What a wonderful
day it is when
you pick up
your new puppy and
bring it
home. This cute
little ball of fur
is finally
all yours to keep and
be responsible for,
the rest
of it's life. Oh how
wonderful it is.
I sincerely hope
your puppy is
at least 3
months old. Yorkies are too
young to
leave home until
that age. Between
birth and 3
months is when most health
problems
will show up in
Yorkies.
.
If you have a
responsible breeder
that you bought
your puppy from, she
or he will be in
your lives for a
long time.
They will teach you
everything you need
to know
on shots, health,
feeding, signs to
watch out
for, bedding, toys (good and bad), bowel movements,
hypo-
glycemia, etc. etc.
etc... You
will also have their phone number and will
be able to
call them day or
night if you
have a problem.
.
BUT.... Maybe you
didn't buy
your puppy from
a good breeder. Or, maybe
you would
like to be a good
breeder yourself
and are just
starting out, but don't
really know all
that much about
raising puppies.
This is why I
am adding this article to
my web site. Al-
though I raise and
show Yorkies,
this can apply
to most small breeds.
.
The first thing you
should do,
if you know the
day you are getting
your puppy,
is to make
an appointment with your Vet. Preferably the same day.
.
It is too easy to
become attached
to a pup and if
there is something wrong
with it, it will be a
lot easier on you,
if you have
to take it back. If you absolutely can't, than
make one as soon
as possible.
.
Better yet, ask the
breeder
if the puppy has been taken to a Vet for a checkup,
the date,
and the Vet's name
before you
go see the puppy.
Then you can call that
Vet and get
his advice on the
health of
the puppy before you see it and fall in love.
This saves a lot of
heartbreak.
.
The most important
thing to
know about in raising puppies or acquiring
a new puppy is
"Hypoglycemia".
Click
and
read this article.
.
I think this is the
most important
subject in this
whole article. It is very
traumatic for a
puppy to be taken
away from
its mother and go to a strange home with strange
people in it.
The puppy is very
confused,
lost and frightened.
New puppies
should not be taken
out with you
and shown off to all your
friends for at
least a week or two.
He needs
to get to know and trust his new Mommy or Daddy
and not
be upset by
strangers wanting
to hold or play with him.
.
When a puppy gets
nervous or
upset his sugar
level drops drastically,
and can cause
the puppy to go into
shock (they
fall over and become rigid). It can
also cause death in
extreme cases.
Hypoglycemia can
also occur when
a puppy is
badly frightened, is hurt
in some way, or is
not eating enough.
.
The best way to tell
a puppy's
sugar level is by his gums. If the gums
are nice and pink,
he is fine. If the
gums are
white, his sugar level has dropped.
.
You should check
your puppy's
gums often the
first week he is in his
new home. Check
them before he
leaves his old
home so you will
be able to know if his
level has dropped
on entering his new
home.
.
What to do if his
sugar drops?
That's easy.
Give him sugar. Karo syrup is
my constant
companion with my
pups and I
usually give them
a dose (about 2 cc's) before
they leave
my home to go to
their new one.
I also give it to my older dogs when they play
too rough or
go to the shows and
get stressed
out.
.
Also "Nutra Cal"
(comes in a
tube and can be gotten from your Vet.) is a
food supplement
that is very rich.
You just
put a little on your finger and the puppy will usually
lick it off. If
he doesn't, just
open his mouth
and put some behind
his front teeth. This
will also help
bring his sugar up.
I give both.
First the Karo then the Nutra Cal.
.
Karo is also
excellent for getting
a new born puppy
to start nursing.
Mix a little with
warm water and let
the puppy
suck it off your
(clean) finger or put some
in a dropper
and give just a drop
or two.
.
You should get a
record of your
puppy's shots.
I usually don't sell
mine until they
have at least 2
shots in them.
One at 6 weeks and the 2nd at 9 weeks.
They don't leave
their mom till
they're 3 months
old though.
.
