Puppy Tips For Going Home

Once home with your new puppy let him look around the house and what is inside. You want him/her to become familiar with their surroundings. Watch to see what He/She is smelling and small areas that may be dangerous, (stairs, electrical cords). Once you have done that, show him/her the water bowl and feeding area, and possibly feed him/her at that time. All puppies will go home with puppy food that they like to eat and need water to moisten it. This entices them to eat. Start to mix your food with what I send home with them after the first day.

Watch for areas that your puppy might want to  chew on (table legs, and wood surfaces), since they will be be soon cutting teeth and may take the opportunity to do so on your furniture, and whatever else may be on the floor. I always think about what I leave down, so that you are not setting your puppy up for failure, if it is down it may get chewed on. If the puppy is created when you are unable to supervise, this will make life a lot easier.

The main things to watch for once your puppy is home is that he/she is eating. Large breed dogs need to eat twice a day, while small breed dogs need to eat several times a day. Puppies need to eat or they will get weak and can lead to very serious problems (Hypoglycemia, Cociddia, Anemia), so watch carefully.For the first, two week, its always a good idea to leave food down at all times so they have the opportunity to eat as they please, then a schedule can be introduced.

Watch to see that your puppies bowls are hard. This is a good sign of a healthy happy puppy. If the bowls become loose, keep a close eye for the puppy may become dehydrated, and may require veterinarian assistance. If your puppy was shipped, they will have an upset stomache and may have diarrhea. If so, you can add some plain white rice or fat free cottage cheese to help firm up the stool.

House Training

This can be easy or hard, its' just something you and the puppy will have to work on together. For the best results, after eating and periodically throughout the day (2-4 Times), you should take him/her outside. Call him/her to the door, try not to carry him/her out. You want him/her to walk to the door. This will help associate, where he/she is to eliminate. When outside to potty, thats exactly what time it is. Refrain from playing. For this will only confuse the puppy. If your puppy goes in the house, take him/her outside while in the act or as soon as you see it. DO NOT rub your puppies nose in it. Using a firm "NO" by the bad deed is simply good enough. Remember being consistant will help for a quick and easy training period. Accidents will happen.

Crate Training (Plastic Cargo Crates Recommended)

When you go to bed for the night, place your new puppy in his/her crate. The first couple of nights maybe very unrested for you, but, he/she will get used to it. It is ok to take your puppy out for the potty, but stop ahortly after the first week. This will prevent bad habbits of going in the crate or just plain begging for attention. Use newspaper to line the bottom of the crate. This will help prevent odor, and make it easier for clean up for when he/she has an accident. There will be times when you will be gone for several hours, it may be a good idea to leave some food in the crate, if you feel it will be a long period of time. If you are unable to watcht the puppy, use the crate as a safe way to keep the puppy put of harms way.

These are some helpful hints. If you are concerned about any specific thing, please do not hesitate to contact me.