Puppy Adoption - Registration

You are required by law to register your puppy at three months of age. The registration tag also acts as identification. If your pup gets lost, the finder can let you know. Wellington SPCA sees many dogs and pups that have been hit by cars, and it is vital that the caregiver can be contacted immediately.

Stress and Your Puppy

Puppies get stressed very easily, and stress can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Some things that may have made your puppy feel stressed are:

• Travelling to your home, as some puppies suffer from car sickness
• Introduction to yet another new environment with new sounds, smells, other pets, people and children

Please give your new puppy time to settle in and examine its new home.

Make sure you always know where your puppy is, as puppies have no sense of direction. When the pup is indoors with you, do not let it have the run of your house. Keep it confined to an area close to the back door, as this will help with toilet-training.

Give the puppy somewhere of its own to escape to for peace and security. Puppies need plenty of rest away from children and loud noises.

You need to be very patient with your new friend. If you have visions of a super-obedient dog, remember that you didn’t learn everything overnight, and nor will your puppy.

Health/Veterinary Requirements

Vaccinations
Puppies must be immunised against disease. Parvovirus, for example is extremely contagious and, if untreated, will usually result in a painful and distressing death.

Your puppy has been given its first vaccination against Canine Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus. A vaccination certificate is included with your kit. It takes 14 days before the vaccination becomes effective, so it is important to keep your puppy away from other puppies and dogs until it has finished its vaccination course.

Your puppy requires a booster vaccination one month after its first vaccination. You should make an appointment with Wellington SPCA or your local veterinarian to have this done. Standard charges apply for this booster vaccination. A booster vaccination will be needed each year.

Worming
Puppies must be wormed every two weeks until they are three months old, then again at six months of age, then three times each year. You can do this yourself or take the animal to a veterinary surgeon. Broad-spectrum tablets cover roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms (especially hydatids). Failure to worm your puppy could result in sickness or even death. If at any time your puppy appears unusually tired, lacks appetite and seems depressed, contact your veterinary surgeon immediately.

Flea Control
Flea problems are usually much easier to prevent than to treat, so start before you notice any fleas on your pet. There are many products available – talk to SPCA staff or your vet to decide which is best for you. When buying a flea product, remember to read the packaging carefully. Not all flea products are safe to use on young animals. If you have a bad flea problem, you will need to treat your house with a flea bomb or have it professionally treated. We recommend Frontline Flea Spray or the Top Spot type depending on the size of the dog or pup.

Grooming

Brush your puppy’s coat at least once a week, or daily if it is long-haired. Bath the animal occasionally when the weather is fine, but avoid getting water in its ears as this can cause canker, a painful ear condition. By using warm water instead of cold the puppy will accept bathing better, and won’t mind it so much next time.

It is very important to check your puppy’s teeth and ears regularly. The first sign of a tooth problem is bad breath. Claws need to be checked, especially with small dogs.

Feeding Your New Puppy

We suggest that you keep to the same feeding programme that the puppy has been on at the SPCA. A sudden change in diet can cause all sorts of stomach problems in your puppy. Do not feed your puppy milk as this can cause diarrhoea. Your puppy has not been receiving any milk while at the SPCA, only water, along with three meals a day. These consist of Hills Science Diet Canine Growth (biscuits), and tinned puppy food made by Pal and Champ. These products are very good and we find that the puppies do very well on them.

Remember that puppies have small stomachs, and so from the outset they should be given only small quantities of solid food three or four times a day. The quantity will vary depending on whether your breed of puppy is small, medium or large. In the months to come the amount of food given at each meal should increase but the frequency of the meal times should decrease. A stomach upset is likely due to a change in environment but should pass quickly. If the problem continues for more than two days, contact our vet at Wellington SPCA.

Your puppy needs a balanced diet for the development of bones, muscles and a healthy coat. Hills Science Diet Canine Growth (biscuits) and Pedigree Pal Puppy and Champ Puppy Extra provide a complete and balanced diet for a growing puppy, no other supplements are needed.

Daily Feeding Guide
Hills Science Diet Canine Growth (biscuits). See packet instruction and guide. Pedigree Pal Puppy and Champ Puppy Extra, canned:

Actual amounts may vary depending on the size and activity level of your puppy.

