We
sincerely hope and wish that all goes well with your new puppy and that he or
she will give you years of pleasure. Although
we can never be sure that everything will always be perfect there are a number
of measure that you can do to ensure the risks to your puppy’s health and
happiness are kept to a minimum:
Your
puppy is currently being fed four times a day on Burns Minibites puppy food. If you wish to feed him or her another diet
please introduce the new food gradually over a number of days as this will
avoid upsetting the puppy’s digestion. If
you do decide to change the diet it is best that you give him or her another of
the proprietary puppy foods designed for the larger breeds of which Golden
Retrievers are one. These foods ensure
that the puppy’s growth is maintained at the correct rate.
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR
PUPPY ALWAYS HAS A SUPPLY OF CLEAN WATER TO DRINK
The following table shows
the number of meals that your puppy should have over the coming months:
|
Age |
Number of Meals |
|
21 days |
Four |
|
12 weeks |
Three |
|
6 months |
Two |
|
9 months |
One ** |
**Some people find that they can reduce the number of
meals to one a day after the puppy has reached 9 months; others find that their
dog is better suited to having two meals a day.
The
amount of food that you give your puppy as it grows cannot be specified as each
dog will have different needs according to factors such as its gender and
exercise regime. The measuring cup in
your puppy pack will give you a guide for the amount of food you should be
giving your puppy in the early stages. Keep
an eye on your puppy’s weight – if it looks fat it probably is fat. Don’t let it put too much weight on (don’t
under nourish it either). If you have
any doubts please seek the advice of your vet.
Feeding
is a good opportunity to provide additional training for your puppy. You should aim to be able to get him or her
to sit patiently whilst you put the food bowl on the ground. Don’t let them dive straight into the food
whilst it is still in mid air. You are
the boss and they will soon learn to accept this fact. Don’t tolerate your puppy growling at you or
anyone else (including other pets) when they approach the pup’s bowl. If he or she growls, simply lift the food
bowl away, get them to sit and wait a few moments, then try again. This behaviour can be corrected provided you
are firm and tackle it early enough. It’s
a lot easier to remove the food bowl from a small pup, it’s not quite so easy
with a 30kg fully grown adult!
Before
your puppy comes into contact with any other dogs it is essential that he or
she is vaccinated against a range of infectious and potentially fatal diseases. Although it is usual for puppies to have
their first vaccination at around eight weeks of age your vet is best qualified
to advise you what vaccinations are needed and when they should be administered.
Please
make sure that any other dogs that you have in your household are up to date
with their vaccinations and are otherwise in good health.
It
is very important that you do not allow your puppy to walk in any public places
or associate with any other dog until your vet advises that it is safe to do so. Whilst another dog may appear to be in good
health it is possible that it may carry diseases that could harm your puppy. Remember that a sick or diseased dog could
have recently contaminated the area in which your puppy is walking
You
will also need to ensure that your dog has its annual booster vaccinations.
There
are many types of parasitic worms that can infest both dogs and humans, it is
therefore essential that you take precautions to prevent this happening. Puppies, like children, are very inquisitive
and will, as part of this investigatory process, try to eat anything and
everything they come across.
Your
puppy was wormed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks with Drontal Puppy Worming Liquid. This treatment should be repeated at weeks 10
and 12. Some sources recommend worming
at three-monthly intervals, others say you should do it each month; your vet
will be able to advise you of the best worming regime. Before you administer the worming treatment
you will need to accurately weigh your puppy in order that you can measure out
the correct dose of wormer.
Regardless
of how well you groom your puppy, it is inevitable that it will become a host
to a variety of these unpleasant little biting or sucking insects. The worst time for fleas and ticks are the
warmer months of the year. The only way
to prevent fleas and lice is to ensure that you treat your puppy, and any other
dogs and cats in your household, with an effective product such as Frontline or
Stronghold. These parasites quite
rapidly develop resistance to these treatments and so it is important that you
speak to your veterinary nurse in order to find out which product is the most
effective. The best and most effective
products are usually only available on prescription. You can buy flea treatments at pet shops and
supermarkets but in our experience they are not effective. If you fail to deal with this problem it is
very likely that both your dog and your home will become infested with these
unpleasant insects.
The
only effective preventative remedy for tick infestation is to regularly groom
your dog and at the same time check to see if any ticks have attached
themselves. Ticks can vary in size from
around 2mm to 5mm. After they have been
attached to the dogs skin for a day or two they will swell up to around three
or four times their original size (due to the blood that its has sucked from
the dog). The best way to remove them is
to pull them away using either a pair of tweezers or your fingernails. You must grasp the tick at the point closest
to the dog’s flesh – don’t hold it by the abdomen or you will squeeze some of
the contents of the tick’s stomach back into the dog possibly causing an
infection. For the same reason do not
try some of the often suggested remedies such as burning the tick with a
cigarette butt or painting it with nail varnish – these actions can force the
tick to regurgitate the contents of its gut back into the dog.
We
have found that there are no effective preventative treatment products for
ticks. We have used both Frontline and
Stronghold and yet we still regularly find live ticks on our dogs especially
after they have been walking in long grass.
We have found ticks on our dogs as early as January in milder winters. They are quite easy to spot and remove before
they have latched on. They look like
little slow moving black spiders.
Your
puppy is growing at about twenty times faster than a young baby. Most of this growth occurs when the puppy is
sleeping so don’t be surprised to find that he or she is sleeping more often
than not.
In
the early stages you might find it easier, and less costly, to provide your
puppy with a bed made from a cardboard box lined with newspaper and an old
blanket or towel. He or she will
probably be tempted to chew their bed in which case it can be replaced at
minimal expense.
You
may consider investing in a puppy cage which, whilst a more expensive option,
will allow you to contain your puppy at night and for those short occasions
during the day when you need to go out. Don’t
be tempted to leave your puppy in the cage for any longer than is absolutely
necessary. We found, for both all of our
dogs, that we only needed to use the cage at night times for less than two
weeks.
Be
prepared for the fact that your puppy may whine and cry when it is left alone
especially at bedtimes. You will need to
appreciate that until now it has always slept together with a large number of
its brothers and sisters and may well be feeling lonely and insecure. Adopt a strict routine and don’t over excite
him or her before bedtime. Try providing
it with a large soft toy that it can snuggle up against. Put it to bed quietly and without too much
fuss then walk away. Although the
temptation might be to make a big fuss of the puppy first thing in the morning,
try not to make too big an event of it otherwise you might find it necessary to
start the day with a mop and bucket!
Your
puppy’s bones are quite soft and the joints, whilst developing, are susceptible
to damage that may not manifest itself until later on in life. Make sure that he or she has a safe
environment in which to explore and play.
If you have children please ensure that they know when and how to play
with the puppy.
Whilst
it will be impossible to keep your eye on the puppy all of the time try to make
sure that it is unlikely that the puppy will jump down from even quite low
heights as this could damage its elbows and shoulders.
He
or she will eventually begin to explore you stairway if you have one but make
sure that in the early stages you supervise this activity. You may find a child’s stair gate quite a
useful aid. Puppies, again like small
children, may often be tempted to ignore the last few stairs and take flying
leap especially if food is on offer.
Your
puppy has been raised in a normal home environment and has already been
introduced to a number of domestic appliances such as the vacuum cleaner,
washing machine and food processor and so the noises shouldn’t startle it. Having said this, it is always better to introduce
them slowly to the noise making equipment in your home. By way of combating stress in your puppy you
might be tempted to make a game of certain activities like vacuuming but
beware; they could get their paws trapped in the mechanism.
The
more time and effort you invest in this activity the greater the rewards will
be; be prepared or accidents because they WILL happen.
In
the early stages it is best to adopt the following principles:
Ø
Your puppy
will, whilst it is awake, need to pass water at least every half an hour.
Ø
It will always
need to pass water and maybe solids after every meal.
Ø
It will need
to “go” before bedtime.
Ø
It will
probably need to “go” during the night in the early stages.
Ø
It will need
to do both number ones & twos as soon as it wakes up in the morning.
Ø
It will always
remember to “go” when you have forgotten.
Ø
Puppies have
no concept of lying-in in the mornings no matter how dark or wet it is outside
or how late it, or you, went to bed the previous night.
Pick
a spot in your garden that you will always be happy for the puppy to use as a
toilet. Whenever you feel it is
necessary (see above) take your puppy to that spot, put him or her down and
gently encourage them to “wee” or “poo”.
Always use the same words and always praise him or her when they
have performed. Regardless of any other
factor do not scold your puppy if he or she has an accident. It is unlikely that they will be able to
associate your reaction with an event that has long since passed from their
memory. They will always respond
positively to praise delivered at the appropriate time.
In
the early days it may help if you try restricting your puppy to one room. Spread newspaper across the whole floor so if
puppy does have an accident the mess can easily be cleared up. After a few days gradually reduce the amount
of paper on the floor concentrating it near to the door to the garden;
hopefully you should find that puppy will always head for the paper.
Puppies
will always indicate when they need to “go”.
The trick is to identify the individual signs and respond to them
quickly because once they have crouched down it is too late!
Provided
that you persevere with this toilet training you should find that within a
couple of weeks your puppy will begin to ask to be let out into the garden and
the accidents, if they do happen, will become less frequent.
Accidents
are inevitable and one tip that you may find useful is to use bicarbonate of
soda on any puddles of wee that accidently appear on your carpet. Bicarbonate of soda is cheap and can be found
in the baking section of you local supermarket.
Simply heap one or two dessert spoonfuls of bicarb onto the offending
patch and leave for 20-30 seconds. It is
very absorbent and will quickly draw out most of the urine from the carpet. Simply scoop away the damp powder with the
spoon then use an old towel or some kitchen roll to mop up any remaining
moisture. The added benefit of this
remedy is that it neutralises the ammonia in the urine that is the cause of
those lingering smells. Once dried the
patch may look slightly paler than the surrounding carpet, this is usually due
to some remaining bicarbonate of soda residue, which will lift off when you
vacuum.
As
with all cleaning products you are advised to test it on an inconspicuous piece
of carpet first.
