Some of the Things I've Learned Along the Way
A Few Tips
All questions about the care and training of your pup should be run by your vet first. Better safe than sorry.
Two important tips:Choose a vet that you trust.
Get a dictionary and look up the word ANTHROPOMORPHIC. Do not demonstrate this behavior!
And there is more!
If you have access to the net, subscribe to a breed or dog specific listserve (i.e. yahoogroups.com/iws, etc.). These lists are a great source of information and you should subscribe before you bring your pup (or rescue or adopted senior) home.
Supervise your pup at all times. If the pup poops in another room or chews the remote, is it really his/her fault?
Now you might say, "I can't watch the pup all of the time!". Then use a crate or baby gates to restrict your pup's access to other rooms.
To prevent nightime accidents, do not allow the pup to drink water before he goes to sleep for the night. I take up the water 2 hours before my pup turns in for the night. Some people do not agree with this.
Keep the crate out of direct sunlight and away from drafts. Place it in a cool area near an area of "people activity". Make sure you can hear the pup while he is in the crate. If the room is warm, it is even warmer in the crate. Dogs do not sweat - their main way to regulate body temperature is thru panting. If you see your dog panting in his crate, he is hot and can "over heat" if you are not careful. I keep the A/C on during the summer, and I still use a fan occasionally to circulate the air in the room where the crate is kept at night.
At night, the crate should be in a bedroom so there is still some social contact between you and your pup, and you can hear your pup when he asks to be let out. How would you know when your pup needs to go pee if the crate is in the basement?
When the pup is in his crate, remove all collars. Some dogs have choked to death when their collars snagged on the wire door/windows.
The pup should not be left in the crate for long periods of time. A simple formula is used to determine a ballpark time limit for the length of crate time: 1 hour for every month of age + 1 hour. For example, an 8 week old pup should not stay in the crate for over 3 hours. The only exception is when the pup goes to sleep for the night. Most pups will be OK for about 4-6 hours in the beginning.
Take your pup out to his potty spot immediately after he exits the crate. Use a keyword like "pee" or "hurry up" and praise the pup when the deed is done. When the pup asks to be let out to pee or poop, take him out NOW, not when it is convenient for you. How would you like it if you need to go on a road trip and the driver says "Hold it in until we get to the next rest stop - it is only another 50 miles". Do you get the idea?
The crate is not to be used for punishment.
When out of the crate, your pup should have some sort of identification. Use personalized collars, tags, microchips and/or tattoos.
I switched my pup from puppy food to adult maintenance at 18 weeks. Make the transition a gradual one. I fed 75%/25% for 3 days and 50%/50% for a week before switching completely to the new food. Make sure that your pup does not become fat or too heavy. Too much weight on his growing hips and joints may cause problems in the future (see handouts). Your pups mature "skeletal size" is already predetermined. Skeletal size and mature weight are not the same.
I would feed a premium dog food. The quality is generally higher, with less filler. Lower stool volume too (less stool is cool!). My older lab gets Nutro’s Natural Lite and the pup gets Innova.
Most people will agree that some human food is not only OK, but good for dogs. Do not feed table scraps (if it is not good enough for you to eat, why should your dog eat it?). Do not feed tidbits from the table. Put the food in his bowl and give it to him in his regular eating area. There is a long list of BAD foods, some of which are: chocolate, especially baking chocolate, pasta noodles (or anything that will expand in water), green potatoes and some nuts. Any extra snack foods should be given in small amounts (upset stomachs = semi-solid puppy pancakes) or wait til your pup is housebroken. If in doubt, don’t give it to your pup. I give my dogs only fresh vegetables and cooked or raw vegetables like: apples, asian pears, european pears, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots. They never get anything that has been seasoned.
Some people suggest diet supplements and vitamins. I add a product called "The Missing Link" - the dogs look better, especially their coats, but I am not sure if it really helps or not. It doesn’t hurt the dogs, so I will continue to use it. Brewers yeast with garlic is also reported to repel fleas. Never give a Calcium supplement to your dog unless specifically instructed to do so by your vet.
Do not give frequent baths. This may dry the skin out and excessive flaking is VERY visible on black dogs (I have a black lab so I am talking from experience). Instead, brush your dog regularly and give him a bath as needed.
