puppy

If you have just picked out a new dog or puppy and plan to keep him or her inside, your first priority should be to get your pet house trained. There are several dog potty training methods that can help you out and which one you choose will depend in large part on where you live and what your lifestyle is.

Paper training is one type of potty training you can use. The basic idea here is to teach your new dog or puppy to do their business on a paper somewhere in your house. Praising them when they do what you want is important and getting after them (in a loving yet stern manner) when they make a mess in the house. You can combine this with the next technique to encourage them to go outside when possible, but use the paper if they have to go inside.

Training your dog to go to the bathroom outside is one of the most common methods of house training. The best way to do this is to take them out very often and praise them when they go to the bathroom. Scolding them when they make a mess in the house is important too. If you want to combine techniques, you can praise them a lot when they go outside and a little when they go on the paper. This will help them know you want them to go outside, but it is ok if they have to use the paper.

Another possible technique to use is called crate training and works well for people who can’t let their dog out frequently. To learn more, go to KDMGermanShepherds.com and get more information on obedience training for dogs including the Ultimate House Training guide and the Secrets to Dog Training program which can help you teach your dog to be a little angel.

If you happen to be a German Shepherd owner, be sure to check out the training German Shepherd puppies page we wrote at KDMGermanShepherds.com. You will find helpful tips for German Shepherd puppies and more information about some of the top dog training courses available on the internet.

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There is certainly practically nothing we all adore over our household pets. At the top of that checklist may be the household puppy and we all attempt to provide an environment that is balanced, comfy as well as enjoyable. If the dog isn’t sleeping well during the night time, this may not be a good thing for anybody in the household. In this article, we will discuss the need for selecting the perfect dog bed for your dog. Particularly we will emphasize Big Shrimpy beds which is an eco-friendly organization that we really like for that reason and much more.

Most canines, even when they are really people friendly, love a quiet place to relax. For that reason, you should truly take some time when it comes to the very best choice for your canine’s sleeping habits. This depends on a number of things, some of which are comfort relevant for the dog, and others that will be related to your design tastes, performance and ease of use.

Clearly, the primary things to consider would be the size of your dog. This can largely establish the type and price of the bed which you pick. If the dog is very little, you will have a lot more choices to select from. A larger dog will need more room and the Big Shrimpy dog beds described here do consist of all dimensions which includes extra large so there’s plenty of space for the canine to settle in for the evening even if he has the common habit of moving about a lot prior to discovering that perfect place to lay his head.

Start by watching your dog’s sleeping habits. If your dog is one that loves to sprawl himself out during the night time when he sleeps, you will want a product oblong in shape and a mattress that does not include small walls to impede his moves. If, alternatively, your dog loves to snuggle up when he sleeps, then a nest type bed would be the perfect choice as it can help your pet to really feel the most safe and comfortable.

There’s an additional kind of bed called a bolster bed that includes a higher back that encompasses section of the mattress. This is designed for the puppy that hates to be snuck up on while sleeping or the dog that likes to have a little bit of a pillow to relax his head on.

Small puppies might favor dog beds that they could burrow in. There are some that look like beanbags or large cozy cushions. Just like all dog beds, these come in many different materials and colors and the majority are machine washable.

But if the dog has a few physical issues or difficulties, you might want to consider several orthopedic or foam beds. Some specialized dog beds also come with an option that enables them to be warmed up. This can be ideal for the canine with joint disease for instance.

As suggested in this article, the Big Shrimpy dog bed is eco-friendly and made of recyclable materials. Big Shrimpy is one of a number of companies nowadays which are focused on creating items which are good for the planet as well as your household. This can be a fantastic option if you are interested in environmentally friendly living and making purchases that wont damage the natural environment.

There are many dog bed possibilities and you can very easily start your search on the internet. Decide the most important features for your dog and spending budget and you’re sure to obtain the perfect bed to suit your needs.

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When you begin to look for easy tips for puppy housebreaking you will find that there are a multitude of techniques and tips available. Some very basic puppy potty training tips will be of great help to you in making the task of housebreaking easy and quick. It will be important to remember that puppies are at a stage when they can easily develop bad habits, so making a commitment and being patient will help you to when you are working with your dog.

