Puppy Kit Information

Congratulations on the arrival of your new puppy. It is our hope that we may help you have many years of companionship and fun with your pet. At this age, it is the time to address many of the preventative care measures that will help promote a long and healthy life for your new friend.

Vaccinations

Puppies differ from adult dogs by requiring a series of vaccinations to insure protection against the most common diseases of dogs. This is necessary for several reasons, but the most important is the passive immunity that puppies acquire from their mothers. Early in their life, puppies receive antibodies directly from their mother that helps protect them during the critical first weeks of life. The level of antibody will fall gradually as the puppy grows and develops. This rate may be different or each puppy in the litter. It must decline below a certain level before the puppy can respond to development of this response. The series of vaccinations is designed to give immunity at the earliest age following the loss of passive immunity from the animal’s mother. It is for this reason it is very important to complete the series of boosters and for the boosters to come at the right time. If for any reason your personal schedule prevents you from bringing your puppy in at the proper intervals, please contact our office and explain your situation so that we may advise you on what the best solution may be.

Nutrition

One of the most rapidly developing areas of knowledge in pet preventative health care is the subject of proper nutrition. In recent years, it is rare to see nutritional deficiencies in the pets that are fed modern dog foods, but of increasing concern to veterinarians is the subject of excesses in diet. While deficiencies present themselves early in a pet’s life in the form of growth or developmental problems, excesses may be present for years before they manifest themselves in health problems. We recommend a dog food designed for the appropriate breed and stage of the pet’s life (i.e. large breed puppies require large breed puppy food).

Heartworm Disease

            When worms are discussed in conjunction with preventative health care in dogs, most people think of intestinal parasites. Heartworms are different parasites that slowly grow within the right chambers of the heart and the blood vessels of the lungs. Heartworms are deadly and are more commonly diagnosed that in years past. Heartworm disease spreads when mosquitoes bite a dog that has been previously infected, siphon up the microscopic heartworm offspring, and then bite another animal. Heartworms are particularly dangerous because often animals do not show evidence of the disease until they have been present for months or years. Heartworm preventatives work by stopping the microscopic larva soon after being injected from the mosquito bite before they have arrived in the heart and begin to do damage. As these larvae mature, they become progressively more difficult to kill. This is why heartworm preventatives must be used regularly (once monthly with the pill or every 12 months with the shot) to effectively prevent the disease. Animals over the age of 5 months require a blood test to determine if they are infected and if negative, they may safely take the preventative medication. Heartworm prevention should begin before 4 months of age so that we may be assured that the puppy is negative at the time the medication is stated. We recommend a heartworm test yearly to be sure the prevention is working and that your pet is free of heartworm infection.

Intestinal worms need to be prevented as well, and all of our heartworm products contain intestinal worm prevention. Please ask us which prevention will work best for your pet.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Flea prevention is very important for many reasons. Fleas can make an animal anemic, act as a carrier for tapeworms, and are a contributing factor in many skin diseases (including allergy to flea bites). Fleas can be a particularly bothersome parasite because of their ability to reproduces so quickly. One adult female flea can produce up to fifty eggs each day. Because fleas can present for many days before they are noticed, modern flea control is aimed at controlling reproduction of the flea as well as killing the adult fleas. This is truly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Once fleas become established in your pet’s environment, it can take weeks to eliminate them.

Ticks need to be prevented as well. Ticks can carry certain diseases that can be transmitted to the pet when bitten. Ticks can also make an animal anemic. Certain ticks carry diseases that can be transmitted to a pet.

Several products are available for flea and tick prevention, but for external parasite control, the oral products work best. Please ask us which product is best for your pet and his/her environment.

Body Handling and Training

All dog owners should teach their dogs to enjoy and allow handling of their body. When puppies are young, they can be taught to allow all parts of their body to be examined. You can reward the puppy with food rewards for allowing handling. Handle the puppy, give a treat. Look in the puppy’s mouth, give a treat. Pick up the puppy’s feet and massage them, give a treat. Soon the puppy will realize that when you approach the puppy you bring good things and will learn to trust you and not be afraid to have different areas of the body examined or handled. Early handling can make later medical treatments, dental care, ear cleaning, and nail trims easier. For breeds that have hair coats that will require grooming, it is also recommended that the puppy begin being groomed by 12 weeks of age. This is so that they may become used to the body handling that will be necessary to keep the coat at its best.

Dental Program

Healthy teeth are the window to good health in your pet. A dog/cat builds up plaque and tartar on their teeth 7 times faster than a human. Starting early on a dental routine will help your pet see their dental routine as a treat. The best tartar prevention is achieved by brushing the teeth daily. You will want to use animal toothpaste that is designed for the pet to swallow. There are also mouth washes and chew treat designed to help keep your pet’s teeth clean and should be used in combination with brushing the teeth. Keeping your pet’s teeth healthy can prevent numerous diseases in the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs. A good dental program will also prolong the time before your pet will need a teeth cleaning. We recommend the Oravet line of dental products.

