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My first litter ~ Juliette & Chunky's babies ~ whelped 7/28/07
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Bringing a new puppy home is in many ways like bringing a new baby home. It can seem overwhelming at first, but I have a few suggestions that might make the transition a little bit easier.
Feeding:
Feed your puppy 3 times a day until he is 10 weeks old, then two times per day should be enough. I would start by offering the pup about 3/4 cup of puppy food at each feeding. I always wet the food with a bit of warm water. By the time the puppy is 3 months old, it may be eating up to 4 cups of food per day. I feed my puppies Kirkland Chicken & Rice Puppy food. I also use Kirkland canned dog food in 1 feeding per day for variety. Kirkland brand is available in Costco stores. If it is not available in your area, there are many quality puppy foods like Iams or Science Diet, easily found in grocery and pet stores. You may want to talk to your Veterinarian about which brand may be best for your puppy. Keeping puppy on a regular feeding schedule really helps with potty training. If puppy's stools get a bit loose, try giving him 1-2 tablespoons of unflavored yogurt 2-3 times a day until his stools are well-formed once again.
You will only need to feed a puppy food for the first 6-8 months, and then you can safely switch to a good quality adult dog food. My big dogs get Kirkland Chicken & Rice with an occasional Lamb & Rice bag thrown in for variety. The Chicken & Rice has 26% crude protein which my mentor, Kathy Bailey of Sunny Daze Labradors in California, thinks is just about right. She never feeds much lower than that - especially to younger dogs.
Crate Training:
I highly recommend crate training your puppy. There are several good books on the subject - one I have found particularly helpful is The Monks of New Skeet. The monks crate train their German Shepherds and have wonderful suggestions on how to make this work well for puppy and owner. Crate training GREATLY assists in potty training, which is a must for every happy pet-owning family.
Potty Training:
Training is as much for you as it is for the puppy, so getting it right from the start is very important. Knowing your puppy's natural potty instincts are critical. Puppies need to potty after they eat, drink, wake up from naps, or whenever you see them stop playing and start sniffing. Choose a spot where you want your puppy to potty and take him there on a leash every time. Some people use a short phrase like "Go, go, go" or "Go now" when their puppy is in his potty place, and be sure to reward your puppy with lots of praise when he does his duty in that spot. Remember to be patient at first - puppies tend to get distracted easily and may forget why they are outside. Sometimes your puppy may need to pee more than once before he's ready to go back into the house. Watch him and learn his signals. Believe me, you want to be successful in your potty training efforts, and being patient and consistent will help you get there.
Toys/Exercise:
All puppies love to chew. Even adult dogs need toys to keep them from getting into mischief. Keep some safe toys around for puppy to have when he is in his crate or outside playing with you.
My Labs LOVE tennis balls and playing fetch. I also walk them twice a day to keep them healthy and exercised. A bored dog is a problem dog, so I keep my dogs active and engaged. Dogs which are exercised regularly live longer, healthier lives and are much less likely to develop bad habits. If you get the chance, watch an episode or two of The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Milano gives great advice on keeping dogs well-trained and out of trouble.
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My thanks to Kathy Bailey of Sunny Daze Labradors for her invaluable advice to me! Without her, I would not have this wonderful pack of dogs to call my own! You may visit Kathy's website at www.sunnydazelabs.netThank you, Kathy!!
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