Getting a puppy?

Question

I might buy one and I have no experience with takng care of puppies, its breed is a maltese and it doesnt have a vaccination. I know all dogs have to have one, and I think I have to get a vet for that.. will it cost a lot of money? does it also need other kinds of shots? how often are check ups? I also aprecciate any kind of tips on how to take care of it.

Answer 1

Call your veterinarian.... ask them what all he will need............ and congrats...... they are so much fun

Answer 2

Getting a pet IS an expensive venture, so be prepared.

Where are you getting the dog? I'd recommend going to a pound or animal shelter instead. Animal dealers abuse their breeders (very poor conditions!). Also, purebred dogs are prone to a lot of genetic defects, like slipped disks or diseases like lipidosis, etc.

Check ups aren't really institutionalized, but you should get your dog's teeth cleaned 1 - 2 times per year. The dog is put under general anaesthesia for that, so you can ask for the vet to do a full check-up of him then.

You'll need lots of shots, and you should look into other preventive care that isn't necessarily given in routine vaccinations. You might want to consider pet insurance, as well - it's not that expensive, and it can save you a LOT of money in case your dog needs major medical care.

And be prepared for messes. The dog needs to be potty trained - that's the big one.

DO NOT HIT the animal. For punishment, you can hit the ground behind him with a rolled up magazine/newspaper. The point is to scare him, not to hurt him.

Other than that. . .good luck! Take your puppy for walks at least once a day!

Answer 3

AGE OF PUPPY: VACCINATION / PROCEDURE
Plan on spending around $200 dollars for your puppies vaccinations and here is what is recommended:

6 - 8 weeks First examination, first (of 3) DHLPP vaccination. This is the distemper multiple 5 in 1 vaccine. It protects against Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. Bring a stool sample so they may check for intestinal parasites.

9 - 12 weeks Second DHLPP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the first vaccine. A second fecal exam should be performed.

12 + weeks Rabies vaccination. This first rabies vaccine is good for 1 year; subsequent vaccinations last for 3 years.

13 - 16 weeks Third (and final) DHLPP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the second booster. This vaccine will last for 1 year and will then need to be boostered annually. This booster concludes the series of routine puppy vaccinations. If a puppy starts the series at an early age, 4 vaccines may be needed; if it starts at a later age, only 2 vaccines may be needed in the series.

You will also need to get your dog started on Heartworm medication. It needs to be taken every month for the duration of the dog's life(maltese living to be 12+ years). A one year supply is about 45 dollars.

Another thing is that during tick & flea season(around 8 months out of the year) you will have to buy medication that will protect them from ticks and fleas. Frontline Advantage costs around 75 dollars to keep your pet flea and tick free for a year.

If you don't plan on breeding your dog, then get it fixed. Cost of spaying or neutering is around 100 dollars.

As far as taking care of a dog.....feed it and give it fresh water everyday....take it for a long walk EVERYDAY, show him love, but also be the dog's boss....not the other way around. You will both be happier that way. If you have access to the National Geographic Channel....watch The Dog Whisperer. You will find many helpful tips on how to take care of a dog properly.

Answer 4

you sure are lucky i am here to answer ur question! i just got 2 new maltipoo puppies (maltese mixed with poodle) 5 days ago! the vaccination will cost some money... but idk how much sry/... but i do no wut shots ur puppy will need! its vaccinations of course... and usually people get a microchip planted int otheir dogs or cats so that if they ever get lost or something then they are given to the pound the people from the pound will scan your animal to see if it has a micro chip and if it does have a microchip then on the computer (after they scan your puppy) it will say your name and phone number and stuff so that the pound people know not to put thee puppy in the pound and that it is your puppy and then u will get it back!! idk how many check ups there are. sry....again but i know that your puppy will need flee medication every month. the puppies need food water toys..etc. and one thing that is needed for a puppy is of course... attention. our vet told us that everyday for like a half an hour you should hold your puppy belly up and snuggle with you while you are watching tv or sumthing... this will help your puppy become more submissive and bonded with you. if you get a yound puppy... like 10 weeks old or sumthing you cant take then out on walks or stuff for about 3 months b/c they are still very young and will get sick very easily. If you leave the puppy at home and you were taking a walk or sumhing before you enter the door WHIPE your FEET b/c that way you wont carry germs into the house were your pup can get infected! =) you asked if it will cost alot of money to have a puppy... and the answer is yes... =( but not too much. malteses are pretty expensive...

so you will need to buy:
PLENTY of toys
a bed
a kennel
shampoo or puppy whipes
my suggestion that works GREAT to get ur puppy paper trained: get puppy pads. search them @ petsmart.com
food
food and water bowls
a collar and harnis (puppys need a harnis until they are about 1 1/2 years old
a leash
money for your puppy to get a haircut about every month
puppy gates (super inportant!!!! but wut we did that costs 5 bux instead of 20 is go to homedepot and just get a big thin peice of wood to block off from your door and use as a gate instead of getting alot of puppy gates.)
treats
and thats it... i think....=) good luck! it is sooooo much fun having puppies!!

Answer 5

Okay. Maltese shed no hair. I reccomend getting one from a shelter if you're cheap on cash, but if your'e sure you can't cover medical bills, don't get one at all. Think about the dog, not you, at this point. Get the dog healthy, organic food. Make sure it has fresh water, and give it toys to chew on, but not so much at a time. Rotate the amount of toys you give it. getting a puppy at a shelter is much cheaper than getting it from a breeder.
this is true: i saw a breeder who was selling doberman puppies for two thousand dollars, a shelter was giving them away for thirty five dollars. but do your research first, and see if you can care for the dog's needs. crate train the dog, do research on that as well. the reason why shelters are giving dogs away so cheap is because they don't want to have to put the dog down, and they don't have that much room for the ongoing amount of animals coming into their shelters. don't think there's a bad dog, just bad owners. i recomened getting an old dog; they're calmer, but have more health problems, or if you're ready to care for it for REAL, and have the time to train it, get a puppy.

*shrug*

Answer 6

the vet will let you know what kind of shots to get... check ups are once a yr.
give lots of love, exercise, discipline... give super premium food (i use canidae), enroll in an obedience class, don't give in to whining unless she/he has to potty

Answer 7

http://www.freewebs.com/helpusgethomes/
Thats my website. It has puppies and they need good homes if u want a location email me- [e-mail]

Answer 8

you will do fine.
dogs are great and you will have a compnion for life.
do this now.

mc.