Vaccines Prevent Disease

Many serious contagious diseases of dogs can be prevented with vaccinations. Diseases commonly precented with vaccination include:

• Canine Distemper Virus is a wide spread, often fatal virus that infects several organ systems. It can cause severe problems with the respiratory tract, stomach, intestines, skin, brain, and spinal cord. Signs of disease include pneumonia, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures. In addition to dogs, foxes, raccoons, and skunks can also carry the virus and expose unprotected dogs.
• Canine Parvovirus is a wide spread virus that infects the digestive system. It causes vomiting and diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration. Parvo is a very sturdy virus, able to live in soil for years after contamination by an infected dog. Parvovirus is particularly dangerous in puppies.
• Canine Hepatitis is caused by one of the two types of adenoviruses. Canine adenovirus type 1 causes hepatitis and liver failure in dogs. Canine adenovirus type 2 causes respiratory infections. Because the two types are similar, modern vaccines use adenovirus type 2 to provide protection against both diseases.
• Canine Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can infect different pars of the body depending on the strain of bacteria. The most common sign is acute kidney failure, but liver failure can also occur. The bacteria are passed in urine and can be found in standing water contaminated by livestock or wildlife. The disease can also be spread to other pets and humans.
• Bordetella bronchiseptica is a cause of respiratory infection in dogs. It is the primary bacteria found in kennel cough. This very contagious bacteria usually cause a hacking cough that can last for weeks.
• Rabies Virus attacks the nervous system, particularly the brain. It is always fatal. It is spread by bites from infected animals such as wildlife, dogs, cats, and occasionally livestock. Rabies virus can also spread to humans in the same way.

Puppy Vaccination Series

Puppies differ from adult dogs by requiring a series of vaccinations to insure protection against the most common diseases of dogs. This is necessary for several reasons, but the most important is the passive immunity that puppies acquire from their mothers. Puppies receive antibodies in the colostrum from their mother to protect them during the first few weeks of life. The antibody level must get below a certain level before the puppy can respond to vaccines and develop his own immunity. The series of vaccinations is designed to give immunity at the earliest age and increase the puppy’s own immunity with each dose until the immune system is mature. For this reason, it is very important to complete the series of boosters and for the boosters to come at the right time. If for any reason your personal schedule prevents you from bringing your puppy in at the proper intervals, please contact our office and explain your situation so that we may advise you on what the best solution may be.

Until the high antibody level is reached as a result of the entire vaccination series, the pet is not totally immune to the disease. It is important to isolate the new pet as much as possible from unknown animals and exposure to disease until full immunity has developed.

Vaccine Failure

Vaccinations have been preventing disease in millions of pets for many years. On very rare occasions, a pet can still break with disease even after being vaccinated. These are several ways this can happen:

• The particular strain of vaccine was different from what caused the disease. Some viruses have many strains in a particular family. Usually, vaccinating with one strain will give protection against other strains in that family. Occasionally the vaccine does not cross-react and protect against another strain.
• Some pets are not capable of producing immunity after vaccination. If the pet is simply no healthy due to malnutrition, stress or other medical issues the body’s immune system will not work properly.
• The pet was in the incubation period of the disease. If takes several days for a vaccine to stimulate immunity after being given. If the pet is exposed to the disease shortly before vaccination or before immunity has time to develop, it can still get sick.

There are several types of parasites that cause problems in dogs. Since they live inside a dog, you will probably not see them.  That doesn’t mean they are not there, causing problems.

Intestinal Parasites

Roundworms

Roundworms live freely in the intestines. If a growing puppy is infected with a large number of worms they can stunt growth, cause serious digestive upset and gas formation. These puppies have a pot-bellied appearance. Roundworms can be spread from dog to dog in several ways.  Infective eggs are shed in the stool and can pass directly to another dog exposed to the stool.  The eggs can live for a long time in the soil, and pass to dogs that ingest the soil. Round worms can also pass from mother dog to her puppies through the uterus or in the milk.

Hookworms

Hookworms, particularly Ancylostoma, are one of the most serious intestinal parasites of the dog.  Hookworms are approximately ½ in. – 1 in. long and attach to the lining of the intestine.  Hookworms feed on blood, and as a result, Hookworms can cause severe anemia. Infective eggs are shed in the stool, and can pass directly to another dog exposed to the stool.  The worms can live for a long time in the soil, and either pass directly to dogs that ingest the soil, or the larvae can enter the dog through the skin, particularly the feet

Tapeworms

The common tapeworm of the dog, Dipylidium caninum, causes a few problems in the adult dog but can result in digestive upset and stunted growth in puppies.  Tapeworm eggs are passed in the stool, and then eaten by an intermediate host such as a flea or a rodent.  Dogs become infected with Dipylidium by eating the intermediate host.

Coccidia

Coccidia are single-celled Organisms (protozoa) that infect the intestines. In puppies and occasional adult dogs, coccidiosis may cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. Oocysts (immature coccidia) are passed in the feces of an infected dog. When the oocysts are ingested by a susceptible dog, they invade the cells lining the intestines. Dogs may also be indirectly infected by eating a rodent that is infected with coccidia.