It is important that you remember that yelling and rubbing their nose in the mess is not going to make a puppy “learn” to go potty outside more quickly. If anything, they will begin to smell the mess throughout the house and your training will be more difficult. So, these simple steps will be a great help when you are trying to find out how to potty train a puppy easily.

Some people decide to paper train their puppy before moving the training to the out of doors. However, this often makes the training process longer and more confusing for the dog. Starting you puppy with outdoor potty training will be a great way to start proper training. If you plan on training your dog to go outside to go potty, you will not have to worry about moving newspaper slowly toward the door as you try to get them to go outside.

Puppies work very well with a schedule. Plan on taking your puppy out when you get up in the morning, right after they eat or drink, and right before bedtime. Developing this habit will help your puppy to go potty outside when they are supposed to. You also do not want to feed your puppy food or snacks two hours before bedtime. If they eat before bedtime, they will probably have an accident during the night.

If you dog starts sniffing or turning in circles, take it outside, to do it’s business. This is one of the main signs that a puppy will give when it is looking for a place to potty. You will also want to take your pet out after they have been playing.

When there is a mess, and there will be, clean it up immediately and use a deodorizer to remove any odor from the floor or carpet. If you praise the dog when you take it out, whether or not it goes potty, and ignore it when it makes an indoor mess, it will quickly connect the praise with doing it’s business outside.

Another great tip is about using cues. Dogs are great at responding to sounds. If you have fed your dog canned food, you know how they will show up the minute the can opener starts. Using this technique got teaching your puppy to go potty is very easy. Set a timer or bell for 45 minutes to an hour. When the bell goes off put your puppy out to go potty. If you are consistent, in a very short time, you dog will go outside when a bell goes off.

If you are consistent with this method you will find that when they hear a bell, they will expect to go outside. Another twist on this is to use a little silver bell. If you tie it by the door, when your dog needs to go outside, it will ring the bell. This is a very easy and time saving “trick” to teach a dog. Creating habits is one of the great tips for housebreaking a puppy quickly and easily.

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So far, we have discussed the first three steps for tube feeding a puppy.  Listed below is the four remaining steps on how to properly administer the procedure.

Step 4: With the puppy’s mouth open, insert the end of the tube into the groove formed by the top of the tongue.  Carefully push the tube back into the pharynx.  You have to push the tube straight in until it reaches the depth of the pre-determined mark.  If it does not go down smoothly to the depth of the mark, it is not where it should be.  If the tube is accidentally inserted into the trachea, healthy puppies will cough and struggle violently.  In addition, a tube that is inserted into the trachea will usually stop about half-way to the mark where it encounters the division of the trachea.  Once the tube is successfully inserted to the depth of the mark, slip your thumb and forefinger from the cheeks to the tube, and hold it firmly in the mouth at the level of the mark.  Slide your other fingers up and around the puppy’s head, leaving the little finger behind the front legs to give it a steady hold. 

Step 5: While the tube is held firmly in place, stick the open end of the tube into a small jar of water.  If a series of bubbles are produced in the water, it is likely an indication that the tube has slipped into the trachea.  It may also indicate that the puppy has a little gas in his stomach.  In any case, however, the tube should be removed and blown clear of water, then reinserted until no air bubbles appear in the water.

Step 6: Once the tube is safely inserted in the stomach, continue to hold the tube firmly in the puppy’s mouth with the thumb and forefinger.  With the other hand, place the open end of the tube between the forefinger and middle finger of the hand that holds the tube in the puppy’s mouth.  Once again, with the opposite hand, pick up the previously filled syringe and insert it snugly into the open end of the tube.

Step 7: With the syringe firmly attached, apply gentle pressure with the thumb to the syringe plunger and deliver the substitute mother’s milk.  Continue to deliver the food until the correct amount has been administered.  Then, draw back slightly on the plunger and gently slip the tube out, still attached to the syringe.

