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Your New Puppy
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW PUPPY!
FOLLOWING ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS WHICH MAY BE HELPFUL WHEN RAISING A NEW PUPPY.
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Naming your puppy can be fun for
the family. Try to think of a two syllable name that ends in
"a", "o", or "e" like Sara, Cleo, or Cassie. These types of
names are easy for a puppy to remember and won't get confused
with one-syllable commands such as "sit" and "stay". Whatever
name you choose be consistent until your puppy understands and
responds to it. Refrain from calling your puppy various
connotations of the name you have chosen (i.e. name is Lilly,
avoid "Lil"; name is "jack" avoid "Jackson, Jackie" etc. ) as
this will only confuse him/her.
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When you cannot keep an eye on your puppy
he needs a place that he can call his own and will keep him
out of harm's way. There are many different types of crates
that will suit the purpose but we recommend something that is
classified as airline approved because of their sturdiness and
versatility. Dogs come from wolf like ancestors and
instinctively feel cozy and safe in anything remotely cave like,
even a turned over box. Once your puppy gets use to being in a
crate you will find that he will go into the crate voluntarily
whenever he feels tired or threatened. When he does go in the
crate respect his privacy and don't reach in and pull him out;
let him come out on his own or call or coax him out. Another
reason for crate training is so that you will be able to travel
with your puppy. If you are staying at a hotel and want to go
out for a quick meal most hotels will not allow you to leave
your puppy loose in the hotel room . By having your puppy crate
trained you can leave him in the crate with little fear of him
barking or howling to be let out.
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Teach puppy the commands sit; stay;
down, come and off. Don't wait; do it in the
first few weeks. Sit, off and down are especially important.
Give puppy treats when he is successful. Do not use the command
"down" when you want the puppy to stay "off" something; off
people, off the furniture etc. Down is the command used to
indicate you want the puppy to lie down - do not confuse him by
using the same command for two different behaviors.
- Socialize your puppy -When you have
company over; have your company hold and pet the puppy so it
gets familiar with other people.
- Take puppy on car rides -
even if just to the corner store.
- Take puppy visiting to
friends' homes. Keep an eye on the puppy and take him out on a
lead as necessary, so puppy will not mess in the house.
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Lead train and house train at the same
time. Put a soft collar on the puppy. Train by putting the lead
on and taking the puppy outside. Carry the puppy to an area that
you want him to use as a bathroom, place puppy on the ground and
use words such as "do business" or something else that you are
comfortable with. Once the puppy has relieved himself praise
him with something like "good dog" and say it with
enthusiasm. Walk puppy back to the house. If the puppy begins
to relieve himself in the house say "NO" sharply and
immediately take the puppy outside again, not forgetting to
praise puppy if he relieves himself outside. The best idea for
house training is to take the puppy out the first thing in the
morning, after puppy eats or drinks, after a nap, last thing at
night and if you notice puppy sniffing the floor.
- Clip your puppy's nails regularly.
If you can hear them clicking on the floor when he walks, it's
time for a trim. If you let your pup's nails get too long, they
will break and cause soreness. Dog nail clippers are better than
scissors for nail trimming. Hold the paw firmly, and clip a
little at a time. Don't try to take the whole tip off with one
whack. Be careful not to cut into the "Quick" which is the
sensitive flesh underneath the back of the nail. Should you
accidentally cut too far and bleeding occurs, use baby powder,
flower, or a product such as "Quick Stop" to help stop the
bleeding.
- Do not scold your puppy unless you
catch him in the act of a misdeed. Puppies have very short
memories and will not associate the discipline with the
undesirable act.
- Remember to forgive your puppy a
few minutes after you discipline him to let puppy know that you
are not mad at him any more.
- Never call your puppy to you and then
discipline him. If your intention is to discipline him you
must always go to the puppy without giving him any command. If
you do call the puppy to you and then proceed to discipline him;
he will soon learn to associate coming to you with
punishment. This will eventually teach the puppy to not come when called. When you give the come command and he returns
to you, make sure you praise him even if he has just done
something you are not pleased with.
- Play with the puppy. (fetch, ball,
tug of war, etc.)
- Do not leave small puppies outside by
themselves - especially for long periods of time. Go out
with him as puppies can get through the smallest holes
imaginable and can wander off or get lost very easily.
- Do not give the puppy free run of the
house. Puppy is not ready for that responsibility but can
work towards it.
- Keep shots up to date. Have the dog
wormed once a year, or more if necessary.
- Use caution when practicing flea
control if your environment/climate poses a flea problem for
your puppy. Puppies under six months of age should not be
flea sprayed. Some dogs are allergic to flea sprays. If after
spraying, the dog drools excessively or if he has a change in
attitude, either take him to a vet immediately and talk to the
vet about flea spraying, or bathe the dog immediately, using a
non- flea shampoo. Wait a week and then bath as often as
necessary with a flea shampoo. Dogs can also be allergic to flea
collars so, use them with discretion.
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