How to Take Care of Mongrel Puppies

There is a special delight in taking care of a mongrel from puppyhood. Unlike their cookie-cutter purebred counterparts, each mongrel has its own character and looks. What they grow into can be quite surprising. It is good to know all you can about the specific needs and genetic health problems associated with the breeds you think your mongrel is made up of for preventative care.

Things You'll Need

  • Collar Leash Veterinarian Pet nail clippers Pet first aid kit Variety of chew toys Fenced-in yard or exercise area At least four hours a day to devote to the puppy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a veterinarian clinic before you bring the puppy home. Be sure to find out what hours that clinic is open and what kind of payment methods it prefers. If it is not open all of the time, it can help you find an emergency vet clinic that is. This will save you time and stress should an emergency arise. You also need to make appointments for the puppy's vaccination schedules.

    • 2

      Get down on all fours or crawl on your belly around your home to get a "puppy's eye view." This will also help you discover what places the puppy might get into. Put child-proof locks on cabinets that may hold dangerous chemicals. Remove potted plants. Put shoes or handbags that can be chewed away. Get a baby gate if necessary so the young puppy can't fall down the stairs.

    • 3

      Put the puppy where you want it to relieve itself as soon as you bring the puppy home. Wait until the puppy squats. If the puppy has just had a car ride, then it will need to urinate almost immediately. Whenever you see the puppy walk in small circles, sniffing the floor, take the puppy immediately outside and praise it.

    • 4

      Give your puppy a short name that is no longer than three syllables. Also, make sure the name does not sound like a command you will be giving them later on. Praise the puppy whenever they look at you when you say his or her name. Getting their attention is the first crucial step in training mongrels. When you give a command, make it a short word and use the same word every time. This helps keep the mongrel puppies from getting confused. Carrying treats in your pocket will continue to make you interesting and worth watching.

    • 5

      The puppy is highly impressionable from the ages of 8 to 14 weeks. In that time, expose your puppy to a variety of situations, such as the sight of a moving vacuum cleaner, the experience of a first bath, a car ride to a fun place, interacting with other dogs and anything else you can think up. This is the best time for puppies to learn basic commands such as "sit" and "lie down."

    • 6

      Exercise your mongrel puppy regularly or the puppy will be too hyperactive to learn any basic training. It needs a walk of a half-hour a day (or however long it can take before it begins to pant heavily). You can introduce fetch games and give it chew toys to mangle. Often before they are 6 months old, mongrel puppies will play for an hour, sleep for an hour and so on.