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What to Expect When you're Expecting.... A New Pup!!
Hooray! You're finally getting a puppy!
Stop! Did you sign up for your Trupanion free month of pet health insurance first? If not, take a minute to do that!
First and foremost, expect to spend a lot of time interacting with your new pal — you won’t be able to help yourself! It’s a good idea to schedule a vacation day or two around your puppy’s arrival to get a jump on training — and to enjoy your new family member — if you can.
Your new puppy will be overwhelmed at first, as he’s in a new place with total strangers. Go slow, and teach your kids to be gentle.
Going Home
The first day with your new puppy will involve traveling, whether it’s a short distance, or a long ride in a car or the cabin of a plane. This is the perfect opportunity to start teaching your puppy to love his crate. Be sure it’s well stocked with a toy or chew and the towel that we send along with the scent of his mother and littermates. That will go a long way toward making him comfortable in his new surroundings.
When you arrive, make sure he potties before you bring him indoors. Praise him and give him a treat when he does. Keep him on leash inside — free run of the house is still far in his future.
Sit on the floor with him or on the sofa, if you plan to allow him on the furniture. Love on him and talk to him, so he gets to know the sound of your voice and touch of your hand. This is a great time to start teaching him that it’s OK for you to touch his paws, look inside or sniff his ears, rub his belly, touch his tail and groom him with a soft brush.
Remember that puppies don’t have good bladder or sphincter control yet, and excitement can make them need to pee or poop. Take your puppy out to potty after 15 to 20 minutes of play, as well as after every meal. A potty run should be the first thing you do with him in the morning and the last thing you do with him at night.
Let your puppy spend a short amount of time in his crate. This is a big day for him, and he needs some time to himself, so he can process his new situation. It’s okay to have the crate in the living room or some other area in the home where people are coming and going, but don’t bug him while he’s in there. Unless he needs to go potty, walk away calmly if he starts to whine or bark. Don’t let him out until he’s being quiet.
Your puppy will make mistakes and have accidents for the first few weeks, and you’ll have to be diligent about training. It’s a good idea to sign up for dog training classes when your pup’s around two or three months old. Practice those skills on a daily basis! The younger you start, the easier it is for your dog to learn, and you’ll gain confidence working with your dog from the get-go.
It’s also a good idea to get your puppy to the vet for a checkup within the first few weeks. You can get great advice about food and training, and you’ll know that you’re off to a healthy start for a lifetime of fun with your new best friend.
We do also offer training services, to ensure that your pup gets a great start, and develops proper manners from an early age!
Expect to Teach and Learn
HOUSE-TRAINING YOUR PUPPY: CRATE AND CONFINEMENT TRAINING
The 3 rules for house-training success.
- Prevent Accidents. Supervise your puppy in the house. Use a crate when you are not sure if your puppy is empty.
- Reward your puppy for going outside. Praise at the right moment, i.e. the second he starts “going.” Reward with a treat after he is finished.
- PREVENT ACCIDENTS. Potty training at this age is almost 100% preventing accidents. If you don’t prevent accidents from happening inside, they will continue to occur. If you’re not monitoring pup 100%, puppy a needs to be crated or in his playpen. You don’t have the luxury of letting him run around the house unsupervised until he’s much older and he’s in a good habit of going outside.
Preventing accidents: Long-term and short-term confinement.
What is long-term confinement?
A place for your puppy to stay when you can’t provide 100% supervision. In other words, when you are out, or busy around the house, and can’t keep your eyes on him the entire time. It prevents chewing accidents, potty accidents, and teaches your puppy to be alone.
Confinement? Surely that’s too strict?
Not at all. It is the best possible start for your puppy in your household. People often give a new puppy complete freedom right away. Then, when he has an accident on the carpet or chews on the legs of the coffee table, they confine him, and confinement becomes a punishment.
Instead, give your puppy a safe place from the beginning, and let him make a gradual and successful transition to his new home. He will be much happier and your furniture will be intact.
