Puppy Care
How to Care for Your Puppy
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Your Pup's First Day...
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Our first concern once you get your new puppy, is to make sure that the puppy eats for you. We can't say it enough. Make sure the puppy eats immediately! Make sure the puppy eats immediately! Make sure the puppy eats immediately!
If you have a short ride home from the airport, feed the pup when you get home. If you have a long trip (more than an hour), it's best to offer some canned food when you get out to the car. “Nutrical” or another similar product (described in the shopping list below) is even easier to use than canned food at the airport, and will suffice until you get home. The pup has had food and water available during his flight, but often the pup doesn't eat during the flight. We have attached a bag of food to the kennel, that you should mix with the food that you will be feeding. Try to make the food change gradual, over about a 5 day period. The food that we use is very similar to Iams.
First, offer the food dry. If the pup eats the food dry, terrific. If not, mix a teaspoon or two of canned food in with the dry. Add a bit of warm water, and wait a few minutes. Most pups will eat this concoction. If not, offer canned food straight. Very few puppies can resist this. However, if your pup is very stubborn, take a tsp. or two of the food and force small amounts into his mouth, making sure he swallows it.
If you need to feed canned food (very common), it's best to stick with small cans of food. Canned cat food is perfect, since it's higher in fat and protein, and when the pup is not eating well, that's a wonderful thing. Cat food also tends to be more aromatic and interesting for the puppy. Brand is not important. Choose foods that are ground, rather than advertised as "sliced". Keep the can at room temperature, and discard the can after 24 hours. Refrigerated food is cold, non-aromatic, and difficult for the pup to handle.
Nutrical or a similar high calorie nutritional supplement will be helpful if the pup does not eat well.
Sometimes a pup will get motion sickness, and vomit the food he ate before traveling. The pup will then arrive with an empty, and nauseated tummy. Once he eats a bit of food (or is forced to swallow), the nausea will subside, and the appetite generally returns within 30 minutes or so.
What can happen if your puppy does not eat?
Puppies have a very limited reserve - they will go into shock and then die if they do not eat. This is called Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar.) Your pup must eat by bedtime. Please call us at 218-546-2811 for advice if you can't get your pup to eat. Our guarantee does NOT cover loss of the pup due to shock caused by hypoglycemia.
For the first week or so, the pup should be fed 4 times a day. Pick up the food when the pup is done eating, to help you with your housebreaking task. Here, the pups have access to food and water 24/7. This is because there'd be no way for us to ensure that each pup eats when it is hungry if we were to pick up the food between meals. You'll have to help the pup learn that you'll be picking up the food when it's done eating.
A week or so after getting the pup, you can reduce the number of feedings to three times a day. Try to offer the food at the times you have found the pup to be most hungry. Feed three times a day until 4 months of age, and then you can drop to twice a day. All dogs should be fed twice a day.
We have sent along in the envelope attached to the kennel, instructions, heath record, and an envelope with medications called Albon and Metronidzole. These medications treat the pup for common puppy parasites called coccidia and giardia. We treat all puppies here, but some puppies can re-develop these microscopic parasites during a period of stress (like going to a new home) so we feel it is best to re-treat the pup when he goes to his new home. The symptoms are a loose stool, but loose stools are common anyway when the pup goes to a new home. Please begin the medications as prescribed on the envelope, the day you get the puppy. Please medicate the puppy - “don't wait and see.” It's much easier to prevent these critters than to treat a full-blown case.
To administer the medication, break the pills into the appropriate size, as shown on the envelope. Open the puppy's mouth, and push the pill(s) as far down the throat as you can with your finger. Close the pup's mouth, and hold it shut until the puppy swallows. If he won't swallow, rub the throat downward with your finger. You can also blow on the pup's nose, or even close his nose momentarily.
We have occasionally had a pup that doesn't like the water at the new home. We have well water here, filtered, and we think it tastes great. City water can taste and smell funny to the pup. In this case, you can draw a bowl of water and let it stand over night. Or, you can purchase a “Brita” or similar filtering device. You really do need to spoil the pup for a few weeks - they are just too fragile.
