How to Crate Train Puppy

Crate training puppy is not like getting him ready to go to prison.  The crate can be a place of relaxation and safety for puppy.  Crate training, like housebreaking, can be a rewarding experience if you are willing to put in the time.

The first thing to do is decide on a crate.  The crate or carrier should be big enough for puppy to turn around and lay down.  If the crate is too large, use a piece of cardboard as a divider.  As puppy grows, you can move the divider to one side as you need to.

He may be weary of the crate at first.  Let him sniff it and wonder around it until he is comfortable.  Putting one or two of his favorite chew toys or his favorite blanket in the crate may entice him to try it out.

Don’t scare your puppy.  If he starts to enter the crate, don’t help him out by pushing him in.  This only gives puppy reasons not to trust you. 

Once he is in the crate, use a command that puppy will associate with being in the crate.  Repeat the command every time he enters the crate.  Praise your puppy for his accomplishment. 

The next hurdle to tackle is closing the door.  Puppy must get used to being locked in the crate.  Choose another day to practice this step.  With puppy watching, close the door.  Puppy will only be closed in for a minute or two.  Open the door and let puppy come and go if he wishes.  When he reenters the crate, repeat the command and give praise.  Then, close the door again for a bit longer this time.  Try to get up to half an hour. 

Puppy may whine while he is in the crate.  Don’t get alarmed.  If you open the door and let him out, he will think that whining will work to get him out of his crate.  Instead, simply tell him to be quiet.  If he is still whining, try the command again until he hushes up.

You are not being cruel to puppy, but teaching him.  Puppies are cute and will wrap you around their little finger.  This may seem harmless enough, but an unruly adult dog is not cute.  He could be big trouble.

Using the crate as a babysitter is not wise.  No more than six hours in the crate is advised.  Puppy could develop abandonment or fear issues if constantly left alone.

Crate training will also allow puppy to travel outside your home with no trouble.  He will be comfortable in the crate so riding in cars or going to unfamiliar places for the first time will be less traumatic.   


Introducing Puppy to your Cat

Puppy may not be your first pet.  He may be another in the growing brood that is your pet family.  Because of this you’ll want to introduce puppy to your other pets with care.

Dogs are social animals.  Most puppies love being a part of a group.  In their natural habitat, puppies in a group must establish their place.  Your puppy will try to determine his place within your family and amongst the other pets in the house and remember this is normal, even instinctual.

When you introduce your puppy to the cat, don’t leave them alone.  Supervision is necessary until they get to know each other.  If puppy is smaller than the cat, he could get trounced when your back is turned and vice versa.

During the first meeting, let your cat take the lead.  Since cat was in the house first, he gets to examine puppy.  Be on the lookout for any aggression on the part of either animal.  If the meeting goes sour, take puppy away and try again at another time. 

Cats are territorial animals by nature.  They may be nice enough to puppy, but there are going to be places in the house where they want to be left alone.  Not respecting their privacy could cause tension between puppy and cat.  The cat may even get miffed at you.

Teach puppy that certain places are off limits.  Think of a command that you can use to keep puppy away from those places.  You will use it often at first until puppy learns cat’s “unwritten rules”.

Puppy may start out by chasing the cat around the house.  This is a normal behavior for a dog and may even make you laugh.  When the chuckle is over, however, put an end to the chase and encourage puppy not to do it again.

On the other hand, the cat may catch puppy minding his business one day and get him back.  If cat is chasing puppy, don’t scold your cat either.  Territorial disputes are normal also, but since they will both be in living under one roof now, this can’t continue either.

Cats and dogs that live together should eventually come to an understanding.  As long as their private areas are respected by each other there should be no problems of any consequence.  But, the relationship may not turn to love right away.  Don’t get frustrated with your pets.  This, too, takes time.

Puppy needs to be introduced to the other pets living in the house.  If one of the pets is a cat, take the introductions slowly.  They may not warm to each other at first, but keep at it, eventually they will learn to live together in harmony.


Puppy and the Kids

Kids are thrilled when the new puppy comes home.  They want to love on him and play with him all the time.  But, before you let the kids have at the unsuspecting puppy, set some ground rules to protect them both.

If your kids were the catalyst for the puppy, you should know one thing.  You will be the one taking care of the puppy most of the time.  It is sad, but true.  Indulging their need for another living thing means another dependent for you.

To keep the kids involved, give them tasks to do concerning puppy’s care.  Just like puppy needs a schedule, so do the kids.  Start a whiteboard of duties.  Show the kids how to do each task on the list.  Let them watch and then let them do.  If your children have school during the day, give them the job of feeding puppy in the morning and in the evening.

