New pups provide hours of entertainment, give endless love, get up to lots of mischief, and require a lot of responsible care.
In order to answer some questions you may have, we have put together these notes.
Things you will need: 1 bag of Royal Canin Puppy Maxi (Ridgeback) or Mini (Cavalier),
1 water bowl, 1 food bowl, 1 large crate, 2 large beds (one for inside and one for the crate/outside), toys, harness and lead.
The following pages outline specific areas of health care, including Vaccination protocols, Nutrition, Dental care, Skin care Parasite Control and Basic Training.
If you are unsure of anything, or have further questions, please feel free to call.
Remember that a pet is for life so setting some early ground rules and learning how to provide the best care for your pet will ensure that he or she has a long happy healthy life.
THE FIRST FEW DAYS & NIGHTS IN A NEW HOME
Being taken away from their mum and siblings, going for a car ride, being introduced to a brand-new environment and lots of new people, maybe having different food offered, is all potentially very stressful for a young pup.
In order to minimize this and to make introduction to the new home easy, it is a good idea to be well prepared and to set some ground rules early.
Firstly, when you collect your new pup from us, Greg and Rowhin at Zambuana Lodge, ask us what type of food your puppy has been eating, whether they have been wormed and vaccinated and if so, what with and when. This information will be included in the information pack we will give you and go through on the day of pickup which includes, our Terms and Conditions of sale, their Vaccination card, Worming program, Change of Ownership form, their pedigree papers and Petplan insurance information booklet.
Have a sleeping area prepared. Decide where you want your pup to be sleeping once they are an adult dog. For example, if puppy is going to grow into a 40kg adult that will be sleeping inside or out, then don’t start it off sleeping on the lounge or in your bed or it will be very difficult to change this routine! Crate training is great. Purchase the largest crate you can get, as they will grow into it. Set it up in a separate room from the lounge area. Place down some newspaper on the base with their bed at one end and a small bowl of dry food and water at the other. This becomes their bedroom and time out area. Have a bed in the lounge room also so they are with you while watching television etc. When its bedtime, take them out to the toilet, bring them in and into the crate, lights off.
Many pups will cry at night when they first come into their new home. When you get up to them in the middle of the night and pick them up or play with them, you are reinforcing this behaviour. Puppy will soon learn that he or she will get your attention by howling at night! Try and ignore this as much as possible unless it turns into a real panic cry. Make sure, however, that wherever you choose as a sleeping place is warm, dry and sheltered. Your pup is used to sleeping with its Mum and litter mates.
Nutrition is such an important topic and so very important to get right from an early age. Many other health issues are influenced by diet and many health problems can be avoided by a good quality, correctly fed diet. Some small breeds can have a tendency to be very fussy so starting off correctly as a young pup will avoid frustration later on.
A good quality diet is extremely important during the growing months of a puppy’s life.
There are many feeding regimes proposed to be the best. The general rule is this:
Feed suitable amounts of a fresh, high quality, BALANCED diet with ample fresh clean water. Brands such as Royal Canin, Science Diet, Proplan, Black Hawk and Natural Health are great all-natural dry foods with everything a growing puppy needs to grow up healthy. Most home formulated diets consisting of meat, vegetables, table scraps etc. are not sufficiently well balanced to meet the needs of a growing puppy and can sometimes be dangerously low in minerals like calcium which are important for normal bone growth and development. Be very wary of vacuum-packed dog meats which often contain preservatives and additives that may be harmful to the dog.
Many people advise feeding cereal and milk as a morning meal. This is quite filling but does not provide very many nutrients and sometimes milk can cause diarrhea therefore it is better to replace this with dry puppy biscuits soaked in a little warm water to soften them.
For ease of use and convenience for you, the owner, and to ensure the diet is complete and balanced, we recommend the use of a premium brand dry food. These premium diets provide all the required vitamins and minerals and the correct level of protein for growth. The overall general health and the condition of the teeth, skin and coat and intestinal tract always seems to be far superior in puppies and dogs that are fed these diets from a young age. Premium foods are also highly digestible so the added bonus of these highly nutritious diets is less 'pooper-scooping' cleaning to be done!!
Ask us which diet would best suit your pup.
How often should you feed your pup?
This depends on the breed and age but generally between 6 and 12 weeks of age, you will need to feed 3-4 times daily. From 3 - 6 months of age, reduce this to 2-3 times daily and after 6 months of age once or twice daily is sufficient. Rather than totally eliminating a meal all at once, gradually reduce the volume of one meal over a period of days until that meal is non-existent. Most good quality dog foods will have feeding guides on the packet, indicating how much to feed for the age and breed of your pup, however, be careful not to overfeed. We recommend monitoring body weight and body condition score monthly whilst puppy is growing. Please ask us for advice on this important matter.