NOTICE:
Many local pet stores now offer puppy training classes. These are fantastic, but due to the fact that young puppies do not have a complete immune system, please do not begin any formal Puppy Training Classes until the pup is 4 months old. Training can begin in earnest at home immediately after getting the puppy, but no CLASS training. There is a new virus called Canine Influenza that has just developed in the last 18 months. This virus is often fatal with puppies, and there is no vaccine. There are other viruses that can be fatal too, most of which have no vaccine. Please take this seriously. Don't allow your puppy to wander around on the floor at pet stores, veterinary clinics, or on the grass at the park until it is at least 4 months old.
Please call 218-546-2811 if you have any other concerns (or e-mail if it's not an emergency.) Below is a list of things you'll want to have on hand. Have fun shopping!
Thanks!
Mike and Lucy
What supplies will I need the when the puppy arrives?
- Quality Puppy Food - We would suggest feeding a quality chicken based puppy food, purchased from your vet, grooming shop, or pet store. Some good foods include Iams, Bil Jac, and Nutromax. Do make sure that the food is chicken or chicken by-product based, with no soy or lamb. We feed a product called “Pro Kennels Choice.” It's an excellent food, very similar to Iams. Unfortunately, it's not available nationwide.
- A can or two of dog (or cat) food. This is only a flavor enhancer, so brand does not make a difference. Canned Cat Food - ground variety, not sliced. Select several different flavors, non-fish based, 5.5 ounce size. Cat food is higher in protein and higher in fat. This is a benefit because your puppy is likely to be a bit finicky for a few days, and he'll require less food if it's cat food. It's also more strongly flavored, and more likely to be eaten by your puppy. The food will stay fresh for 24 hours once opened, so just throw it away at the end of the day. Cold canned food from the 'fridge is not very appetizing.
- Medical Dosing Syringe - With the smallest puppies, it's a good idea also to have a few jars of Chicken baby food (no rice, etc) on hand. Also pick up a child's medication dosing syringe.
- “Pasteurized” eggs are handy to have too. The yolks can be fed raw to the pup with a syringe if the pup doesn't eat. Do not feed the egg whites.
- Cottage Cheese is also handy for pups that don't have a good appetite. It does not seem to cause loose stools, as other milk products do.
- Paste Supplements - There are products available at good pet stores or from your vet that are high calorie, protein and fat dense, paste supplements. These can be very helpful (with tiny puppies especially), to help maintain proper blood sugar while the pup is acclimating to your home. Examples are Nutrical, Nutristat, and Meg-a-cal. The airlines, after 9/11, no longer allow us to send Nutrical along with the puppies. It's a good idea, and very important for the smallest puppies, to have a paste supplement on hand with you when you pick up the puppy. These products are easy to use - just squeeze an inch or so onto the tongue of the puppy (the bigger the pup, the more product to use.)
- Kaopectate - Yep. The human product. It's very common for the pup to develop loose stools due to the stress of travel (car or flight), new surroundings, etc. If needed, you can give the pup 1/4 to 1/2 tsp as needed. The best way to give it is to dose once, than an hour later, and again an hour later. Watch and see. You will likely not need to dose again. Stools looser than Dairy Queen ice cream should be medicated. A tiny bit of blood on the end of the stool is just a stress response. Severe bloody diahhrea, however, is an emergency, and should be treated by the vet immediately. This can occur if the puppy eats people food!
- Kennel - if the pup has traveled by plane, the kennel is yours to keep. It is nice to have a larger, second kennel. You can read about this on our Training page.
- One or two good puppy toys. We generally send a toy with the pup. Try to keep new toys to a minimum - they will confuse the pup about what is OK to chew. Again, you can read about chewing on the Training page. A rope bone is excellent, and Roar Hide bones, by Nylabone are good too. Do not use plain raw-hide. These can unravel and be swallowed in large enough pieces to block the exit of the stomach.
