Care

Finding the right veterinarian for your puppy is a priority. Plan ahead so you can take your puppy in for a check-up soon after you bring her home.

Sooner, or later, many of us need a professional dog walker or pet sitter. Unlike your neighbor’s child or your sister’s friend who lives nearby, a professional dog walker or pet sitter is experienced with all kinds of pets and pet situations, including emergencies.

Call it a Dog Hotel, a Dog Spa, or Doggy Daycare with Sleepover, if you need a boarding kennel you want one that is safe, clean, comfortable, and a satisfactory home away from home.

Vaccination clinics often give short-term vaccines designed to keep you coming back every year, with little regard for the impact of such frequent vaccination on your dog; it’s a simple matter of economics. For the same reason, they also have no problem administering unnecessary annual vaccines for coronavirus and Lyme disease.

Every dog needs a bath now and then. Since many dogs dislike baths, it’s a good idea to teach your puppy to enjoy them while he is small …and still easy to lift into the tub or kitchen sink. Have a few old towels ready and expect to get wet, yourself!

Puppies may be small--or relatively small-- but those squirming, wagging, romping bundles of energy are anything but easy to groom.  Puppies love to be on the move, and may not be particularly thrilled about sitting nicely for a long session of brushing, toenail clipping, and primping.  However, because puppies grow, and some grow really big, puppyhood is the best time to establish a regular grooming routine.  Just try to trim a full-grown Irish Wolfhound’s nails if he doesn’t want you to do it.  Don’t expect to have the upper hand when it comes to physical strength!

Some puppy coats morph pretty subtly into their adult versions, but some puppies come into their adult coats in a rather dramatic fashion involving tons of hair loss, a temporarily patchy coat, and the development of an undercoat more dramatic and challenging than any the puppy owner had imagined. 

Contrary to popular belief, "doggie breath" is not a normal condition.  It’s a sign that your dog has poor oral health.  It’s probably also a sign that you aren’t brushing your dog’s teeth.

What are handling exercises and why might they be useful?
Exercises that use gentle and positive handling can help to increase the enjoyment and decrease any fear associated with handling and restraint.  In addition, they provide a means for achieving a relaxed state, which might then be used if the dog begins to get excited or aroused.   Verbal exercises can and should also be used to help achieve a relaxed state (See our settle exercise handouts).  While the physical contact and attention you provide may be sufficiently reinforcing for most puppies, food treats can also be paired with handling to mark and reward the desirable response.  One important principle to always keep in mind is that the hand should always be an indication that something good is about to happen (e.g. the hand is a friend).  This means that physical punishment and forceful handling must be avoided. 

Imagine waking up one day and getting moved to a new house with a new family without warning. That’s how your new dog feels the first time you bring her home. Picking a new pet is fun and exciting for you, but it can be a scary process for your new dog. Make the transition go as smoothly as possible by preparing for her arrival.