Right now, you are a
stranger to the puppy. It
may take the puppy a few days to get to know you.
It is best to expose the puppy to just the immediate family for
the first few days. Don’t
overwhelm the puppy by letting everyone in the family or the
neighborhood come to see him right away.
Yes, you want to show him off but it is important that the puppy
learns who his new people are.
1.
Everyone – children and adults need to
play GENTLY with the puppy.
If you play roughly, the puppy may become aggressive and “nippy”.
2.
The puppy can only play with one person
at a time. If there is more
than one person calling the puppy, the puppy will become confused.
3.
In the beginning the rule “If it is on
the floor, it belongs to the puppy.”
Little puppies cannot be expected to learn what is appropriate
for them to have. Keep all
things you do not want the puppy to have where the puppy can’t get at
them.
4.
If you are going to play with a ball –
make it a rule to only roll the ball AWAY from the puppy never at the
puppy. Never kick a ball at
the puppy. If a ball should
hit the puppy, it could hurt him and scare him for life.
5.
Your puppy is used to being fed in a pen
and will eat better if fed in his crate.
Puppies at first may not eat all the food you put out as they are
in a new environment. Water can be set out separately.
We recommend that you use stainless steel bowls.
If you choose to use plastic bowls make sure that they are sturdy
and kept clean because they
can harbor bacteria and be careful that the puppy does not chew them.
Crock bowls sometimes can contain lead which can leach out into
the food and water.
6.
We recommend that you put the puppy’s
crate in the most active area of the house.
Puppies need to be where they can see and hear all the activity
that goes on in the house.
Don’t worry about the puppy not getting adequate rest.
Puppies usually will just fall asleep when they are tired, even
with a lot activity and noise.
7.
The puppy should be taught to sleep in
his own crate right at the beginning.
He Should NOT be put in your bed.
First because he could fall and be hurt (break a leg).
Secondly he might wake up in the middle of the night and “wet the
bed”. Also the puppy should
not get the idea that he has to be next to you 24/7, which could lead to
separation anxiety. In
fact, when not being played with and carefully watched we recommend that
you put the puppy in his crate which is a safe haven for him.
In fact, even if you are home all day with the puppy we recommend
that the puppy spend some time in it’s crate.
8.
Should the puppy wake up in the middle of
the night – take him outside – let him do his business and put him back
into his crate. Do NOT play
with him as this will become a habit – a habit you will not appreciate
as he gets older.
9.
Your puppy has been used to hearing the
words puppy, puppy. Should
he not respond right away call him puppy, puppy.
He has also heard the words cooky, cooky.
He has heard the basic word come, also.
We recommend you add the basic commends sit, wait and down as he
becomes comfortable.
We will send the food
home with you that your puppy is used to eating.
If you choose to change the food please wait until the current
food is half used. Then
start mixing the new food with the food the puppy is used to.
If you decide to change foods suddenly it will give your puppy an
upset stomach and diarrhea.
The puppy will be eating his food without having to have it soaked.
We feed Fromm Puppy Food and your puppy is used to eating a
half-cup of food three times a day.
(Should your puppy not eat the whole amount, do not worry.)
We feed puppies that amount until they are about 12 weeks of age
and then go to feeding 3/4 a cup of food twice a day.
When your puppy reaches 6 months of age and your supply of puppy
food is gone we switch to American Natural Premium or Fromm’s Gold Adult food.
We have been able to do this without mixing it with puppy food.
We do not feed any of our adults table food as both foods are a
complete, balanced food and feeding food from the table can cause you
puppy to become overweight.
However, when the puppy is teething we will offer our puppies raw cut up
carrots. Please make sure
you wash the carrots before giving them to your puppy as they can
contain E.coli. Never give
chicken or pork bones as they splinter and can be life threatening.
Shelties are a natural
breed with a double coat and require only moderate grooming.
I do recommend when you first take your puppy home that you brush
it daily. This will make it
easier when your puppy is older to brush it; as the puppy will actually
love to be brushed. After
the puppy is older a weekly brushing is all that should be necessary –
however the more often you brush your dog the less time it will take and
if you should decide to do it daily it will only take minutes.