All dogs need exercise.  So do kids.  Put the two together.  The kids can help you pick out a leash for the new puppy.  Then, take them around the neighborhood for a walk.  Choose a safe route for your kids to follow during their walk.

The kids can take the puppy for bathroom breaks also.  Teach them the same route that you are teaching to the puppy.  They must use the same commands when he does his business.  This helps the kids to recognize when puppy fidgets because he has to go to the bathroom.

Finally, kids want to play with puppy.  In some respects, puppy is like a life-sized stuffed animal to them.  The only difference is that this stuffed animal can bite.  Kids have to learn to respect puppy.  This respect includes not playing roughly with him, disturbing his sleep, or poking him.  Practicing their death grip on puppy is a bad move.  Animals see certain behaviors as aggressive possibly causing puppy to bite them and it won’t be a playful nip.

Show your kids the correct way to touch puppy.  His fur should be stroked and his head patted.  Looking puppy in the eye is a sign of challenge.  Encourage the kids not to try this. 

Kids should also avoid the areas that are designated as “puppy’s areas”.  They can put out food for puppy or take him to the bathroom, but these places are no place to play.  Just like puppy sleeps in his bed in a certain place, he needs places that are safe zones for him to play with the kids. 

Puppies love kids and they love him.  The key to a lasting relationship is mutual respect for each other.  Once this is established, puppy and the kids will have a loving and playful relationship they’ll both cherish and remember for years to come.


Feeding your Puppy

There’s one thing that puppy will run for every time - lunch!  Puppy needs to be fed regularly in order to grow big and strong.  Learning to feed your puppy is an important part of his care.  Puppy doesn’t care what you feed him, but you should.  Puppies are not adult dogs.  They don’t need to eat the same food that you would feed to an adult dog.

Go to a store that is used to dealing with pet food like Petco.  Ask one of the salespeople about puppy food.  Don’t immediately go for the least expensive bag in order to save money.  In this case, cheap is not necessarily the best.  Puppy is in his formative years and needs the right food. 

The type of food is as important as the brand.  The can of beef flavored pieces in smothered gravy sounds appetizing, but it is not for puppy.  Puppies need to eat kibble.  Kibble is the dry nuggets of dog food.

When choosing kibble, make sure that it is the puppy formula.  Large dog kibble nuggets will be too large for puppy to eat without difficulty.  He may even choke on it.  The pieces should be easy to eat and swallow.

Puppies are normally fed three times a day at first.  Use the serving size suggestion on the bag of dog food to determine how much food to give to puppy.  Let him eat for a specified amount of time and then remove the food bowl.  You don’t want puppy to wander back to the bowl later.  This encourages overeating.

As puppy grows, he will eat less often.  When he goes down to two meals a day, cut out the middle of the day meal.  Cutting out the evening meal has puppy going too long between feedings.  This is can also be a cause of overeating.

Whatever you do, don’t feed your puppy from the table.  He may be another member of the family but he is not a human being.  Table food can wreak havoc with puppy’s digestive system.  If he is given the wrong food, it can make him very ill.  Eating at the table works in the cartoons, but not in real life.

Puppy food contains all of the nutrients that a growing puppy needs.  Resist the urge to give puppy extra supplements that may be available in the store.  Unless prescribed by a veterinarian, these supplements can cause more harm than good.

Puppy needs the appropriate food for his age.  Do your homework.  Consult store professionals and veterinarians about what you should feed him in order to give him the best possible diet. 


Choosing a Vet

Veterinarians are doctors for animals.  When puppy joins the family he needs to find a doctor, too.    A vet will care for your pet throughout his life.  He will be the second line of defense against disease and illness.  In an effort to find the right vet, ask questions.  Learn how to find the veterinarian that will care for your new puppy the best.

Interviewing veterinarians is okay.  They expect potential clients to check them out.  You don’t have to take your spy kit with you, but be thorough in your investigation.

Ask friends and family for recommendations.  When you choose a vet, remember to call ahead to schedule an appointment for a walking tour.  Take your list of questions with you.

The first person you will meet is the receptionist.  Did they let you stand there for five minutes or more before acknowledging your presence or did they smile and offer to help immediately?  A pleasant staff is a good sign.

During the tour, check out the facility.  Is there a pervasive smell of animals or do you smell cleaner?  It’s normal for a vet’s office to smell like animals, but it shouldn’t be so overpowering that you want to run for the nearest oxygen mask.  Exam rooms should be cleaned between patients and at the end of the day.

Ask the veterinarian about the policies of the facility.  Is there a vet always on call in case of emergencies?  Do they offer boarding for pets?  How much are the fees for routine care?  Don’t worry about asking too many questions.  Puppy is important to you so do what you must for him.  

Once you decide on a vet, it is time for puppy’s first visit.  Bring him on a leash.  Puppy can’t be allowed to roam free around the waiting room inciting a riot. 

Puppy may be a bit out of sorts at first, but be patient with him.  Just like with his training, resist the urge to become excited around him.  If you stay calm at the vet’s office, puppy will learn to do the same.  Stay with him throughout the visit so he knows that you have not abandoned him.  Going to the vet is a part of life for puppy.  Making him comfortable here is necessary so he won’t become anxious when it’s time for his checkups.

Choose a vet before you need him.  Waiting until an emergency arises is too late.  Keep your puppy safe from day one. 


Training your Puppy

Puppies need to go to school just like children.  Good quality training is important if you want your puppy to grow up to be an obedient mature dog.  Here are some tips to find a trainer that will care about your puppy as much as you do.

Every puppy needs training.  You can teach him commands that help him to become housebroken and crate trained, but in the long run, there is more that puppy needs to learn and you will burn out eventually.

Ask someone that you trust about a puppy trainer.  Your veterinarian is a good resource.  He or she has probably dealt with them before.  Or, you can talk to friends with dogs that have been through the training process.

Interview puppy trainers just like you did with the puppy breeders and veterinarians.  Prepare a list of questions.  Find out how long they have been in the dog training business.  Dog trainers are not regulated by government agencies.  If the trainer you talk to has been in business for only a few months, move on to the next one. 

Puppies can start training as young as six weeks of age.  During puppy’s training, try to get the entire family to participate.  Puppy needs to practice his new skills with his family.  He may perform well in class with strangers, but not transition his training to you when he gets home.

Training sessions that encourage family participation is the best choice.  Some trainers may offer private lessons with puppy or dog only sessions.  While puppy needs to learn how to interact with other animals, he also needs to interact with you.  Besides, if puppy is left alone with the trainer, you can’t evaluate the quality of the training being done.

Train with your puppy at least twice a week.  Classes that include puppies of the same age are the most desirable.  Pay particular attention to the trainer’s methods.  Puppy should not be abused in any way for the sake of learning.  Yelling may frighten your puppy.

If for any reason you are unsatisfied with the quality of training, withdraw from the class.  Substandard training will affect puppy in the long run.  You are paying for the sessions and are entitled to the best for your puppy.  Don’t let the loss of money cause you to sacrifice puppy’s care.

Training is important to puppy’s life.  Without it, puppy could grow up to be an unruly adult dog that causes strife for the entire family, including puppy and no one wants that.


Common Dog Diseases and Tips for Preventing Them

Part of caring for your dog involves his health.  All dogs get sick at some point in their lives.  But, there are preventive measures that you can take to protect his health from the time he is a puppy.  Here are a few of the more common dog conditions and how to prevent or combat them.

When talking about dogs you may have heard the word “distemper”.  Distemper is a condition common to dogs.  It can cause damage to the lungs or the brain and spinal cord similar to the human polio virus.  Distemper shots are recommended for puppies as a preventative measure against the disease.

Rabies is a common disease that is also deadly to human beings.  Rabies results in death for any animal infected with it.  The disease is passed through saliva of an infected animal.  One animal bites another and the disease is contracted.

The sign of the disease that most people are familiar with is foaming around the mouth.  If rabies is suspected, have your dog checked out immediately.  Dogs should be vaccinated as pups.  Booster shots are recommended every few years to keep up immunity.

Leptospirosis is one of those conditions that can be passed from animal to people.  Before you smother too many kisses on your puppy, protect him from the disease particularly if he is an outdoor dog.  The disease can be acquired from infected wild animals like opossums and raccoons.  Vaccinations are available so protect your dog and yourself.

Dogs are susceptible to worm infestations.  It’s disgusting yes, so imagine how your dog will feel if he has them.  Your veterinarian can recommend medications and other measures to guard against worms.

Heartworms can be introduced to your dog through a mosquito bite.  Outdoor dogs need to be especially careful.  Dogs can be given tablets once a month to guard against heartworm infestations.  They can be added to his food bowl so that you don’t have to fight to get him to take it.  If your dog already has heartworms, seek medical attention right away to save his life.

Regularly examine your dog’s stool.  Worms can show up there.  Diarrhea may be a sign that something is wrong with your dog.  Starting worming medications from your vet as soon as puppy is old enough can keep you from having to sift through doggie doo for the nasty parasites.

Dogs get sick too.  Just like people, there are things that you can do to prevent certain diseases from coming to pass.  Ask your veterinarian about prophylactic pet care now to avoid costly medical care later.