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A NEW PUPPY!
 Deciding
to buy a puppy should be a careful, well-thought out decision.
A dog can be the most rewarding of pets, but also one of the
most demanding. Before you buy a puppy, please think first.
Is there really time for a dog in your life, and can you give
a commitment that might for 12 years, possibly more?
Do you have the time to provide the exercise
and training that a dog requires throughout its life, provide
a safe and secure home and afford a suitable and nutritious
diet that will ensure the very best of health?
You should also take into consideration your
health and age. Do you want an active or sedentary animal?
Some dogs require almost constant attention, lots of exercise
and stimulation. Others are more laid back; therefore you
need to research which dog will suit you and your family's
lifestyle. For instance if you live in a flat and have limited
free time, a Border Collie or Springer Spaniel would not be
such a good idea, and would probably lead to behavioural difficulties,
not only for the dog!
You will naturally want a puppy with a good
temperament who will adapt happily to life as part of the
family. Buying a puppy that has been home reared; exposed
to everyday sights, sounds and smells should help the transition
from life with Mum and litter mates to a new home and environment.
If you’re buying from a breeder make
sure that they will let you come and see the puppies with
their Mum and will answers all of your questions. Never ever
let anyone bring the puppy out to you – you really do
need to see the puppy and Mum together. If the person selling
you the puppy tells you that this is not possible then just
walk away.
This might seem like common sense, but the
sad fact is that too many people are persuaded to buy a puppy
at under 4 weeks of age, maybe without even seeing the mother.
Then there are tales of woe from new owners who bought from
a pet shop or puppy farm where the pup had been exposed to
illness, fear or stress, and then wonder why they are experiencing
health or behaviour problems later.
There are arguments as to the best time to
separate a puppy from its mother.
The optimum time for socialisation is between 6 – 8
weeks when the puppy’s instinct to make friends with
strangers overcomes its natural wariness, and this is generally
considered the ideal time period for removing a puppy from
its litter mates and mother.
For a puppy, being taken away from its mother
and placed into a strange environment where nothing is familiar
can be a frightening experience. Spend the first few days
welcoming the puppy into your family, giving it lots of attention
and mental stimulation and showing it the basics of what’s
right and what’s wrong, where it can eat, sleep and
go to the toilet.
Create a positive experience at all times.
The escape and fear response has not fully developed in the
first 12 weeks of development and so things out there in the
‘big wide world’ will not be so scary. Puppies
do need to get used to the various stimuli that they will
encounter in everyday life as early as possible. These include
car rides, household and other strange noises, other animals,
water and traffic.
Puppies go through many changes in the first
12 months of their lives and most of their learning and behavioural
patterns are learnt in this time. Teach the puppy to socialise
with humans and other dogs as soon as possible. A puppy has
a short attention span so all training sessions should be
frequent but brief. Simple obedience and the discouragement
of unwanted behaviour will help to show you are ‘worthy’
of the puppy’s respect. Praise is important!
The earlier the training the better, even
if it’s just the basics.
Vaccination is important to prevent your dog
from becoming ill from infectious diseases. It stimulates
the body’s own defence system to produce protective
antibodies in the blood. The micro-organisms that cause disease
can be widespread in certain areas of the U.K and unvaccinated
dogs are at risk from a range of life-threatening diseases
such as canine distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, infectious
canine hepatitis and kennel cough.
A course of vaccinations will be needed for
your puppy. These are usually given at around 9 and 12 weeks
of age.
Worming is also important. It is possible
that your puppy already has worms, which have been passed
from its mother, and worming should be done every month until
the puppy is 6 months old and then every 3-6 months.
It is important to choose the correct diet
for your pup. Rapid growth can cause health problems in later
life, so it’s best to feed a high quality, low protein
and low fat food, such as BURNS Mini Bites, to enable your
puppy to grow strong but steady. Avoid the temptation to fill
the puppy with treats and sweets on top of his daily allowance,
and if you do then take what ever treats are given out of
the total food given in the day. Always provide a ready supply
of fresh drinking water.
Puppies need lots of time, care and patience.
Follow these guidelines and your efforts will be positively
rewarded.
 Correct
feeding is vital - Burns MiniBites
have been developed using holistic principles to ensure that
requirements for energy, muscle and bone development are met
but not exceeded.
MiniBites are also free of colours,
flavourings and artificial preservatives and contains non-caged
chicken meat and the goodness of brown rice. Good health -
naturally!
Any information above is given in good faith
by our Nutritional advisors and may not necessarily reflect
the opinion of Burns Pet Nutrition. The advice of Burns Pet
Nutrition or a qualified veterinary surgeon should always
be sought before changes are made to the diet in the nutritional
management of health problems. Burns is a food and not a medicine.
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