The basic tools that
you need are a wire brush called a “slicker”.
A pin brush is another must.
A metal comb is also a nice tool to have.
The comb is used on the ears and face.
You need to make sure that the hair behind the ears is totally
combed or otherwise knots tend to form.
It is
a good idea to trim the feet of excess of hair.
It helps your pet keep it’s feet dryer and cleaner.
We also recommend that you play with your puppies feet so that your
puppy will be used to having it's feet handled. This will make
trimming toenails easier as your puppy will be used to your playing with
it's feet.
Two
very critical health concerns are teeth and toenails:
•
Teeth – Bad teeth are one of the primary
health concerns in dogs.
Periodontal disease can affect your dog’s entire health.
Poisons released into the dog’s system from infected teeth,
poison the entire system.
Therefore, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Give your dog suitable items to chew on to help keep the teeth
clean. Most dogs love a
product called “Greenies” (never to be given without supervision).
These are supposed to help keep the teeth clean.
If your dog will chew a Nylabone they are also very good.
We also occasionally give our dogs rawhide chips or knotted
rawhides, never sticks as they can choke on them.
Make sure these are made in the USA because if they are made in
other countries they can be cured with arsenic.
Harper’s is a brand we have found to be made in the USA.
We also recommend brushing your dog’s teeth with
doggy toothpaste.
Before your puppy leaves our home we will have shown you how to
rub your puppies mouth to get it used to being touched.
Please do this daily as it will help when it is time to start
brushing teeth.
•
Toenails – Some owners are so afraid that
they will cut into the quick that they just don’t cut the dog’s nails.
This is a disaster for the dog! (A product that will stop the
bleeding, QuikStop which can be found at most pet stores, will stop the
bleeding if you should cut the nail to short.
When this happens the quick grows out with the nail and it is
thereafter difficult to get the nail back to the length it should be.
Overgrown nails will cause the dog to develop bad joints in the
toes, which can make walking difficult.
Some dogs in later life can barely walk because of this.
So PLEASE DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR DOG’S TOENAILS!
If you can’t bring your self to cut the dog’s nails, most
grooming shops will do it for a nominal fee and so will some vets.
When you pick up your puppy, you will have been shown how to
handle your puppies feet which will get them used to having their feet
touched and will make it easier for you to cut their nails.
In housebreaking the
primary rule is:
CONSISTENCY. The puppy
should have his own area where he can be confined when you cannot watch
him. We recommend he be put
in his crate. We personally
like the plastic crates in the house but you may prefer the metal ones.
Which ever you decide to use it will be your puppies den and his
own personal place. You
will find that if you are diligent about getting your puppy outside in
his first few days he will soon learn to keep his crate clean.
You should start
teaching your puppy to go outside as soon as you take him home.
You do this by taking him outside to where you want him to do his
duties as soon as you arrive home.
Usually after a car ride and being quiet, the puppy will have to
go and this will teach him that he is to go outside.
Please make sure the first place he goes is not inside your house
as this will make housebreaking harder. Take your puppy out frequently
(especially the first days).
You must take him out the FIRST THING in the morning.
The puppy will not be able to wait because once he is awake; he
will have to go immediately.
He also needs to go out immediately after naps and shortly after
meals. Please do not give
your puppy full run of your home.
When he is being watched keep him confined to a small area
preferably near the door so you can get him out fast.
Watch your puppy to start sniffing and circling.
When he does this it usually means he has to go outside.
Once your puppy has the housebreaking down it is safe to let him
be in more of the rooms of your home.
When I am housebreaking
a puppy and it is time to go outside I use the word “Outside” and
carrying the puppy out the door.
I then like to give a command like “Do our job”.
When the puppy does go I praise him, even using a silly, happy
voice. Another I thing you
could do is to offer the puppy a small treat.
Often when the puppies are small I just offer them a few pieces
of dry kibble. (Giving a
command can teach your puppy what you expect and sometimes get the job
done faster.) Sheltie
puppies are very smart and catch on very fast but you need to be
consistent.
