Congratulations ! New puppies are a wonderful addition to your home but
how do you train them? What can they eat? What is Really necessary to keep
them healthy? Please take a few moments to pick up a pointer or two
about your new friend.
A puppy's behavior, good and bad, is usually instinctive. Therefore, to train a
puppy, you need to modify bad instinctive activity and encourage good
instinctive activity. For instance, an undomesticated puppy would prefer
living in a closed up den or cave and would leave that den for eliminations. To
house train, we can put a puppy into a confined structure (which they find
more comforting than the run of the house anyway,) and otherwise only allow
them to be outside or supervised in the house. This is called "crate" training
and it promotes security and control while teaching outdoor eliminations.
Paper training involves covering an entire floor with newspaper. As the
puppy chooses a certain area, the paper is gradually picked up leaving only the
small area covered.
Discipline- a simple but effective technique to express your displeasure is to
place fifteen pennies in an aluminum can and tape up the top. Puppies (and
dogs) hate the sound made by shaking this can but your voice is not associated
with the negativity. Never hit your puppy or rub it's nose in excrement or
scream. These actions create shyness and anxieties.
The timing for discipline is also important. Puppies have very short
association spans, so only discipline during or within fifteen seconds of an
"accident." Also, a short obedience course can be mutually rewarding at
around six months of age or older. Please ask your veterinarian if you have other questions about discipline because if you practice consistent and effective training from the start, your puppy will grow
to be a more obedient and loyal companion.
Feeding - puppies are like people in a lot of ways, they are also quite
different. Your animal will be healthiest if you feed one
quality dry puppy food for the first year, and one quality dry puppy food only.
Human food (especially pork or bones) can cause digestive upsets. This occurs
because puppies develop enzyme systems to digest the protein in their food, not
ours. People need variety but domestic dogs do not.
Fleas - these ectoparasites are very difficult to control after they are established,
so it is much better to treat aggressively at first signs. The best recommendation
anyone could ever make in this regard is to treat all animals and the total
environment every two weeks until the cycle of flea and resistant egg-pupal-
larvae stages is broken. If you treat only partially or only occasionally, fleas will
probably remain a problem in your home. Fleas and the health related problems
they cause are frequently the reason for a client visit to our hospital during the
warm months in Memphis. The more aggressive you are, using the proper
insecticides from the start, the least you will have to spend and endure in the
long run.
Grooming - first of all, never use human shampoo on a puppy. Their skin is
another area of difference between animals and people, animal shampoos are
properly pH adjusted. Generally, you should bathe your puppy as seldom as
possible, bathing too frequently washes away protective oils and may even
create dermatitis problems. Once monthly may be sufficient. Additionally, a specific shampoo is prescribed for a skin problem, that same shampoo may be
incorrect for the skin condition several months later.
When bathing, place a protective ophthalmic ointment in the eyes first and
always allow 5-10 minutes contact time for medicated shampoos.
Puppies and dogs should be brushed daily if possible to minimize shedding
and promote healthy skin. Make a habit of touching the puppy's feet, nails and
ears daily early to avoid anxiety problems later.
It is also a good idea to brush their teeth daily or at least weekly with a
specially formulated dog toothpaste for good oral health. Can you imagine what
would happen if you never brushed your teeth?
Medications - some medicines like baby aspirin may be safely given to puppies
but please call first for proper dosages. Never give cough medicines
without prior instruction.
One important exception to all this is Kaopectate. This product is basically
a clay that absorbs toxins and adds to the bowel movement to effectively treat
simple diarrhea. It can be used safely in puppies at approximately one
teaspoonful per 10 pounds of body weight. A convenient way to administer this
or other liquids is to pull out the puppy's lip at the side creating a pouch that
you can pour the medicine into.
Vaccinations - an important fact to remember is that puppies get immunity
from their mothers through nursing. While this maternal immunity is important
to protect the young dog, it causes vaccination problems until sixteen weeks of
age. For that reason, we give multiple vaccines until the puppy is capable of
responding with a long-term immunity that will last for a year.
Summary- some of these topics are the subjects of entire books. One good one
is the American Kennel Club's Dog Care And Training. The purpose of this
information is to increase your awareness and increase your understanding
of the many complexities of animal care. Please consult your veterinarian to provide additional help as your questions arise.
Return to The Pet Page.
Considering frequency, we recommend three times daily until six months of
age, then twice daily. Finally, be careful not to feed a puppy near a larger dog
and always provide plenty of fresh "human" water.
For vomiting, the best initial management is to give nothing by mouth. Take
up all food and water and give small amounts of liquids or ice only after 1-2
hours of normal behavior. If the vomiting continues or is uncontrollable, seek
veterinary attention.
General dewormers that we often give puppies will treat the most dangerous
types of worms, but if you notice small white worms in the feces, please contact
your veterinarian. These are probably tapeworms (transmitted by fleas) and require special
medications to treat. There is nothing available over the counter to treat these
worms .
For reference, a puppy's normal rectal temperature is 101-102"F.
Finally, your veterinarian may usually begin heartworm preventive during the second
vaccination visit. You should start this very important medication before six
months of age and it is given year-round.