Divinity Amstaffs

 

It's really exciting for you and your family when you bring a new puppy home, isn't it?!?! However, in the excitement, don't forget to address the basic needs of your puppy. The way to make sure this does not happen is to have your puppy's supplies already bought and on hand before the big day. So let's take a look at some of the things your puppy will need from the start of his new life with you. All pictures are links...

 

FOOD~ Obviously one of the absolute basic supplies that you will need is food. This should be obvious, but you would be surprised at how often this is overlooked. You will need to check with the breeder to find out what food your puppy is already eating. You will need a supply of this type of food. If you are planning to change to a different brand, you will need to gradually change it over the course of about seven to ten days. Just add a little of the new brand to the old brand, adding a little more each day, until your puppy is eating just the new brand. We highly recommend that you do not change their food for the first 6-12 months of life though because this can cause allergies or other immune issues. Please consult your veterinarian.

FOOD & WATER BOWLS~ Of course, to go along with the food, you will need food and water bowls. These need to be made from easy to clean material. They also need to be heavy enough that they will not be easily tipped over by an excited young puppy. Since some breeds chew more than others, you may also want to avoid plastic altogether, as these can splinter and cause problems. A set of stainless steel bowls will take care of this problem and they are easy to clean.

CRATE~ After food, one of the most important items you will purchase for your new puppy is his crate. These can be found in many different styles and sizes. If you are bringing home a large breed dog, you will either want to buy a crate that is adjustable or buy several crates in different sizes to accommodate your growing puppy. This crate will become your puppy's special place. This is where he will sleep, stay while you're not home, and get away from all the household chaos. This can also be his "safe" place, especially if you have children. This will become your puppy's own little "den". When you purchase your puppy's crate, you should be sure that it is the right size. Your puppy should be able to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie without being cramped. It should not be so large though that your puppy has enough room to relieve himself at one end while having room to sleep at the other, you do not want your puppy to get in the habit of relieving himself in his crate.

 

BEDDING~ Once you have established your crate size, you need to purchase bedding or blankets for inside. You will want this to be easy to clean, machine washable and as indestructible as you can get. Your puppy will want to move it around, fluff it up to make his bed inside his "den". Also, you will want to purchase dog beds for different areas of your home so that when your puppy is out and about, he knows what is his to lay on. Many different types of stores have many different sizes, shapes, colors, patterns, and prices for you to choose from that can match your home decor nicely.

COLLAR, LEASH & ID TAG~ When your puppy is ready to be taken outside, you will need to have him in a collar and on a leash. Your puppy's first collar and leash should be made of lightweight nylon or leather. If you start your puppy from the very beginning wearing a collar and leash, it will be less of a challenge when you start training. You will need to make sure the collar fits properly. The way to do this is to add two inches to the puppy's neck size. As your puppy grows you will need to check the collar to make sure it is not too tight. To go along with your puppy's new collar, you will also need to have an identification tag attached. This tag should have your name, address, and telephone number (make sure you include area code). If your puppy was to stray, it could make the difference in you getting him back or not. Don't forget your microchip or AKC CAR tag.

GROOMING TOOLS~ Other items to have on hand to use right from the start are your dog grooming tools. Establishing your puppy's grooming routine early in his life will eliminate a lot of challenges later on. Hopefully your puppy will start to look forward to this time as time spent one on one with you, so do everything you can to make it a special time. The brushes, combs, nail trimmers/dremel and other grooming supplies will depend on the breed you choose. Check with the breeder to determine which grooming supplies you will need.

TOYS~ Another thing you will need to establish from the very start of your puppy being a part of your family is what he is allowed to play with. Having toys already on hand will help establish his boundaries for what to play with. If you find your puppy playing with something unacceptable, you can very easily distract him with the proper toy, if you already have the toy on hand. Some good toys to consider are any large rawhide piece (chips, logs, or bone shaped), large nylon chews, and hard rubber balls. You want to find something that is made for puppies and cannot be torn apart, swallowed or splinters easily. You will want to avoid any toys that will fit completely into your puppies mouth, this can pose a serious choking hazard. One last note on toys, do not let your new puppy chew on any old shoes or clothing. Puppies do not know the difference between the old things you gave them and any thing they find laying around, to them it is all fair game. Not only the damage that could be done to your possessions, but this could also cause some serious safety issues for your puppy. Little pieces could be torn off and swallowed, possibly causing obstructions in the digestive tract.

Thinking ahead and doing a little planning before your new family member comes home will make the transition a lot smoother. It is much easier to have what you need on hand before you even need it. Then there won't be any mad dashes to the store because you were not prepared.

 

VETERINARIAN~ This will be someone that you will have a relationship with for years to come. Ask around for a good referral or set up an appointment with local vets to meet with them yourself. You need to know a little bit about your own personal views and beliefs on animal care (i.e. vaccinations, spay/neutering, ear cropping etc) so that you can match yourself with a vet that has similar opinions. If you have a show dog, make sure they have experience with show dogs.

 

DOGS Initial series of puppy vaccines
1. distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parinfluenze - 3 sets one month apart (2, 3 & 4 months old) concluding at 16 weeks of age.*
2. Rabies at 16 weeks of age (later is better)
3. Bordetella within 4-6 months

First annual (usually at 1 year and 4 months of age)*
1. DHP, Parvo, Rabies
2. Bordetella every 4-6 months

 

TRAINING FACILITY~ The moment you pick up your new puppy you are beginning to form a relationship that will be the basis of your life together. The bedrock of that relationship is respect, affection for each other and understanding leadership from you. Your pup may become your companion, friend and member of the family but it will always be a dog and although we may anthropomorphize with our pets we must always recognize that very important fact - it is a dog.

Your pup is learning and being trained every minute of the day even when you are not formally 'training'. Habits and behavior patterns are being formed all the time and these first months of ownership are the formative ones. Lessons taught now will last a lifetime. It is easy for pup to learn good habits if we think about what we are doing but so often we owners teach bad habits without even realizing.

These early days are important and will help create a lasting relationship. If they are traumatic for you as well as the pup, you may never create the relationship that is so essential between a dog and it's owner. The important thing is that you and the whole of your family is consistent. So think through what you are going to do in the early days, it all starts the moment you pick pup up and builds from there.

Shop around. Have your dog training facility already picked out with your pup entered in Puppy Kindergarten or equivalent. This will ensure that you start out the right way plus socializing your puppy... very important! If you do not do this beforehand, you could end up allowing months to go by in which time many bad habits could be formed.

 

Just remember that an untrained puppy becomes an unwanted dog!!

 

Please Read: http://www.akc.org/events/obedience/getting_started.cfm