Settling In

Give your new puppy or dog time to settle into its new home. Make sure you always know where your puppy or dog is. Give it a place of its own inside the house so the dog or puppy can escape for peace and security. Remember that puppies need plenty of rest.

Keep a close eye on your new dog or puppy until it becomes used to you and its new surroundings.

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 new dog or puppy.

Housing

If you want to keep your dog outside, you will need to buy or build a good weatherproof kennel. The kennel must be raised above ground level to keep out the damp, and it should be big enough for the dog to stand up and turn around comfortably.

The best place to put the kennel is in a dry or sunny spot. Do not place the kennel way down the yard, as your dog will not use it.

By placing it next to the backdoor, the dog will use it all of the time as this is where you enter and leave your house and your dog can be close to you.

If housing your puppy or dog indoors, it will need a basket or bed of blankets away from draughts, noise and young children. Your dog or puppy may get lonely at night, so give it a warm bed and something soft to cuddle up to.

Diet

We suggest that you keep to the same feeding program that the dog or puppy has been on at the SPCA. Any sudden changes to the diet can cause stomach upsets. Do not give milk this will cause diarrhea, only give water.

Feed puppies three times a day, puppies only have small stomachs so from the outset they should only be given small quantities of solid food. The quantity depends on the breed of puppy. In the months to come the amount given at each meal should increase but the frequency of feeding should decrease. Your puppy needs a balanced diet for the healthy development of bones, muscles and coat. Hills Science Diet Canine Growth and Pedigree Pal Puppy and Champ Puppy Extra provide a complete and balanced diet for a growing puppy, no supplements will be needed. Adult dogs can be fed fresh or cooked meat along with dog sausage, canned dog foods, dog biscuits; an occasional brisket bone and water should provide a suitable balance. Boiled rice and vegetables can be included in the diet, as it is natural for dogs to eat vegetable matter.

Do not feed your dog or puppy chicken, fish or cooked roast bones as these can splinter, the safest bones to give are brisket or canon bones.

Exercise

Until it is four to six months old, the best exercise for a puppy is play and short regular walks in the backyard until the vaccination program is complete. Keep away from areas that are high disease risk.

Regular daily exercise is essential for the physical and mental well being of your dog. A dog that is confined and not given enough exercise may become aggressive, restless, disobedient and disruptive.

Training

Training your dog or puppy requires plenty of patience, but sooner or later the animal will learn. Training is important to eliminate unwanted behavior such as boisterousness, digging, chewing, excessive barking or aggression. Your dog or puppy will need to learn the basic commands of sit, stay, come, and heel. Remember to reward good behavior with lots of praise and occasionally food. It is a good idea to join a dog obedience club to help you with your training.

House training puppies – Your puppy will need to relieve itself frequently. Take it outside to the same spot first thing in the morning, after every feed, last thing at night, when it gets excited or nervous and as soon as it wakes up from sleeping.

Always show patience and never rub your puppy’s nose in the mess or punish it for accidents indoors, this will only make matters worse.

Grooming

Brush your dog or puppy’s coat at least once a week or daily if it is longhaired. Bath the animal occasionally when the weather is fine, but avoid getting shampoo and water in its eyes or ears. Use warm water rather than cold.

You should check the dog’s coat for signs of fleas, or flea dirt at least once a week. Failure to treat for fleas can cause severe skin problems.

Health/Veterinary Requirements

It is very important to check your dog or puppy’s teeth and ears regularly.

Bad breath or smelly ears are often the first sign of infection. Claws need to be checked especially small dogs.

Vaccinations

Dogs and puppies must be immunized against disease. They are vaccinated against canine distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis. Puppies can be vaccinated at the age of 6-8 weeks then again at 10-12 weeks; followed by a yearly booster. A kennel cough vaccine can be given this needs to be boostered every six months.

Worming
Puppies need to be wormed every 2 weeks until three months old, then every three months. Adult dogs can be wormed every six months with broad-spectrum tablets that cover roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.

If at any time your dog or puppy appears unusually tired, lacks appetite and seems depressed see your veterinary surgeon immediately.

Desexing

It is strongly advised that you have your dog desexed if this has not already been done. (All dogs and puppies rehomed from the Wellington SPCA will have already been desexed).

Every year thousands of unwanted dogs and puppies are destroyed because they do not have a home. Desexing usually results in a happier more contented animal, it reduces fighting, wandering and aggressive behaviour. The old saying that it is good for a dog to have a litter of puppies is not true – it does nothing for your dogs health and only adds to the overpopulation problem.

Points to Note:

Before you obtain a dog or puppy, stop and think, will you be prepared to care for this animal every day for the rest of its life, which may be up to 15 years. Don’t buy an animal on a whim or accept one as a gift unless you really want it.

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

If you must leave the dog in the car, remember to park it in the shade. Leave the windows 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 disable or kill a dog.
At three months of age your puppy must be registered with your local council.