i need some dog care info?

Question

I want to get me a maltese puppy, maybe about 2 months old but ive never owned a dog before. the only pet ive ever owned was a fish and those dont really require anything besides remembering to feed them every so often. what do have to do wen i get the puppy? what do i feed it and how much do i feed it? do i feed it twice a day or only once? what about potty training? how do i do that? also how do i know if when the dog grows up if it will bite anyone in my family. or do i have to train it not to bite? if so how do i do that? please include as much detail as u can about taking cacre of a dog when you first get one and what to do for training such as potty trianing and barking and training not to bite as well as the other things like to sit and heal and everything like that. pleaseee as much detail as possible.

Answer 1

The best thing is to get a small crate for the puppy. He will get used to the being his "home".
Ask the person you are buying the dog from how often they feed the puppy try to stay on the same schedule. Also remember to use the same type of puppy food, changing the food will cause the puppy to get sick and have diarhhea.
On potty training, a puppy can only hold their food for a very short amount of time-I say one hour for every month old they are, but that's not an exact science. Try using the "puddle pads". (PetSmart and Wal-Mart both carry them). My dog is a year old and he still uses them if he needs to go in the middle of the night and we don't get up.
To keep your puppy from biting people, don't let him bite as a puppy. He needs chew toys to chew on, but be careful buying rawhide chewsticks. If they are not cooked enough the puppy could get diseases such as e-coli. Also, buy some spray called "bitter apple", you can buy it at PetSmart. Spray this on your furniture or anything your puppy is chewing on that he shouldn't. Then give him a chew toy, then he will learn to chew on that, not the furniture, carpet, or your favorite pair of shoes.
When you puppy does something wrong, don't yell at him. I take an empty cola can (make sure the inside is dry) and put a few pennies in it. When the puppy is doing something wrong, shake the can. The noise will deter him. Good luck with the puppy. With all of your concern it sounds like you are going to be a great "parent". Just love him a lot, and get him microchipped, if he ever gets lost, you will have a better chance of finding him.

Answer 2

Owning a dog is much like having a child. Unlike fish and cats, etc, they need human companionship and cannot be left alone for long periods of time with just food and water.

If you are away from home for your career and the puppy will be alone during the day the best thing you can do is to crate train it. Dog crates are avaliable for all sizes of dog and provide a safe and secure environment for your dog when there is no one there to care for him.

There are a number of good quality puppy foods to choose from, Eukanuba and Iams are both excellent. They will have the portions suggested in their instructions and normally vary by the puppy's weight. Dry food is best for tooth maintenance. Your puppy should be fed at regular times as suggested by the food bag or by your vet and have water available at mealtimes and after exercise.

House training is always a challenge. It is important to remember not to punish the puppy but to realize that his mistakes are your fault for not being alert to the puppy's needs. As a general rule, when he wakes up, take him out IMMEDIATELY. After playing, take him out IMMEDIATELY. After feeding, take him out IMMEDIATELY. Praise him when he goes outside. Let him know when he has done it right. If there are accidents (and there will be) clean the spot at once with a spot remover that has an odor neutralizer. If you don't he'll come back to that spot again to go.

Dogs only bite if they feel threatened or are trained to be aggressive. Puppies nip as a play/dominance action.

Dogs bark. It is what they do. If he develops a barking problem, there are bark collars available that will teach him not to bark.

There are three things I cannot reccomend highly enough. The first is to get your dog immunized and keep him immunized including heart worm medication. The second is for both of you to take a puppy training class as soon as he is old enough. Often times these classes are offered by Community Centers and some pet stores such as PetSmart offer them on a regular basis. This would be money well invested. They train you to train your dog. You'll be happier, the dog will be happier and you two will have a happy relationship. Finally, never take your puppy out side unless he is on a leash unless you have a secure back yard or are at a dog park. Puppies don't understand about cars.

The decision to become a dog owner is a huge one and choosing to have one means a long term commitment. If you cannot commit to the responsibility, do yourself and the dog a favor and opt out. Understand that owning a dog can impact your life in what sometimes may be inconvenient ways. What about vacations and evenings out? Something will be counting on you to care for it and give it attention. The trade off is their unconditional love.

