All about puppies!
 

So, after waiting almost a year and a half, the puppy I've been wanting has been born and can come home March 26!

Problem is, I've never owned a puppy. I got the book Puppies for Dummies cause I'm that dorky and it's making me more confused. Combined with all the do's and don'ts the breeder is telling me, this is turning out to be daunting.

I need puppy advice, tips, hints or anything you can think of.

Has anyone paper trained a puppy? Do you use a dog car seat? The amount of puppy paraphernalia rivals that of human babies, it's a little much. What do I need vs. what do I think I need?

What about the whole feeding raw (like raw chicken backs, raw eggs, canned fish) vs. high quality puppy food like Blue Buffalo or Innova, any thoughts?

Do those sprays to discourage chewing on like electrical cords really work?

What type/brand of chew toys are good?

What is your flea strategy?

How did you train your puppy, voice commands, clicker, hand signals, treats etc.?

I feel really stupid, because it's a puppy, but there seems to be so much to it.

Before we bombard you with tips and "advice". What kind of pup are you getting!?

BTW - I am so envious, because I LOVE dogs and don't have one because I live in an upstairs small condo.

My favorite breeds are (1.) golden retrievers and (2.) labrador retreivers.
However some of the best and smartest dogs I've known and lived with were "pound pups."

Congrats!!! What kind of puppy are you getting? That will effect the answers given to some of the questions you have.

I am the owner of a Bullmastiff that is currently 8 months old. (Check the Pets thread in the Photography Forum, there are loads of pics of him posted since August '09.) He has been a BLAST (and a lot of work!) to raise and train. :D As I was growing up, we always had dogs as pets in our family, so I've had a lot of experience through that. I've owned a lot of various breeds, Pugs, Pekingese, Saint Bernards, Border Collies, Collies, and now a Bullmastiff. I also did a MASSIVE amount of research leading up to getting our current pup, and since we've had him.

I'll tackle the questions you listed first.

Paper training - Unless you have to, or your dog is going to stay very small, I would try other methods. Best case, you have a schedule where you can let your pup outside pretty often the first few weeks. Some puppies get confused with paper/pad training and struggle to realize that when the owners are home they should go outside instead. We have crate trained our pup since the day we brought him home and are extremely glad we did. He now considers his crate "his space", and will often go in there to sleep on his own, and never, ever cries when being put in there. Using this method, he has not had a single accident in the house since he was 12 weeks old.

Car seat - I haven't used one, but part of that is because my pup is already 100lbs at 8 months old, and would've quickly outgrown any car seat out there. After a few car rides, he's gotten used to sitting in the back seat and just relaxing. Soon I'm going to have to upgrade to one of those separator walls for SUVs and put him in the very back end. I give him a blanket and he's always good to go for a car ride.

Puppy Food - We considered a raw food diet, and liked the principles behind it. But we decided against it after consulting with our vet, and after considering the committment of time and work it would take to be consistent with it. We chose Blue Buffalo instead. I HIGHLY recommend it!! Several of my friends have now switched their dogs to it, and all have been glad they did. My breeder, my vet, and all my friends rave about my pup's coat and muscle development, and the breeder and vet said they both feel Blue Buffalo has played a big role in that.

No Chew Sprays - They didn't work for my dog. Instead, we try to always have a handful of toys and bones (real beef ones, not rawhide) around for him to chew on. Along with some training of what is his, and what is not his, he does a good job to sticking with these instead of furniture or cords.

Brands for toys - This may depend on your breed and the disposition of your dog. If he is a big chewer with strong jaws, go with Kong toys appropriate for his size. This is going to take trial and error on your part too to see what your dog actually likes, or will play with. Despite the fact that he's huge and strong, my dog prefers small stuffed animals, and he just sucks on them or tosses them around. He never tears them up, and has very little interest in things that squeek or can be thrown and retrieved. When he chews, he wants a real bone or bully stick (another great option for pups), and when he's ready to play he wants a rope or stuffed animal.

Fleas - Frontline is a good option. Part of this also depends on your breed and how they are groomed.

Training - We used a certified, private trainer that came through recommendation from family/friends. She espouses the use of both positive (treats and praise) and negative (prong collar) reinforcement. Again, I couldn't be happier with the results. Very rarely do we need to apply any pressure to the prong collar, and haven't had to after the first two or three weeks. It's the same principle as a bridle with a horse, slight pressure and direction are all you need once they understand how to respond.



Hopefully some of that helps. I appluad you for taking it seriously, and wish you and the pup good success. I'll add more once I find out what breed you've went with. :D

Okay, first thing's first. Your breeder should be your primary source of information and you should trust him over any book you might have. Your vet is also a good resource for health concerns, but behavioural/training issues I'd talk to the breeder first.

Raw food is a bad, bad idea. I don't know where this started, but your dog is just as prone to food poisoning as you are. Feed him a good high quality puppy chow instead.

Vehicular options, as Borla noted, are highly dependent on the type of dog you own and the type of car you drive. I'm personally not a big fan of allowing a dog to be loose in the passenger compartment because it can lead to distraction for the driver. If you have a van or SUV, the luggage area is a good option. Do not put your dog in the open bed of a pick up truck. I've heard too many stories of that leading to tragedy.

Crate training is not just a good idea, it's pretty much mandatory. Crating your dog is not cruel -- if the dog has been trained properly, the crate will be regarded as a safe space. Do make sure you get a proper crate for your breed. A dog like Borla's is going to need a bigger crate than, say, a Pomeranian.

We used choke chains and treats for training purposes. The most important part of training is consistency. It takes patience, but it isn't complicated.

My golden learned quickly that peeing was done outside and I had a very easy time training her about "go outside". Even when she'd start to pee, I'd pick her up and take her outside. I never had to use a rolled up paper to spank her bottom. She just seemed to know that inside was off limits.

As for chewing, I always had a few good toys for her to chew and made sure my closet doors were alwys closed and stuff like leather jackets and purses were put away and out of reach. She did love daddy's smelly socks, which is amazing to me...but she only chewed up one pair. She loved daddy's smell - cuz she liked to lick his feet, which was a hoot to see but not something that happened too often. She just learned more from the positive reinforcement than the negative and was a great dog.

