. Household toxins, fertilizers, pesticides, and even many of today’s pet foods leave your pet’s immune system susceptible. Regular and even premium brand pet foods can contain toxins, bad bacteria, and “meat by-products” (an industry term for anything other than meat). Other common ingredients are fillers like corn, wheat, and barley. These food ingredients and other environmental factors are prime sources for poor health in your pet.
Finding a high-quality vitamin supplement that incorporates a precise formula of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbs, and more is especially important. Research one that brings together vital ingredients that perform perfectly together to help improve your pet’s health and keep them healthy.
We did extensive research and found a product from NuVet Labs. It meets and exceeds our criteria for a good vitamin supplement.
HOUSE TRAINING
Puppies have a strong natural instinct to avoid soiling their own area. If you are consistent and patient, this natural urge for cleanliness makes house training fairly easy. You can begin training any time after five weeks of age. A little extra effort and patience in puppy-hood will make the difference later on between a happy, cooperative pet and one that causes problems for you.
Establish a Teacher-Learner Relationship
Use two types of rewards-praise and petting. When your puppy asks for attention, you probably respond by petting, which is only natural. Begin using these requests to show that you are the teacher and your puppy is the learner. It may sound silly but it’s important to establish this relationship early in puppy-hood.
Each time your puppy asks to be petted, respond by holding your hand about a foot above his nose and saying, “(your dog’s name), sit.” Move your hand back over his ears as you speak. This makes him look up, which is the first part of sitting. Keep repeating “good sit” until he sits. Then pet him on the throat and chest with your other hand for a few seconds as you repeat the praise. If not successful at first, repeat the procedure. When your dog sits from five to ten seconds, release him from the command by saying “OK”, then pet and praise him again. Gradually increase the sitting time until you have reached one or two minutes before you say “OK”. Be sure everyone who lives with the pet follows this procedure.
Consistent treatment from the whole family makes for a better adjusted, happier pet. Insist that your pet earn praise.
Teaching Where To Go
At first, feed at least three times a day. All dogs do not have the same digestive rates. You may need to feed your puppy as often as five times a day in order to avoid overloading his system and causing loose, difficult-to-control bowel movements. When you find the right schedule, the result is a dog that eats and then has a bowel movement within a few minutes.
Feed indoors. Remember, dogs do not like to potty where they eat. If your dog is urinating or defecating in a certain area, try feeding him right at that spot (after clean up, of course.)
Right after your dog finishes eating, take him out naturally (dont carry or force) to his toilet area, ahead of you if possible. Then let him sniff around for a good spot. Do not confuse things by urging him to go. After he goes to the bathroom, crouch down and point at the urine or fecal matter and say “good dog”. Look right at the stuff, not at the dog. If your dog sniffs it, praise and pet him enthusiastically.
Take Your Puppy Outside:
After waking up, even from a nap
After extreme excitement
After drinking water
After prolonged chewing on a toy, etc.
If he starts sniffing around the house for a good spot
In about four days your pup should automatically head for his proper place after meals or whenever the urge strikes. If it takes longer, be patient.
After this stage of house training, your puppy knows where to go, but not when to go. Do not try to teach self control (the “when” part) until you can be sure he will always head for the door when it’s time to go.
Teaching When To Go
To teach self control, you must keep feeding times consistent. Don’t feed at 7:30 a.m. on week days and then sleep in on Sunday–you’ll ruin the whole program. Dogs can control their urine for as long as thirteen hours when they need to. To teach self control, you should try to let your dog outdoors only at times when you are ordinarily home to do so. Whenever you see signs that your pup wants to go to the bathroom during the forbidden hours, try to distract him by tossing a ball, playing with a toy or doing any activity that will take his mind off the urge.
If possible, have your puppy sleep in a room with people. Because he will be inclined to tune into your sleeping times, there will be fewer accidents and less night time disturbance. Given a little blanket as a bed, most puppies soon learn to sleep through the entire night.
How To Deal With Mistakes
Old fashioned house training methods tell us to grab the puppy, show him the mess and punish him. This is not necessary and probably harmful. Instead, if you discover an accident, just say “ugh” disgustedly and whisk puppy out to his proper toilet area. Leave him there while you clean up the mess. Make sure he cannot see you cleaning up. Strangely, many dogs find it rewarding to watch their owner pick up poop or clean up pee-pee, and often leave another such gift as soon as they can. Because puppies seem to enjoy this game, it is a good idea to have them watch you clean up after they go to the bathroom in the correct place.
