Taking Care of Your New Puppy

Now is when we as little puppies need you to be available to us as much as possible, just the first few weeks.

At the very least, little puppies need attention about every three hours.

Cuddling and pats on the head are really great. Using our new name alot during these times of attention teach us who we are. When called for, be tender but firm with us

as this will create a loving and respectful relationship that will last a lifetime

Before (or shortly after) bringing new pup home, ensure you have the following ready:

#1.Food Bowls #2.Water Bowls #3.Treats #4.Dog Food #5.Nail Clippers

#6.A Brush #7.Shampoo #8.Collar & Leash #9.Tags (a phone # of owners, no address or dog name to protect puppy) #10.A Crate #11.Toys #12.A place to lounge with his people #13.toy

The first two days are really important in starting to train a puppy.

You need a nutritious diet. A regular training schedule so as not to confuse puppy by always changing things!

And a very happy house to live in.

Your first assignment is how to pick puppy up correctly.

Always pick up one of us by having one hand under the rump (how embarrassing!) and another hand around the chest- as puppy's tummys are still so delicate that it can be injured.

Always keep your hand under the rump to support the weight.Not that I weigh alot you know!

As babies when we come to your house for the first few days, we are very confused and upset. We really shouldn't be brought around to different places, we wouldn't know where we would really be going.

Our new parents should sit on the floor with us to be at the same level and speak loving and softly.

As a new puppy we should be alowed to discover our new house, and explore everything.

Handling a new puppy too much isn't really good the first day as we usually have just had shots a short time before coming home.

One of the biggest decisions humans have to make is "Where are we going to sleep!"

Of course we puppies love to sleep with our humans in the bedroom.

But some humans do not like that idea. So you should start puppy out sleeping where he is going to stay.

If you decide to let puppy sleep in your bedroom, put puppy's box near your bed with lots of news paper around it. If puppy cries, you can reach down to give puppy a touch to let him know he is not alone.

Remember, puppies are used to having their litter mates around them and the first few nights will be hard.

If you decide that puppy will be sleeping all by himself, put a wind up ticking clock

(wrapped in a blanket) near puppy's bed.

The ticking sound will act as mommy's heartbeat and sooth puppy to sleep.

But do be prepared for whimpering or even barking as this will be a strange place, away from mommy and litter mates and this is a very hard time for puppy.

Try to resist going over and picking him up. If you start this he will expect this from you at all times. Try to be patient, eventually puppy will fall asleep.

when you are a puppy our muscles haven't developed enough

to have strong bladders or bowel control.

When you are a puppy, wetting takes place around every 3 to 4 hours. And a bowel movement happens right after a meal. So we should be taken out right after eating so we dont have an accident.

Eventually we learn to wait 6 hours, and longer as we get older.

If you see puppy getting ready to go, take her out right away or put her on the newspaper. Then give lavish praises when when it has been done in the right place.

Never spank or punish puppy for having an accident, it could break that bond you

are trying to create between the both of you.

When puppy has gone in the wrong place, use a strong voice and tell her "NO". After a few times she will start to learn the meaning of this. It is very common for new pet owners to expect way to much from the new puppies. Remember they have to be taught just like we had to be taught.

Puppies are not Robots and cannot be programmed to do as told. We do learn to hold it until we are let outdoors.First, choose a crate that puppy can grow into! Don't buy for her size now as it only lasts a couple weeks.

A wire crate is best so she can see what is going on. The dog should be able to sit, stand up, turn around and lie down with some extra room. Just think, if you had to be in the crate you would want to be able to move around. We feel the same way.

Always take puppy's collar off to avoid choking while inside the crate!

Just like a cave to a wild dog, crates provide puppy's own special place where she can relax,feel safe and secure.

In the wild, dog's feel most secure by keeping their backs against the wall part of their den so they can always see what's going on outside their hideout.

Always leave the door open so we may go in & out as we feel. Keep the crate puppy's private place, don't let little children play in or around the crate. Never pull puppy out of the crate, call her by her name and give her cuddles when she comes to you.

Never use the crate as a form of punishment as you want puppy to feel safe and loved. Please do not leave puppy in the crate for more than 3 hours at a time with the door closed. Introducing puppy to her new crate may take some time and coaxing.

Try putting a treat inside the crate. Soon she will learn that this is her own private space and will love going into it, even if it looks like a metal cage to you.

CHEWING:

As humans you are always ready for some of our puppy puddles.

But it is nothing compared to the damage that our puppy teeth can do!

Our teeth can rip up news paper, tear furniture and we love shoes.

All of this happens because of being a baby and our milk (baby) teeth hurt as the adult teeth

are coming in underneath them!

Chewing is a need to relieve the pain more than it is to destroy something. All too often this is mistaken for a puppy being a bad dog.

Up until 6 months of age the milk teeth must be replaced with 42 adult teeth! This does hurt as they start to come in, so the chewing is a way to alleviate the pain.

Plenty of chew toys such as rawhide can keep puppy buisy so she will not even think of things such as furniture or shoes!My humans give me plenty of rawhide and I must say that I have been perfect puppy (chewing wize)

Anger does not help, only understanding and patience is best for a new puppy thats going through teething pain.

Here are a few ways to prevent chewing. Put her in the crate when you cant watch her. Puppy will go to sleep and nothing will be in danger. Give puppy her very own chew toys. Don't encourage puppy by giving her an old shoe.

Move any valued furniture, pillows, plants or books. Check for any dangerous things such as pins, needles, pencils, pens, ballons, lamp cords or anything small enough to cause choking! When puppy goes towards something off limits, a strong "NO" should be given. Puppy will soon get the idea. If puppy is stubborn (selective hearing) a slap on the humans hand with rolled up newspaper will also get the point across!

It definately works with me!

You can try sprays from the local pet store to make things such as furniture legs unattractive to puppy. Listerine can also be used as a spray, YUCK!!!

The Food Your Puppy Eats

Your puppy should be fed a high quality dog food throughout his life. Your puppy is currently being fed Iams puppy food and Science Diet puppy food. If you are changing the type of puppy food it might be easier for the puppy to adjust if you soak the food,and slolwy mix it in with the Iams diet and Scince diet food, put food in dish, fill to top of food with hot water, (add garlic powder, if you wish), cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes. By the time it has soaked it will be cool enough.

Bones, especially chicken and pork can be dangerous for your dog as he can splinter them and the sharp splinters can puncture an intestine. The need to chew can be satisfied with snacks of good, hard dog biscuits and nylon chew bones. There are now available smoked bones (large knuckle bones) which may be used but monitor your dog while he chews if you hear the sound of crackling bones remove the bone.

The dry food your puppy is on now is Iams Puppy Food (in a yellow bag with a red stripe) and Science Diet puppy food. If you change brands of food, change over gradually, mixing in first a quarter of his normal food ration then a third, then a half, then two thirds and so on so that change occurs over a period of 5-7 days. You may use any good quality brand you wish .

Puppies should be fed 3 times a day until about at 3 - 4 months, 2 times a day at 6 months. A little snack of dog biscuits in the afternoon can be used to bring the gap as he gets used to skipping the middle meal. Your puppy will probably let you know when it is time to cut out the middle meal as he will not eat as much at that time. I prefer to continue to feed the adults twice a day. A light breakfast and a heavier supper. But you can establish your own feeding program.

Your puppy should have a supply of fresh clean drinking water at all times. On hot days, check the water bowl frequently to see that it is still full.

CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION !!!!!!!!!! Never leave your dog in the car on a hot summer day. The temperature can rise very quickly (even on a warm day) and your dog will very quickly suffer from heat exhaustion. (10 minutes may be too long.)

HEALTH CARE

SHOTS - Make sure your puppy's shots are kept up to date. Remember that once the initial shots and boosters are given she will still need yearly boosters. Your veterinarian will help you with this. Many vets send out yearly reminders. they will also give you a health card which you should keep current and keep handy. The folder that you received with the pedigree and registration is a good place. Medications and vaccinations received by your puppy so far are listed on the health card which should be in your puppy folder.

