How To Take Care of a Puppy

 Raising a puppy can be a fun and rewarding experience, but don't underestimate the amount of work that goes into preparing for a puppy's arrival. While raising a puppy is not as hard as taking care of a child, pesky puppies can truly put your patience to the test. Once you choose the breed of dog that best fits your needs and limitations, you'll have to learn how to care for and train your puppy through puppy hood. Follow the steps below to learn how to take care of your cuddly new pooch the proper way.

Part 1 of 3: Getting Ready for Your Puppy

1

Buy a puppy that is appropriate for your lifestyle and limitations. There's a lot of variety between dog breeds, so do some research to find out what breed is best for you. Ask yourself the following questions when choosing a dog breed:

How much space does it need?

How much attention will it require?

Do I want a male or female?

Do I want a lap dog or an energetic dog?

How expensive is the breed I want? Can I afford it?

Do I want my dog to fetch?

Is the breed good around children?

Will the breed be comfortable in my regional climate?

Will the breed get along with my other pets?

How many years do dogs of a certain breed normally live?[1]

2

Puppy proof your home. Puppy proofing is basically the same as baby proofing your home. Remove any small, sharp, hazardous items from places that the puppy can get to. Make sure that all electric cords, wires, batteries, etc. are put away and are not connected to the wall in places where the puppy can chew on them. There is a danger of electric shock if your puppy chews on connected wires.[2]

3

Purchase good quality dog food. Find out what dog food your puppy was started on before you acquired it. If you change the food abruptly, your puppy may become sick. Depending on the age of your puppy, start off with a dry dog food specially formulated for puppies.

Always choose a dog food that is primarily made of meat, not corn. Dogs were not meant to eat corn and it can upset their digestive system, especially in puppies. Choose to feed your puppy a grain-free diet if possible.

Feed your puppies a ratio of 5:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. This can come in your food or in supplements such as salmon oil specially designed to give to your dog.[3]

Always feed your puppy at the same time everyday and keep the type of food consistent. Puppies cannot handle abrupt changes in their diet.

If you switch dog food brands, make the transition gradually by mixing in the new food to your puppy's old food in increasing amounts.

Avoid feeding your puppy potentially harmful human food scraps. Grapes, raisins, tea, alcohol, garlic, onions, avocados, salt, and chocolate are toxic to dogs. If your dog has ingested one of these things, call an Animal Poison Control Center.

Put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies should not be weaned from their mother before they are eight weeks old. After they are eight weeks old, you can begin a feeding regimen based on the age of the puppy. The serving size will depend on the breed and the size of the puppy. Be sure to look up the specific feeding instructions for your breed of puppy.

Three to four weeks old: Begin to mix some solid food into the puppy's diet along with their mother's milk. To make it easier for the puppy to digest, mix the food in some of its mother's milk or a puppy replacement milk. Feed your puppy whenever it cries because it is hungry. Usually this will be about four times per day.

Six to eight weeks old: Feed your puppy a puppy formula dry food that is rich in protein and calcium. Again, make sure that real meat is the first ingredient on the ingredients label. Feed your puppy three to four times per day.

Eight weeks to one year: Feed your puppy twice per day with the same puppy formula. After one year, your puppy is mature enough to begin eating dog food that is not specifically formulated for puppies.[4]

4

Keep fresh water out for your puppy at all times. Change your puppy's water bowl at least twice per day to ensure that your puppy is drinking clean water.

5

Buy puppy toys and a leash. Have toys waiting for your puppy when you bring it home so that it can immediately start playing with your family members. This will allow the puppy to quickly become comfortable in your home and immediately jumpstarts the puppy socialization process. Have a leash ready so that you can begin to train the puppy and take it outside without allowing it to run away.

Part 2 of 3: Training Your Puppy

1

Allow your puppy to explore your home. When you bring a puppy to an unfamiliar place for the first time, it will need to get accustomed to its surroundings and become comfortable with its environment.

Make sure that all the doors are closed so that the puppy cannot get outside. Then allow it to roam about the house to sniff and explore its new environment.

Close any rooms that you want to designate as "off-limits" to your puppy. This way it won't become attached to any particular places and you can avoid having to train the puppy not to go there at a later time.

2

Socialize your puppy. Puppy socialization is important for your puppy to learn normal dog behaviors by being exposed to other dogs and humans. It is best to socialize your puppy between three and 12 weeks old. Within that time frame, puppies are most accepting of new experiences.[5]

3

Use a reward method. Give your puppy treats or toy rewards when it obeys your commands. First show the puppy that you have a treat or toy by sticking it in front of the puppy's face and getting its attention. Next, say the command, such as "sit," "stay," or "off" depending on what you are trying to teach the puppy. When the puppy complies, give it the treat.

Be firm in your commands and strict with your treat disbursement. Don't just give the puppy treats at random times of the day or it won't learn that it has to work for its treats.

Choose healthy treats that are specially formulated for puppies, don't give them leftover dinner scraps that they may not be able to digest easily.

4

Use a discipline method. Instead of giving your puppy positive rewards when it does something good, you can also use the discipline approach to teach your puppy what not to do.

