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Training And Caring For Puppies
By:
Published: October 16, 2006
Even people who do not like children find it difficult to resist the charms of cuddly little puppies nestled in their beds, or one special puppy exploring a person's face with its nose and tongue.
Puppies are defenseless for the first few weeks of their lives. Puppies are born blind and deaf; their eyes and ears do not open until they are two weeks old. Their legs cannot support their weight, so they roll or push themselves around on their bellies, relying on scent to find their mother and the food she provides.
Luckily, puppies develop basic life-skills quickly. They can see fully by about four weeks, and their senses of taste and smell are as fully developed as an adult dog's at five weeks. They can support their weight, walk and scamper, and are aware of their surroundings, by the time they are six weeks old. This increased mobility allows them to start exploring the world.
And how they explore! Puppies discover the world through their mouths. They will chew grass, rubber toys, old shoes, underwear, electrical cords, each other and you. Chewing and gentle biting also helps them relieve gum soreness brought about by teething.
It is important, therefore, to "puppy-proof" your home as you would for a child. Keep trash behind a closed door or in a container with a lockable lid, and keep anything you do not want chewed out of the puppy's reach. Discourage puppies from chewing on furniture by spraying it with bad-tasting, non-toxic products like "Bitter Apple."
Make sure your puppies are never left unsupervised in a room where they can get bored and start searching for "diversions," such as electrical cords and carpets. The same goes for shoes, clothes, blankets – anything that carries your scent. Puppies chew the latter because the scent reminds them of their owners, who are comparable to their pack leaders, and it comforts them. However, they cannot differentiate between a beat-up old tennis shoe and your cashmere lounge socks. In their minds, all those things are "you."
It is best to discourage a puppy's chewing habit right away by substituting something intended for chewing, like a rubber bone, for your personal items. Also, make just one or two chew toys available at a time. Puppies get bored and overwhelmed with too much selection. Putting a toy away and then bringing it out later makes it "new" and inviting to puppies.
Puppies also might chew because they are hungry. They need food formulated especially for them until they are six to 12 months old. This ensures they get the nutrients they need to develop into strong, healthy adult dogs.
A regular feeding schedule is as important as food quality. A regular feeding schedule helps keep puppies from gorging themselves and making themselves sick. It also helps with potty-training. Young puppies up to about four months old can be fed a little every four hours. Feedings can be reduced to three times a day from four to eight months, with the amount of food per feeding increased accordingly. Twice-a-day feedings are fine for puppies eight to 12 months old, and then once or twice a day after that, depending upon individual circumstances and the dog's eating habits.
Water, of course, should accompany meals and be available during playtime. Just be prepared to make a "potty stop" right after puppies eat or drink.
Play is as important for puppies as exploring, chewing and feeding. Playful tussling and chasing with littermates is good exercise. It also teaches puppies how to be dogs. They discover what kind of behavior is acceptable within the pack. Playing helps puppies develop self-assuredness and confidence not possible if they are kept isolated or penned up all the time.
For these reasons, try not to separate puppies from their littermates before eight weeks of age. Some animal experts urge that puppies not leave their moms and siblings before they are 12 weeks old. Puppies separated too early can become fearful and anxious. This can cause behavioral problems later, such aggressiveness and biting, or – conversely – cowering and fear of urinating. Behavior training may be successful in puppies damaged by premature separation.
When you finally bring your puppies home, treat them as lovingly as babies in the first few weeks. They miss their families. They will need to get used to being handled so they can be taken to the veterinarian's office or grooming parlor. Take time to stroke them, play gently with their toes and allow them to get used to your touch.
You will be rewarded for the extra effort now with a lot of wet, sloppy, puppy kisses in the months and years to come.
Puppies are defenseless for the first few weeks of their lives. Puppies are born blind and deaf; their eyes and ears do not open until they are two weeks old. Their legs cannot support their weight, so they roll or push themselves around on their bellies, relying on scent to find their mother and the food she provides.
Luckily, puppies develop basic life-skills quickly. They can see fully by about four weeks, and their senses of taste and smell are as fully developed as an adult dog's at five weeks. They can support their weight, walk and scamper, and are aware of their surroundings, by the time they are six weeks old. This increased mobility allows them to start exploring the world.
And how they explore! Puppies discover the world through their mouths. They will chew grass, rubber toys, old shoes, underwear, electrical cords, each other and you. Chewing and gentle biting also helps them relieve gum soreness brought about by teething.
It is important, therefore, to "puppy-proof" your home as you would for a child. Keep trash behind a closed door or in a container with a lockable lid, and keep anything you do not want chewed out of the puppy's reach. Discourage puppies from chewing on furniture by spraying it with bad-tasting, non-toxic products like "Bitter Apple."
Make sure your puppies are never left unsupervised in a room where they can get bored and start searching for "diversions," such as electrical cords and carpets. The same goes for shoes, clothes, blankets – anything that carries your scent. Puppies chew the latter because the scent reminds them of their owners, who are comparable to their pack leaders, and it comforts them. However, they cannot differentiate between a beat-up old tennis shoe and your cashmere lounge socks. In their minds, all those things are "you."
It is best to discourage a puppy's chewing habit right away by substituting something intended for chewing, like a rubber bone, for your personal items. Also, make just one or two chew toys available at a time. Puppies get bored and overwhelmed with too much selection. Putting a toy away and then bringing it out later makes it "new" and inviting to puppies.
Puppies also might chew because they are hungry. They need food formulated especially for them until they are six to 12 months old. This ensures they get the nutrients they need to develop into strong, healthy adult dogs.
A regular feeding schedule is as important as food quality. A regular feeding schedule helps keep puppies from gorging themselves and making themselves sick. It also helps with potty-training. Young puppies up to about four months old can be fed a little every four hours. Feedings can be reduced to three times a day from four to eight months, with the amount of food per feeding increased accordingly. Twice-a-day feedings are fine for puppies eight to 12 months old, and then once or twice a day after that, depending upon individual circumstances and the dog's eating habits.
Water, of course, should accompany meals and be available during playtime. Just be prepared to make a "potty stop" right after puppies eat or drink.
Play is as important for puppies as exploring, chewing and feeding. Playful tussling and chasing with littermates is good exercise. It also teaches puppies how to be dogs. They discover what kind of behavior is acceptable within the pack. Playing helps puppies develop self-assuredness and confidence not possible if they are kept isolated or penned up all the time.
For these reasons, try not to separate puppies from their littermates before eight weeks of age. Some animal experts urge that puppies not leave their moms and siblings before they are 12 weeks old. Puppies separated too early can become fearful and anxious. This can cause behavioral problems later, such aggressiveness and biting, or – conversely – cowering and fear of urinating. Behavior training may be successful in puppies damaged by premature separation.
When you finally bring your puppies home, treat them as lovingly as babies in the first few weeks. They miss their families. They will need to get used to being handled so they can be taken to the veterinarian's office or grooming parlor. Take time to stroke them, play gently with their toes and allow them to get used to your touch.
You will be rewarded for the extra effort now with a lot of wet, sloppy, puppy kisses in the months and years to come.
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