Excerpts from the Puppy Packet

A few people are having a hard time opening my puppy packet so until I save it in a different format, I thought I would copy and paste a few of the most important parts on the blog!!


YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Crate – recommended style and size. I have found 36 L x 24 W x 26 H is quite suitable for most Goldens. However, the next size up is what I prefer, especially for my bigger males. I happen to like the wire crates that fold down into a suitcase style. They are far more serviceable than the solid plastic crates. Get the one with a divider – to help with house training – because puppies will soil in one end, and sleep in another if to large at first.

Old Bath Towels – for use in the bottom of the crate. They can easily be picked up and washed during crate training.
Stainless Steel Dishes – two 2qt bowl or 3qt bowls should be sufficient for food and water. You can, of course, choose to get something a little larger for a water bowl.

Collar and Lead – It is best to start a puppy on a buckle collar. There are several made that are very adjustable to size.

Toys – soft toys, tennis balls, nylabone and natural bones. Most anything else is not necessary. Stay away from rope toys.... the puppies can chew it loose and it can be dangerous if any of the thread is swallowed.

Chews - I highly recommend bully sticks and knuckle bones. You can get these at Petsmart but prices are much better at Ryan's Pet Supply (mail order) If they have a few things to chew on, they just might leave your chairs, baseboards and sprinkler heads almone.... maybe...

SET UP YOUR CRATE IN THE CHOSEN PLACEIt is probably best to choose a place where there is some family traffic but not in the middle of confusion. Some people find it is best to have an extra crate set up in the bedroom for nighttime. In the crate you may wish to put an old towel on the floor, hang your water bucket at a height your puppy can easily reach and put some toys to play with (a bone to chew and a soft toy to cuddle).DESIGNATE ONE ROOM ONLY FOR THE PUPPY TO PLAY INThere is NO reason for a new puppy to have Free Run of the house. I usually suggest the kitchen makes the best room for playing and free time. It is very often the room in the house which contains the back door (the one you want the puppy to find with ease when he/she has to go out) and the floor is usually easier to clean in case of accidents.Keep the puppy confined to this room, at first, when he/she is loose. By doing this, he/she will quickly learn where the door is and go toward it when Nature calls. He/She should do his/her playing here and begin to learn house manners in this room. Keep everything simple and regimented so there is the minimal amount of confusion in the puppy’s life.OUTDOORS IS ONLY FOR PUPPY BUSINESS, NOT PLAYTIME, YET! For the first few days or weeks it is imperative that the only reason for the puppy to be outside is to go to the bathroom. If you use the yard only for this reason, your puppy will quickly learn what he/she is supposed to do out there.I know you think the yard is the place to learn to play with the puppy and you can hardly wait to start running around the yard. Well, all in good time. First your puppy needs to know what and where he/she is supposed to go or do outside in addition to playing.Therefore, take him/her out to go to the bathroom as often as you think he/she may need to. When he/she is successful, praise the heck out of him/her, maybe reward with a small treat and bring him/her in the house to play.When your puppy is no longer having accidents in the house and is asking to go out to do his/her business, you can then begin to stay out there a little longer and explore or play a little.If you stick with this procedure, the housebreaking will go so much faster.WHAT DO I MEAN BY PLAY IN THE HOUSE?Play in the house does not mean roughhousing or chasing. Perhaps one of the most important things I have to tell you is this ----- If you want your puppy to grow up to be calm and gentle, a well adjusted little creature that listens when he/she is asked, and has good manners --- YOU MUST KEEP HIM/HER QUIET AND CALM EVEN AS YOU PLAY. Over stimulated and highly aroused puppies grow up to be just that as an adult. Start right from day one and raise your puppy in a quiet and calm manner and that is exactly what you will have as an adult.


