New Puppy Buyers Frequently Asked Questions
How do I introduce my new puppy to our other pets, our home, and/or our children?
Our puppies are very well socialized with children other animals and normal household commotion and noises. But going to a new home full of new smells and noises, leaving their litter mates, leaving their mother, and leaving their human family can be and is very stressful for the puppy. Everything they have known since day one has now changed and they need time to adjust. We do not advise you to take the puppy all around showing him off to numerous people. In our experience the puppies seem to do much better when they are picked up and taken straight home. If you have other dogs I would give the puppy a couple of days to get comfortable with you before introducing him to your other dogs. When you start the introduction I would do it in an open area like a yard or large room so that the older dog doesn't become territorial towards the puppy. Let them explore each other and don't push them towards each other or force anything. If you have children it is alright to let them hold him the first day, but try to remember it is stressful to the puppy so try to limit passing the puppy back and forth. Don't be too protective let your children hold him like a baby, play with his paws, look at his teeth ect.... If you do not allow your children to do things like that it can teach your puppy to become aggressive towards children.
My puppy is very itchy, what is wrong?
We actually get this question very often and the reason why is because one of the first things a family does when taking their new puppy home is put a new collar on their puppy. The puppy is not used to the collar and will itch at his neck this will last for a few days until he no longer notices it on his neck. If you keep taking his collar off and on it will take longer for him to get used to it. He will also do the same thing if you put clothes on him. Don't worry he does not have fleas, fleas are very rare here in Utah. Now if your puppy got shipped to you on the airlines there would be a small possibility that the puppy could pick up fleas from one of the connection locations, but that would be uncommon.
How do I bell train my puppy?
Bell training is a very easy way to potty train your puppy. You start by hanging a set of bells off the door that you will be taking her out of to potty. Make sure they are nose level to your puppy. At first you will carry her or have her follow you to the door, try to encourage her to bump the bell with her nose our hit it with her paw. Immediately after she bumps or hits it praise her and take her outside to potty. If she will not hit or bump the bell softly lift her paw and hit the bell with it as soon as you hit the bell with her paw praise her and take her out to potty. If you stay consistent and keep doing this every time she will catch on quickly and will hit the bell to ask to go out every time she needs to potty.
Housebreaking?
My favorite way to house break is doing the bell training which you can see above. When you first take your puppy home she will not be able to have full run of the house. It is actually best to have her in the crate when ever you are not able to watch her very close. You do not want her to get away with an accident because with each accident she gets away with the harder it will be to house train her. Take her out every time after she eats and drinks she will need to potty within 30 minutes of eating. Every time she wakes up from a nap she needs to go out to potty. If you catch her in the act of an accident clap your hands together to startle her then pick her up and take her outside. If you find a puddle or a poop DO NOT rub her face in it DO NOT get mad at her. If a puppy does something wrong and you don't discipline them within 10-15 seconds they will forget what they did and you will be getting mad at them for nothing that is why rubbing their face in it will not teach them. If you find an accident and didn't catch her in the act just clean it up very well and watch her closer so you can catch her the next time. With time and consistency she will learn quickly.
Crate Training?
Crate training is a great step and tool to use while house breaking. It will be a while before your puppy will be able to stay out around the house while you are away. The crate is a great option. Your puppy will eventually learn to love his crate. It will be like his comfy little den. To introduce him to the crate you can leave the crate on the ground with the door open. You can throw a toy in or put a treat in it and he should start sniffing around it and might go right in. If after letting him get used to it being around him you may have to place him in it when you place him in it give him a treat and then let him out, give him a few minutes out and do the same thing again you can continue to do this until he goes in on his own. Also make sure every time he goes in or you put him in you give a command word like "in" , "night,night" "kennel" or what ever consistent word you want to use. Don't put him in the crate unless he just went potty outside or he may go as soon as you put him in because of anxiety. He will be able to hold his potty for up to 1 hour per month old he is. So if he is 8 weeks old that would be about 2 hours that he can hold it. Now that's during the day. Don't worry he can go much longer than that at night. In order for him to be able to hold it longer during the night you will need to take his food away about 4 hours before bedtime and his water about 2-3 hours before bed. If he will not stop crying in his crate you will need to use interruption. When he is crying and you interrupt him always use a command word you can clap your hands to interrupt and then command "quiet" "enough" or what ever word you want to use as long as it is consistent it will work.