Fill a spray bottle with water and spray your puppy in the face (not too close or hard) so that it will not like the repercussions of its actions. Be sure to keep the water bottle handy so that you can spray your puppy immediately after bad behavior.

Gently grab your puppy by the collar if it behaves badly and get it to pay attention to you as you say a negative command such as "No." Don't hurt your puppy, just use your hands to direct its attention toward you.

5

Teach the basic commands first. By establishing the basic commands, your puppy can build a foundation for learning to play games and get along with other people and dogs. Begin teaching the basic commands as early as possible. The younger they are, the quicker they will develop lasting habits.

Teach your dog to come.

Teach your dog to sit.

Teach your dog to lie down.

6

Train your puppy to use the potty outside. Put your puppy on a leash and lead it outside every hour or two to train it to go outside when it needs to go to the bathroom. Make your puppy stay outside until it has gone to the bathroom to teach it what you want it to do while outside.

Use a puppy pad indoors to teach your puppy to pee in a particular spot. If you plan to leave your puppy inside during the day, you can purchase an absorbent pee pad from a pet store that contains odor-lock technology. Pick your puppy up and place it on the pee pad when you think it has to go to the bathroom or if it starts to go to the bathroom.

Use negative commands when your puppy goes to the bathroom indoors or in an inappropriate place. Show your puppy its injustice, point to it with your finger, and say "No" loudly to teach the puppy that what it did is not acceptable.

7

Provide a place for your puppy to sleep. Buy a comfortable dog bed or learn how to make a dog bed for your pooch. By giving your puppy a comfortable place to sleep right when you bring it home, you can train it not to sleep with you in your bed. Entice your puppy into the bed with a chew toy or a bone to get it to want to sleep in the designated area.

Part 3 of 3: Keeping Your Puppy Healthy

1

Get your puppy immunized. Puppies inherit their immunity from their mother, but between weeks six and 12 that immunity begins to wear off and the puppy will need to be immunized. Before getting your puppy immunized, do not let it come into contact with other dogs or people that may spread sickness or disease.

When your puppy is six to nine weeks old, take it to a veterinarian to get vaccinated for several illnesses including distemper, para influenza, canine hepatitis, rabies and parvovirus. On the first vet visit, be sure to get deworming medication to get rid of parasites that may upset the digestive tract.

Talk to your vet to find out which additional vaccines may be necessary for your puppy.

Be sure to take your puppy to the vet at least every six months for check-ups until it is a fully grown dog.[6]

2

Spay or neuter your puppy. If you want to prevent your puppy from having babies, you will have to spay or neuter your puppy when it is about 20 weeks old. It's generally a good idea to fix your puppy unless you are sure that you want to breed it at some point. Some dogs can also become aggressive if not fixed.

3

Walk your puppy daily. Try to make sure that your puppy gets about an hour of exercise and/or play time per day. Don't over-exert your puppy by taking it on long runs, but do allow your puppy to run around the yard and go on walk at least once per day.

Different breeds need different amounts of exercise per day. Make sure to do your homework to find out how much exercise your particular puppy needs.

Allow your puppy to play with other dogs for exercise. Make sure that you have vaccinated your puppy and that the other dogs are friendly before allowing it to do so.

4

Show your puppy affection. Cuddle and pet your puppy every day. After all, puppies are babies that need to be nurtured and loved. Make sure to give your puppy positive signals and pet it frequently.

5

Play with your puppy. Always be sure to give your puppy attention by playing with it daily. A stimulated puppy makes for a smart, happy, and healthy puppy who will tend to be more obedient than other puppies. Here are some ideas for games to play with your puppy:

Tug-of-war. Take a piece of rope, clothing, or a stick and play tug-of-war with your puppy. Make sure the object you are playing with is big enough that your puppy won't accidentally choke on it while you are playing. Avoid pulling to hard when playing with young puppies, as this can hurt their teeth and/or gums.

Hide & Seek. Tell your puppy to stay and let it know that you have a treat in your possession. Run off and hide and then call the puppy's name until it finds you. This is a great way to play with your puppy and teach obedience at the same time. It also teaches the puppy to use its sense of smell to search for you.

Fetch. Teach your puppy to play fetch. You can use this game to build discipline as well by witholding the ball or toy until the puppy sits and stays for several seconds. Use commands such as "Get it," "Bring it," and "Here" to teach your puppy to bring the toy back to you. Use the command "Drop it" to teach your puppy to let go of the ball once it brings it back to you.

6

Bathe your puppy regularly. Give your puppy a bath every two weeks to keep its fur free of fleas and dirt. Use a pet shampoo and lukewarm water to wash your puppy in a shower tub or outside with a hose. Use a pet brush to groom your puppy's fur after you give it a bath. Bathing your puppy not only prevents it from developing fleas and skin rashes, it also keeps your puppy from smelling badly.

7

Practice good puppy hygiene. Clip your puppy's nails every few weeks to avoid dirt build-up and prevent your puppy from scratching people and things. Take good care of your puppy's teeth by brushing them with a special toothbrush and toothpaste made for dogs. Chew toys formulated with plague-fighting properties can also keep your puppy's teeth and gums healthy.

8

Finished.