Puppies
As dog owners and people who care deeply for animals and
wildlife, we wanted our Dog Encyclopedia to be a website that could
empower pet owners to create the most positive, loving
environment for their dogs. Dog Encyclopedia realizes that owning a
dog is like adding a new member to your family.
Puppies are delightful
little bundles of joy, though they can also be almost uncontrollable
little bundles of energy. Your new puppy is going to be testing
boundaries at every turn, and your interactions with your new puppy
will help your puppy to quickly learn appropriate and acceptable
behavior. These beginning interactions may also determine whether or
not you have a well behaved dog in the future. If you want a well-rounded, gently mannered dog, there's one secret you must
know: Overdo positive experiences during the critical socialization period in
puppyhood, which ends when your puppy is about three months old. This means more than training. Expose your puppy to everything it might
encounter -- objects, sounds and so forth -- and reward the behavior you want to
teach.
Interacting with Your Puppy
Encourage positive behavior by lavishing attention on your
puppy every time it follows instructions and good behavior
including: playing with the right toys, going to the bathroom in the
correct spot, and interacting properly with people and other
animals. Always encourage good play behavior by using the
appropriate toys during play time and interactions with your puppy. Do not give your puppy attention when it behaves in the wrong way. Any kind of
attention, even negative, will encourage your puppy to repeat that behavior.
Instead you should ignore your puppy when it engages in bad behavior. Do not encourage behavior in a puppy that you do not want in a dog. For example,
if you do not want your grown dog on the furniture or in bed with you don’t take
the puppy to bed or let the puppy on the furniture. Do not play with your puppy using your hands or feet. The puppy will begin to
think hands and feet are appropriate play toys. This type of ‘play’ can
encourage nipping and biting when the puppy grows older.
Housebreaking
Housebreaking is the first thing you will teach your new puppy. This
should be started as soon as you take your dog home, but it takes
patience. In general, puppies are unable to control their bladders
and bowels until 12 weeks of age. If your puppy is younger than
that, extra patience is required. Set a schedule for your puppy when
you begin housebreaking. Try to get up at the same time each
morning, taking your puppy outside right away. Feed your puppy at
the same times each day and take him outside immediately after
eating. Watch your puppy for signs such as sniffing, circling and
pacing – these usually mean it is time to go. If you see these
signs, take him outside immediately. If you catch him in the middle
of an accident, say “no” firmly and take him outside to finish,
praising him if he does. Never punish him by hitting or pushing his
nose in the mess! This will only teach him to fear you. If you find
an accident in the house, but do not catch him in the act – do not
punish him. He will not associate the punishment with the action and
will only become confused. Pick a word for the action, such as
“outside” or “do your business.” Use this phrase consistently so he
will learn it as a command. Always bring your puppy to the same area
outside while housebreaking. The odors in this area will encourage
him to urinate and defecate here again. If he does his business,
praise him. When you are away from home, your puppy should stay in a
crate. Instinctively, your puppy will not want to soil his own area.
Be careful not to let your puppy stay in the cage for more than 4-6
hours, or he may have no choice but to relieve himself. If you are
away from the house regularly, as many of us are for work, return
home in the middle of each day to let your puppy outside. Arrange
for someone else to let your puppy out if you will be unable to come
home. If you choose not to crate your dog when you are away from the
house, set him up in a room with a non-absorbent floor. Place
training pads at one end of the room and his bed and toys at the
other. Generally, dogs prefer to urinate on absorbent materials, but
they tend to avoid doing so in their own beds. Ideally, he will
gravitate towards the training pads. This method may take longer
than the crate method. Housebreaking may take several months, so
don’t give up. Remember that your puppy wants to please you, he just
needs to learn how. Be clear with him when you praise or correct his
actions. Eventually, you will see results.
How to Crate Train Your Puppy
If used properly, a crate can be a
place for your puppy to feel safe and relaxed; a crate can also be
used to provide a comfortable sleeping and traveling space for your
puppy. In order for a crate to work in the right way, you will need
to properly crate train your new puppy as soon as possible. To begin crate training your puppy, choose a crate that will fit your puppy’s
size as it grows older. For large breeds you may need to change crates over time
to adjust to your dog’s size, but if possible it is best to keep the same crate.
Create a nice environment in the crate by providing blankets and plenty of chewy
toys. Begin crate training by leaving the crate in an area your puppy likes to play or
sleep. Leave the crate door open and let the puppy explore the crate at will.
Once the puppy is familiar with the crate, close the door when the puppy is
inside of it; choose a time when the puppy is tired, such as right after play
time or eating, and after the puppy has gone to the restroom. Keep the crate door closed for no longer than an hour at first. If the puppy
starts to cry, ignore the puppy and then let the puppy out after it has stopped
crying. Overtime increase the length of time that the puppy is in the crate, but
do not leave the puppy in the crate during the day for longer than 3 hours. If
you want to keep the puppy in a crate at night, make sure that the puppy has
gone to the bathroom before it goes in the crate. A crate should never, ever, be used as a punishment. Using the crate in this way
will make the puppy confused as to the crate’s purpose, and the puppy will grow
to fear the crate.
Puppy Vaccinations
Now that you're a puppy parent, making sure she gets her puppy
shots is one of your first, and most important, jobs. Little
puppies have a certain amount of natural immunity that they get from
their mothers milk, but that wears off somewhere between 5 and 8
weeks of age. After that they are at serious risk of contracting any serious, and often
potentially fatal, canine disease such as
Parvo. Depending on the country, or even region, that you live in vaccination
regulations may vary a little. This is a puppy immunization schedule which shows
the general recommendations for essential
puppy shots in the USA: 6 - 8
weeks DHLPP + Corona 9 - 11 weeks DHLPP + Corona
12 - 14 weeks DHLPP + Corona 16 weeks - Rabies. The DHLPP puppy shot is a combination vaccine that protects against 5 separate
diseases : Distemper, hepatitis leptospirosis, Para influenza, Parvovirus.