Heartworms

Heartworm Disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs. It is caused by a blood parasite called Dirofilaria immitis. Heartworms are large worms, reaching 6-14 inches long. They are mainly located in the right side of the heart and the pulmonary arteries coming out of the heart. Adult heartworms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels going to the lungs.

Adult heartworms live up to five years and during this time, the female produces millions of offspring called microfilaria. These mircofilaria live mainly in the blood. A female mosquito bites the infected dog and ingests the microfilaria with the blood. The microfilaria develops in the mosquito and then are spread to a new dog when the mosquito takes a new meal. The larvae enter the bloodstream and move to the heart and pulmonary vessels where they reach maturity and start reproducing, completing the full life cycle.

Dogs infected with heartworms may not show any signs of disease for as long as two years. Unfortunately, by the time clinical signs are seen, the disease is well advanced. The most obvious signs are coughing, trouble breathing, weakness, nervousness, lying around, and getting tired easily. All of these signs are most noticeable following exercise, when some dogs may even faint.

Parasite Prevention and Treatment

Since roundworms and hookworms are so common, young puppies are often dewormed multiple times to remove roundworms and hookworms both. Giving monthly heartworm prevention year round will help prevent new infections. Tapeworms can be prevented by controlling fleas, and discouraging hunting. If tapeworms are found, they can be treated easily with oral medication

Heartworms can be expensive and difficult to treat, so prevention is very important. We recommend using an oral heartworm prevention once a month, year round, to keep your dog from getting heartworms. There are several good products available. You can talk to your veterinarian about which one is right for your dog.

Spay and Neuter

Spaying is the common term used to describe the surgical procedure known scientifically as an ovariohysterectomy. This is a major surgical procedure that requires a full general anesthetic. The operation is performed through a small incision made in the middle of the abdomen. Both ovaries are removed along with the entire uterus. The surgical incision will be closed with several layers of sutures. Many veterinarians use absorbable sutures so that you do not have to return to have them removed. Spaying should be performed before the first heat cycle. Most veterinarians recommend spaying between five and six months of age.

Neutering or castration of male dogs is surgical removal of the testicles (orchidectomy). The procedure involves general anesthesia. An incision is made just in front of the scrotal sac and both testicles are removed, leaving the sac intact.

Benefits of Spaying and Neutering

• Population Control: Millions of dogs are euthanized across North America each year because there are far more dogs born than homes available. A single pair of dogs can produce many litters, so spaying and neutering of intact dogs is essential for population control. There is no medical or scientific reason for letting your dog have a litter before she is spayed.
• Estrus (heat cycles) in females: When in heat, the female experiences an urge to escape in order to find a mate. This unwanted and dangerous behavior is eliminated. Even if the dog is no bred while she is in heat, she can sometimes show signs of pregnancy after her cycle. The possibility of false pregnancy is removed with spaying. Removing the uterus also prevents uterine infections known as pyometra.
• Mammary tumors in females: Mammary tumors are common in unspayed dogs. Dogs sprayed before the first heat have less than 0.5% chance of developing breast cancer. Spaying also eliminates of the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
• Testicular and prostate tumors in males: Castration eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chance of prostate disease, tow extremely common and serious problems of older male dogs. Many older dogs that are not neutered will develop prostate disease or testicular tumors if they survive to and old enough age. Castration can also reduce the risk of perianal tumors and perineal hernias.
• Undesirable sexual behavior: Attraction to female dogs, roaming, and mounting, can be reduced or eliminated by castration.
• Aggression: Every aggressive dog should be spayed or neutered. At the very lease this will prevent reproduction and passing on of any genetic traits for aggression. Spaying and neutering may also reduce or eliminate some forms of aggression that are influenced by hormones.

Affects on Behavior

Most of the perceived disadvantages of spaying and neutering are false. The most quoted of these are that the dog will become, fat, lazy, and useless as a guard dog. Obesity is probably the most commonly quoted disadvantage of spaying. Obesity is the result of overfeeding and lack of physical activity. By regulating your dog’s diet and calorie intake, you can prevent obesity in neutered or intact dogs.
Spaying and neutering don’t cause changes in personality, guarding instincts, intelligence, playfulness or affection. The only behaviors that will be affected by spaying or neutering are those that are under the influence of female or male hormones. A dog’s temperament, training, personality and ability to work are a result of genetics and upbringing, not its hormones. Spaying or neutering does not calm an excitable dog, and unless a dog is overfed or under-exercised, there is no reason for it to become fat and lazy.

Basic Principles

The goal of housetraining is to encourage and reinforce elimination where and when you want it. Do not focus on trying to teach your puppy where it is not allowed to eliminate, as there are literally hundreds of locations in your home where your puppy might have to be deterred.

There are three basic principles to remember when training a new puppy to eliminate outside.

