JULY 11 HOME COMING TIPS

THE GOOD NEWS...THE PUPPIES ARE:
COMPLETELY WEANED, SLEEPING OUT IN THE KENNEL,
MESSING IN ONLY ONE CORNER OF THE KENNEL
AND EATING 4 MEALS A DAY.
THIS NEXT WEEK IS A BIG ONE FOR THESE LITTLE GUYS...
THEY WILL HAVE A COUPLE OF HIKES DOWN TO THE CREEK (THROUGH THE CREEK, IF TONY HAS HIS WAY), OVER OBSTACLES, THROUGH TUNNELS, HIDES IN THE WOODS AND MUCH MORE......
VACCINATIONS AND WORMING WAS DONE WEDNESDAY SO THEY ARE READY TO ENJOY THEIR NEW HOMES THIS WEEKEND.
TATOOS WILL BE PLACED IN THEIR RIGHT EARS TO PERMANENTLY IDENTIFY THEM (CAREFUL, THE GREEN DYE GETS INTO EVERYTHING AND DOES NOT ALWAYS COME OUT)


A FEW THINGS YOU MIGHT BE NEEDING TO GET ORGANIZED THIS WEEK BEFORE YOUR NEW PUPPY COMES HOME...

YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PET STORE WILL GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER WELL...

DOG DISHES - WE USE METAL DISHES BECAUSE THEY ARE VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE, HAVING SAID THAT, I HAVE NOTICED A COUPLE OF THE KIDS CARRYING THE DISHES AROUND ALREADY (SCARY)...

DOG KIBBLE - WE HAVE BEEN FEEDING NATURES RECIPE, GOLD BAG (THIS IS AN ADULT MIX.) I ALSO USE KIBBLE AS A TRAINING REWARD SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY ALL THOSE FANCY TREATS...

LEASH AND COLLAR - I FIND THAT THE EXPANDABLE COLLARS ARE GREAT FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THEY HAVE ON AN 8-12 INCH COLLAR NOW BUT WILL SOON NEED TO GRADUATE TO THE NEXT SIZE UP.

CRATES - PUPPIES NEED TO GRADUATE CRATE SIZES. THEY ARE NOT UNLIKE OUR OWN CHILDREN THAT SLEEP IN CRADLES, CRIBS THEN BEDS. THE RIGHT SIZE CRATE PROVIDES SAFETY AND REASSURANCE....

TOYS - GET SEVERAL.... SOMETHING THEY CAN CHEW AND NOT GET IN TROUBLE FOR.... BE CAREFUL NOT TO GIVE THE PUPPY OLD TIED UP SOCK OR SHOES...THIS LEADS TO NEW SOCKS AND SHOE DESTRUCTION (THEY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THEY SMELL THE SAME TO THE PUPPY)


WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU TAKE HOME YOUR LITTLE ONE....

THE RIDE HOME...
IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR PUPPIES TO DROOL AND OR THROW UP DURING THEIR FIRST CAR RIDE EXPERIENCE. BRING A BAGGIE AND SOME PAPER TOWEL. IF I KNOW WHEN YOUR COMING I WILL PUT OFF FEEDING THE GROUP. THIS TRAVEL SICKNESS USUALLY DOESN'T LAST FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF CAR RIDES.


WHEN YOU GET HOME....

POTTY YOUR PUPPY... PLAY, HAVE FUN AND FEED THE PUPPY, REMEMBER THAT THEY WILL NEED TO POTTY AFTER THEY EAT! TRY TO REMEMBER THAT AS EXCITED AS YOU ARE THEY ARE STILL BABIES AND ALL THIS EXCITEMENT WILL MAKE THEM OVER TIRED. MAKE SURE YOU SCHEDULE SOME NAP TIME FOR THEM...


CRATE TRAINING....

YOU WILL NEED A SMALL CRATE, ONE IN WHICH PUPPY WILL JUST FIT FOR THE NEXT 2-3 WEEKS OR SO.... GRADUATE THE KENNEL SIZE WITH THE PUPPY'S GROWTH. YOU MAY THINK THAT IT IS A CRAZY NOTION TO PURCHASE MORE THAN ONE KENNEL FOR YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER BUT IN THE LONG RUN THIS STEP WILL SHORTEN YOUR HOUSE TRAINING PROCESS..... FOR PUPPY COMFORT AND INCASE OF ACCIDENTS, PUT AN OLD TOWEL THAT CAN BE EASILY WASHED INTO THE CRATE.

THESE ARE WILLFUL PUPPIES AND WILL NEED A CONSISTENT APPROACH IN THERE TRAINING.... SO YOUR TEST OF WILLS WILL BEGIN!!

