You can house train your puppy in a few short weeks if you invest the necessary time. Here are some suggestions to make this important training period a success.
Buy a crate and during the first few weeks, keep your puppy in it whenever you are not playing, holding, or watching him explore his new surroundings. Spend as much time as you can with your pet, but when you can't watch him, crating him can prevent mistakes from occurring. In addition to providing the safe, secure refuge your dog needs and wants, crates are critical to house training because as den animals, dogs are naturally inclined to not soil their bed. The most important thing house training dogs learn in a crate is that they can control their urge to eliminate until the proper time and situation.
Establish a schedule and don't deviate from it. "when" and "how" you house training needs to be consistent so make sure all family members follow the same guidelines. Pick a soiling spot in your yard and take your pup there on a lead when it is time to eliminate. The odor from previous visits to this spot will stimulate the urge to defecate and/or urinate. Many new owners confuse their pup by using different words for the same command. In the house breaking process, it is a good idea to use the same word like "outside" every time you take the puppy out to eliminate. Consistent use of a word with an activity will help to build a level of communication between you and your pup. Later, while you are watching television and notice your pup staring at you, you can say the word "outside" and your pup will go to the door.
Be patient. Dogs may urinate or defecate more than once in one outing, and not always right away. Don't distract your pup from the job at hand. This is a business trip, not a social time.
Praise them for their success when the job done but don't over do it. Just patting them across their shoulders a few times will do the trick. In a dogs language, that means more than constant rubbing across the head or repeating " good dog!". Some people prefer to use a consistent phrase when the pup eliminates such as "Do your stuff!" The pup soon learns this is a signal to eliminate, which is very useful when traveling or when time is short.
Don't mix business with pleasure. When your pup has finished, take him back inside, even just for a minute or two. When you come back inside, spend some time with your pup. You know there is little chance the pup will have to eliminate for a while so play with them and have a good time. The more time you spend with the pup, the better it is. Remember, they are still young and need to act like a pup, developing and learning about their new situation and environment. When you're finished, take one more trip outside and place the pup back in its cage or crate. After every meal and playtime, remember to take them outside before placing them back in the crate.
The key to house training is you. Spend as much time with your pup as possible during the first two to three weeks your puppy is home. Be consistent, patient, praise when appropriate, and be willing for however long it takes to invest the time and energy necessary to make this important training time a success. The effort you put forth now will be well worth it for the lifetime of your pet.
Establishing a schedule is important. Dogs are creatures of habit; they like to eat, sleep and relive themselves on a regular schedule. Establishing and maintaining a schedule is easy to do and gets easier as your puppy grows. Pay attention to your dog's behavior so you can develop a schedule that works for both of you. First, learn when your dog naturally defecates in the morning, at night, 30 minutes after eating, etc. Look at your schedule and determine what compromises need to be made to make this workable for everyone. If you catch your puppy in the act of having an accident, tell him "No!" forcefully, pick him up and take him outside. If you don"t catch him, simply clean up the mess and scold yourself for not being available. Do not scold the puppy. Until your pup is 14 weeks old, take him outside frequently and watch him very closely when he is in or out of his crate. As soon as you see him pacing, sniffing around, turning around in circles, or trying to sneak away (if he's out of the crate), take him outside. These are telltale signs that he needs to relieve himself. Say "outside" each time you take your puppy out so you can develop communication and understanding between you and your pet.
Here is a General Schedule
For puppies 3 to 6 months old eating 3 meals per day; owner is home or can get home at lunch.
7:00 am Take pup out. Don't wait until you shower or until the coffee is made.
7:15-7:30 Kitchen playtime.
7:30 Feed and water. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for eating, and remove dishes.
8:00 Take pup out. Confine to crate when you leave; place safe chew and play toys in crate for entertainment.
Noon Take pup out.
12:15-12:30 Kitchen playtime.
12:30 Feed and water.
12:45 Take pup out.
1:00 Confine to crate.
6:00 Take pup out as soon as you get home from work.
6:15-6:45 Kitchen playtime.
6:45 Feed and water.
7:00 Take pup out.
7:15 Confine to crate.
9:00 Feed and water.
9:15 Take pup out.
9:30-10:00 Kitchen playtime.
10:00 Confine to crate.
11:00 Take pup out. Confine overnight.