If the puppy does have
an accident it is best to just clean it up.
Never harshly scold or punish the puppy.
He probably has already forgotten, he is just a baby.
Learn your puppies habits – and watch him.
He wants to please you.
If your puppy cries at
night, the only thing that should happen, is that you get up and take it
outside. DO NOT Play with
him. Take the puppy back to
his crate and both of you go back to sleep.
It is better not to leave food or water with your puppy (water
can be left after it is completely housebroken) overnight.
I recommend to you to put your puppy in a quiet place, but if you
put it in your bedroom be aware that the puppy will hear you sleeping
and may cry.
You want to leash train
your puppy, not leash break your puppy.
There is a big difference.
Leash training is fun for both you and your puppy.
To leash train your
puppy you start by teaching your puppy to follow you around by coaxing
him with treats.
(String cheese or kibble are a few choices he will like.)
You start with offering a small treat to get him interested and
then start walking. Talk to
the puppy all the time telling him how good he is.
Good puppy, good puppy, or good boy/girl, good boy/girl over and
over again. We do this over
and over again as often as
necessary. When the puppy
is ready, put a leash on him and use the treats to get him to follow
you. Always remember to
keep saying good puppy, good puppy or good boy/girl, good boy/girl and
praising him as he follows you.
Make the leash training fun!
All puppies chew.
Some puppies chew more than others.
Again rawhides and nylabones are recommended.
Some people use the cotton ropes but make sure they are kept
clean as they harbor bacteria.
Hard rubber balls without or without bells are nice.
If you do purchase a ball with a bell make sure the puppy cannot
chew to get the bell out; the bell could be dangerous.
Other favorites are rubber squeaky toys.
Always get pure Spanish latex not vinyl.
Plush, stuffed toys without chewable parts make a nice buddy for
your pet. (These toys
should be able to be washed and dried when they become dirty.)
If you have a fenced yard balls are fun but if you don’t try a
tetherball.
Another inexpensive outside toy is a washed empty Gatorade-type bottle
with small rocks in it. You
can tie a rope in knots and the puppy may enjoy pulling it around.
Start training your
puppy as soon as you take it home.
Sheltie puppies are smart and they want to please you but do
remember they are babies.
Again I stress be consistent.
Whatever you are trying to teach your new puppy ALWAYS use the
same term for what you want.
Again you puppy knows
the word puppy, puppy. Your
puppy will come to that word but remember the puppy is used to my voice
and has to learn your voice.
Your puppy knows that when you are going to give them a treat
that “cookie, cookie” has been used.
If you want to change these command words, go ahead.
I have used the command to stand when I have wanted your puppy to
stand on the table to get it’s foot examined and touched.
Stay is another word I have introduced but it will need to be
reinforced. Wait is
another good term to use.
Praise is the best way
to get your puppy to do what you want it to.
Discipline can be done by shaking your finger and saying “No” in
a stern voice. The stern
voice will be enough to let your puppy know you are unhappy with him.
Never scream or hit your puppy.
The puppy will only learn to fear and distrust you.
With a very young puppy the best thing to do is to distract him
with an appropriate behavior or by offering him a toy.
Often we think that we
will always be able to purchase purebred puppies from responsible,
reputable breeders.
However, the animal rights groups are actively trying to get legislation
passed to make it harder and in some cases impossible for home breeders
like Roseview Shelties to continue breeding quality puppies.
The Federal government has tried to pass legislation that will
limit the number of litters and puppies we can sell in a year.
Wisconsin has also tried to pass legislation with limits.
If this should ever kind of legislation should ever occur
breeders will be faced with unpleasant decision.
What can you do as a puppy buyer.
Be aware of such legislation and help us all fight against
government involvement. Dog
Federation of Wisconsin (http://www.dfow.org)
is an organization here in Wisconsin that helps us keep track of
unfavorable legislation. I
encourage you to visit their website and keep informed.
The
state of Wisconsin has two Shetland Sheepdog clubs.
The Greater Milwaukee Shetland Sheepdog puts on a show in July.