When do I use it?
Use a long-term confinement area if you will be gone longer than your puppy can hold it.
Setting up the confinement area.
The ideal confinement area is easy to clean and easy to close off with a door or baby gate. It should be mostly free of furniture and non-puppy related objects. The best places for a confinement area are the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, or an empty spare room. Furnish with:
- A puppy potty pad or litter box
- Your puppy’s crate (with the door open)
- Water and food bowls
- A chew toy or Kong
Getting your puppy used to his confinement area:
Step 1. Take your puppy out for a walk or bathroom break.
Step 2. Give him a chew bone or a stuffed Kong. Leave him alone in the confinement area while you go about your business in the house.
Step 3. After 5 minutes or before he finishes his chew, let him out but don’t make a big deal about it or make a fuss over him.
Repeat steps 1-3, gradually increasing the time you leave your puppy in his confinement area without leaving the house. Vary the length of your absences, from 30 seconds to 20 minutes, and repeat them throughout the day.
Leave your puppy in his confinement area (or crate) at night. It is normal for him to try a little crying as a strategy to get out, so brace yourself for that. He has to get used to alone time.
Step 4. Within the first day or two, start leaving the house for really short intervals like going to the mailbox or taking out the trash. Gradually work up to longer absences, like running errands.
Training Tip: Be patient. It may take several days or weeks for your puppy to get used to his confinement area.
Troubleshooting: If your puppy begins to howl, whine, or bark, wait until he has been quiet for at least 10 seconds before you respond. Otherwise, he will learn that whining or barking makes you appear or gets him out of the confinement area, and he will bark or cry more often and longer in the future.
What is short-term confinement?
It means crating your puppy. A crate is a terrific training and management tool. It is useful for house- training, brief alone-time, settling, and any form of travel. Most importantly, a crate teaches your puppy to hold it when he has to go to the bathroom. A crate helps your puppy in many ways—and saves your carpets.
Is using a crate cruel?
Absolutely not. A crate can be your puppy’s favorite place in the world. Think of it as his crib. Use treats, praise, and toys to make your puppy love his crate.
Just remember never to use the crate for more than 3-4 hours at a time, except for bedtime.
When do I use the crate?
Use the crate for short absences. General guidelines for crating puppies: 1-3 hours unless food has been restricted in preparation for a longer crated session.
Getting your puppy used to the crate.
Step 1. Begin crate training right away—preferably the first day your puppy is in your home.
Step 2. Throw small tasty treats into the crate one at a time. Praise your puppy when he goes in to get the treat.
Step 3. When your puppy is comfortable going into the crate, practice closing the door for a few seconds, then treat him through the door. Let him back out. Repeat this step many times, gradually building to 10 seconds.
Step 4. Stuff a Kong with something very yummy or use a special bone that will take a lot of time to chew. Put the chewies in the crate. Shut the door. Move about the house normally. Let your puppy back out after 5 minutes or when he finishes his treat. Don’t make a fuss over him. Repeat this step several times, varying the length of your absences from 1 to 60 minutes.
Step 5. Next, leave your puppy in the crate with something delicious while you leave the house for short errands, like getting the mail or watering the garden. Gradually build your absences.
Training Tip: When you plan to crate your puppy for longer than an hour, make sure he is well exercised, has gone potty, and is ready for a nap.
Troubleshooting: If your puppy is going to the bathroom in his crate, remove any bedding and make sure he has gone potty before you put him in the crate, and that he is not being left for too long. Make sure you are following the rules for good potty training. If all else fails, call us.
HOUSE-TRAINING YOUR PUPPY: THE BASICS
How to house-train.
Step 1. Take your puppy outside on leash. Take him to the same place every time.
Step 2. When he goes, praise. Offer him a treat when he is finished.
Step 3. If you are in a puppy-safe place, let him off the leash for a little playtime.
If he doesn’t go within 5 minutes, put him in his crate for 10-20 minutes, then try again.