TRY TO GET THE CRATE TRAINING STARTED EARLIER IN THE DAY... IT IS EASIER ON BOTH OF YOU TO TACKLE THE HARDEST PART OF THE TRAINING DURING THE DAY WHEN YOU ARE LESS TIRED.... PUPPY WILL ALSO BE A LITTLE MORE COOPERATIVE DURING THE NIGHT IF THIS IS NOT A NEW ACTIVITY.

LET THE PUPPY FALL ASLEEP NATURALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME OR TWO IN THE KITCHEN UNDER YOUR FEET. THIS GIVES THE PUPPY ITS FIRST SENSE OF SAFETY AND BELONGING TO A NEW PACK IN ITS NEW HOME.
THEN....
AFTER PUPPY HAS PLAYED, BEEN FED AND POTTIED PUT A COUPLE OF PIECES OF KIBBLE IN THE PUPPY CRATE. PUT THE PUPPY IN THE CRATE AND CLOSE THE DOOR. HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART, WALK AWAY! THE PUPPY WILL CRY, ANGRY CONFINED CRY, OK MAY SOUND LIKE TEMPER TANTRUM SCREAMING, MAY SOUND LIKE SOMEONE IS PERSONALLY CAUSING GREAT BODILY HARM TO THEM... THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL. DO NOT RETURN TO THE KENNEL UNTIL THEY ARE QUIET!!! THIS COULD TAKE MANY LONG MINUTES, REMEMBER THESE ARE WILLFUL PUPS... WHEN THEY ARE QUITE, YOU WILL NEED TO REWARD THE BEHAVIOR IMMEDIATELY WITH A VERBAL CUE, SUCH AS, "GOOD QUITE", AND OPEN THE DOOR TO THE KENNEL. CALM AND RELAX THE PUPPY AND START THE PROCESS OVER AGAIN UNTIL THE PUPPY FALLS ASLEEP.

YOU WILL LEARN THE CRY FOR POTTY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE TEMPER TANTRUM CRY.

AT NIGHT, HAVE THE PUPPY CRATED BESIDE THE BED (BE PATIENT, YOU'LL CATCH UP ON YOUR SLEEP IN 3 DAYS). WHEN PUPPY WAKES DURING THE NIGHT ON THE FIRST NIGHT, TAKE IT OUT TO POTTY. NO PLAYING AND OR TALKING WITH PUPPY EXCEPT TO VERBALLY REWARD THE POTTY ACTION, THEN BACK TO THE CRATE AND BACK TO SLEEP, OR NOT IF PUPPY CRIES. I WILL OFTEN HAVE A FINGER THROUGH THE KENNEL HOLES/WIRE SO THEY HAVE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER LIVING SOUL. THIS HELPS THEM TO BOND WITH YOU AND GIVES THEM REASSURANCE WHEN THEY WAKE DISORIENTED THROUGH THE NIGHT.....

BE PREPARED, THE FIRST NIGHT WILL BE ROUGH!! SECOND NIGHT YOU WILL CATCH SOME SLEEP AND BY THE THIRD YOU WILL BOTH SURPRISE YOURSELVES :-)


FEEDING YOUR NEW PUPPY....

UP UNTIL WEDNESDAY (DAY 39) I FED A MIXTURE OF KIBBLE, GOATS MILK AND WATER 4 TIMES A DAY (ONCE EACH DAY THEY HAVE HAD YOGURT AND RAW GROUND CHICKEN WITH BONE ADDED TO THEIR REGULAR MEAL). DAY 40, I HAVE CUT THEM DOWN TO 3 MEALS EACH DAY TO HELP EASE THEM INTO THEIR NEW ROUTINES....

FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS THESE LITTLE DARLINGS HAVE SLEPT UNTIL ABOUT 8:30 AM. TODAY THEY WERE UP AND SCREAMING AT 5 AM. THEY KNEW I HAD TO FINISH UP THESE TRAINING NOTES FOR YOU AND GAVE ME A NOT SO GENTLE NUDGE ;-)

FEEDING IS ALWAYS A TRICKY THING BECAUSE, LIKE US, EACH PUPPY'S METABOLISM IS DIFFERENT.... TO START WITH 1/2 CUP OF KIBBLE 3 TIMES PER DAY SHOULD DO THE TRICK. ADD A TABLESPOON OF YOGURT DAILY AND YOU CAN ADD A TABLESPOON OR SO OF GROUND CHICKEN WITH BONE TO ONE OF THEIR REGULAR MEALS (CHOOSE THE MEAL THAT YOU WILL BE HOME FOR AS THEY MAY NEED AN EXTRA POTTY BREAK).

