General Care and Maintenance

Treat the puppy as you would a child.  Love him but set limits. Be consistent and predictable.  Dogs are creatures of habit.  He is a little “wolf-pack” animal and you are his “alpha-leader”. 

Use the airline kennel (crate) for the puppy’s bed and for his “den” while you are away from home and during the night.  At night when he should be sleeping in his crate, he may start crying for his liter mates.  If you take him out to do anything except to go to he bathroom, you will be rewarding him for crying.  The next time he cries and you don’t let him out he will just be louder and more persistent.  If you know he doesn’t need to go to make urine or feces, pound the crate or even lift the crate an inch or so off the ground and drop it to startle him.  Say, “NO!” in a loud voice, and then go back to bed.

Take him outside when he cries to go to the bathroom.  Walk with him and praise him when he does his business.  Using the crate and the walks will quickly housetrain him.  Expect some lapses.  Be patient and consistent.  Don’t allow him to do something once (such as letting the puppy sleep in your bed or jump on you) and then expect him not to want to do it the next time. 

  Feed, play, and walk the puppy the last thing before you leave in the morning, the first thing when you come home, and at bedtime.  Feed only Science Diet Puppy food until he is at least six months old.  Give him all he will eat in a 10 to 20 minute period three times per day.  You set the times by your schedule, for example, 7am – 4pm – 10pm.  You must stick to the same schedule even on weekends.

Obedience Training 

For now, teach your puppy the basics.  Teach him to walk beside you to your left on a leash, his name, “No,” and possibly to, “Sit.”  A good, inexpensive obedience training class cam be recommended by hospital staff and is ideally begun when the puppy is around 6 months old.  Obedience training can greatly improve the bonding between you and your pet, and it will make him a more enjoyable companion.

Discipline

NEVER SWAT HIM! – Not even with a newspaper.  Instead: Clap your hands sharply or rattle a soda can half-filled with pennies or pebbles.  Next, use direct eye contact (the wolf stare down).  Then, using a deep voice, say, “NO!”  If his doesn’t stop the behavior, then gently lift the puppy’s front legs off the ground by lifting the scruff of his neck with one hand while supporting his chest with your other hand.  Stare him down and say, “NO!”  Most dogs will respond favorably after one or two instances of correction.  Don’t let the puppy chew on you, your furniture, your shoes, or electrical cords.  It is important to give the puppy an acceptable alternative to the offending behavior.  If the puppy is chewing inappropriate items, then substitute acceptable items such as chew toys, balls, rawhide chews, Nylarope/bones, or Kong toys for especially aggressive chewers. 

Is My Puppy Sick?

 Attitude and appetite are the two best ways you can judge the health of both puppies and adult dogs.  The basic rule is this:  If he acts sick and doesn’t eat, he is sick.  Don’t wait for him to get better – have him seen by a veterinarian.  Please call the hospital even if your puppy is “just not himself.”  The call is free and it could save your puppy’s life.

Keep your puppy well.  Think of your puppy as an investment in love.  The more you give, the more you are going to get in return.  Even if your puppy was “free,” he is still going to “cost” you.  You must give him TLC, food and water, and keep him well.  Keep him free of ticks and fleas.  He will require a series of vaccines (distemper/parvo, etc.) every three to four weeks starting at 6 weeks of age and continuing until 18 weeks of age.  The current vaccine protocol is listed here: New Vaccine Information. Don’t miss or vary from this schedule.  Your puppy could contract one of the fatal preventable diseases covered by these vaccines.  He will need to be vaccinated for rabies when he is 4 to 6 months of age.  Your puppy will need booster vaccines one per year. Being a responsible owner, you will want to have your dog spayed or neutered at 6 months of age.