EXCERCISING Very Important information
This is something everyone needs to know.
When you get your 8/10 week old puppy, please keep this in mind. Their bones do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet.
When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in.
But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint.
You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one.
Once grown you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little baby puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.
PARASITE CONTROL
Strict adherence to good Parasite Control Protocols is very important for both the health of your pup and for the prevention of transmission of some parasites to humans. Young children are particularly susceptible and some intestinal worms of dogs can be easily transmitted to humans via a lick or the child putting their hands in their mouths after playing with the dog. Good hygiene is important as well as regular treatment of the entire family including any other pets.
Intestinal Worms
All puppies should be wormed for intestinal worms (roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm) from 2 weeks of age. They should be wormed fortnightly until 3 months of age then monthly till 6 months of age and then every 3 months thereafter for life. In high risk areas, pups can be wormed weekly till 6 weeks of age then follow the schedule below.
WORMING PROGRAMME
Intestinal Worms
0-6 weeks of age at high risk – weekly worming with Drontal suspension.
2-12 weeks of age not at high risk – fortnightly worming with Drontal suspension or tablets.
12 weeks - 6 months – monthly worming with Drontal all-wormer tablets.
6 months on - worm every 3 months with Drontal all-wormer tablets.
Heartworm
Heartworm disease is a major killer of dogs in areas where mosquito exist. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes so wherever they are present, your dog is potentially at risk. Untreated, it eventually causes congestive heart failure and death. Treatment for a dog infected with heartworm can be very expensive and, in some cases, risky.
It is very simple to prevent heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention should be started at 12 weeks of age. There are several options for prevention:
1. Monthly flavoured tablet that combines heartworm and intestinal worms
2. Monthly topical “spot on” that combines heartworm, some intestinal worms and flea control
3. Injection that can be started at 12 weeks then repeated at 6 months, 15 months then yearly. This is a highly recommended form of prevention due to its convenience. It avoids forgetting to give the monthly products
FLEAS
Fleas are an extremely common parasite of dogs and cats and cause anything from irritation and discomfort to severe allergic dermatitis and sometimes anaemia. They can also be responsible for transmitting tapeworm. Flea control needs to be considered in 2 categories:
1. On your dog and
2. In their Environment.
There are many different products available for flea control including powders, rinses, shampoos, oral tablets, topical
spot-on’s etc. Be very careful that the product you choose is suitable for puppies under 4 months of age – many products aren’t and could result in disastrous toxic effects if used on very young pups.
Flea collars & powders are generally not very effective methods of flea control. Similarly, shampoos and rinses may kill the fleas on the dog at the time of rinsing/shampooing, but provide little, if any, residual effect or protection which as a result, does not break the environmental flea life cycle.
The product we recommend will depend on the age of your puppy and the type of environment they live in. Ask us which is best for your new pup.
Be sure to treat all the animals in the household, cats included or else the environmental cycle will be impossible to break!
We recommend Nexgard monthly tablets for control of fleas and ticks from 8 weeks of age.
TICKS
Ticks cause skin irritation, blood loss in severe infestations and sometimes allergic skin disease. In some areas there is a very dangerous paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Whilst the higher risk time is in the warmer months, they can still be around in the cooler months.
Tick paralysis can be quickly fatal. No control product guarantees 100% efficacy against paralysis ticks. Daily searching for ticks on your dog is essential and should be made part of your daily routine.
Start at the head and work your way over the entire body, paying special attention to inside ears, between toes, in any skin folds, under collars.
We recommend Nexgard monthly tablets for control of both fleas and ticks. Nexgard is safe from 8 weeks of age.
VACCINATING YOUR PUPPY
All pups need to be vaccinated against the major viral diseases of dogs, namely Canine Parvovirus, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Parainfluenza virus and Bordetella brochiseptica.
Parvovirus is very prevalent and is a common killer of young pups. All of the above viruses are highly contagious. All reputable boarding kennels will not allow your dog to board unless it is vaccinated against all of the above.
When your pup is due for a vaccination, they will be given a full physical health check by your veterinarian to ensure their health. This is a good opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding your pup’s health, training, feeding or general care.
Be aware that your pup is not fully protected by the vaccine until approximately 10 days after the final booster is given.
Once your puppy has completed the initial course of vaccines, a regular schedule can be formed for life. Some viruses can now be vaccinated against every 3 years rather than yearly. Others for example Parainfluenza and Bordetella still require annual boosters to be effective. Your pet’s level of risk needs to be established before deciding on a vaccination regime for the adult dog.