• Always reward good behavior.
• Try not to let the puppy make a mistake.
• Correct mistakes, don’t punish them.

Expected Time Frame

Only a few basic rules are required to house-train puppies within a short amount of time, sometimes only a few weeks. This does not mean that the puppy can be trusted to wander through the house unsupervised. What the puppy should quickly learn is where it should eliminate, ant the consequences of eliminating indoors when you are watching. However, any time your puppy is unsupervised and eliminates indoors, this can further delay successful housetraining since the puppy will have learned that there are alternate indoor elimination areas that can be used without consequence.

Choosing a Site

It is good to select a site that has an easy access to a direct route to the outdoors. Puppies can learn more easily if a single location is used. Over time, the location, the type of ground, and the smell, help to establish a more regular habit of returning to that area. If you do not have immediate access to the outdoors or your schedule requires that you leave your pet longer than it can control itself, you can follow the same procedures outlined below, but will instead take your pet to its litter area, rather than the outdoors.

Basic Housetraining Technique

Always reward good behavior

There are hundreds of potential places for your puppy to eliminate in the house; there is only one place outside that you want it to go. It is far easier for your puppy to figure out what you want if you focus on rewarding good behavior, rather than focusing correcting mistakes. Your puppy will associate the reward with whatever happened right before it, so it is very important to praise your pup as soon as it does what you want. The puppy should be taken to its elimination area, given a word or two of verbal encouragement (“go potty”) and as soon as elimination is completed, lavishly praise and patted. A small treat can also be given the first few times the puppy eliminates in the right spot, and then occasionally after that. This teaches the puppy the proper place to eliminate, and that elimination is that location is associated with rewards. Some puppies may learn to eliminate when they hear the cue words (“go potty”). Always accompany your puppy outdoors, so that you can be certain that is has eliminated. Be certain to reward elimination immediately upon completion and not when the puppy comes back indoors. Going outside with your puppy on a leash will help you know when your puppy eliminates, so you can praise it immediately. Also, it is important for your puppy to get used to walking on a leash, and going outside frequently on a leash will help with later training.

Try not to let the puppy make a mistake

The more times a puppy eliminates in the house, the more it will learn to do so. It is much harder for a puppy to unlearn an unwanted behavior than to learn proper behavior. Your first step is to monitor your puppy whenever it is possible for it to have an accident. Confine the puppy to the room you are in with a barrier such as a baby gate or by keeping it on a long leash. Most puppies have an identifiable pattern of behavior that they do just before they eliminate. This can include circling and sniffing, a short burst of hyperactivity, or other repetitive activity. Once you recognize your pup’s particular pattern, it will be easier for you to know when it needs to go outside.

Puppies have a strong urge to eliminate after sleeping, playing, eating, or drinking. Take your puppy to its selected potty area withing 30 minutes of each of these activities. In addition, most puppies need to eliminate every 3 to 4 hours during the day. If you take your puppy to the elimination site and your puppy is only interested in playing and investigating the environment, after about 10 minutes take the puppy indoors and strictly supervise until you can try again approximately each half hour.

Keeping your puppy on a regular schedule can help your puppy make fewer mistakes. You can increase your chance of success by waking up, feeding, walking, and putting your puppy to bed at the same times every day. This will help its digestive system become more regular and adjust to your schedule. Many young puppies can not hold themselves all night. If your puppy wakes up whining in the middle of the night, it probably needs to go out.

When you are not available to supervise, the puppy should be kept in its confinement area. Be certain that your puppy has eliminated, and has had some play and exercise before any long confinement. If the confinement area is small enough, such as a pen ore crate, many puppies will have sufficient control to keep this area clean. This means that when you come to release the puppy from confinement, it must be taken directly to its elimination area.

Correct mistakes, don’t punish them

When you see your puppy start to eliminate indoors, the proper way to correct it is with a firm, non-frightening sound. A loud “Eh!” or a shaker can with a few coins in it works well to startle the puppy and interrupt the elimination. Immediately take the puppy outside to its potty area to finish, and praise it for going in the correct spot.

When correction your puppy, remember that dogs have a very limited sense of time. For a puppy to make the connection that something it does is wrong, the correction must be at the same time or within a few seconds of the mistake. If you miss that short window of time, then your puppy will not connect their mistake with any punishment you give. Rubbing the puppy’s nose in the urine or stool after the fact just does not work. Harsh punishment can also create fear in a puppy, which slows down learning. If your dog does have an accident in the house, be sure to clean it up and deodorize the area with an odor neutralizing cleaner. This will help prevent your pup from coming back to the same spot next time it needs to eliminate.

Benefits of Crate Training

Dogs are highly social animals that make wonderful pets. However, with the lifestyle and schedule of the majority of families, dogs must learn to spend a portion of the day at home, while their human family is away at school, work, or shopping. During those times when you are away and unavailable to supervise, the pet may still feel the need to chew, play, explore, eat or eliminate. These behaviors can be very distressing and damaging to the home. Confining your dog to a play area with its toys is like to putting a young child in its playpen; while teaching your dog to relax and sleep in its crate or bed would be similar to putting your baby in its crib when its time for bed or a nap.