Other good quality foods are available. If you wish to change to them, the change must be gradual so as to avoid stomach upsets.

Biscuits can be fed as a total meal but are best fed on top of the puppy’s meat. Vegetable can be mixed into the meal as well to make tinned food go a little further.

Never feed cooked chop, chicken or fish bones as these dry out when cooked and will splinter and stick in the puppy’s system. Bones that can be fed to your puppy are large raw cannon, shin or brisket bones.

Points To Note

Show your puppy plenty of affection. Dogs are by nature friendly, and need kindness and regular reassurance that you still love them.

If you must leave your puppy in the car, remember to park in the shade. As the sun moves around it will alter the shade. Leave the window partially open to allow fresh air in, and put a bowl of water on the floor. Even on a relatively mild day a car can heat up and severely distress or kill a puppy. This can happen in less than 10 minutes. Dogs dehydrate quickly due to heavy panting. If you are going shopping in warm weather, it is best to leave your puppy at home where it will be more comfortable.

Lost Pets

If your animal goes missing it may end up at one of our shelters. Always check with your local animal shelter, pound and vet clinic if your animal goes missing.

If you have access to the Internet you can visit Pets on the Net at www.petsonthenet.co.nz

This website will advise you on what to do if you animal goes missing. You can also search for found animals and place your lost animal on their database.

Help us by keeping an ID tag on your dog at all times, as this will help the return of your animal.

Your First Day With Your New Puppy

Although we have domesticated dogs into our homes, they do still possess many of their natural instincts. Humans have imposed many unnatural restrictions on the dog, with expectations way beyond reason.

Train Your Child

Small children and dogs should not be left alone without adult supervision. As dogs have the potential to hurt children, it is important that you teach your child how to behave when interacting with dogs. Thus, many people apply the rule that if a responsible adult cannot be present, dogs and small children should be kept separate. From the stories we hear, the majority of problems occur when adult eyes are elsewhere. We are often called to help when the family dog has snapped at a child. Often, the dog is the victim and ends up at the vet being put down because the parents have not taught the child how to stay safe and respect their dog.

Example:
The distraught father explained that his two-year-old son ran up to the sleeping dog and gave it a good sound kick. The dog, obviously startled and in pain, responded by snapping at the child. In this situation the dog showed considerable restraint in not biting the child.

Parents: Do not allow your child to treat a dog in a manner which may provoke the dog and cause it to retaliate. If a child follows and corners a dog, its only defence is to bark, grown or even bite.
Arriving Home

Take your puppy out into the backyard and let it explore its new surroundings. Keep an eye on it so that it can’t get into mischief. The puppy will probably want to relieve itself as well.

Put the puppy’s kennel close to the back door along with its blanket and water bowl. Puppies tend to wait at the door that you come and go from, therefore if you place the kennel at the far end of the yard it will not be used. The kennel should be large enough to allow the puppy (as an adult) to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. Place a barrier in the doorway. The barrier will also keep the puppy outside when you cannot keep an eye on it. The puppy will still be able to be part of the action as it can still see you, and you cans still make a fuss of it by giving it a pat as you carry on with what you are doing.

A Balanced Environment is Important From Day One

Metal-based and concrete-based sleeping areas are not recommended because they may cause pressure sores and exacerbate arthritis. Clean out the kennel at frequent intervals so that it is dry and clear of faeces, mud and bones. Place a water bowl close to the kennel, so that the puppy has access to water a all times.

Note:
Most people tend to over compensate, feeling sorry for the tiny puppy. A kennel is far warmer than your laundry. The puppy’s own body heat can easily warm the small space of the kennel. Whereas the large open space of the laundry can get quite cold and, if the puppy is unable to keep warm, it will wake during the night and cry.

Do not take the pup to your bedroom to sleep the night. The puppy will need to go to the toilet at some stage, and will soil the carpet or the bed. The puppy will never learn toilet-training if it gets away with using the carpet. Do not start something you will later want to stop.

