It would be a good thing to bring your whole family to see the puppies and it should be a family decision, because it's going to be the family that is going to be take care of the puppy, so you would want everyone on board with your decision on the puppy.Should you bring your dog with you to meet the puppy? It would be very important to ask
the person from the kennel first. I personal don't have problem with someone bring their dog to the kennel, however there are some guidelines that *MUST* be followed. Every kennel will be different. Here are my guidelines:- That you let me know before hand that you are bringing your dog.
- That your dog is in good health that also includes his/her vaccinations are up today (if your dog is not well, you should hold off until he/she is health for bring a puppy home.)
- That you leave your dog in your car, until it’s time for him/her to be introduce to the puppy. Your dog when being introduce to the puppy that he/she *MUST* be on a leash at all times.
Equipment
Your puppy is going to need a room or at least a place he can call his own, and a cage or crate will fill this bill. You are better off getting one that is big enough for him to use as an adult. The pup will need food and water bowls, toys to chew on and play with, a collar and leash, a bag of a good quality dry puppy food, and plenty of newspapers or training pads if you are going to housetrain inside.
The car ride home
Before you leave the kennel, try to get the pup to go to the bathroom so there are no floods or surprises stimulated by all the excitement of the ride. On this first trip home, we break a cardinal rule about traveling with pets. We do not put them in a crate for traveling. Remember, they are small and easy to hold. Rather, we have someone other than the driver hold the puppy in a blanket or towel and talk or in some way try to distract him from the ride. If you have a long way to go and need to stop for the puppy to relieve himself, do not use a highway rest stop. At his young age, the puppy has very little, if any, protection from common dog diseases, and these areas can easily be contaminated with the organisms causing these conditions.
Being with people the first day home
Leaving her mother and litter-mates will probably bring about some anxiety. However, this can be greatly diminished if you plan your schedules so that you will be home with the puppy the first 3 to 4 days. Some authors suggest leaving the puppy alone and give her time to herself to adjust to the new surroundings. We disagree. In our homes, we plan for this introductory period by keeping the puppy involved with plenty of attention from children and other family members. When we are not with the puppy, she is sleeping. You will be amazed how time spent in this manner will speed up the housebreaking process. If the children are young or are not familiar with how to handle puppies, you should spend some time with them during these first few days explaining common sense rules on how to play with the puppy.
Getting a health check
One of the first things you need to do is get the puppy into a veterinarian for an initial puppy examination. You will want to make sure the puppy is in perfect health, free of any congenital traits or other medical conditions. Also, find out exactly what the breeder (or animal shelter) has done for the puppy. In all probability, the puppy has had some puppy vaccinations given by the breeder or shelter. She probably has also been placed on a deworming schedule and may even be on a heartworm preventive. Depending on the breed, the tail may have been docked and the dewclaws removed. It is common for all or some of these to have been done. This helps to explain some of the initial cost of your puppy regardless of where she was obtained. Your veterinarian will need all of this information along with the puppy's approximate birth date.
Feeding the puppy
What, when, and how to feed puppies becomes a major issue on the first day. Many new owners worry that without his mother's milk, their pup is going to have a hard time adjusting to his new home. Hopefully, where you acquired the puppy will give instructions on what he has been eating. It is a good idea to continue feeding the same type and brand of food for at least a few days. Most people are soon surprised how well puppies make it through this transition because they do not understand how far along dogs are in their development at 7 weeks of age.We have worked with hundreds of breeders and animal shelters. It is common practice for most of these individuals to start feeding their puppies a commercial food at 21 days of age. Some of the toy breeds will start 3 to 4 days later. Even though their eyes did not open until 11 to 13 days old, just ten days later, puppies are ready to start on something in addition to Mom's milk. Most breeders take dry puppy food, soak it in warm water for thirty minutes, and then give it to the litter when they are 21 days old. The first day, they may only stick their noses in it and try to lick some of the liquid. But after that, they eat and they eat very well.After a week or so, the puppies are getting these feedings twice or three times a day. This takes a huge burden off the mother, especially when she has a large litter. Puppies fed on this sort of a schedule grow rapidly and with fewer problems.As soon as possible, the amount of water mixed in the food is decreased, and then finally eliminated. This depends on how fast the teeth are coming in and is done on the judgment and experience of the breeder. We always tell all new puppy owners to use a dry food formulated for puppies. Most 7 week old dogs can eat this, as it comes from the bag, without any problem. A few, especially members of the toy breeds, may need it moistened for one to two additional weeks, but that is all.
No comments:
Post a Comment