Puppy Care:
Newborn Puppy Care
Puppy Safety
Taking Care Of A Newly Adopted Puppy
Taking Care Of Orphan Puppies
Puppy Health & Nutrition
Housetraining A Puppy
Socializing Your Puppy
How To Crate Train A Puppy
Bathing Your Puppy
Exercising Your Puppy
First Aid For Puppies
Puppy Safety
Before
you bring your new puppy home, you will need to dogproof your
home. Much like a curious child, your puppy will be into
everything. You must keep a vigilant watch over what goes into
your puppy's mouth. Poisons such as cleaners, detergents, bleach, rat poison, and mothballs need to be placed high in cabinets. If the puppy gets into these caustic substances, he can become quite sick. In some cases, the ingested poison could be fatal.
Plants can be beautiful to spruce up your home, but some are deadly to puppies. Spinach and tomato vines, Aloe Vera, Ivy, Easter Lilies, Elephant Ears, Poinsettias, Poison Ivy and Oak, and Rhododendrons are just a few of the plants that can cause problems. Apple seeds, Apricot, and Peach pits can also make the puppy ill.
Make sure to keep your toilet lid down as well. Bigger puppies are able to play in and drink the water. This can be quite hazardous due to the cleansers that are used in the toilet. So break the habit before it begins.
Electrical cords are a huge problem. These dangling ropes just look like so much fun to the pup. He will most likely use them for chewing. He could burn his mouth, start a fire, or be electrocuted. So hide any cords that are just laying around. If you can't move the cord, at least unplug it for safety.
If you live in a high rise apartment, make sure all the doors with access to balconies or porches are locked tightly. Some animals are so small they can slide through the rails and fall.
The best rule of thumb is to get down on all fours and go exploring around your home. Anything you see that might cause a problem, remove it before the puppy arrives. Start him in a safe environment and he will be around for a long time to come.
Getting The Puppy An ID
Don't let your puppy get lost without having idectification! Fifteen to twenty million dogs were lost in the last year due to no identification on the dog. Even simple collar tags can help your pet to be returned. Without any form of ID in place, if your puppy goes missing, there is no way to track him even if someone finds him. Take a moment and make it easy on your best friend if he gets lost. Make sure he can find his way back to you.
There are several ways to insure that your puppy will be returned if he or she gets lost. The first is an ID tag and Rabies Certificate which should be worn on a collar. The tag should have your address, phone number, and the puppy's name. The Rabies Certificate tag has a serial number that can be traced by a vet. You can also place a tag with any illnesses the puppy may have such as Diabetes.
A new device is gaining popularity - a microchip that is placed under the dog's skin. A computer scanner can read the bar code on it and find where the animal belongs. The owner's name and address is entered into a national database. The only downside is the chip may move to other places in the body making it hard to find.
Tattoos are another option. They are placed inside the ear. It will cause a minor discomfort to the puppy for a couple of days. In the long run, it's better to have some pain than to lose you best friend because he got away from you. They will tattoo a serial number and register it with the national database.
Licenses for dogs have gone up in the last few years. They used to be ten dollars and are now up to twenty to thirty dollars depending on whether the animal is spayed or neutered. Licenses insure the dog's rabies shot is up to date. Rabies is fatal 99% of the time for both dogs and humans.
Photo of puppy by AirBeagle
Our Friends:
Dogs Deserve Better
ASPCA
