Puppy And Kitten Care

Before you bring your pup or kitty home or as soon as possible if you have already brought her home you will need some stuff to take care of your new pet Remember puppies and kittens are not dogs and cats not for quite a while

First off puppies and kittens EAT Our kitten Sundance eats so much we can pretty much bet that if hes not standing on our laps or running under our feet hes eating We can practically hear him growing hes getting bigger so fast

For the first year a puppys or kittens job is pretty much to eat sleep and grow They do this because when they evolved in the wild being small and cute was not a competitive advantage and they needed to grow up be strong and defend themselves

So you are going to need to have plenty of food Remember that babies need baby food dont give the little ones adult food They need specially formulated food for their growing bodies to make sure theyre getting all the nutrients they need and not getting things they dont need

Just like human babies feline and canine babies need toys and a safe place to play Playing is an important part of their emotional and physical development just as it is for people babies and having safe toys will keep your baby from getting into things he or she shouldnt or at least help

Of course no matter how many great toys you provide theyll always find something theyre not supposed to have One day Sundance actually pulled a pushpin out of a bulleting board with his teeth I caught him and put the bulletin board up higher but it underscored for me the importance of kittenproofing our home

Be sure you put electrical cords up out of reach or tape them down dont leave chemicals like cleaning solutions or antifreeze out where they could be tipped over and leak dont leave sharp objects around and the like Fortunately unlike with people babies you probably dont have to secure the doorknob but you do need to make sure your baby is safe at home

Finally youll need to housebreak or litterboxtrain your pet and youll need supplies for that

If you have a puppy a crate the correct size is the perfect training tool because they love their crates feel comfortable there and also will not do their business in their sleeping area By having a crate using it when you cant be with your dog and taking him directly outside after leaving his crate or eating you can quickly teach him where the bathroom is

Litter box training is similar except that instead of putting the cat in a crate you will take the cat to the litter box after meals and he or she will quickly pick up on whats supposed to happen there Sundance was basically littertrained when he came to live with us and after a couple of times being shown the cat door and the litter box hes never had an accident in the house When puppies are first born and for the first three weeks of their life their total awareness is confined to their sense of smell Their eyes do not open for at least two weeks and it is often three weeks before their sense of hearing is beginning to come into play Consequently their whole existence is limited to the knowledge that they glean from their sense of smell Even these first few weeks can have an impact on the puppies training For example if the pups are kept in an unclean environment or small confinement where the dam has no chance to keep a clean bed area for her pups this will sometimes carry through into later life and a puppy will be more difficult to housetrain

Puppies who are exposed to light stress in this period of time seem to have a better ability to withstand stress later in their lives Changes in the environmental temperature being handled being moved aboutthese are stressors for the young puppy Breeders who routinely clean the whelping area removing the puppies while cleaning out the area picking them up weighing them are also actually improving the puppies ability later in life to adapt to changes

The period of three weeks to six weeks is the most opportune time for the puppy to develop true dog behaviors Puppies who are removed from their littermates before six weeks often do not learn dog behavior When they are with littermates they are taught what a bite is and whether they are biting too hard They are taught what a growl means and what will happen if they ignore a growl In short they are taught manners by their littermates and their dam These manners will be important to them all the rest of their lives when they interact with other dogs

After the third week and all through the growing up in the whelping area puppies should be exposed to as many different environmental stimulation as possible Surfaces they can walk on that are wobbly things they can smell and bounce around with their noses or their paws things that make noise things that they can climb onall are important for the tactile sensual and emotional development of the dog Imaginative breeders will fill the lives of the puppies with such stimulation knowing that in the end it will provide for a wellbalanced animal that can adapt to many different situations and remain a stable personality

Puppies often go through what some behaviorists call a fear stage at about eight to nine weeks of age This developmental stage seems to be a time when puppies will be affected more strongly by occurrences that may startle them or frighten them Puppies who have already been heavily exposed to lots of stimulation in their environment are much less likely to be influenced by unusual or traumatic events during this fear stage