A house-training checklist.
- Take your puppy to his potty place first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, shortly after meals, naps, or play sessions, when he comes out of his crate, and generally every hour or so.
- Until your puppy is perfectly house-trained, always go outside with him so you can cheer and reward at the right moment.
- Supervise whenever your puppy is not crated, especially if he is full. If you must take your eyes off him, even for a minute, crate him or put him in his confinement area.
- If you see your puppy sniffing and circling in the house, take him out immediately.
How to handle house-training mistakes.
Interrupt mistakes as they are happening. Don’t be too harsh or your puppy will be afraid to go in front of you. After interrupting your puppy, hustle him outside to the potty area. Praise if he finishes there. Clean up the indoor mess with an enzymatic cleaner to remove protein residue that might attract him to the same place again.
Never punish. If your puppy made the mistake one hour or five seconds ago, you are too late. Don’t rub his nose in his own mess or smack him, this will simply make him afraid of you, and he won’t understand why you do it. You must catch him in the act for the interruption to work, and again, you can’t do it too harshly or your puppy will be afraid to go in front of you.
When do I give my puppy free run of the house?
Not until your puppy is chew trained as well as house-trained. This can be as late as 12-14 months old. Then...
At first, confine him to one room at a time. Choose a tiled room, like the kitchen or the bathroom, so accidents can be easily cleaned. Add a room each week your puppy is successful (accident-free), and supervise each time you introduce him to a new room.
Training Tip: Don’t think that confinement and crating is too strict on your puppy. You are doing him a big favor. A few short weeks’ time investment on your part nets you a lifetime of freedom for your puppy—and you don’t have to replace your carpet.
SAFETY NOTE: Your pup should never wear a collar when left unsupervised in his confinement area, because he could get it caught on any number of things, especially if he attempts to escape. You must be absolutely sure that your confinement area is secure, as an escape attempt could injure your puppy! Especially smart little guys like our pups! (Snowy comes from a long line of very escape artist type Cocker Spaniels, so we have had to make adjustments.)
Puppy Sample Schedule
Note: Your new puppy needs to fit into YOUR life and schedule. This is simply an example.
Take into account upcoming vacations and holidays when planning your puppy’s first few weeks at home. It’s a good idea to make your puppy’s first few days as relaxed as possible.
First thing in the morning:
6:30 am - Take puppy outside first thing to go potty.
7:00 am - Feed puppy breakfast.
7:30 am - Time to potty again: turn around time is quick at this age.
8:00 am - Play time! Let puppy play, supervised of course, for an hour or so.
9:00 am - Crate for 1-3 hours.
11:00 am - Take puppy outside to potty.
11:30 am - Feed puppy lunch.
12:00 pm - Take pup out for post meal potty.
12:30 pm - Play time! Let puppy play, supervised of course for however long you are able.
2:30 pm - Crate for 1-3 hours.
4:30 pm - Take puppy outside to potty.
5:00 pm - Feed puppy dinner.
5:30 pm - Take pup out for post meal potty.
6:00 pm - Play time! Let puppy play, supervised of course for however long you are able. Alternatively, crate again for 1-3 hours.
7:00 pm - Restrict food and treats after this time to ensure puppy doesn't have a lot of food in his/her system overnight.
8:00 pm - Restrict water after this time to ensure puppy doesn't have a lot of fluids in his/her system overnight.
9:00 pm to 11:00 pm - Take puppy out for final potty. Make sure puppy goes pee and poo at this time.
11:00 pm - Bed time! Crate for the night. Hopefully by 8-10 weeks, your puppy should be to sleep 6-7 hours through the night, but every pup is different. For the first 3-4 days o bringing your new pup home, set an alarm around hour 3 after going to sleep to get up and take puppy out. That way puppy knows you're coming back, and not to designate a potty area in the crate.