VACCINATIONS
Desdia Vaccination Schedule
What I suggest, at this time, is the following schedule:
What your puppy will be given before they leave:
at 7 weeks - Intervet Progard 5
Your Follow up recommended schedule:
12 weeks - DHPP (Lepto may be added at this time, if your Vet feels it’s needed)
16 weeks - DHPP (Lepto, as needed)
6 months - 1 year Rabies (I delay this one as long as I can, merely because this is the only vaccination I have ever had a reaction with. By delaying, I feel the incidents of reactions has decreased significantly). Some reactions I have seen have been life altering – when given too young!!!
1 ½ years - DHLPP Booster followed several weeks later with the 3 year Rabies
3 years later - I repeat the DHLPP Booster and several weeks after that, another 3 year Rabies


WORMING
Deworming your puppy is a critical part of his puppy care. 98% of all puppies are born with worms that they contracted before they were born from their mother.
When you take your puppy home, he/she will have been dewormed at 3 and 5 weeks with Pyrantel Pamoate - and again at 7 weeks with a stronger dewormer (for older puppies) - Fenbendazole. ** We recommend that you deworm the puppies again at 10 and 12 weeks. You can get worming medicine at Petsmart and Petco.**

GROOMING
Why do I have this in the section on Health? Well, by routinely grooming your dog you will become very familiar with the condition of his/her skin and coat. Both clearly are a mirror of your dog’s overall Health.
Routinely cleaning your dog’s ears can prevent or alert you to Health problems before they are out of control.
Checking or cleaning your dog’s teeth and eyes can also prevent or alert you to potential problems.
Keeping his/her feet and nails in good condition is important for proper leg and joint function.

NUTRITION/FOOD
"We are what we eat" not only applies to us but certainly to our pets. There is no excuse, today, to not be feeding our dogs a quality diet that covers all of his/her needs. There are so many quality processed foods to choose from as well as combination, home-prepared diets.
I am not going to insist you use one particular diet, but I do want to discuss with you all the possibilities and come up with what works best for you and your puppy. Each dog is truly an individual, just like we are, and will benefit from careful observations. If you feel you can’t afford one of the high-end processed foods, there is a way to supply the same quality by adding a few things to a lesser brand. However I encourage you to purchase a quality food – not from the lowest end of the spectrum.
If you really like to cook for your dog and wish to try that method, we need to discuss and get you properly Educated as to what you are doing. You can actually do more harm than good this way – if not done properly.
I have tried many methods and use them interchangeably at times, as I feel the need or desire, to meet the needs of one particular dog or group of dogs.
I have no objection to any of these methods, but feel whatever you choose to do should have a lot of knowledge behind it. Therefore, I recommend several books and websites that will help you in whatever you decide is right for you and your dog.
Quality Processed Foods
This is the group most people decide to choose. Because we are no longer mostly home bodies with little to do but cook and clean, we like the idea of being able to open a bag and feed the dog. I have no problem with this provided you choose a brand that is reliable and of good quality. There has been an explosion of new products in this group --- some are fine and others need to be cautiously approached. Just because it’s expensive does not mean it is necessarily good for your dog.
I suggest you spend some time in viewing these websites and maybe purchasing some of these books:
Websites:
http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/diet.htm
http://www.drpitcairn.com/
Books:
Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats – by Dr. Pitcairn
The Nature of Animal Healing – by Dr. Goldstein
Suggested Processed Dry Foods:
Super Premium Brands
Nature’s Variety www.naturesvariety.com
Timberwolf Organics www.timberwolforganics.com
Blue Buffalo www.bluebuff.com - **
Great Life Dog Food www.greatlife4pets.com
Eagle Pack www.eaglepack.com Holistic Blends Only

Premium Brands
Canidae www.canidae.com
Diamond Naturals (NOT the regular)
Nature’s Recipe http://www.naturesrecipe.com - **
Chicken Soup http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/ ****
Precise www.precisepet.com I recommend their Plus Formula’s only!!
We are feeding Diamond Natural's Small Breed Puppy combined with some combination of yogurt, chicken, goats milk and/or cottage cheese. We recommend you purchase 1 - 40 pound bag of the same food and when that runs out slowly transition your new puppy to an adult food - either the Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice, Lamb and Rice, or another premium or super premium food. When you start the transition... on the first day feed 1/4 of the total amout the new food and the remaining 3/4 the puppy food. The next day or so go to 1/2 and 1/2 and then to 1/4 the old puppy food and 3/4 the new food. If you switch foods too fast the puppy wil get an upset stomach and will get diaharea!

COMBINED FEEDING
This is the method that has seemed to work the best overall, for me. It provides the convenience of feeding from a bag with the addition of FRESH food.
On a daily basis, you may add the following ingredients up to 10% of the total ration.
Range Feed slightly cooked meat – I recommend chicken, turkey, or cold water fish (ground or cubed in smaller pieces)
Raw Veggies – green leafy veggies, broccoli, carrots, squash, yams (raw puréed or lightly steamed are more easily digested)
Raw Fruit – apples, peaches, pears, raspberries, blueberries (puréed or over ripe are more easily digested)
There are many more things you can add, but if you supply something in the way of FRESH food daily, most of the other things will not be necessary.

CRATE TRAINING & HOUSE-BREAKING

Portions of this section have been excerpted from www.dogtrainersworkshop.com

Early TrainingCrate Training
Crates are the cribs and playpens of dog training. They:
* Prevent your dog from chewing and soiling the house.
* Protect dogs from consuming things in the house that could be harmful to him.
* Calms anxious dogs.
* Teaches hyperactive dogs to sleep when left alone.
* Are a home away from home whenever you are traveling with your dog.
Correctly used, your dog will regard the crate as a 'room of his own.' It is a clean, comfortable, safe place to leave your dog when he cannot be supervised. It is invaluable for housebreaking because most dogs will try not to urinate or defecate in the crate.
* Introduce your dog to the crate by placing it in a 'people' area (kitchen or family room). Use an old towel or blanket for bedding. Put your dog's toys and a few treats in the open crate, allowing your dog to come and go as he wishes.
* Feed your dog in the crate with the door closed. Clean up any spills promptly-it's very important for the crate to stay clean. Your dog doesn't need to stay in his crate long, but should get comfortable eating his meal there.
* Put your dog in the crate when he is tired and ready for a nap. As soon as you hear him start to wake up, go to him and take him outside. Do not let him out if he is barking or whining because this will reward him for being noisy.
When training is complete, how long can your dog be left? For young puppies, use this rule of thumb. The time limit should be your puppy's age in months plus one. For example:
* A three month old pup should not be crated for more than 4-hours.
* A four month old pup's limit is 5 hours.
* The self control of puppies varies, but most usually can hold it overnight by the age of four months.
The adult dog's self control is usually great enough that it can be left for eight to nine hours in the crate. But keep in mind that long confinements are likely to present other mental and physical difficulties.
Crate or no crate, any dog consistently denied the companionship it needs is going to be a lonely pet and may still find ways (destructive ways) to express anxiety, depression, and stress.
A dog crate offers many advantages for both of you. The most important being peace of mind when leaving your dog home alone. You'll know that nothing can be soiled or destroyed, and that your dog won't get into anything harmful while you're gone.

Early TrainingHouse Breaking
Dog owners call us every day with questions about housebreaking. Too often we hear that a dog was acquired to be an indoor animal but because he soils the house, he has been relegated to a life in the yard. Our goal at Dog Trainers Workshop is to help train dogs to be welcome and enjoyable members of the family. In order to do this, one of our first jobs is to help you get your dog housebroken.

Basic Principles
Housebreaking a dog can be quite simple, if you understand some basic principles and follow some simple rules.

Dens and Rooms
Dogs are naturally den animals, so a dog does not want to go to the bathroom where he lives. Most of us live in homes that are so big that, unfortunately, the dog does not equate our entire house with his den. Therefore, it is important to keep a dog that is not housebroken in the same room with you. If you let him leave the room, he will equate this with leaving the den, and think it is acceptable to go to the bathroom. If you are in the bedroom, shut him in the bedroom with you. If you go to the kitchen, take him with you. If it is not possible to shut a door, put up a gate or tie him in the room with you.

Activities, Not Clocks
Don't watch the clock to determine when your dog needs to go outside; his activity causes his need to go to the bathroom, not the time that has elapsed. He should be taken outside every time your dog changes activities. If he wakes up, take him out, stops playing, out he goes, stops eating, out again. Take him out before the accident occurs.

