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Thinking of Getting a Puppy? Here’s Some Information You Need to Know

How to Pick The Perfect Puppy

There are two major decisions to be made when choosing a new puppy. Firstly, and most obviously, what breed of dog is going to be right for you and your family. It is absolutely essential that both you and the dog are compatible with each other. It would not be suitable to buy a Bull Mastiff pup if you live in a tiny tenth floor flat, because he would grow too large to live in it and both of you would be unhappy. It would not be suitable to buy a Shih Tzu if you were expecting a child. The Shih Tzu is a jealous dog by nature and the new child would upset the environment to which the dog would have grown accustomed.

Secondly, and perhaps not quite as obviously, what sex is going to be suitable for you and your family. Do you have any other pets which might be intimidated by a new male dog that is of a very dominant nature? Do you want to run the risk of being responsible for a litters worth of puppies should your bitch accidentally get pregnant? Do you want a male who wanders off in search of a mate? Do you want a dominant or submissive pet? All of these questions and more need to be considered before a new pup is chosen.

Once the breed and sex have been decided on you must then seek to choose your new dog on it’s own individual merits. Each dog is different and certain dogs would just not suit certain people and vice versa. Always watch the pup in it’s own environment (i.e. with it’s litter) to see how he behaves. Consider how much you are prepared to change your way of life to accommodate your new puppy. If a large change would not be possible perhaps a more passive, more submissive member of the litter would be suitable. Perhaps you want a lively, bold pet, then the alpha male would be a wise choice.

Here is a five point guide to consider when buying a new puppy.

* Ensure that you are equipped personally and financially to look after a new puppy successfully.

*Be certain of what breed and sex you want before getting to know any individual dog. (You may become attached to a dog that is completely unsuitable for your situation)

* Be sure the breeder is a reputable one. Enquire about things such as his policy on taking back an unsuitable dog. Does he possess the relevant paper work to be selling you the dog?

* Spend time with the prospective pet before deciding, you may like him but he may be uncomfortable with you or a family member for any number of reasons.

*Ensure that the dog is free of any condition or disease that may prevent your enjoying of a long and happy life with your new friend.

Now that your new puppy is home, it is important to let the dog feel comfortable and safe in his new environment. You can do this by bringing an object from his former home, such as a cushion or blanket, into his new space. He will be able to smell things that he is comfortable with, such as his mother or sleeping space, and he will associate a sense of familiarity with his new home.

The dog must have somewhere to call his own. Perhaps a basket or a corner where he keeps his chewy toys. He needs this to be able to adapt to the new house, but also to get him used to being on his own. At some point it will be unavoidable to leave him on his own, so he must be aware that you or a family member will return to be with him sooner or later. Perhaps confining him to this space for a certain amount of time a day will get him used to it. It would also help prevent him going to the toilet in the living room while he is being house trained.

He must learn to go to the toilet at the right time. This can be achieved if the person with the responsibility of letting him out has him in the bedroom so he can learn to alert people to his need to be let into the garden.

During his first sixteen weeks he should stay at home (apart from visiting the vets) as to avoid the unnecessary contraction of disease picked up in the park or on the pavement.

A quality diet, a good home and a good family will benefit your new dog immeasurably, be sure to enjoy being with the pet as much as he enjoys being with you.

Bringing Home Your New Puppy

A lot of preparation will need to go in to bringing home your new puppy before you even go to collect him. You will need to ensure that the house is completely safe before he comes home. There would be no point trying to puppy-proof the house upon his arrival. By the time you have moved the wife’s new Gucci shoes, he will have chewed through at least three electrical cables and will have swallowed no less than four of your golf balls. ‘But they were in a box in the bottom of my wardrobe do I hear you say?

Go and see what he did on the way to your bedroom’. Prevent this from happening by moving any tempting or hazardous items from within his reach. For non-movable things such as table legs and armchairs, invest in a product called ‘Bitter apple’. This is a non-toxic repellent which will ensure the antique Chippendale cabinet goes unchewed. Preventing troublesome behaviour now is a lot easier than constant correction, and it will pay off later in his life.