At the present time I am not sure as to
when they hold meetings.
The Green Bay Shetland Shedpdog club meets the third Saturday of
each month. If you want to
learn more about your sheltie and want to spend time and socialize with
people who love the sheltie breed, I encourage you check out either of
these two clubs. We are
members of the Green Bay Shetland Sheepdog Club.
They Green Bay Club has a website
and you can always call me and I would be happy to give you any
information regarding these clubs.
HELPFUL HINTS
•
Socialization – the time you put into
socializing your puppy will reap dividends in the relationship you will
have with your puppy for the rest of it’s life.
The most important time is between birth and 6 months of age.
The puppy needs positive exposure to people and places.
Short rides in the car.
Also invite “dog friendly” people to play with your puppy.
If children are over always supervise them.
Children are children and even when they mean well, can scare
your puppy.
•
We highly recommend that you have your
puppy micro-chipped. All
vets do this. A microchip
is the size of a piece of rice.
It is inserted between the shoulder blades of a dog, cat or bird.
Each chip has it’s own numbers for identification.
When you register the chip it will be on file and if your dog
should ever get lost or stolen, it is easily identified.
All human societies and rescue have scanners.
No research facility will do research on an animal that is
micro-chipped. It is
painless to your puppy and it will give you piece of mind.
•
Fleas – be alert for fleas,
unfortunately, they can easily be picked up.
Rabbits and outside cats can easily be a source of fleas.
If you see a small moving black spot, it’s probably a flea.
Also should you see something that looks like dried blood it is
likely “flea dirt”. Flea
dirt when wet will turn red.
•
When you hold your puppy he may want to
chew on your hand or your hair.
Do not let him chew on your hair as this could become a very bad
habit for an older dog.
Tell him “No” and distract him.
•
When you or others want to pet your puppy
do NOT pet him on the top of the head as this will make your puppy hand
shy. Instead pet him FIRST
under the chin and then you can pet the top of his head.
•
Shelties are very sensitive to toxins.
YARD CHEMICALS AND INSECT SPRAYS CAN KILL OR MAKE YOUR PUPPY VERY
SICK! Be careful that your
puppy does not dig up any bulbs you may have planted in your garden as
these are poisonous. Also
some barks and bark chips that maybe used as mulch can be poisonous to
you puppy.
•
It is very important to give your puppy
Heartworm preventive.
Heartworm preventive is a monthly preventative.
Some people keep their pets on heartworm preventative all year,
but since we live in a very cold climate we believe it is necessary only
during the time of year that misquitoes are alive.
A blood test is needed to make sure your puppy is heartworm free
before starting the medication.
However, heartworms have to be in your puppies system for six
months before they will show up in a test.
If your puppy is less than six
months of age a heartworm test is not needed before starting medication.
•
It is necessary for your puppy to receive
puppy shots. I have gone
over this with you when you signed your puppy contract.
Please do not overload your puppies system by giving more than
one shot at a time. Your
puppy will have received his first shot before he has gone to his new
home. His second shot will
be due when he is 12 weeks of age, and his last shot at 16 weeks of age.
Then in a year after the last puppy shot, the puppy will be due
for another one. After that
the puppy will need to get the adult shots every three years.
•
The shot for rabies is state mandatory.
The state of Wisconsin states that when a dog is 5 months of age
it should have it’s rabies shot.
I encourage you to wait until your puppy is
almost 6 months old but
still 5 months of age to get this
shot. Please do not get the
rabies shot when your puppy gets the last puppy shot.
•
Your puppy has been wormed before it
leaves here. When you are
making that initial visit take along a stool sample but please do not
let your vet worm your puppy unless he finds worms in that sample.
If worms are found please inform me.
In fact, I recommend that at any time your vet is going to given
medication to your dog that you discusses with the vet why he wants to
medicate your dog. Also ask
what the medication will do and if there are any reactions your dog
could have to the medication.
•
If you have any questions, please do
hesitate to contact me. I
am always here to help you.
I always love hearing about my puppies.
You can contact me by e-mail:
mail@roseviewshelties.com