While you are at home get the puppy used to being outside on its own. Place the puppy outside for 15 minutes, then bring it inside for a while, then outside again, and so forth. By doing this at least four to five times a day and leaving the puppy alone it will soon learn that the outside world is OK.

When the weekend is over and you have to go back to work the puppy will be used to being on its own. Most barking and howling problems start when the owner goes off to work and the pup or dog has never learnt to be left alone. If you have always been there and you have never been out of the puppy’s sight, of course the puppy is going to protest and this is where problems start. A balanced dog is far better to have around.

Inside The House

Do not open up the whole house to your puppy. Keep the puppy close to the back door in case it needs to relieve itself. Inside is a place of quiet interaction with the family, not a place for playing and jumping about. Pup comes in and sits with you on its mat or blanket. The puppy should not be allowed on the furniture as this can lead to territory aggression. A playpen-type area could be used to restrict its area so you can keep an eye on it. Remember the puppies toilet needs and take it out regularly.

Training Your Puppy

The bond that exists between a dog being trained and its handler can be extremely powerful and bring much pleasure to the dog and handler alike. A trained dog is an enjoyable dog. There is no such thing as a dumb dog, only a dumb trainer.

The seeds for behaviour are sown in the first few months of the pups life with its new caregiver. The advantages of a trained dog are for you – being able to take the dog anywhere with confidence, for the dog – freedom! A trained dog is your companion, not a prisoner of the backyard.

The best training that you can give your pup is to let it be part of your normal daily life. By letting the pup be with you as you go about your daily tasks, you reinforce basic commands like sit and stay as time progresses. Dogs are not solitary animals at all; in the wild, they live in a group and not on their own.

Remember that inside the house is a place that the pup comes into. And is quiet and relaxed place where it is to lie down. Outside is for games, running around and chewing its toys.

Being Handled

Get your puppy used to being handled when it is relaxed or lying quietly with you. Handle its feet, look in its ears, mouth and around its eyes so that when you have to take it to the vet, it will be able to be examined without fear. Gentle rubbing and touching of these areas will also establish a bond between you and your pup.

House Training

Do not let your puppy roam the house unsupervised. Keep it in the kitchen or an area as close as possible to the back door.

Your puppy will need to relieve itself frequently. Always take it outside to the same spot first thing in the morning, after every feed, and as soon as it has woken up from sleeping, last thing at night, and whenever it gets excited or nervous.

After a short time you will easily recognise when your pup wants to go to the toilet by its behaviour. It may become agitated, sniff the ground or become generally restless.

To toilet train you puppy, you must show patience and never rub its nose in the mess or punish it for accidents inside the hours. This only makes matters worse as the pup will continue to relieve itself indoors but out of you sight.

If you cannot watch your pup while it is indoors, place it outside making sure its kennel is close to the back door, warm and that it has food and water next to the kennel.

If your pup decides to relieve itself when out walking, encourage it to use the gutter and clean up afterwards. Always take a plastic bag with you for this purpose.

What You Will Need:
Apart from patience, understanding and a little time each day, you need just a few other things. Right from day one you should have a comfortable leather collar and a 1.2 metre lightweight leash for your new pup. At about 16 weeks of age towards the end of the basic training, you will need a check-chain training collar. This collar should only be used when training and not worn all the time. The collar must be large enough to pass comfortably over your puppy’s head and be made of thick links so that corrective jerks will gain the puppy’s attention without hurting it. Thin chains can be cruel and should not be used.

Basic Commands
Commands must be direct, in a tone of voice that makes it clear that they are commands and not requests, and in a firm voice and not shouted. There must not be any doubt in your pups mind about who is in charge.

When teaching your puppy commands such as come, stay, sit and so forth, use only a single word. Be simple, direct and consistent. “Come over here boy, quickly” will only confuse the pup.

This does not attempt to cover advanced training or make your puppy into a trick performer. You can begin basic training when you first get your pup home from seven weeks of age on. It is important to remember that a puppy’s attention span is short, so training sessions should be 10-15 minutes at a time. Its memory is also short, so daily sessions are necessary.

Your pup will take at least four days to learn most commands, each of which will be reinforced as you progress to new commands. During basic training the pup should always wear its collar with a leash attached. During training when you are not required to hold the leash it should lie on the ground and trail behind your pup. At the end of training sessions remove the leash.

Lead Training
Before you take your pup out, it must first become accustomed to the collar and leash. Start with a light 1.2 metre leash and leather collar. Buckle the collar just tightly enough to stop it slipping over the pups head. Your puppy may not like the collar at first, but will get used to it in a few days.

To accustom the pup to the leash, attach it to the collar while under supervision each day and allow the pup to drag it round. The leash is essential for keeping your puppy under control in public places, and for the training every puppy must be given.

Most Training Is Best Done Outside

Fetch
With the leash attached to the collar and you sitting on the ground, use a toy such as a ball or rubber bone and gain the pups attention by tossing the toy up and down. Throw the toy a short distance, say fetch and encourage the pup to go and pick it up. If it doesn’t, use the leash to bring the pup back to you and praise it. Play this game for about five minutes once or twice a day. This first game is important because it begins to accustom your puppy to respond to your voice and commands.

Sit
On about the fourth day while playing fetch, introduce the command sit. When the pup returns the toy, place your left hand on its rear end and your right hand under its chin and command sit. Slight pressure downwards with your left hand and upwards pressure with your right hand should achieve a sitting position. Remember to use the “command” tone voice. Use only the word sit and repeat it. This game should be practised for about ten minutes once or twice a day for the next three or four days, praising the pup each time it sits when asked.

Remember to praise your pup lavishly when it gets it right, but never scold or punish the pup if it fails!

Once your puppy is sitting on command, introduce the command Come. Say the puppy’s name and Come (e.g. Fido – Come), then gently pull it towards you with the leash.

Praise it warmly – coming to you must always be pleasing to your puppy. But beware! Some people only call their dog to them to punish them! The dog soon learns to associate being called by name with being punished, and soon won‘t come near you when being called.

Stay
When your puppy is about 16-18 weeks old, introduce the command stay into your daily training. Sit the pup beside you, command stay and move very slowly around to face it. Stay there for a few seconds then return to its side. Wait a few more seconds, and praise the pup gently so that it doesn’t get excited. If the pup moves during the exercise, repeat it. It is always a good idea to start teaching this exercise where there are no distractions.

Heel
Once your pup is working well with the previous commands, you can move to the command heel. This is a controlled walk on a leash at your heel. This will involve the pups first real taste of discipline. The objective of this exercise is to have your puppy walking happily.

Call your pup and give the command sit, attach the leash, and stand with the pup on your left. Hold the handle of the leash in your right hand, gather a loop, and grip the leash again between the thumb and first finger of the same hand so that you have slack to spare. Do not pull the leash taut – your puppy must be free to move about you. At this stage, do not use your left hand on the leash.

Now you are ready to walk off with your pup. Say the command heel and step off with your left foot. Your pup may or may not follow. If it throws a tantrum, sits stubbornly or bucks like a bronco, release the gather in your right hand – but not the handle of the leash – and totally ignore the pup.

When the puppy finally calms down, ignore it for a few seconds longer, then re-engage its attention by calling its name and commanding sit. Begin the exercise again.

When the pup finally does decide to follow you, it should be correctly positioned at your left side with its head level with your left leg, and on a slack leash. Initially, do not walk more than ten paces without stopping and commanding the pup it sit.

Be sure to give praise for getting it right. If your pups attention begins to wander, call its name, followed again by the command heel, while patting the front of your left leg with you left hand.

If the puppy falls behind, make a few short, forward, gentle jerks on the leash and speak encouragingly. Always end each short walk with the command sit.

Consolidating the Training

Use the commands no, sit, stay, come, heel and fetch and the puppy’s name at times other than daily training. This will allow your pup to begin to recognise how the words apply in everyday routine around the home and when walking.

Correcting a Disobedient Dog

There are appropriate ways of correcting disobedience or inattentiveness. The first is to give the leash a firm, short jerk, which usually gets the point across. Remember that you did not learn everything overnight and nor will your puppy. Guide and correct unwanted behaviour with gently but firm handling, and no shouting of hitting. This will only make your pup fear you and not want to be near you.