What breed did you get??

I can't believe I forgot that, she's an AKC purebred Australian Terrier. She'll weigh about 10-12lbs fully grown.

This is what she'll look like grown http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images22...lisBradman.jpg

She'll be about this small when we pick her up. http://perpetualrenovator.files.word...rier-puppy.jpg

So what is with crate training? Why is it seen as so important? Is it the only way to potty train? Is there any way to do a modified crate training with say a puppy playpen kind of thing? I've read that they really like their crates but I can't seem to get past that I'm "stuffing" her in a box.

I have actual pictures of her but they are in my email and don't know how to post those.

Yeah Martian, but the breeder is pushing "raw" food, that commercial food is bad for her, raw eggs, canned mackeral/salmon, raw chicken wings/backs, yogurt, canned duck/rabbit/venison, stuff like that. Then the remainder is feed her food from the table, leftover rice, noodles, veggies, meat etc. should be scraped into her bowl.

I know she's a good source of information, I guess she just isn't giving me the information I want to hear!

Just because your breeder feeds a certain diet, doesn't mean you have to. Raw diets are difficult to do properly and require a lot of time investment. It is also more difficult to offer a raw diet complete with required amounts of minerals, vitamins, etc. that aren't added as they are in commercial dog foods. Commercial dog foods are NOT evil, especially the high quality ones - a LOT of research - science, time, testing - goes into these foods. As long as you're choosing a food whose research doesn't take price into account, you are offering your dog a complete diet.

A note on bones, if you intend to buy them for your dog to chew: DO NOT GET COOKED BONES. My boyfriend is a veterinarian who has seen a lot of broken teeth/damaged mouths thanks to cooked bones. If you are going to buy bones, make sure they are "raw" so they aren't as hard and won't shatter in your dog's mouth.

Re: crate training - it's not really potty training, but rather teaching your dog that they have their own little cave to retire to. It is not to be used as a punishment, but rather as a safe and calm spot for your dog to go to when they need sleep or a break/alone time. If they see it as their own place, you get the added bonus of them not wanting to soil it, so they'll hold their bodily functions until they're in a place where it's okay to go. Potty training in general is about 1) teaching your pup where it's okay to go, 2) allowing them enough potty breaks (especially early on) that they don't mess up, and 3) teaching them to go (or at least show you that they're TRYING to go) on command, so if you're in a strange place you can still produce a potty break without having to take your dog out FOREVER until they decide it's okay to go on their own.

Good luck with your adorable new addition!

Eep.

Never give your dog table scraps. Bad call.

Your breeder sucks. Sorry. In this case, I'm going to go ahead and say ignore her. I know I'm contradicting myself in saying that, but there you are. AKC/CKC registered breeders are often knowledgeable, specifically regarding their breeds, but sometimes you get a bad one. This is why references are also important, but it's a bit past that point now.

Crate training is important for a number of reasons. One is that it's a good way to keep the dog out of trouble; since you probably can't be home 24/7, if you can crate her when you're away and she won't be getting into anything she shouldn't. This is for your convenience and sanity, and also for her safety -- as willravel's recent thread highlights, discretion is not always a dog's strong suit.

Apart from that, it's very important that your dog have a 'safe haven' to go to when she's uncomfortable or nervous. A crate is the best option for this, since it's a nice enclosed space, it's cozy and it is indisputably hers.

I promise you your dog will not mind the crate. In fact, it's probable that she'll love it. The only exception to this is when dogs experience trauma associated with their crate, which usually requires the intervention of a good professional trainer to overcome.

Raw food is not a good idea. Just don't do it. For your pet it's not necessary; it doesn't provide any significant benefits and the risks are high (extreme illness, death). Just get a good commercial chow. I've seen dozens if not hundreds of dogs raised on it and fed it for life. They've lived long, healthy and happy lives with no ill effects whatsoever.

(My 'cred', as it were, is that my step father is an active breeder of bulldogs and bullmastiffs; I grew up in a kennel environment and participated in the care and training of a great many of the pups who passed through).

Dogs are cave/den animals by nature. They feel safe, secure, and at home in a proper crate. Having a dog without a crate is like raising a kid without them having a bedroom. ;)

I'm not advocating keeping them in there 18 hours a day by any means, but having that space for them is key. It is NOT for punishment, ever. It is where they go when it is time to sleep, or time to be quiet. If they are properly crate trained, they will grow to love their crate. I have found that my Bullmastiff will go get in his crate on his own after his last potty break in the evening. Sometimes we leave him loose in our bedroom (where his crate is) at night, and invariably he ends up going in there and sleeping in his crate anyway, even with the door open.

Many commercial foods are bad, or at least not that good. Look for something whose first ingredient isn't grain or rice or some other filler. That is exactly why I've went with Blue Buffalo.

Food, as expected, is insanely important.

Ask your vet for some recommendations. When we got our Lab, she was a few years old and was fed Dog Chow or Kibbles & Bits or something along that line. Her hair was wiry and she even had a thinning spot on her back. We switched her food immediately to something of better quality, and within a few weeks her hair softened up and her thin spot eventually grew out.

The problem with commercial foods is they don't often have science and research to back up their formulas. We feed our dog and cats brands that we know we can trust based on good research. And cheaper food often means cheaper ingredients or cost-saving blends (fillers).

That said, I would never feed my dog or cats a regular diet of raw food and table scraps. (Cooked table scraps are a rare treat only.) Nor would I feed them a cheap national brand picked up at the grocery store.

Oh, and crate training, ftw. Seriously.

House training usually involves using a crate/pen and taking the puppy out every hour, on the hour, to use the restroom. If they void outside, lots of praise. If they void inside, do not scold, just take the puppy out to finish and praise if s/he voids outside.

Raw diets are almost always best, but difficult to maintain. You also need to make sure you are getting near-exact ratios of the different nutrients needed. The high quality foods, Blue Buff and Eagle Pac, are excellent, and are an easy way to insure good nutrition without having to devote so much time to it. It's also easier as the hard kibbles keep the dog's teeth cleaner; on a raw diet you'll have to start brushing early and often.

Do a search for Leerburg kennels on google. The guy's a prolific writer and sells a lot of videos on dog training. I'm in the process of training a German Shepherd to be a Search and Rescue pup using clicker training; however, instead of a clicker I'm using a high-pitch vocal command, but with the same techniques. It's extremely effective. If you want to research it look up clicker or marker training.

Remember, for the first few months especially, avoid punishment and just reward and bond with your dog. This will go a long way towards easier training in the future. Once the dog is older, punishment becomes necessary, but learn how to do it properly.

Good luck!

Another thing to keep in mind as a benefit with crate training:
If you have any long road trips in your puppy's future (to shows, visit relatives, etc), the crate will be a safe way for your friend to travel.

I'm another big advocate of crate training, especially for housebreaking. Dogs will try to never go to the bathroom in their den, so as long as she's in there, she'll develop more control over that. However, you can't expect a dog to go 8 hours without going outside until they're around six months old. I believe the axiom for determining how long a puppy can "hold it" (in hours) is their age in months plus 1. So - and this is very important - you will have to take the puppy out of the crate every couple hours so she can do her thing. Yes - that means you'll have a week or two of interrupted sleep, so if you need to sleep peacefully through the night, now is not the time to get a puppy! Also, if no one will be home during the day, it's not a good time to get a puppy. When you see or hear her start to get agitated, or crying, you've got to be available to take her outside. Set her down and wait till she goes, then praise her (I always used the stupid baby-talk voice and say "Good girl go potty outside!!); make a big production of it, and then give her a treat. It doesn't have to be an unhealthy treat - just a piece of her normal dog food will suffice. She'll catch on fairly quickly. Most dogs can be housebroken within a few days; but don't get discouraged if it takes a couple of weeks. And there will be accidents - it's part of having a puppy, so go buy a Resolve spray bottle and some more paper towels - you'll need them!

As far as food - I also agree that Blue Buffalo is a decent brand. Presently I use Canidae All Life Stages (our dogs are both 2-yr olds). Just look at the first several ingredients and make sure they're healthy (Corn or wheat or animal by-products should not be among them). And whatever you do, don't buy into your vet's recommendation to feed her Science Diet. And your vet will recommend it - they all get huge markups to sell that crap.

And patience, patience, patience . . . . . always remember she's a puppy and is still learning what pleases you (and that's their goal in life - to please you). But she'll also test you to see what the limits are. Dogs are pack animals and are used to a social order, so always be the pack leader. If you're not, she will - dogs have to know who's in charge.

And finally, just try as hard as you can to love her back half as much as she loves you, and you'll both be fine.

EDIT LATER: I would highly recommend a book on training - most humans have no idea how a dog's brain works. One I'd recommend is Good Owners, Great Dogs, by Brian Kilcommons. Look

One more thing - especially since she's a terrier, she'll be a bundle of energy. Plan on devoting an hour a day to getting her enough exercise !! That means a few walks per day plus throwing a ball a couple times a day. Don't forget the old saying - "if a dog is overweight, its owner needs more exercise."

As far as toys go, I'd recommend sticking to Kong or Nylabone brands - but then again, I've got a couple of big dogs that will chew anything else to pieces within minutes. I doubt you'll have that problem with a 10-lb dog. But the above two are pretty bulletproof. And if you give her enough toys to play with, she'll be less likely to use your slippers as toys.

That raises another good point that I think I forgot to mention.

If she's chewing random stuff, it's usually a sign that she's bored. You've got a high energy dog on your hands there -- a ball and an hour or so in the yard each day is probably a very good idea.

Second the nylabone and kong toys. You don't want to leave your pup with toys that can be broken into pieces and digested; this includes tug toys, which usually aren't designed to stand up to chewing.

All toy use should be supervised to make sure nothing is ingested. Nylabone and kong, though, can be left in the crate while you're gone. Make sure to the pup something to chew on, or the time in-crate can become stressful.

Definitely. And you can probably throw out my earlier suggestion of stuffed animals, at least when unsupervised. Most terrier breeds will destroy stuffed animals, especially if they have squeekers in them. You can still let them have them if you want, just make sure you keep an eye on them so they don't swallow bits and pieces if/when they do get them apart.

I'm agreeing with martian on this (the devil just got a shiver), your breeder is an idiot, and that should cause a huge red flag to go up. Sounds like a money breeder and not a breed breeder.

Crate training isn't cruel, it's a safety thing as well as a territory thing. If you don't crate train, you'll reap the trouble later. Dogs (and especially puppies) will always take a mile if you give an inch. There's too much in your house for a pup to get into that can be deadly and/or dangerous for them. Keep them in the crate to keep them safe, but also to show them where their private safety place (territory) is. It speeds up the house breaking because animals don't like to shit where they sleep or eat. Especially in such small confines.

Energy.. yeah.. you need to devote at least (very least) one hour of exercise EVERY day for your pup. Boredom and high energy will NEVER mix. Kongs and Nylabones will help with the chewing, but the more exercise the dog gets, the happier the dog will be and the fewer problems (probably) you'll have.

Another vote for crate training. Our dog will be 14 this summer. Every evening when he's tired, he'll go to his crate and sleep. During the day, he'll nap in his favorite spots but at night he knows where his bed is at. When he was younger we used to close the door on the crate at night, but after a while that wasn't needed. When things get hectic around here (guests, etc.) he'll sometimes retreat to his crate, its in a quiet spot of the house. Its his home within our home.

You might want to take an obedience course. Its just as much for the pet owner as the pet. During the course, you establish that you are the dominant one in the relationship. Its very critical to do this otherwise you won't be able to control your dog.

Never tried a raw diet. One issue with that might be if you ever board your dog. That diet might be difficult for the staff to follow. We always provide the same food/treats when we board him when we're out of town. Boarding is stressful enough without a diet change on top of it. And if you do board, have your vet give your pup a shot to prevent kennel cough before hand.

