Bree's DEC 12, 2021 LITTER

Recommendations

Keeping Puppy Safe: It’s especially important to keep pup extra safe during this time as the transition could suppress pup’s immune system due to the stress of the transition. If there is anything in your home that has xylitol, pls keep it far away from pup. Xylitol is extremely toxic and fatal to dogs. Some peanut butter, gum, and candy have xylitol in them. Also be wary of chocolates, essential oils, and some air fresheners. There are essential oils and plants that are toxic to dogs so pls research on that. Also, check your yard for any mushrooms that might be growing in the grass and remove. Please research as much as you can. The Pet Poison Helpline phone number is 855-213-6680.

Socialization: You will want to socialize your puppy as much as possibly during the first few weeks after bringing pup home. So, definitely bring your pup everywhere and expose him to different things using treats as positive reinforcment but do it safely. Avoid placing puppy on grass, floors, ground, sidewalk, or any surfaces that the public has access to. Yo don't know if that surface has been exposed to a sick dog. Carry the puppy around, use a carrier, sling, or stroller. Do your best to improvise.

Canine Parvovirus*: Parvo is prevalent in California and in other places, and is highly contagious. It can live in the ground for 7-10 years and indoors for months. It is very hard to kill. A vaccinated dog may not be sick with parvo but can carry the virus on its coat or paws, or it could be asymtomatic, so be aware of who you expose your puppy to. Parvo can be carried on clothes and shoes as well. Remember, vaccinations are not guaranteed to keep a dog from getting sick but they increase the chances of recovery. Disinfect your home regularly and avoid wearing outside shoes in the house or backyard. The places you want to be extremely cautious with are vet clinics, dog parks, dog stores, grooming places, or any other places dogs frequent. We use Clorox Germicidal Bleach, Rescue, and Wyziwash to disinfect our home and artificial grass, even the bottom of our shoes after leaving vet clinics or pet stores. When using these products, there are specific "kill times" and appropriate ratios to mix the solutions. Regular Clorox bleach is not reliable to kill parvo. It must say on the bottle that the solution kills the canine parvovirus. Vaccinate your puppy every 3-4 weeks until puppy is at least 16 weeks old. If you live in an area where parvo is more prevalent, then you may want to continue the booster shots until pup is at least 20 weeks old. Always wait at least 5 days after the last shot before allowing pup to be in public areas. You want to allow the shot to take effect in the pup's body before exposing him/her. Once the puppy has completed its puppy shot series, vaccinations will be given on an annual basis.

Deworming*: We highly recommend to continue deworming the puppy regularly. All bowls and puppy’s play area should be cleaned and disinfected after every deworming treatment to avoid reinfection. Puppies having parasites is common so ensure your dog is treated regularly. When the puppy is older then you can deworm every 6 months. Be aware that fecal tests done at vet clinics will not always detect the parasites, especially if tests are done in-house. If pups are constantly having loose stools, seem to have a never ending appetite but not growing optimally, constantly itching, or have an unusually bloated stomach, then talk to your vet about deworming. Also, don't forget to discuss with your vet about flea & tick preventativ and heart worms preventative.

*Please discuss with your vet about our recommendations for vaccinations and dewormings as we are not professionals in the medical/veterinary field. The recommendations we give are what work for us.

Crate Training: For the first couple of weeks, have puppy sleep in a snug but comfy crate. Use a crate divider to achieve the right size. Pup should be able to stand comfortably, turn around in a circle, but not walk. Pups slept directlly on the tray with no bedding while with us. If you use bedding in the crate, ensure to take pup out immediately to potty to avoid accidents on bed. When sleeping in crate, take pup out to potty on a 2 hour schedule for the first couple of weeks, even if pup is still sleeping, to avoid accidents. Set your puppy up for success by giving him/her a realistic and consistent schedule.

Potty Training: Puppy will need to potty after every meal and every drink of water. Make sure pup has fully pottied before placing him/her in the crate or playpen, or in any carpeted areas as pup could mistake texture of the carpet for grass. Bring pup out immediately to potty. If pup goes outside and doesn't go potty even after a while, bring pup back inside the house but do not put him/her down. Continue to carry pup or sit down with him/her on your lap, wait 3-5 mins and take pup back out again. Continue, if needed.

