contributed by orchard veterinary group
Your new puppy - a beginners’ guide!
www.tullyhostuddogs.com
Taking on a new puppy is a very rewarding, not to say fun undertaking! In the early stages
it is important to get things just right as you will be setting a pattern for life in the routines,
training and health care that you start to put in place now. To help you get off on the right
track we have prepared this information sheet to provide general advice which you can follow
in conjunction with that given by the breeder.
Grooming:
This is an important activity for both puppy and owner. Head to tail groomingwith a soft brush or comb encourages bonding, will improve behaviour and is often the way
that early health problems such as lumps, sore spots or fleas are identified. Longer coated
breeds may need more frequent grooming using more specialist equipment. Regular teeth
brushing can prevent health problems and should be started at a young age.
Health checks:
These should be done routinely by you in order to check for problems butalso to get your puppy used to being held and examined to make life easier when at the vets
in later life! The best time to do a health check is while grooming. You should stick to a
simple, quick routine that will allow you to check all potential problem areas without taking
so long that the pup becomes upset or bored which could discourage you both. You should
check that eyes, ears and nose are free of discharges and offensive odours, check the skin
for lumps, sore spots or parasites and check the mouth to make sure there is no staining on
the teeth or redness on the gums. Quickly lift each foot in turn to check for overgrown or
damaged claws and fur mats which can develop between the pads.
Insurance:
Pet insurance is extremely important and strongly advised. It is vital howeverto make sure you get the right advice as some policies are better than others. A good policy
should cover vet’s bills including those for long term conditions, lasting more than a year
and should also cover you against third party claims in the event that your dog becomes
involved in an accident involving damage to property or injury to people.
Fleas and worms:
To prevent these troublesome parasites building up to a level wherethey cause problems routine control is essential. Control can be achieved in many ways
such as injections, tablets, medicine or ‘spot-on’ preparations applied to the skin. Take advice
from your breeder or vet, a variety of regimes are available so it should be easy to find
one that suits you and your puppy. Remember - prevention is better (and easier and cheaper)
than cure.
Feeding and dietary supplements:
‘We are what we eat’ applies as much to animals as itdoes to us. Whether you are feeding a commercial pet food or making your own from basic
ingredients it is important to achieve the correct balance of nutrients. Don’t be tempted to
over supplement, especially with vitamins - it’s not always a case of ‘more is better’. If you
are feeding the correct diet supplements shouldn’t be necessary.
Training, behaviour and exercise:
Like grooming these activities are important, not onlyfor health reasons but also to help you and your pup to bond. Advice for basic training in
the home can be found in a variety of books and web sites but it is also good to get your
puppy to meet new people and other dogs by attending puppy classes or training classes
which are often hosted by vets or dog trainers. A word of warning though; do not over exercise
a pup when young. Bones and joints aren’t fully developed until 12 months old at the
earliest and permanent damage can be done if a dog is exercised too much before this.
Further help and advice:
Finally, remember that it is important to keep in touch with yourbreeder and your vet. Both are an excellent, long term source of advice, not just at times of
crisis but at all times. A good breeder will be delighted to hear regular news about your pup
and will be happy to offer help if required. Should the worst come to the worst and you find
that keeping a pup is too much or is impractical for whatever reason, speak to your breeder
first. If you are considering re homing, then a pup would obviously be happiest returning to
the place they were bred.
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