This is my Dog- Pearl- when she was a big puppy- we had a LOT of fun together.

First Things First!

It might be worth reading my previous post about choosing a new pet.

When your new puppy arrives, it is a HUGE change for them- they have been happily living with mum, and their litter-mates, where everything is familiar. And then this strange smelling person arrives, and picks them up and takes them away to a totally strange place, sometimes where there is no other dog at all, sometimes where there is another dog who is very put out at this little intruder- or maybe there’s this huge, scary cat. And these people are starting to do puppy training stuff already, and he is missing his mum, and…

Imagine what it must be like for them! Pretty scary…

There are a few little things you can do which will help your new friend settle in.

• Make sure he has a safe haven, or a den, to retreat into- a crate, or a box, or sometimes just under the couch! It would be a great idea to ask the people you get him from to give you a cloth the puppies and mum have been using to sleep on, so there is something that smells like home.

• Find out exactly what he has been fed- and try to at least start with a familiar food- offering a little feed as soon as he gets home is a great way to make him feel at home. Make sure he has clean water as well.

• Be clear about the boundaries from day one- if he is going to be an outside dog, make sure you get him in the morning (to allow heaps of time to settle in). If he is to be an inside dog, plan ahead where you will sleep him- and remember that he might be small and cute now, but he will get a lot bigger. Have a place all ready for him to sleep. Be warned, he will most likely feel lonely, and yell for mum. Only go to him when he is quiet- No matter HOW long it takes. He will eventually run out of steam. If you want him in your bed- start NOW to teach him that YOU own the bed, and he must get off it when you ask. (I had one Veterinarian friend with a client who was owned by a small, white, fluffy dog- and if the dog got on the bed first, this lady slept on the floor! I kid you not…)

• Give him a hot water bottle in bed (not too hot, mind )- he will be used to snuggling up with something warm, and a ticking clock can be a great help also (it sounds like mum’s heartbeat).

• Give him plenty of healthy attention, and make sure you have plenty of good toys to play with. They will give him something to do when you are not available. Play is great bonding.

• Make sure you give him regular opportunities to go to the toilet- probably take him out every 15-30 minutes to start with. (And if he does make a mess, be kind to him!)

• DON’T give him attention all the time, especially every time he asks for it- You are the boss dog, and he needs to learn to respect your personal space from the very beginning! Turn away, ignore him until he goes out of your space and stops hassling- then give him the reward of your attention. (This is VERY important!)

The Most Important Thing…

Is to be kind, and patient. This little soul you have chosen to share your life has a huge learning curve with you, and he is NOT doing anything more than being a normal puppy when he bites your fingers, or he messes on your floor, or he chews up you good shoes, or… You should be getting the picture by now. Kind, gentle, firm teaching is the way to go, preferably reward based, rather than by punishment.

Socialization, and why it is VITAL to do this well!

Hopefully he will be between 8-10  weeks of age when you get him- the period between 8-12 weeks is a very important window, when puppies can easily get used to new things, and people. I advise taking your puppy everywhere you can at this time, meeting as many different people, dogs, cats, and places as is possible. It is also a great time to get into a puppy preschool, and start learning a bit about how best to teach your new friend all the things he needs to know to be a happy member of your family.

There is always the issue of  vaccination at this age- many vets will advise that you don’t take you puppy anywhere until they have had all of their shots. I know that the benefits outweigh the risk of catching something. Another thing you can do is to treat your puppies with Homeopathic Nosodes for the dangerous diseases- You can do this in addition to standard vaccination, and it seems to give an equivalent protection (and without the potential harmful side effects of vaccinations). You can see a blog report on the (very successful) use of homeopathic nosodes  to treat and prevent Leptospirosis outbreaks in Cuba here. This is with humans, it works just as well for pets!

I don’t vaccinate my pets at all, but I will discuss that thorny issue in a later post.

General Health Tips.

Make sure you feed a good quality food- as little processed food as possible (by this I mean especially tinned food, and also dry biscuits)- as much as possible raw, and maybe healthy home cooked food, or table scraps. NEVER cooked bones though. Worming every couple of weeks until 3 months old is advised.I worm my adult dogs little or not at all if they are healthy- though if you live in an area where hydatid tapeworms are present, you MUST worm your pet regularly.

Vaccination… is widely recommended- as mentioned before, you may wish to use Homeopathic Nosodes as a stand alone protective measure, or you may elect to use them in conjunction with vaccination, or you may simply choose to vaccinate your pet. Please NEVER vaccinate your puppy if they are in the slightest way unwell or off colour. Some places mandate vaccination- eg for rabies in the USA- Nosodes will help reduce adverse side effects, and there are other remedies one may use which help even more on this front. Please contact me for further information- and I will post at length around this topic in the future.

