Whispering Pines Treasures Puppy Care

Bringing a new puppy home means big changes in your life and it helps greatly to be prepared! Taking time to plan ahead and get things in order for your new puppy will make the transition process a whole lot easier. The first few weeks of your new puppy's life with you will be busy and demanding.

Below is a list of things that you will need to purchase for your puppy:

A wire or plastic dog crate

Easily washable, hard to destroy bedding material. (Imitation sheepskin works VERY well!)

Tip proof, stainless steel or hard plastic food & water dishes

Buckle puppy collar & lead

A collection of high quality, safe chew toys. Puppy nylabones, rubber bal and bones and sturdy squeak toys to start with.

Grooming supplies: Brush, nail clippers, small sharp scissors, and a finishing comb

A quality brand of dry puppy food. (Our puppies eat Eukanuba and are sent to their new homes with a Eukanuba puppy care kit. If you decide to switch your puppy to another brand of puppy food, please do so progressively to prevent him or her from getting an upset stomach!)

A wire, wooden, or plastic baby gate for blocking doorways

A good book on puppy care and training along with a basic book on grooming would also be helpful.

It is best to bring your new puppy home on a weekend. Being able to spend the entire weekend with your puppy helping him or her adjust is very beneficial for you and your puppy, allowing him or her to settle into a routine before you return to work. Decide where you are going to put your puppy's create BEFORE your puppy comes home and have it ready and waiting for him.

Keep your new puppy on a schedule! Housetraining is so much easier when your puppy's meals, exercise, and playtimes are on a regular schedule.

We do not recommend using wee-wee pads. They may contain harmful bacteria from beavers. They are not inspected by the USDA so your new puppy would be at risk for infection.

We DO NOT recommend installing an invisible fence for your puppy because some pets run straight through them. Invisible fences can leave large patches of scarred skin on your pet. Some pets simply do not understand the fence is causing their pain and will not stop trying to get around it. An invisible fencing system would not protect your pet from other animals who might enter your yard.

It is very important that your puppy recieves proper nutrients and vitamins during puppyhood while he or she is growing. Our puppies are fed Eukanuba puppy food, which we feel gives them the essential nutrients needed for total body health. Eukanuba puppy/dog food is specially formulated to promote good oral health, a soft, healthy coat, flexibility and mobility in the joints. It supports a strong immune system along with providing support for optimal vision, hearing, and brain function in your pet. When we meet you with your new puppy, we will give you a Eukabuba puppy care kit for your puppy! If your puppy is being flown to you, your puppy kit will be secured on top of your pet’s carrier. This kit includes a complete puppy care guide including tips on housebreaking, your first trip with your new puppy to the veterinarian, choosing the right dog food for your pet, your new pet meeting children, and more. Your puppy kit will also include a small bag of Eukanuba puppy food for you to try with your puppy, if you decide to continue feeding your puppy Eukanuba, you may use the coupon in the kit to save dollars off of your next puppy food purchase! The kit also includes a vaccination sheet, which I will fill out with your puppy’s vaccination and de-worming information for you. We recommend that you continue to use this health sheet to record all of your pet’s vaccinations and de-wormings.

Socializing your new puppy is the most important thing you can do to create a wonderful dog! Many behavior problems in older dogs stem from the dog not being socialized as a puppy. Dogs have a natural period between 3-12 weeks of age when they are open to learning about their environment. This adaptive process allows puppies to habituate to all the things they encounter in their world. It is extremely important to introduce your puppy to as many different things as possible during this socialization period.

Allow your new puppy to socialize with other dogs, but cats, squirrels, livestock, and etc too. This allows your puppy to meet and become acquainted with many different types of animals and will reduce the risk of your puppy showing fearfulness or aggression in adulthood. It is also very important for you to handle your puppy as much as possible.

Dogs often guard things such as their chew toys and bones. It is important to teach your puppy that you can take these things away from him or her. To teach your puppy this give your puppy a toy but hold on to the other end. Show him a treat and when he lets go of the toy to get the treat say "drop it" and give him the treat. Then, let your puppy pick back up the toy and do the same thing again. Then, you pick up his toy and give it back to him, showing him that he gets the treat and he gets his toy back even if it is taken away for a while. Gradually, you will be able to fade out the treats and replace them with verbal praise.

Puppies learn very quickly. Using positive reinforcement with your puppy, start teaching him or her to "sit", "down", and "come". NEVER physically punish your puppy. This only teaches your puppy to be afraid of you. You should never verbally punish your puppy unless you catch him or her in the act of doing the inappropriate behavior. Unless you punish your puppy within seconds of of a bad behavior he or she will have no why they are being yelled at. Teach your puppy what you want through positive reinforcement! Doing so will create a great dog and a wonderful bond:)

Dogs are social creatures and most do not like to spend time alone. It is therefore very important to get your puppy used to spending a little time alone. Leave him or her alone for brief times, over and over again. Put him in his crate and leave the room starting out for just a short length of time and then for longer periods of time. If he or she starts to cry or bark when you leave the room DO NOT go back into the room! It is important for your puppy to know that when you leave, you are gone for that length of time. Your puppy will also come to understand, as you leave him alone more often, that when you leave, you will come back and they will not cry or bark!