Puppy to do list

Puppy to do list...

Its hard not to be excited about getting and having a new puppy in one's life. Here is some information,
and links that can make the transition from our home to yours more seamless.

Puppy safety and training

I can't praise Kikopup (YouTube) enough for her outstanding work with positive reinforcement in training canines. She covers a lot of behavioral topics and there are a few ones I would encourage you to review regarding your new puppy.

What are the first things to train and avoid training
Puppy safety
How to train your puppy not to bite
House training a puppy
Teach any puppy to come when called
Capturing calmness

Simple things can keep your dog safer

Ever see a dog hop out of a vehicle on the drivers side? I would imagine you might think "all the time." Think about that, the dog could be hopping out right into traffic; and some do, and die. Having them enter (and exit) the vehicle on the passenger's side (or back door)and exit only when given permission to do so could save a dog's, your dog's life.

Also, please educate yourself regarding Cane (Bufo) Toads. These can kill your dog. Toads are a major problem in Hawaii. They come out at night. Having a well lite (so you can see the space) and secure area (limited space) to let your dogs out at night may decrease the chance of a toad encounter.

Keeping the watering, food dishes and poop picked up can help as well. Besides bugs, toads will eat frogs, frogs/toads love water. Toads eat flies too so keeping the poop pick up and removed from areas your dogs frequents can help.

Food and food safety

We feed our puppies 4 Health. We gets ours from Tractor supply in Hilo. Picking up a bag before you bring home your puppy will help you be ready for your new companion. Changing dog food too quickly can cause diarrhea, not fun when you are trying to house break a puppy.

Even treats can be a problem, so introducing those in small amounts might be a good idea.

Also, feeding your puppy the right kind of food while they are growing can help avoid joint problems. Quality dog food will add years to your pets' life. Please discuss with your Vet.

Also, choose American made to avoid health problems. Dog food made in China have been reportedly contaminated with plastic to increase the protein analysis results.

Since we are on the topic of foods, believe it or not, there are some foods that we can eat that dogs can't. Some of which are highly poisonous to our canine companions. Please discuss with your Vet or check on line.

Collars and harness

We recommend using a collar just for the dog's tags and using a Easy Walker halter or harness for actually walking your dog. These two types of equipment helps prevent pulling which will make your walk more enjoyable.

We do NOT recommend retractable leashes. Those have been know to have amputated fingers.

Grooming

Grooming helps strengthens the bond between human and canine. We groom our own dogs (self taught/YouTube). Length of hair/fur desired is owner preference, however the longer length could make it unpleasant in hot/humid weather.

Shorter hair can help decrease the amount of matting and so does regular brushing. Be careful in not pulling hair as you know, its hurts.

Putting cotton in their ears during bathing can help prevent ear infections. We like to use baby shampoo so if suds gets in their eyes it doesn't sting. We use a combination of shampoo and detangler. Checking and cleaning ears on a regular basis will help avoid ear infections. Please discuss with your Vet.

Trimming nail should include having something to stop the bleeding you should cut into the quick. Have on hand Styptic powder BEFORE you start trimming. YouTube has videos to help teach you.

Regarding the notion of hypo- allergy Doodles. Because of the Poodle genes, these dogs are either low or non shedding, as Poodles have hair and not fur. However, all animals including humans shed dander. So they are not really hypo-allergenic, just low to non shedding.

Communicating with your dog

Everyone in the household should be consistent in the words used for commands. So the dog doesn't get confused.

Talk to your dog! One of the best things you can do to develop your dog's vocabulary is to name things/actions (and this will amaze your friends and family).

To give you some examples: when going up the stairs, say 'up the stairs' or 'down the stairs'; getting the dog to go into the house, just say 'house' when the dog goes through the door as they enter the house, over time you can just say 'house' and they know what you want them to do. When coming home from walking the dog, say 'home' every time you step on to your property.

Having them 'sit' and 'wait' when you open the door can help prevent them from rushing it.

Playing hid and seek games such as 'find daddy or momma or whoever' and reward with treats can be fun for the dog and the dog will enjoy the game and be learning at the same time. You get the idea.

Toys

Chew toys can be replaced occasionally with organic raw veggies, such as apples (no seeds), carrots and yam slices to name a few. These are great for teething puppies. For larger pups and dogs, antlers are fantastic. These really help keep their teeth clean.

Balls can actually be a choking hazard. Best to discuss methods of saving your dog from choking on balls with your Vet. I have heard that if a ball gets stuck, pulling their tongue forward might help. Double check with your Vet. Size of the ball matters.

Avoid toys that are painted, or have the wrong plastic designation. Toys with strings can be a problem as well. Apparently, the strings can tear up the gut as it moves through their digestive system. Squeakers in toy are can also be a problem, if swallowed. Also, one of our customers shared that a Nylabone chew toy broke a tooth off and their puppy needed dental surgery.

Supervising your dog during treat consumption can save your dog's life if they start choking on raw hide, or pig ears, etc. I saved Dee twice from choking on treats. Needless to say we no longer provided those hazards to our dogs.

Avoid dog products that can bring home an Ecoli infection into your home. Could be a problem for the humans in the home.

Disease that kills

Its hard not to be excited and want to show off one's new addition to friends, family and other dog owners. it is recommended that you have a discussion with your Vet or at the very least research Parvo, Leptospirosis, and distemper viruses.

Our puppies are started on the series of vaccinations but need the whole series completed to be immunized.

Its really NOT a good idea to expose your new love to these three diseases without the benefit of having adequate vaccination coverage on board. Please do not take your puppy out for show and tell until your vet gives you the ok on doing so. Avoid dog parks until your pet is fully immunized.

Parvo can be especially deadly to puppies.

About that chewing

Probably not a good idea to leave items laying around to temp the puppy. When the puppy has something you don't want chewed on, positive re-direction is recommended. Hitting the dog can damage your relationship. (Dogs hit on the head become hand shy. Dogs hit on their back can suffer a broken back.)

You can work on getting the puppy to let go of the item by gently removing it from their mouth, telling the dog to 'drop it' and replace it with an approved item.

In watching how the mom's interact with their puppies, they will put a paw gently on the top of the puppy's head to 'drive the point home'. For example, putting your hand on top of the puppy's head while telling the dog to let go might be of some help.

As funny as it seems, we sometimes growl at them like a member of their canine pack when we don't want them to be doing something. Growling does work.

Puppy Stages

Socialization period: 3-12 weeks
By 3 to 5 weeks puppy becomes aware of his/her surroundings, companions (both Canine and Human) and relationships including play.
By 4 to 6 weeks puppy is most influenced by littermates and is learning to be a dog.
4-12 weeks puppy learns to play, develops social skills and learns the inhibited bite.
5-7 weeks puppy develops curiosity and explores new experiences, puppy needs positive "people" experiences during this time.
7-9 weeks puppy can begin to be house trained, puppy has full use of senses.
8-10 weeks puppy experiences real fear involving normal objects and experiences, puppy needs positive training during this time.
9-12 puppy is refining reactions, developing social skills. Puppy begins to focus on people, this is a good time to begin training.

Dee, our multi-gen Labradoodle.