Puppy Basics 101

Puppies are the most adorable animals and easily steal our hearts. Parenting a new puppy, however, is not always easy. Puppies will definitely challenge you and your rules as much as a human child will. I created this guide in order to help. When the time finally comes to bring your new puppy home for the first time, you’ll need to remember that this will be a significant lifestyle adjustment. There WILL be accidents to clean up. You’ll have to puppy proof your home, like you would baby proof, and you’ll have to adjust your schedule to a newborn puppy. This is going to be much like a human baby including being sleep-deprived. As you'll soon learn, a growing puppy needs much more than food & snuggles to thrive. I promise that while it may be a lot of work initially, it's more than worth the effort! Establishing rules, healthy habits and enforcing good behavior in those first few weeks and beyond will lay the foundation for a well rounded adult dog.

Find a Good Vet

The first thing you need to do is set up a vet appointment with your current or new vet of your choice. It's wise to figure out what vet you would like to use before bringing your puppy home. If you are unsure, reach out to local groomers, dog walkers and pet parent friends. The only public place you and your new puppy should venture out to, is to the vet for a checkup. This needs to be done with one 3 days of taking your new baby home. I highly suggest making this appointment in advance. Although your puppy has passed their very first health inspection, we want new owners to take their pup in right away. Its crucial to your puppies health to set up a good vaccination plan. This visit will help you take the first steps toward a good preventive health routine.

 Make the Most of Your First Vet Visit

Puppy parents often have many questions about their new family member when visiting the vet for the first time. It's common to forget these questions. I suggest writing down a list of important questions for your vet ahead of time. If you are planning on switching your puppies food to another brand, discuss this with your vet in an effort to minimize your puppy having an upset tummy. Setting up a vaccination plan with your vet is crucial to the well being of your dog. During your first visit you can discuss safe options for controlling parasites, both external and internal, and make the best decision based on advice from your vet. Ask your vet about when they feel it is best that you should spay or neuter your dog. After your puppies initial shots are completed, your dog will then need yearly shots. A good source on learning about the vaccines needed and offered is: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/puppy-shots-complete-guide/ 

The chart below is a comprehensive look at the vaccine timeline. This is what you can discuss with your vet as far as when to get shots and which shots are best for puppy. You will also have to comply with State Laws regarding vaccinations for dogs.

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Shop for Quality DOG Food

 

 

Your puppy's body is growing rapidly. It is critical that your puppy has a quality food to help it grow properly. Selecting a food formulated for puppies instead of adult dogs is vital. We recommend a high-protein, smaller kibble puppy food (sometimes the smaller kibble is harder to find with large breed formulas) with a meat-based protein. I do recommend getting a large Breed formula based on the breeds of your puppy to aid in the proper growth of their joints and bones. Create a schedule for your puppy to eat. This will discourage picky habits and bad behaviors.Schedules are very good for puppies much like a human child. Feed at regular times in regular amounts and don’t leave food down for more than 10 to 20 minutes. Recommend feeding Times per day for the first year:

Age 8 weeks-6 months - 3 meals per day 


Age 6-12 months - 2 meals per day


After 12 months - 1-2 meals per day 
*Always check what your vet's recommendation is for your puppy

*We feed our puppies  Canidae Large Breed Lamb (All Life Stages) mixed with Science Diet Puppy for Large breeds. This helps with the growth of bones and joints, as well as proper body development, in breeds like the Bernese mountain dog and standard poodle.

* You can switch to adult food for the dog at your vet’s discretion or one year of age.