Training your pup is very important. Ask your breeder or vet for contacts. Also, look into clicker training. This is very fun and is a good activity for kids. Make sure your training methods and signals are consistent.
Make sure your pup has social contact with people AND dogs. Make sure your dog is getting his puppy shots. Do not expose him to areas where stray dogs may frequent. Remember that your pup can still become sick even after he completes his puppy shots.
I started Puppy-Kindergarten after my pup finished her puppy series of shots (17 weeks). Ska was one of the oldest, with most between the ages of 9-12 weeks. Puppy-k was alot of supervised socialization with the introduction of beginning commands. If you go to any group class, bring your own water bowl (with a supply of water) for your dog only.
I would spay/neuter your pup as early as your vet suggests. An altered male doesn’t get fat because of the procedure. You will eliminate the chance of testicular cancer. You will prevent roaming and, if done early, you may also reduce marking (and eliminate inappropriate marking - indoors, on people, etc.). Aggressiveness may be reduced. The chance of unwanted or inappropriate breeding is eliminated. There are many other benefits, ask your vet. There is a product called Neuticals that can be implanted if you feel squeamish about the procedure.
Do not confuse aggression with loyalty and protectiveness. Avoid games like "Tug of War" since it will reinforce natural aggressiveness.
Choke chains should only be used while training or on walks. There is a right way that a choke chain should be put on the dog, ask your vet. Likewise, prong or pinch collars should never be used in non-training situations. Try a force free training method.
Use a No-Pull harness or a Halti (or Promise, etc.) head harness to prevent pulling while on lead.
Puppy-proof your entire house. A few dangerous parts of your home include the garage, kitchen and bathrooms. Innocent items like socks and plastic bags can be deadly to a pup if eaten. Anti-freeze is also deadly, even in small amounts. Conceal electrical cords and identify all of the poisonous plants in your house and yard.
I use an odor neutralizer by PetBotanics ($7.99 at PetCo) in the yard. It is also safe to use on carpet. It can be used on many surfaces. I've even used it to deodorize/neutralize the stench from the garbage can.
My dogs will sometimes get an upset stomach when their stomachs are empty. I feed at 6 pm and again at 6 am (you are probably feeding 3 times a day now), so I give them a little dog food or a couple of biscuits before they go to sleep. This has prevented the "dry heaves" or watery morning puke (and yes, I did consult my vet about this).
Do not let any child walk the pup. A small child cannot control an active puppy. One parent can control the dog while a child holds a second leash.
Make sure to pick up after your dog when out in public.
Vacuum regularly. Don’t forget to vacuum the crate. I would also clean the crate at least once every two weeks.
Don’t buy expensive dog beds until you are sure that your pup will not chew it.
You can bake your own dog biscuits. They are much healthier and can be an activity for the entire family. Freeze all excess for use at a later time.
Make sure your pup has appropriate chew toys. Supervise your pup with new toys. I have found that Nylabones and Kongs are great for aggressive chewers like Labs. Avoid rope toys, raw hide chews and chew hooves.
Your pup will begin to lose his teeth at about 5 months.
Supervise all play activities with children and other dogs. Make sure all play is age-appropriate. Avoid open play with older and/or larger dogs. Some people may tell you that their dog knows that Coal is a puppy, and an adult dog will never hurt a puppy. This is not true. Just like in humans, there are canine deviants that do not have good social skills. In most cases, the blame goes to the owners for lack of training during the critical developmental periods during puppyhood. Dogs display very obvious body language that you can read. This will alert you to an aggressive, fearful, playful, etc. dog. During puppy-k, your instructor will tell you how to identify the "bad dogs" and methods to keep your pup/dog safe. If your pup displays submissive body language to another dog, don’t get angry because you may think he is a wimp. Rather be thankful that he knows "doggie language". If you suspect behavioral problems (i.e. too submissive), consult your vet or trainer. You do not want your dog to become a bully or a doormat.
Take alot of pictures - puppies grow like weeds!
In the event that you are not able to keep your dog, contact your breeder and then if necessary contact your breed's local Rescue group. These are groups that will foster your pet until they find a family to adopt the dog. All prospective adoptive families are screened and a home check is generally required.