To discourage repeat visits, accidents must be cleaned up well enough to completely eliminate odor. After blotting and cleaning as best you can with paper towels, soak the stained area with an enzymatic cleaner. Let it remain on the stain 30 minutes or longer, blot up the liquid, and if still necessary, use regular rug cleaner afterwards. To work properly, the enzyme cleaner must be used before using regular rug cleaner.
BEHAVIOR TRAINING
Puppy’s Place in the Family
The reason dogs are such good pets and fit so well into human society is that they are social animals by nature. Their greatest psychological need is to be part of a group. Whether it’s a family of just you and puppy, or a boisterous household full of children and pets, in order to be happy your new puppy must feel secure about her place in the group.
If you watch puppies at play, you will see a lot of growling and tussling. There is more to this play fighting than meets the eye. Those little guys are already deciding who is going to be “top dog”. Whether you realize it or not, something very much like this play fighting is happening at home between your puppy and the rest of the family.
To be confident and secure puppies absolutely need a master they can depend on. For your dog to have a happy life and be a pleasure to own, at least one person in the family must become the “master”. Dogs have no mental concept of “friends and equals”. Somebody has to be the boss. Assertive puppies will grow up trying to be boss, which won’t make either one of you happy. A submissive puppy may spend its entire life fretting and worrying, never sure what is expected. Everything usually works out just fine automatically, puppies find their place in the family without much trouble and everyone is happy with the arrangement.
If, on the other hand, you have a strongly assertive or unusually submissive pet there are some things you should keep in mind:
Working with an Assertive Puppy
Assertive puppies tend to immediately investigate new people and objects. They are quick to begin play fighting activities with people. When they want to be fed or other attention, they are insistent and demanding. These puppies fall easily into the role of family protector because they think the people belong to them. This is well and good, but because dogs cannot really understand human society, there is soon trouble. They may try to defend you from everyone, and biting the UPS man because he invades your yard and that is not OK. Biting the children and that is also not OK. The most serious problems happen when grandchildren are involved. Perceived either as an outside threat or a competitor, it is not unusual for grandchildren to be badly injured by big assertive dogs.
The training techniques used to establish your teacher-learner relationship are especially important. Remember that your dog will be much happier in the long run if he earns praise and pleasure by obeying you, not by demanding it.
It is especially important for you to be master. Do not allow your dog to nip or bite at you in a friendly way. Do not stimulate your puppy by waving your arms and acting excited or by playing tug of war. Do not become what your puppy perceives to be an equal and competitive playmate.
Working with a Submissive Puppy
Submissive puppies tend to “shy away” from new people or things, either by lying down or actually running away. It is normal for most puppies to be slightly submissive. They wish for nothing more than to please you, which makes them easy to train.
Teach shy puppies things they can do that will earn your calm, reassuring praise. Try to provide a peaceful environment and a dependable schedule that includes exercise, a daily obedience session, and reliable feeding times.
Submissive Urination
Most puppies and young dogs have a tendency to urinate in response to new situations, when meeting a stranger, or even when their owners come home and greet them excitedly. This is a sign that your puppy is uncertain about what is expected. Never scold when this happens. Puppy is already trying hard to please. Calmly reassure, ignoring the urination. Clean up later, in private.
Fear Biting
If puppies don’t know what is expected of them, particularly if they are beginning to believe that people are supposed to do what dogs tell them to do, they may react inappropriately to strangers. The puppy is afraid, but psychologically unable to be completely submissive. They usually show signs of fear and try to run away from a threatening situation, but when escape is prevented, they bite. It happens when children insist on petting a frightened dog, and happens at the veterinarian’s office. These puppies need the firm leadership and reassurance best achieved through obedience training.
Destructive Chewing
It is natural for puppies to chew, that’s one of the ways they explore and learn. Try to keep valuable objects that are chew-able safely out of reach and provide a satisfactory alternative like a Nylabone chew toy. Destructive chewing is merely a way to work off excitement and relieve frustration, not an insidious plan to get even with you. Help encourage your puppy to be calm. Be easygoing. Don’t encourage tug of war or play that involves chewing and biting.