The crate will also serve to instill a sense of discipline into your pup’s life. If introduced properly, the pup will not perceive the crate as punishment, nor should it be used that way. The crate becomes a den for the pup as well as a means of confining it when it cannot be watched.

Puppy Crate Training

Crate Types

The best kind of crate is one made of wire and open on all sides. A metal, collapsible crate with a tray floor works well, as long as the crate is large enough for the dog to stan, turn, and stretch out. The wire should be strong enough to hold your dog as it gets older, and the spacing of the wires should be close enough so that the puppy cannot place its head or paws through the openings. Some dogs feel more secure if a blanket is draped over the crate. A plastic traveling crate or a homemade crate will give you a great deal more versatility later on and also provide a means of transporting your dog in a car or truck in a safe and controlled manner.

If needed, you can place an object in the crate that has your smell – such as an old shirt, a pair of jeans or a small towel. A small teddy bear or other stuffed animal may also give the puppy something to snuggle up to. Do not make the object too big, however, as this may encourage the puppy to use it to absorb its urine and escape its own mess. Dog beds, throw rugs, or carpet scraps in the crate are usually counterproductive. If your puppy does urinate on an object in the crate, remove it and all other absorbent materials.

Crate Location

Because dogs are social animals, an ideal location for the create is a room where the family spends time such as a kitchen, den, or in a bedroom where the dog might sleep at night.

Make the crate a positive experience

Most dogs quickly choose a small area, such as a corner of a room, in a dog bed, or on or under a couch, where there go to relax. If you puppy has just recently been adopted from the breeder, kennel or pet store, crate training should be relatively easy, since your puppy is likely already accustomed to sleeping in a pen or crate. The key to making the crate the dog’s favorite retreat and sleeping area, is to associate the crate with as many positive and relaxing experiences and stimuli as possible (treats, chew toys, bedding) and to place the dog in its cage when playing with new toys, during scheduled rest and sleep periods or even as a feeding area. You should plan and be aware of the dog’s schedule, including its need for exploration, play, food, and elimination, so that the dog is only placed in its cage, when each of these needs is fulfilled, you must then return to the dog to release it from its cage before the next exercise, feeding or elimination period is due. A radio or television playing in the background may help to calm the dog when it is alone in its cage, especially during the daytime. These can also help to mask outside noises that encourage the dog to bark. The crate should not be used for punishment.

Create Training Technique

• Introduce the puppy to the crate as soon as it is brought home and as early in the day as possible. Place a variety of treats in the cage throughout the day so that the puppy is encouraged to enter voluntarily. Bedding, toys and water can also be offered to the puppy in the open cage. Food might also be placed in the pen or crate if you want to use it as a feeding area.

• Choose a location outdoors for the puppy to eliminate. Take the puppy to the location, wait until the puppy eliminates, and reward the puppy lavishly with praise or food. After some additional play and exercise, and when you fell its time for your puppy to make a nap (or when you see your puppy begin to settle down for nap), place the puppy in its crate with water, a today and a treat and close the door.

• If the puppy is tired and calm, it may take a “nap” shortly after being placed in its crate. If not, be certain to provide a few stimulation toys or chews for play. In this way the crate serves one of the two functions – as your puppy’s bed (crib) or your puppy’s play area (playpen).

• Leave the room but remain close enough to hear the puppy. Escape behavior and vocalization are to be expected when a dog is first placed into its crate. If the “complaints” are short or mild, ignore your puppy until the crying stops. Never release the puppy unless it is quiet. This teaches that quiet behavior, and not crying, will be rewarded. Release the puppy after a few minutes of quiet or a short nap.

• Repeat the cage and release procedure a few more times during the day at each naptime and each time you puppy is given a toy or chew with which to play. Each time, increase the time that the dog must stay in the crate before letting it out. Always give the puppy exercise and a chance to eliminate before securing it in the crate. At bedtime, the dog should be exercised, secured in its crate, and left for the night. Do not go to the dog if it cries.

• We recommend that the crate be place beside your bed at night. Your presence will reassure the pup and help it get through the initial shock of being taken away from its littermates. You will also be able to better monitor your pup should it need to go out during the night. During the day, the crate should be moved (or a second crate can be used) to a well-lit, well-trafficked area of the home so it feels the presence of its “pack”. Do not use a basement or confining bathroom or utility room. The kitchen often wors best as it is usually bright and open, has great smells, and has a tile floor for any spills or accidents.

• If the pup sleeps in one end of its crate and eliminates in the other, and divider can be installed to keep the puppy in a smaller area providing the puppy is not required to spend more time in the crate than it is capable of holding its urine or stool. If the puppy must eliminate, it does not matter how small the area is; the puppy will have to eliminate.

• Never Leave the puppy in its crate for longer than it can control itself or it may be forced to eliminate in the crate.

• If the pup must be left for long periods during which it might eliminate, it should be confined to a larger area such as a dog-proof room or pen, with paper left down for elimination. As the puppy gets older, its control increases and it can be left longer in its crate.

• Although there is a great deal of individual variability, many puppies can control themselves through the night by 3 months of age. During the daytime, once the puppy has relieved itself, a 2-month old puppy may have up to 3 hours control, a 3-month puppy up to 4 hours, and a 4 month old puppy up to 5 hours.

• A crate is not an excuse to ignore the dog!

When to Start Training

You will be training your puppy from the moment you brin it home and start housetraining. Young puppies have short attention spans, but you can expect them to begin to learn simple commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stay’, as young as 7 to 8 weeks of age.

Formal dog training has traditionally been delayed until 6 months of age. Actually, this juvenile stage is a very poor time to start. Just like a teenager, the dog is beginning to develop adult behavioral patterns and starting to challenge authority. In addition, anything that has already been learned incorrectly in puppyhood will need to be undone and retaught.

When you start training at 7 to 8 weeks of age, use methods that rely on rewards and gentle teaching. Training sessions should be brief, but frequent. Puppies can be taught ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stand’ using treats to entice the dog to follow its nose into the proper positions.

You do not necessarily need to train in a set session daily. Instead, you can integrate these tasks throughout the day. Aim for at least 15 minutes of training every day. This can be broken into short 5-minute sessions spread throughout the day. Try to have all family members ask you puppy to do things.

Use training tasks as you integrate the puppy into your life. For example, ask your puppy to ‘sit’ before you give it food, let it in or out the door, or pet it. This way you train your dog throughout the day and establish yourself as the leader who controls the resources. Training you puppy before giving each reward also helps to prevent problems. Having your puppy sit before getting food or a treat prevents begging, while teaching your dog to sit before opening the door can prevent jumping up or running out the door. Be creative. The time you spend training your puppy no will pay off when you have an adult dog.

Using food lure training

Small pieces of food can be used to motivate your puppy to perform most tasks. If the reward is appealing enough, the puppy can be taught to give the desired response by showing the puppy the treat, giving a command, and moving the treat to get the desired response. By pairing a command phrase or work with each action, and giving the reward for each appropriate response, the puppy should soon learn the meaning of each command.

Ideally, you should give the command phrase once and then use your food to move the puppy into position. Once the puppy has performed the task, add in praise and an affectionate pat, which are known as secondary reinforcement. Remember that early in training your puppy does not know the meaning of the word. The key is to associate the word, such as “sit”, with the action of placing the hind end on the floor.

Training should begin in a quiet environment with few distractions. The reward chosen should be highly motivating so that the puppy is focused entirely on the trainer and the reward. Although a small piece of puppy food generally works well, a favorite toy or a special dog treat might be more appealing.

At first, let the puppy see the food in your hand so that you will have its attention and can use it o guide it into position. As your puppy begins to obey more quickly, you can start to hide the food in your hand, but give the command and repeat the motion or signal that it has learned to follow. Soon the puppy will come to expect the treat each time it performs the task. Then, signal and give the command, but when it performs the task, reward only with praise and give the puppy an affectionate pat. Next, you can bring to vary the frequency, giving praise with ‘good dog’ and perhaps patting each time, but giving the food randomly, perhaps every 3 or 4 times. In time, the puppy should respond to either the hand signal or the command.

Over time, the words “good dog” or the affectionate pat become secondary reinforcement. Because they have been paired with food in the past, they take on more meaning and become reinforcement in themselves. It is important to use secondary reinforcement because you will not always have food with you when you need your pet to obey. In addition, if you rely on food to always get your puppy to comply, you will have a puppy that will only do the task when you have a treat.

Puppy Training: Sit, Down, Stand, and Stay

Using a teat, hold the food over the dog’s nose and slowly move it up and back down over the dog head.  As the puppy follows the food with its head it should sit down.  Now add the word “sit” to the action. The upward motion of the had as you hold the food treat also serves as a visual command for the puppy. If the puppy lifts its front legs, you are holding the treat to high. As soon as the puppy sits say “good sit” and give the teat.  Many repetitions will be necessary for the pup to learn the association. Gradually, as the puppy understands what you want him/her to do, only give the treats intermittently.  You should practice sit in many different palaces throughout your home.  It is especially important to teach your puppy to sit by the front door. A dog that readily sits by the front door will do better when greeting guests.

Down

Start with your puppy in a “sit” position. To get the puppy to lie down, take a treat and lower it between the puppy’s front paws and say “down”. Usually, the puppy will follow the treat and go down.  If the puppy does not lie all the way down, slowly push the treat between the paws and if the puppy lies down give him/her the treat and of course add “good dog”. If puppy stands up, start over.

For some puppies, teaching the “down” command can be very difficult. An alternative method is instead of pushing the food treat backwards is to slowly pull the treat forward. If that does not work, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and slightly bend at the knees. Take a hand with the treat in it and push it out under your knee from between your legs. As the puppy tries to get the food treat, slowly bring in back under your knee.  As the puppy tries to follow, it will lie down.

Stand 

Start with your puppy in “sit” position.  Take the food treat palm facing up and move it forward and away from the pup as you say “stand”. Your puppy should again follow his nose and stand up. Don’t pull your hand so far away that the puppy follows you, but just until it stands up. Once stand add “good dog”. 

Stay

Puppies can be taught to stay for short periods of time at a young age. Once they sit on command each and every time they are asked, without the need for food inducements, training can proceed to more difficult concepts such as “stay”.

First the puppy is taught to stay without moving as you stand in front for 1-2 seconds. Remember you are actually teaching two things; first “don’t move” and second “don’t move when I move”. Initially give the puppy ‘sit’ command, say ‘stay’ (using a hand as a stop sign can be a good visual cue), take one step away, and then return to the puppy and reward it for not moving, be very careful that the puppy does not stand up or move as you present the reward because then you will have rewarded ‘getting up’. Gradually increase the distance by a step at a time and the length of the stay by a few seconds at a time, until the puppy can stay for a minute or more with you standing at least 10 feet away. It if important to se up the puppy to succeed. Proceed very slowly, and keep a long lead attached to the puppy so that it cannot run away. Be patient. It can take a week or more of daily training to get a puppy to ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ for 1-2 minutes. Over a few months it should be possible to increase the ‘stay’. For longer stays, it may be better to use a ‘down-stay’ combination, and to train the dog in a favorite resting area.

Once extended ‘sit-stays’ are accomplished, the command can be used to prevent many potential behavior problems, for example, if you practice ‘sit and stay’ by the front door, this command can then be used to prevent running out the door and jumping on company. Have your puppy sit and stay while you place the food on the floor and then give him release command. This will help establish your leadership and control.

Importance of Play and Exercise

Play with your family and with other dogs gives your puppy an outlet for physical exercise and helps to fill your puppy’s social needs. Lack of exercise can contribute to problem behaviors including chewing, digging, garbage raiding, hyperactivity, attention seeking behavior, and even some forms of barking. It is especially important to ensure that a puppy’s need for exercise and social interaction have been met before leaving the puppy along at home and before lengthy crating or confinement.

Playing with your pet is fun for both of you. Your puppy gets exercise and positive interaction with your family. Training sessions can also be part of each play session so that you can gain further control, while providing social interaction between you and your pet. Many dogs also enjoy learning new tricks such as jumping through a hoop, shake, play dead, and more.

Types of Games

Playing with your dog not only provides an opportunity for exercise and positive social interactions, but if can also be a fun way to train, since each time you give your dog a treat or toy or each time he fetches and retrieves, you can practice a training command such as “come”, “sit”, “fetch”, “get it”, “drop-it” or “stay”. Many toys are available for throwing, retrieving and kicking, such as flying disk, balls and rubber hockey pucks. These toys are generally not designed to be chew toys, but they are used for games of fetch, retrieving, and as training rewards.

Other games that you might play with your dog include:

1. “Hide and seek”, where one family member hides, then calls the puppy is to “come” to get a treat and praise when he finds the person
2. Search games where you set out small bags, boxes or bowls with a treat or toy inside and have your dog search for these
3. “drop” or “give,” which is an exercise that helps to teach your puppy to give up toys for something even more valuable. Giving your puppy a toy and then offering it something even more appealing might do this. Use the word “give” or “drop” and have your puppy drop the toy in your hand; then trade for the other toy or treat. This can also be practiced during tug and fetch games in which case you can give a treat or return to the tug and fetch games as a reward.
4. “Get it” where you teach your puppy to pick up items off the floor by tossing very small treats and saying “get it”. Next toss a toy and when the puppy picks it up give a treat.

Types of Play To Avoid

Try to avoid games that pit your strength against your puppy or dog. Tug-of-war games can be a fun game for many puppies, and they do help to direct chewing and biting toward a toy, rather than an owner’s hands or clothing. On the other hand, some pets get very exited ruing tug-of-war games. A general rule of thumb for tug-of-war is to avoid it, unless you start the game and can stop it as soon as you need to. Don’t allow your puppy to demand or start tug games since this could escalate to pulling on you or your clothing or stealing things to try to get you to play. You should always initiate these games, not your puppy. Teaching the dog to “drop” on command before beginning the tug games can help you stay in control of play sessions of fetch and tug-of-war. Tug toys may be made of rope, nylon, or fleece. Once you have good control of the game, you can schedule regular tug games as a play exercises. If teeth come in contact with hands, if play gets too rough, or the dog is unwilling to give up the tug toy, the gam must end immediately.

Although games like chase are good exercise, they can often result in wild exuberant play that gets out of control. Similarly, games of fetch can be both a great game and learning experience, but only if your dog learns to bring back and drop the toy so that the game can continue. Again, a good rule of thumb is to only play these games if you are the one to start the game, and can stop the came immediately if it gets out of control. If you play a game in which the dog gets too excited, begins to nip or won’t settle down, then you should first practice your sit and down exercises so these can be used to settle the dog at the end of each game.

