You need to keep a watchful eye on your pup at all times. His environment, food, and social factors can affect him in different ways. Most importantly, he can become deathly ill with some of the illnesses that befall puppies. When you need to identify a problem, be sure to include your vet in the process. He will know the appropriate action to take.
Symptoms to watch for in your new pup are diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, lethargy, pain of any kind, no appetite, and a fever. Dogs cannot tell us what they are feeling so we have to watch for these symptoms and call the vet to see if they need to be seen. Make sure their vaccinations are all up to date. Also monitor his contact with other dogs as they may be sick and the owners may not know it.
Once you see the vet and decide on a course of action, he may decide some medicine would help the animal feel better. There are several ways to get the puppy to take the medicine whether it is liquid or tablet. Some dogs may spit it out. You have to keep trying until they get it down or call the vet and see if something else can be done.
For liquid medicines, some dogs will lick it right off a spoon or out of the dropper. You can pour it in some food and mix it up. If the dog is uncooperative, you can hold him by the back of the head. Pull one side of the mouth up and shoot the medicine toward the back of the mouth and they will swallow it.
For tablets, the same thing applies. Most people will disguise the food in a piece of bread or in the dog’’s food. Some dogs will take it right out of your hand. If the dog is uncooperative, tilt your dog’’s head back and place the pill as far back on the tongue as you can get it. At no time should you hurt the animal while giving medicine to him.
A puppy progresses almost like children do. They need to eat, sleep, and learn new things along the way. Always interact and play with your puppy to give him exercise and keep him mentally and physically fit.
The first two to three weeks are usually the hardest. The puppy will begin to move around and open his eyes. He will know his Mom and her smell.
At three to four weeks, the pup will begin to recognize you. Any kind of negative happening like immediate changes can impact his personality. So try to keep things calm during this time. Mom is beginning to teach the litter how to be a dog, so they need to stay with her now.
During the four to eight week stage, he begins to interact with his siblings. He will also learn how to play. Weaning happens around this time and Mom will teach her mischievous brood a few manners. They are not ready to be separated from Mom as she has a few more things to teach them. This is also the time to start them on puppy food.
Once they get to eight weeks, some puppies hit a fearful time. Things they used to be accustomed to now terrify them. Do not yell or scream at the puppy or isolate him during this time. This is the time to teach simple behaviors such as sit and stay.
At three months, the puppy will be more independent every day. He will challenge you by not doing the simple commands he already knows. He will wait to play wrestle and even if you win, the puppy will still think it is alright to fight with you which can lead to other bad behaviors down the road.
Four months brings the teenage stage. He will go through hormonal changes and have an even lesser desire to do what you say. He will also go through teething. Always have something cold, if possible, for the pup to chew on. This stage ends at six months which is the perfect time to spay or neuter.
When you bring the new puppy home, the first thing you will want to do is feed him. What kind of food do you use? What are his nutritional requirements? Will he like what you give him? Make sure your vet is involved in his diet planning.
Make sure the dog’’s food is healthy and tasty. Try to find something for the stage of life he is in. For example, if he is a puppy, buy him puppy food. Decide on what you are going to feed him before you bring him home. This prevents last minute decisions that might not be healthy for your pet.
Dry food is quite popular. It is easy to store and usually tastes great. It is also good for helping keep the teeth clean.
Soft and moist food are great for your dog to eat because he will eat most of the food and get the added nutrition.
Canned food have the highest water content. These also contain less nutrition, so you may need to feed your dog more than usual to equal out the nutrition they may need.
Look at the levels of vitamins and crude materials on the label. Is there enough fat, protein, calories and other nutrients? Is the food tasty and is the price too expensive? These are things to consider when buying puppy food.
If your dog becomes finicky and will only eat certain things, this is sometimes due to change in diet. Allow the dog time to adjust. If he still won”t eat, try a new food. If he still doesn”t cooperate, you may need to take him to the vet for a checkup to make sure nothing is wrong.
Some people feed their dogs from the table. This is like in between meal snacking and kills th dog’’s appetite for when it is time for him to eat his food. Avoid feeding the dog off the table.