I recommend:

Revolution for flea and heart worm prevention.

Taking time every day to roll him on his back, get him used to you opening his mouth, and touching his paws (important if ever you need to give tablets etc)- if he doesn’t like it, be gently persistent, try using food rewards to help him learn…

Regular bathing.

Lots of exercise.

Training.

Fun games…

and most of all, lots of LOVE and ATTENTION!

Enjoy your pets!

Until next time, Dr Edward.

This is Beau- a dog we used to have… And you will learn why by the end of this post.

Oh- He’s So, So Cute! We just have to have him…

And this is how most of us choose a pet! (Hint- this is NOT the best way to go about it!)

In my day to day work as a veterinarian, I see quite a few people who have some problems with new pets. So- today I am going to share a few tips that might help you approach this more sensibly. Believe me, this may make your life a lot more comfortable, especially when you consider that your average pet is a long term investment- on average, anywhere from 9 to 15 years (or even longer).

The MOST Important Thing to Consider is… PERSONALITY!

So- forget about all those things you thought you wanted! Most of them are simply eye candy, in any case… I must admit that the sex of your new pet can be important, especially if you already have other pets. So do bear this in mind. Still- it is not nearly as important as you might think. If you look around the people you know, it is clear that their personalities vary widely, within the men, and the women.

It’s exactly the same with dogs, and cats!

Most people think that a given breed will produce a certain personality. Whilst this is true to an extent, you will find that there is a very wide range of personality types within the overall “vibe” of the breed personality. It’s almost as if a given breed really only colours the individuals personality with an undertone. (Not always in a good way, either- “line” breeding can concentrate or produce unusual traits.)

Every animal is unique- We have just had a litter of kittens in our house- and it is totally amazing to see just how different the personality of each is.

What Sort of Pet is the Best (for You)?

This will depend on so many things- your house, your yard, how much exercise you like to do (if you are choosing a dog), how much time you have to spend on training and playing, your family (little kids?), and… well- I could go on for a lot longer. I suggest that you actually consider all of these things, and then write them down, and take a few moments to have a good long look.

For instance- if you live in a unit, in the city, and only have enough time for 2 or three walks a day- say 45 minutes all together, then a breed that is high energy, has a strong work focus, and intelligent- (eg Border Collies, Labradors, Jack Russels, etc) is quite likely  to destroy your home, and be driven stir crazy by the lack of exercise. A small white fluffy of some sort might be better!

And as for cats- a very vocal, demanding Siamese might be less suitable than a quite, retiring Rag doll, or Persian.

You need to consider long coats versus short coats, and veterinary bills, and food, and everything else you can think of.

PLEASE- let go of what you thought you wanted! And have a moment of honesty about what sort of animal best suits you.

How do You Tell?

Step 1.

Ask the people selling the pet all about the parent’s personalities. And go into depth! One good way is to ask them to tell you what they would be like if they were a person. Ask them how they behave with other animals, with strange people, around food, with children, thunderstorms- and anything else you can think of. Ask about the health history of both parents (look out for allergies in particular). It is a very good idea to do this before you even see the puppy or kitten.

Because they are so, so cute, and then you’ll be lost!
Step 2.

Meeting them for the first time-It would be ideal to meet both parents as well, and see what they are like.

***HINT- take someone you know with experience with animals along with you, for a more detached point of view***

Beware! one of them will be the first to bounce out and approach you! This one will take a lot more time and attention, and exercise, and likely get into loads more trouble, than the other one that is hanging back a little (hopefully not scared or timid, just calmer, more self assured). Check them all out, very carefully, clap your hands, see how they respond when you pick them up, have fun!

To be honest, one of them usually seems to choose you, in the end.

Then What?

You will need to train and socialise your new pet… I will go into this in depth in a future post!

And Beau- the lovely black Lab at the top of this post. Beau was always very nervous, and unable to cope with change, or anything at all strange- he barked at a towel I hung on the washing machine for an hour one afternoon! When Beau arrived, I was in the throes of separating from my ex wife- and he never got socialised. Now with 19 out of 20 Labs, I might have gotten away with that.

But not this fella!
He was great with me, awful with everyone else, and very difficult to train. (He was always his own dog!) Then we moved into town, and he became very, very aggressive through the fence to anyone walking past. One day I dropped a bag of turkey necks on the lawn, went back to pick up something, and…

He bit me quite badly on the hand.

I have a 5 year old child, and I couldn’t accept the risk. He was unrehomable, so I helped him back to spirit, put him to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and we both miss him dearly.

I only share this to illustrate how his personality was totally NOT Labrador like!

Good luck with choosing your new pet!

cheers for now, Dr Edward