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A safe way to nurse a newborn puppy without the risk of strangulation is by using a feeding tube.  The equipment needed for tube feeding an orphaned or abandoned puppy is quite simple.  You will need a #8 or a #10 French infant feeding tube, a hypodermic syringe, and a substitute for mother’s milk.  The tube and syringe are disposable and can be thrown away after each use.  On the other hand, there are also reusable equipment such as glass barrel syringes and rubber feeding tubes that are available but must be thoroughly cleaned right after each use.  One great advantage of these feeding tubes is that they can be placed in water and boiled, along with any other equipment, when sterilization is required.

After the proper equipment has been gathered, the feeding of a puppy with a stomach tube is performed by applying the following steps:

Step 1: Fill the syringe about ½ full of the warmed mother’s milk substitute and put it aside for future use. Then, determine the proper depth to which the tube should be inserted by measuring, with the tube, the distance between the puppy’s nose and a point just behind the elbow or just in front of the last rib. This is approximately where the stomach of the puppy is located.  Continue to hold the tube by your thumb and forefinger.                                        ;

Step 2: The next step is to mark the tube at the correct depth measured in step 1. This can be done using a marking pen, or with a tiny piece of tape. 

Step 3:  With the marked tube still held between the thumb and forefinger, hold the puppy with the opposite hand, placing the thumb and forefinger on the cheeks, one on each side of the puppy’s mouth.  Use the remaining three fingers of the same hand to grasp the puppy.  The middle finger is placed around the puppy’s neck, in front of the forelegs.  The fourth finger grasps the rib cage just behind the front legs.  The little finger is placed in front of the hind legs, either in the groin or around the abdomen, depending on the puppy’s length.  Once the puppy is held firmly in hand, pry its jaw open with the little finger of the hand holding the tube.  Gentle and steady pressure is placed on the sides of the mouth at the same time.  By maintaining this light pressure, the mouth can be held agape once it is opened.

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Whether a newborn puppy is fed by his own mother or by his owner, he must eventually be taught to depend on something besides milk for his food.  This learning process is called “weaning”, and represents the changing of a puppy’s diet from liquid to solid.  At about three to four weeks of age, as soon as their eyes open and they are able to move about with some ease, most puppies will begin to experiment with the solid foods being fed to their mother.  When this happens it is time to begin to teach the puppies to eat from the pan.

Instituting such an early feeding procedure accomplishes four important things.  First, it allows you to feed the puppies a food that is more satisfactory for them than the food you are feeding their mother.  Second, it speeds up the weaning process because the puppies will learn to eat solid food at an earlier age.  Third, it begins the social interaction between the puppy and his owners.  And finally, it allows you to reduce the mother’s intake of food at the same rate you increase that of her puppies. The latter prevents the mother from overeating as the early feeding of her pups promotes reduced lactation.

Weaning is a learning process in which the pups’ digestive system is trained to eat solid foods.  Before the puppy is born, he is fed by his mother with pre-digested nutrients.  When he is whelped the puppy drinks the mother’s milk.  The mother’s milk contains some of the most digestible nutrients that a puppy can eat.  At weaning the puppy’s digestive system must learn to handle each new food in turn, as it comes to him.  Similar to all learning processes, the weaning process cannot be taught faster than the puppy’s ability to learn.

In formulating the diet, the ingredients that make up the food fed to a puppy that is starting to wean must be highly digestible and non-irritating.   An excellent weaning diet can be made easily by preparing slurry using a specialized dietary animal foods designed to be fed to patients with gastro-intestinal disorders, mixed into equal parts of the mother’s milk substitutes. “Half and half” coffee cream can also be used.  High-quality ration-type commercial foods also make adequate solid foods to mix with the liquid part of the diet.  In all cases, ¼ to ½ tablespoonful of grated, raw liver should be added to each can of food just before it is mixed.  The slurry can be either beaten with a fork or mixed in a blender.

For larger breeds, it may be more practical to use the higher quality, expanded dry foods in combination with the canned foods to blend with the liquids.  Addition of dry foods may also help these larger, faster-growing puppies to get sufficient nutrients in the quantity of food they are able to consume in.  Whatever the mixture used, the quantity of milk substitute in it is gradually reduced, so that when the puppy is about six or seven weeks old, he is only eating pure, solid food.

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