For the Love of Puppy

A gorgeous, delectable, cute new puppy given out of sheer love to someone can bring much joy and happiness to child or adult alike. The first five minutes are absolutely wonderful; up to the point when the new puppy fouls the living room carpet.

Firstly, many people in their blissful exuberance fail to realise that to own a puppy, comes with nearly as much responsibility as raising your own child. Secondly, one needs get out of one’s comfort zone to clean up after the puppy messes on the carpet. Thirdly, your new puppy needs the staples of life as would your own baby child.

A puppy cannot survive on love alone. The need to water and feed your new puppy will be one of the first considerations. You need to know how old your puppy is and at what stage of development he/she is, in order to feed your puppy the correct food. You cannot assume as some people do; that your diet is good. Therefore, it is a good diet to feed your puppy.

The right food is vitally important or you could find yourself up all through the night with a very sick and whimpering puppy. In addition the subsequent Veterinary bill can set you back $200.00 or more.

The puppy then needs somewhere to sleep and some sort of bedding. A basket or cardboard box lined with an old blanket works fine. Make sure the area is warm and there are no drafts. Puppies can catch colds, coughs and respiratory ailments just like humans.

You then need to be aware that your puppy needs a special environment in which to live. This living space must address his/her eating, sleeping and toileting needs. A puppy will not foul his/her living space; and this needs to be separate from the toileting area. A litter box placed in the opposite corner away from your puppy’s living and eating area should suffice. Some owners use a crate to keep their puppies in and the rules of toileting still apply.

When you observe your puppy needs to do its toilet; put him/her in their litter box and toileting area. Later you can move the litter box outside and show your puppy the new toileting area.

Like your child; your puppy needs to be bathed regularly. Again do not assume products such as family shampoos, soaps and dishwashing detergents are good for bathing your puppy. A small puppy can have allergic reactions and suffer severe skin irritations caused by strong chemicals and toxins. Suitable products developed especially for your puppy can be found at your local Veterinary Clinic, Pet Store and pet area at your local supermarket.

Above all; you need to be loving, sensitive, caring, and observant to your puppy’s every need. This is a trait central to socialization; to assist your puppy in obedience; learning commands; collar and leash training, as well as early potty training. Yelling at your puppy is not recommended or helpful in training your puppy. A Puppy can wander off and sometimes get into trouble e.g. stuck under the house and caught in a wire fence, or wander on the road into traffic. Your puppy can also swallow small articles whole and can choke.

Be ever vigilante that your puppy is toileting regular stools, if he/she does not it could mean puppy has swallowed a large solid object that has caused a blockage and the puppy cannot pass it normally. The short answer in this case is the Veterinary Clinic and resultant cost. Again I use the analogy as to be responsible and watchful of your own child.

Your puppy will also need regular exercise and play. This interaction teaches your puppy boundaries of both good and unacceptable behavior. Interaction with other dogs is also essential to help your puppy become socialised and friendly.

Be also aware that you need to find out when your puppy will need compulsory shots and vaccinations to prevent canine disease. Without vaccinations disease could prove fatal. You will also need to be aware of common infections such as Parvovirus and how best to recognise this. You can get all the relevant information and essential services from your local Veterinary Clinic.

Education is a lifelong learning experience. Having said that; there are many more things your puppy needs to learn. As like every responsible parent, you must also learn to adapt and teach correctly. Therefore, a good book on puppy training and/or puppy obedience training; is an essential aid to achieve success. This reference material is an excellent guide to revisit at any time and whenever the need arises.

New Born Puppy Care

Like newborn babies, your new born puppy requires the same loving attention and care. And just like newborn babies, your new born puppy will require more sleep than adult dogs and constant feeding.

A new born puppy is very weak. A good way to prevent health complications is provide your new born puppy with all nutrients that it can get by allowing it to drink it’s mother milk. Never stop them ever and constantly take a peak at them to see if they had their mothers milk within the first 12 hours. This is crucial for it’s nutritional value.

Like all mothers, the mother dog has a natural instinct to care for it’s baby. But in certain rare cases, the mother dog may neglect one of them. Then you have to take the responsibility to care for your new born puppy.

As newborn puppies don’t produce body heat in the first few weeks, it is a good idea that the mother keeps them warm to prevent them from catching pneumonia.

For the first week, prepare and place your new born puppies in a large dog basket or a box with some soft bed sheets. Also place a dim lamp beside them to keep them warm. A good temperature would be a constant about 97 degrees.

Check in with your vet or a puppy owner for recommended commercial nutrient formulas for new born puppies. It is extremely important to bottle feed them during their first 48 to 72 hours, every two - three hours.

Gently pat their backs after feeding them to allow burping. Make sure that the bottle nipple hole is not too big when bottle feeding them. Don’t take any chances and be very careful as they can choke and develop pneumonia due to excess liquid going to their lungs which lead to fatality.

Make sure you do these thing in the first crucial couple of weeks. After that, you can start by feeding him blended puppy cereals combined with a puppy formula. I wish you all the best in caring for your new born puppy. Consult with your vet or check in with your local pet store to get more additional tips, guides and new born puppy care information.