my son is getting a new puppy?

Question

its 6 weeks old what food should i give it ? ive told him he needs to get a dog licence first and take it to vets for shots with his own money if he wants this puppy he has to be responsible for it ie clean up after it and such my son is ten

i think the pups were an accident and are not being cared for properly as it is the owner told me to feed it scraps im not going to do that how would it grow properly and be healthy she took them from the mother already im surprised any of them have survived at all to be honest

Thank you all for the advice given to me so far i live in Ireland and do need a licence that much i do know its about all i know now im getting worried am i making a mistake letting him have the puppy cant go back on my word and im afraid it will die if i dont take it as its not being cared for right the owner dosnt seem to care

Answer 1

Puppies shouldn't usually leave the Mom until at least 8 weeks old. That time is when the puppies learn their social skills from the mom and the siblings. Notwithstanding that, a 6 week old puppy is a baby and should be expected to act as such. A dry puppy food moisten is best. A puppy needs to get the proper nutrients to grow healthy as well as puppy food has more calories for the growing pup. The puppy needs fresh water at all times. He will need to be socialized with other other animals and people but not until he has had his shots and been dewormed? All puppies have worms from lactating mother and need to be dewormed if not already done. There are diseases that he can get from other animal feces so you should avoid contact where other animals (animal parks etc) until he receives his vaccination. Dog licenses are not usually required until they are 6 months old (check with your local government for their specific time period) Most dogs can't get licensed until proof of vaccinations are provided. Having a puppy is a lifetime responsibility and vet bills can get expensive. It may be unrealistic to think that your son will be able to afford giving your pet the proper medical care without assistance from you. It is great to love a puppy but puppies grow up - what then? There are plenty of unwanted adult dogs who were once puppies. Make sure that you are standing by this committment so your puppy has a happy healthy life. My dog has had 2 litters of puppies and I turned down many many people to insure that the puppies have a good life. I am in contact with all 8 owners and we are now friends. All of my puppies had all there shots were dewormed, were given food to go home with , puppy pee pads, collar, leash, were trained to go outside to the bathroom; were allowed to play play play; were sent with favorite play toys and towels that had scent of their mother and other pups to ease the transition. It is a big responsiblity to be a pet owner or at least a good one. has your son ever had to daily feed, train and pick up dog poop or clean up after accidents ? Maybe he should try that first before taking a puppy. It is better to find a good home for the puppy while he is young and still has a chance. I hope that this helps!

P.S. puppies digestive are sensitive and they will get diarrhea if you all of a sudden change their diet . Normally, if you change dog foods you do it slowing by adding some of the new food with the old to ease the transition to the pups digestive system.

Answer 2

The puppy is too young to be leaving its mother yet the best food to feed the dog is the same as what the breeder gave to it as changing its diet will cause it to have the runs gradually change over to the food you want to feed it there are plenty of puppy foods on the market dry or wet i used both with my pups mix a little of both together this helped keep hunger at bay feed 4 small meals a day then build up to 2 large meals a day when the pup is older good luck if you are in aussie/usa i do know you need a licence but if you are in the uk you dont need 1

Update im sorry to hear about the owners are not looking after these pups properly and im glad you are going to give 1 a good home just feed the dog on some puppy food really small amounts of up to 6 times a day for a week seeing as they pup is not being fed properly now then decrease to 4 small meals because giving the pup a lot to eat in 1 go the pup will just be sick but do expect it to have the runs for a few days untill the pup is used to the food and as soon as you can id get it checked out at the vets to look at its development stage, you can look for good signs yourself playful, good teeth, shiny coat and sparkly clean eyes these are good signs of health.

Answer 3

If your son is 16 then legally you are responsible for taking it to the vet and getting it wormed and vaccinated. You could get your son to pay you back and do chores as well as look after the pup.
It will need vaccinating at about 8 weeks, check with your vet. It varies.
Until then it does need careful feeding as its too early for it to leave Mum, the vets will have a feeding chart they should give you. It will need feeding 4 or 5 times a day at least.
Dogs don't need licences any more so thats one less thing to worry about.
Look around for websites about puppy care and training, hopefully if you ask then people here may be able to give you addresses of some good ones.

Answer 4

6 weeks is very young for a puppy to be taken away, 8 weeks is more the norm. it might develop socialisation problems and you might have trouble.
a decent breeder will be able to recommend food, but then a decent breeder probably wouldn't give a 6 weeek old puppy away.

you need to decide between dry of wet food, I recommend dry but it might take a few days to get used to this, but allow plenty of fresh water. A decent, independant pet shop or your vet will also have a recommendation, all the big brand foods are pretty generic, nutro-choice is quite good, more digestable, and theres always Hills Science Plan, a vets favourite.

Shots are about £60 - £80 and will need two courses a few weeks apart, also don't forget flea treatment and worming, all vital as it will probably have fleas (not detrimental, most new pets do) and will definately need worming. You don't need a licence ein the UK, but you do need a collar with ID tag when you take it out.

Good luck! Try some puppy training classes with it, this will help and it will get used to other dogs.

Answer 5

Congratulations on your new puppy, it's a very exciting time.

It's great that you want to teach your son responsibility, kids and puppies can be a wonderful experience. You need to make sure that your son knows how to properly care for his puppy. Children need to learn how to treat dogs, (especially when they are puppies) to avoid any potential "problems".

A trip to the vet is the first priority. Puppies need their vaccinations (a series of them), be sure to take a stool sample so they can check for worms.

I would check with the breeder to find out what type of dog food your puppy has been eating and I'd continue using the same food. I'd also check with your vet to see what they recommend.

It's important that your puppy gets all the essential vitamins and nutrients while he's growing. If your vet recommends something else and you decide to change the food, you can gradually mix it with the new food until the dog is used to the new food.

I wish you all the best with your new puppy, I'm sure your son and his new companion will have many happy years ahead. Good luck.

Answer 6

Clinivet is a very good dryed food to give puppies. It is expensive but excellent quality of food. I have 5 puupies at 3 weeks old and that is what their mother is feeding on and what i am for putting them on. A dog lience check this out but i have been told that you do not need to worry about a licence til the pup is a year old but check out if this is true.

Answer 7

A puppy of six weeks old is not yet ready to be taken from its mother. It will still be being weaned by the breeder and should not be sold/given away until it has had time to take all the antibodies from its mother. The breeder is being very irresponsible allowing you to have this puppy. You should insist that it has been properly prepared for life away from its mother and its litter mates.
When the puppy's ready there are many types of puppy food on the market. Please give it two more weeks. It will be worth it.

Answer 8

There are foods on the market specifically for puppies. Ask your vet to advise you.

It's a little bit of a worry that the pup will be with you at 6 weeks old. Strictly speaking, that's considered the minimum amount of time it should be with its mother, but ideally should be 8-10 weeks.

It is good that you are teaching your son to be responsible with the dog though. Overall I think you'll do ok.

Good Luck.

Answer 9

well, the thing is that shots and stuff are very expensive for a 10 year old and the dog will need the shots soon. i guess you should take care of that part and the rest leave it to yr son.

Answer 10

GUIDENCE IS ESSENTIEL. 10 IS AWFULLY YOUNG FOR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF A PUPPY, BUT IT CAN BE A GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE. GET BOOKS ON THE CARE AND FEEDING. HERE IN THE U.S. A DOG DOESN'T GET LICENSED UNTIL IT'S 6 MONTHS WHEN IT'S OLD ENOUGH FOR ITS FIRST SHOTS. A DOG CAN BE GREAT IF IT'S THE RIGHT DOG. IT'LL WATCH OVER YOUR SON AND GIVE HIM SOMEBODY TO PLAY WITH. BUT SUPERVISE.