And exercise you pooch daily. Take a walk - on the leash, of course. And not one of those retractable leashes, either. Get a good lead and keep your dog under control during the walk.

I second this. A good training class is more about training the human than the dog. A good trainer will help you learn to be consistent and communicate so your dog can understand.

I also highly recommend socializing your pup once he's gotten his first batches of shots and is able to be around other dogs. We have exposed our pup to a huge amount of people, animals, and situations, and I think he is far better for it. He is able to handle almost any situation calmly, and gets along great with other dogs and new people. The last thing you want is a yappy, nervous, and/or unhappy dog every time you take him into a new environment, or around new people or animals.

^ Two very good points ^

Socialize your dog, but not before she's had her shots. Ask your vet at what point it's okay to have her around other dogs. Dog owners are no more responsible than the general population, so many of the dogs she comes in contact with will not be immunized. I would not expose her to a dog park until she's had the full regimen of shots.

So many things to reply to, I'm not going to quote anyone, I'll just blab on and hopefully it will match up sort of.

We've already decided againt the "raw" food and table scrap food as a diet. I was just making sure I wasn't making a mistake. We did choose Blue Buffalo and Innova foods, I figure every bag or so I can rotate those two so she doesn't get too bored. But every once in a while I can give her a little piece of cooked chicken or steak for a treat, that won't hurt right?

Yeah, I'm not crazy about the diet the breeder is advocating, but she's really passionate about her bloodline, and her dogs, for whatever reason she's decided this is the only diet good for a dog and is pushing it. That and she has a thing about over vaccination, if I don't follow her vaccination schedule, it voids the health warranty. She's a registered breeder, she's listed on their website as having puppies available The Australian Terrier Club of America

I have a huge organic vegetable garden and being in Florida it grows around 10 months out of the year. I'm out there almost every day, so her getting outside and getting exercise won't be a problem. They just built a new dog park, half is for under 25lbs, the other half is for over 25lbs a couple of miles from the house, so we can go there too.

I'm home all day, so she won't be left alone, not for the first couple of months anyway. I figured I'd have to get up during the night to take her to her "potty space", hopefully that won't last long! So, if she's in the crate should I wake her up if it's time to go?

Thank you for the book suggestion on training, I ordered it. Hopefully it will give me some insight.

I was reading about Frontline for fleas. Do you use anything else? What about flea collars, baths, stuff like that, useless? She will be outside a lot, and we already have an indoor pest control guy, but he only comes once every 3 months. Maybe once a month would be better? I don't want her picking them up outside and bringing them in.

Nylabones, I did come across that in something I was reading, wondering if they were good, now I know.

Thanks for all the advice and tips, I appreciate it and so does she, we've already named her Bailey.

Frontline Plus is good for flea and tick protection. Search online for the best price, because it's expensive. Stay away from the Hartz stuff and collars sold in grocery stores.
Also, definitely get her on Heartgard as soon as your vet recommends starting treatment. Heartworm is a terrible disease, yet totally preventable. Again, shop around for the best price - it's not as expensive as Frontline, but it's not cheap, either. And it's once a month - forever. If you discontinue it for any length of time, your vet will require a heartworm test ($$) before issuing another prescription, because giving Heartgard to a dog with heartworm will kill it.

No - don't wake her up if she's sleeping. She'll wake up soon enough! Besides - the object is to get her to let you know when she needs to go out.

Be careful switching up foods. That can really mess with a dogs digestive system. If you are dead set on it, either mix the two, or be sure to gradually make the change (i.e. 3/4 one food, 1/4 the other for a week, then 1/2 and 1/2 for a week, then 1/4 and 3/4 for a week). Don't just make a complete switch overnight. Occasional meat treats aren't the end of the world, but if you want your dog to avoid begging, don't do it at times you eat, or off of your plate.



Good to hear about you being home! To me that makes crate training so much easier. What we did for the first couple of weeks is to put him in his crate for 20-40 minutes, take him out and go straight outside to go the bathroom, then let him play or whatever for an hour or 90 mins. Then we'd go back outside to go the bathroom then put him in his crate for 20-40 minutes and do it all over again. It solved two things, he became potty trained very quickly, and he grew accustomed to being in his crate.

Yeah, I was under the impression that animals don't like a whole lot of variety in their diet.

And by "like" I mean that they'll either snub it... or they may eat it but puke/crap it out later with unhappy results.

I don't have a dog, but my cat gets pissed whenever his brand of food isn't in the bowl.

There are some higher end brands that are identical except for the protein source. In those cases, you can vary the menu somewhat by rotating buying bags of chicken, then lamb, then salmon, etc. I'm not sure you can do that with Blue Buffalo, however - they seem to have different grains, too.

It's always a good idea to gradually switch dogs over to a different food by varying the mixture over the course of a few days, if not a week. Actually, it won't bother the dog much, but it'll make your life miserable picking up after it (you'll need a large spoon as opposed to latex gloves, if you get my drift!)

Changing foods too much can be a bad idea. However, you picked a good brand to go with. An old girlfriend of mine was a sales rep for Blue Buff, and from looking it over in detail the stuff is great.

Crate training is ESSENTIAL. It's not cruel. It's only cruel if you leave them in there all of the time because you just don't feel like dealing with the pup. It's also not cruel to keep your pup on a leash tied to you early on. That way the pup learns early on who's in charge, and gets to spend a ton of time with you.

They're like kids in the sense that they'll whine and bicker, but ultimately be happier for discipline. The "dogs are like kids" reference ends there.

Boiled/baked (unseasoned) chicken is fine, and is actually great for treats when you're training. Stay away from the jerky-like treats; they gave my dog a nasty urinary tract infection. The vet asked me that specifically when I brought her in, and I realized that I just started the jerky treats a few days before symptoms began. Go figure.