Watch for Signals
Do not think it is the dog's responsibility to let you know when he needs to go out. Instead, watch for his signals to you that he needs to go outside. The signals may be subtle like walking toward the door or sniffing and walking in circles.

Accidents
If your dog goes to the bathroom in front of you, make an exclamation of disgust and take him outside 'no' or 'bad dog' is sufficient. It is not necessary to drag him to the mess or to rub his nose in it.
If your dog does go to the bathroom in the house while you are not watching, there is absolutely nothing that you can do for correction because dogs do not remember and feel responsible for past actions. If you drag a dog to an old mess and make a fuss, he does not say to himself, "I went to the bathroom there 20 minutes ago, which is why my owner is upset."
Rather, he records the situation and makes sure the situation does not occur again. In this case, the dog records, 'If my owner is present, and I am present, and a mess is present, I will get scolded.' The next time there is a mess on the floor and he hears you coming, he will run.

Situations
Our tendency is to give the dog human reason and emotions. Owners call me and say, "But I know my dog knew he was bad, he ran from me and he looked guilty." He is not running from you because he understands that he is responsible for the mess; he is not running because he realizes that if he stays in the situation that includes him, you, and the mess he will be scolded.
If you question this observation, pour a glass of water on the floor, Then, talk to the dog in the same tone of voice you use when you find a mess on the floor. He will undoubtedly slink away from you just as he does when the mess is his. This should prove that it is not his guilt that makes him leave, but your reaction to the situation.

Chewing
A small puppy comes to your home having learned to play with his littermate by chewing on them.
Your puppy is going to chew on you. It is inevitable and it does not mean that he is a bad or aggressive puppy. He is simply trying to play with you the same way he played with his littermates. Unfortunately, his needle sharp teeth hurt, so you will want to stop him from biting you as quickly as possible.
When your puppy bites you, make an exclamation of pain and give him a shake. You are mimicking what his littermates did to him when he bit them too hard, you are biting him back, but you don't need to use your mouth to do so. It doesn't matter where you grab him. Young puppies have a lot of loose skin and you can grab him anywhere as you let him know that he hurt you. He should back away and look startled at your response. Your correction should be quick, and then it's over and you can continue playing with him as you were before he bit you.If you have a young child that you fear your puppy will hurt, encourage your child to play with the puppy with a toy so that the puppy has something to focus on besides the child's clothes or hands.It is also inevitable that your young puppy will want to chew on your shoes, the table legs, and anything else that is at his eye level. When he does, simply remove the object, or move your puppy, and give him a toy of his own. At this age you are wasting your time by scolding him, he is simply too young to care or to understand what your displeasure is about.

Introducing Your Puppy to Other Dogs
If you already have a dog, don't be in a hurry to introduce your puppy to your older dog. This can happen gradually over the next few weeks or even months. A seven- to- nine-week-old puppy of any breed is so small that it can be hurt by an older dog, even in play. However, if your older dog decides to discipline the puppy, there is a good chance the puppy can be seriously hurt. Let your older dog get to know the puppy by visiting with one another through a baby gate or crate. You have a whole lifetime to let them grow accustomed to one another. It doesn't need to happen in the first few days.


The Case For Spaying And Neutering – from the GRCA website
The basic disposition and temperament of your dog WILL NOT be changed by removing his or her reproductive capability. Neutering a male can make him more tolerant of other males, but neutering will not, by itself, turn your Golden into an obese, lazy animal. . .that is the result of excess food and insufficient exercise. Benefits of spaying include not having to worry about accidental breedings, the stress and inconvenience of confining the bitch in season, risky mismating shots, and unwanted puppies. The spayed bitch will not develop uterine infections or tumors of the reproductive system as do so many older unspayed bitches. The American Kennel Club permits spayed and neutered Goldens to participate in all phases of obedience, tracking, field work, agility and junior handling, but not in most conformation classes.
I recommend neutering no earlier than 1 year for males – and no earlier than 10 months for females. If you wish to discuss these reasons – please contact me. Here is a great website, please read this article, it is an important consideration:http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL OR E-MAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE!