So You have a new Puppy- Most Important Needs - Animal Hospital at Brier Creek

Veterinary Visit
1. Schedule ASAP
  1. Need to start/finish vaccination series ASAP
  2. Need routine dewormers ASAP
  3. Need to start heartworm protection and flea/tick ASAP
2. Bring stool sample
3. Bring Medical Records
Get Pet Insurance
1. Best to have when young and healthy before there are pre-existing conditions:
  1. Ie: if puppy eats a piece of toy and needs foreign body surgery and then you get insurance, surgery will not be covered
  2. Foreign body surgery or Cruciate Surgery could cost over three thousand dollars
  3. Chronic conditions like allergies and ear infections and GI sensitivies can be covered for the life of the pet
  4. Insurance monthly premium is less expensive when started as a puppy
  5. Most pet insurance companies have a free 30 days trial if insurance is begun within 24 hours of the first veterinary visit
2. Accident & Illness Only
  1. TruPanion
3. Wellness & Accident/Illness
  1. ASPCA Pet Insurance
Find a good food with the best nutrition
1. Pet Store/online only
  1. These foods are the highest quality due to the most research
  2. Nutrition to help prevent diseases
  3. Royal Canin or Science Diet
  4. Royal Canin makes diets specific to prevent disease in certain breeds
2. Supermarket
  1. Iams, Proplan, Purina One
3. puppy food until 8 months (small breeds), 10 months (medium, large breeds), 18 months (giant breeds). Do not use an all life stage diet
4. Large & Giant breeds should have a large breed puppy diet
5. Feed small breed puppies 3 times daily until 4 months of age
  1. Small breed puppies are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if the are not feeling well and do not eat
6. Change diets gradually over 2-3 weeks
7. Limit treats to less than 10% of diet
Embark Genetic Veterinary testing
1. Checks for over 210 genetic disorders (OTC test does not)
2. Lets the pet parent and veterinarian know what to watch for – heart problems, muscular problems, vision problems, and so on
3. Will verify breed which also lets the pet parent and veterinarian know which personality traits and which disorders have increased frequency in breed (ie prone to dental disease, allergies, anxiety, and so on)
Puppy Touching
1. Gently rub puppy’s ears, muzzle, feet several times daily (until 2yrs)
2. Choose a time when puppy is quiet or sleepy
3. Press on toes gently as if to inspect nails or trimming nails’
4. DO NOT upset puppy- must be a good happy experience
Training Puppy to take medicine
1. Start once puppy is doing well with handling of muzzle- at least daily until at least 2yrs
2. Hold puppy’s muzzle and let puppy eat a tiny piece of a high value treat out of your hand daily until used to this
3. Next hold puppy’s muzzle and place a tiny piece of a high value treat into puppy’s mouth daily until used to this
4. Next hold puppy’s muzzle and medicate puppy with a tiny piece of a high value treat
5. DO NOT upset puppy- must be a good happy experience
6. Continue all steps frequently (daily) until at least 2 years
House breaking
1. Until house broken, keep puppy in crate or on leash while in the home
2. Small breed puppies take longer to house break & must be more strict
3. Puppies can “hold it” for as many hours as they are old + 1
4. Pick up water & food when not home + 2 hours before bed
5. Hang a bell from door – make puppy ring it before going outside
Need proper toys
1. Larger dogs must not have toys they can tear up, especially as they get adult teeth
2. Medium & larger dogs begin teething at 12 weeks & are done by 5 months
3. Smaller breeds start teething at 12-16 weeks until 6 months
4. Food toys are great especially for medium dogs & larger – Kongs, Buster Cubes
5. Avoid tennis balls, real bones, cow hooves, antlers, pig’s ears
6. Edible bones like VeggieDent chews are edible & digestible
7. Chews & toys must fit the current size of the puppy – as they grow toys may need to change
Socialization
1. Expose puppy to as many size and shapes and types of animals as possible: cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, turtles, cows, etc
2. Well vaccinated family dogs or dogs in the neighborhood are safe
3. Expose puppy to as many sizes and shapes of people as possiblechildren, adults, geriatric people, etc
4. Expose puppy to as many things as possible- bicycles, trucks, microwaves, bells, vacuum cleaners, etc
5. DO NOT force it if puppy is afraid:
  1. IF puppy is afraid of the vacuum, for example:
    1. Bring out vacuum cleaner that is off
    2. Put special training treats several feet from the vacuum
    3. Gradually put treats closer and closer to vacuum
    4. Once puppy can eat the treats off the vacuum, restart the process with the vacuum on low, then restart the process with the vacuum on high
Training
1. Train sit first
  1. Hold a tiny high value treat over puppy’s head & move it toward’s puppy’s bottom & say “sit”
    1. Note- training treats are special Grade A treats puppy does not get except for training- type depends of what motivates this puppy & must be tiny and quickly devoured (optionskibbles of food, jerky treats, beggin strips, hot dog slices, cheese, chicken breast, etc)
    2. Not all puppies are food motivated- toys and attention also work
  2. Soon as puppy sits, say “yes” & feed treat
  3. If puppy does not sit on 1st command, distract puppy for a minute then start over
  4. Never repeat command more than once
2. Once puppy has sit consistently, give treats intermittently only
3. Sit is Doggie Please: Use sit every time puppy eats, goes outside, comes inside, gets attention, goes on bed, goes on sofa, etc
4. Puppy Classes with other puppies are ideal- most require Rabies before classes:
  1. Teamworks Dog Training: TeamworksDogTraining.org
  2. Sally Said So: SallySaidSo.com