Raising a Puppy: The First 24 Hours

A puppy is a brand new little being of unlimited potential. This adorable, fuzzy bundle of joy will grab your heart and turn your world upside down. The first twenty-four hours after you bring him home is often especially difficult. He will be in a strange place with unknown people and may cry for his mother and siblings. You may feel overwhelmed and wonder if you made the right choice bringing him home. It doesn’t have to be quite so upsetting for either one of you though; especially if you’re prepared.

Before You Bring Him Home

Take the time to do some preparation prior to bringing home your new best friend. For a list of supplies you will need, take a look at this puppy checklist.

Making sure the living spaces you will be sharing with your puppy are safe is vitally important. Puppy proof your home, making sure your puppy can’t reach any wires, electronics, medicines, shoes, kids’ toys, or anything else that is chewable, potentially dangerous, or expensive.

Take a look at the yard too. Is your fence secure? There should be no loose wires or boards in the fence and no holes in or under the fence that can be enlarged by an industrious puppy. Check the gate also. Often the gate has more clearance under it so it can move freely and a small puppy might be able to slip under it.

Decide where your puppy is going to sleep, where he will eat, and where and how he will spend his days. If all of these decisions are made before you bring home your puppy, there will be fewer problems after he’s in the house.
The Ride Home

You will need to spend a few days with your puppy when he first comes home. This will help the two of you get to know each other as well as relieve some of his anxiety about being in a new home. It can be beneficial to bring your puppy home on a Friday afternoon if you have the weekend off.

Ask his breeder or the rescue to give him a small meal several hours before you pick him up. If his tummy is empty, he’ll be less likely to get carsick.

Have him ride home in his crate in your car. You might be tempted to have him ride on your lap, but that isn’t safe and it will give him the idea that this is how he will always ride in the car. He’s safer and will get into significantly less trouble in his crate.
Introductions

When you first get home, take him immediately to the spot where he will be relieving himself. Don’t let family members "oooh" and "aaah" over him right now; take him outside. Let him relax, sniff the grass, and then relieve himself. Praise him using the phase you will be using in the future, such as “Good boy to get busy!”

Once he’s relieved himself, bring him inside so the family can meet him one person at a time. You can have one person hold him, snuggle with him, and introduce him to toys. That person can offer him something to eat, take him outside again, and then put him in his crate for a nap. After his nap, take him outside again and another family member can interact with him. If too many people crowd him too quickly, with joyful noises and lots of hands touching him, your puppy may be overwhelmed, so make sure everyone understands the importance of taking things slow.

Avoid inviting extended family members or neighbors to come meet your new family member right away. Give him several days to become a part of your family, then gradually introduce new people.

If there is already a dog in the family, keep that introduction low key also. Make sure the dog at home gets plenty of attention, play time, walks, and tummy rubs so that the puppy’s addition to the family doesn’t cause jealousy.
Supervision is Everything

Supervision is going to be important for several months, but it’s most important in the first 24 hours. This is when your puppy might crawl into a closet or under a piece of furniture to hide; especially if he becomes overwhelmed. He may also hide to take a nap. If he does hide, it will be tough to find him as he won’t respond when you call him and he doesn’t know his name yet. Watch him carefully and, if you can’t, put him in his crate while you’re busy.

Supervising him in the house also allows you to begin teaching him the house rules. This begins immediately because you don’t want him to learn bad habits. So interrupt him should he begin chewing on shoes or tugging on the drapes, and then show him where his toys are and teach him that these toys are fun. Praise him when he plays with his toys.

He’s going to need to be watched him outside as well. A young puppy is helpless outside and he could easily get into trouble. Plus, hawks, owls, and coyotes can hunt puppies. In addition, when you take him outside you can teach him where in the yard you wish him to relieve himself.
This is Bonding Time

There is nothing like the relationship people have with a well-loved dog. Many dog owners say it’s better than the one they share with other people. Perhaps it’s the trust issue; after all, your dog will never betray the secrets you share with him. This bond will begin as soon as you first hold your puppy in your arms and will continue to grow as you bring him home.

There are several aspects that help create this bond, and one is time. You need to spend time with him. Play with him, hold him, train him, and talk to him. All of this begins during that first 24 hours and will continue as he grows up. You’ll know you’ve begun to create that bond when you look at your puppy and smile, and at the same time he looks at you and wags his tail.

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What to Do with Pets When Kids Go Back to School

Kids aren’t the only ones who might be sad to say goodbye to summer and hello to school--your pets may have a hard time adjusting too! Going from having the kids around to play with all day to a quiet house can be a little challenging for some pets. They may get lonely and bored, or lost in the shuffle of a busy family’s schedule. Here are some recommendations for keeping your pets active and tended-to during the school year.