Warning: RAISINS AND GRAPES ARE POISONOUS TO DOGS. UPON INGESTION, IMMEDIATELY CALL AN ANIMAL HOSPITAL. RENAL FAILURE CAN OCCUR. I spent last week pumping charcoal solution down my dog's throat to save her when she got into a half-pound of Sun Maids. Don't make that mistake.

Good point on the raisins and grapes. Also, onions and (to a lesser degree) garlic are toxic to dogs. And - I think everyone knows this by now - never give a dog chocolate.

I actually like Revolution for controlling fleas & ticks better than Frontline Plus. It's like an all in one pill.

Revolution: Flea Control Medicine For Cats & Dogs - 1800PetMeds

there's the product page if you want to take a look at it.

And yes, socialization and obedience are pretty much mandatory. Small dogs have a tendency to bite more than bigger dogs, so you'll want to snuff that before it even begins to happen. Don't allow the dog to play bite with you or anyone else.. it can bite it's food and toys, but not humans.

And I'm going to agree with everyone who said not to switch up the diet so much. It can reek havoc on a dog's digestive system.

Chicken may be ok but chicken bones are dangerous. Watch out for that.

Revolution is a topical, not a pill. It comes in a little tube, and the cap has a lancet built in. Push the cap down to puncture the tip, then apply directly to the skin on the back of the neck.

It's rather dear, but also very effective.

And I'll say it again. One high quality puppy chow, switching to an adult formula on the timeline provided by your vet. Since your dog is smaller and doesn't have so much growing to do, you can probably switch over to the adult formula much sooner.

Your pets don't need or want variety in their diet. Stick to the same food unless something forces you to switch, and if you have to switch do it gradually.

There's nothing wrong with giving your dog a boneless chicken breast (or other meat), but it's not really necessary. Most dogs prefer attention over any kind of food treat.

Yes, I know it's a topical ;) I was using the pill analogy because it seemed easier to explain it like that in my head.


guess I could have used shot instead of pill.. eh whatever.. I like that better than Frontline

As far as food goes, I've been using Eukanuba for years.. wouldn't dream of switching unless it was to Royal Canin. Food can be pricey, but, you get what you pay for when it comes to food. Cheaper the product, the more crap that's in there. (generally speaking of course)

Since there's been a lot of talk about chicken, I'll add this:

One trait all puppies have is; for no apparent reason, they'll throw up every once in a while. Don't let it freak you out. It happens.

But, if it happens frequently, or if it's accompanied by diarrhea, the best thing you can do to help get their digestive system back on track is give them chicken and rice (no spices).
There. That just saved you a $75 vet visit.

Oh - and one more thing concerning treats that I forgot to add earlier: The cheapest treat you can give your dog is ice cubes. And they love the hell out of them.

puppies!!!!

you don't train them,they train you.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...g?t=1267020170

That works for dogs of all ages. If your dog has a digestive problem, chicken breast and rice for a day or two until they are better.

Did these nine pups come out of one mother?

What kind of dog did this, please?

Look like Labrador Retrievers

yup........all from one mom,and they're all in-bre......uh......i mean pure-bred golden labs.

mine is the one with the black neck piece.........

she'll be 3 this may

so they're West Virginian pups..

got'cha ;)

we like to say here in BC......they're from Sooke on Vancouver island.

The only really important advice I can give you is on the food. We buy Royal Canin dog food for Edwin. He used to eat the Purina type dog food but his fur was really wiry like a horse and he matted terribly. Then we switched him to Royal Canin (which is far more expensive) and his fur turned silky smooth in 2 weeks and he doesn't mat nearly as bad. Make sure to spend the extra money on quality food for the pup.

It's not just hair quality that is affected by dog food - there's been a terrible rise in cancers (especially lymphoma) in dogs over the past few decades. It's not a far leap to assume it may be because of what they're eating. Also, many dogs are allergic to wheat; after all, they're not grazers.. It's no coincidence that natural, healthy, wheat-free dog food is more expensive than grocery store brands that contain mostly corn, wheat, and animal by-products. When it comes to dog food, you get what you pay for.

Coincidentally, we're having a bit of a problem with our male Golden - his hair is getting all weird on his back legs, and getting much lighter in color on his front legs. We have an appointment Friday with a dermatological veterinarian. My wife has said, "Geez - we spend $50 every two weeks for dog food and we're still getting this?!" We'll see what the vet says, although he's had this forever. We thought it was just "puppy hair" at first, but he's two years old now, and it seems to be getting worse. Maybe in a few days I'll retract my endorsement of Canidae.

Those of you who have registered Labradors, did you know that the tradition that they carry is that they always get a name that has part of a boat or ship in it? My dogs AKC name was Cresents Black Mizen. Named after the "mizen mast". Missy for short. Another fav was her boyfriend named "Tugboat" and Tuggy for short.

Cool 'eh?

I find it hard to imagine that the 9 pups were in and then out of one animal. On the other hand I don't know when the pic was taken relative to the birth.
Thanks for responding to my post.

So much wonderful advice and tips, thanks everyone!

Hmm, the chicken and rice thing, is that white or brown rice or doesn't matter? And the ice cubes, never would have thought of that.

I'd come across Revolution a couple times in books, it looks like good stuff to use. Thanks for the link.

22 days and we can bring her home!

My pup was from a litter of 12.......another recent litter that the same breeder had was of 16. :eek: These were Bullmastiffs too, so they weren't the tiniest things even when they were born. :D

Just an update on food here. During our visit last week to the dermatological vet, he said our dog's hair is just "his genetics." But he did notice some other areas that showed allergies. He said that even with his specialized practice, it's difficult to distinguish between environmental and food allergies. He suggested I be a bit more active in my dog-bathing, because pollens and other allergens can work their way into a dog's skin.

I mentioned what we were feeding him, and gave him a copy of the ingredients from the bag (although he's familiar with the Canidae brand). He said that most skin and hair problems in young dogs are caused by inflammation and a lack of Omega 3 oils. He personally recommends Natural Balance Fish and (sweet) Potato. Unfortunately, I've been unemployed for a year and a half; the food costs $50 for a 28 lb. bag. So we agreed to keep him on his regular food ($45 for 35 lb) and supplement his diet with Fish Oil capsules (I'm sharing mine with him - I take them, too). Once I start getting a paycheck, we'll switch him and his sister over to Natural Balance. Or, Canidae makes a Salmon and Sweet Potato food, too, at about the same price as NB.

