You should begin to train him/her even in these early days, so that she becomes a welcome addition to your family. Not unlike a baby, your puppy requires regular feeding, sleeping, playing and training. Of course, this means that your new puppy will need lots of attention and care.

Please Note that with this guide, we have only scratched the surface. For more complete details, there are plenty of good books available, and obedience schools have a wealth of knowledge.

For further information on anything concerning your puppy, please feel free to contact us.

Regular Checkups

Your dog should have regular checkups to make sure all is well. Get your puppy used to being handled; should accept stroking, grooming and a thorough once-over as part of the daily routine. Once every week or so, take a good look at your puppy’s eyes, ears, mouth, paws and nails. It pays off should you find a problem early, before it becomes serious. If you notice anything unusual, be sure to consult your local veterinarian.

Eyes

Check your puppy’s eyes for

• redness or inflammation
• a half-closed lid
• excessive watering
• a yellow-green discharge or discoloration

A pup with an infected eye will rub it, so if you notice a lot of rubbing going on, have a closer look. You can prevent problems by keeping your puppy’s eyes clean. Wipe around each eye gently with a clean cotton ball soaked in warm water.

Ears

Check ears for

• discharge
• excessive wax build-up
• an unpleasant odor

Your pup will scratch their ears or shake their head violently if they are bothering her.
Take a look: healthy ears are pale pink, clean looking and odor free. If your puppy’s ears are not, please consult with your local vet. Help keep your puppy’s ears healthy by gently cleaning easy-to-reach external areas. You can use a cotton ball moistened with warm water or commercially prepared ear-cleaning solutions that are available at your local clinic. Do not probe into the ear.

Frequent cleaning is especially important with floppy-eared dogs, which are prone to ear infections. Even if your puppy’s ears seem very healthy, you should handle them frequently. That way your puppy will be used to it and if there ever is a problem, they won’t mind letting the veterinarian take a good look.

Teeth and Gums

Since puppies explore their environment by putting everything in their mouths; you should check the mouth frequently. At 4 to 6 months, your pet will lose their baby teeth and adult ones will come in. Examine the mouth for any soreness, discoloration, broken or loose teeth and inflamed or receding gum.

Pets, like people, need regular dental care. Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in pets, yet it can be easily prevented. You should begin brushing your puppy’s teeth two or three times a week when your puppy is very young. Special animal toothpaste, toothbrushes and oral rinses are available at our clinics (Do not use human toothpaste).  Regular preventive care at home can help save you money and keep your pet healthy.

All pets require regular dental cleaning with an ultrasonic scaler done by your veterinarian. Untreated dental disease can cause bad breath, bleeding gums, loose or rotting teeth and tooth loss. If periodontal disease progresses far enough, it can even cause heart, liver or kidney disease.

Paws

You’ll know something is wrong with one of your pup’s paws if he licks constantly or favors it when he walks. Examine the paw gently and make sure nothing is sticking between the pads or in the fur around them. If you can’t find an obvious wound, it is probably best to bring your puppy into your local hospital where they can do a thorough examination.

Keep your pup’s paws clean. Remove grass seeds, thorns, burrs or any foreign object you find sticking to the paws. If something has to be cut out from the fur between or around the paws, use blunt tipped scissors and be very careful not to cut into the web between the pads.

Nails

Clip your pup’s nails frequently. If you can hear them clicking on the floor when they walk, it is 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 trimming. Hold the paw firmly and clip a little at a time.

Be careful not to cut into the “quick,” the sensitive flesh underneath the back of the nail. Should you accidentally cut too far and bleeding occurs, use baby powder or flour to help stop the bleeding (it takes quite a while!). There are products on the market designed to help stop nick bleeding.

Don’t try and trim all the nails at one sitting. Pick a time when your puppy is tired and quiet, and trim a couple of nails only. Be sure to reward your puppy if it accepts its nails being trimmed quietly.

If you have never trimmed a puppy’s nails, have your local vet show you how. If you would rather leave the nail trimming to the groomer or the veterinarian, it is still important to handle your pup’s feet often. If the puppy has never had his feet handled before, then he may make a big fuss and find nail trimming very annoying.

House Training

Begin house training your puppy right away. If you follow our crate recommendations and establish a warm cozy environment for your puppy, house training will be much easier because a dog’s instinct is not to soil in their den or bed.

Start by putting your pup on a regular feeding schedule and by making frequent trips outside. If you are feeding a good quality puppy food, you will find that the training period will be shorter because your puppy’s feeding and elimination schedule will be more routine.

