TIPS ON PUPPY CARE

A Happy, Well Trained Puppy Helps Make A Happy, Healthy Companion For Life! FEEDING: From 2 Months to 3 Months: Food should be available to them about 4 times a day - morning, lunch, dinner and about 9 pm in the evening before they settle down for the night. The same for water, only in small quantities to control when they have to go. At 3 Months: Gradually reduce food supply to 3 times a day, taking away the night feeding, but still giving the same quantity of food as recommended by supplier. At 3 1/2 Monts start introducing adult dog food so by 4 Months old they should be fully on adult dog food at the recommended rate three times a day, and at the same time you should be able to gradually increase amount of water left out for them. At 5 1/2 Months you will start to take away the lunch feeding so that by 6 Months they will be on 2 feedings a day - 2 cups each feeding morning and night. Please keep the adult food at 22% to no more than 24% protein. Please try to keep them from feeding anything with soya bean in it. Also, refrain from giving them any kind of rawhide bones. Those are full of chemicals, leave stains on their fur and your pet could choke on them. We've had the sad experience of having one of our pet owners give their dog PIG EARS which had Salmonella in them, and the pet quicky got sick and died from this!

TRAINING & EXERCISE: When you receive your puppy they will have had some experience of going outside. They need to have at the beginning, an area in your home that they will regard as their own territory with a blanket or towel they can call their own along with some toys if you want to. At this stage they should be taken out after they have had a drink and about half an hour after eating, then you can gradually increase these times as you see fit and become more familiar with your pet. Always remember when taking out your puppy they must learn to do their toiletries first, then they can play or go into training.

Avoid letting them walk up & down stairs, not more than three stairs at a time until about 6 to seven months old.You can start putting a collar on after about a month from the time you get the puppy, just for them to get used to it around its neck, and only leash walk your puppy after it's about 4 month's old. HEALTH CARE: We suggest that you take your puppy to a veterinarian that has either had experience with sheepdog's or one that someone has been referred to you within two weeks of receiving your puppy. Your puppy will have had its first vaccination when you receive him or her and will need its booster & rabies shots on_________________ Your puppy should be dewormed again at 6 months of age. Ask your veterinarian about the appropriate time to administer heartworm medication, but, because it is newborn a blood test is not required.

Always check their eyes, as build up will occur in the corners and should be removed on a daily basis. Check their ears for hair and wax buildup. Start when you first receive your puppy to insert you finger a little ways into the ear to make them become familiar with having someone remove the hair, if you don't your pet could become unruly when it comes time to have it done. Play with your puppy's feet and in between it's toes on a daily basis so when they are older and you comb or brush their feet it does not become a problem. Toenails should be cut at least once a week and at the start can be done with a pair of your own nail clippers.

GROOMING & BATHING: Your puppy should be completely bathed once a month with baby shampoo until about six months of age. If face or feet become soiled take a pail of warm water and rinse off until next bath time. After the age of about six months the puppy needs only to be bathed completely every couple of months. Bath it's white areas along with the hind quarters and it's private areas. These areas can be bathed every two to three weeks. Remember that a puppy's hair and skin are like that of its owner, the more you wash it's hair the dryer it becomes and also dry's out the skin. To groom your puppy / dog properly it should be placed on an elevated surface eg. a washer, dryer, freezer, table, etc. and if you have a rubber bath mat place it on top of the elevated surface to prevent the dog from sliding around. It takes a while for gentle discipline to ensure that it remains laying down, but it will come with time. Take your pin brush and start at the middle of its back brushing the hair backwards or against the way it's growing.

Brush this way all the way down to the tip of it's feet. Then start with your comb at the feet, combing the hair the way it is growing, making sure you do it gently, and are getting down to the skin taking time to loosen ant matted areas. This procedure needs only to be done once a week. We recommend that the puppy / dog not be clipped until it is 12 to 15 months of age - this gives the adult coat time to mature. Always make sure that the private areas of the male or female are well clipped, as this helps them to keep themselves clean and prevents infections from starting.

E-Mail Please Include your Location with All Correspondence.

CONTACT US:

Bill or Shelia Trudgen 12029 Talbot Trail, RR # 2 Blenheim Ontario NOP 1A0 Canada PHONE: (519) 674-0518

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