- Food and Water bowls. Some dogs do develop sensitivities to plastic, so we like to recommend either heavy ceramic bowls, or stainless steel.
Other helpful or handy tools:
- A good book or two. Different training methods can be used to compliment each other. You don't have to stick with just one training method. We like the concepts used by The Monks of New Skete. They train taking advantage of the dog's natural instincts. You can purchase their books at most pet stores, and also on line at Barnes and Nobles, etc. Some other books teach training by using more negative discipline, and some books teach training by using decidedly human approaches, which just don't work very well. Training a dog is different than training a child.
- You can also check out Cesar Millan's program, on the National Geographic Channel, called “The Dog Whisperer”. He's very entertaining, and an incredible trainer. You will learn alot watching him. And, he has written several books and has videos out too. Check out the website at: http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
- Another very effective training method is called “Clicker Training”. You can go to: http://www.clickertraining.com/ to check it out. We HIGHLY recommend that you give this a try. You owe it to yourself and your puppy :-)
- A good quality brush. The brush we like to recommend is the “Oscar Franks Universal Grand.” This brush is a “slicker” brush, with a gently curved face. This curve helps get down through the coat. Flat brushes are less effective, and heavily curved brushes are overly rough. If you like, you can purchase your pet products online, by going to http://www.petedge.com/. They sell to groomers, pet owners, etc, WHOLESALE. It's a great company.
- Good quality Puppy Shampoo. Good products are more expensive, and THEY ARE WORTH THE EXPENSE. Good shampoos are designed to be diluted, up to 1 part shampoo to 32 parts water. Diluted shampoo is much easier to use - easier to get down to the skin, safer around the eyes, and much easier to rinse out. Only dilute as much as you think you'll use within a week or so, as the diluted shampoos will spoil. It's best to buy a tearless product.
- Good quality Dog Conditioner. Be sure to use a conditioner, diluted 1 part conditioner to 15 parts water, after each bath. This is especially important during the winter and summer air-conditioning months, to replace oils that are removed by frequent bathing.
- Stain and Odor remover. It's essential to use a product that contains enzymes to break down the scent of urine, to make housebreaking easier. We recommend “Natures Miracle” products, available at good pet stores, and online at: http://www.petedge.com/. Also see http://www.PlanetUrine.com/ for products to remove stains and odors from carpeting and other surfaces.
Puppy Training
Housebreaking is probably the biggest concern for new puppy owners. There are several methods, but most people find that Crate Training is an easy, effective method of housebreaking.
Chewing is another concern for new puppy owners. Several tips are below:
- The simplest thing to do is to firmly say “NO” when the puppy is chewing on an inappropriate item - your shoes, or your fingers! Then, give the puppy an appropriate object to chew.
- You will find that his favorite unacceptable things will smell like you - your socks, gloves, shoes, and underwear. Be sure to keep clothing and shoes out of reach.
- It is common for people to give their puppy a large assortment of toys, BUT, that actually confuses the pup. He cannot be expected to tell the difference between his 20 acceptable items, and your inappropriate things. Give the pup one or two good chewing items and no more. Then, he'll easily learn that the ONLY things he can chew are those items. Once he's learned that lesson, you can begin to give more chew toys, but never more than once or twice a week.
- Sewn rope toys are excellent chews - they can be easily washed when soiled, and are very satisfying to chew. They work beautifully when the pup is teething, because the baby teeth get lodged in the rope. If your pup won't chew a rope toy, let it sit overnight in a bag of treats or food to give it an interesting smell. When the rope toy is getting dirty or smelly, it can be thrown in the washer!
- Most rawhide chews are not a good idea - they can be swallowed in large pieces that can then block the intestines. The rawhide chews that are processed (Roarhide, by Nylabone, for example) are a good product, since the pup will chew off pieces that are too tiny to cause trouble.
North Country Kennels - Phone: 218-546-2811 - 