As one year of a dog’s life is equivalent to about 7 human years of ageing, a yearly health check is very important to make sure everything is okay.
Other vaccinations such as tetanus and leptospirosis may be required in some cases/areas. In some high-risk cases, parvovirus boosters are given to pups more frequently to prevent disease for example if there is known previous exposure.
DESEXING YOUR PUPPY
We recommend males to be desexed between 6-9 months of age and females to be desexed between 9-12 months of age
Female puppies usually have their first “season” between 5 and 9 months of age, with larger breeds being later, sometimes up to 13 months of age. Females will cycle once or twice yearly and the “heat season” generally lasts for about 3 weeks. During this time the female will attract male dogs from far and wide! Desexing a female dog prior to her first season significantly reduces the risk of her developing mammary cancer at a later age, and completely eliminates the risk of “pyometra” or uterine infection. Desexing the female involves a full General Anaesthetic and abdominal surgery to remove the ovaries and uterus.
For males, desexing eliminates the risk of developing testicular cancers, greatly reduces the risk of the dog developing prostate cancer and benign enlargement of the prostate gland, reduces wandering and other territorial behaviours like urine marking and fighting etc. The procedure for males also involves a full General Anaesthetic. The testicles are then removed via an incision just in front of the scrotum.
Both male and female dogs will spend the full day at your veterinary hospital. Cost of desexing varies depending on the gender, size and age of your dog. If performed at around 6 months of age, it is less expensive, and recovery seems to be much faster.
Desexing Myths:
1. “If I desex my dog, it’s personality will change”
The only aspect of behaviour that is likely to change following desexing is a reduction in aggression and dominance related behaviors.
2. “My dog will get fat if I desex it”
We hear this time and time again and it is simply not true. The only reason your dog will get fat is if you feed it too much and/or exercise it too little! We will help you monitor your pet’s body condition and regulate the amount to feed.
3. “It will take away his “manliness”!
Hmmm, mostly a comment from the male owner!!! Remember that responsible pet ownership requires having a well behaved, well cared for dog that doesn’t desire to wander the neighbourhood creating unwanted puppies that end up in shelters or worse, dumped or on death row.
IDENTIFICATION
Microchipping is now mandatory (state law) for all puppies by the age of 12 weeks. We will have your puppy microchipped at their first vet check at 6 weeks old. This involves implanting a small microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) under the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades. When read with a special scanner, a unique number is seen which is linked to an Australia wide computer data base. All of your contact details are on the database. As a result, if your dog goes missing anywhere in Australia, you can be found via the microchip details.
TRAINING AND BEHAVIOUR
A young pup between 6 and 16 weeks old is at the age where he/she learns the most rapidly (both good and bad!). This is the time to establish basic commands like sit, stay, drop, come here etc. Remember, though, that the pup’s concentration span is short and a 5 or 10 minute session is enough. Reward good behaviour enthusiastically with lots of praise in a happy voice and perhaps a food treat. Bad behaviour should never be rewarded by giving attention. A deep strong voice saying “no” and then walking away and ignoring puppy for a few minutes will help.
Be aware that the pup will be trying to establish its position in the household hierarchy. It is important to teach young children how to behave around your puppy so that the pup does not establish a position that is dominant to the children. There are many things that we inadvertently do in play that we may not realise is encouraging your puppy to be dominant. Jumping up on people is an example. Always discourage jumping up. Mouthing and nipping behaviours should also be discouraged, even if in play.
Socialisation is very important from an early age. This means both with other humans and other dogs. It also includes having your puppy become accustomed to and accepting of many different sights and sounds. Most dogs that are aggressive towards or fearful of other dogs have not been correctly socialised at a young age. Expose your pup to as many varied situations as you can. Let them play with other dogs and young children (always supervised of course). However, the big limiting factor here may be the pup’s vaccination status. You should be careful where you take your pup until they are fully vaccinated. Try to find a happy medium so that both issues are addressed.
“Puppy Preschool” Socialisation and Training classes are an excellent form of early socialisation in a safe environment. The classes include lots of information for new puppy owners on health care, behavior and basic training and are a great preparation for further obedience or agility training.
We recommend the use of training toys such as Boredom Buster toys and treat balls that not only provide fun and exercise but stimulate the pup’s brain as well. They help to avoid boredom if puppy is home alone and help to save your shoes and pot plants from being destroyed! Remember many behavioral problems develop from inadequate early socialisation, inadequate exercise and boredom.
SKIN AND COAT CARE
The health of the skin and coat is often a reflection of the diet. So a good quality diet is essential for healthy skin and coat.