Author Dr. Foster & Smith
Heath Care articles By: Doctors Foster & Smith
Regular "mini-exams" help ensure the health of your puppy. Preventive care is the key to your puppy"s good health and regular mini-exams are the best way to detect potential problems early, while they're easier to treat. Start by getting to know how your puppy looks and acts when its healthy. Look closely at its eyes, ears, mouth, energy level, how much it eats and drinks (and eliminates), how it walks, any and every characteristic that is "normal" for your puppy. This will enable you to detect when something is wrong or not quite the same. Remember, they aren't like a child, they can't tell you where or even if "it hurts." Every few days do a quick visual exam of your pet's eyes, ears, and mouth. Take the time to slowly run your hands over your puppy from head to tail. Examine and feel the skin. Look at its feet and between its toes. A good "once over" will tell if everything is fine, or if there's something that needs your closer attention or a trip to the vet. Your puppy will soon learn to enjoy these mini-exams not only because of your attention, but for the relaxing, gentle massaging that is part of the process. It will also get it accustomed to having sensitive areas (like ears) touched and manipulated. Look in your puppy's mouth for inflamed gums, cracked or broken teeth, or foreign objects that might be caught between teeth or across the roof of the mouth. Become familiar with what the teeth look like. As she grows you'll notice lost baby teeth and adult teeth taking their place. Look in your puppy's eyes for inflammation, abnormal discharges, cloudiness, and partially closed eyelids (an indication of pain or irritation originating within or the surface of the eye). Look in your puppy's ears for wax build-up, abnormal discharges, redness or inflammation. These are signs of bacterial infections or ear mites. Because your puppy enjoys your companionship, it will often try to behave normally even when its not well. Take notice of even small changes in behavior or appearance because the sooner you can identify a potential problem, the better.
"More than ever, pet owners are medicating and vaccinating their pets at home"
The "Do-It-Yourself" mindset that has swept the nation in recent years is becoming more and more popular with pet owners who chose home heath care as an alternative to offset rising health care costs. People are realizing that they can administer a wide range of medications themselves without a large expense. Typical at home health procedures that most people previously though had to be performed at a clinic include: administering prescription and non-prescription medications, like flea and tick products, allergy treatments, and giving oral and injectable vaccinations against everything from Canine Distemper to Parvo virus. The procedures are easy and equally effective since most of the medications available to pet owners are the same ones used by veterinarians. Plus, there are now a number of very good books available about home healthcare that give pet owners the education they need to make informed decisions. Books such as "What's the Diagnosis?" and "Just What the Doctor Ordered" were written for pet owners and are easy to understand. Though it should never be considered a replacement for veterinary care, home healthcare is a cost effective alternative for many routine procedures, just as it is for human medicine.
What's the Diagnosis?
All common ailments are discussed in this easy-to-read book. This book is easy to understand, yet is in depth enough for veterinary students to rely on as a reference source. Learn how your dog's body works, what can go wrong, and what can be expected.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
In addition to being "the bible" on veterinary medication, this book will help you choose proper vitamins and foods for your pet. From fatty acid supplements and prescription diets to anti-cancer drugs, they are all here in an easy-to-understand format. This the reference guide for pet owners and veterinarians alike. Includes common drug dosage and use.
If you want one of these books they are $27.99 ea plus shipping, just e-mail Roy your request.
This is the #1 problem with puppies. When a future mother is infested with roundworms or hookworms, most of the larvae migrate to the small intestine where they spend their adult stage. Some larvae, however, become encysted (enclosed within a sac, or capsule) within the tissues of her uterus or mammary glands, becoming dormant for an extended period, even years. During and following pregnancy and whelping, the encysted worms are stimulated by hormones and resume development. This stage of worm will pass though either the placenta or milk into the infant puppies, thus infecting them. The puppies are either born with, or develop, "a case of worms" soon after birth. When these worms mature in the puppies, they live in the intestine. There, the roundworms live off the food the puppy eats. As the number of worms increase, the loss of nutrition can be significant. Hookworms attach to the intestines and directly suck blood from the vessels, which can quickly lead to anemia. Adult round and hookworms produce eggs that are passed with the stools. These eggs contaminate the dog's environment producing a constant source of re-infestation. It is wise to assume your puppy was infested with worms at birth. All puppies should be treated with a wormer four times before they are two months old, at about 2, 3, 5, and 7 weeks of age. I use and recommend the extremely safe and effective Nemex-2 which you can easily give to your puppy yourself. Oh yes don't for get about heatworms, ask your veterinarian about this. Author Dr. Foster & Smith
Are Basset Hounds healthy dogs? The Basset Hound claims excellent health. He is not prone to many hereditary weaknesses that are present in some other breeds. Many of the Basset's health problems can be attributed to his owner because he allowed his dog to become overweight, possibly resulting in aggravated arthritis, back problems, or heart trouble. Physical fitness is as important to the Basset as it is to humans. The Basset Hound enjoys running and leading an active life. Dogs raised in areas of the country where they can participate in the popular sport of field tailing can enjoy particularly good health. The Basset is an endurance dog. All breeds can carry genetic disorders or hereditary faults. The following list includes some of the problems that can develop in Bassets.
Von Willebrand's Disease; A hereditary disorder appearing in some Bassets is Von Willebrand's disease, a platelet disorder resulting in mild to moderately severe bleeding and a prolonged bleeding time. Careful pedigree analysis and blood testing have reduced the incidence of this disease by reputable breeders.
Eyes; The Basset is one of the breeds predisposed to glaucoma.
Bloat; Like many other breeds with a deep chest, the Basset is susceptible to gastric dilatation with torsion of the stomach (bloat). This can be a problem regardless of age. Torsion or bloat is considered an emergency and action must be taken immediately.