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SMART TOYS

Smart toys are designed to make pets “work” for their treats or meal, and are especially great if your pet is home alone for extended periods of time. You can find everything from a basic kibble-dispensing ball to advanced puzzles that require your pet to move pieces around in a certain order to find hidden treats. There are many options on the market, so do some research to find the toys that will work best for your pet.

Bonus tip: Keep a few different smart toys on hand, rotating them every week or two, to keep your pet’s interest fresh!

TURN A TRIP TO SCHOOL INTO A SHARED ADVENTURE

Does your pet love to get out of the house? Whether driving or walking, you might consider including him in the daily trips to and from school.

Walking: If your dog is good with crowds and commotion, bring him along when you walk the kids to school or the bus stop. Then, to give him a real workout, add a few blocks (or miles!) on the way back.

Ariana of Clovis, CA has two boys, ages 9 months and 4, as well as 1 dog, 2 cats, 4 fish, and 1 snake. She remembers, “growing up, we always walked the dogs to the bus stop and back in the morning and afternoon; they loved the attention from the other kids. When my kids are ready for elementary school, I plan to walk the dog to school and back (since parking is such a nightmare!).”

Bonus tip: Plan a route that intersects your favorite coffee shop or pet store to pick up treats for you and your pup!

Driving: If your pet enjoys car rides, let him come along occasionally when dropping the kids off, picking them up, or when you’re headed out to run some errands. Just remember, never leave your pet in the car unattended. Only take him along if you can stay together for the duration of the outing.

Elaine of Long Beach, CA, mother to two kids ages 1 and 5 and 2 dogs, says, “I try including [my dogs] whenever possible. They love going to school each morning and obviously look forward to it. It’s clear that ride is one of the best parts of their day.”

DOGGY DAYCARE

This is a great option for extended care (and advanced wearing-out). Take your pet for a half or full day of romping and socializing while everyone else in the family is occupied with school and work. What’s great about doggy daycare is that your dog will get little (if any) sleep while he’s there because he’s having so much fun. That means he’ll probably come home and pass out... and maybe even still be tired the next day!

GET A BUDDY FOR YOUR PET

This might sound like a strange (and possibly crazy) suggestion if you feel pressed for time with one pet, but adding another animal to the mix can really help. The pets can keep each other company, play with one another, and teach each other good social skills and manners. As Amy of Inglewood, CA, mother of 2 teenagers and 2 cats, says, “Make sure that the animals have companions of their own--they get lonely, too. We have two cats, but when I owned only one, I used to leave a radio on when I was gone.”

DOG WALKERS

Hiring someone to walk your dog - or even just play with him while you’re at work or getting stuff done around the house - can go a long way. If using a professional service every day isn’t in the budget, try a long session once or twice a week, or if your pet is easily managed, put word out to local college students or neighbors to see if they’d like to help. The key is to find a helper or service that matches your pet’s need. If you have a big, active dog, you want someone who can take him on long, strenuous hikes to wear him out. If you have a quiet, little cat, maybe he’d prefer someone to brush and pet him quietly for a half hour.

CARVE OUT TIME TOGETHER

You don’t always have to take your pet on grand adventures to keep him happy. Much like human kids, pets just want to be around you and know they are loved!

Ariana says, “when it's just me and the pets, I'll take the dog for an early run, or lay on the couch and cuddle with the cats after cleaning the house. I do my best to include them as much as the kids. And the kids do the same.”
ENROLL IN A CLASS OR HAVE YOUR OWN OBEDIENCE LESSONS

Just like your kids, your pets thrive when they have mental stimulation. Consider joining a local group or class where your pet can learn anything from basic obedience to agility! Learning new skills and having goals to achieve make your pet more confident and happy, and the brainpower he has to expend tires him out as well! If a group class doesn’t fit your schedule or budget, you can always work one-on-one with your pet. Even spending ten minutes twice a day practicing commands can make a big difference. The great bonus? You get a well-mannered pet out of it!
GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED

It’s also never too early to teach the kids how to care for your pets. Even young children can scoop food into a bowl or tell you if the water needs refilling, while older kids can take complete responsibility: “I make sure the kids take extra time in the morning to double check that their animals have clean, fresh water and food,” says Amy.

