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Red Cavalier puppy.

How to care for your puppy:

Make sure that you have suitable transport for your new family member.  Puppies may be put in a collapsible cage in your car, which ensures they are safe during a journey. Be sure to have them on a lead/harness so that they can’t run away. Before first vaccinations it is imperative that your puppy does not touch the floor outside (other than your garden) and is only introduced to dogs that are vaccinated.

• Night Time:

  Your puppy may whine about being left alone for the first few nights. Soft toys can be good company. If you are planning to train them to use a crate you can cover the crate to make them feel more secure. Leaving a radio station on (eg. Classic FM) quietly in the background can also help them to feel more secure. Sometimes a ticking clock could provide some company. A covered hot water bottle may also be a very warm friend.

• Training:

  Make sure to train and handle your puppy from an early age. Plenty of handling will make them comfortable with human contact. Reinforcing good play behaviours with treats is also recommended. When doing any training always give verbal praise first, and immediately after give a little treat. Eventually you will be able to give verbal praise alone. Get your new dog used to being checked over (like at the vets). Lift and handle the ears, try getting a doggie toothpaste and brushing their teeth, with a finger brush. Lift and handle the paws and nails. Be sure to expose your puppy to a number of things whilst it is developing. This can include a person in uniform (eg. A postman), someone wearing a hat, someone with a beard even, farm animals, traffic – these are all things that puppies can find scary. Socialisation classes are a great way to introduce them to training and other puppies, will help to teach yours how to behave in social situations.

• 1^stVaccinations: This can be done on the first vet check between 8-10weeks of age. The 2^ndvaccination is 2-4weeks after. Until a week after the 2^ndvaccination it is imperative that you keep the puppy away from unvaccinated dogs and do not place him/her on the floor in public spaces where viruses could be on the ground.

• Worming and parasite control:

  Puppies will need to be wormed as most will have picked up worms from their mother. This can be done with either tablets, or with a spot on treatment, which will treat other parasites such as fleas and lungworm.

• Exercise:

  Puppies do not need long walks – they only have little legs! They aren’t considered fully grown until 6-18 months of age (larger breeds mature more slowly). It is then that a good exercise plan can be implemented. Larger breeds especially may be prone to bone and joint problems, and should not be over exercised, when growing.

• Food:

  Little and often. A puppy’s tummy is very small and so their food intake needs to be split between 3-4 meal times. Find out what routine the breeder’s had and try to maintain that for continuity. If your puppy has diarrhoea, give them boiled chicken and rice. Introduce any new foods gradually over 5 days, as a sudden change in food will often cause a digestive upset.

• Play:

Puppies like to chew a lot especially during teething between the ages of 3 and 6 months, when they will lose all of their milk teeth.  Provide rubber Kongs or rope chews. Avoid bones as they can crack their milk teeth on these.  Play is an important way of learning for your new puppy and can be a lot of fun too!

Finally enjoy your new family member and take lots of pictures – as they grow up too fast !