Care
For your puppy’s first day at home, plan a calm day of just getting to know each other, and letting the puppy explore their new home. Make sure that the pup gets rest and quiet time in their crate. In all the excitement, it is easy to overtire and stress the new puppy out.
The puppies are well established in crate training by the time they go home. They love their quiet time in their own little “den” with their snuggly toy. We STRONLY recommend you follow the crate training schedule provided. You will receive instructions in the weeks prior to go home on successful crate training tips.
Take your puppy to his/her pre-arranged vet appointment. Discuss and book the vaccination (2nd and 3rd shots, rabies shot) and deworming schedule with your vet. Have the vet fill out a form documenting his/her concerns/evaluations of your puppy or have the vet write them in the puppy’s Health Records that you received from us.
REMEMBER TO EMAIL a copy of the vet’s evaluation of your puppy’s health and your puppy’s first visit to us within 10 days of the visit so we can put it in your file.
Check the puppy’s collar daily by sliding your two fingers under his/her collar. Puppies grow fast, and their collars can become too snug before you know it. When you slide the width of your two fingers between his/her neck and collar, it should feel snug, but not tight.
Puppies need exercise, but they need age appropriate exercise. Refer to our “Puppy Fitness Guide” in our Puppy Packs for step by step, month by month progressive guidelines and ideas for properly exercising and stimulating your puppy’s development. Under and overstimulated puppies will have lasting negative affects on their growth and development.
Early-socialization is very important. Take your puppy out to meet other dogs, new people, and explore new places often, and do it early on after their initial vaccination schedule is complete. This will develop their confidence and avoid the development of fearing new or strange sounds, sights, and people. It will help them develop a calm, undisturbed nature, and a trusting confidence in your guidance. Follow the “Puppy Socialization Chart” in our Puppy Packs for great ideas of successfully introducing your puppy to new things, people, and places.
As puppies get older, they love action and outdoor romps. If you like to hike or jog, your puppy will be happy to join you. Tossing a ball or a stick will give exercise and enjoyment to both you and your puppy.
Tiring your dog out with 20-30 minutes of exercise twice a day will keep your dog mellow when he’s back inside. Slacking on the activity, however, could lead to behavior problems.
As well as giving your puppy physical and mental exercise, you should also be prepared to include him/her in your family activities. These breeds are family oriented dogs, and they need to be with their “pack.” Getting a puppy requires DEDICATED TIME and financial & material resources, making him a real part of your family.
Puppies love to carry things in their mouths: a ball, soft toy, newspaper, or best of all, a smelly sock. Provide adequate, SAFE toys for them to play with, teaching them which things are theirs, and which things they must leave alone.
If you already have other pets in your home, bringing a new puppy on the scene can be a cause of concern. With proper introductions and training, most dogs will easily adapt to a new furry family member, and they will often become best buddies. Refer to some pointers in “Paving the Way For Welcoming Your New Puppy” in our Puppy Packs.
Always supervise any interactions between puppies/dogs and young children to prevent any negative experiences on either part. Teach your children how to safely interact with dogs. Young children can be accidentally knocked over by an excited pup who wants to play. This can be a frightening, negative experience for your young child, so always supervise interactions between them.
Refer to our “Children and Dogs- A Safe Connection” article in our Puppy Pack for further pointers on equipping your children with knowledge on positive ways to relate to dogs and keeping your puppy and your children safe. Signing up for the Baxter and Bella online puppy training program is super helpful. This program is very family oriented, teaching children valuable lessons on safe, respectful interaction with dogs.
We have a family friendly board game available in our Pup Shoppe that teaches children how to read a dog’s body language, assess if children in pictures are behaving appropraitely around/with dogs, and whether dogs in the pictures are safe to approach.
We have a colouring book here as well that teaches small children the basic routine of caring for a puppy, a book for parents to go through with their school aged children to help them learn positive care and training techniques, and a book that is geared to mantaining parent’s sanity in raising and training a puppy and children all at the same time.
These are available for purchase here at CandyvillePups.
*** Understanding the five very important “Pack Leader Pointers” (See DoggieDan- Online Dog Trainer included in our Puppy Packs) will go a long way in laying a good foundation for all of your training efforts, and make training a joy and a great success!
Feeding
*** Always have a clean bowl of fresh water available.
*** Your puppy should be put on a feeding schedule of three meals a day. Teach the puppy to sit and wait until he is given permission to eat. When the puppy walks away from the food, pick up the dish and put it out of reach.
