Puppy Care

Bringing a cute puppy into the family, can be a very exciting moment. That cute little bundle of fluff lying there can cause the hardest of hearts to melt. However you should never forget that that little bundle at this stage of its young life is totally dependant on you, and will be, at least to a lesser degree, for the rest of its life. In the beginning it will be practically helpless, and will take a lot of looking after.

Your new addition will require a pleasant, safe and loving environment to spend its first few weeks with you, preferably indoors. A good breeder will usually send some puppy food with your new pup so he can eat the same thing he has been eating since being weaned. It is hard on dogs to change foods, so if you want to put them on a different diet, mix the old with the new about 50/50 for a week or so before switching them over.

It is important that the puppy will be used to being around people as much as possible, so that they can get used to the idea and not build up any fears that may become aggression as they get older. A good breeder will have taken care to socialize the puppy and handled him a lot. However it is never a good idea to leave puppy dogs unattended among young children, more for the puppy's protection than for the young children.

You puppy will be eight weeks old when you first get them. Most have had good vet care in their first few weeks, and have started their puppy shots. Make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible for a baseline checkup and given any medication and injections that the pup is due to receive. At the same time, the vet will give first time puppy owners a general run down on the responsibilities of dog ownership, and which treatments are required to keep the dog in general good health.

The vet will remind the younger members of the family that taking on the responsibility of caring for a new puppy is both hard work and a lot of responsibility. It will require both commitment and time and patience in training the dog, which can sometimes be a long and time consuming experience. Sometimes the new owners become disillusioned and the novelty of owning you a dog wears of for them. Bringing a cute puppy dog home should not be based on an impulse decision, but in the full knowledge that dog ownership is a long term commitment and that pretty soon little puppy will grow into a full sized dog, and one that will be relying on you for the next 10-15 years.

As soon as the puppy has his shots, introduce him to as many new situations as you can, all the while making him feel confident and safe. This will help ensure a confident, secure and friendly dog. It's important that your puppy have dog friends for the same reason. Once your pup has had all his shots and its safe for him (your vet can advise you), there are dog parks available in most towns where dogs can play in fenced parks just for them. This helps your puppy learn "dog sense" so he can get along easily with other dogs and not respond to them with fear. It's all part of socializing your new family member.

Even more importantly, find a good puppy obedience class. This will introduce your pup to other dogs and people in a safe environment and give you help in training.

People who love animals and especially dogs know that the reason dogs make such good pets and fit so well into the family circle is that, by nature, they are very social and friendly animals that generally like and sometimes love everything and everyone in their circle.

What puppies need most to feel confident and secure in their new surroundings is to rapidly recognize who their new master is within the family circle. The new master will be recognized as the pack leader, and this will be the person or persons who provide it with food.

You will find that once the problem of the pack leader has been sorted out, things will just seem to fall into a natural rhythm, and pretty soon that fluffy piece of fur will become a small, medium, or large house trained functioning member of the family. You, and your family, will be surprised to discover that the fun doesn't end when the fluffiness disappears; your love for your dog grows and is reciprocated, as their personality develops and unfolds. You begin a friendship that will last for years, and enjoy a love that will neither diminish or be questioned for hopefully many years to come.