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Establish a Bathroom Routine

When starting the journey to house train your puppy, it is very important that you remain patient, and give your puppy plenty of positive reinforcement. Puppies naturally respond better to positive encouragement rather then negative angry reactions. It's probably a good idea to put a floor/carpet cleaning plan in place because accidents DO happen.
Until your puppy has had all of her vaccinations, its best to find a place outdoors that is inaccessible to other animals. This helps reduce the spread of viruses and diseases, like Parvo and Giardia. Give lots of positive reinforcement whenever your puppy does go potty outside and make sure to reward with a heathy treat. I always encourage people to word train as well. Dogs are very good with learning words. They can learn between 165-250 human language words. Use a marker word such as Yes or Good (it can be anything you want but be consistent with it.) when your puppy performs the wanted or good behavior. So in this case you would happily exclaim “GOOD potty outside” and give the treat at the same time. This teaches the puppy multiple things at once. Of course as equally important, refrain from punishing her when she has accidents indoors. Your puppy will have no idea what you are punishing her for. Also remember that puppies can NOT hold their bladders for long. A good rule of thumb is an hour per month of age. So at 8 weeks old (2 months) your puppy can hold it for roughly 2 hours, 3 months for 3 hours, 4 months for 4 hours etc.
Knowing when to take your puppy out is almost as important as giving her praise whenever she does eliminate outdoors. The most common times to take your puppy to potty are when you: 
*When you wake up & Right before bedtime. 
*Immediately after, your puppy eats or drinks a lot of water. Sometimes they may need a couple of minutes before going potty.
*When your puppy wakes up from a nap. 
*During and after physical activity. 
* * *If your puppy is peeing several times an hour, was previously doing well with potting mostly outside but suddenly that has changed, this can be a sign of a UTI. These are VERY common in young puppies. Take your puppy to your vet for treatment.

 Watch For Early Signs of Illness

For the first few months, puppies are more susceptible to illnesses & diseases that can be serious if not caught in the early stages. If you observe any of the following symptoms in your puppy, it's time to contact the vet. 


Lack of appetite


Poor weight gain 


Vomiting 


Swollen or painful abdomen 


Lethargy (tiredness) 


Diarrhea 
(Soft stool can be normal the first week or so from the stress of re-homing & especially if you changed puppies food.
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Difficulty breathing 


Wheezing or coughing 


Pale gums 


Swollen, red eyes or eye discharge


Nasal discharge 


Inability to pass urine or stool 


Or any other changes in behavior that are alarming

 

Teach Obedience

Puppies have unique personalities. Remember that bringing your puppy home can be overwhelming for both of you. Your puppy now has to learn not only a new home but a new family. Establishing rules for the puppy to follow as well as everyone in the house when it comes to the puppy is critical in helping your puppy adjust. This will help to provide consistency for the training of your puppy and to establish expectations. Furthermore, by teaching your puppy good manners, you are setting your puppy up for a life of positive social interaction with everyone involved. In addition, obedience training will help forge a stronger bond between you and your puppy. Teaching your pup to obey commands such as sit, stay, down, and come will not only impress your friends, but these commands will help keep your dog safe and under control in any potentially hazardous situations. Many puppy owners find that obedience classes are a great way to train both owner and dog. Classes typically begin accepting puppies at age 4 to 6 months. If you are unsure of where to start with training, I suggest you reach out to friends and family to see who they recommend. You can even ask your vet for good recommendations.  

*Tip: Keep it positive. Positive reinforcement using small treats, has been proven to be vastly more effective than punishment. Vocal praise has been known to be just as effective!

Be Sociable

Just like obedience training, proper socialization during puppyhood helps avoid behavioral problems down the road. Remember you don’t want to take your puppy in public to often before all his shots are completed. Socialization classes are an excellent way to share positive social experiences with your puppy. Just be sure to ask your vet what kind of interaction is okay. Most socialization classes will take place during your puppy classes. Often times larger interacting classes will occur around the age of 16 weeks after most puppies have completed their final shots. At this time, it's generally ok to start puppy daycare which can also help with socialization.

Remember the Adjustment Rule 

When you first bring your puppy home, remember the 3 3 3 rule. In order to fully adjust to its new home, new people/family and new routine, it takes time! People often expect a new puppy to adjust in a few days. This just isn't how it happens. It takes a puppy:

 

   3 Days  to decompress & not feel overwhelmed or scared. 

   3 Weeks  to feel comfortable enough to be themselves and let their guard down. 

   3 Months  to feel a sense of security and gain trust.