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Caring For Your Puppy
How do you choose a puppy?
It is very important that the puppy you choose matches your lifestyle, the size of your house and garden and that it gets on with children if you have a young family. Try to select a puppy who is outgoing, has a mild, pleasant nature and, above all, looks healthy. Puppies shouldn't really be taken from their mothers before they are 8 weeks old - and it is important to make sure they can eat and drink properly on their own.
Make your puppy's arrival as smooth and well prepared as possible. Get everything ready in advance and be prepared that the young puppy will find it all very odd being away from its mother in a strange house.
Make sure your puppy has somewhere warm to sleep and hos own bed or basket and bowls for water and food. Take care choosing these things ensuring that they are the correct size for the breed. If you have any other pets introduce them to each other gradually.
Your puppy may well not feed that much as it settles into its new environment so don't be too alarmed at this. Ensure that you have a correct diet sheet from your breeder and that you know how often your puppy is feeding. Puppies like to be fed little and often with 3-4 meals a day for up to 6 months and 2 meals roughly thereafter. Try not to change your puppy's diet too quickly as this will only cause the puppy stress and may result in an upset stomach.
Commence toilet training your puppy as soon as possible. Puppies need to go to the toilet quite frequently so it should be allowed to go to an appropriate place in the garden to relieve itself. Try to introduce some routine, such as first thing in the morning or last thing at night, as soon as possible. Training should start immediately. Always leave newspaper down at night to begin with and then gradually move the paper towards the door and reduce the amount. Learn to praise your puppy and they will recognise this as good behaviour with regard to the toilet.
Before you take your puppy out you must introduce him to the collar and lead. Start with a light collar and let him get used to wearing it on its own - but not too tightly buckled, just enough to stop him slipping it over his head. Then get him used to the lead by attaching it to the collar and letting him wander around the house dragging it behind him. Please keep him under supervision when he is doing this in case of accidents. Pick up the lead and coax him to follow you with praise. If he tries to get away just hold the lead quietly until he realises he cannot escape. The lead is essential for keeping your puppy under control in public places and he will soon learn he cannot pull ahead or hang back.
At this stage you can begin basic obedience training. Keep the lessons short - say 10 minutes a time at regular times. Use short words like 'HEEL' 'SIT' ' COME' 'DOWN' 'STAY'. Show him what you want and at the same time, clearly say his name followed by the command. Always praise him when he gets it right but never punish him for not obeying a command or he will associate the command with punishment. Make the lessons fun for the puppy to learn and he will take a delight in pleasing you.
Treatment at the vet for your dog can amount to thousands of pounds in some cases. Dog insurance can protect you financially as well as your pet's well-being and costs from just £4.50 per month. The earlier you insure your dog the better - puppies can normally be insured from 8 weeks of age and they will then be protected right into their old age. If you leave it until they are older - such as 8-10 - it can be difficult to get the right dog insurance. Get a quote right now from our excellent range of online dog insurance providers.
Pet Health Insurance aims to give you as much information as possible about pet insurance and why you should have it for your pet.
We have gathered together links to many of the top online pet insurers but we do not provide or endorse any particular product or make recommendations in any way. Please ensure that the pet insurance product that you purchase from any online provider meets your needs and that the provider is correctly regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). |