You will need to stock up on certain items to ensure that the new puppy settles in nicely. Firstly, you will need to get him a basket or crate to sleep in, along with some easy-to-wash, not-so-easy-to-destroy bedding. He will need a water and a food bowl (personalised variety optional.) Be safe and ensure he is kited out with an i.d. tag, to make the inevitable escape attempts a lot trickier for him. Be sure to stock up on a good quality dry dog food, ask friends and vets for suggestions and monitor his condition to see how good the food actually is. You will need certain grooming tools, again, ask your vet for suggestions as different breeds require different methods of grooming. Another furniture restoring measure is to maintain a constant supply of tough, long lasting chewy toys. This will also promote healthy teeth and gums in your dog.

It will be essential to work to a strict time scale for the first few weeks so that he gets into a routine. This will be extremely helpful when housebreaking him. It will also reassure him if he gets used to you leaving and returning at the same time each day.

Make sure he knows which space is his and encourage him to spend time in it on his own. At first he will probably not enjoy being separated from his new family, but in time he will be glad of the space, especially if you have young children.

Don’t forget to get him off to the vet for his vaccinations and worming is essential.

How Much Do Puppies Cost?

Dog Ownership Costs Revealed

If the world’s most annoying song actually had any element of truth in it, then it might have been worth writing. But it doesn’t, so they shouldn’t have written it, and instead of singing about waggly tails and shop windows they should have written a song about the rising cost of dog ownership and veterinary care.

Undoubtedly most of us have seen adverts in the classifieds offering a puppy away to a good home for ?50 or less. This would be a tempting offer to any dog lover with a spare ?50 but that is only where the spending begins.

On average American dog owners spent $377 on their dogs in1998, which translates to roughly ?251 to us Britons. So if that is an average year, and the average life expectancy of a medium sized, healthy dog is between twelve and thirteen years it doesn’t take a genius to realise that providing a good home for a puppy will actually cost a little more than ?50. It would probably cost somewhere in the region of ?3,300. That figure is exclusive of one time costs such as the ?50 to the puppy’s owner, or registration fees or puppy vaccinations and so on.

Vets throughout the United Kingdom strongly advise dog owners to insure Rover against illness and injury. This is due to the rising cost of veterinary services available to dog owners. With technology and medicine advancing at the amazing rate that it is, it is no surprise that dog owners are bearing the brunt of the elevated costs. Lets not forget that our dogs are not covered on the N.H.S. The majority of dog owners are delighted to find out that their beloved pooch can be treated against something that would have killed him ten years ago, but perhaps not as pleased when they receive the bill from the vet. Nevertheless, almost all dog owners would not think twice about shelling out if they thought they could save their dog. Sadly though, some dog owners simply can’t afford to pay and have to say goodbye to their four-legged friend. This does not have to be the case, insurance is not uncommon at all for dogs and the prospective benefits far outweigh the monthly premiums.

People often wonder why the cost of dog ownership has experienced such a sharp increase in recent years. There are two main reasons for this, one of which is fairly obvious. Things today are generally more expensive and that includes dog food and dog care. There are a hundred and one different types of food for every type of dog and the different types of care products are immeasurable.

The second reason is slightly less obvious until you think about it. Back when dogs were owned to serve a purpose, such as hunting or guarding, it would not have made financial sense to treat an ill dog when he could be replaced by a healthy dog. After all, the dog wasn’t there to be loved and cherished, he was there to serve a purpose and Giles McFarmer or John O’Gamekeeper would not spend their hard earned wage on treating an old dog or feeding him only the best food for his sensitive little tummy.

But times have changed and so have the attitudes of Mr and Mrs Dog owner. Dogs are our companions and friends rather than herders and hunters and if the product to make him a healthier, happier dog is available, why not indulge him? This is a question that the majority of dog owners would have pondered at some point, but they have probably sacrificed a few expensive nights out to keep the balance.

Buying a dog is an extremely important decision to take and requires a lot of pre-planning in all areas, not just financial. But without the sufficient finances at ones disposal, owning a dog can be a huge trial. Here is a summary of some of the expected outgoings of a dog owner in Britain today.

One time costs:

Cost of a well bred, healthy puppy. Usually in the region of ?500, this may be considered expensive when compared to the puppy for sale at ?50 in the back of the local gazette. But if a thought of as an investment rather than a one time cost the benefits become clear. A well bred, healthy pup will probably not procure as many vets bills as a cheap mongrel, simply because it has been carefully and selectively bred in order to eliminate genetic deficiencies such as hip dysplasia from the gene pool.

Bed, water and food bowl. If good quality, these items can last a lifetime, so it is probably worth opting for the more expensive and stronger versions. These items would usually set the dog owner back roughly ?40.

Spaying/ neutering. This depends on personal requirements. If you wish to breed from your dog then obviously you will not need to consider the costs of spaying or neutering. But the cost of an unexpected litter can be astronomical and the majority of pet dog owners choose to take measures to prevent this happening. The cost of controlling the reproduction can be between ?100 and ?300.

Annual costs:

Food. A good quality dry dog food will cost on average about ?20 a month. Supposing you own a medium sized dog, with a healthy appetite who lives to his expected age (i.e. between twelve and fourteen years) food alone will cost you an approximate total of ?3,360. This total is not inclusive of treats and food supplements.

Veterinary. Vaccinations, boosters, worming and check ups will come to roughly ?185 per annum.

Variable costs:

Training: The majority of dog owners will train or have their dog trained to a certain degree. This can be looked upon as house and contents insurance. The chances are, the money that would be saved by not having your dog trained will not even begin to compare to the amount of money that will be spent on repairing or replacing things that are destroyed or damaged by an unruly dog.

Veterinary. Upon the annual cost of veterinary services comes a possible, unforeseen cost. Depending on how healthy or how unlucky your dog is, you may have to make a lot of unwanted trips to the vet. Potentially these costs can be too much for a dog owner to afford. However, this problem can be avoided by insuring your dog. It can cost from ?10 a month and the benefits are clear.

Successfully owning a dog evidently does take a lot more than ?50 and a few good intentions. Financial planning is extremely important to ensure that the dog receives the best care available to him. However there is no substitute for a genuine love of dogs, and no matter what monetary problems arise a dedicated dog owner should still be able to provide a good home for his or her dog.

The 10 Greatest Puppy Training Tips of All Time According to Dog Training Experts

10) When trying to settle a puppy into a new home, providing them with a warm hot water bottle and placing a ticking clock in the room where they sleep will help to replicate the body heat and heartbeat of their litter mates and can really help them to relax in their new environment.

9) When taking your puppy to the Vet for its first inoculations, health checks etc, it is good practice to sit with your puppy on your lap and not have him or her on the floor. Apart from being able to comfort and re-assure the puppy easier in this position you must also consider the fact that there may be a number of sick animals in the surgery and your puppy is vulnerable if they come into direct contact with infectious animals that may also be in attendance at the same time as your pup. Make a very deliberate effort to ensure your puppy’s trips to the vets are as fun as you can make them. Don’t allow your puppy to think you are nervous or concerned, instead make a game and even take a toy to amuse the puppy with whilst they sit on your lap.
Always ensure from the earliest possible moment that your puppy is given his or her own, private sleeping place that is not used by anyone else in the family or another pet. Your puppy will benefit from short periods left alone in his or her ‘den’ with you always returning to reward the pup when he or she is relaxed and quiet.

7) Try to make sure your puppy is entertained adequately for short but regular intervals during the day. Long periods of being left unstimulated may lead to destructive or disruptive behaviour later in life. Little games playing ‘fetch’ with the pup’s favourite toy will have the beneficial affect of stimulating the pup, increasing his or her bond with you and allowing the pup to expend short, sharp bursts of energy.

6) Don’t over-train your puppy. Remember, a one-year old dog is, effectively, the same as a seven-year old person. It is a good rule of thumb to keep reminding yourself ‘would I expect a three, four, five or six-year old child to accomplish some of the tasks I am asking of my pup?’ Manners, house-cleanliness and the very basics (including socialisation) are all you should really seek to instil in your puppy until such a time, as they are mature enough to undergo a more formal training regime. Puppies can deceive you into thinking they are ready for training but will ultimately ‘rebel’ against discipline as they get older. Ensuring you have taught your puppy to respond to his or her name, what is and is not acceptable in terms of house-manners and establishing an uninhibited relationship with your pup is more important than any other discipline in the early stages of any dog’s life.

5) OWWWW! Teach your puppy that biting or nipping is not a pleasant experience for you by reacting as if in pain to their playful nips. Rather than scold the dog, let him or her know that nipping is not a pastime that you wish to engage in. Letting out an over-exaggerated expression of pain will more than likely shock the puppy into ceasing this behaviour. You will be glad you put an end to this behaviour early on instead of confronting a ‘playful’ 2-year-old with a full set of adult teeth!