How do I teach my puppy not to chew?
The biggest mistake people make with chewing is trying to teach a puppy not to chew all you are doing is teaching him to hide it or only do it when you are not looking. Instead of teaching him not to chew you need to teach him what to chew on. Make sure you have chew toys available. When you notice him chewing on something he is not supposed to chew on interrupt him by clapping your hands loudly and in a stern voice say "drop it" or "leave it" he should then drop it. If he does not drop it you can make him drop it by squeezing his cheeks together with your hand after he drops it tell him good boy and give him a chew toy. Soon with consistency he will learn that when he has the urge to chew he can chew on one of his toys.
How can I make my puppy stop crying?
Many puppies have separation anxiety. When you leave your puppy alone or put him into a crate he may start crying. DO NOT give him attention when he is crying. First try to ignore him which will sometimes be all you need to do, because he will learn that he does not get what he wants from crying. If he does not stop you can use interruption by clapping your hands loudly and giving a command in a stern voice. If that still doesn't work you can fill an empty pop can with a handful of coins and when he gets out of control crying you can toss the can near his crate, the noise will interrupt him and then use your command word. He will eventually learn to be quiet when you use your command word and you wont have to use interruption.
Why does my puppy have loose stools?
It is very common for puppies to develop loose stools especailly when they get stressed out. They can develop loose stools from going to a new home, no matter how good you do with your new puppy she will still get stressed out from leaving her litter mates and going to a new home which may result in loose stools. They can develop loose stools from switching dog food, which is why we highly recommend keeping her on the same food she is used to eating switching food causes digestive stress and will cause very loose stools. She can also develop loose stools from parasites which are very common and very easy for them to pick up. Your puppy could pick up a parasite from simply stepping on bird droppings and then licking her paw, from licking dirt or grass, and can also get one from being around other infected animals. If your puppy does pick up a parasite a simple antibiotic from the vet will clear it up. If your puppy does develop loose stools make sure she continues to drink water. If loose stools persist for more than 3-4 days take her into the vet to make sure its not a parasite or infection. If she refuses to eat for longer than 1-2 days take her into the vet, if she refuses water for longer than a day take her to the vet.
Why do you recommend the food you use when there are so many others to choose from?
The food we use is a very high quality food, it is not packed with fillers and has no by-products in it. We would never feed or recommend someone to feed their puppy food with by-products. By-products are pretty much left overs that are not safe enough or nutritious enough for human consumption and I figure if it is not safe enough for me to eat why would it be safe for my dogs to eat. The food we use also does not have corn added in it which is huge because corn in dog food can cause health problems and make your puppy develop allergies. Not only do we recommend the food we use because it is high quality, we also recommend it because your puppy needs to stay on the same food switching dog food will cause your puppy to get stressed out and she will develop loose stools. I believe it is so important to keep her on the same food that we offer an extended guarantee just for keep her on the same food. You can get the food from www.makingpetshealthy.com We also highly recommend their treats, and supplements.
How much do I feed my puppy?
If you decided to keep him on the same food he is used to eating you shouldn't have to measure his food, they maintain very well on it. Keep food available to your puppy all day until about 3-4 hours before bedtime, which will help him get into the routine of sleeping through the night. As your puppy gets older he should still maintain on his own but if you notice he is getting chubby you may need to start measuring his food giving half in the morning and half in the afternoon, you can follow the recommended amount that shows on the food bag. After you get your puppy spayed or neutered they will actually need 15% less food to maintain a healthy weight.
When does my puppy need more vaccines?
Puppies need a series of 3-4 vaccines depending on which your vet recommends. We give our puppies their first vaccine at 6 weeks of age and if the puppy is still with us they will get their second vaccine at 9 weeks of age. Puppies need vaccines at ages 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks and if recommended by your vet another vaccine at 15 weeks of age. I have heard of puppies having bad reactions when given the regular vaccine on the same day as the rabies vaccine so please try to keep the rabies vaccine given at least a week apart from any other vaccine. While your puppy has been with us your puppy has been dewormed every 2 weeks since 2 weeks of age so he has been dewormed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and sometimes again at 8 weeks. We deworm so frequently because they are around our other dogs and living with littermates which makes the risk of picking up a parasite higher. When you get your puppy home he will not need to be dewormed this often we recommend deworming once a month during the summer and every other month during the winter.
At what age is it safe to take my puppy out in public and around other dogs/puppies?
We do not recommend taking your puppy out around other dogs or even where other dogs or puppies have been until he has his third vaccine. If you have a dog at home just make sure he is healthy and up to date with his vaccines before bringing your puppy home.
I can't keep my puppy what should I do?
Whether you realize you cannot keep your puppy a day after getting her or 20 years down the road please inform us we like to know where our puppies are. If you need help re-homing her let us know and we might be able to help you out. DO NOT ever take your puppy to the animal shelter. The animal shelter is not a safe place for a dog/puppy to find a home they are highly likely to pick up a disease and die from being at the shelter (pound). If you are desperate and cannot keep your puppy for another day we will always be willing to take the puppy back we will not refund any money but that is an option that is always available even if your dog is 15 years old I would rather take her back than have her dumped off at the shelter. I know your getting your puppy to have as a forever family member but I also know things can happen and can change how long you are able to care for her so we are very understanding if things change but we do expect you to give her back or find her a great home because she deserves to live a long happy life with a family to call her own.
How do I introduce my new puppy to our other pets, our home, and/or our children?
Our puppies are very well socialized with children other animals and normal household commotion and noises. But going to a new home full of new smells and noises, leaving their litter mates, leaving their mother, and leaving their human family can be and is very stressful for the puppy. Everything they have known since day one has now changed and they need time to adjust. We do not advise you to take the puppy all around showing him off to numerous people. In our experience the puppies seem to do much better when they are picked up and taken straight home. If you have other dogs I would give the puppy a couple of days to get comfortable with you before introducing him to your other dogs. When you start the introduction I would do it in an open area like a yard or large room so that the older dog doesn't become territorial towards the puppy. Let them explore each other and don't push them towards each other or force anything. If you have children it is alright to let them hold him the first day, but try to remember it is stressful to the puppy so try to limit passing the puppy back and forth. Don't be too protective let your children hold him like a baby, play with his paws, look at his teeth ect.... If you do not allow your children to do things like that it can teach your puppy to become aggressive towards children.
My puppy is very itchy, what is wrong?
We actually get this question very often and the reason why is because one of the first things a family does when taking their new puppy home is put a new collar on their puppy. The puppy is not used to the collar and will itch at his neck this will last for a few days until he no longer notices it on his neck. If you keep taking his collar off and on it will take longer for him to get used to it. He will also do the same thing if you put clothes on him. Don't worry he does not have fleas, fleas are very rare here in Utah. Now if your puppy got shipped to you on the airlines there would be a small possibility that the puppy could pick up fleas from one of the connection locations, but that would be uncommon.
How do I bell train my puppy?
Bell training is a very easy way to potty train your puppy. You start by hanging a set of bells off the door that you will be taking her out of to potty. Make sure they are nose level to your puppy. At first you will carry her or have her follow you to the door, try to encourage her to bump the bell with her nose our hit it with her paw. Immediately after she bumps or hits it praise her and take her outside to potty. If she will not hit or bump the bell softly lift her paw and hit the bell with it as soon as you hit the bell with her paw praise her and take her out to potty. If you stay consistent and keep doing this every time she will catch on quickly and will hit the bell to ask to go out every time she needs to potty.
Housebreaking?
My favorite way to house break is doing the bell training which you can see above. When you first take your puppy home she will not be able to have full run of the house. It is actually best to have her in the crate when ever you are not able to watch her very close. You do not want her to get away with an accident because with each accident she gets away with the harder it will be to house train her. Take her out every time after she eats and drinks she will need to potty within 30 minutes of eating. Every time she wakes up from a nap she needs to go out to potty. If you catch her in the act of an accident clap your hands together to startle her then pick her up and take her outside. If you find a puddle or a poop DO NOT rub her face in it DO NOT get mad at her. If a puppy does something wrong and you don't discipline them within 10-15 seconds they will forget what they did and you will be getting mad at them for nothing that is why rubbing their face in it will not teach them. If you find an accident and didn't catch her in the act just clean it up very well and watch her closer so you can catch her the next time. With time and consistency she will learn quickly.
Crate Training?
Crate training is a great step and tool to use while house breaking. It will be a while before your puppy will be able to stay out around the house while you are away. The crate is a great option. Your puppy will eventually learn to love his crate. It will be like his comfy little den. To introduce him to the crate you can leave the crate on the ground with the door open. You can throw a toy in or put a treat in it and he should start sniffing around it and might go right in. If after letting him get used to it being around him you may have to place him in it when you place him in it give him a treat and then let him out, give him a few minutes out and do the same thing again you can continue to do this until he goes in on his own. Also make sure every time he goes in or you put him in you give a command word like "in" , "night,night" "kennel" or what ever consistent word you want to use. Don't put him in the crate unless he just went potty outside or he may go as soon as you put him in because of anxiety. He will be able to hold his potty for up to 1 hour per month old he is. So if he is 8 weeks old that would be about 2 hours that he can hold it. Now that's during the day. Don't worry he can go much longer than that at night. In order for him to be able to hold it longer during the night you will need to take his food away about 4 hours before bedtime and his water about 2-3 hours before bed. If he will not stop crying in his crate you will need to use interruption. When he is crying and you interrupt him always use a command word you can clap your hands to interrupt and then command "quiet" "enough" or what ever word you want to use as long as it is consistent it will work.
How do I teach my puppy not to chew?
The biggest mistake people make with chewing is trying to teach a puppy not to chew all you are doing is teaching him to hide it or only do it when you are not looking. Instead of teaching him not to chew you need to teach him what to chew on. Make sure you have chew toys available. When you notice him chewing on something he is not supposed to chew on interrupt him by clapping your hands loudly and in a stern voice say "drop it" or "leave it" he should then drop it. If he does not drop it you can make him drop it by squeezing his cheeks together with your hand after he drops it tell him good boy and give him a chew toy. Soon with consistency he will learn that when he has the urge to chew he can chew on one of his toys.
How can I make my puppy stop crying?
Many puppies have separation anxiety. When you leave your puppy alone or put him into a crate he may start crying. DO NOT give him attention when he is crying. First try to ignore him which will sometimes be all you need to do, because he will learn that he does not get what he wants from crying. If he does not stop you can use interruption by clapping your hands loudly and giving a command in a stern voice. If that still doesn't work you can fill an empty pop can with a handful of coins and when he gets out of control crying you can toss the can near his crate, the noise will interrupt him and then use your command word. He will eventually learn to be quiet when you use your command word and you wont have to use interruption.
Why does my puppy have loose stools?