Symptoms of Bloat

Distended abdomen may or may not be clearly present. General discomfort, refusing food, belching, passing gas, panting, restlessness - not able to find a comfortable position., arching the back, vomiting. Tummy sounding like a drum. The presence of some or all of these symptoms means that immediate veterinary care is required as the situation is life threatening.

Travel Sickness

Car sickness may be an effect of motion sickness which your puppy may soon out grow or it may arise from a sense of nervousness or both. Gradually introducing your puppy to pleasant travel experiences may help. Start out just staying with him and playing with him in the car when it is not moving.

Leashes and Collars

Choke chains are for training only and should never be left on the dog when he is unattended. There are a number of nylon collars which you can purchase. Be very careful with those that come with the snap on type of plastic collar as these can break and this could have tragic repercussions if you should be walking by a busy street.

BEHAVIOR, BONDING, TRAINING AND ENTERTAINING (Taking Care Of What's Between The Ears)

Crate Training - Although crate training seems rather cruel if you are not familiar with their use, you must remember that dogs are naturally a den animal as well as a social animal. So in addition to their pack they also need a den. Now while they would be quite comfortable sharing your bed or your couch there may be times when you are not willing to share. Particularly if you are letting them in with muddy feet or if you are entertaining. A small puppy can fall off a couch or a bed and injure himself if you should happen to turn abruptly or if he should try to jump down.

Crates - Crates or kennels are not cages in which the dog is to be in all the time but they can be very valuable to you and your dog. The crate, when lined with a comfortable, washable blanket becomes his den, a haven where he can escape the outside world. It becomes his room. Although wire kennels can be obtained and are convenient because they fold flat, they are harder to clean and do not afford the same protection as the fiberglass or plastic style crates. The plastic crate can eventually be separated and the bottom half used as a bed when it is no longer necessary to confine you pet. As an adult your puppy will require a 400 or 500 size Vari-Kennel (or comparable brand).

Crates are a great asset in housebreaking since most puppies won't soil their sleeping area. He can be safely exercised last thing at night, then put in his crate for the night and then first thing in the morning taken to his exercise area.

This crate should be set up in a living area so that the dog is not completely isolated, e.g. basement. This is especially important for the new puppy. You may want to consider keeping the crate in the bedroom at least for the first few nights due to the trauma of leaving his litter mates and coming to a new environment (a 400 size crate will probably be adequate for your puppy as an adult). A dog biscuit and a toy thrown into the crate will help encourage the puppy to enter the crate and to enjoy his time in the crate. A special toy or treat such as a liver bar which he gets only when he goes into his crate will make the process more enjoyable.

The crate is also useful for traveling as the dog uses the crate instead of a seat belt, and will be more welcome in motels or other places. Having a crate trained dog is of great assistance in preventing paw prints on newly waxed floors.

Since the crate is a place of refuge, children should be taught not to disturb the dog if he goes into his crate for a rest after a play session.

Obedience - As you know poodles are one of the more intelligent breeds and it will be to your advantage to bring out the best in your puppy. Training is best done with positive rewards and of course will start as soon as your puppy arrives. Training can be done in subtle and obvious ways depending on the personality of your dog. This applies to almost anything you want the dog to do. If he does something automatically give it a name and then praise him every time he repeats the required action.

Use positive rewards

Rules be consistent everyone should agree on what the house rules for the dog will be and everyone should be consistent.

On the bed or not? Position of dominance? 60 lb. dog lying between you and your mate.

Not out the door ahead

Don't get into the car without permission

On the couch or not?.

Retrieving - A great exerciser

Use the natural retrieving talents of your dog by teaching him to play fetch. Start with a soft toy or ball. Throw it a short distance and encourage your dog to bring it back to you. If he goes and picks up the ball and starts to run away, don't chase him. Call him and encourage him to bring it back. When she brings it back take it from him and praise him. Do not play tug of war with any item you that you have asked him to retrieve.