You finally chose the perfect puppy; everyone is happy and excited to have a new member in the family. Due to all the excitement it is easy to forget that the first few weeks in the house are critical for the development of your new best friend.
Comfort -You have to remember that when you take a puppy home, he has been recently separated from its mother. It is common for a puppy to feel lonely and scared for the first days in the new environment. Providing your new puppy with comfort and company is very important for the healthy development of its personality.
Feeding– It is recommended to give your new puppy dry food (at least at the beginning) and to give him food a few times a day (2-3) until they are one year old. After that you should reduce his food intake to once a day. It is important to avoid giving puppies bones and milk, at least for the first year. Since their teeth are just developing bones are too hard for them and they can easily choke. The milk we drink is different from the milk of the puppy's mother so it can cause intense diarrhea. Water is the only drink you need to provide your puppy.
Vaccination and Medication– Once you have a puppy taking him to the veterinary is a must. We begin with the vaccinations when the puppy is between 6-8 weeks old. Your puppy should get its yearly vaccination against parvovirus. You are also obliged by law to vaccinate your puppy against rabies. It is also highly recommended to give your puppy a pill against worms. Finally a vaccination against park worms is also highly recommended, we vaccinate your puppy once every 3 months for all its life. All of these vaccinations are included if you subscribe to "Central Vet".
Needs- Your puppy has no idea that he should do its needs outside of the house so it is expected he will go inside the house. Punishing your puppy when he urinates or defecates in the house will only make matters worse. What you can do is take your puppy for short walks many times a day and positively reinforce him when he goes outside. Your puppy will slowly understand where it should and shouldn’t go to the bathroom.
Behavior- When your new puppy arrives home he will feel very confused because he will be in a whole new world. The best thing to do is to gradually expose your puppy to all the elements in your life: kids, the house, car, family members etc. The best thing you can do is to allow your puppy to feel comfortable in its new environment. Whenever you see a behavioral trait that you don’t want your puppy to have when he becomes older then you must let him know, either by telling him "no" or by gently stopping whatever the action is with physical contact. If your puppy feels uncomfortable in a certain location or around certain people then you should expose him to that more so he gets used to it.
Conclusion: In the first year or two puppies require a lot of attention and work. Their personality can be easily molded to make the best out of your new best friend. With the proper education and healthy habits your puppy will grow to be a "good boy"
Central Veterinary Clinic – Dr. Ohad Tilles Marcus
Address: Ibn Gabirol 15, Tel Aviv
Phone: 077-5077157
E-Mail: 247vet@gmail.com