So I'm getting a brand new 8 week old puppy soon, in a week. And I just have a few questions. I have owned a dog before but never as a newborn puppy like this. So I generally know what I need. But I do have a few questions :) I'm 16 by the way so I'm not a dog expert. •can 8 week old puppies have like the puppy hard milk bone treats? Or like really small bones? or can it only be small stuff that's chewy? •for my schooling, I'm away for 7 hours. She will be in her kennel so I can train her early on that while we are gone she is to be put away, will that interrupt with her going potty outside? And my mom does come home early so she can let her out. Do you think this is a good idea? •and any other basic dog tips that you think would be friendly to give :) thanks! 10 points best answer (:
Dog Foster/Rescue Volunteer2012-09-05T15:55:39Z
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1. At 8 weeks old, the puppy can only be in a crate for 2 hours and then must be taken outside to pee. Crate training at such a young age is good - but someone has to be there to let it out. Puppies can generally be left alone for as many months old as they are at one time. So at 3 months old = 3 hours and so on until about 6 months of age where they can hold their bladder better.
2. Puppies this young need to be fed at least 4 times per day. Their stomachs are too small to eat all of the food they need to eat in one or two sittings.
3. Feed the puppy a high quality puppy food only.
4. Do not feed puppies treats. Avoid giving treats at this young age because puppies stomachs are so small, they can fill up on the treats and not get the nutrients they need from their puppy food.
5. Avoid any dog that is unvaccinated and avoid any places that dogs may have been that are unvaccinated until your puppy has had all sets of puppy shots. Unvaccinated dogs have a chance of carrying parvo and parvo is deadly to puppies. The last set of puppy shots should happen at 16 weeks of age at which point the immunity is stable to build antibodies against parvo. Therefore you would not want to take your dog to dog parks or pet stores until after this last set of shots. (Amongst other places.)
6. It's important to socialize your puppy with lots of people and as many different types of people as possible. Expose the puppy to light skinned, dark skinned, tall, fat, short, children, male, female, etc. The more exposure you provide, the less scared your dog will be of people.
7. Expose your puppy to VACCINATED dogs to socialize the dog as early as possible to ensure they do not become dog aggressive. Going to puppy classes is a great way to do this because puppy class instructors require all puppies to be vaccinated and therefore it's a safe environment to take your puppy to.
8. Every single day of the dogs life: Provide fresh, clean water - for an entire day. Sometimes means changing it more frequently than once daily - but so important your puppy stays hydrated!!
There's so much more, but these are really important! Invest in a puppy raising book and read that book as soon as possible to ensure you're prepared.
1. There are treats made for puppies, but another route would be all-natural dog treats broken down into very small pieces. I don't recommend giving your puppy treats of any kind for another month or so. 2. A kennel is a good idea, as long as its spacious. Keep a puppy pad in her crate just in case she has any accidents, and when you're home, always reinforce good potty behavior. 3. Look up on the internet how to best prepare your home for a new puppy. Aside from the basics, be sure to have soft toys, as well as toys made for teething doggies. This will help you teach her not to bite on your furniture. If this isn't work, try to find a sour spray to put on wires and furniture from your pet store. Train her every day, but keep in mind that she has a short attention span, so you need to make it fun! & Be sure to introduce your puppy to different kinds of people, different places, and different dogs. She needs to learn to be tolerant, and calm in all situations. Also, GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!
You should not give your pup any hard treats for 6 months. And NEVER give real bones or raw hides; especially if it is a smaller breed dog. Smaller dogs are more likely to choke on bones and it is a TERRIBLE experience for both pup and owner. I read all the horror stories when I first got my pup and ignored them. Sure enough a month or so later my poor Douglas choked. Two days and $2000.00 later my pup was finally able to come home.
Crate training is always the best. Your puppy will have accidents in the begining, but he/she will eventually learn. It's good your mom can go home before the 7 hours because that is a pretty long time.
Teach your puppy how to use pee pads early on and use one of the bitter chew sprays to prevent chewing. Also get a Kong toy. My pup lovesss that thing. You can also freeze it with the filling to keep your puppy occupied for a longer period of time.
ys start off my feeding the puppy what the the breeder was feeding him/her. If you personally don't like the food that he was originally being feed change the food by mixing the old food with the new food( more of the new food each time until he has completely changed over to the new food). Also I would suggest a soft food/wet food because they really don't have all their teeth yet. Most puppies 8 weeks old are "clumsy". After all, most puppies just learned to walk at 3 weeks of age and run at 5 weeks of age, which was just a few short weeks ago. They are developing their gross motor skills that help them to run, play, and "hunt". Their fine motor skills will come later. Puppies also learn to jump up at this stage. This is a normal behavior that can turn into an undesirable behavior when the puppy reaches adult-hood and jumps on every visitor. You can begin correcting your puppy and giving him positive reinforcement for good behavior. 8-week-old puppies have a baby type hair coat that is very fine and does very Fine and little shedding. Remember to take your pup the the vets within 48-72 houres of having him, to ensure he's ok, so your looking at about £100/$90 there, mak sure you do this this is crucial.
Here's some tips,
Start crate training Take him out at least every 3 hours Maintain a housetraining schedule Be patient Get your puppy used to grooming and being touched Feed him 4 times per day Never hit your puppy Give positive reinforcement for work well done Expose your puppy to different noises to minimize fear Socialize! Puppy proof your home Make sure he has an ID tag Provide good chew toys Play with Your Puppy And get his vaccines, or hel catch diseases that will kill your puppy verry slowly and painfully I'm sure you wouldn't whant that, Happy pupping :) enjoy your new pet
First of all sweet heart, you should always do your research before getting a dog. From reading what you've written you are indeed clueless and to a point, I don't see it good that you get a dog.
First of all a 8 week old puppy is not a newborn. It is a young puppy, but not a newborn. Secondly, young puppies should eat puppy food, and milk bones should be treats. For now, a puppy does not need bones to chew on, they will however need toys and other things to bite on. Bones can cause issues if the dog swallows them, especially rawhide bones and chews.
Secondly, who is caring for her for 7 hours when you are at school. A puppy should NEVER be left alone for more than 4 HOURS and that is RECOMMENDED. A puppy left alone for more than 4 hours is prone to behavioral issues like separation anxiety, socializatoin issues and more. Puppies need constant socialization, especially at a young age. Also, puppies need to be taken out every 2 HOURS to pee/poop. Puppies cannot hold their bladders that long, their bladders are small. So..........who is going to be there to take her out every 2 hours?
It is obvious you do not have the education nor the time to care for a puppy. It's not a good idea.