Teaching Good Behavior

When you bring a new puppy into your home there is a period of adjustment. When a puppy enters our home, the family becomes its new social group. Most puppies, especially those less than 12 weeks old, will form attachments, almost immediately to the people and pets in the new home, as long as there are no unpleasant events associated with each new person or experience. It is essential that all family members take a leadership role over the puppy. Allowing behaviors that are pushy, disobedient or inappropriate may lead to problems that become increasingly difficult to correct. Control is best achieved by the proper use and timing of rewards and by directing the puppy to display good behavior rather than through punishment that can lead to fear and anxiety.

Dog training literature has often discussed using scruff shakes and rollover techniques to discipline puppies. However, these physical techniques are how dogs would communicate with each other and such handling by a human could lead to fear and anxiety. Training should teach the dog what you want, rather than discipline what you don’t want. This makes a positive learning environment for the puppy to grow up in. There are a number of advantages to teaching your puppy to assume subordinate postures on their side or back, but this does not teach your dog to be subordinate in its relationship to you.

The best way for each family member to gain control is to teach your puppy to each reward must be earned. This is also the best way to insure that undesirable puppy behaviors are not accidently reinforced. The puppy should learn to defer to you through reward training, rather than through any type of force. Begin with some basic obedience training, teaching the puppy to ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘lie down’ for rewards. Whenever the puppy is to receive anything, it wants, the puppy should first earn its reward by performing a simple obedience task such as ‘sit’. Also known as “nothing in life is free,” or “learn to earn,” the puppy must be taught that barking, nipping, overly rambunctious, or demanding behaviors will never earn rewards. In fact, these behaviors should be met by being ignored, by confining the puppy for a few minutes until it settles down, or with training commands that get the puppy to exhibit a better response.

Correcting Bad Behavior

Misbehavior must be prevented, or corrected in the act. Preventing opportunities for misbehavior, keeps it from ever starting. Allowing the puppy, even once to perform an undesirable behavior such as entering a restricted room, jumping up, mounting or jumping onto the couch will serve to reward and encourage the repetition of the behavior.

There will be times when your new puppy misbehaves. Young puppies are very impressionable. Harsh physical reprimands only serve to frighten the puppy and perhaps make them hand shy. We want young puppies to see a human hand as a good thing that brings comfort, food and affection. Most puppies can be easily interrupted with a loud noise. Just as important is redirecting the puppy to the correct behavior after you interrupt what you do not like.

If you catch your puppy misbehaving, a verbal “no” or a loud noise is usually enough to distract a puppy so that you can then redirect the puppy to better behavior. Puppies that are supervised with a remote leash can be immediately interrupted with a pull on the leash. Often puppies will be startled when they hear the noise and temporarily stop the behavior. At that time, you should redirect the puppy to a more appropriate task and reinforce with an immediate and positive ‘good dog’.

Remember, reprimands need to occur while the behavior is happening, never after. A puppy will associate anything that you do with what happened immediately before it. They are not capable of connecting events that are separated by even a minute. If you find something that your puppy has destroyed but you did not catch him in the act, just clean it up and vow to supervise your puppy better in the future. Do not go get your puppy and bring him over to the mess and yell and physically discipline him. You need to punish the behavior you wish to change at the time it occurs. If you did not see your puppy chew up the object, all you are doing is disciplining your puppy for being present at a mess on the floor. Since that makes no sense to your puppy, your reprimands could create fear and anxiety, which could lead to your puppy avoiding you.

Caused when a pet’s blood sugar drops significantly below normal levels. Often a reaction to stress, excitement, or over-activity may be the cause. Very common in the small “toy” breeds. It may be inherited or simply a result of the body’s internal organs developing a little more slowly than normal.

Signs:

• Loss of energy.
• Becomes more quiet than normal.
• Wobbly, cannot stand.
• Semi-comatose or comatose (sleepy).
• Subnormal body temperature.
• “Fainting” spells in older dogs, particularly during exercise.

Treatment:

IV Injections of Glucose would use replacement of the blood sugar.

Recovery is usually very rapid.

Home Therapy:

(when you thing an attach is on the verge of happening)

• 2-3cc of Karo Syrup, Honey, or Sugar Water/5 pounds of body weight.
• Keep Warm.
• Limit Exercise.
• Have examined by veterinarian to insure there are no other causes.

Prevention Precautions:

All newly arrived puppies, especially toy breeds, should have honey, light Karo Syrup daily.

Feed high quality puppy/kitten foods.

Monitor food intake to be sure consuming enough food to meet normal body.

Requirements:

• Monitor pets with vomiting
• Notify the Veterinarian if you see any of the following signs:
  • Seizures persist or become more severe.
  • Seizures in the absence of exercise or stress.
  • Your pet drinks more water or urinates more frequently.
  • Your pet beings to lose weight.