When you leave home for the day, don’t make it into a big deal for the dog. By showing lots of emotion of any sort: whether your making threats or acting excited to see them, it doesn’t matter, you build up emotional stress. This is often vented in destructive chewing. Your last three or four minutes at home should be spent calmly reading or sitting. Then get up and leave, ignoring your puppy completely–don’t even say goodbye. Arrive home the same way. Ignore your puppy at first and avoid the area where things are most likely to have been chewed. If things are a mess when you get home, don’t let your puppy know you care. Behave calmly. Clean up later when your puppy isn’t watching. Do not build up more stress by scolding, that just makes things worse. Again, work on teaching simple obedience and building the teacher-learner relationship. Puppies need a calm, dependable master.
CHEW TREATS, BONES AND TOYS
Don’t give your puppy anything small enough to swallow that can’t be digested, or things that can be chewed into large indigestible chunks and swallowed.
Chicken bones, rib bones, and pork bones are the most likely to cause trouble. Old gooey rawhide chews or bones from the butcher that have been around for a few days get rotten and stinky and cause diarrhea. If you give things like this (not really a good idea), use good sense. Bones should be too large to swallow and solid enough that they won’t be broken up into smaller chunks. Hooves, pig’s ears, and miscellaneous semi-digestible treats probably aren’t a good idea either, but if you use them be sure they are too large to be swallowed whole, or small enough to go all the way through.
Instead, we suggest using flavored Nylabone or Nylafloss chew toys. If your puppy first learns to prefer bones and rawhide, he probably won’t think chew toys are all that great, so use them from the beginning. Nylafloss looks like a big thick chunk of nylon rope. Puppies like it because they can really sink their teeth into the rope, and it helps keep the teeth clean.
VACCINATIONS
Why Vaccinate?
Between six and sixteen weeks of age, puppies lose the disease protection they received from their mothers and become able to form their own immunity to disease. Unfortunately, we never know when this will happen, so there is often a brief period when puppies have lost the disease protection they received from their mothers but have not yet developed strong immunity of their own. Fortunately, new vaccines for distemper and parvovirus are much more effective than what we had even two or three years ago, and eliminate much of this problem. Also, since the new vaccines work better we don’t have to give as many, which saves money.
Until your puppy is four or five months old, try to prevent contact with stray dogs or sick dogs. Avoid boarding your puppy or taking her places like highway rest stops where lots of other dogs go to the bathroom.
Vaccinations we currently use (August 1, 2019):
Vanguard® Plus 5 L4
is recommended for the vaccination of healthy dogs against diseases caused by canine distemper, adenovirus type 1 (hepatitis), adenovirus type 2 (respiratory disease), parainfluenza, parvovirus, and 4 stains of leptospiral bacterin (L. canicola, L. grippotyphosa, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, & L. pomona). Distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus are modified live versions of the virus. Leptospira canicola, Leptospira grippotyphosa,Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, and Leptospira pomona are killed versions of the virus. Recommended for use in healthy dogs 6 weeks of age or older. Boosters are highly recomended every 3 weeks until your veterinarian decides to stop. (Typically at 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 12 weeks) Annual re-vaccination with a single dose is recommended.
or
Solo-Jec® 5
protects dogs against five diseases caused by Canine Distemper, Canine Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus. It is a combination of antigenic and attenuated strains of Canine Distemper, Parainfluenza, CAV-2 and Parvovirus propagated in cell line tissue cultures. The liquid diluent is Parvovirus vaccine. This modified live vaccine can be administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Recommended for use in healthy dogs six weeks of age or older that are not exposed to Leptospira. Contains twenty-five 1 ml doses.
and
Bronchi-Shield® III
is recommended for the vaccination of healthy dogs against diseases caused by canine adenovirus type 1 (hepatitis), adenovirus type 2 (respiratory disease), parainfluenza, and bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough). All viruses in this vaccine are modified live versions of the virus. Recommended for the vaccination of healthy dogs 8 weeks of age or older. Bi-Annual re-vaccination with a single dose is recommended.
PARASITES
Parasites feed on hosts such as wildlife, people and pets. A proactive approach is the best defense for your dog against these dangerous pests. You must choose a product or a combination of products that prevent and protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease and multiple kinds of intestinal parasites.