Your Dog

Owning a dog is a big responsibilty and the decision to bring one into your home is one that needs careful consideration. Whether you would like a pedigree dog or a crossbreed, it will be important to choose one that matches your lifestyle. Whilst owning a dog can be hard work it is also incredibly rewarding. We hope that the next few pages will help and guide you a little in your search for you new furry friend.

Buying a Puppy

If you know a breed of dog that you’d like to buy then the best places to look are in the dog publications such as Dogs Today and Your Dog or contacting The Kennel Club or The Dog Breeders Association. Some dog resuce centres will have puppies on occasion so it is often worth contacting them too. If you’re buying from a breeder make sure that they are happy for you to come and see the puppies with the bitch. If they’re not keen for you to do this then look for one that is. This will give you an idea of how the puppy is socialising with it’s litter mates and give you an idea of the size and temperament from the bitch.

Your New Puppy

Leaving it’s mother and moving to a new home can be a very stressful time for a young puppy so here are a few things that can reduce that stress.

Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) diffusers are plug-in devices that emit the synthetic pheromone that the bitch gives off when puppies are feeding. Having one of these plugged in where you puppy is going to sleep can make then feel much more calm and relaxed.
Make sure you have an area that is designated for the puppy to sleep in. Getting him or her into a routine early will help the puppy to settle in.
Buy a comfotable bed and one or two toys to start with. A hot water bottle or warming pad can also help as they will be used to the warmth of the bitch and litter mates.
Try to keep the feeding regime similar for the first few days after which new foods can be introduced. Breeders often advise the feeding of milk and eggs which is fine whilst they are very young but can cause diarrhoea if fed longterm. It will be best to get him or her onto a good quality puppy food early on. We have puppy packs at the surgery with a few different foods which we recommend.

Vaccinations

Your puppy will need a course of vaccines before he or she can go out for walks. we can start the course from 8 weeks of age with a 3-4 week gap between the two. Breeders will sometimes arrange for their vet to do the first vaccine before you pick the puppy up. If this is the case make sure they give you all the relevant documents so we can put them on our records. The vaccination will protect your puupy against 7 of the most common doggy diseases and will need to be boosted every year to maintain adequate protection. More information about this can be read on the Vaccination page.

Training

Getting your puppy into a routine early on will make for a very contented pet. Dogs are pack animals so it’s important that you establish some boundaries early on.

Designate an area for the puppy to sleep in (this should not be on your bed).
Reward good behaviour with little treats and only use the word “no” to warn him or her of bad behaviour.
Your puppy may try to elevate his or her position in the pack but you must not give in to such behaviour.
Have some toys for play times and use these for interaction but do not allow the puppy to bite you when playing. Whilst it might seem funny when he or she is a puppy, it won’t be once he or she is fully grown.
Have set meal times that are different to your own. Ideally you should feed the puppy after you’ve eaten and never feed them straight from the table.
Enrole with a local training school for some puppy classes. These are useful to interact your puppy with other puppies and work on training in these situations. We have the numbers of a couple at the surgery which we can pass on to you.

Neutering

Unless you are going to breed from your dog we would recommend you have him or her neutered. This involves removal of the reproductive organs which prevents problems associated with these organs later in life. Studies have shown that neutered pets live several years longer than unneutered ones. More information can be found on our Neutering page.

Microchipping

The only way to permanently identify your dog. We recommend that all animals are microchipped (or identichipped) and we would usually do this at their second vaccination or when they are in for neutering. The microchip is a small transponder that holds a unique 15-digit number. This number is stored in a datebase with your details so if your pet is lost or stolen and presented to a veterinary practice, dog warden or police station where they can be scanned, you can noramlly be reunited with your pet very quickly. It is also a requirement for the Pet Passport Scheme.