Pet food and supplies, how often to see the vet, where to put them overnight? Helpful house-breaking and training tips would be appreciated too.
2006-12-11 05:53:54 · 12 answers · asked by mezhenari 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
A crate
Pet bed
food
dishes
leash & collar
a vet
Get a book like dog training for dummies. It is a nice easy to read basic book that will help you with the basic care and handling of a new puppy.
Also lots of patience is a must.
Good luck with your new pet.
2006-12-11 05:58:10 · answer #1 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First, please be sure that this is want you really want. So many Christmas puppies end up in shelters. They are cute adorable gifts, but those gifts need time, money, and lots love.
Ok, enough of that. The amount of food depends on how big of breed you get. They make specific puppy foood for toy and large breeds as well as reg puppy food. The feeding directions are on the back of the bag . . . otherwise your breeder will prob advice on feeding. You will need to see the vet asap. Most breeders will have you see the vet w/ 24 hrs to be sure they are healthy. Puppies need lots of puppy shots. You will be visiting the vet a lot in the begining. The vet will be sure to let you know all of this. A lot of people crate train. I never did that so I can't help there. For now I will just say that take your puppy outside potty every 2 hours and w/in 10-15 min of eating/drinking. Be sure to encourage them to "go potty" when u take them out. When they go, PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!!! "Good potty" or whatever phrase you want. If they do potty in the house, just take them outside and repeat the process. Chances are there will be accidents. Again, if you get the puppy from a good breeder, they will more than likely give you tips on all of this too. Once you get the puppy, you might want to post the potty training question again . .
Good Luck and Happy Holidays!
2006-12-11 06:04:28 · answer #2 · answered by sweet_carmel_angel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All the answers are great to this point.
Make sure you want a dog and are able to love, care and house train it.
Give your wife a card, saying she will be getting a puppy after Christmas. A lot easier on the puppy.
Vet bills can be costly. And depending on the size and age of the dog, flea and tick protection and heart worm pills are a must have regularly. Take your dog as soon as you get him/her. Just to check the dog out. I recently got 2 dogs from a rescue. Although they were thoroughly checked out before I got them, had their shots, etc. The shelter said it would be good idea and recommended it. The initial exam and visit cost me about 75.00 plus supplies-Advantage and Frontline. I also got some ear cleaner for their floppy ears to help with any yeast or infection. So the total was about 175.00
Consider a shelter rather than a pet store. Many get their dogs from puppy mills and have a lot of problems. Some don't, and some don't show up for a while. So be careful of pet stores.
Have patience with the new puppy
Give it lots and lots of love.
Good luck and Happy Holiday
2006-12-11 07:37:40 · answer #3 · answered by just me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i hope you are getting it from your local animal shelter. if you get a crate, they should not spend more the 4 hrs at a time in it. if you tie your dog up outside, they should have food, water and shelter. the door of the dog house should have a flap and there should be a loose material in the bottom (like hay) having a puppy is a big responsibility. if you do not have time to let you puppy out every 2-4 hours then you should get an older dog. puppies also chewy on whatever they can find. call a vet for more info. this is a big deal. you shouldn't rely on answers on yahoo. most of the answers i read here are a little off. always trust a known expert for serious questions. and remember just because someone on here says they know alot about a subject doesn't mean they really do.
oh and make sure you spay/neuter your pets.
2006-12-11 06:12:01 · answer #4 · answered by kaaykes314 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her a card telling her you're getting a puppy after the holidays, when things calm down.
Many people have bad experiences getting puppies at Christmas time, when their schedules are hectic and not normal. It is bad for the puppy as well.
Keep in mind that a puppy is not trained, and will not know how to follow your routine yet, even when your routine is set. In addition, having so many more people around is confusing to a pet who is just acclimating to a new surrounding.
You can give your friend the accessories, plus a card and a book about how to choose the right pet for your personality and lifestyle. Then give her some time to choose what kind of dog she would prefer. Go shopping for one together, but after the holidays! Better yet, go online and get one who needs a home, such as from petfinders.com.
Good luck!