4) Decide early on what is and is not acceptable in your house. If you don’t want your pup to use the living-room sofa as a raised dog bed when they get older then don’t encourage him or her to come up for fuss when they’re young just because they look sweetly at you and are small enough to pick up.

3) Jumping up. All puppies love to jump out when greeting anyone. Rather than reprimand the pup, simply ignore the behaviour and wait until he or she settles down and is not jumping up before lavishing any attention on them. Above all else, don’t encourage the behaviour by patting or praising the dog when they are in the ‘jump-position’ or you may run in to problems as the dog gets bigger and views jumping up as an easy way to receive attention.

2) The puppy’s name will be with them for life, make sure they know it by associating it with all things pleasant and fun. In the same way dog’s cotton on in a very positive way to words such as ‘walkies’, ‘biscuits’ or ‘dinner-time’ they should be given the same association with their own name. Too often the only time the puppy hears his or her name is when they have done something naughty. ‘Jasper, stop doing that!’ ‘Buster, leave that alone!’ It’s tough but try to ensure that you NEVER use the puppy’s name in a negative scenario only positive ones. Instead of ‘Jasper, leave that alone!’ simply, ‘Leave that alone!’ or better yet ‘No!’. And instead of ‘walkies’, biscuits or ‘dinner-time’ try ‘Jasper, biscuits!’, ‘Jasper, walkies!’, ‘Jasper, dinner-time!’ Golden rule. Your puppy should associate his or her own name with all that is pleasant and fun and nothing that is negative. The word ‘no’ is negative and it is enough to cover all undesirable behaviour.

1) From the moment your puppy comes into your life teach him that coming to you when called is nothing short of being the best thing in the world. Puppies can’t resist humans who sit down on the floor with legs spread apart so, while they’re easily persuaded to come by this very simple gesture, make the most of it by using their name, sparingly, but making a huge fuss when puppy arrives. Try it at times when pup is pre-occupied with something interesting and make coming back to you the most enjoyable and rewarding experience in the world for him or her. You will really see the benefits as the dog gets older.

This article was taken from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers and is available in both digital and print formats. You can subscribe to K9 Magazine or get lots of free dog articles, features and advice at http://www.k9magazine.com/

Developing Puppy Social Skills

It is essential for all dogs to develop social skills in order for both of you to enjoy a happy life together. Some breeds are naturally sociable whilst others are more solitary by nature. This really shouldn’t matter, if the effort is made, any dog should be able to adapt to life with a family.

One must remember when dealing with the new puppy that everything surrounding him is completely new.

There are two extremes of the typical behaviour of a dog in this situation. He may be completely intimidated by everything and develop a very suspicious nature, or may be overly inquisitive and develop a very bold yet not very safe nature.

The puppy needs to be able to achieve a happy medium somewhere in between these two places. He needs to be cautious of new things for his own safety, but he also needs to develop the confidence to explore new places and situations.

The process of striking this happy medium must start as soon as the new puppy arrives at his new home. He will have become accustomed to the breeders home and it’s surroundings and he may even have met the vet, but it is up to you to make sure the puppy is equipped for his life in this new world.

Start by getting him used to human contact. Play with him on your lap, scratch his back, tickle his tummy and stroke his ears. Let him feel comfortable with you, this will help promote friendliness to all people who have a lot of contact with him. Encourage friends to pick him up, even if he is shy.

This is more effective than a friend crouching down and infringing in his space. Even if the puppy appears frightened, both you and the friend need to command the situation in a confident and enthusiastic manner. The puppy will benefit from this type of experience if he is going to be a family dog. He needs to be used to human contact.

Don’t force him into unsuitable situations such as leaving him alone in a room full of strangers, this may make him overly suspicious of new faces in the future. Let him make the association with your friends and being in a comfortable, happy environment. Encourage friends to give him treats.

He needs to gain experience of the world around his home. This can be easily achieved be taking him for regular walks. If he seems a little frightened by the outside world, sit with him and show him that he is safe in this new environment. This may take some time, particularly with guardian dogs such as Rottweilers, but perseverance is essential for the benefit of the dog.

It is also very important that the dog learns to associate with other dogs. Again, some dogs are naturally adept at this skill but all dogs should be able to develop this skill. It can be best achieved in situations such as obedience classes where the dogs can socialize in a well controlled environment. Discipline and correction is important in these situations, as well as creating a comfortable environment for your dog.

Continue all of these fun activities and you and your new pet should be able to share an enjoyable social life together.