new puppy info

Dry food and water down and accessible at all times. We feed IAMS mini chunks. Use filtered water. Your puppy has been on filtered artesian well water up to this point, so they have not been subjected to city water full of chlorine and chemicals.

Feed your puppy wet (canned) food or home cooked food 2 times a day about 1/4 of a cup or less depending upon their size. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Keep them on a schedule within an hours time for each feeding session. We recommend feeding wet twice a day until 6 months of age. We feed all of our adult dogs wet food in the evening. We feed the evening meal at 6:00 P.M., the morning meal can vary around 9:00 A.M. You may have to adjust this according to your schedule. Do not vary their eating schedule for the first week or two. After that, you can start gradually adjusting their morning and evening meal to work with your schedule. Remember, they are babies. Leave dry food and water out at all times. Give Nutri-Stat first thing in the morning and always at bedtime. This helps with blood sugar levels and provides nutrients and energy in between meals. This product is your best thing to have on hand. It can save your puppy's life. Do not worry about giving your puppy too much Nutri-Stat, it will not hurt them. If you give them too much you will only make their stools loose. If you do have loose stools for 3 days or more please consult with your Veterinarian. Puppies manifest stress through loose stools. Even though their fecal is clear when the Vet checks them they still can blow coccidia, which is a protozoa that naturally resides in the kidneys. They develop an immunity after 6 months of age. Loose stool can contribute to dehydration and nutrient loss. We recommend a product called Albon that is a low grade antibiotic that stops the mitigation of coccidia and helps firm up the stools. It is a safe product that can be used on cats and even sensitive rabbits. Adding canned pumpkin as well as cooked oats will help firm up loose stools. Also, make sure your puppy is getting good bacteria, like acidophilus and lactobacillus in yogurt or in powdered form. I sell a product that has both probiotics and enzymes as well as, colostrum for the immune system. It is called I-Stain and is advertised for a natural eye stain remover. It has 2 forms of good bacteria and protease, amylase and lipase. It is easy to sprinkle the powder on dry or wet food daily.

Cooking for your puppy can be easier than you think. Chicken livers rinsed and covered in water over a very low heat and cooked just till gray. You can add whole brown rice and a vegetable. You would want the ratio to be 1/2 chicken, 1/4 rice and 1/4 vegetables. You can add a little yogurt or apple sauce to their wet food. Just a teaspoon or two to a Tablespoon depending upon their size and age. Scramble an egg and watch them gobble it up if you are trying to get your puppy to eat. When it comes to cooking or preparing meals for your dog, then refer to my Recipe page for more information, recipes and books on animal nutrition.

Nutri-Stat before bedtime and if they are stressed or over exerted. For a puppy under 5 lbs just a 1/2 inch of Nutri-Stat. for a puppy 5 lbs and over 1 inch of Nutri-Stat. Just place on your finger and give this amount to them a couple a repititions. If your puppy gets car sick or an upset stomach or is acting lethargic, then give them 2-3 times your regular dosage. Make sure you are completely knowledgeable about Hypoglycemia, that you can recognize the symptoms and the dangers of this condition. Your puppy is a baby and needs to be fed more often than a grown dog. They get busy and play hard or we keep them up too much and don't realize that they need food and rest consistently just like a human baby would. I give Nutri-Stat after a bath, while I am blow drying a puppy. This helps with the added stress of bathing and grooming. Hypoglycemia is when their blood sugar is too low. This is generally because the have over exerted their self and not had enough in nutrients in their system. They can end up being on their side, foam at the mouth, be lock jawed, have a seizure and even die. I always have a tube of Nutri-Stat in my purse, especially when I have puppies with me. Just keep a tube in their carrier if you take them places in a specific carrier. Nutri-Stat will not harm them. It is a food supplement and can be used when a grown dog is not eating or is sick or rehabilitating. I have had older dogs that I wanted to keep their stamina up and make sure they were getting enough calories then I use Nutri-Cal for the added calories. They both can be given to cats as well.

Pepto Bismo for an upset stomach is helpful. For a puppy 2-5 lbs about 1/2 teaspoon, for 5-10 lbs a full teaspoon.

Yogurt 2-3 times a weeks at a minimum. Yogurt or good bacteria as mentioned above can be given daily. You can mix with their wet food or give alone. 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon based on size and age and of course how much they really enjoy it. You can not give too much acidophilus, which is the good bacteria found in yogurt. They like most flavors.

Brush daily if possible. Just keep a metal comb near by when watching television. They love to rest with you and get combed a little. Spray a little Proclaim Spray on Glosser for detangling, to reduce static and to keep them smelling pleasant.

Nails usually need trimmed once every 3 weeks. This can be less if they go for walks alot and keep their nails more worn down. Make sure to check and trim dewclaws. If not kept up with dewclaws can curl and eventually grown back into their legs. For you small, toy breed puppy you can use people or baby nail clippers. Cat nail clippers work for toy breed dogs and puppies.

Ear hair should be pulled out with tweezers. Make sure not to get their skin. Check on ear hair every other week. Flush ears with a ear cleanser weekly to keep wax and debris from building up in the ear canal. This can lead to ear infections. To cleanse the ears use hydrogen peroxide that you can get at the drug store. It is usually a 3% solution. You also can use chlorhexiderm or any other ear cleaning solution available at pet stores. A great all natural basic ear cleaner is 50% vinegar & 50% water. This is antibacterial and antifungal. If you see a dark waxy build up, then you need to treat with Tresaderm. This is purchased from your veterinarian. Tresaderm is ear drops that must be refrigerated. It treats just about any ear problem, from infections, fungus and even ear mites. It is a good universal ear medicine.If you have too much yeast in the ears, then you need to clean and use Otomax. Yeast in the ears usually means too much yeast in the body. Make sure you are feeding a good protein diet without all the carbohydrate fillers. Dogs need 20% max to 5% minimun of carbohydrates in their diet. They are protein eaters. Their diet should be 70% protein and the protein should be a meat source. We as humans can get our protein from beans, legumes and even vegetables. Dogs can eat these but not have them used in their food to make the protein content look higher. Your higher end foods generally have less in carbs and fillers. Wet or canned food always has a better nutritional content. And cooking for your pet lets you really know what they are getting. Don't forget dogs like variety too. Most external problems that seem to be a chronic issue are generally fixed internally through diet.

Bathe once a week to every 10 days dependent upon how dirty your puppy gets when playing. We use Back to Basic shampoos for people. We also use Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo and their Conditioner. The Tea Tree Shampoo will soothe dry or itchy skin and is antibacterial. Definitely use conditioner after shampooing. I have tried dog shampoos and they leave the dogs that have hair too dry. A lot of dog shampoos are too acidic and dry the hair of toy breeds with hair. Maltese, MaltePoos, Shih Tzu, Yorkies, YorkiePoos and Poodles all have hair instead of fur. They do not shed and need oil to condition their hair. We spray on liberally Proclaim Spray on Glosser while our puppy is still wet and being dryed. We use a blow dryer to dry them. They are not trilled with the blow dryer, but have been blown dry at least 3 or more times by the time you get your puppy from us. Without blow drying they get too chilled and their hair gets tangled. It is best to blow them dry, just make sure you stay away from their face and eyes. To get the back of their ears and head just face them away from the dryer and snuggled up to you. Because I groom alot I use a stand for my blow dryer that is purchased for around $20.00 at Sally's Beauty Supply. This will help immensely. It also frees up both of your hands to be able to hold your puppy for safety. You need to comb all the tangles out of their coat before they are dry. We use light warm to room temperature air to dry their coat completely. Proclaim now has a shampoo and conditioner that work and smell wonderful. If you yourself have allergies then use your shampoo and conditioner on your dog so you won't have an allergy to their grooming products.

Keep the hair on the bottom of their feet trimmed. If let go it will mat up and create knot in between the pads of their feet. This can be very uncomfortable and make it hard to walk. Your puppy is use to having it's feet handled. Daily just rubbing their feet keeps them use to nail trimming and grooming. It also will let you know if they have something in the pads of their feet. If they get a scrape or cut on their pads you can flush it with the chlorhexiderm that you use for ears. It is antifungal and will keep infection from setting in. One last note on grooming, Nutri-Stat is great to give them after grooming and will help give them energy if they get too stressed from their grooming session. When I groom I trim nails, pull ear hair and even trim hair, but you may want to break this down at first. Trim their nails while watching T.V. one evening and enjoying your puppy. Work on their ears another evening. If you make grooming short and sweet they will learn to enjoy it and so will you. It is not a chore to groom them it just takes a little thought here and there. Your puppy then sees it as attention and we all love attention no matter what species we are.

Consistency is the best way to potty train your puppy. The kids that were potty trained quickly and did not revert were the ones where mom made the commitment to teach them in a certain period of time. They were very faithful in teaching them and very consistent. Those were the children that were potty trained quickly and easily. It works the same way with puppies. They learn what you teach them. The more consistent you are the faster they learn. I prefer to teach them to go outside. We have doggie doors but still take them outside first thing in the morning, after eating, when we get back from being away and before bedtime. Expect to have a few accidents. Remember that everything is new for your puppy( new people, new home, new smells, new sounds) and don't forget they are still puppies. They have small bladders and short attention spans. They can get easily distracted on their way to outside or just can't hold it long enough to make it outside or to let you know in time. They are smart and learn fast, so be consistent and praise them when they do well. If you have a problem with them going in the house soak some up on a pee pad and place it outside where you want them to go. They will get the idea. If they don't relieve their self when going outside and you know that they should definitely have to go, then when taking them inside you should restrict their play area. Let them be in a contained area, not just roaming the entire house for about 10 minutes. Then take them back outside. Most of the time they will have to go to the bathroom by this time. I tell people give them 3 weeks to really have things down pat. Most call me and tell me they are doing well in 1 week and pretty much trained with their new surroundings by 2 weeks. If you have an accident in the house use Nature's Miracle with enzymes to clean up the spot and remove the scent. If your puppy is going in a specific spot, then they are not trying to go inside. Take them out more frequently, for longer periods of time or look for an indication from them that they have to go. When teaching your puppy use simple 1-2 word phrases. For going outside use just that 1 word-Outside. Do you want to go Outside? Time to go Outside. They will relate these words with the activity. Your puppy is very smart and can understand many commands and know the difference for them. When teaching new commands or tricks, stick to one a week. Once they have perfected that command then you may add another command. Vary commands, once they have mastered several so that they don't think they are a series of commands all done together in a certain order. Here is a link on an article on potty training from the magazine G.W. Little

Better Bathroom Habits

Your new puppy is coming home, and along with all of the excitement and fun comes the anxiety of potty training. But before you stress yourself out from the mere thought of it, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Many of us think of our small dogs as our children, so it is important to remember that, as with children, potty training does not occur overnight. There are those wildly lucky pet parents whose puppies seem to have been born with that "instantly housetrained" gene and miraculously, their little dog seems to effortlessly know exactly where to "go." But for the other pet moms and dads, there's one word to live by: patience.

Repeated behavior, enhanced with positive reinforcement, is what will make proper potty habits stick. This can take weeks, or in many cases, up to six months. While lots of people use the crate training method, others prefer to solely use disposable training pads. Stay-at-home moms and dads may even choose to immediately train their puppies to only do their business outdoors because they're around their new puppies all the time.

One of the more popular training methods these days is to teach your dog to ring a bell hanging from the doorknob as a signal when they need to go out. After your little dog sees you repeatedly ring the bell when you take them out, they will realize that ringing the bell equates to potty time. Just be sure the bell is hung low enough for them to reach!

Regardless of the method chosen, patience will always come into play in a very big way. Losing our tempers and scolding the puppy (i.e., yelling) will be completely counterproductive, and your puppy may end up believing that going to the bathroom in general is a bad thing. In effect, housetraining will become even more of a challenge and progress will not be made. When accidents happen, an assertive "no" will do the trick. However, this has to be done when your baby is actually "caught in the act." As Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan says, dogs live in the moment. Therefore, letting your puppy know that you are displeased about something that happened 15 minutes ago is useless.

To instill confidence in your little one and properly acknowledge their progress and good behavior, praise (verbal alone or along with treats) is sure to make your puppy pleased with what they've accomplished. And they'll clearly see how something as simple as potty time makes mom and dad so proud!

-S. Athanasiou

That arrangement is up to the new puppy parents. They have to this point had the option of sleeping where they want. Some of our dogs like to sleep in the bed, some on the floor in the bedroom. Others like to get in an open kennel to sleep and have their own space. Others like to sleep on a rug or pet bed in our kitchen or den. Every puppy that has left here and went to their new home and slept in the bed from the get go has done great. You are their new pack leader, so they do want to be near you. They have left their mom, siblings and family dogs to live with you in new surroundings. They like to be comforted. They adjust very quickly. Some of our puppy parents prefer to keep a pet bed or kennel in the bedroom for their puppy to sleep. If you are going to have a dog you might as well enjoy them and they love to be with you. They pick up very quickly that sleep time means just that.

The first couple of trips with your puppy in the vehicle may not be thrilling for your puppy, but not to worry. If they associate traveling with pleasant things they will learn to enjoy it. I have a center pet console carrier and a stroller for my dogs to ride in the vehicle. They do like to be able to see what is going on, since they are traveling. There are so many different products on the market. Find one that suits your needs. When traveling always carry water for your dog and of course Nutri-Stat. Make sure you have a harness and leash for them, as well as their vaccination, rabies tag on them. I keep paper towels, antibacterial wipes and a towel in my vehicle. Keep your vet's card and a copy of your vaccination records in your glove compartment, like you would your registration and insurance. They are there if you ever need them. I keep a pee pad in my vehicle as well, just in case someone can't hold it long enough or for when it is a downpour of rain. The towel is convenient for your dog to sit or snuggle on, for accident clean up and for drying off your dog when it is raining. I do not travel with my windows down to where a dog could ever get out of a moving vehicle. Don't leave your dog in the vehicle unattended. When going on long trips, don't forget to stop for your dog to take a bathroom break or stretch their legs. I prefer to have them on a harness for these walks as opposed to a collar. They can't wiggle out of a harness and if you need to pull them back to you or pull them up into your arms, then it is easy to do and harmless to your dog. A harness does not put stress on the trachea, that could be damaged in the toy breeds. Don't leave a harness on your dog, just have it on them when needed. They can get the harness stuck on things and chew on it. For puppies and small dogs, my preference in harnesses is found in the rabbit isle of your pet store. It is a bunny or ferret mesh harness with elastic leash. It has a Velcro closure under the belly and under the throat at the chest level. Puppies don't mind it so much. It is less restrictive and the mesh keeps them cool.

Find a veterinarian that you like. Ask other pet owners for recommendations. If for some reason your dog has a problem or illness, make sure your vet has dealt with it before and how often. Don't be afraid to do your own research. I research and print things out for my vets all the time. It saves time and can give them other vets to contact about your situation. Most vets like to learn and are open to finding out information from other vets. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion. In my experience most vets are not knowledgeable enough about animal nutrition. Most illnesses begin with nutrition. Some vets are great but not great surgeons, or are great surgeons but not up on nutrition or a specialized surgery. When having to have surgery done on your beloved pet make sure your vet has the experience and credentials to handle the surgery. Some times they will refer you to another vet or a university. Don't think less of your vet if they refer you elsewhere. This is a vet that is honest and knows that there is someone else better with helping your pet with that problem than they are. There are specialist in many fields now for your pet, eye specialist, acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition and even orthopedics just to name a few. Use the web for information. Talk to other pet owners. I have different vets I recommend for different things. Call your local dog club and even your groomer for recommendations. Also, make sure your vet is available for after hour emergencies. If they are not, then find out ahead of time, who they refer their emergencies to. Make sure you know what shots and procedures are being done on your pet. You are in charge. Make sure out of haste or over zealousness that your Vet clinic does not over vaccinate your pet. Dr. Jean Dodd is the head immunologist for the U.S. I like to refer to her shot protocol. Ultimately the decisions about your pet are left up to you, so the more knowledgeable you are, the better you will feel about making those decisions.

These are references from my experiences. You are now the responsible party for your new puppy and their health and well being. Hopefully these notes will help you along your way to make your relationship with your new family member very enjoyable and filled with years of health and happiness. If I can help or assist you along the way, don't hesitate to call on me. I am always willing to share information. Have fun and enjoy that loveable, faithful bundle of fluff!