It is very common for puppies to develop loose stools especailly when they get stressed out. They can develop loose stools from going to a new home, no matter how good you do with your new puppy she will still get stressed out from leaving her litter mates and going to a new home which may result in loose stools. They can develop loose stools from switching dog food, which is why we highly recommend keeping her on the same food she is used to eating switching food causes digestive stress and will cause very loose stools. She can also develop loose stools from parasites which are very common and very easy for them to pick up. Your puppy could pick up a parasite from simply stepping on bird droppings and then licking her paw, from licking dirt or grass, and can also get one from being around other infected animals. If your puppy does pick up a parasite a simple antibiotic from the vet will clear it up. If your puppy does develop loose stools make sure she continues to drink water. If loose stools persist for more than 3-4 days take her into the vet to make sure its not a parasite or infection. If she refuses to eat for longer than 1-2 days take her into the vet, if she refuses water for longer than a day take her to the vet.
Why do you recommend the food you use when there are so many others to choose from?
The food we use is a very high quality food, it is not packed with fillers and has no by-products in it. We would never feed or recommend someone to feed their puppy food with by-products. By-products are pretty much left overs that are not safe enough or nutritious enough for human consumption and I figure if it is not safe enough for me to eat why would it be safe for my dogs to eat. The food we use also does not have corn added in it which is huge because corn in dog food can cause health problems and make your puppy develop allergies. Not only do we recommend the food we use because it is high quality, we also recommend it because your puppy needs to stay on the same food switching dog food will cause your puppy to get stressed out and she will develop loose stools. I believe it is so important to keep her on the same food that we offer an extended guarantee just for keep her on the same food. You can get the food from www.makingpetshealthy.com We also highly recommend their treats, and supplements.
How much do I feed my puppy?
If you decided to keep him on the same food he is used to eating you shouldn't have to measure his food, they maintain very well on it. Keep food available to your puppy all day until about 3-4 hours before bedtime, which will help him get into the routine of sleeping through the night. As your puppy gets older he should still maintain on his own but if you notice he is getting chubby you may need to start measuring his food giving half in the morning and half in the afternoon, you can follow the recommended amount that shows on the food bag. After you get your puppy spayed or neutered they will actually need 15% less food to maintain a healthy weight.
When does my puppy need more vaccines?
Puppies need a series of 3-4 vaccines depending on which your vet recommends. We give our puppies their first vaccine at 6 weeks of age and if the puppy is still with us they will get their second vaccine at 9 weeks of age. Puppies need vaccines at ages 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks and if recommended by your vet another vaccine at 15 weeks of age. I have heard of puppies having bad reactions when given the regular vaccine on the same day as the rabies vaccine so please try to keep the rabies vaccine given at least a week apart from any other vaccine. While your puppy has been with us your puppy has been dewormed every 2 weeks since 2 weeks of age so he has been dewormed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and sometimes again at 8 weeks. We deworm so frequently because they are around our other dogs and living with littermates which makes the risk of picking up a parasite higher. When you get your puppy home he will not need to be dewormed this often we recommend deworming once a month during the summer and every other month during the winter.
At what age is it safe to take my puppy out in public and around other dogs/puppies?
We do not recommend taking your puppy out around other dogs or even where other dogs or puppies have been until he has his third vaccine. If you have a dog at home just make sure he is healthy and up to date with his vaccines before bringing your puppy home.
I can't keep my puppy what should I do?
Whether you realize you cannot keep your puppy a day after getting her or 20 years down the road please inform us we like to know where our puppies are. If you need help re-homing her let us know and we might be able to help you out. DO NOT ever take your puppy to the animal shelter. The animal shelter is not a safe place for a dog/puppy to find a home they are highly likely to pick up a disease and die from being at the shelter (pound). If you are desperate and cannot keep your puppy for another day we will always be willing to take the puppy back we will not refund any money but that is an option that is always available even if your dog is 15 years old I would rather take her back than have her dumped off at the shelter. I know your getting your puppy to have as a forever family member but I also know things can happen and can change how long you are able to care for her so we are very understanding if things change but we do expect you to give her back or find her a great home because she deserves to live a long happy life with a family to call her own.