Puppy Advice (merged)

pboae

Shortie wrote: »

One probably very daft question... the quantities the dried puppyfood give are by dog's 'breed size' and age in weeks... is this per meal (they get fed twice a day) or for the whole day? It looks tiny if spread across 2 meals (once I've taken 25% off the amount quoted but I think it would be too much if it was per meal... if that makes any sense?

The guidelines will be for the whole day, so it needs to be split into two. I don't really know about little breeds but to give you a comparison, my 90kg St. Bernard gets 2 pints of kibble a day (1 pint for brekkie, 1 for dinner). That's a weight loss portion (he gets a couple of carrots to pad it out). His maintence portion when he was more active was 3 pints a day. So I would imagine for a little dog you are looking at about a handful of kibble per meal.

It may be that reducing the recommended about by 25% is too much long term, but if they need to lose some weight, it would still be a good place to start. Also remember when looking at the guidelines that you are looking for the amount to feed for the weight they should be, not the weight they are now, if they need to lose weight.

And as BridgetJones says please please get them neutered.

suki1964

Tbh I wouldn't worry too much about reducing the recommended amount right now - just get them on the food and on the food only (no treats) and monitor their weight. This age theres still some growing ahead of them and they can and often do go through a "leggy " stage so a little extra weight now may not be so noticable in a month

As everyone else is advising - get them neutered sooner rather then later - shes nearly old enough for her first season and you really dont want to be caught out (shes wayyyy too young to have a litter)

foreign_correspondent

My dog weighs about 12kg (she is the size of a cocker spaniel but stumpier, so I would imagine quite a lot bigger than yours) She eats 75g twice a day, or about 3/4 of a teacup full for brekkie and the same again in the evening, and she walks for at least a hour most days. It doesnt look much but my dog puts weight on if I give her any more, so I know its about right.

As others have said, if they are not neutered you need to do that asap, as at 6 and 7 months there is a real risk of them mating.

suki1964

Pups are like babies, they cant just be left alone and be expected to understand that you will be back - they need to be taught this and it takes time.

From day one you should be building up time away from the pup - even a minute in another room. Buying a crate, chucking them in before going out wont stop it fretting, getting stressed and howling the house down.

Crate training is a fine art, used properly they are a godsend , any other way and they are cruel.

Crates are to be nice comforting places, where pup can rest without being disturbed - its haven of calm even When I used a crate pup was only put in there after he was well exercised , toileted and tired. In here went, door was closed and I got on with stuff. If he cried - ignored. He was only let out once he had calmed down. Slowly the leaving him in the crate built up till I was able to go upstairs, take a shower, do house work - then till I was able to leave the house for 10 mins - then an hour - then two. It took time - weeks - not days.

Same as nights. Dont leave the pup to scream the house down - you wouldnt a baby. If you cant bear the thought of having pup in the bedroom in its crate - then sleep on the sofa a few nights, wont kill you, will help calm pup and will stop the neighbour baying for blood

Do get the book - The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey and perhaps any of the crate training books - much easier to keep at the training if you have the correct information in front of you

Shortie

BridgetJones wrote: »

Please get them neutered.

She's only just coming to the end of her first season and it's the next thing we're doing... certainly don't want any pups here

foreign_correspondent

have you kept them seperate all the way through the season (and this will need to be the case especially for the next week or so)- you say they can access the garden all day so it sounds like they may well be together - are you sure that is not the reason she hasnt got much of a waist??

Shortie

Oh god.. before we got the dog we asked our vet about the ages and that she won't have a season before we got him, we were told that he wouldn't be 'interested' as he'd be too young and that they'd only be 'play acting' as it were, hence taking the plunge and getting the dog (I know it sounds mad but we wanted two Ruby King Cavs and hadn't found any for ages then we found 2 within a month of each other, hence considering getting them both so close together)

.... Is there any point getting her to the vets tomorrow to check? I have no idea how quickly the vet could tell if she is pregnant or not?

They're kept together

foreign_correspondent

oh blimey - I would ring the vet tomorrow and ask their advice. I saw a thread elsewhere today (dogpages) where 7 month siblings had mated which resulted in pregnancy - so it is possible, but obviously not desirable, both for the b1tches health and the unwanted pups.

I would imagine the sooner the better for the vets so that if it is a pregnancy (fingers crossed its just too much weetabix!) you can choose what to do - as in humans I believe the options are more the earlier it is.

pboae

Definitely get her to the vet tomorrow, male dogs can be fertile at 4 months, though not usually physically capable then. But by 6 months some are, it's not usual so you would be unlucky, but it's not unheard of either.

Can't believe a vet gave you that advice!

Hintza

Just to go back to feeding. At trhe ages your dogs are a little bit of puppy fat will be no bad thing but in the coming months or so just start adjusting it a little to get them to the desired weight. I certianly wouldn't be n
making huge adjustments (apart from cutting out the weetabix and changing to puppy food).

As for neutering girls best to wait until at least their first season. I have recently started hearing reports of incontinence (sp?) in those done too early. Plus they can retain their puppy fur which looks a bit weird.