House Training: Keep pup on a short leash next to you in the house. Let pup follow you where you go. Maintain the potty schedule while pup is on the leash. Reinforce good behavior with treats (at a young age, we like to use their kibble as treats). Remember the more the puppy is moving, the sooner he/she will need to potty as there's a lot of excitement and everything is moving in the body so pup will eliminate sooner. If you notice pup doing any sniffing on the floor, pup will need to go potty at that moment and he/she will need to be brought out immediately. You can carry the pup out to pottty but better if you have puppy follow you outside. To have pup follow you, clap your hands and call to him/her excitedly to distract from going potty inside and bade the pup in a cheerful voice to follow you outside to the potty area. Pup will typically go potty within 30 mins after having water, but can be a lot sooner. If you were not quick enough and puppy starts going potty in the house, say NO firmly but calmy and avoid scaring the puppy. You also want to stop pup in the act by bringing him/her outside to finish the potty. If you startle the pup while in the act, it may or may not work. Sometimes, when pups are spooked while they're trying to potty, the next time they need to potty they will hide from you and do it. Also, if the accident is done while you were occupied, it's too late to try to correct the puppy. Simply clean the mess up, make note of what YOU did not do right away or may have missed, and try again next time. Trying to discipline a puppy after they've already done the deed does not help in any way. Also, don't forget to cheer for puppy immediately aftet they go potty in the appropriate area to try to reinforce that good behavior.

Food: Puppies are currently eating 3x a day: 7am, 1pm, and 7pm. Each pup is eating about 1 cup each meal. They are more active while they’re with their littermates so they tend to eat more. Their appetite may decrease at new homes. Your pup may not have a big appetite during the first day at new home. If pup is not eating from own bowl, try hand feeding but it's more important to keep pup hydrated. We have not given any treats at all so be careful giving new treats as it could upset tummy. Try to stick with more natural treats now that pup is young (small pieces of boiled (bland) chicken breast, pieces of carrots, steamed sweet potato, etc.) Give treats sparingly and maybe stick with one new treat a day. Allow tummy to adjust. If you give store bought treats, stick with more higher quality treats that are for puppies. The less ingredients and more natural, the better. Puppies are currently eating Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Lamb & Oat Flavor. You'd eventually want to feed a higher quality puppy food that is formulated for large breed. This sensitiva stomach formula we are currently feeding is not specifically for large breed. We feed all of our dogs Purina Pro Plan but Hill Science and Royal Canin are other brands we recommend. If your pup is eating too fast, get a slow feeder bowl, or feed pup on a tray and spread out the kibble. Eating too fast could cause pup to aspirate the kibble or develop bloat. Don’t let your dog run or jump around after eating. Do some research on bloat so you can be aware.

Food Transition: Keep the puppy on the food we send home for at least a week or a few days before switching to new food. The transition to a new home can be stressful to a young pup so you'd want to avoid adding more stress until pup is acclimated to new environment and being away from littermates. Switching to new food too soon or without a gradual transition to allow pup time to adjust WILL cause diarrhea. Cooked, plain white rice helps with loose stool and diarrhea. When our dogs have the runs, we withhold food for 12-24 hours to allow time for their tummies to settle. Then, we start them on an all bland diet (just rice or rice with bland boiled chicken breast). We add some water to mix with the rice as the rice can be too sticky for dogs to eat, if dry. We typically feed the bland diet for a few days (dog may not poop for a couple of days when on the bland diet and that's OK, they eventually will). Then, we transition them to the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach formula. Once we believe their tummies have completeley settled, we transition them off the sensitive stomach formula and back on their new food. Sometimes, if their diarrhea is not as bad, we don't need to put them on the sensitive stomach formula. Every dog and every situation is different. Always consult with your vet on which course of action to take. Dogs can develop secondary infections and other issues if they have diarrhea too frequently or for too long. It's best to avoid the stressful diarrhea situation by gradually transitioning the puppy accordingly. Here is a helpful chart to follow: