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If you have ANY questions about your puppy’s health or behavior, call us!
We are here to help you and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have.2
Keep your puppy up to date on vaccinations and heartworm preventative!
Puppies need vaccines every three to four weeks from the age of 6 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. They will then need to see the vet annually for Wellness Exams, necessary vaccines, and testing. Heartworm preventative should be given initially at 8 weeks old, and then monthly for the life of the dog. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, and we live in Florida. Therefore, we give them preventative year round. In this area, dogs that are not on Heartworm preventative WILL get heartworms, and heartworms kill dogs.3
Start housetraining your puppy immediately!
At 8 weeks old, your puppy will need to go outside every 2 hours during the day, and at LEAST once over night. Puppies have to go outside immediately upon waking up (carry them, trust me!), after eating, and about every 30 minutes if they are playing hard. The key to housetraining is supervision. If you let the puppy get out of your sight for even a minute, an accident can happen. If you can’t supervise your puppy, keep him in a confined area such as a crate. If you have to leave him for more than 2 hours, make sure he has a place where he can go potty away from where he sleeps (a pee pad or something similar). If you are having problems housetraining your puppy, either speak to your trainer or call us and we will do what we can to help you!4
Crate train your puppy!
Yes, I know some people don’t like having their dogs in a “cage”, but in reality you are doing your puppy a favor teaching them to relax in a confined space. Dogs learn to love their crates if they are introduced to them in a positive manner. Crate training assists with housetraining, keeps your mischievous puppy out of trouble when you can’t supervise him, and teaches him independence.5
Establish your rules from the very first day!
If you don’t want your puppy sleeping with you or on the couch, never allow them to sleep with you or get on the couch. Establish where you want your dog to sleep or rest, and reward him for being there. It’s the same with jumping. If you don’t want your 70# dog to jump on people, don’t let the cute 10# puppy jump on everyone. It’s much easier to prevent a bad habit than it is to retrain that bad habit. Instead of petting the puppy when he’s jumping, only pet him if he is sitting.6
Start training your puppy immediately!
Young puppies are sponges, and they absorb training at an astonishing rate. The younger you start training your dog, the easier it is for him to learn and the better behaved he will be.7
Get your puppy to a puppy class as soon as possible!
He needs to have a minimum of 2 sets of vaccines, then he is ready to go to class! Again, the younger you start, the faster your puppy will learn. Make sure to use a trainer that only uses positive, force free techniques. Using positive methods fosters a solid, happy relationship with your dog.8
Socialize your puppy!
Get him out of the house and let him meet all kinds of interesting people such as police officers in uniforms, big men, people wearing hats, people wearing masks and costumes, little people, children, babies, other dogs big and small, dog-friendly cats, the vets office, noisy things, hissing things, strange things to walk on such as grates and tarps, and anything else you can think of. Make sure every interaction he has with those things is positive and paired with yummy treats. If he is afraid of something, don’t force it on him, but offer treats and let him approach at his own speed.9
If you notice a problem with your puppies behavior such as being overly fearful of strange things, strange people or dogs, noises, or aggressive behaviors, contact your veterinarian immediately!
Many behavior issues can be fixed if they are worked on the first time you notice them. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out any medical issues causing the behavior, then work with a qualified, positive, force free trainer to teach you and the dog how you want him to behave.10
Most of all, HAVE FUN with your puppy!
Get on the floor and play with him, teach him to fetch a toy, teach him stupid dog tricks, go play in the back yard, go to the beach, just have fun. Dogs are meant to be friends and companions, and they always love to join in the games.
