Puppy Advice (merged)

frugallass

wannabestudent wrote: »

How to collar train them and how long should they walk for to start with
How much/what to feed them (she loves complete dry food - is it alright to keep her on that?)
Is it alright for her to have a little semiskimmed milk?
Which are the best kongs?
Do you really need a crate for a puppy or can you manage without?

Thanks

I think once they have had their injections they can explore the big wide world but get a nice collar before this and let puppy get used to wearing it - if you put puppy in a crate make sure that you remove the collar beforehand and in the early days don't leave puppy alone at all with the collar on.

If she loves the dry complete food then stick to that - it's got everything she'll need

My westie had milk in the early days but soon found his thirst was quenched with just water, try watering the milk down to get puppy used to the introduction of water.

There are loads of puppy kong things to choose from - you'll be spoilt for choice !

Crating is personal preference - we bought one but he didn't really like it and he just used it as his bed with the door always open - was great because he had loads of personal space - he sleeps under the table now which is a bit like being in a crate I suppose.

Jules22

try joining Dogsey.com.

Contains_Mild_Peril

Pet food often has a rough feeding guide on it. Puppies are more likely to overeat than adult dogs, so if she gets fat then feed her less! Some human foods are harmful to dogs: don't let her eat chocolate made for people (though special chocolate doggie treats are OK occasionally) or grapes/ raisins, for instance. She's likely to get fleas at this time of year so check what treatments are suitable for puppies. I think Frontline is (you can buy from vets or online), and it's very effective both for preventing flea infestation and getting rid of any existing fleas. Some of the flea treatments sold in supermarkets don't work as well. I'm not sure at what age puppies should be given worming tablets either.
If she bites when playing, tell her firmly "NO!" and stop playing with her, and she should get the message.

Lillibet_2

wannabestudent wrote: »

Please can you tell us/point us towards the best links for anything at all about a small puppy?
I work for a vet & have 2 springers, one 13YO dog & 1 6month old !!!!! (who's being spade today!)

Specifically i'm looking for:
How to collar train them
Simple. Put a collar on, they will hate it at first but the sooner you get it on the sooner they will get used to wearing it. Leave it on at all times. Make sure you can always get 2 fingers between collar & neck, adjust the size if you can't, attach a ID tag with yoru surname, address & phone no on it.
and how long should they walk for to start with
Once the vet has given you the all clear to start taking them outside after vaccinations you can walk them until they fall asleep! At the very least I'd suggest aiming for 30 mins twice a day & building up from there.
How much/what to feed them (she loves complete dry food - is it alright to keep her on that?)
Dry food is best as not only does it contain all the nutrients but is so much better for their teeth & gums than wet food. If they are happy with dry food then as long as it's a "complete" formula then just follow the feeding guidlines according to weight on the packet. BUT! Do make sure it's a good quality food, Pedigree chum & the likes are the junk food of the pet world! Look for Hills, Science plan, Euknuaba, Burns, James Wellbeloved, a pet shop will be better than the supermarket for them.
Is it alright for her to have a little semiskimmed milk?
Yes, it's Ok but not at all necessary & there are more appropriate treats available.
Which are the best kongs?
One which is the right size for your dog, too big & they won't be able to pick it up, too small & they will lose interest becasue it isn't a challenge. Ask your pet shop for help.
Do you really need a crate for a puppy or can you manage without?
You can maange without, crate training supposedly makes it quicker & easier, I trained one dog with & one without, can't honestly say I found one easier than the other. Try without, see how you go & if necessary ask your pet shop or vet if they offer a hire service before you buy one if required.
For training, if you have never trained a dog before, I would strongly recommend training classess. Puppy training books by Gwen Bailey are especailly good & easy to follow.
How to stop her biting/help her biting? she sometimes 'plays' with our hands and it feels like she's ripping them to shreds. I know she's only 9 weeks old but there has to be a way to encourage her to stop it...?
Say "no" firmly but without shouting, immediately remove your hand & ignore them for 1 minute (no eye eontact or petting, turn away if necessary). When you return to them offer a toy which they can play with. Make sure there are pleanty of different types of chew sticks etc on hand for biting as this si part of their teething process, amongst other things.

Thanks

HTH;)



PS : She should be wormed once a month until she is 6 months old then once every 3 months for the rest of her life. There is an outbreak of Lungworm in the UK, which can be fatal if untreated, but conventional wormers don't prevent it, you need a flea treatment such as Advocate from your vet which prevents fleas & lung & heart worm in addition to a conventional worm treatment, expensive but much less than treating the illnessess.

LillyJ

When we fostered a dog with a habit of nipping (he was 5 months and was getting a bit big to be doing it). When he did it we yelped really loudly like he had really hurt us (he hadn't!) and turned our backs on him, without even looking at him.
He got the message pretty quickly, and the yelp is similar to what puppies do with each other to learn bite inhibition.

katyk_2

Thanks for all the tips

So does that mean I should only be doing 5 minutes per month (ie 15 minutes) in the whole day?! Or does it mean 15 minutes at any given time?
And can I let him have unlimited time in garden or park as long as he is on grass rather than pavement?
Even when he was too little to go out at all in the roads he needed out more than 15 minutes in the garden, - more like an hour or two if you added up all the 'wee' visits through the day.
I could walk this little horror for hours and still not tire him out at all.

katyk_2

Hi Wannabestudent

Are you sure about the walking 30 minutes then working up from very small?
I have posted a similar question elsewhere and have been advised in the main to go for only 5 minutes per month of age at a time until pup is 12 months old to prevent future joint problems

Thanks
Katyk

TAG

Hi katyk

Having owned a Collie X Spaniel I know they need loads of exercise.

My puppy has unlimited access to the garden unless it's raining for obvious reasons. Have done this since we got her at 9 weeks. So I would suggest the same for your dog. Plus I would walk him for 30 to 45 mins everyday at the age he is now.

Have you got a park close to you where you could let him off so he can burn a bit of that energy? Our puppy loves the park. Good to get them trained off lead when they're young as well. Always done that with all my dogs.

Jellicat

Five minutes per month of age is about right...Remember puppies are exuberant and get a lot of energy by just jumping about. remember you can still spend lots of time playing with the puppy to get rid of excess energy.

Raksha

A 'pre arranged meeting' can have a lot of pressure on the dogs for things to go well - people are watching their every move and suddenly they are the centre of attention. Would your neighbours take the puppy in the garden on lead while you play with your dog? Let her know that good things happen when the puppy is around.......