Taking care of the newborn puppy if you are midwifing the Mom can be quite exciting. Watching a new life come into the world is a miracle in itself. Observe the birth in awe, but be ready to help Mom if she is having trouble.
You will need several items when whelping (birth) starts. Have these ready beforehand so you don”t have to leave Mom during the birth. You will need plenty of towels, a heating lamp, scissors, betadine, alcohol, dental floss, paper and pencil, and lots of patience until the big event happens.
When the first pup is born, let it start to nurse immediately. This helps to stimulate contractions for the next pup. Place the new pup under a heat lamp for warmth. After each new pup is born, you can place all the puppies back until the next contractions start.
If a pup is lifeless after birth, rub him down with a coarse towel to help him take that first breath. Some people also try placing the pup in water, alternating between hot and cold to get them to breathe. You can also try CPR by placing the pup on his back and blowing into his mouth. Then apply pressure to the chest. DO NOT GIVE UP! Some people have revived pups for up to thirty minutes after birth.
Encourage the new pups to start nursing right away. They need the colostrum that is in the mother’’s milk. This nourishing fluid contains antibodies and special vitamins that help protect the newborn pup from sickness. Make sure all the puppies are able to latch on and get the colostrum. Some of the bigger puppies will push off the smaller ones.
After each pup is born, look for any problems that may be present. Obvious ones like a cleft palate or a shortened limb are easy to spot. Sometimes there are internal problems like organs that are not fully developed. Call the vet immediately if you spot a problem.
What an honor that has been bestowed upon you! You get to name this new little puppy you have just brought home. You are under much pressure to come up with a name that is not too cute, not too frilly, and something that will fit the animal’’s personality. Oh the pressure of a name.
You could go with a classic like Fido or Fifi. These names never go out of style unless you have kids who want a hip name.
You can also use you favorite movie star or country singer, mythical figures, presidents, and family members. The sky is the limit.
Some suggestions for choosing a name:
- You will be calling him for the next fifteen year by this name. So pick something you really like.
- Usually one to three syllables is good for a name. It can get cumbersome to call out a long name every time. There are dogs though that have three names just like a child. Keep it simple and not too complex.
- Always use the puppy’’s name when you speak to him or praise him. When he hears it next, he will come running because he knows that it’’s his special word.
Don”t name the puppy something that will embarrass you or others when you have to call him in public.
Take time to play with the puppy and get to know him before choosing a moniker for the pup. You may name her and find out later that it doesn”t fit. Give it a few days to a week and see what you think then. Ask for advice from family and friends. Have a Name The Puppy party and give a prize to the person whose name you chose. There are all kinds of names out there. Just find one that fits your dog and makes you happy.
Fifteen to twenty million dogs were lost in the last year due to no identification on the dog. Even simple collar tags can help your pet to be returned. Without any form of ID in place, if your dog goes missing, there is no way to track him even if someone finds him. Take a moment and make it easy on your best friend if he gets lost. Make sure he can find his way back to you.
There are several ways to insure the animal will be returned. The first is an ID tag and Rabies Certificate which should be worn on a collar. The tag should have your address, phone number, and the puppy’’s name. The Rabies Certificate tag has a serial number that can be traced by a vet. You can also place a tag with any illnesses the animal may have such as Diabetes.
A new device is gaining popularity. It is a microchip they place under the dog’’s skin. A computer scanner can read the bar code on it and find where the animal belongs. The owner’’s name and address is entered into a national database. The only downside is the chip may move to other places in the body making it hard to find.
Tattoos are another option. They are placed inside the ear. It will cause a minor discomfort to the animal for a couple of days. In the long run, it’’s better to have some pain than to lose you best friend because he got away from you. They will tattoo a serial number and register it with the national database.
Licenses for dogs have gone up in the last few years. They used to be ten dollars and are now up to twenty to thirty dollars depending on whether the animal is spayed or neutered. Licenses insure the dog’’s rabies shot is up to date. Rabies is fatal 99% of thetime for both dogs and humans.