Paneosteitis; Paneosteitis is an elusive ailment occasionally seen in young Bassets. It is also known as wandering or transient lameness. Attacks are usually brought on by stress and aggravated by activity, and up to now, the cause and the cure are unknown. This mysterious disease causes sudden lameness, but its greatest potential danger may lie in false diagnosis, resulting in unnecessary surgery. A puppy will typically outgrow it by the age of two with no long term problems. It can be quite minor, or so bad that the dog will not put any weight on the leg. Symptoms may be confused with "elbow displasia", "hip displasia", "patellar luxation" and other more serious disorders. The most definite way to diagnose paneosteitis is radiographically. Even with this, signs can be quite minimal and easily missed. As to treatment, no cure was found in experimental tests and the only helpful thing found was relief for pain (aspirin, cortisone, etc.) However, using these, the dog tends to exercise more and thereby aggravate the condition. Note again: A GREAT MANY VETS ARE UNAWARE OF THIS DISEASE IN THE BASSET. In diagnosing the cause of a Basset's lameness, a radiograph of the forelimbs may indicate a condition called elbow incongruity. (Elbow incongruity is a poor fit between the 3 bones which comprise the elbow joint.) Studies to date indicate that elbow incongruity is normal in the Basset and is not the cause of the lameness. It is also suspected that many of the previously mentioned unnecessary (panosteitis) surgeries have been performed on Basset Pups just because radiographs that were taken showed elbow incongruity. A study on forelimb lameness in the Basset is currently underway at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. As previously mentioned they have determined that elbow incongruity occurs in the Basset but suspect that incongruity rarely causes the lameness. During the course of the study, conservative therapy will be recommended for all cases in which panosteitis appears to be the cause of the lameness. In cases with severe growth deformities or elbow pain associated with elbow incongruity, surgery may be recommended. If your Basset develops lameness and is diagnosed with an "elbow problem", discuss with your veterinarian the possibility of panosteitis.
Allergies; Some Bassets may have allergies to grasses. Hanging t heir head close to the ground for long periods of time will further aggravate it. If an allergy is diagnosed, a veterinarian can prescribe a mild eye ointment or other appropriate treatment.
Ears; The long drooping ear predisposes the Basset to otitis externa, (smelly yucky ears). This is easily prevented if ear cleaning is done regularly, such as when nails are clipped. Check with your veterinarian for an ear wash, or make a preventative cleaning mix of 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% white vinegar.
Paws; Due to the Basset's large paws, they are prone to interdigital cysts, abscesses and fungus infections between the digits (toes).
Exercise; As a puppy, the Basset should never be given too much exercise because of the heavy boned front. Care must also be taken to protect the front when jumping off anything, stairs, tables, etc.
Author The Basset by E.P. Hunt
of Responsible Basset Ownership
1. Know and obey local laws. At the same time, avoid leaving your basset tied out in your yard for long periods. Basset are social animals and require companionship. Leaving a basset out for extended periods tends to lead to barking and aggressive behavior.
2. Consult your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your basset if you know you will not breed. Neutering not only helps to control the severe pet overpopulation problem, it also has health benefits. Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer, especially if done prior to your bassets first heat. It also reduces the possibility of uterine infections and cancer. Castration prevents prostate disease and testicular cancer in male bassets. It also reduces or eliminates fighting between males, roaming, urine marking and mounting behavior.
3. License and place identification on your dog. Rabies vaccination and licensing are required by law in most states. In addition, you should identify your basset with a name tag, tattoo or computer chip in case he gets lost.
4. Provide regular veterinary care for your basset. Annual vaccinations, checkups and dental exams are essential to good heath.
5. Train your basset to have good manners.
6. Feed your basset a balanced diet and provide fresh water at all times.
7. Always clean up after your basset in public places.
8. Keep your basset clean and groomed. Regular grooming keeps your basset looking his best and helps to detect and control skin parasites that could be passed to people.
9. Play with your basset at lest 20 to 30 minutes a day. Avoid chase games, tug of war, and wrestling.
10. Exercise your basset at least 30 minutes daily. Brisk walks, jogging and ball playing are enjoyed by bassets.
11. Provide your basset with the chance to socialize with people and other dogs. Do not leave him cooped up in your house or yard.
12. Love, admire and respect your basset as your companion and as an individual. Your basset is a wonderful, beautiful and intelligent member of the canine species. Be patient with him if you run into problems. Don't hurt him, abandon him or ignore him. Get help before you give him up.
Author Dr. Foster & Smith
Routine Vaccinations For Bassets
Did you ever wonder what all these vaccinations were for, well here is a list of the main ones, that most vets give.
Canine distemper, a usually fatal viral disease that affects the respiratory and intestinal tracts and also the nervous system. Canine hepatitis, a viral disease of the liver. Kennel cough, the canine equivalent of the human cold. Parvo virus, a dangerous intestinal virus. Leptospirosis, a disease of the liver and kidneys. Rabies, a fatal neurologic disease. The rabies vaccine is given at approximately four months of age. Depending on where you live, and what your basset is likely to be exposed to, your veterinarian may also recommend vaccines for other diseases. Lyme disease, a disease that affects many body systems and is carried by some ticks. Corona virus, a viral intestinal disease of puppies. Most vaccines require annual boosters.
Author Dr. Foster & Smith
Last Updated August 4, 1998 by Lyndi