What You Need To Know

 

Your new puppy is so excited to be a new member of your family. Even though he/she is excited, it is a terrifying experience. Your new puppy will be scared and will be looking for his/her siblings. It will take time and patience from you for your puppy to be comfortable in his/her new surroundings. Here are a few tips to help you and your new puppy to adjust smoothly into your family.

 

First couple of Days

Your puppy will be stressed going to a new home. What you need to do to help transition your puppy is to give your puppy time to relax. Do not over stimulate your puppy. Over stimulation can cause your puppy to become sick or it could even cause your puppy to have a seizure. Until your puppy becomes more adjust to his/hers environment, make sure your puppy gets plenty of time to rest/sleep. It is also very important that you offer your new puppy plenty of water and food.

 

Before the Age of 16 Weeks

By the age of 16 weeks (or close to this age) your puppy should have all of his/her adult shots (DA2P and rabies shot). Prior to this, you should not take your puppy to areas with other dogs or places that other dogs have been. Without your puppy being fully protected, your puppy can pick up viruses like Parvo. Parvo is a highly contagious virus that usually results in death. A non-fully vaccinated puppy should avoid places like: dog parks, stores that allow dogs, gas station grass areas or places where unvaccinated dogs have been or will be. If you are unsure if the place you want to take your puppy has had unvaccinated dogs, it is better not to take your puppy. You do not want to risk exposing your puppy to a deadly virus.

 

Loose Stool

This is an extremely stressful time for your puppy, do not be surprised if your puppy gets loose stool. Also, do not be surprised if the stool has a little bit of blood in it. Stress, new food and/or treats can irritate the stomach, which can cause loose stool and blood to be present. As long as your puppy is, Eating, Drinking, Playing and Acting Fine, DO NOT take your puppy to the vet. Give your puppy at least a week to adjust before taking your puppy to the vet. If your puppy does get loose stool, give your puppy a couple tablespoons of canned pumpkin. The pumpkin will help harden your puppies stool. 

If your puppy is lethargic, has bloody diarrhea or not eating/drinking take your puppy immediately to the vet.

 

Hypoglycemia (if you bought a toy breed, you received a more detailed paper on this)

Hypoglycemia is where your puppy’s blood sugar has dropped to dangerous levels. Hypoglycemia can be caused from your puppy not eating properly. This occurs often in toy breeds such as Pomeranian, Shih Tzu and Affenpinschers. (So far, I have not had any of my Pomsky or Husky puppies become hypoglycemic) This is how to keep your puppy from getting Hypoglycemia:

• Do not fill food dishes full of puppy food. Only put a little bit of food in the dish. This way, you can tell if your puppy is eating his or her food. If your puppy finishes the food in the dish, you can give them more food. It is too hard to tell if a puppy is eating out of a dish that is completely full of food.

• Your puppy should be offered food 3 to 4 times a day.

• Do not give your puppy too many treats. Too many treats will fill your puppy up and not make him/her hungry. Treats do not have the necessary nutrients needed to support your puppy.

• If your puppy is not eating, offer the puppy peanut butter. All of my puppies are used to getting peanut butter and should eagerly eat it. If you do not think your puppy is eating enough puppy food, you can mix peanut butter into the food. The peanut butter should entice the puppy to eat. If the puppy is refusing to eat and to eat the offered peanut butter, open the puppy’s mouth and put the peanut butter on the roof of his/her mouth. This will force the puppy to eat the peanut butter. The peanut butter will help the puppy to not become hypoglycemic.

 

Crate Training

Husky Hill Kennel highly suggest crate training your puppy until he/she can be trusted to stay by his/her self. Crate training helps keep your puppy form chewing/eating things they are not supposed to. Your new puppy is not used to being by his/her self, your puppy is used to being with his/her siblings. The following will help you with crate training:

• Isolated the crate in a quite area like a bathroom or a spare room. This way, you can close the door to keep your puppy from being disturbed by people coming in/out of the room.

• Putting a blanket or cover over the crate. This will help the puppy to feel secure. (make sure the puppy cannot pull the blanket through the crate)

• Let your puppy cry it out. Please understand this is new to your puppy and your puppy will cry. DO NOT let your puppy out when he/she is crying. Your puppy will learn that he/she gets out if he/she cries. It will take at least a week for your puppy to learn that crying does not get him/her out of the crate.

• Positive reinforcement. Give your puppy a treat when you put your puppy into the crate. The puppy will associate the crate with getting a treat.

• No beds or blankets in the crate until your puppy is fully potty trained. A puppy does not like to go to the bathroom where they lay so there is a smaller chance your puppy will not potty in the crate if there is nothing for your puppy’s bodily fluids to be absorbed.

• If your puppy goes to the bathroom in the crate, make the crate area smaller. More than likely, you have given your puppy too much room in the crate. A puppy does not like to lay in his/hers waste so if the crate is small enough they will not go to the bathroom. If your puppy continues to go to the bathroom in the crate after making the crate smaller, your puppy needs to be let out to go to the bathroom more often. Puppies do not have fully developed bladder muscles until 6 months of age.

 

Potty Training

Your puppy is not potty trained yet. Most of our puppies are either litter box trained or doggie door trained. Puppies do not have fully developed bladder muscles until 6 months of age. It is very possible it will take your puppy that long to fully potty train. Here are some tips to help you potty train your puppy:

• Make sure you establish a schedule. Until your puppy is fully potty trained, you will need to let your puppy out every 30 minutes to an hour.

• After every meal, make sure you let your puppy out to use the restroom.

• Any time your puppy wakes up from a nap, take your puppy out immediately.

• If your puppy does not go to the bathroom when you take him/her out you might want to take the puppy out every 30 minutes until he/she goes to the bathroom.

• Take your puppy to the same spot to go to the bathroom. Your puppy’s scents will prompt them to go.

• Make sure you go outside with your puppy to go to the bathroom to make sure the puppy used the restroom.

• When your puppy uses the bathroom, praise them and give them a treat.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Angela Gray

660-341-4954

huskyhillkennel@gmail.com