Puppies
Please note - we are no longer able to offer Puppy School...
Are you thinking of adding a puppy to your family? Have you already taken a puppy into your home?
Its an exciting time for you. Whether its your first puppy or you have had one before, with the excitement and joy of puppy ownership comes time and commitment to ensure this precious bundle of joy grows into a happy, well adjusted and well behaved member of the community. It is our responsibility to take the best care of this animal as the commitment we have taken on is for the life of the dog not something to be discarded when it matures.
Hopefully you have done a lot of research beforehand to decide what breed would suit your family and your home. Taking into account that the cute ball of fluff will one day be a fully grown mature dog with the instincts of that particular breed.
Hopefully you have done a lot of research beforehand to decide what breed would suit your family and your home. Taking into account that the cute ball of fluff will one day be a fully grown mature dog with the instincts of that particular breed.
You would not take a working dog to live in a one bedroom flat with no yard. They need room to run, they need exercise and mental stimulation. A little lap dog is best to be an inside dog, it may also be a barker. Are you prepared for what is in the pup's genes??
When you have chosen the breed to suit your family it is then time to find a reputable breeder. Remember all pups are cute but it is important to ask the breeder questions about how the puppy will be / has been raised. Ask to see both parents (if possible) to assess their temperaments. Check the cleanliness of the environment the pups are housed. Will they be vaccinated, microchipped and wormed?
It is recommended pups stay with the mother and litter mates until at least 8 weeks of age. It is an important time in the pup's life where they learn so much from their Mother and siblings.
The exciting day has arrived its time to bring our new puppy home.
The following are a few points to remember:-
- Book into a well run puppy school that is in a clean, inside environment.
- Puppy should NOT be placed on the ground outside anywhere apart from your own backyard until fully vaccinated (be guided by your Vet).
- Have a safe confined area for puppy to sleep in. The laundry or a metal dog crate is ideal. Place a comfy bed, toys and water in the area. If using a crate a metal bird feeder attached to the side is perfect for water as it won’t spill. The crate can also be placed anywhere in the house even beside your bed and you will not have the worry of stepping in anything through the night.
- Your puppy may make a fuss for a couple of nights, this is natural as it is not used to being alone at night. If this happens ignore the noise and do not go to it until it stops crying. Once it stops fussing you can go to it if you want to check on it. Remember if you go to it while it is crying it will take a longer time to settle. If you are worried about the neighbours just mention to them that it may take a couple of nights.
- If you have children do not let them run wild with the puppy. Apart from the fact the puppy could get hurt the puppy is being taught to chase and it will start grabbing the children with its teeth through excitement. Their teeth are like razor blades at this age. Also children squealing and running in play will excite the puppy and again it could grab the child. Encourage the children to play quietly with the puppy. A gentle game of fetch is good.
- When picking puppy up place one hand on the chest keeping shoulders together and the other hand under its bottom then lift. Do not lift with the front legs or around its tummy as you don’t want to hurt it.
- If you decide to change the pups diet from what the breeder was giving it ensure you do it gradually so the puppy does not get an upset tummy.
- If you have other dogs do not allow rough play as the pup needs to learn that it is not acceptable behaviour to wrestle any dog it sees.
