Comment

Comment by Peggy Woods on February 1, 2011 at 7:18pm

+1 on Taste of the Wild! I (slowly) transitioned from what he was started on at his first home.

I am liking the little Zukes treats - great for training!. I loaded up on frozen, raw, organic bones before I even brought my pup home. I had an assortment of lamb, goat, bison, etc. I LOVE Beth's idea about the flooring! I wished I would have done that...

I got one of those folding pens. I can attach it to the crate & then pup has a "house with a yard". We got those plastic sticky cable holders & tacked up all the cords & wires high up the wall or over the top of the doorways. No shoes left out. No socks on the floor. There's a ball like a Kong, but it's orange with large dimples. It has one small hole for kibble. It's a great way to keep busy & get a snack!

brushes, nail clippers etc. an old towel or pillowcase that smells like you to put in the crate at night for a "security blanket"...

Comment by Nicola Porter on February 1, 2011 at 12:54pm

Lando  Oliver electrocuted himself, so be careful.

Comment by John Wolff on February 1, 2011 at 12:41pm

Make sure the garbage is inaccessible and form the habit of making sure all remotely edible stuff gets there (we lost a dog to a choking accident).  Ours is under the sink behind a spring-loaded door.

We cut a corner off the bottom of any food bag the dog could get their head into.  Stiff snack bags are unliekly to suffocate a dog, but we came home once to find Siri panicked with her head stuck in a potato chip bag that I'd carelessly left in a waste basket.

We have the catbox behind a baby gate that the cat can get through but the dogs cannot.

Discourage puppy from leaping down from heights (stairs, furniture), and this goes for adult dogs too. We provide a step for getting on/off the bed.  If you have smooth floors, consider nonskid throw-rugs on takeoff and landing zones.  Avoid big physical challenges until 1 year old; you don't want growth-plate injuries before the long bones fuse.

Bitter Apple spray helps puppy learn what is verboten.

Comment by Jane on February 1, 2011 at 9:03am

I feed my dog Fromms, but there are tons of different foods available. From what I've heard Wellness, Taste of the Wild, and Blue Buffalo are all very good and are readily available at Petsmart for a decent price. With a new puppy I would just buy a small bag of whatever you choose and make sure it agrees with him/her. Even the best of foods can give some dogs tummy troubles.

 

You can get an idea of the quality of some of the different foods on these sites:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

Comment by Beth on February 1, 2011 at 9:00am

If you have room to set up a round exercise pen somewhere in the house, it's a real help.   We had one in our breakfast nook for the first year.  We bought a cheap piece of linoleum/vinyl flooring from a big box store and put it under the pen.  No ruined/stained/chewed floors!   

 

Puppy should not be alone for even 30 seconds out of your sight if you are not able to pay complete attention to him/her.     In 30 seconds pup can ruin furniture, floors, drywall, or electrocute himself on a cord.  If you are out of the room, pup goes in the playpen, and everyone is happy!

As for food, talk to the breeder.  Start on the breeder's food and make any switches according to Jane's instructions.  Good luck!

Comment by Kari & Quin on February 1, 2011 at 8:58am

I like blue buffalo kibble I don't know if it is organic or not but I think it is a good value and bully sticks kept Quin from chewing up the house:)

Comment by Heather and Ella on February 1, 2011 at 8:36am

Chewing is the big thing. During the early months; Ella killed 2 computer cords (shorted out a laptop), ate a whole in the bed, chewed the corner off a wooden chest, destroyed 3 floor rugs, ripped apart a doggy bed, pens, toilet paper rolls, etc. Make sure EVERYTHING is off the floor, and lock away the trash cans or make sure they have lids. Puppies really are like human babies, they will pick everything up and put it in their mouths.

I didn't know about crate training, and I wish I had done that.

Comment by The Geek's Wife & her Corgi Ein on February 1, 2011 at 1:18am

Crate training Oski is the best thing you can do for the both of you, and this article was invaluable to me when I was crate training Ein: Crate Training Article

 

Another thing I discovered was home made teething toys. On days when you're puppy is out of control chewing and biting try this soothing treat: Freeze chicken broth in an ice cube tray, wrap a couple cubes in a clean old rag and secure it with a rubber band or zip tie, and put them on a tarp, tile or outside and let them go to town. Ein loves these treats. 

 

Good luck! Heather 

Comment by Jane Christensen on January 31, 2011 at 11:28pm

Congratulations! There are several food discussions and many have charts with ratings so maybe you want to check these out. The food you chose will need to be very slowly introduced by starting with at least 3/4th of their old food to 1/4th new and gradually adding. I would suggest for your pups benefit to do this over the coarse of 2 weeks. Changing too fast can make them sick:(

Watch for cords would be my 1st suggestion with a pup as I lost my computer memory to a pup. I bake my own treats or if I buy them I only buy ones made in the USA. I would start with an old towel or blanket till your pup is a little older as it is easy to wash during the potty training time.   Have fun!