2006-12-11 06:01:30 · answer #5 · answered by L F 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hope above all that you are positive a dog is something that she/you want! It's not something to enter into unless you are really ready to commit to a life long relationship. If so, I highly recommend the website www.petfinders.com. There you can search by breed and location of local groups. And all of their animals are behavior tested! So, you can get the one that best fits you and your family. Not to mention they are a wealth of information. Some things you might want to consider is that there are a lot of different types of dogs out there and they each come a little predisposed to different personality traits and/or physical conditions (health and exercise needs). So consider contacting a local vet and taking a look at the groups in your area on Petfinder.com. They'll be able to walk you through everything else you'll need. Good luck, you are in for a huge responsibility: physically, emotionally, and financially!
2006-12-11 06:08:20 · answer #6 · answered by WashingtonGirl1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A dog which would be perfect for you and your family is a spinger or cocker spaniel. They are so friendly, love everyone and will get on with all of your children. They are well behaved if trained properly, especially because they are usually used as gundogs but very loving and are easy to get attatched to. If you don't want a big dog, then again, this dog is perfect, and they aren't too expensive either, but if you wanted a smaller one you could get a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. I really think these are the best dogs to have for family and friendly, and im not biased because I have an Akita!!
2016-03-13 05:45:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my best advice on housebreaking (had 5 dogs in my life and never had one that had accidents, untill ones bladder gave out at age 16) one you first bring home the puppy DO NOT let them out of your sight!!! take them outside every half hour or so and let them sniff around where they are supposed to be going potty at, if they go potty throw them a party (not lterally but hoop holler yippee good puppy give treats the whole nine yards) then take them immediately back in the house , untill a puppy knows that potty is outside play fun and love are inside then they should not be playing outside (dont worry if ya do it right this only takes 2 weeks) crate them while you are not able to watch them CONSTANTLY, take them out very often (at least once every hour) right after they wake up about 10 minutes after they eat or drink. a puppy sniffing around the floor of the house after a day or 2 is not just sniffing they are looking for somewhere to go potty. be diligent about this and you will not have to worry after the 2 weeks time frame is over...yes this method is a pain in the butt however its much easier then cleaning puddles and piles for years and also the stress involved with a house -messing dog. Good luck remember its only 2 weeks!!!! and its well worth it
2006-12-11 06:12:24 · answer #8 · answered by Jen B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please do not bring a puppy into your home on Christmas. A week before or two weeks (past New Years) after. During the week of Christmas and New Years, it is far too busy and stressful for a new puppy to comfortably adjust to the new home environment. And this stress and business will also make it quite difficult to house/behavior train.
2006-12-11 06:00:37 · answer #9 · answered by Alicia 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Kennel training is the BEST way to go. Never paper train a dog because you are saying "It's okay to pee and poo in the house..just here" then you have to untrain and retrain them. ICK
Get a kennel just big enough for the dog and his bedding, a food and water bowl. A dog should not pee or poo where he lives.
Then plan on taking him out a lot at night the first few weeks.
Feed him, out he goes, back in, back out. ALWAYS take him to the EXACT same spot to go. Always SAY the same thing....like hurry up! Then when he goes, act like a goofball, praise him GOOD HURRY UP!
But don't play with him during these walks, or he will take longer to go, thinking he can coax some play out of you at 2 am. Just out, go, praise, in.
If he eats, let him out until he goes. It may take as long as 15 min to get him to go, but he will go after eating.
If he pees or poos in the house, tell him NO! Bad! NO hurry up in the house! And out you go again. You can actually PUT some poo in the area you want him to go, so when he's out there he smells it and knows that is where to go.
Most importantly, clean the inside messy areas with 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar. It kills the scent to the dog.
Never rub his nose in it. That is just making the dog smell poo everywhere.
Pet food is not nearly as important as Eukanuba would like us to think. Get a good quality food from a place local to your home, not someplace you have to travel to. Try to find one that has meat as its first ingredient, not corn. The more corn, the more waste.
I'm not a good one to ask about vets. I don't believe in being overcharged for shots that they don't actually need yearly. But most would suggest a series for puppies.
Lastly, DO get the dog on a wormer. Most puppies have worms, its natural but needs to be treated. You can buy them at the Feed Store or pay more at the vets.
Enjoy your doggie!! Oh and remember the smaller the dog breed the longer it takes to housetrain.
2006-12-11 06:24:24 · answer #10 · answered by WriterMom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