When it’s time for homework, include the pets! Your kids might find it nice to have some quiet company to practice their reading, math, or language skills with. This works especially well with kids who are shy or in need of a confidence boost! Play time with pets can also be a great incentive, so you can use them as a motivator/reward (ie. “if you finish your spelling homework, you can play fetch with Harley for 5 minutes”).- See more at: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/pet-care/what-to-do-with-pets-when-kids-go-back-to-school#sthash.unvwzM1U.dpuf

Proper Interaction Between Kids and Dogs

Adding a Dog to the Home

A few years ago we bought our first house. Since we already had kids, we thought getting a dog was a great way to round out our new home. We already had two cats…but cats are cats and they never exactly warmed up to any of our kids. But the kids sure did try and had scratches to prove it.

We naturally thought a dog would be different. And he has been. Since we picked out our dog, he has been a fun part of the household and he gets along with everyone. Well, except the cats.

But getting back to PetBehavior’s topic, I think we were able to quickly get through to each of our kids that hitting the dog was bad. Our two boys only batted at him a few times before our correcting got through to them. And I can’t even really recall our youngest girl ever taking liberty with him.

The one problem that we run into on occasion is that our two boys have trouble understanding the difference between playing with each other and playing with the dog.

One of their favorite play activities with the dog is to take one of his chew toys and play keep away. It’s one thing if it’s just them playing keep away with each other, but our dog isn’t as appreciative when it’s one of his toys. They tuck the toys under their arms or close to their bellies and the only thing our dog can do to play is try to wrestle it from them. This obviously leads to bites and scratches and every now and then it’s a little too hard and they end up crying.

So we try to impress upon them that that is not how dog’s play and he doesn’t quite understand that he is hurting them. It’s working slowly, but I think we’ll get there soon.

The one interaction that we always found cute was one of our youngsters running over and giving our dog a big hug. We thought it was something they would enjoy — and something the dog would appreciate. Turns out we might have been wrong the whole time.

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No Hugging?

An interesting theory gaining steam on the internet argues that you should prevent your kids from hugging your dog. Sounds crazy, right?

Maybe not.

The basis of the theory is that dogs are cursorial animals, meaning that they naturally predisposed to run from danger when needed. And whenever we hug our dogs we are depriving or preventing them from that ability. In some cases it can stress your dog to the point that they might bite.

Dr. Stanley Coren writes on PsychologyToday.com, that he found several sources that suggested reducing the chances your child suffers from a dog bite start with preventing them from hugging dogs. They also found that the proximity of your child’s face to the dogs mouth during a hug greatly increased the chances of being bitten.

Intrigued, Dr. Coren decided to test the theory. He collected a random sample of 250 pictures posted to the internet that show a child hugging a dog. He then looked at the dogs for signs of stress. He lists signs of stress that can include baring teeth, lowered ears slicked back against the head, submissive eye closure or partial eye closure, avoiding eye contact and lip licking.

Coren found in the pictures he reviewed, 81.6% of dogs showed at least one sign of discomfort, stress or anxiety. He found that only 7.6 % showed comfort in being hugged and the remaining 10.8% were neutral or ambiguous. That’s pretty striking.

One thing that Cohen found troubling about his study was that he feels the pictures people post to the internet are the ones they feel show the dogs and their children at their happiest. If such a high percentage of these photos show dogs under stress, he fears that the owners are not recognizing these signs and, if left unchecked, it could lead to stress and bites.

After reading both articles, I think the thing we can take away is to do a better job of observing our dogs and watching for these signs of stress. As we try to teach our kids to better interact with our dog, hopefully we can catch any of these signs and prevent something bad from happening.

Kitchen Confidential: The Pros and Cons of Home-Cooking For Pets

It’s one of veterinary medicine’s dirty little secrets: many of us veterinarians are so cozy with the concept of commercially canned and kibbled food that we’re unwilling to consider any other approach to meeting our patients’ nutritional needs. So much so that we largely overlook the possibility that the kind of good old-fashioned home cooking considered best for ourselves and our human families might not actually be most appropriate for our pets too.

To be sure, it’s comforting to know that pets are receiving a predetermined, nutritionally-balanced diet based on years of science (even if that science remains a little squishy given the serious limitations to our understanding of nutrition in general –– and not just for pets!). Which is why the common veterinary view in support of commercial feeding is absolutely understandable. More so when you consider that some of us have seen more problems from feeding home-cooked diets than from feeding commercially prepared diets.

Nonetheless, the tables have started to turn on this issue so that it’s become a topic of great controversy in animal medicine. More so in recent years because of the following factors (among others):
the massive pet food recall of 2007, in which at least a few thousand animals lost their lives due to the inclusion of a Chinese-sourced, melamine-tainted, protein-boosting ingredient
the since-then ongoing increased oversight of commercial pet diets, with its multitude of mini-recalls (chicken jerky has been an especially fraught menu item)
 

Fundamentally, the conflict within veterinary medicine is over the issue of pet safety in general and, increasingly over the role of human health (but only where raw foods are concerned). Yet from a pet owners’ perspective, the concept of a veterinarian protecting their pets’ safety seems oddly misaligned with physician recommendations to feed our human families fresher foods and higher quality ingredients.

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Given the current cultural shift toward free-range, organic, and fresh in general, it only makes sense that a rift between vets and pet owners would emerge on the subject. And, to be fair, veterinary medicine has been slow to respond to this shift in attitude. Indeed, the bulk of veterinary medicine remains entrenched in its staunch position against home cooking –– raw diets, especially –– but all home-prepared diets are subject to this same bias.

It’s true that in-the-know pet owners can, to some extent, rightly blame our veterinary education in nutrition –– in particular, it’s lack thereof and/or its sponsorship by commercial pet food companies –– for our reticence on the subject of home cooking. But it’s also undeniably true that home cooking has its pitfalls. Here’s my list (for a list of reasons against raw diet feeding, in particular, reference the aforementioned AVMA recommendations on raw feeding):
Nutritional balance matters
Veterinarians generally recommend that pet owners feed commercial diets that are labeled “complete and balanced.” These words are the signal that a pet food has been determined by the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to meet the currently accepted balance of nutrients our pets require for optimum health.

There is no such guarantee when it comes to home prepared diets. How do you really know you’re feeding a diet with the correct nutritional balance?
Oversight is peace of mind
AAFCO also requires that all commercial pet foods meet eight criteria before pet foods can receive AAFCO-certified labels. This oversight also gives veterinarians confidence that the foods are safe and effective as well as nutritionally complete and balanced.

Oversight is an issue for veterinarians who want independent confirmation of a product’s track record. We would hate to recommend any food that wasn’t defensibly considered safe and effective. Can you always say the same for your home-cooked fare?
The inconvenient truth
Making your own pet food can be expensive, time-consuming and just plain inconvenient.
Nightmare scenarios
Any veterinarian in practice more than a couple of years will have encountered at least one patient with a nutritional disease. In my experience, most of these have suffered malnutrition due to neglect or abandonment. Others, however, have been the victims of the altogether too common “he’ll only eat this” diet. A shocking lack of bone density and concurrently severe unthriftiness is the most typical finding among our “he’ll only eat this” patients, with some pets even suffering fractures as a result.

A veterinarian faced with such a dramatic example of malnutrition due to home feeding is more likely to take issue with all kinds of home cooking. So might you if you’d seen one of these unfortunate animals.

But this is not necessarily the kind of home cooking we’re talking about here. When undertaken in concert with a veterinarian’s directives –– especially when consultation with a veterinary nutritionist is part of the plan ––home cooking has many points to recommend it:
Safe and tailor made
You know what your pet likes. Your veterinarian understands your pet’s individual medical needs. Should the two of you decide to create a very specific diet for you to cook at home, the furthest either of you need look is to the American Academy of Veterinary Nutritionists.

Here you can seek out the services of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (either by yourself or along with your vet) so you can come up with a safe diet tailored to your pet’s individual medical needs.
Freshness
Much is made of freshness in human nutrition –– especially when it comes to preventing chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But, in contrast to this newer thinking on the human side, freshness doesn’t figure much in veterinary circles. Again, that’s because achieving the ideal nutrient balance is considered veterinary science’s gold standard for feeding our pets.

Unfortunately, we don’t really know enough about animal nutrition to properly evaluate the role of fresh ingredients. Because science is based on what we do know and can measure, and because relatively few pet owners are willing to cook fresh foods for their pets … the world may never know for sure whether fresh is best for our pets. We can, however, rely to a large extent on human nutrition, which currently considers the increased consumption of fresh foods to be a very good thing.
Preservatives, contaminants, dyes and other additives
Though they’ve been used for millennia, “preservatives” and “contaminants” are the bane of so many healthy-eating humans. The truth is that some are healthy and necessary. Salting, pickling and fermenting are perfectly appropriate ways in which we humans have learned to preserve our foods naturally to stretch the seasons and allow us to access nutrients we might’ve formerly been forced to ignore.

The trouble comes when newer, artificial preservatives are added. The long-term effects of many of these agents have not been fully teased out. At present, for example, a new study has linked BPA in plastic bottles to childhood obesity.