General Rules:
If puppy isn't crated, take him/her out every two hours to go potty. Always be aware for signs that puppy may need to go. If you can't as actively supervise, have puppy on a leash close by or crated. As puppy gets older, he/she will be able to hold it longer, and will begin to let you know when he/she needs out to potty.
Troubleshooting Health Concerns
Common Puppy Health Issues
Here at Cooper Family Cockapoos, we make sure that your puppy is as prepared as possible for the outside world! We make sure that our sweet mommas are up to date on their vaccinations, and do regular titres to verify their immunity. That way your puppy receives his mom's healthy antibodies naturally. After that, your pup will receive his first round of vaccinations from our veterinarian. Your puppy is brand new and you want to protect him.
"The best thing you can do is to continue his health protocol, and feed him a healthy, balanced diet," says Dr. Jim Dobies, a veterinarian with South Point Pet Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., and a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association.
“If you do, you’re giving your puppy’s immune system the best chance to fight off infection, he says. “He is in better shape to fight off illness and recover.”
But you can’t protect your pup from everything, and it's always good to be prepared. Here are common illnesses he could catch in his first year of life.
Common:
1. Coccidiosis
Coccidia are tiny single-celled parasites that live in the wall of your dog’s intestine. The most common clinical sign of coccidiosis is diarrhea, but most dogs that are infected with coccidia do not have any clinical signs. When the coccidial oocysts are found in the stool of a dog without diarrhea, they are generally considered a transient, insignificant finding, as they already exist in the environment. However, in puppies and debilitated adult dogs, coccidiosis may cause severe watery diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal distress, and vomiting. Coccidiosis can be brought about by stress - a change in the puppy's environment, a swift change in diet, etc. Its important to let your puppy have enough rest when you first return home!
2. Giardiasis
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection in humans and animals, caused by a microscopic protozoan parasite. Other examples of protozoan parasites that can cause enteric (intestinal) disease are Coccidia, Cryptosporidia and Toxoplasma. Giardiasis can be a significant cause of illness, especially diarrhea, in puppies. However, the majority of dogs infected with Giardia do not have diarrhea, vomiting, or any other signs of illness. Infection in dogs may lead to weight loss, chronic intermittent diarrhea, and fatty stool. The stool may range from soft to watery, often has a greenish tinge to it, and occasionally contains blood. Infected dogs tend to have excess mucus in the feces. Vomiting may occur in some cases. The signs may persist for several weeks and gradual weight loss may become apparent. A puppy can develop Giardiasis seemingly out of the blue, as it is often present in the environment as well, however it is a straightforward to treat!
3. Roundworms/Hookworms/other common intestinal parasites
Roundworms are of most concern to puppies. The most common consequence of roundworms is growth reduction. Since roundworms eat partially digested food in the intestinal tract, if there are large numbers of roundworms, they will rob the growing puppy of vital nutrients. In puppies, clinical signs of a roundworm infection include stunted growth, potbelly, and recurrent diarrhea. These are also generalized symptoms of many common intestinal parasites.
Good hygiene and proper disposal of dog feces are important in minimizing the risk of transmission of all canine parasites.
Less Common:
1. Parvovirus (Parvo)
This highly contagious canine illness attacks puppies aged between 12 weeks and up to 3 years. Transmitted through bodily secretions and unvaccinated dogs, canine parvovirus is easily passed on, though most dogs are vaccinated against it starting at six to eight weeks, then again every three weeks until they are four months old (or until your veterinarian recommends).
Symptoms: A CPV infection (parvo) in dogs starts with a fever, and at this point puppies are probably very contagious (to other dogs, not humans). “After a few days, they will experience vomiting and bloody diarrhea and become dehydrated and weak,” says Dr. Dobies.
Treatment: Vaccinate against parvovirus! If you haven’t, hospitalization is the best route, where your puppy will be given IV fluids and sometimes antibiotics to prevent sepsis, which can be fatal.
Recovery time: Three to seven days. Puppies with parvo are usually hospitalized for three to four days then go home with medications.
