The Care of Shepherd Retriever Pups

Bring your new puppy to a qualified veterinarian for a complete examination and vaccination. Many shelters include a discount coupon towards a vet appointment as part of their adoption fees, and some even take care of initial vaccinations. Find out what your puppy has been given and consult your veterinarian for a booster shot time recommendation.

Feed your puppy the right food. Puppies have different dietary requirements than adult dogs, so purchase food designed for your dog's age and breed. Large breed puppies risk microscopic damage to skeletal tissue from supporting too much weight too soon, so avoid a rapid growth formula of puppy food. Joint malformation and chronic pain can develop if you give a large breed puppy too many calories. Consult your veterinarian for appropriate feeding recommendations for your puppy. Always ensure that fresh, clean water is available for your pet.

Provide your puppy with safe, appropriate chew toys. Food isn't the only thing your puppy puts in its mouth. Puppies chew as they are teething, to explore their surroundings, to relieve stress and boredom, and occasionally as a result of the medical condition known as Pica. Restrict access to valuables that you don't want chewed while you are out of the house and your puppy is alone. Some owners use crates for this purpose, or child gates to contain the puppy in one room, with its food, water, litter and chew toys. Praise your puppy whenever you see it chewing its toy, and chastise it whenever it chews something it shouldn't. Before long, the issue of a destructive teething puppy will be solved.

Provide your puppy with proper shelter. Dogs are pack animals and you are alpha members of your puppy's pack; the house is your den. Keep your little one inside with you at night, and as often as it wants during the day. Provide it with a sleeping place all its own that is not in your bed (pack status is determined by sleeping area and dogs that sleep with their owners tend to not listen as well). If you absolutely must keep your puppy outside, provide a shed or dog house that provides comfort and adequate refuge from inclement weather.

Toilet train your pup. Paper train by confining it to a small area and observe where toileting repeatedly takes place. Cover this area with newspaper for the puppy to relieve itself on, and praise it for going to the bathroom on the paper. Take it outside very frequently, at regular intervals, and lavish praise for outside toileting behavior. If you always take your pup outside to relieve itself, it won't be long before you see it waiting and wriggling at the door when it needs to go. Always praise the behavior you want to see.

Provide your pup with an area to run around in, and offer it a ball to fetch. Play and run with it, but do not allow it to jump up on you, even in fun. Remember this is a dog that will grow large and strong enough to hurt someone by jumping on them. Walk your pup regularly. Puppies need to burn off their excess energy, and to exercise to maintain good health.

Socialize your puppy while it is still young, preferably between three weeks and three months. Take it to a dog park, or liaise with a friend who has a well behaved, non-aggressive dog to plan outings. The more socialization your pup gets while young, the easier it will be to handle as a full-sized adult.

Brush your pup regularly and trim its toenails. It may not be shedding yet, but the more you brush and handle it, the better behaved your pup will be when handling is required. Purchase nail clippers specifically for dogs that have a built-in guard to prevent you from clipping too far up the nail and damaging the quick. Examine the puppy's nails to become familiar with their structure so that you know what is safe to trim and what is not. Keep your puppy's nails trimmed so that they do not grow long enough to negatively affect the growth of the feet.

Smother your little one with kindness. Although some behaviors should be chastised, focus more on rewarding the behaviors you like and ignoring those you don't. Building trust with your animal will keep it better behaved and healthier overall.