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Puppyhood is a brief moment in a dog’s life and all puppies require a great deal of care and attention during puppyhood. If you decide to buy a puppy, rather than
adopting an dog, here are some things you should consider.
Before selecting your puppy, ask your veterinarian about congenital abnormalities such as extra toes, bent tails or unusual eye color. These and other similar abnormalities will not affect the dog’s suitability as a pet, but they may disqualify the dog for breeding and shows. To avoid potential health difficulties, take your puppy for a complete examination as quickly as possible. Puppies must be immunized against such illnesses as rabies, parvovirus, and distemper, and checked for heartworms and other ailments. Click here to see a typical schedule for vaccines.
Bringing Your Puppy Home: Puppies should not be separated from their mothers until they are about eight weeks old. Since puppies are full of curiosity and start learning at a very early age, start training your puppy from the beginning. You can help your puppy adjust to its new home by treating it with lots of love and affection, especially during its first few nights in its new home. Puppies require a special diet, so ask your veterinarian to recommended a diet for your puppy. Avoid the temptation of feeding your puppy meat or table scraps, since they may interfere with its digestion and, moreover, foster behavior problems, such as begging. Attach a personal ID tag to the puppy’s collar, listing your name, address, and telephone number.
Click on the following for information concerning emergencies, housebreaking; housing; bathing, grooming; cleaning teeth, ears and nails; parasites prevention; pilling or giving liquids to your puppy.
Spaying and Neutering:
Ask your veterinarian for the best time to spay or neuter your new puppy. The following are general recommendations:
Females
should be spayed before their first heat cycle to reduce population and the risk of breast cancer and uterine infection.
Males should be neutered at 6 months to reduce population and the risk od territorialism and aggression, as well as the risk of testicular cancer and
prostate disease.
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