New puppy owner's guide
Now that your new puppy has finally arrived, you can pretty much count on three things: unbridled joy, cleaning up your puppy’s accidents, and a major lifestyle adjustment! As you’ll soon learn, a growing puppy needs much more than a food bowl and a dog bed to thrive. And while it may be a lot of work initially, it’s well worth the effort. Establishing good and healthy habits in those first few sleep-deprived weeks will lay the foundation for many dog-years of happiness for you and your puppy.
First Steps
1. Find a Good Vet
2. Make the Most of Your First Vet Visit
3. Shop for Quality Food
4. Establish a Bathroom Routine
5. Watch for Early Signs of Illness
6. Teach Obedience
7. Be Sociable
1. Find a Good Vet
The first place you and your new puppy should go together is, you guessed it, straight to the vet for a checkup. This visit will not only help to ensure that your puppy is healthy and free of serious health issues, birth defects, etc., but it will help you to take the first steps towards a good preventive health routine. If you don’t have a vet already, ask friends for recommendations. Local dog walkers and groomers are also a great source of ideas. It is usually best to avoid big corporate chain type animal hospitals.
2. Make the Most of Your First Vet Visit
3. Shop for Quality Food
Your puppy’s body is growing in critical ways which is why you’ll need to select a food that’s formulated especially for puppies as opposed to adult dogs. Small and medium-sized breeds can make the leap to adult dog food between 9 and 12 months of age. Large breed dogs should stick with puppy kibbles until they reach 2-years-old. Make sure your puppy has fresh and abundant water available at all times.
Feed multiple times a day:
4. Establish a Bathroom Routine
Because puppies don’t take kindly to wearing diapers, house-training quickly becomes a high priority for most new puppy owners. According to the experts, your most potent allies in the quest to house-train your puppy are patience, planning and plenty of positive reinforcement. In addition, it’s probably not a bad idea to put a carpet-cleaning battle plan in place, because accidents will happen.
Until your puppy has had all of her vaccinations, you’ll want to find a place outdoors that’s inaccessible to other animals. This helps reduce the spread of viruses and disease. Make sure to give lots of positive reinforcement whenever your puppy manages to potty outside and, almost equally important, refrain from punishing her when she has accidents indoors. Knowing when to take your puppy out is almost as important as giving her praise whenever she does eliminate outdoors.
Here’s a list of the most common times to take your puppy out to potty:
5. Watch for Early Signs of Illness
For the first few months, puppies are more susceptible to sudden bouts of illnesses 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:
6. Teach Obedience
By teaching your puppy good manners, you’ll set your puppy up for a life of positive social interaction. In addition, obedience training will help to 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 to 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.
Tip: Keep it positive. Positive reinforcement, such as small treats, has been proven to be vastly more effective than punishment.
7. Be Sociable
Just like obedience training, proper socialization during puppyhood helps to avoid behavioral problems down the road. At approximately 2 to 4 months of age, most puppies begin to accept other animals, people, places, and experiences. Socialization classes are an excellent way to rack up positive social experiences with your puppy. Just be sure to ask your vet about what kind of interaction is OK at this stage.
Also, check out our blog post on essential tips for caring for your new purebred puppy here!
First Steps
1. Find a Good Vet
2. Make the Most of Your First Vet Visit
3. Shop for Quality Food
4. Establish a Bathroom Routine
5. Watch for Early Signs of Illness
6. Teach Obedience
7. Be Sociable
1. Find a Good Vet
The first place you and your new puppy should go together is, you guessed it, straight to the vet for a checkup. This visit will not only help to ensure that your puppy is healthy and free of serious health issues, birth defects, etc., but it will help you to take the first steps towards a good preventive health routine. If you don’t have a vet already, ask friends for recommendations. Local dog walkers and groomers are also a great source of ideas. It is usually best to avoid big corporate chain type animal hospitals.
2. Make the Most of Your First Vet Visit
- Ask your vet which puppy foods he or she recommends, how often to feed and what portion size to give your puppy.
- Set up a vaccination plan with your vet.
- Discuss safe options for controlling parasites, both external and internal.
- Learn which signs of illness to watch for during your puppy’s first few months.
- Ask about whether and when you should spay or neuter your dog.
3. Shop for Quality Food
Your puppy’s body is growing in critical ways which is why you’ll need to select a food that’s formulated especially for puppies as opposed to adult dogs. Small and medium-sized breeds can make the leap to adult dog food between 9 and 12 months of age. Large breed dogs should stick with puppy kibbles until they reach 2-years-old. Make sure your puppy has fresh and abundant water available at all times.
Feed multiple times a day:
- Age 6-12 weeks – 4 meals per day
- Age 3-6 months – 3 meals per day
- Age 6-12 months – 2 meals per day
- Lean Meats: Chicken, turkey, and fish are all great sources of protein for your puppy. Just make sure to remove any bones and cook the meat thoroughly to kill any bacteria.
- Vegetables: Not all vegetables are safe, but many are excellent for your pup. Carrots, cucumbers, and peas are all rich in essential vitamins and minerals.
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, and blueberries are all safe for your puppy to consume. Just remember to remove any seeds or pits, as they can be harmful.
- Rice and Pasta: These can serve as a good source of energy. However, they should be served cooked and plain - no butter, salt, or sauce.
- Peanut Butter: A popular treat for dogs, peanut butter is safe as long as it doesn't contain xylitol, a sweetener harmful to dogs.
- Chocolate: Probably the most well-known no-go food, chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs and can cause severe health problems.
- Grapes and Raisins: These fruits can cause kidney failure in dogs, even in small quantities.
- Onions and Garlic: All members of the allium family can cause damage to a dog's red blood cells, leading to anemia.
- Alcohol and Caffeine: These can cause rapid heart rate, seizures, and even death in dogs.
- Avocado: Avocados contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
- Xylitol: Found in many sugar-free and low-sugar products, xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and can lead to liver failure.
4. Establish a Bathroom Routine
Because puppies don’t take kindly to wearing diapers, house-training quickly becomes a high priority for most new puppy owners. According to the experts, your most potent allies in the quest to house-train your puppy are patience, planning and plenty of positive reinforcement. In addition, it’s probably not a bad idea to put a carpet-cleaning battle plan in place, because accidents will happen.
Until your puppy has had all of her vaccinations, you’ll want to find a place outdoors that’s inaccessible to other animals. This helps reduce the spread of viruses and disease. Make sure to give lots of positive reinforcement whenever your puppy manages to potty outside and, almost equally important, refrain from punishing her when she has accidents indoors. Knowing when to take your puppy out is almost as important as giving her praise whenever she does eliminate outdoors.
Here’s a list of the most common times to take your puppy out to potty:
- When you wake up.
- Right before bedtime.
- Immediately after your puppy eats or drinks a lot of water.
- When your puppy wakes up from a nap.
- During and after physical activity.
5. Watch for Early Signs of Illness
For the first few months, puppies are more susceptible to sudden bouts of illnesses 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 of painful abdomen
- Lethargy (tiredness)
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing or coughing
- Pale gums
- Swollen, red eyes or eye discharge
- Nasal discharge
- Inability to pass urine or stool
6. Teach Obedience
By teaching your puppy good manners, you’ll set your puppy up for a life of positive social interaction. In addition, obedience training will help to 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 to 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.
Tip: Keep it positive. Positive reinforcement, such as small treats, has been proven to be vastly more effective than punishment.
7. Be Sociable
Just like obedience training, proper socialization during puppyhood helps to avoid behavioral problems down the road. At approximately 2 to 4 months of age, most puppies begin to accept other animals, people, places, and experiences. Socialization classes are an excellent way to rack up positive social experiences with your puppy. Just be sure to ask your vet about what kind of interaction is OK at this stage.
Also, check out our blog post on essential tips for caring for your new purebred puppy here!