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Vaccines: Be wary of any breeder that is vaccinating a puppy before 6 weeks of
age. It is wide known knowledge in the veterinary community that vaccination before 6
weeks can cause a pet to develop immune-mediated diseases in the future. The
maternal antibodies do not start to decline in the pup's bloodstream until after 6 weeks
of age, so vaccination before then can cause a detrimental spike of antibodies in the
pup's bloodstream. Vaccines should be given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age only.
Also, vaccines must be kept cold at all times-if they are allowed to warm to room
temperature for even a moment, the vaccine is inactivated. Most breeders buy the
vaccines from a feed store or on-line and there is no guarantee that the vaccine is
kept cold. Veterinarians buy the vaccines from the manufacturers and the vaccines
always arrive on ice and are placed in the refrigerator immediately. Bottom line, it is
not good to buy a puppy and see that many vaccines have been given!! It is a common
misconception that a puppy is healthier if they are already vaccinated when you get
them at 6 weeks of age. For more vaccine information, including which vaccines are
given at which visit, please see vaccine information.
House Training: It is a lucky owner that has no problems house training their
puppy. Depending on the size of the pup, most can not hold their urine for longer than
3 hours. As a rule of thumb, puppies need to be let outside every 3 hours, after
playtime or a nap, and within 15 minutes after eating. It is even wise to get up once or
twice overnight for several weeks until the puppy has the hang of it. Crates are an
excellent reinforcement method that should be implemented. They need to stay in the
crate overnight and anytime you are not there. If you are going to be gone longer than
3 hours, they can be enclosed in a laundry or bathroom with papers in a corner where
they can relieve themselves. Care should be taken not to rely on the papers too
strongly as a pet will become confused-are they supposed to urinate/defecate inside
or outside? For more in-depth tips, please see the behavior page.
Neutering/Spaying: Everyone knows the benefits of altering your pet: not
contributing to the pet overpopulation, lower risk of uterine disease and mammary
cancer in females, lower risk of prostate and testicular problems in males, and
decrease in behavior issues in both genders. It is highly recommended to spay a
female at 5-6 months of age before the first heat cycle. Most females will have their
first estrus at 6 months of age, but some have a delayed cycle that arrives at 8-10
months. By preventing your animal from having a heat cycle, you are lowering your
pet's risk of mammary cancer and eliminating any risk of uterine or ovarian problems.
There is a possible link of urinary incontinence in older females that were spayed very
early, but the true incidence is unknown. If you are interested in breeding your pet, it
is best to wait until the female is over 2 years of age before attempting the first mating.
Any earlier is analogous to a 10 year old human giving birth. This will probably amount
to the pet having at least 4 heat cycles.
It may be possible to be slightly more lenient on the deadline to neuter your male dog.
It is still recommended at 6 months of age since males go into sexual maturity at 6-8
months. Behavior issues also arrive with that sexual maturity! This includes humping
behavior, aggression, and marking behavior. If your pet is not exhibiting these
behaviors, then waiting until he is 1 year of age is fine. However, once your pet has
started any unwanted behavior, neutering them is not a guarantee it will stop. It takes
60 days for all testosterone to be depleted from the body so the pet will still exhibit the
behavior for at least 2 months. By then, your pet may think the behavior is natural and
not testosterone induced.
Diet: It is extremely important for your puppy to eat a puppy-formulated diet until 1
year of age. Giant breed dogs (Great Dane, Mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds) should
probably be switched to a maintenance diet by 9 months of age. Large breed dogs
(Golden retrievers, Labradors, German shepherds) can benefit from eating a large
breed-formulation of puppy food. Iams, Science Diet, Purina, and Eukanuba are all
good diets. Dry kibble is generally best as canned diets promote weight gain and
dental disease. Homemade diets have become very popular over the last few years
and can be nutritious if prepared correctly. They tend to be time-consuming and
actually more expensive overall.
Teething: All baby, or deciduous, teeth are erupted by 8 weeks of age. The
permanent incisors start to erupt at 4 months of age. All permanent teeth are present
at 6 months. Small breed dogs can develop slightly later. You may notice your puppy's
desire to chew accelerate during this time. Providing rawhides, rubber toys such as
Kongs, and other toys will help your puppy through this stage. Do not be alarmed if
you notice blood on the objects he is chewing on-it is normal for the gums to bleed
during tooth eruption.
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Congratulations! You just are about to venture into
an exciting time by raising a puppy! While there is
bound to be many frustrating days in this
adventure, your puppy will soon grow up to be
your faithful companion.
Your puppy's genetics are largely responsible for
his health. However, you can greatly influence
how much those genetics will affect your pet.
Excellent nutrition, superior veterinary care, and
basic grooming and training will be the building
blocks to ensure your pet will live a long, healthy
life.
an exciting time by raising a puppy! While there is
bound to be many frustrating days in this
adventure, your puppy will soon grow up to be
your faithful companion.
Your puppy's genetics are largely responsible for
his health. However, you can greatly influence
how much those genetics will affect your pet.
Excellent nutrition, superior veterinary care, and
basic grooming and training will be the building
blocks to ensure your pet will live a long, healthy
life.
It is common knowledge that mixed breed dogs are overall more healthy than pure breed
dogs. Be aware that a breeder possessing AKC papers or any other type of registration
on a puppy does not guarantee that the puppy is healthy. Both parents must be
OFA-certified along with their parents, and their parents to have the best chance that the
puppy will not develop hip dysplasia. Stating that the pet is AKC certified or that one of
the parents/grandparents are champions does not address the pet's health at all.
Humans have created most of the genetic problems in pure bred animals by
over-breeding and in-breeding. Granted, this has taken place over many decades, but
measures need to be taken now to decrease the amount of diseases we see. Bottom line,
if possible, it can be a better bet to adopt a pet from a shelter even though that puppy's
health is unknown.
Whether you have a mutt from the pound or a classic pure bred, they are all raised the
same! Having guidelines on what to expect is imperative during the transition period for
you and your pet. It is wise to have a veterinarian examine the new addition within 3 days.
If he is deemed healthy, you are well on your way to developing a lasting relationship!
dogs. Be aware that a breeder possessing AKC papers or any other type of registration
on a puppy does not guarantee that the puppy is healthy. Both parents must be
OFA-certified along with their parents, and their parents to have the best chance that the
puppy will not develop hip dysplasia. Stating that the pet is AKC certified or that one of
the parents/grandparents are champions does not address the pet's health at all.
Humans have created most of the genetic problems in pure bred animals by
over-breeding and in-breeding. Granted, this has taken place over many decades, but
measures need to be taken now to decrease the amount of diseases we see. Bottom line,
if possible, it can be a better bet to adopt a pet from a shelter even though that puppy's
health is unknown.
Whether you have a mutt from the pound or a classic pure bred, they are all raised the
same! Having guidelines on what to expect is imperative during the transition period for
you and your pet. It is wise to have a veterinarian examine the new addition within 3 days.
If he is deemed healthy, you are well on your way to developing a lasting relationship!