THE WILL TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THEY ARE ENTITLED TO MUCH MORE BUT YOU WILL NEED TO ASSESS THAT NEED, NOT THEM.... A FAT PUPPY INCREASES THE RISK OF HIP AND ELBOW DYSPLASIA.

AS THE PUPPY GROWS YOU WILL NEED TO WATCH ITS WEIGHT. IF IT WADDLES TO YOU, ITS TOO FAT... IF YOU CAN FEEL MORE THAN THE LAST 2-3 RIBS, ITS TOO SKINNY. IF YOUR IN DOUBT, COME ON OVER FOR A VISIT....


HOUSE TRAINING:

IF DONE CORRECTLY IT WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW DAYS.... BUT THEY WILL STILL NEED WATCHING CLOSELY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS... I FIND THAT PICKING UP THE WATER ABOUT 4 HOURS BEFORE YOUR USUAL BED TIME WILL GIVE A CHANCE FOR PUPPY'S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM TO EMPTY, MAKING FOR A QUITE NIGHTS SLEEP.

PLANNING AHEAD WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR PUPPY GET THROUGH THE FIRST STEPS IN HOUSE TRAINING.

FIND A PLACE IN YOUR YARD THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE FOR PUPPY'S POTTY AREA. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE AREA IS CLEANED OF DEBRIS AND THAT THERE IS GOOD DRAINAGE. THINK ABOUT THE VERBAL CUES YOU WILL USE TO REWARD YOUR PUPPY FOR POTTYING IN THE RIGHT AREA. IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS, 'GO PEE' OR 'DO YOUR BUSINESS'. 'TAKE A BREAK' IS OFTEN USED. USE SOMETHING THAT WILL FIT INTO YOUR LIFE AND IS EASY TO REMEMBER. BRIDGE THE POTTY ACTION WHEN THE PUPPY IS PEEING WITH, 'GO PEE' AND WHEN PUPPY IS FINISHED, 'GOOD, GO PEE'. LATER IN THE PUPPY'S LIFE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM SQUAT AND PEE ON COMMAND.....

THE "POTTY DANCE"
THE PUPPY WILL BE PLAYING, RUNNING, WALKING, CHEWING, TERRORIZING IN GENERAL AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WILL GET THAT LOOK IN THEIR EYES... THE OMG I GOTTA POTTY LOOK IN THEIR EYES... THE NOSE WILL GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THEY WILL START TO LOOK FOR THE RIGHT SPOT.... OF COURSE, THAT SPOT IS OUTSIDE, SO YOU HAVE TO GET UP AND GET THE PUPPY OUTSIDE... AND QUICKLY... THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH CONTROL AT THIS POINT. THEN THEY WILL COME BACK IN AND HAVE A DRINK, MAYBE EAT SOMETHING AND THE CYCLE CONTINUES......


ACTIVITY.....

AGAIN THIS IS A DIFFICULT THING TO WRITE FOR ALL PUPPIES.... SOME PUPPIES HAVE MORE ENERGY THAN OTHERS BUT REST ASSURED NONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES WILL BE COUCH POTATOES NATURALLY!!!
IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE ENOUGH EXERCISE FOR THE PUPPY TO GROW AND NOT SO MUCH EXERCISE THAT THEY BECOME MUSCLE BOUND AND DEVELOP COMPLICATIONS WITH MUSCLE AND BONE GROWTH MISMATCH (PANO) LATER DURING THEIR GROWTH SPURTS.

STAIRS ARE A CONTROVERSY... I RECOMMEND THAT YOU CARRY YOUR PUPPY DOWN THE STAIRS AND LIMIT THEIR "JUMPING" DOWN ONTO OR INTO ANYTHING UNTIL THEIR ELBOW GROWTH PLATES HAVE SEALED (ABOUT 5 - 5 1/2 MONTHS OF AGE). THIS HELPS TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF INJURY AND DYSPLASIA... USE YOUR COMMON SENSE AND MATCH IT TO THEIR SIZE AND ABILITY, YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR TODDLER JUMP OFF THE STAIRS EITHER ;-)


LEASH TRAINING....

THIS CAN START ALMOST IMMEDIATELY... BE GENTLE AND PERSUADING. PUPPIES NATURALLY FOLLOW BUT THEN THEY HAVE STUBBORN MOMENTS TOO.....

I HOPE THIS HELPS, AT LEAST A LITTLE, TO PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR FIRST DAYS WITH YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER. ENJOY!!!!