“Happiness is a warm Puppy”! C.M. Schulz
Written by Pam on June 1, 2015
One of our wonderful HGT Golden families introduced me to this wonderful quote – I love it and wanted to share it with everyone who reads our blogs. Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, but I have to agree with Charles Schulz, that a puppy will bring on happiness and tears of joy – daily!
I know that all my HGT families are doing a great job with the puppies and helping them through the adjustment to new surroundings. Because puppies are very social pack animals, it might be a little hard on the puppy for the first few days away from the only family it has ever known. The pups instinct says it is vulnerable but the truth of the matter is that there is so much more to experience in its new surroundings, but they do not know this yet. The puppy just needs to experience the change but it is also a critical time that the pup is reassured that its new pack will protect and care for it. For the next couple of months, whatever the puppy experiences – good or bad – will last a life time – the result of that experience is ingrained! Please make sure that if you question the temperament of a neighbor’s dog or a friend’s cat, do not do any introducing at this point. The puppy will learn from this experience and we only want great experiences for our puppies.
To keep everyone happy – including your puppy, we just wanted to go over some do’s and don’ts that will leave everyone smiling :*)
1) DO Pack Puppy Stuff: Pack a bag of things for your pup and leave it in the car. They should include: a water bottle, rubbing alcohol + wipes, liquid bandage, training treats, newspapers and a old towel. (The alcohol wipes are great to have handy just in case your puppy should over heat or pant excessively, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a clean towel or wipe and press it on to the pad of the pups paws. The rubbing alcohol should bring down their temperature. )
2) DO Feed the Puppy 3x daily – but – don’t over feed – it is not good for their joints. Also when feeding the pup, they should not have excessive play before and/or after eating. You should feed them, let them drink some water, out to soil, rest for 1 hour or so and then outside to play. Bloat is a serious condition that can happen if you over-do the play before and after feedings.
3) DO talk to your vet – bring in all questions – write them down and get the answers. This is so important. You need to ask her/him about:
* The pup’s vaccination schedule. Core vs Non-Core. Show the vet our brag book that is loaded with information that the veterinarian would want to see.
* The pup’s diet – Always think about quality not price and beware of those brands that rely on special pricing or marketing campaigns. You can also ask about gluten free vs gluten varieties of puppy grub!
– NEVER give your puppy, Avocado, Grapes, Raisins, Onions, Garlic, Potato Peelings, Chocolate, Caffeine or Alcoholic beverages!!!
* Ask about their opinion on altering the puppy. First read about what I discussed in my blog entitled: “What’s Good for your KokoBo – Altering our puppy/owner dynamics – Let’s Try Trust – and release the control”...This blog will give you suggested alternates in altering the dog and at what age is advantageous for the dog!
* The pup’s ears! Have them show you the correct way to gently clean your puppy’s ears.
* The pup’s teeth! Have them show you the correct way to brush those pearly whites.
* The pup’s nails! Have them clip the puppy’s nails if they require it. Watch and learn to get a good understanding of where the quick ends and the portion of nails that needs to be trimmed starts. Be cautions when doing this because some quicks are very long and if nicked when trimming, the area could bleed profusely!
* Ask your veterinarian to talk about the pros and cons of Front-line (topical) & Heart-guard (ingested)
4) DO keep in mind what I discussed when you were here:
* Liquid Bandage for Dogs
* Silent Dog command training
* Mouthing
* Hydration
* The Kong
5) DO fill out the AKC Limited Registration Paperwork – Think about a clever AKC limited registered name for your puppy. The name that the pup knows now is its call-name. Submit the completed AKC forms so that the AKC will inform you of AKC Match Shows that are in your area if you choose to participate in a Jr. Showmanship Match.
6) DON’T take the puppy on a long walk yet! – The puppy can of course walk around your property, but our advise is to limit the amount of time on the pavement or near the pavement – because that is where the wild animals defecate. The puppy at 8 weeks only has had it’s first set of vaccinations and is not totally immune nor has it had all its vaccinations against these doggie diseases. The pup can become really sick it if sniffs or consumes any animals feces that could contain parvo or other doggie diseases.
7) DON’T leave small items at the puppy’s height – because you can plan on your HGT golden grand finding everything he can see. Things like electric cords, batteries, kids toys, medications, plants, keys, household and lawn chemicals can be a hazard to your puppy.
8) DON’T remove all the newspapers – all the pups in this litter are use to soiling on the newspaper and will look for the newspapers for the time being. Once you feel certain that the soiled paper can be relocated outside and the puppy will do all his business outside, then remove all the newspapers from the floors inside.
Always – Always feel free to call us – we want to know how our HGT puppies are doing. We enjoyed all the HGT golden families and want to stay in touch. Enjoy, Pam