I've had dogs all my life and currently have 3, a 10 year old Dalmation, a 5 year old Weimereiner, and a 2 year old Rottweiller. Yes is is a lot of work, sometimes it is expensive and I know that someday I will have to perform the good master's final act of love and let them go and it will break my heart but I can't imagine my life without them. They make my world a better place.

Answer 3

when you get your puppy take it straight to your vet ,not because it might have something wrong with it but just to get it registered with your vet and a little check up. puppies tend to chew a lot so get it some chewing toys. you can ask your vet about other questions your not sure about like what type of food. it tells you how much to feed it on the back of the bag and if it doesn't just ask the vet. MAKE SURE you buy all of the supplies needed BEFORE you buy the dog.most likely you won't need to train your dog to not bite people, but because it's a puppy it will bite when playing but that's nothing to worry about. i potty trained my dog by putting him outside every time it pees on the floor, just for a little while. then the puppy will start to know that its suppose to pee outside, but don't put the puppy outside if you see pee on the floor, only when you see the puppy do it. you can tell when they are about to pee also, if it is wondering off away from other people and sniffing at the same time the puppy is probably looking for a pee spot.

Answer 4

First of all, if this is your first puppy, I suggest getting a book on Maltese. Such as, Maltese for Dummies or something along that line. Before we got our dog, I read 6 books on Dachshunds and they have helped me so much with potty training, basic training, feeding, and other things. It is definitely worth the read by far.

Answer 5

There is a great book you can buy at the bookstore or many pet stores, it's called "I just got a puppy, what do I do?".

It covers all the basics on feeding, potty training, shot schedules, training, bedding, supplies, chews & toys, crate training and more.

Answer 6

Getting a puppy is a lot of work. This is also a companion that could potentially be with you for 13 years or so. It will need love and attention, guidelines, doctors and all of the things you would give to childen.

I would first buy a puppy book. Then go and talk to a vet. Let them explain to you all of the future visits your puppy will need.

I have three dogs and they are wonderful.

Answer 7

6 to 14 months

Although he may look grown-up on the outside, your puppy is still developing on the inside. His bones are becoming stronger and his body is filling out. At this point, you'll be strongly tempted to switch to an adult food, but you need to resist the temptation. He needs the extra nutrients found in Purina ONE Healthy Puppy Formula or Purina ONE Large Breed Puppy Formula now as much as ever. So keep it coming.

1 Years old

Congratulations, your puppy is officially an adult. Your tender loving care and Purina ONE Healthy Puppy Formula have turned him into a strong, healthy dog. He no longer needs the extra calories and nutrients he required during his growing stages, so it's time to make the transition to a high-quality adult food like Purina ONE TOTAL NUTRITION Chicken & Rice Formula.

Start by mixing the new food with the previous food, and gradually increase the proportion of the new food. The complete switch should take 7 to 10 days.

Note for Large Breed Puppies. If you have a large breed puppy (over 50 pounds at maturity), he no doubt looks full-grown at 12 months. But the truth is, he may not be fully developed on the inside until 18 or even 24 months. So don't jump the gun and switch to an adult food prematurely. Do right by your puppy and keep him on Purina ONE Large Breed Puppy Formula until your veterinarian assures you he is a full-grown adult.

Answer 8

if you have never owned a dog you should realize that there is alot to learn about dogs, and the type of breed you are interested in. different breeds need different things. I would suggest buying a book on the breed of your choice and watch the dog whisperer on the national geographic channel. czar Milan will tell you he
"rehabilitates dogs and trains people" and that is exactly what you need if you want a well mannered dog. and I know this from experience he has helped me in so many ways with all 7 of my dogs from chiuaua's to pits. good luck!

Answer 9

a large number of diagnosis communicate with operating shoes, groomers and vets get books and skim study about the breed google breed club and study breeders that try their dogs month-to-month comb/brush on a daily basis, specialist each and every 6-8 weeks elements all dogs favor practise, exercising, socialization, supervision, grooming and vet care have a $5000 emergency vet fund have $1000+ first twelve months vet now search for a pup