Never use human shampoos on dogs! Dog shampoos are formulated at a different pH as the pH of human skin is different to canine skin. As a result, using human products can result in an itchy dog with a defective skin barrier layer.
Similarly, some varieties of dog shampoos are of questionable quality and contain lots of detergents which strip the natural oils from the skin and result in dry, irritated and itchy skin for your dog. Aim to use good quality, soap and detergent-free shampoos. We recommend and stock the Dermcare range which was developed by a Veterinary Dermatology Specialist and which has a great Natural Shampoo for routine use as well as Oatmeal and Aloe-Vera based shampoos and conditioners for sensitive skin.
Ensure you don’t wash your puppy too often and as a general rule, they shouldn’t be washed no more than once a fortnight. If you must wash as often as once fortnightly, then using a nice gentle puppy shampoo, like Aloveen in conjunction with a leave in conditioner is recommended. Also make sure you time the application of your flea and tick control correctly. Ask your vet for more information.
Allergic dermatitis is an extremely common problem in pets in some areas and arises from sensitivity to many different things including grasses, plants, inhaled pollens, some food items, some materials, house dust mites etc. The list is huge. Dogs that develop true allergic dermatitis usually start to show symptoms any time from 6 months to 2 years of age and they tend to become worse with increasing age. These dogs require very good quality maintenance regimes for their skin and coat care and high-quality diets.
TOILET TRAINING BASICS
PET INSURANCE
We highly recommend pet health insurance for your puppy. These days the advances in technology for pet health care is amazing and in many cases equivalent to that of human medicine. Good quality veterinary care is expensive and the advances we are seeing in diagnostic technologies for pet’s means that the cost of pet health care is increasing.
There are many excellent insurance plans to cover the costs associated with accidents and illnesses with your pet and having pet health insurance means that the most that you will pay for any accident or illness is generally the policy’s excess which in a lot of cases is around $100.
The earlier you take out pet insurance the better as any pre-existing illnesses your pet suffers prior to becoming insured will not be covered. All puppies will leave us with 6 weeks of free pet insurance with Petplan, so in the coming weeks you will receive a call from Petplan staff asking if you would like to continue or opt out. Shop around for the best plan for you.
1: Crate. Your full-grown Ridgeback will need a size 42-inch crate. 42L x 28W x 31H inches.
Your full-grown Cavalier King Charles will need a medium sized crate, or around 36 inches in length.
Another option is to also purchase a smaller crate for the puppy stage. A full size crate leaves the small puppy too much room for accidents. You’ll want to bring a crate for the puppy with you to pick him or her up. Puppies need to ride in a crate in cars but as they get older you can place them in a car/walking harness. A crate offers some protection.
2: Bedding. You will need a bed for both inside and out. Outside stretcher beds are great as they are up off the ground so stay dry and cool in summer. A soft snuggle bed for inside that is of reasonable size. If your dog is comfortable on their own bed, they will leave your chairs and lounges alone.
3: Stainless steel food and water dishes. We prefer stainless because it can be sanitized in the dishwasher. We recommend having at least two sets so that they can be washed frequently. Bowls with rubber no-skid bottoms are great and have held up well for us.
4: Toys.. We like rope bones, fleece ropes and various squeaky toys. Cavaliers seem to love things that squeak. We are careful to watch our dogs and throw away any toys that start to fall apart. Kong toys are great.
5: Grooming supplies. You’ll want a small pin brush, comb and slicker brush. Our show dogs get brushed daily to prevent mattes, but your pet can probably be brushed weekly. Dog or Puppy shampoos and conditioners. If you prefer to buy something in a pet store, we recommend choosing a natural product that is dye and fragrance free to hopefully prevent any allergy issues. We bathe fortnightly to maintain show coat, but you can probably bathe monthly unless the dog gets dirty, of course.You’ll also want a tool for clipping nails.
6: Waste bags for walks. There are many options, but cheap sandwich bags from the grocery store work well.
7: Food. We start all the puppies on Royal Canin Maxi (Ridgebacks) and Mini (Cavaliers) . It is a high quality, natural food and is available at most pet stores or vet clinic. We will provide you with a small bag of the food if we have packs available.
8: Training Treats. It is not necessary to waste money on unhealthy commercial treats full of preservatives and junk ingredients. Try bits of diced chicken breast and or dried liver bits are also good. Your dog and their waistline will love you for it.
This is something everyone should see.
When you get your 8/10 week old puppies, please keep this image in mind. Their bones do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet.
When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in.
But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint.
You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one.
Once grown you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little baby puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.