They need a total of
3 at three
week intervals and than 1 at a year old, and
1 every year
after. My older dogs
that go
to the shows get them every 9 months as a precaution.
They
are around so many
dogs that
may or may not
have germs that I feel it's
better to be safe
than sorry. I
would suggest
that, if you take your pup out a lot to parks
or places that
other dogs have
roamed, to give
their yearly shot
a little early.
.
I give everything
but Leptosperosis,
and Rabies.
It is now believed
that giving Lepto
too early can cause
cataracts
earlier when they
get older. I don't
give Lepto until they
are 6 months.
Rabies I
don't give until much later, about 9 months.
Update on
shots....
New studies have
come out that
say a dog doesn't
need the adult shots
but once every
3 years. If in
doubt that
your dog is protected,
you can have your
vet do a titter
test to check. I am
now following
this new
regime. This
is YOUR puppy
that YOU are
responsible for and
you should
do what you
feel comfortable
with or your
vet
recommends.
.
This part is for
those who either
give their own
shots or want to give their
own shots.
Remember this is
just what "I"
do. That doesn't
mean you have to take
it as gospel.
And by all means
follow your
Vet's instructions
over mine.
.
What "I" do is
divide the first
shot into 2 shots.
I give half a dose the
first shot and a
week later I give
another half
shot. Two weeks later on the second shot
I give the
whole shot.
Our dogs are
small and I just figure that if you give a big
dog a whole shot,
and our pups are
half their
size, that they don't need the whole thing at
one time and
it's safer. I
think it's
just too much for their
small systems.
I like
for their bodies to
adjust to a smaller
amount first.
.
I never use the same
bottle
twice. If I only have one puppy, after I use
the half shot I
throw the bottle
away and use
a new one for
the second half shot
and throw
that away as
well. If I have 2
pups than
I divide one shot in two and use the same bottle
but 2 different
needles.
.
I once had a
beautiful, perfect,
Vet. checked puppy
that I gave the whole
shot to and it got
distemper and died.
I say from
the shot and my
Vet. said that this was probably
the case.
All my dogs are
vaccinated and
the puppy had
not been out of my home.
The day it got
the shot, it was
fine. Two days
later it had it's first seizure.
.
My next litter I let
my Vet
give my puppies their shots. She checked them
over
thoroughly and then
gave them
their shots. I
had one small male that got
ill the day after
his shot and was
left with partial
sight. She used the same vaccine.
.
I will not mention
the name
of the shot, but I will tell you that I am now
using Pro guard
(tm 5 Parvo Strain
154) (#16-P2-12)
from Jeffers
Pet Catalog (phone #
1-800-jeffers)
for my pups. I
think you
should know that it is important to keep up with
which shot is
rated best at the
time you are
giving shots.
You can call your
Veterinarian
University in
your area for this
information.
My puppy contracts
have all this information
in it.
.
Now let's turn to a
lighter
subject. Where does a puppy sleep when you
get it home.
Puppies are lost in
a large
area. They need a small space that they can
feel safe in
without fear of
getting stepped
on or tripped over. Ever try to get
a puppy out from
under a sofa or a
bed?
It's no fun.
.
I suggest to the
people who
buy my puppies to get a small cage or
playpen. A cage is
really the ideal
place for a
puppy and you can use it forever as a safe
place for your
puppy when you can't
watch it.
They can get
into trouble faster than
a speeding bullet.
Be sure to get the
one that
opens at the top and side. Also, you need the
grate and stainless
pan. Do not get the
metal pan.
They rust after a while. It folds down so it can
be taken on trips to
be used in
motels.
Playpens you can
pick up real
cheap from a garage
sale, thrift or good-will
store. You can
get the smaller ones
now too
if you don't have a lot of space. I get them from
$12 to $16 dollars.
This is only if you
don't have
a climber. Some
Yorkies may climb out of
a playpen so
I suggest you watch
your puppy
closely to make
sure he isn't a climber
first. You may
want to put it in a
corner with
pillows all around
just in case. I've
never had one that
climbed, but someone
told me
that theirs did.
.
In it, put the
puppy's bed,
food, water and paper in a corner to pee on.
I like the half
doughnut beds with
one side
open so they can
cuddle up yet still crawl
out of easily.
.
You can put their
toys in there
also. I go to thrift stores a lot and you
can buy a bag of
soft toys for about
$1.50.
I wash them and remove all the eyes and anything
that they
can chew off and
maybe choke
on or swallow. I don't give them the furry
kind (that comes
off in their mouths
and they
can get in their stomachs), only the material
or lambs wool
ones. Usually
I can find
one with a wind up music box in it. They
like the music, it's
soothing. When
they get
to the stage that they chew them up, I go to the
harder toys.
The minute any toy
looks like
it's coming apart,
throw it away.
.
We all lead busy
lives today
and have to go out at some time or other or
we are just busy
at home and want to
know that
our puppy is safe
while we are not
able to keep an eye on
him. I can't
think of
anything better than a playpen or, better yet, a small
cage.
.
Please note, I'm not
advocating you lock him up forever. Only when
you can't watch him.
It's also great
for training
your puppy to the paper. If you take him
out regularly he won't
even mess his paper
after a
while.
.
Puppies are
naturally curious.
They will pick up anything off the floor and
usually eat it or
make a good job of
trying to.
I knew a girl who bought a "cheep" puppy from
an in-
different breeder
who just sold
her the puppy and said "so long". She
let her puppy loose
all over the house
and it found
a pin on the floor
and ate it. After
a day or so the puppy
started bleeding
from the rectum.
By the time she
got it to the Vet. and he
took x-rays and
found the pin in
its' stomach
it was too late and the puppy died.
Never put a puppy
on any furniture
such as sofa's,
chairs, or anything
that's higher than
he is if he's not in
your arms
or in your lap.
Contrary to "their"
beliefs,
they don't
bounce when they hit
the floor...
they crash.
Broken bones are no
fun to have
to deal with
and Lord forbid....
what if
he breaks his neck?
.
I know some people
don't believe
in cages or confining
their pets in any
way. Too bad. I
most certainly
do. Better
caged than dead.
Later, when the
puppy is older,
you can start
leaving him out
more
and more as you get to know your puppy better and can
trust
him
without keeping your
eye on
him every second.
The reason I like
the cage better
than the playpen
is also because you
can leave
the side door open,
put his bed in there
and he'll
go in and out for
food, water and to
sleep. They
love their own special place.
.
Watch your puppies'
stool.
It can tell you a lot about what's going on inside
your pup. If
it's nice and firm
and a good
brown, it's OK.
Make sure he goes
every day
and doesn't have
to strain to do
it. Also
make sure to keep the hair clipped around his rectum
and check
him often to make
sure he isn't
stopped up.
Anything else, see
your Vet.
.
Also watch your
puppies' behavior.
New pups
sleep a lot and that's
normal, but if he
seems sluggish when
he's awake
and just not himself,
take his temperature.
I use the
thermometer that
beeps when
done with a little
KY jelly on
it. A pups'
temp. should be 101
degrees.
Sometimes while
playing or in the heat it can go to 102.
If it doesn't come down
when he quieten's
down and cools
off, call your
Vet.
.
I believe in feeding
only good
quality food. I'm not going to recommend one
because I
use them all.
For my older
dogs I mix different brands so they don't get board.
I know I
wouldn't like to eat
the same
thing every day of the year. I have a
50 gallon metal garbage
can that I line with
a garbage
bag and just mix
everything together.
One bite one kind,
next bite another
kind.
.
They are so funny
though.
One day they will pick out just one kind and the
next another
kind and the next
three different
kinds. Any way they have their choice.
My dogs are used
to this and it
doesn't upset
them.
.
For a puppy under 3
months old.....
I've gotten so many
e-mails
from people asking
what to feed their 6
week to
3 month old
puppy that I'm
adding this.
First, you shouldn't
buy a puppy under 3
months,
but if you did,
this is what I would
recommend
you feed it.
Read my "Buying
a puppy article".
.
When I wean my pups
I use Hill's
Growth food.
It comes in a green
and white
can and you
can get it from your
vet. or
Petsmart store.
I use half a can
and put
it in a bowl. I mix in
about 1/2 cup of
canned milk
and then mash it up real good. Then
I add water until it's a
real soft
mush. I feed
them this mixture until they are 3 months old 5 times
a day.
.
As they grow, you
can make the
food
more solid and not
quite so
mushy. Keep this
in your refrigerator
and no
longer than 3 days.
The other half a can
you didn't
use, give to
another pet or throw
out.
Heat the mush a
little before you
feed it to
your puppy. They're
used to warm milk
from their
mom and this will
help them eat better.
When they're 2 to
3 months old,
I give them Eukanauba
growth small bites.
This is hard
food. This I
leave down
for them to munch
on all the
time. At first
they play with it, but
after a while they
start eating
it. You have
to watch them to see
how much
they're
eating of the
Eukanauba. You
can get this
at feed stores or
your vets.
.
They will gradually
stop eating
the mush and
eat more of the hard food.
When they
do this, I then
start giving
them the Hills
growth right out of
the can
3 times a day
and still leave the
Eukanauba
down for them.
.
For a puppy over
3 months...
When you buy your
puppy, you
should find
out what the breeder
is feeding
and make
sure you have some
to take home
with you
until you can get to
the store
and get some.
.
If you like the
brand just keep
using it. If
you don't like it
change the
food gradually.
I don't recommend
you do this
the first week as the puppy has enough to deal
with just
going to a new
home. The
less stress the
better.
.
By the next week
when he's more
used to you, start
changing. Just add
a little bit of the food
you want him to eat
at first.
Make sure he likes it. If it's dry, offer
him a piece and see if he
will eat it.
If he does
then go ahead with changing gradually. A
little more each day
of the food you like
and a little
less of the original
food. I would
do this over a weeks
time. If he
doesn't like
it at first just put a few pieces in a bowl and leave
it there.
Maybe he will decide
later that
it's not so
bad.
.
When the pieces are
gone add
a few more.
Just keep going like
this till
he gets used to it.
If he plain doesn't
like it
and won't eat it, then it's up to you to find another
good brand you
like and start the
process all
over again.
.
Always remember that
the main
thing is to keep
him eating no matter what
the food. I
have a friend whose
puppy wouldn't
eat anything
but Gerber weenies.
He's 4 years
old and still eats
them for
snacks and such.
Maybe a little
weenie juice
on your food
might do the
trick. If
he plain won't eat anything, go ahead and give
him the weenies.
So what if you have
a spoiled,
rotten dog.
He'll get that way
sooner or
later anyway.
.
Even after they
start eating
dry food, I still give my puppies wet food twice
a day. After
6 or 7 mo. I then go
to once
a day. I like to put a little cottage cheese
in their wet food.
It's good for them
and they
love it.
.
Another thing I
believe in is
obedience training
for your puppy starting
at 3 months
of age. I
don't mean the
full training like for obedience trials or attack training.
I just
mean a couple of
simple commands
to keep your
puppy safe.
.
What if you answer
your door
and your pup runs
out of the house and into
the street?
And of course a car
is coming
at the same time.
Wouldn't you like
to know you could
give your pup a
command and
he would stop immediately and come trotting back to you?
The best way to
train him is
to find an obedience
club in your area.
You would
get to know a lot of
nice people
and have some
support in your training
efforts.
.
If none are
available, I will
give you some simple ways to do it yourself.
I trained and
showed German
Shepherds in obedience
for many
years, so I'm not a novice
at this. The
first thing you do
is leash
train your pup to walk with you.
.
What I do is put the
leash around
his body up
close to his front
shoulders.
I Hate pulling on
a pup's neck.
Then I take
him out in the grass and with short pulls encourage
him to walk by
calling and
coaxing. Just
keep pulling with short pulls, and he'll soon
get the idea. Work
only about 10 to 15
minutes
at a time. Also give him breathers every few
minutes.
.
When he's going good
with the
leash around his
body, I then put the leash
around his neck.
I never use a
harness while
training. This makes for a wild dog without
control.
.
From my friends on
the Yorkie
list, I have learned
that a harness can be
useful in certain
situations.
Who says an
old dog like me can't learn new tricks? <smile>
If you're out in
public and a large
dog without
a lead comes
after your Yorkie, you can use
the lead to
yank your pup into
your arms
without
strangling him like
you would
with a neck
lead.
.
I do recommend
having your pup
leash trained
first before you go
to the harness
though. He needs to
learn that
you take him for
a walk and not the other
way around.
.
Once he's leash
trained, then
start the "Come"
command. Let's
pretend your pups
name is Banjo (hee,
hee).
I guess you know I
have a Banjo.
You let
your pup walk around
on the leash and
then you say
"Banjo come" in
a strong voice. You
say his name first to
get his attention,
and then
give the command
you want him to obey.
.
When you say the
word "come",
gently but firmly,
pull the leash to you
until he is right
in front of
you. When
he is in front of you, lean down and give him lots
and lots of praise.
Let him know what a
good boy
he is. Make sure the word come and the leash
pulling
occur at the same
time.
Never say more than
these two
words. A dog
only understands key
words when you talk
to them.
While you're training,
don't confuse him.
.
After you've loved
on him a
minute or two, let him go play again. Then
repeat the
"Banjo come"
command.
I would do this about ten minutes in the morning
and ten
in the
evening. You don't
want to wear him out.
.
In about a week you
shouldn't
have to pull the leash at all and he will be
coming to you on
his own. Then
start doing
it in the house off leash at different times of
the day. If he
regresses, just put
the leash
back on a couple of times and he'll get the idea
you're serious.
.
The next command is
"down stay".
Suppose he
gets out and runs across
the street. There
is a lot of traffic
and if he
sees you he will try to cross the street to come
to you and may get
hurt. With the
"down stay"
command you can
avoid this disaster.
It's also good if you
have to take a bath
and don't
want your little
darling jumping in
the tub with
you.
.
Put him down on his
belly and
say "Banjo down
stay". Keep your
hand on his back and
you can pet or
scratch him while
doing this and
just keep repeating the
command "Banjo
down stay".
(You can do
this while sitting on the floor watching TV.)
.
After he gets the
idea and doesn't
try to jump up
every 5 seconds, then remove
your hand.
Every time he starts
to jump
up repeat the command and put him down again.
.
When he gets the
hang of this
in a couple of days, then start going further
away from him.
When you can walk
away from
him to another
room and he doesn't follow,
you're half way
there.
.
The next step is to
take him
for a walk on his leash and stop every so often
and give him the
"Banjo down stay"
command and
if he doesn't do it on his own, put him down
when you give
this command. You
can renew
the "Banjo come"
command on the same outing.
In about
a month or two you
will have
a nicely trained
puppy and you and he
will be
happier and
"safer" for it.
.
Like I said earlier,
this is
"my" way of raising puppies. I'm sure there are
a lot more and
even some better
ideas around.
If you would like
to send them to me, and
they are good, I
will post them
below.
Till then, good luck with your new puppy.
.~~~~~~~
.
Crate
training tips from my friend, Ric Ross
.
Also see some easy training tips here
~~~~~~~
We all know that
dogs will mark
in the house occasionally unless they are well trained. For
the fastidious pet
owners, I
suggest you use
either panties for
girls or
a belly band for boys.
Just slip a half of a kotex in them and you can take your dog out without fear
of them marking.
I get mine from
...
Jennie
Schull-Wright
http://home.mindspring.com/~rite1/id7.html
.~~~~~~~
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