2. Distemper
The vaccination against canine distemper virus is quite effective. The first vaccination takes place at six to eight weeks, and again after 9 weeks, “and when puppies have had one or two vaccines they are immune,” says Dr. Dobies. Consult your veterinarian for the best course of action for your dog concerning the distemper vaccine.
Symptoms: “This can really be an ugly disease,” he says. It shows in two ways: Initially distemper in dogs typically appears as an upper respiratory disease with sneezing and eye discharge. Then it can develop into pneumonia or can lead to neurological problems such as a fatal encephalopathy (brain damage).
Distemper in dogs is frequently misdiagnosed because owners think their puppy has a cold “so by the time we see them they have tons of discharge from their nose and eyes and have high fever. They are also depressed,” Dr. Dobies says.
Treatment: Seek medical attention for distemper in dogs. This usually involves inpatient supportive care.
Recovery time: It can take weeks to recover from canine distemper and pets usually go home from the hospital with respiratory medications.
The bad news about canine distemper is if your puppy survives it, the disease can lie dormant and break out again when she’s older. At that point she has an even worse prognosis because the disease can lead to neurological problems such as seizures.
3. Kennel Cough
Bacterial infection or canine parainfluenza viruses, both of which are airborne, cause kennel cough in dogs — also known as infectious tracheobronchitis. “The disease name is a misnomer,” says Dr. Dobies, “because animals that aren’t in kennels can —and do — contract it.” Puppies can be vaccinated against kennel cough starting at six to eight weeks, and then every six to 12 months after that, though the vaccine doesn’t necessarily protect against the disease, but does lead to milder symptoms.
Symptoms: Kennel cough starts with lethargy, decreased appetite and fever, then puppies develop a deep, often productive, cough. If untreated, kennel cough can lead to pneumonia.
Treatment: If you note any unusual coughing from your puppy “…it’s best to get him checked out to make sure he’s not developing pneumonia,” says Dr. Dobies.
Recovery time: Kennel cough usually runs its course in 10 to 14 days.
4. Adenovirus
Adenovirus in dogs causes infectious canine hepatitis, but Dr. Dobies says it’s rarely seen these days because of the efficacy of vaccines. Often the adenovirus vaccine is given with the canine distemper vaccine, though you may want to ask your veterinarian about canine adenovirus type-1 and canine adenovirus type-2.
Symptoms: It’s really difficult to know if your dog has adenovirus, but it typically starts with gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea and can develop into jaundice.
Treatment: Inpatient fluid therapy and nutritional support may be required. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics and/or fluid reducers as necessary.
5. Leptospirosis
This bacterial disease can affect the kidneys and the liver and is transmitted through contaminated water and infected urine. Your puppy can be vaccinated against leptospirosis at 10 to 12 weeks, then again at 13 to 15 weeks. Be aware that not all clinics vaccinate for leptospirosis, so ask your veterinarian if it's appropriate for your puppy.
Symptoms: Symptoms of leptospirosis are flu-like: Vomiting and/or fever and/or lethargy, but they’re very vague to being with, says Dr. Dobies.
Treatment: Antibiotics
Recovery time: Depending on the severity of the infection, an antibiotic course can last four weeks or more.
6. Vomiting (and Diarrhea)
If your puppy’s suffering from either of these nasties, the first thing to rule out is intestinal parasites. If these are not the cause vomiting/diarrhea, your pooch has probably just eaten or licked something he shouldn’t have. “Nine times out of 10 what they’ve consumed comes back out again,” says Dr. Dobies. Other causes could be one of the diseases listed above.
Treatment: Continue to offer water, and provide food if your puppy asks for it but that’s less essential than keeping them hydrated. After 12 hours (vomiting) or 24 hours (diarrhea), take your dog to your veterinarian if he’s not getting better. Your veterinarian can provide you with a therapeutic bland diet to help your puppy feel better.
Recovery time: Your puppy should recover from vomiting or diarrhea that is not related to a parasite within 12 to 24 hours.