There are certain signs that you should watch for to alert you that it is time to take your puppy outside. Your puppy may walk around in circles, sit or whine at the door.

When to take your puppy out:

• first thing in the morning
• right after naps
• after play sessions
• upon returning home to a puppy who has been left alone
• right after meals
• last thing in the evening before bed

Always stay outside with your puppy to watch and encourage it. When your puppy has finished eliminating, quietly praise and bring them back inside. They will soon connect elimination outdoors with praise, and will be eager to please you. If you always want your puppy to eliminate in the same spot, always take them to that spot on a leash and wait for “the magic moment” to happen. Praise your puppy for a job well done.

Coprophagia (stool eating) can be a normal behavior in puppies. To avoid this undesirable behavior, be sure to clean up after your puppy’s bowel movements. If you also have a cat, be sure the cat’s litter box is inaccessible to your puppy. Keeping the cat’s food and water in an elevated place may also be necessary.

Accidents will happen. Should you discover a mess, do NOT raise your voice, spank your pup or rub their nose in it. While they will certainly cower in fear, they are too young to connect your reprimand with their mess.  If the puppy is caught in the act, immediately take them outside to finish. When they continue outside, praise them for their efforts. You must catch your puppy in the act for them to understand what they are doing is wrong.

Vaccinating Your Puppy

When puppies are born, their immune systems are not mature enough to make antibodies until approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age. Nature provides for temporary immunity in the form of colostrum, which is very rich in antibodies. Pups who fail to suckle colostrum in the first few days of life will be extremely susceptible to disease until their own immune system matures and makes their own antibodies.

We as pet owners assume that our healthy puppy did get its mother’s colostrum. After weaning around the age of 8 weeks, it is now your responsibility to protect your new pet by putting them on a vaccination schedule.

Puppies:

• 8 weeks: 1st DHPP vaccine, Deworm
• 12 weeks: 2nd DHPP vaccine, 1^ST Lepto vaccine, Fecal parasite check, Deworm
• 16 weeks: 3rd DHPP vaccine, 2^nd Lepto vaccine, Rabies vaccine, Fecal parasite check, Deworm.

Adult Dogs:

• DHPP vaccine (every 3 years after annual booster)
• Rabies (every 3 years), annual Lepto vaccine
• yearly fecal
• heartworm preventive April/May thru November
• Heartworm test every other year

DHPP – This is commonly known as a “distemper shot,” but is really a combination of the following vaccines:  D—Distemper.  H—Adenovirus types 1 & 2 (includes Hepatitus).  P—Parainfluenza.

Distemper can affect your dog’s entire body and signs depend on what part of the body the virus is attacking.

Hepatitis (K9 variety) virus attacks the liver but can also cause respiratory complications.

Para influenza is a viral disease of the respiratory system and is one if the causes of kennel cough.

Parvovirus is a disease of the digestive system, which results in potentially fatal vomiting and diarrhea.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection, which can cause liver and kidney damage

Rabies is a serious viral disease, which attacks the nervous system.  Once contracted it is fatal to dogs and humans.  This vaccination is required by law in New York State and is needed to license your dog.

Heartworm Disease is carried by mosquitoes.  Once an infected mosquito bites a susceptible dog, the heartworm develops into an adult, which lives in the pulmonary arteries.  It can be a potentially fatal disease.  After having a “negative” blood test for the disease, dogs are put on heartworm preventive during the April/May through November mosquito season.

Intestinal parasites can be debilitating in young pups.  While less serious in mature dogs, parasites can still cause an unhealthy appearance and diarrhea.  Certain animal parasites can cause disease in humans.  All puppies should have their feces tested and be dewormed.  Adult dogs may require periodic deworming depending on their lifestyles.

Lyme disease is carried by Ixodes ticks.  Although a vaccine is available, ask your vet if your dog is in a high-risk area.  A vaccine is available to dogs that may travel to high-risk areas.

Fleas are acquired from the environment.  A dog infested with fleas may scratch or bite him or herself.  You should examine your dog for fleas routinely.  An indication that your dog may have fleas is black flecks that look like pepper clinging to the fur.  Fleas can also cause an allergic dermatitis, which can show up as mild to severe encrusted lesions on the skin.  Ask your veterinarian what products they recommend for controlling fleas.  The best way to rid your house and pets of an infestation is to take preventive measures and never let the problem be established in the first place.

Tick bites can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and other infectious diseases.  A dog is most likely to pick up ticks in wooded areas during the spring and summer.  If you live in a tick prone area, talk to your veterinarian about the products available to kill ticks.