This establishes three things-
* Your puppy understands that you are the pack leader- you control the food source. Establishing a good realtionship of trust as the pup’s “Pack Leader” is so fundamaental in training.
* It also teaches that when it’s time to eat, it’s time to eat- not fool around. Instilling a concept of schedule and order.
* Maintaining this schedule will also aid in your potty training efforts. Always after a meal, take your puppy out
to potty. It sets his\her system to be predictable and consistent.
(Potty training can seem daunting, but our puppies will have a great head start on understanding good potty habits before they leave here go to your home. You will find further advice in our “Potty Training Pointers” for successful training tips included in the Puppy Packs. If you are consistent, it is not be a big deal getting your puppy completely house trained.)
*** Puppy/dog food bags include guidelines for amount of food per feeding based on weight and age. Check with your veterinarian if you have questions on appropriate amounts of food for your puppy.
*** As he grows, how much your dog will eat depends on his breed, his age, his build, his metabolism, his size
and his activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don’t all eat the same. Obviously a highly
active dog will need more than one who is content to hold the couch down.
*** The quality of dog food you buy also makes a big difference. The better the quality of the dog food, the more nourishing it will be, and the less your dog will need. (Refer to a “Quality Comparison Chart” on leading brand of dog food included in our Puppy Packs.)
*** As he gets older, around 6 months of age, you will go down to two feedings per day. Studies have shown
that there can be problems associated with feeding just once a day. GDV, or twisted stomach, is a life-threatening
illness that has been linked to once-a-day feedings (Journal of American Animal Hospital-1997). Aggression has
also been linked to feeding once a day -hungry hounds can become aggressive.
*** Keep your dog in good shape. Measure the food and feed twice a day rather than free feed. If you’re unsure
whether your dog is overweight, refer to our “Ideal Body Condition” illustrations in our Puppy Packs, and consult your veterinarian.
*** You’ll need to take special care of your growing puppy. Dogs grow very rapidly in their first year, making them
susceptible to bone disorders. They do well on a high-quality, low-calorie diet that keeps them from growing too fast.
Health and Grooming
*** Regular brushing is recommended to prevent tangling or matting. Your puppy will also need a bath at least
once a month, depending on your lifestyle, and what the puppy gets into, to keep him/her looking clean and
smelling fresh.
*** Brush your puppy’s teeth at least two or three times a week to remove tartar buildup and bacteria. This will
help prevent gum disease and bad breath.
Not all dogs like to have their teeth brushed, and in the real world not all owners have the time to keep up with
brushing their dog’s teeth. Here is a list of oral care products that turn his natural need to chew into a part of his
dental routine which help to keep tartar build up and bad breath in check.
*Dental Sticks by Project Paws *Greenies
*Orapup Lickies fortifies against gum disease and reduces bacteria and tartar buildup
*Kurgo’s Origummi’s unique shape with edges and crevices brush away plaque and message the puppy’s gums
*Dental Wipes by Project Paws freshen up and clean the teeth
*Hip Doggie Loofah Dental Toy
*WhimzeesDental Chews
*Brite Bite Brushing Stick by Project Play
*Smart Bones- an alternative to rawhide chews
*Fresh Mint Scented Brushing Toys
*Merrick Big Brush Bones
*Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Tartar Remover- a water additive that fights tartar and bad breath
*Tropiclean Fresh Breath Oral Care Gel
*** If your dog doesn’t wear his/her nails down naturally, you will need to trim them. If the nails are clicking on the
floor, it tells you they’re too long. Short, neatly trimmed nails help to keep your puppy’s feet in good condition. Dog
toenails have blood vessels in them. They will bleed if you cut too far, and your dog will not be excited the next time
you get the nail clippers out. If you are not experienced at trimming dog nails, ask a vet or groomer for help/advice.
*** Ears that fold over provide a warm, dark environment for bacteria or fungus to grow in, and breeds that have
fold over ears are prone to ear infections. Ears should be checked weekly for redness or a bad odor, which
indicates infection.
To help prevent infections, wipe them out with a cotton ball dampened with gentle ear cleaner . Don’t insert
anything into the ear canal; just clean the outer ear.
*** Make grooming a positive experience filled with praise and occasional treats. Getting your puppy used to
being brushed and examined when he’s little, frequently handling his paws, and looking inside his mouth will lay
the groundwork for easy veterinary exams, groomer visits, and other handling when he’s an adult.
*** As you groom, check for sores, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness on his feet, on his skin, and
in his nose, mouth, and eyes. Eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will
help you spot potential health problems early.