Bringing Puppy Home

Puppy Proof Your Home:

Now is the time to go through whole house, garage and sheds... puppy proofing is critical. Electrical cords, computer cords, phone charging cords are dangerous and expensive.

TV remotes, cell phones, hands free phones, eye glasses, car keys are all very pricey but such delightful chew toys and are usually left laying around in fairly easy accessible places for a clever poodle.

Kitchen cupboards that open with the nudge of a nose need baby fasteners on them. Garbage under kitchen sink needs a new location or a secure cupboard door.

Boxes of chocolate on coffee table is huge danger for a pup/dog.

Laundry rooms with baskets of soiled clothes are a favorite place for a puppy to find great things to chew up.

Gardening supplies (bone meal, slug bait, fertilizers are all dangerous. All rodent bait - even the ones in plastic boxes are deadly.

Cat litter boxes are full of bacteria - keep away from dog.

Bags of garbage stored where dog can easily access. Things like cooked chicken and turkey bones can be hazardous.

Items disposed of in open bathroom trash cans can be dangerous; like the plastic disposable razors. Pups like plastic and will get seriously hurt on those.

Soft leather like items that get all spongy when wet are wonderful to a puppy...your shoes, runners, car interior; head rests, steering wheels, gear shift all make great chew items, wooden household furniture is also great for chewing; especially tapered legs on dining chairs/tables as they can get a good fit into the back corner of their mouth when molars are cutting through.

These are all the reasons you want your puppy in a crate or contained area when you are not able to watch him or you are going to be out of home.

Puppy Teething:

They will have more than one teething stage.

The big back molars are the hardest teeth for them to cut (at around 7 months old) and they need to 'chew' on something that will fit into back corners of their mouth. Beef marrow shank bones, split antlers, wet twisted frozen washcloths, ice cubes, small Kong's with peanut butter, small rope toys that are in good condition. All these things will make good teething toys.

The puppy teeth loosen and fall out properly on schedule if the dog has good chew things. If a baby tooth seems to be staying in place when a big new tooth is pushing through right beside it spend some time (at least 3 times a day) wiggling the baby tooth so it comes out. They have very long deep roots (way longer than the tooth that is showing) so it can take some persistence to get it to loosen and come out. This can save you a big Vet bill.

The baby teeth need to come out, so help the pup get them out.

Chewing toys and your wiggling the baby teeth will help a lot.

If you play ‘tug of war' with your puppy or dog, be gentle. it is hard on baby teeth and new teeth that have not yet settled firmly into the soft bone of their jaws.

They are still a work in progress and you can harm the placement of their adult teeth, plus 'tug' games teach a dog aggressive behaviors so do not do this.