You're entering the ranks of 52 million Responsible dog owning families in the United States. Before you begin showing your puppy or dog to your friends, let us help you get ready for the newcomer.
NAME:
51 percent of dog owners surveyed give their pet a human name such as Molly, Sam, Max or Jenny. Here are a few web sites to help with name selection:
This is a great, fun site for dog names:
http://www.puppy-names.comHere's 2000 names:
http://petrix.com/dognames/index.htmlHere's 2000 more! Surely there must be something you like.
http://www.doggynames.com/Select a name then learn what it means:
http://www.bowwow.com.au/The folks here at The Dog's Best Friend have owned dogs for a very long time. (If we told you how long, you'd know how old we are!) To save you the trouble of learning the hard way, as some of us have, this page explains some of the unique problems facing dog owners.
A puppy should be kept inside when you're at home. Your presence in its life will bond you together. Puppies are social animals, without its littermates it will look to you for all its needs. We recommend investing in a wire crate. No, it's not a cage; it's a den. Visit these sites for more information.
A crate is a good idea.
http://www.oakdaleretrievers.com/CrateTraining.htmlCrate Training prevents most problems
http://www.bichonfrise.org/crate.html
http://www.akitarescue.com/crate.htmImportant Do's and Don’ts for crate training
http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/DoDont/DosDonts.asp
http://www.havahart.com/dogs/dogtrainingindex.aspBefore arrival of the puppy or dog have an outdoor area set aside for use as a "bathroom" patch. It should be away from well-used family and entertainment areas. Dogs don't need the whole yard for themselves. In many ways, dogs are like children and need the same type of protection. If you have a swimming pool it should have a safety fence to protect kids and dogs. A well-behaved adult dog can have the run of your fenced yard but a puppy will benefit from a smaller area. Perhaps you can fence off an area in a shady spot. You can invest in a portable kennel enclosure or install a permanent facility. Whatever your choice don't forget:
Containment
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_EscapeArtist.php
http://www.k9care.com/Tip-ElectFence.htm
http://www.dogpatch.org/doginfo/invfence.htmlShelter
A dog house serves the same purpose as a crate--it's a den that provides shelter from weather, a safe place for your dog to wait for your return. And water, lots of clean water.
http://www.mikestrong.com/doghouse/
http://www.rewarddog.com/pamper.htm
Water
Even adult dogs need protection from hazardous materials, electric cords, and poison plants but puppies have no experience with these dangers--they are totally vulnerable. To help with your puppy proofing, click over to these web sites:
Overall tips
Puppy proof your home and yard
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dtoxin.html
http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/lexi/pupproof.htm
http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/poisgde.htmlNational Animal Poison Control Center
http://www.napcc.aspca.org/Poison Plants
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html
http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/bytox1.htm
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/vetdocs/toxic.htm
Household dangers
http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/poisgde.html
More household dangers
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/veterinary_info/7487
Did you know anti-freeze attracts dogs? It can kill.
http://www.cah.com/library/antifreeze.html
Little known hazards
http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/chocolatetoxic.HTM
http://www.jlhweb.net/Boxermap/onions.htmlHot Weather Tips to avoid heat stroke
DANGER
http://members.tripod.com/~Jerrier/Heat.html
http://www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/symptoms80901.html
http://www.barkbytes.com/medical/med0040.htm
If you're a new dog owner you may not be aware of situations that require extra vigilance. Too many people learn the hard way that dogs depend on their owners to keep them safe from unforeseen danger. Visit these sites to learn more:
A Parasite that kills: HEARTWORM SAFETY
http://www.thepetprofessor.com/articles/article.aspx?id=199Bloat
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bloat.htmlSafety when riding in a truck
http://www.bigpawsonly.com/dog-blog/safety-for-dogs-in-the-back-of-the-truckFourth of July celebrations are especially dangerous to pets:
Finally! After all the planning, all the waiting you now have a puppy in your home. Congratulations.
You have a rough stone with great potential. In a recent survey of shelters, 47.7 percent of dogs surrendered to shelters were between 5 months and 3 years of age. 96 percent of these dogs had not received any obedience training. An untrained dog is very difficult to live with, it's an outcast from your family. You have an opportunity to start off in the right direction. Dogs thrive on routines and schedules, beginning with housebreaking and feeding.
Housebreaking on schedule
http://www.cygnet-labs.com/Housebreaking.htm
Understanding submissive urination in puppies
http://www.perfectpaws.com/subr.html
http://www.ddfl.com/behavior/submissive.htmNew Puppy tips
http://www.alwaysmaltese.com/wizzj.html
http://yourboxerstop.tripod.com/yourboxerstop/puppytips.html
Mouthing--all puppies do it
http://www.perfectpaws.com/bite.html
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=106&A=1291&S=0
Puppies should be fed 3 times daily until 6 months old then twice a day for the rest of their lives.How to get started
http://www.doglogic.com/feedingpups.htm
http://www.angell.org/pdfs/Feeding%20Puppy.pdf
Feeding: they need vitamins and minerals
http://www.doglogic.com/food&feed.htm
http://www.goodpet.com/library/giovams.htmlFoods are not all the same
http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79
http://www.iei.net/~ebreeden/kibble.htmlA well adjusted adult dog is one that's been socialized and trained but learning a little something about a collar and leash is a natural first step. One warning before we go any further. Never leave a choke chain on an unattended dog. Choke chains are used only when walking a dog on lead and never as a permanent collar. Tags become lodged in decks or fences, a panicked dog can easily strangle trying to escape.
Introduction to collar and leash
http://www.perfectpaws.com/cls.html