Because of this thread, I brought up Blue Buffalo brand food, and although he agrees the majority (i.e. the first few ingredients listed) are healthy, in his opinion, there are too many fillers in that brand, and he doesn't recommend it. Don't argue with me - I'm just the messenger.

Just for you over-40 trivia buffs - Natural Balance is owned by none other than Eight Is Enough's Dick Van Patten.

Most important thing to remember about training: YOU are the Alpha dog. No matter how cute your puppy may be you gotta assert your dominance and be the boss. If the puppy does something you don't like make sure that it knows.

Personally i do not recommend crate training, it seems completely unnecessary. You have to think like a dog when dealing with dogs and not like a human. Be nice to your dog, then when they fuck up you make them know about it. A little vocal bark-like yell like a "HEY!" with a stern look is really all you need to train your dog to respond to. Keep it simple, and don't stress them more than is needed.

Negative reaction training causes more problems than it cures.

Also, if the pup is at home while the owners are away, who will be there to give a stern look and a "HEY!"? Crate training is *not* unnecessary when it comes to not only asserting your territory vs. the dog's territory, but for keeping the dog aware of where the proper place to relieve itself is.

The only type of crate training I don't recommend is sending a dog to it's crate when it's done something wrong. That associates the crate with the bad behavior and can cause anxiety.

Also, one other thing that I see a lot of people doing which they shouldn't- if your dogs runs away from you or goes to inspect something that you don't want it to inspect or jumps fence or leash.. DO NOT reprimand the dog when he returns. You do that enough times and the dog won't come back for fear of being reprimanded. Put the leash on and tighten the collar a bit and have a walk session to reassert the dog with your direction and then use a fenced yard to practice your off leash commands.

I dunno, it seems to me that if you want something soft and fluffy to keep around and pet and then put away when you're done with it you should just get a plush toy.

The whole point of the "hey!" is to let the dog know they're doing something they are not supposed to be doing. Once they get it into their mind that they shouldn't do something they won't. Dogs aren't stupid. If you have to lock your dog in a cage when you're not home you have not properly trained your dog.

you aren't putting it away.

you're being the alpha and maintaining your territory.

Any one who has real experience with dogs and with training dogs knows that no matter how much training that dog has had, they will eventually do things to your home that you don't want them to.

I find it interesting that he said that about BB. Here are the top 20+ ingredients in the BB my Bullmastiff pup gets. I wonder which ones are the filler?

I'm not going to argue with you, I promise. :D But let me encourage you to look at the listings of ingredients yourself and compare. :thumbsup:

Natural Balance's main ingredient is potatoes. A similiar listing as above, this time for NB:

I would also beware the recommendation of any food in a vet's office if they also sell the same food. Not that it automatically means the food is no good, but it does automatically mean they have a huge ve$ted intere$t in getting you to buy it!

/off my soapbox, I promise!! :D

In all honesty, I think most reputable premium foods are going to be ok. Do research for yourself, read lots and lots of reviews online, and make the choice. After all, it's your pet, so you are the one who has to pay for it, and get to enjoy the results. :thumbsup:

Has to be one of the Best Puppy Pictures of All Time! Thanks Fly! :thumbsup:

Anyone else who got a new pup lately?

Borla, I would imagine he would be against the Barley Grass and Alfalfa Meal - he's not a fan of dogs getting carbs from grain.

As far as what's in his best interest, his offices do not sell food. I wholeheartedly agree with you about the Science Diet scam that goes on across the country, though.

To be fair also, I talked with the lady who runs the healthy pet food store where we buy our food. She is not a big fan of either Blue Buffalo or Natural Balance. She also advised me against getting the Canidae brand of Salmon & Sweet Potato; she recommends a brand called Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Formula.

So - I guess that you'll get as many opinions as the number of people you ask. Right now we're doing the best we can for our dogs under the present financial circumstances.

Kudos for you to putting the effort into research. It's already a step ahead of what most people do. :thumbsup:


Earlier today, I had a random thought about my above post too. When I was growing up I had a friend that had a dog named "Stinky". Stinky was a wire haired little terrier mutt. The dog never went to the vet, never got sick, and lived to be 21 years old. You know what he ate? Whatever was leftover from dinner, literally. They would scrape their plates into one big pile and dump it on the back patio. And let me tell you, this family wasn't the world's healthiest eaters either. If it could be fried, they did. But somehow the mix kept Stinky happy for longer than any other dog I ever knew. :lol:

Hi Helanna!

Congrats on the new puppy! Puppies are a lot of work but so worth it in the end! I have been a vet tech for about 5 years and I have 2 AKC/ASCA Australian Shepherds, both under 2 years old, so I know a thing or two about all the puppy stuff! :p

I have never paper trained a puppy, but I hear it is easy.. dogs are smart, they will pick it up pretty quick with the right encouragement. Lots of treats for the behaviors you want! I went around for months with puppy treats in my pockets! lol

I dont use a car seat exactly.. but I DO have a harness for each of them that straps them into the car securely. Ive seen more than one dog torn up or killed from a car crash where they didnt have a restraint, so I err on the side of caution.

When I was getting my first puppy, I spent probably $300 on toys (dont tell my husband that! lol) and it turned out he liked sticks. lol.. so I learned my lesson! They have a few kongs (I put peanut butter in them and freeze them for a day to give them a frozen treat on hot days), and some rope toys to tug with, but thats it! For outside the kong fribees and huge tennis balls are a favorite. So dont go overboard, wait to see what he likes to play with best. Some dogs are into different textures. :)

The vets at my hospital (one of the largest on the central coast of california), say that raw is fine if you're up for all the work... I mean if you're gonna go raw.. go raw. This means a fridge dedicated to the raw meats and veggies you're going to be preparing, getting a meat grinder if you're gonna control the diet 100%.. its a lot of work! So I feed Innova and occasionally I give them EVO canned food as a treat. Purebreeds have a tendency to have much more sensitive systems, so explore with caution. A bland diet would be white rice and boiled chicken. NEVER brown rice.

The BEST spray you can get to avoid chewing on things you dont want them to is called Bitter Apple. It works fabulously. Some dogs love to chew on wood (one of mine!), so i have to occasionally spray bitter apple on my chair legs and such. But if hes got enough toys around, electrical cords arent going to be something hes going to chew unless hes bored. :)

For Flea control, frontline is superior.. however in the last few years I feel like its not as potent... So I use Comfortis for flea control and Sentinel for Heartworm/Parasite/Flea control. It does not hurt to combine these two medications (you can combine frontline with comfortis for bad fleas, comfortis/ frontline with heartgard /sentinel.) Your vet will help you with this plan of action and answer any questions you have about it. :)

Crate training is absolutely crucial. Dogs love having a safe comfortable space.. my dogs love their crates.. When its time for us to go to bed, I say, "Bed time!" and they run into their crates and settle down. They will even ask to go into their crates for naps!

As far as training goes.. i cant say it enough. Puppy class, puppy class, puppy class! Your dog needs to start meeting people and other dogs before 4 months of age. By this time their socialization is set in and they are either confident dogs or fearful / aggressive dogs. Puppy class will help you get direction for how to co-exist with your new puppy, and help him/her be comfortable round other dogs and people. It is very important to expose your puppy to as many different things as possible... babies, older people, bycicles, all kinds of things. but remember, only allow people you trust to touch your puppy before hes had all his parvo vaccines. this is a VERY contageous virus that can either be very expensive to cure or fatal. I used to carry hand sanitizer around for people to use before they held them.. I wasnt risking parvo! But I digress... puppy class!! even if all you can find is petsmart training or something.. I would recommend finding a club near you who does all levels of training.

My puppies have each continued up into Expert Obedience at only 1 year old and it makes such a huge difference in how we all co-exist together. Also, if you rent instead of own, having your dog in puppy class and getting them their Good Canine Citizenship Award makes all the difference to landlords. :)

Getting a new puppy is so exciting! Take lots of pictures because they grow and change so fast!

Why?

Your dog would be far healthier eating table scraps (i.e. real food)

I used to be like you. But then I had some major issues with my cat and Feline Kidney Disease.

Long story short - Vet No. 1 told me that my cat had 1 year to live and that I should buy her special Vet Kidney Disease pet food (kibble)

Vet No. 2 (recommended by my animal nut friend) in Rockwood told me - never feed a cat kibble or any processed cat food because it's all crap. Kibble being especially bad. Gave me recipe for home made cat food.

Cat is still alive and kicking 5 years later (knock on wood).

Commercial pet food is simply a means of garbage disposal. Feeding your cat kibble - any kibble will result in poor health and a premature death.

cat != dogs

they have very separate and unique diet needs.

Buying a high quality dog food that is free of allergens is perfectly fine for your dog. Eukanuba and Royal Canin are the best IMO.

I used to think like you, but not any more.

There is no such thing as "high quality" dog food - at least not the mass marketed stuff. I am aware that there are small niche market guys in the market, but they are usually local and I can't comment on them.

There are about 2 or 3 pet food manufacturers in North America. One of them is Menu Foods here, outside of Toronto. They make Eukanuba (along with about 100 others). They recently had to recall millions of dollars worth of pet food due to contamination of the product. They had used wheat gluten (something neither dogs or cats should be fed in the first place) purchased from China. In order to meet spec for protein, the Chinese were adding antifreeze to the wheat gluten (cheap and easy way to increase protein numbers)

Problem was it killed thousands of pets. They got sued. Lots of animals were killed or have been injured and they can't tell their owners so.

Here's a link with an overview. (Oh, and it seems Royal Canin is also being sued for killing animals)

CBC News - Canada - Ontario pet-food company faces $60M lawsuit

You can google more on Menu Foods yourself. You'll find they make Eukanuba.

Different names on the bag - same crud inside.

Don't be deceived by the hype. It's all marketing bullshit. Pet food is designed to be:

1. A means of disposing of crud they can't sell to humans

2. Convenient to humans. 5 seconds, one scoop, Rover is fed

3. Cheap to make, expensive to buy.


You might think me a tree hugger, but I'm actually a Professional Engineer. I design bridges for a livlng. I'd call myself a small c conservative, small l liberal. But I worked in the so called corporate world for 20 years. I know how it works. You are always aiming to improve the bottom line. There is only 2 ways to do that. Sell more, or cut costs. Better yet both. How do you cut costs with Pet Food? Simple - find cheap ingredients.

Anyway, think about it.

Here's an interesting Documentary about Pet Food:



Try eating kibble for a week and see how you feel. People laughed and agreed with "Supersize Me". Try eating kibble and see what happens to you.

Eh sorry. I'll keep feeding Eukanuba and having my dogs pass their vet exams with flying colors. I know that Menu Foods makes Eukanuba and Iams. Well aware of that.

Eukanuba and Iams were never involved in pet food recalls as those products never contained the problem ingredients in that mass recall that was killing animals. Most of the recall was due to wet food anyway.. I never feed wet food to my dogs. I always make sure my food is wheat gluten free.. among other things.

When the recall hit, I went to Eukanuba for answers and sent them an email specifically requesting information on the recall and to ensure that it wasn't one of the foods I had to worry about. While it was a bit biased since it came from the company, I was more than pleased with the reply and have continued to feed Eukanuba. It's not about hype with me, it's about feeding a good food to the animals I have.

Then why does my dog's fur turn into coarse horse hair after 2 weeks of Purina, but it stays silky and smooth and non-matted with Royal Canin?

Maybe it's not super high quality, but it's definitely healthier than the cheaper stuff.

The first sign of a healthy diet in a pet is a gleaming, shiny beautiful coat.

I'm not trying to be all confronational here, so don't get me wrong....

However,

According to the menu foods site, they did recall several Eukanuba products.

Here's the link:

IAMS

It may be that your product was not among those being recalled, however, it comes down to whether or not you trust Menu Foods, or Eukanuba. (I wouldn't.)

As I said before, there are only 3 or 4 companies that actually make pet food - they just put it in different bags. (Sort of like Whirlpool makes pretty much every appliance in North America - just slaps different names on them.)

Kibble is very bad for cats because cats do not have a well developed sense to drink water (being desert animals.) They rely on their food for their moisture. Normally, food is about 65% water. Kibble is about 7% water. So the result is allot of chronically dehydrated cats which results in Kidney Failure. (So common among cats now.)

Getting back to dogs - you could try an experiment. Feed your dog a BARF like diet (you can find them on the net) for a week or two. Watch how much he shits (sorry to be frank). You will find that when he eats kibble, most of it goes right out his ass because it's all crud. (So a friend of mine who switched to a healthy alternative dog diet over kibble told me.)

Anyway, my position is based on discussions I've had with my Vet who has convinced me. I've got an 18 year old cat sleeping in the next room that was supposed to be dead 5 years ago from CRF.

My Holistic Vet is a real vet, board certified, just she refuses to sell Gourmet Vet Pet Food. She says she could make allot of money selling processed crud for animals, but she wouldn't feel right about because she knows what it's all about. Same goes for drugs. She never pushes drugs. Immunizes the animal once and that's it. (Some Vets try to tell you you need to have your pet immunized every couple of years. She tells me that's bullshit as well.)

I would have to disagree on the idea that cats shouldn't eat kibble based very simply on dental health. If cats live on wet food only, and do not eat anything that they have to crunch up and break down with their teeth.. thats a straight line for dental disease and expensive bills for teeth cleaning. Dental disease left alone can effect all the major organs and organ systems, leading to a very sick cat.

My veterinary hospital sells pet foods.. but ONLY the prescription kind. The foods our clients purchase at the hospital are prescription diets meant to deal with specific treatments and cannot be bought by anyone who just walks in off the street looking for any available pet foods.

The BARF diet is indeed showing signs of being a great diet for pets, but for most average people this isn't within their means.. either financially or time wise. When I asked my vets about the BARF diet, they all very clearly stated that if you're feeding a high quality diet and read labels and do research, there is no real need to get into the BARF diet.

Just my two cents!

But.. Halanna! How is your research coming along? Have you looked into any puppy classes?

Quite the opposite regarding the cat's teeth.

I thought the same thing as you, asked my vet about it.

She said, the kibble is far worse for a cat's teeth than the animal just eating meat (what nature intended). She said to me, "Eat a meal of nothing but Graham Crackers and take a look at your teeth. They'll be caked with crud that won't come off"

Indeed she is correct.

Furthermore, the crud fillers that they usually put into kibble (rice, husks, wheat Glutten, barley left from brewing beer) are all grains. Cat's cannot digest grains. They eat it, their bodies metabolize it as sugar, the cat gets really FAT, ends up with Diabetes, and the sugar rots their teeth.

Ironically, it was tartered up teeth that led me to discover my cat's Kidney issues. I had taken her to Vet No. 1 about her teeth (she was a kibble eater) and they stated that she needed a ton of dental work at a cost of $1,200.00. Part of which included blood work. The blood work revealed the Kidney Disease, and that's how I met Vet Sharon who put me straight about mass produced pet food. Again, Sharon told me she could make a ton of money selling fancy vet pet food at high prices but she could not do it in good consience. She's right, go into my first Vet's office and they have a whole wing devoted to Vet Pet food.

There is ALLOT of misinformation being put out there by the Pet Food Industry in co-operation with many vets who sell the "Vet Pet Food" or as you call it - "Perscription" Pet Food. There's allot of money being made and they are not wanton to give it up.

PS, the Perscription Vet Pet Food is made by the same 3 or 4 Pet Food Manufacturers that make all the rest of the crud out there.

As to the cost, you can buy a can of cat food for $.69 at the local Loblaws, or a same sized can of Tuna for $.99.

In my case, I just buy a pile of chicken thighs and make up a mash of chicken and fresh vegetables, freeze it, it lasts about 6 weeks. Costs about $100.00 for 6 weeks buying the chicken (boneless skinless for my convenience) at Costco. Not over the top.

I understand where you're coming from, and I was slightly mistaken by Eukanuba products being recalled. However, I'm going to continue to feed the Eukanuba that I feed, mainly because the dogs are healthy and they are adjusted to it. I don't like to switch brands once a dog has become used to the food, as it will cause an unstable digestive system. As long as what I feed isn't recalled, and the dogs continue to pass their exams with flying colors, I see no reason to switch.

There aren't any dedicated obedience/training schools in my area. The local Petco does have a puppy class once a week. And there is the dog park, so she will be meeting other animals and people there.

I had already purchased a small bag of Blue Buffalo, that is what she is eating right now (crushed) at the breeders, with a little warm goat milk mixed in. She's only 6 weeks old right now and has a teeny tiny little mouth!

We bring her home in 12 days!

That means I have 12 days to figure out how to Flikr or whatever that is so I can post a picture of her.

You can attach a digital picture from your computer. On the menu bars above your Reply window, just choose the paper clip icon (attachments) and browse through your computer to find the picture you want to post. Then click "Upload." There are size limits (100 KB for a jpg image), so you might want to use some editing software to make the picture smaller. At 72 dpi, though, 100 KB is a pretty decent sized picture.

For example, this one of our puppies at 8 weeks is only 54 KB:

The discussion in this thread got me and my wife doing a lot of research on dog food and it turns out, Blue Buffalo has a much higher reputation than Royal Canin on pretty much every review site. Royal Canin stuffs their food with grains for filler and Blue Buffalo doesn't. Royal Canin is still way better for dogs than Purina or Kibbles but Blue Buffalo seems to be the best. We switched Edwin over to BB a week ago and now his fur coat is even SOFTER than it was before. It's amazing what a difference it makes.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._4791521_n.jpg