Puppy Care Guide

1. Puppy proof your home- Purchase an Electric Cord Protector and secure all loose cords that may be dangerous to the puppy. Put away any sharp items or items that may be a choking hazard. Make sure to put away all toxic cleaning materials in their right place. Secure the trash can as well because dogs can be attracted to the smell.

2. House Training - Yes, you need a lot of patience to train a puppy but once it is done, it will save you so much time and effort down the line. House training a puppy begins with a routine. Having a scheduled feeding time will make potty training easier. Crate training your puppy is beneficial because they are less likely to develop separation anxiety. Dogs are den animals so if you make their crate comfy by putting bed and toys, they would love going in there. Reward your pup every time they go in there by themselves.

3. Register with a Vet - There are Plenty of Clinics that care more about your money than your pet. So, it is important to take your time, ask around, read reviews and choose a reputable vet. Getting your puppy microchipped is cheap and it helps locate your puppy if he/she gets lost. Never take your puppy out in public until all 4 vaccines are done. Making sure your puppy receives all his necessary vaccination on time will make potty training and socializing more convenient. Deworming your 8 week old puppy every 2 weeks and at least once a month after they turn 12 weeks is very important! Flea treatment once a month is also advised especially if you like to take your dog to the dog park. You never know what other dogs might have that your own dog can catch.

4. Diet - Puppies are creatures of habit and having them on a scheduled feeding time is necessary because it will help them be more consistent with their potty time. This makes potty training easier and faster! A break in eating habits can also indicate a sign of illness. It is easier to see at a glance if all the food from a meal is consumed. If food is left, whether all or part of a meal, that is an important signal that something is wrong. Not establishing a schedule for their feeding time will increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, orthopedic issues, or binge eating. The portions and how many times you feed your dog will change as they get older. At such a young stage in their life, puppies are growing like crazy! In this early stage of their life, you’ll want to feed them 3-4 times per day. These tiny puppies have just as tiny of stomachs, so smaller meals throughout the day will help their little bodies digest the food! When introducing new food to your puppy, allow at least a week to slowly transition them. Switching your dog's food abruptly can cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, and a decreased appetite.

What not to feed your puppy:

- Chocolates

- Grapes/Raisins

- Chicken bones

- Food high in sugar and sodium

- Foods high in fat ex. Macadamia nuts and avocados

- Dairy

- Onions and Garlic

- Caffeine

- Table food that’s cooked with a lot of seasonings with onions and garlic

5. Socializing Your Pup - I know most of us don't want a dog that's yappy, easily scared, has anxiety, and aggression. Socializing your dog through puppyhood and adolescence is one of the best ways to ensure that they become a friendly and confident adult. Socializing is exposing your puppy to a wide variety of sights, sounds, smells, and sensations.

Handling - Young puppies should be cuddled and handled daily by as many different people as possible. Keep the contact gentle and pleasant for the puppy. Hold the puppy in different positions, gently rub their paws, rub her muzzle, stroke her back and sides, look in her ears. Also getting your pup used to the water will make bathing so much easier. Sounds- Acclimate your puppy to lots of different sounds, being careful not to overwhelm him with too much noise too fast. Expose him to kitchen sounds, grooming materials such as the sound of razors or scissors, telephones ringing, children playing, etc.

Prevent Aggression - There's no need to show the dog who’s boss or try to dominate him. Confrontational approaches like pinning your dog down or scruffing him frequently backfire and create the aggression dog owners seek to avoid. Focus on rewarding correct behavior and preventing undesirable behavior to teach your puppy human rules and build a trusting relationship.

Prevent Biting - Provide different textured toys to redirect your puppy's biting. When your puppy bites too hard during play, making a sudden noise (“Ow!”) and end the game to help him learn to use his mouth gently. Never squeeze your puppy's mouth shut, yell at him, or hold him down. This will frighten him and likely make biting worse. Note that while puppies under five months tend to explore the world with their mouths and they are teething.

Teach your pup how to be alone - Separation anxiety may be more likely, or more severe, in dogs that have never successfully learned to be alone, such as dogs who have always lived with another dog, or whose parents are always home. As a social species, it's not instinctual for dogs to be completely alone, and this behavior must be learned at a young age. Because separation anxiety is much easier to prevent than to treat, taking steps early to train your dog to be away from you is something every puppy parent should think about. Putting in this effort now will save you heartache, frustration, and costly repairs when your dog is older. Crate training is one of my favorite methods. Young dogs can only be expected to control their bladder and bowels for a few hours, not an entire work day or overnight. A dog who is forced to soil her crate as a result of being crated too long will be much more difficult to housetrain. Making the crate comfortable for them by choosing the right size and putting beds and toys will help. Rewarding them and giving them praise when they go in their crate on their own is a great way to train them. You can start leaving your dog in the crate for 30 mins to 1 hour for the first day then increase the time as days go by.

Things to avoid when crate training:

- Don’t rush crate training this can take up to a few weeks to a month but maybe less if you are consistent

- Don’t yell at your dog or pound on the crate if they are whining because it will just make it worse.

- Don’t give in when they whine. Your dog is throwing a temper tantrum which you don’t want to reinforce by giving her what she wants. But learn the difference from temper tantrums vs whining because they need to use the bathroom.

- Don't use the crate as a punishment for bad behavior. Again, you want to associate the crate with only good things so your dog is happy to use the crate.