What Should You Look For When Buying a New Puppy?

If you are now ready to take in a new pet dog, here are some pointers to help you choose your new pet puppy.

Visit only reputable dog breeders and ask to see as many puppies as you possibly can. Find a puppy with good temperament aside from its good physical condition because you'll be living with your dog for many years.  It is crucial to know lineage of the puppy you plan to adopt or buy. If it's possible, see and observe the parents of the puppy yourself; observe their friendliness, their energy, and their condition. Inquire if they are easy to train and how they behave around the house.  Genetic traits are important to observe.

Ask to see the whole litter at a time if possible. This may be understandably overwhelming, seeing all frisky little balls of fur.  Check which one is smartest puppy and to which would you like the most. It can be difficult to tell.  Sometimes the friendliest ones may not necessarily be the strongest friend in the long run. One may be an absolute little troublemaker, some others are reserved and coy. Curiosity has long been considered a fairly good measurement of intelligence, yet it isn't a definite guide in gauging the very young pup.

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The chief factor, then, is to find a puppy of excellent lineage and one with visible healthy energy. The healthy puppy is cheerful but not nervous or hyperactive. Check for clean and bright eyes clean, the coat should be shiny, the nose has clean from any mucous discharge, and with healthy-looking skin. The dog's ears should be responsive responds when you talk to him or if you make a sound. The low-spirited, cowering pup should not be immediately disposed as mentally retarded.  It may not be feeling well due to, possibly, a needed worming or medication. If you feel a fondness on a puppy of this type, it is advisable not take him yet. Instead, ask the breeder to get him in tip-top condition, and then visit him later.

It can be very discouraging to be forced to medicate a puppy the moment you take him home. It should not be necessary, and it will not be when you insist on a dog with perfect health upon buying the puppy. Perfect health implies two things: that the puppy is in good health at the present moment, and that he has not been exposed to whatsoever disease or form of infection which could break out in a few days.

Everything else depends on taste entirely. Other people favor a dog with a long tail, others opt for a dog with a short one. Some like upright ears, some like droopy ears. Some want long fur, some short, while larger sizes appeal to many, and the average and toy sizes to other people. Fur color choice also depends on taste, and there is a great deal of shades from which to choose from.

Think of creating a list of your preferences in a dog, then research on diverse dog breeds. See if you could find one which meets your tastes. In the end, the pet that will please you is the one you wish for. This will be your friend and pet whom you'll live with for the next decade or so. Acquire the pet whose appearance delights you; do not allow anybody to decide for you. And remember that size, sex, and fur type will dictate, to an extent, the kind of pet care you should give.

 Facts About Puppies (3 to 5 Months Old)

Tips on Getting a Puppy Playpen


© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Can My Puppy Play Outdoors?

 Can you take a 3-6-month-old puppy outdoors? Naturally! But apply common sense. When it rains or snows, the puppy belongs inside the home. When it is exceedingly cold or very hot, hold him indoors. Draft, wind, and too much direct sun can prove disadvantageous. It is best to avoid them. This is most crucial with small and medium-size breeds. The bigger breeds at this age will be better used to being outdoors.

Keep in mind that most puppy coats are not dense and weather-resistant enough to keep him warm or to cover his body from the sun's rays. He is more sensitive to cold as well because he has more body surface for his weight than a grown dog.

 

In fairly warm weather, a certain quantity of exercise on natural grass is good; but it's not safe for any length of time. Particularly when left to himself, the puppy will dig up dirt and stones and could swallow them. He'll enjoy sprawling out on the grass, but if he lies there very long he might get chilled from dampness even though the ground appears warm. If the owner plays with the pup for ten or fifteen minutes, two or three times every day in good weather, that's fine, and that will be adequate. Keep the pup moving and he would benefit from the outing. The safest type of outing for a young pup is in a playpen.

 

© 2011 TW

Tips on Getting a Puppy Playpen

 

To get enough exercise, your puppy must have more space to play. He may be quite mischievous, too, or not completely housebroken, so he can't be given the freedom of the house. Put a tension-bar gate (designed for small children and dogs) in the entrance of the room you want him to stay in. At this age of 3-5 months, weather permitting, dogs of big or heavier-coated breeds can spend some of their time in an outdoor enclosure. They can be fenced in a puppy exercise pen or baby playpen. You can purchase a puppy exercise pen from most pet-supply dealers, or you can build one.

 

 Four wired frames can be screwed jointly and bolted to a wooden platform using casters or wheels. If the height of the pen is one inch or two less than the width of the house doors, it can be transported from one room to another, or outdoors. While covering the frames, nail the wire on the outside. It's safer for the puppy because he won't scratch himself.