While it’s tough to know what’s real science and what’s being overblown by the media, the question remains: Why stress about all these unnecessary ingredients should you be willing to cook for your pets?
Engagement
I find that lots of pet owners who choose home cooked diets over commercial acquire a great deal of knowledge and confidence in their pets’ healthcare. The greater sense of control they feel over what they feed their pets means they’re more engaged pet owners who are, on average, better able to advocate for their pets’ health.

But it’s up to you. Whatever you decide, just be sure to seek professional help.

Apart from the American Academy of Veterinary Nutritionists, pet owners are also free to ask their veterinarians to recommend the nutrition services of a local veterinary school. Two additional resources commonly cited include:
petdiets.com (Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc.)
balanceit.com (Davis Veterinary Medical Consulting; see under "Pet Lovers")

So now it’s time to ask three pertinent questions: What’s your policy on feeding? What’s your veterinarian’s? If you do home cook for your pets, do you use a professionally-sourced recipe?

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3 Ways to Save Money on Dog Food

Food is one of the most important aspects of a dog’s life, and offering your dog only the best quality dog food is one of the best things you can do for him to live a healthy and long life. Unfortunately good quality always has its price. You might think that it’s impossible to include only high quality products in your dog’s diet on a daily basis, but there are several ways to save money on dog food without cutting down the quality.

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1. Cook it yourself

One of the easiest ways to save money on your dog’s food is to make it yourself. Food cooked at home tends to be much better than what’s available at the store. It can also be more cost effective. There are many tasty recipes that are extremely healthy because you can use organic ingredients and avoid any preservatives or artificial flavors. The food made with natural ingredients will offer your dog all that’s best for him; it is highly nutritional and good for his health too. And the price for a serving will be much lower than you might expect. You can save a lot of money if you cook at home for your dog and you will know exactly what is going into his diet.

If you decide to cook your dog’s food the most important thing you need to consider is food safety. It’s true that dogs have many defenses against parasites and bacteria but that doesn’t mean that they are completely immune to them. Keeping your utensils clean and cooking the ingredients at the right temperatures is very important if you want to kill all the unwanted bacteria. This is very important for puppies and older dogs because they are much more vulnerable than others.

2. Buy only in bulk

Not everyone has the time or aptitude to cook at home. If you are one of them, a great way to save money on dog food is to buy in bulk. Many stores have different promotions and products on sale, especially if you buy in big quantities. That’s why you need to do a little bit of research on the different pet stores and buy what’s convenient for you. It’s also very helpful to have a stockpile of food for your dog in your house because it can save you from the stress of wondering what to feed your dog tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow.

3. Pay for the ingredients not for the brand

Last, but not least, in knowing how to save money on dog food is to consider the brand. When shopping for dog food, sometimes the key factor in choosing one brand over another is the price. You might assume that a product with a higher price must be a better quality product when, in reality, you might just be paying more for the brand name and not the ingredients. Always check the labels of the products and compare them with other brands before you decide what you buy. You might be amazed to find products that contain the exact same ingredients, but the price will be higher only because a product is made by a certain brand. Be smart and buy the same quality for the lowest prices!

As you can see, it’s not that hard to save money on dog food. All you need is some knowledge and a bit of determination in order to achieve anything you want. There are other ways you can save money on your dog’s food, but the most important thing is to find a way that works the best for you and stick to whatever you find that has the best results for you. This is about your dog and his health, and nothing’s more important than that.

Featured photo credit: smerikal via flickr.com

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14 Dangerous Foods That You Should Never Feed Your Dog

As the holiday season approaches, it can be more difficult than ever not to share your food with your pup. Their big, puppy-dog eyes are bound to follow you around your home while you try to eat but, according to the Huffington Post, under no circumstances should you share these fourteen foods with your dog. These foods include: alcohol, avocado, raisins, bones, walnuts, onions, dairy, grapes and mushrooms. Chocolate is a particularly notorious as a no-no for dogs, as it’s core ingredient can be toxic to your canine’s heart and nervous system.

There are, however, some alternatives to boring dog food that you can share with your dog. Purebred Breeds recommends plain baked sweet potatoes, steamed string beans, carrots, broccoli, turkey and canned pumpkins as fantastic alternatives to the more dangerous foods, you can even follow their recipes to make sure your dog has the best holiday season ever. Or, you can create some wonderful, homemade doggy treats such as peanut butter, banana and parsley bites and mint buckwheat biscuits.

Featured photo credit: Huffington Post via huffingtonpost.com