PUPPY ADVICE

 Before you bring home your new fur baby here is an idea of some things the baby will need.

  Doggy bed

  Small washable blanket

  Newspaper or potty pads

  Water and food dish

  Dry Puppy Food

  Canned PUPPY food (for emergency use)

  Nutri-Cal for T-Cup puppies

  Brush & Comb

  Shampoo & /or conditioner

  Chew toys (no pig ears or any type of rawhide)

  Puppy Bisquits

  Playpen (used for playpen training) or a Crate

 For the first few times the puppy rides in car, they may get carsick. It is normal for little baby puppy, so having paper towels or Wee-Wee pads just in case for the ride home will be good. Also, being held in someone’s lap can help make your puppy feel comfortable to trip the home and may help prevent car sickness. Car sickness generally vanishes and soon your puppy will look forward to going “Bye Bye” with you.

First Few Days

Your puppy might be nervous in their new environment. Everything from sight, smell, people, etc. are strange and very new to them. You have to allow new puppies to explorer the place and encourage them to play. Try not to pick them up too much the first couple days and play with them on the floor in their eye level rather than your couch or table. When you speak to your new puppy, you need to speak quietly and calmly so they can be comfortable with your voice. They will soon be fine and enjoying their new home and family.

The puppy is used to sleeping with several brothers and sisters, so they may feel lonely and cry for the first few couple for nights. When the puppy cries out, simply touch his nose and tell him 'no' in a soft voice. The only thing you can tell them when the new puppy cries out is softly but firmly 'no'. Change of diet or environment may cause diarrhea. If diarrhea lasts for more than 2 days, you should see the vet immediately. If you plan to change the puppy's diet, do so gradually by mixing little of the new food with the food they are used to eating for several days before switching entirely to the new food.

Feeding

Before our puppies leave us, they will be eating a dry puppy kibble. We "free feed" leaving the kibble out 24/7. Experience shown us that they benefit better this way.

The pups eat when they are ready andy helps to prevent hypoglycemia. If you choose to change their feeding schedule makes sure you feed them 4 times a day. If your puppy is a t-cup size, you have to leave the food out at all times. Then at one year you can leave the food out all times or you can start feeding once daily. The puppy needs vitamin and calcium in their body when they are a baby. Keeping them on a puppy formula will help to ensure they get this.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a disorder that occurs mainly in toy breeds between the ages of 5 and 12 weeks. A hypoglycemic attack is often precipitated by stress and can occur without warning. It is a real threat to tiny puppies, watch for your puppy to become tired or droopy. The first signs are listlessness, depression, and muscular weakness. If your puppy has any symptoms of hypoglycemia, you must give Nutri-cal, Nutri-stat,or kayro honey syrup quickly. It will put the blood sugar level close to normal. You have to keep your puppy in a warm place. It is a good idea to take your puppy to the veterinarian. You have to watch out for your new puppy carefully. For the first few days, they can get very sick if they stop eating. Keep dry food and water available at all times. Do not allow the puppy to get stressed or exahusted the first few days.

Vaccinations & Deworming

Always make sure your puppy is current on their vaccinations throughout their lifetime. The puppies have to start with their vaccinations before they are adopted. If ever your puppy is not his normal self, please DO NOT give vaccines or worm medicine at this condition. If your puppy has loose stool without their diet being changed or if they just don't seem right to you, please call us first immediately and take them to the vet.

Housebreaking

Playpen Training

Playpen training is the simplest method to train small indoor puppies and the least stressful for the family when the puppy will not have regular access outside your home. Training your puppy to potty on pads or a cat litter box with newspaper (not kitty litter) inside a small confined area is by far the easiest method of housebreaking, especially since it will come naturally to them not to potty in their bed. The pads also come scented to attract the puppy to potty on the pad. This leaves little room for error when the puppy is in its playpen when left unsupervised for an extended period of time. All of our puppies are partially housebroken to go on potty pads inside their playpen. The only training necessary after adopting one of our puppies is to train them with lots of praise to potty on the potty pads outside their playpen as well. Make sure the first few weeks your puppy spends most of their time in their playpen (their home), otherwise the puppy will be accustomed to being outside its playpen and will not want to go back. Whenever you place your puppy back in the playpen, do not call your puppy by its call name. The best time for training is after the puppy eats or wakes up from a nap. They usually will potty within 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on your puppy and when they look like they are about to potty, take them to the nearest pad. If they get anything on the pad, give them lots of praise. If the puppy makes a mistake, it is best advised to just clean up the mess and avoid any type of punishment. Often when a puppy is punished, they tend to hide where they potty usually under beds and furniture in fear of being punished again. As long as you are consistent with the training, you should be able to leave your puppy with the playpen open when you are not at home. This process could take few weeks to a few months, so, like any other training procedure, have patience.

Crate Training

Crate training - while learning not to soil in the house, your puppy also learns to accept the crate as a safe, secure area. Dogs instinctively want a safe 'den' or resting area and usually learn not to soil in it. A crate offers a perfect choice. Many crate-trained dogs will tend to be less anxious when kenneled at the groomer, veterinarian, or boarding facility, because they are familiar with a crate or kennel type environment. It is very important to choose a crate size and type that is appropriate for your pet and uses the crate properly. The goal is to train your puppy to soil only in a designed spot outside, in a litter box or a papered area.

Paper or Litter Box Training

Paper or litter box training is appropriate for small dogs that will not have regular access outside your home. Your puppy should immediately be taken to the designated area upon waking in the morning, and frequently throughout the day. Praise the puppy when they use the area to pass wastes. Do not leave your puppy crated all day. Puppies 8 weeks old should be crated for no more than 4 hours at a time.

Immediately Clean up Accidents

Immediately clean up accidents and use an odor remover. If you catch your puppy having an accident, take them immediately to the designated soil area. You may even need to leave a small amount of waste in the spot to help your puppy understand that this is their potty area. Don't discipline the puppy if you find an accident after the fact. Your puppy will not understand what the scolding is for. Never strike your pet, this will teach them to fear you, never rub their nose in this, it is inhumane, we wouldn't do this to a toddler and thats how we should treat a puppy, like a toddler. They have feelings too. There are many good training materials to help you; books, videos, professional trainers, and pet care associates. Paper training may be an acceptable alternative for a small apartment dog whose owner is not able to take him outside regularly. Consider putting the paper on the floor in the corner of an indoor exercise pen. You might also consider housebreaking pads, which have a scent that attracts puppies to urinate in your chosen spot.