FINDING PUPPY

The choices you make at the start are crucial You have to ask yourself if you are prepared to devote the next ten to fifteen years of your life to the care of this living adorable creature Are you ready to give him unconditional love and attention for that is what he will be giving you in return if you treat him the right way

If your answer is yes to these first basic questions then you have to consider other choices which are numerous How big or small do you want him Do you want an energetic or a docile pet Do you like them long haired or short haired Do you want him to be kid friendly Do you want a pedigreed puppy or a cross breed or a rescued one

A lot of the choices will fall into place if you consider where you live and how you live For instance is your home large enough for a Great Dane Do you have a balcony or a fencedin yard or neither Are you an indoors person or do you love going on long walks Do your neighbors like dogs Are there kids at home or any other pet Will there be someone at home at all times or will your puppy have to get used to being home alone Lastly will you be able to afford feeding him paying the vets bills and kennel charges when you go on vacations

So do all the research you can beforehand Talk to the local vet if there is a local dog rescue center you can tell them about your requirements see the kind of dogs the neighbors have they may have already done their homework and their experience with their pet dog may give you valuable insights read up on different breeds at the local library the internet or at the bookstore Dont make the mistake of giving in to the kids whims you have to be totally comfortable with the choice you are going to make since you will be bearing the brunt of nurturing the puppy

When you are doing your research note down any special equipment which might be required for the breed you will be choosing like yard fencing collars and leashes bedding food toys etc You have to know beforehand if your chosen breed is prone to any health problems which it might develop you might even have to change your mind

Lastly never buy a puppy for someone as a surprise and never buy one for someone without asking them these questions

Like bringing home an infant for the first time bringing home a new puppy requires a little preparation You want to make the transition to the dogs new home a smooth one You want to bring the puppy home to a calm supportive and properly prepared environment

Bringing a puppy home supplies you need

Two bowls food and water Stainless steel is ideal heavy unbreakable and unlikely to be knocked over Ceramic can chip and puppies may chew a plastic bowl

Dog cratebenefits The enclosure acts as a cozy den makes puppies feel safe when family is away encourages bladder control since dogs dislike to urinate where they sleep Plasticcrates are standard for travel but can be used daily Wire dog crates provide better ventilation and viewing Wicker crates are more attractive but can be chewed When bringing a puppy home alternatives to crates are playpens or gated enclosures Gates prevent puppies from climbing or falling down stairs until freer roam is allowed Note that confinement in damp dark quarters as basements and garages leads to housebreaking problems

Until the puppy you bring home is past the chewing stage and housebroken avoid bedding Instead an old quilt or flat mat identifies a place in the room for the puppy Take the quilt mat on trips as a security blanket Puppy supplies should include chew toys and play toys Never use shoes or garments unless you want good shoes and garments chewed and played with in the future When you bring home a puppy use a 46 foot drag leash of lightweight nylon for quick corrections in the house In the yard a 30plus foot long line allows freedom to play but gives you control

When bringing home a puppy consider an identification microchip injected into the puppys neck or shoulder by the breeder or veterinarian Have an ID tag with your address and telephone number attached to an adjustable buckle collar preferably rounded holding the puppys other tags After about 12 weeks the puppy is conditioned to wear the collar Dont put the dogs name on the ID since the name could endear it to wrongdoers Puppy supplies also include a training collar

The basic types The head collar muzzlelike in appearance is probably the most humane way to walk your dog since it eliminates pressure around the neck The chain collar or choke collar should never be left on the dog when not in use Master the zipper tug of the chain collar since the puppy learns by the sound and not the restraint A nylon training collarcan be used on more cooperative dogs instead of the chain collar

When you bring home a puppy and it has grown a bit you need a teaching lead for leading the puppy around the house on a leash anchoringwhen you are sitting and stationing settling the puppy into selected areas The teaching lead has 4 benefits substitutes for the crate when family is home encourages good manners helps teach everyday commands helps resolve housebreaking and other annoying habits

Before the trip home

Before bringing a puppy home the breeder should tell you the feeding schedule and how much food it gets Take a weeks supply of that food to avoid upsetting the puppys system by sudden changes Inquire when the puppy may need to defecate and about how often

For the trip home have a large towel folded to make a padded surface and settle the dog quickly on someones lap but never on the drivers lap Avoid the front seats where the airbags are located In the best case the trip home is during naptime If the puppy whines settle it by placing a reassuring hand on it and remain still no baby talk or petting and the puppy will likely fall asleep Have an extra towel if the puppy becomes car sick Dont fuss if it happens replace the towel with a clean one and maintain a calm environment

The first hours together

The first hours at home with your new puppy will leave an indelible impression it is especially important to make them pleasant If you become anxious or impatient the puppy will sense this and you risk anxietydriven behavior problems

Take the new dog directly to the area for relieving itself Stand quietly dont distract the dog let it sniff Stay until the dog urinates or defecates It will likely do so shortly after eating If the puppy cooperates immediately heap praise on the dog and point to the deposit Get the puppy to look or sniff at its work so it understands what you are pleased about Make it a celebration The faster the puppy understands what you are pleased about the more it will look to please you Communication is key after bringing your puppy home

PUPPY TRAINING

The quick and easy puppy potty training system has three concepts that will limit poor choices by you and your puppy The goal of our dog training program is to help make the right potty choice easy and the wrong potty choice hard for your puppy The three key elements to humane gentle and dog friendly potty training are Schedule Supervise and Confinement These are concepts that we share with our Chicago potty training clients

Scheduling is the hardest concept for the first time puppy owner to comprehend and implement properly A proper schedule helps you and your puppy plan your day The best schedule has planned times for food for potty time for playtime and for naptime Scheduling the day for your puppy revolves around his ability to hold in urine The Doggie Do Right rule of thumb is your puppy can hold it for one hour for each month of age For instance a threemonthold puppy should be able to stay clean and dry for three hours a fourmonthold puppy should be able to stay dry for four hours But there is one important exception to this rule

Many of our clients in the city of Chicago choose the smallest of toy breeds as their pets The size of your puppy is the really the controlling issue in creating a potty schedule The smaller your puppy the more frequently your puppy will have to potty and the usual rule of hour to age ratio is void Some of the smaller toy breeds like Chihuahuas or Papillions which are very popular with clients in the Gold Coast of Chicago may have to urinate as frequently as every fifteen minutes The simplest schedule for the very young puppy is onehour nap time and then one hour of potty play and snacks As the puppy becomes more mature the time for potty play and snacks can increase and the naptime can decrease Puppies that are three months or older can have activity periods that are two or three hours long

Proper supervision of the puppy is another area that can be very challenging for the new puppy owner Supervision means that the puppy is always within reach of your fingertips and you always have both eyes right on the puppy so that he cant sneak away to potty in your best boots This level of supervision is almost impossible for the average pet parent to maintain 24 hours a day If you are watching your puppy all day long when do you go to the gym go to work and visit your friends What do you do when you cant supervise your puppy Confinement

You can use many methods to confine your puppy Crates baby gates and tethers are the most common options The most common method is crating A crate is a metal or plastic box that is just like a babys crib Many people feel guilty about using a crate but feel comfortable placing a baby in a crib or playpen A crate is a crib for a baby dog It helps the puppy understand the concept of keeping your house sanitary and free from potty accidents and prevents the puppy from learning bad habits Another option is to baby gate the puppy into a small room that has a nonporous floor like tile stone or linoleum

Tethering is very effective for older puppies or for pet parents who like to have their dog with them during the day All you need to tether your dog to you is a thin leash that is about six feet long Clip one end of the leash to your puppy and the other end is tied to your belt loops This is a great way to keep your puppy with you within arms distance and reduce the need for crating