The
proper development of you puppy requires that you provide it with the correct
mental and physical stimulation. A dog
that is bored will turn into one that is no longer a pleasure to own. A bored dog will find its own stimulation and
that very often involves activities that may cause damage to things that it
finds around the house.
Dogs
and puppies of any age enjoy playing games.
It is better that you instigate, or at least take part in those games. Buy your puppy some toys that they can play
with and chew if they wish. You don’t
have to buy expensive toys from a pet shop; charity shops often have a supply
of soft toys. Whatever you give to your
puppy make sure that it is safe and that there are no sharp edges or bits that
can easily be detached and swallowed. A
puppy that has a good supply of its own possessions is unlikely to want to
“acquire” and damage any of yours.
Whatever
approach you take to your puppy’s exercise routine it will require you to
invest a lot of your own time and energy.
Look at it another way, puppies and dogs are an excellent way to keep
yourself fit.
Around
10 to 12 days after your puppy has had the last of its vaccinations you will be
able to introduce it to the great outdoors.
A puppy needs to socialise with other dogs and one of the best ways to
do this is to walk it with someone you know who also has a dog, preferably one
that you know will be friendly towards your puppy. A dog that isn’t allowed to socialise with
other dogs and other people will probably develop into one that reacts badly
whenever it approaches another of its kind.
Another
way of socialising and, at the same time, helping you to train your puppy, is
to enrol in puppy training classes. Quite
often you will see these sessions advertised in your veterinary surgery or in
the local paper. I would advise you to
go along to one of these sessions without your dog just to assess for yourself
what is going on. Experience has shown
us that not all of these sessions are appropriately run.
You
may consider joining one of the Golden Retriever Clubs, there is one in each
region of the
Your
dog will always look forward to its daily exercise and, hopefully, so will you. In the early months always be careful not to
over exercise your puppy as this can do more harm than good to soft, developing
bones and joints. Retrievers generally
like getting wet and will see no justification in you cancelling a daily walk
just because it is raining or snowing – buy some good wet weather clothing for
yourself and plenty of towels for your dog.
If
you live near a river or by the sea you may find that your four-legged walking
partner prefers to swim for at least part of the time. Be prepared for this especially if you have a
nice clean car. A fully grown Golden
Retriever’s coat absorbs quite bit of mud and water which will miraculously unload
itself into the boot or back seat of your car.
Consider buying a protective cover as these will help to keep you car in
a reasonable condition.
If
you have a Golden Retriever that never manages to roll in something dark,
sticky and extremely smelly then you will probably qualify for an entry in the
Guinness Book of Records. Its incredible
how even the most obedient dog will suddenly go deaf when he or she detects the
“sweet” aroma of horse, cow, badger, fox or deer dung. There is a clear correlation between the
level of smell of a pile of dung and the ability it has to stick to a dog’s
coat, i.e. the more it smells, the more it will stick.
Try
not to bath your dog too much as this will destroy the natural oils that help
to keep its coat healthy. Most dirt can
be removed with clean water. If you do
need to bath your dog then buy one of the proprietary dog shampoos; don’t use
your own shampoo as this is far too harsh for your dog’s coat. Although your dog will be quite happy to get
wet, always make sure that you dry him or her thoroughly at the end of the walk
or bath.
If
you walk your dog on a beach you may on occasions find that it has picked up a
quantity of thick tarry oil. You will
find that you can remove this quite easily using kitchen roll and vegetable (or
olive) oil.
You
should begin to train your dog right from the start. Toilet training is probably one of the first
lessons. Use a command to let your dog
know that its food is ready. Use a
command to let him or her know that it is time for bed. Get your puppy to relate your voice to what
you want it to do. Don’t confuse it, or
yourself; always use the same command words and keep them as short and clear as
you can. Always talk to your dog. Whilst other non-dog people may think you are
slightly ‘round the bend’ it never ceases to amaze me just how many words a dog
gets to learn. They will quite quickly
associate the tone of your voice with pleasant and unpleasant situations so be
careful not to scold him or her unnecessarily.
One
of the best and probably the most important commands to teach your dog is
“DOWN!” (to make it lay down). The
benefits of this command are twofold; firstly you can use it to stop it from
jumping up to greet people, secondly and more importantly it can help you to
control your dog if it is running into a dangerous situation.
Involvement
in a beginners’ dog training class can be very rewarding for both your dog and
for you; some clubs run competitions for obedience and agility. If you attend any of these you will quickly
see that the dogs get as much pleasure out of it as their owners.
This
is only intended as a brief guide to help you on your way to a long, happy,
enjoyable and healthy life with your dog.
If we can help you with any other problems that you encounter when
bringing up your dog then please give us a call or send an email to enquiries@athanmas.com
Alternatively
there is an abundant supply of useful information readily available at your
local library, bookshops or on the internet.
We
wish you all the best with your new puppy and would very much like, if you have
the time, to keep in touch with us to let us know how he or she is getting on. Pictures of your new puppy are always welcome
as we like to include them (with your permission) on our web site.
John
and Rosie Shewbridge