 

Since you may wish to enclose the puppy in the pen for a couple of hours, it is wise to add up a bed in which he could curl up for a nap. For most puppies, a wooden box would do nicely. Cut an opening in the side to serve as an entry. Hinge the top for a cover that can be put up for cleaning or left open if the weather is really warm. Put a blanket or other bedding inside and you have made a snug little harbor free from draft and chill. Sometimes a pup will refuse bedding of any kind and claw it out of his basket, box, or kennel. Don't concern yourself about it. If he favors a bare bed, there is nothing you could do about it.

 

Put the pen in the sun when it's cool, and in the shade when it's hot. Face one long side and one short side using canvas as a windshield. The outdoor yard for bigger breeds must have some shade as well as sun, and a place secure from drafts or wind, like a doghouse. If you leave the house, even for a short time, take your dog inside. Don't leave him alone in an outdoor enclosure when nobody is at home, even if your yard is fenced.

 

© 2011 TW

Dealing With Hyperactive Puppies

Expect every healthy puppy to be mischievous. You could as well make up your mind to it and not worry. Worry more if your puppy is so good he never shreds anything; brace yourself, for he is below par!

 

When we say that puppy mischievousness isn't a fault but a virtue, we can hear protests popping up on all sides. But a dog's teeth are considered his fingers, and he must use them if he has the normal energy and curiosity of a healthy young animal. Books and magazines within reach would be gnawed; that hanging corner of the tablecloth will be jerked unmercifully. The world is his, and everything he can grab is a toy to play with.

 

There is just one way to avoid a lot of trouble.  Keep things out of his reach. You can't teach him yet to leave certain objects alone. So make sure to furnish safe and interesting toys to push and pull and tear and wreak his small vengeance on; and then take away all else from his inquiring teeth.

 

A special warning regarding base plugs: electric outlets having their wires attached are fair game for any puppy. He will try to chew them, and perhaps cause a fire or shock himself. If your puppy does get a shock from chewing through an electric cord and turns unconscious, don't touch him when he is in contact with electrical current. Unplug first the cord from the wall. If you are unable to, wrap a towel around your hand, a broom handle, or use a pencil, or some other nonconductor of electricity to force the wire out of the pup's mouth. Wrap him using a blanket to keep him warm. If the dog isn't breathing, start artificial respiration then get to your vet as soon as possible. Another word of advice: don't drop paper clips, rubber bands, and other small items on the floor, because they could get into a curious puppy's mouth and be swallowed up.

© 2011 TW

Puppy Care During Summer or Hot Weather

It's easier to keep a puppy warm than to keep him cool. When a dog gets overheated and perspires, he needs a lot of drinking water to substitute lost fluids. A pan of water laid for him in the morning isn't sufficient. Provide fresh, cool water numerous times daily. Make sure that both the water and the bowl being used for feeding are clean.

Throughout hot weather, exercise your dog in the morning or evening and protect him out of the midday sun. Assure that his outdoor exercise pen has a segment of shade.
 

Do not worry if your dog goes a bit off his food on a hot spell; he may be quite reasonable about eating less at such a time. Give him the same type of food but not quite so much of it. Don't take him for long rides, particularly if you have to leave him alone in the car for any duration of time. A car parked in direct sunlight gets hot inside too quickly; in just minutes, the interior temperature can soar up to 110° F.

Don't clip off his coat because it will help to screen the skin against sunburn and insect bites. Daily brushing would remove many of the dead undercoat which adds to overheating and discomfort. Heavy coats can be reduced but never given a "crewcut." Do not use toxic weed killers or plant sprays where your puppy plays. They can kill your dog or cause him to be quite ill. Fresh paint and varnish should also be kept out of reach.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Puppies Sleeping with People

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Must the puppy be permitted to sleep in your or your kid's bed? By all means, if you prefer it that way. Provided the pup is sweet and clean and housebroken, no harm would be done to adults or kids, except in the rare instance of human allergy to dog dander. Bringing the puppy with him is among the best means of persuading a child to go restfully to bed. It is also an excellent comforter for lonesome people, young, old, or middle-aged.

So far as the puppy himself is concerned, he rests warm and draft-free, with zero danger of chilling when the house heat comes down. If you are afraid of pampering your puppy, remember that some require coddling—if such a term may be used to entail sleeping warmly. A puppy's energy is confined; it can be used for keeping warm or for growing, so allow him to grow.

There are setbacks to having the puppy sleep together with people. Once you start it, you might have to keep it up. The pup would be quite definite to ask you that. Moreover, sleeping covered would "soften" him to a certain point. He should not sleep in a warm bed one night and alone in a cold room the next time.

The short-coated, thin-skinned small puppy used to sleeping covered must be given a blanket to curl up in for day naps. Create a flannel cover for the blanket or pillow, and leave the ends open so he could crawl in. The aged puppy knows enough to do this. When it's warm, he will sleep outside; when it's chilly, he will crawl in, snug as a bug in a rug. When you have occasion to board out a dog that has forever slept in bed, tell the kennel so they'll offer the additional night warmth needed. If they can't, then board the dog elsewhere.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight