- Another option is to use Merial Eurican DHLPPi vaccine which only requires 2 injections, at 7 and 12 months of age.
- After the vaccinations (mentioned above) during puppyhood the dog should be vaccinated once a year.
- Rabies – the vaccine is done once at puppyhood and then annually. As mentioned above, it’s obligatory by law.
- When we vaccinate the puppy against rabies for the first time we’ll also implant a small identification microchip under his/her skin.
- Preventive treatments – the annual preventive treatments are those against fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and Parkworm.
- Fleas and ticks – it is recommended to treat against fleas and ticks once a month all year long. Apart from being a nuisance, fleas and ticks may cause allergies and transmit diseases. The treatment can be done with ampoules or collars.
- Intestinal worms – it is recommended to treat puppies against intestinal worms 2-3 times when they are young and then every 6 months. Puppies often get worms in utero and later in life get them from infected fleas. The treatment is usually done with syrup or tablets.
- Parkworm – it is recommended to treat against Parkworm every 2 months. This parasitic worm is transmitted by dung beetles and only infests dogs. The treatment is done by injection. Some dog breeds are sensitive to the drug used against Parkworm and in these breeds we have to treat with ampules.
Food:
Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs. Therefore, it is important to feed them high quality puppy food, which is needed for their development and not adult food and/or table scraps. Commercial puppy food is balanced and suitable for puppies so a puppy up to a year of age that feeds on such a diet does not need any supplementation of vitamins, calcium, etc.
Quantities – up to six months of age you can let your puppy eat as much as s/he wants and it’s recommended to divide it over 3 meals. Over 6 months of age it’s recommended to feed measured amounts in order to prevent getting overweight. You can also start feeding 2 meals a day at this stage. When food is available all the time and not divided into meals there is a higher chance of obesity, therefore this is less recommended. Whatever way you choose to feed your dog, it’s best to measure and feed the correct amount based on age and weight and not leave a full bowl all the time.
Treats – if you want to “spoil” your puppy a little, you can give her/him a commercial treat and food s/he likes but it is important not to overdo it and avoid dangerous treats (dairy, spicy table scraps, bones that could cause blockage, diarrhea and vomiting; seemingly harmless products that are poisonous for dogs such as chocolate, grapes, onion, garlic, broccoli, etc.) We recommend using treats mainly for training (see next).
Training:
Training the puppy needs to be based on positive reinforcement: when you say “no” to a dog, s/he doesn’t really understand what you want from her/him but if s/he gets a nice treat for doing a desired action then s/he will learn to repeat that action. This way you can encourage your puppy to offer desired actions and eliminate unwanted behavior. This way the puppy will be motivated by joy, challenge and satisfaction rather than fear.
This method of training is suitable for basic training (e.g. sit, heal, come, etc.) but also for training your dog to cooperate with you for basic “maintenance”, such as: nail trimming, brushing teeth and ear cleaning. Puppies usually don’t need these but this age is the perfect time to get them used to being handled. If you invest a bit of time doing this then you’ll make your, your dog and your vet’s lives a lot easier down the road.
Toilet training – toilet training a puppy is an important task but not always an easy one. On average, puppies “need to go” every 3 hours so training should be very patient and using positive reinforcements.
How to toilet train? Dogs don’t “do their business” in their territory so a puppy won’t “go” where his bed and food/water bowls are.
- You can use a single room where the puppy will spend most of the day with newspapers to mark his/her “toilet”.
- The puppy should be taken out of this room immediately as s/he wakes up, finished eating or playing and taken to the yard or street in order to have him/her “go” there and learn thatthat is where s/he needs to “go”. You can also take the newspaper with you so the puppy could make the connection.
- It is important to praise the puppy and give him/her a treat for “going” outside and not to scold him/her (and definitely not hit him/her or shove their nose in their mess) for “going” indoors. The puppy won’t be able to associate your anger with what s/he’s done.
As was mentioned above, it is very important to avoid dog parks and other parks (where the puppy can get infected) until s/he is fully vaccinated. Therefore, when taking the puppy outside for toilet training you must find the cleanest piece of pavement you can for that.
Playing with other dogs is a crucial part of the puppy’s development but must be done only with healthy, vaccinated adult dogs (especially until the puppy is fully vaccinated) and under your supervision.
Bathing:
It is not recommended to bathe a puppy before 3 months of age. When bathing, it is important to do it with a shampoo made for puppies and avoid getting water in the eyes, ears and nose.
One should wait at least 3 days between bathing and applying an anti-flea ampoule.
Spay and neuter:
Spaying and neutering have both health and behavior advantages. Read more about it here.
