Here are some tips to help you care for your puppy.

FIRST THINGS FIRST!
WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU PURCHASE A WIRE KENNEL FOR YOUR PUPPY AND USE IT ANYTIME THE PUPPY IS LEFT ALONE. The first two years, puppies do a lot of chewing. Buy some chewing toys and always put the puppy in his wire kennel when he is alone. Otherwise, you may come home to furniture chewed, rugs in shreds, etc.

Here are a few suggestions regarding housebreaking: Take your puppy out, first thing in the morning, after each meal, after nap time, after any excitement and the last thing before retiring at night. Praise him highly when he goes outside, and scold him with a firm "NO" when he has an accident in the house. After he has gone outside, let him have the freedom of the house. We suggest some type of confinement for the very young puppy that is to be kept in the house. A box, dog crate or kennel, or a small pen will come in handy when you are away or too busy to watch him. The puppy will usually be clean and will not want to dirty his box if given the opportunity to relieve himself often outside. If you can concentrate on the house-training for the first two weeks, you will not encounter many problems thereafter.

FEEDING YOUR DOG
Your puppy is now eating 3 meals a day. At each of his meals, he is eating 1-1/2 cups of IAMS Puppy Chow for Large Breed Dogs. You may mix it with warm water. We recommend staying with high quality dog food that provides balanced nutrition. If you change brands of dog food, it is a good idea to blend the new food with the old in increasing amounts over a period of a week to 10 days. This enables the puppy's system to get use to the new food gradually.

We keep our puppies on 3 meals a day until they are 6 months old, and then start feeding twice a day. This is not a hard-fast rule, and should be varied to fit the needs and appetite of the individual dog. The total amount of food fed at each meal should be increased as the pup continues to grow. It is difficult for us to tell you how much or when to increase, as each dog should be fed according to his particular needs. This varies greatly with each dog and depends on several factors such as exercise, size, time of year, type of food, etc. You may wonder about adding other things to the pup's diet. Many leftovers from the table are fine for him and can be added after 3 months of age. They should be mixed in well with his dry food. Do not overdo any one item and make sure that he gets his basic meal with protein every day so that his diet remains balanced and he will not develop into a "picky eater". Suggested table scraps are: meat, gravy, beef fat, bacon grease, cereal, cooked vegetables, noodles, most casserole leftovers, cooked eggs, and baby foods. DO NOT FEED PORK OR HAM MEAT OR BONES. If you feel that your puppy needs something to chew on, we suggest that you purchase a treated animal bone, rawhide or nylon bone from your pet shop.

Until your puppy becomes adjusted to his new surroundings, he should be fed in a quiet and rather secluded place where he can be alone. After he has become adjusted to his new home and is eating all of his meals well, he can be fed in the kitchen or in the room of your choice. Give the puppy 15 minutes to eat his food and then pick up the dish. Food should not be offered again until his next feeding time. Do not leave the uneaten food that is left in the dish after the 15 minutes are up. Small puppies, usually up to 3 or 4 months of age, do not know when to stop drinking water, and an unlimited amount water should not be made available to them. Offer them reasonable amounts of water in between their meals. As they grow older, water should be available to them at all times.

DISCIPLINE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN A DOGS LIFE
DAILY EXERCISE AND TRAINING WILL MAKE YOUR DOG SPECIAL AND HELP HIM FIT INTO YOUR LIFE. There are many good books available at the bookstore or library on how to train him. Obedience school is highly recommended.

DO NOT PLAY ROUGH WITH YOUR PUPPY! Do not let the puppy develop bad habits such as jumping up on you or the children, biting at clothing, etc. You must remember that your dog will weigh from 60 pounds to 90 pounds at maturity. The bad habits that he develops as a small puppy will certainly not be desirable when he grows older. DO NOT LET HIM GET BY WITH ANYTHING AS A PUPPY THAT YOU WILL NOT WANT HIM TO DO WHEN HE IS OLDER AND LARGER.

MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH
Grooming/brushing will keep his coat clean and healthy. A dog's nails should be kept trimmed. A torn or broken nail can be painful. Purchase a pair of nail trimmers and a file from the pet shop. To start, trim the nail tips off every couple weeks and file to a smooth edge. After several months, continue to check the dogs nails on a regular basis and trim as needed.

Your puppy has been wormed. It is very easy for dogs to become infested with several different types of worms. We suggest that a fresh stool sample be taken to your veterinarian when you take the puppy for his next inoculation.

Your puppy has been given his vaccinations up-to-date. A copy of his vaccination record has been provided to you. Your puppy will need additional inoculations. Please contact your veterinarian for his recommendations within 4 weeks.

Rabies shots should be given at 6 months of age. Check your local laws governing the rabies requirements. Dog licenses are also necessary and can be obtained from your local court house.

Love your puppy and take good care of him and he will return your affection many times over. We hope you have many years of enjoyment together as we have had with our dogs.

1348 Stitzinger Rd
Tionesta, PA 
16353
 
Phone: 
(814) 354-7334

Fax: 
(814) 354-7330