I am looking for the any info that aide me in the care of a new puppy i will soon be bringing home?

2 Comments

1. Deaney T says:

   March 7, 2010 at 8:11 pm

   VACCINATIONS:

   Puppies are usually vaccinated at 6,9 and 12 weeks of age against Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Kennel Cough, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis, which are the main killer-diseases of dogs. Your new puppy should be kept away from public places such as parks, shopping centres and footpaths at 6-9 weeks of age, or any area where other dogs may have been; this reduces their exposure to these killer viruses.
   After his 9 week vaccination, you may start to cautiously walk your puppy,
   taking him on short exursions. Also, it is a good idea if you can find a mature, well- vaccinated dog for your puppy to play with at home (eg: a friend’s or neighbour’s dog). This is best done at 9-15 weeks of age so that your puppy learns proper etiquette and how to
   behave, interact and socialise with other dogs. Barkbusters puppy pre-schools conducted at this clinic on Wednesday nights is excellent for this. This may make it easier for you later when walking your dog in public and meeting other dogs; he should also get used to children and cars through this period. Having children feed him is a good idea so that children are not seen as a threat.

   WORMING: Puppies always have worms; they are picked up from the mother both before and after birth.The easiest treatment is to just use Advantage Multi once monthly -a few drops on the back of the neck will kill both fleas and worms in one application.
   If using worm pills, then they should be given every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age and then once monthly until 6 months of age.

   DIET: Puppies should have a complete and balanced diet of minerals/vitamins and calcium in order to be healthy. The easiest solution is to feed your puppy on the well-known puppy foods such as canned food or dog biscuits,eg: PAL puppy, Champ. We recommend the superior“Premium-Grade” puppy biscuits such as Eukanuba,Hills, Advance or Royal Canin, simply because of their quality. If instead you decide to feed meat and vegetables etc. you must remember this is an unbalanced way to go and you will have to give a calcium supplement and a mineral supplement and a vitamin supplement because meat is very deficient in these areas. Beware of milk as this can cause an upset stomach and diarrhoea. Keep the diet simple and try not to vary it too much- a menu offering a wide range of culinary delights is actually not a good idea.

   GENERAL INFORMATION:

   When your puppy is 6 months of age, it is old enough to be speyed or castrated. If you are not planning on breeding from your dog, it is a good idea to have this done, not just for convenience reasons but there are significant health benefits as well. It’s no fun coping with unwanted puppies, wandering male dogs and urogenital health problems.City Council registration is also much cheaper.

   Fleas-use Advantage or Frontline-these are excellent products that won’t fail you; apply when the pups are 10 weeks of age or older.
   They are very easy to use without having to spray,wash or douse your puppy and they work exceptionally well. They are easy to apply and non-toxic.

   Training- both house-training and obedience training at home, should start as soon as you get your puppy. We strongly recommend the Puppy Preschool which shows puppies and their owners just what is appropriate behaviour and what is not. For many pups this is all thay require whilst for others, further training later on at 4 months of age at other training schools may be required.
   The best book to get is the "Dog Listener" . It explains how to understand your dog. All behaviour problems that arise –especially obedience issues- are derived from owners misunderstanding leadership issues. This book is sold by the clinic and is thoroughly recommended.

   Puppies are supposed to be registered with the local council when 3 months of age.
   Feeding
   It is best to feed a premium puppy diet (e.g. Hills Science diet, Eukanuba, Nutrience, Advance) as these contain all the
   protein, vitamins and minerals that a young growing puppy needs. It’s simple to feed, suits the needs of all size puppies
   and is completely balanced.
   Do not change your puppy’s diet suddenly as this can cause diarrhoea. If you do want to change the food your puppy is
   eating, do it gradually. Mix a small amount of the new food in with the old, and slowly increase the amount of new food
   in each meal.
   Puppies should be fed 3-4 times daily until 4 months of age, then two meals daily until adulthood.
   Don’t feed your puppy cow’s milk; it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. We recommend puppy milk (lactose free) or water.
   Toys
   Puppies need toys! They are an essential part of their development. They help with teething and save your shoes and
   furniture. It is best to have a variety to prevent boredom and you need to rotate these daily. We will help you choose the
   most appropriate.
   Vaccinations
   Your puppy will have a natural immunity to disease acquired from its mother’s milk. This immunity lasts for 6-8 weeks,
   after this time it will require a course of vaccinations
   First Vaccination: 6 weeks Second vaccination: 9 weeks
   Third Vaccination: 12 weeks Annual vaccination: One year from the last vaccination
   By the end of the course your puppy will have been fully vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Canine
   Kennel Cough and Canine Para-influenza.
   IMPORTANT: Don’t let your puppy off your property until two weeks following the final vaccination and remember to
   register your dog with the local council before it is three months of age.
   Worming
   Your puppy should be treated for worms every two weeks until 12 weeks old, then routinely every 3-4 months with a
   broad spectrum wormer (e.g. Drontal or Endoguard) for the remainder of its life.
   De-Fleaing
   Your puppy will need to be de-fleaed throughout its life; this will not only keep your puppy comfortable but also your
   home flea free.
   It is important that you treat your puppy with a high quality safe product e.g. Frontline Spray or Advantage.
   De-Sexing
   We highly recommend that you have your puppy de-sexed. Puppies can be de-sexed between the ages of 5 – 6 months this
   will help to prevent health and behaviour problems later in life.
   Puppy Playschool
   Puppy playschool is designed for the benefit of both you and your new puppy. The classes aim to socialise your puppy with other
   puppies of the same age, and provide both you and your puppy with basic obedience training. Puppies can attend puppy playschool
   as long as they are between the ages of 8 – 14 weeks and have had their first vaccination.
   IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PUPPY CARE
   WORMING
   • Worming should be carried out every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age against roundworms and hookworms (eg Cancare), then once a month until 6 months of age, then 3-4 times a year with a broad-spectrum wormer that also controls tapeworms (eg Drontal).
   VACCINATIONS
   • Usually carried out at 6,9 & 12 weeks of age, check dates on your dog’s vaccination certificate. This is a combination vaccine to protect your pup against the potentially fatal viral diseases of Parvovirus, Distemper and Canine Hepatitis and often protects against 2 of the viruses that can cause kennel cough. Ask your local vet about also vaccinating against Leptospirosis. A yearly annual booster should be given throughout your dog’s life. If your dog ever goes into kennels to board check if an additional kennel cough vaccination against a bacterium called Bordetella is required.
   • Isolate your puppy away from other unvaccinated dogs and public areas like parks, beaches and footpaths until 2 weeks after the full course of puppy vaccinations have been completed (ie. around 14 weeks of age). Parvovirus can survive on the ground for up to a year so unless you can be sure that no unvaccinated dogs have had access to a particular place then do not risk your pup’s life.
   NUTRITION
   • Any quality dry puppy food biscuits available from vet clinics or pet shops is ideal (ie. Eukanuba Puppy, Hills Growth, Advance Growth, Nutrience or Pro Plan Puppy). Check with breeder what your puppy has been eating. Remember to introduce any new foods gradually.
   • Pups up until 12weeks should get 4 meals per day, 3 – 6 months 3 meals per day and dogs older than 6 months should be fed twice daily.
   • Dog rolls contain relatively poorer quality ingredients and are often not “complete and balanced” with correct amounts or proportions of vitamins and minerals for growing pups. Raw meat is not a balanced diet by itself.
   • Homemade diets are not recommended unless you have a very high level of knowledge of canine nutrition because this is often a cause of problems. Good quality foods such as those previously mentioned DO NOT need calcium supplementation (eg. Bonegrow).
   • Tinned foods are not necessary for pups older than 8 weeks. They contain mainly water (>75%) and often lead to large amounts of faeces being passed due to high levels of cereals.
   • Take care with bones. They are a frequent cause of many problems, sometimes very serious. Pups lose their baby teeth and the adult teeth come through between 3 and 6 months. During this time they love to chew almost anything. Rawhide and other similar “dental bones” are a safer option especially in pups <6months. Tooth brushing is the most effective and safest form of dental care.
   • Plenty of fresh water should always be available.
   • NB Labradors love food and almost anything else they can stick in their mouths! Many a veterinarian has had to surgically remove from dogs stomachs items like socks, stockings, peach stones, golf balls to name a few things so don’t leave tempting items like these around.
   FLEA TREATMENT
   • If you live in the north half of the North Island then it is inevitable that your pup will pick up fleas, especially if you have other pets (including cats) and more so when your pup is old enough to start going out in public places.
2. queenqueefis says:

   March 7, 2010 at 8:11 pm

   type in your puppy’s breed in the search bar of your computer. click on the site that has wikipedia after it, and read all about what breed you are bringing home. make sure you have everything you need before you bring her home(food, dishes, leash, harness, collar,etc) take it to the vet for a check up and shots(if needed) and try to block off any place you don’t want ti to go. secure wires and anything that it can chew up out of reach. I made sure I had lots of different toys for mine to play with. And since it is a very cold winter where I am at, I got my two dogs a sweater each just because they are short haired and puppies. I don’t want them to get sick. They don’t stay outside to long on colder days, but I make sure they go out every two hours. Sometimes sooner. They are catching on and go to the door already to let me know they need to go potty. Even though it’s cold outside, I don’t rush them. It takes dogs a few minutes to find just the right spot to go potty. After they do their business, they come back in and get praise and a treat for being such good girls.
   Good Luck