PUPPY ARTICLES
Necessary Vaccinations for Dogs & Puppies 6 weeks: Temporay Distemper and Measles vaccination for puppies that did not nurse from their mother during the first hours after birth of puppies from a bitch that is not current on her vaccinations. 8 weeks: DHLPPC - Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus. 12 weeks: DHLPPC Booster 16 weeks: DHLPPC Booster 6 months: Rabies ( 1 year vaccination) 14 months: DHLPPC, adminstered yearly from this date 18 months: Rabies ( 3 year vaccination) administered every 3 years from this date. * The DHLPPC vaccination requires the two booster injections to build up maximum immunity in the dog. Other Vaccinations These vaccinations are for canine diseases that are not a threat to most dogs in their everyday life surroundings. Bordetella (Canine Cough Complex or Kennel Cough)
Lyme Disease
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I hope you've done your homework, have learned about the breed and know what to expect in temperament, grooming, and whether you want a male or female. While that "coat of many colors" is intriguing, I hope you would not base your decision on coat color alone! Now is the time to go looking for breeders. There are so many ads in the newspaper - which of those are good breeders? Very few good breeders advertise in the newspaper because they get more than enough referrals from other good breeders, Specialty and All-Breed Clubs. They produce puppies with good health, good temperament, and good conformation, and there is often a waiting list for their pups. Look at several ads in the newspaper and most of them will be careless breeders who know little about this wonderful Breed. They simply decided to breed their pet, found a male and produced cute puppies. These people don't do research, so they simply don't know the incidence of kidney disease, PRA, SA, bad temperament or epilepsy in their lines. They "think" the parents are "perfect" without knowing anything about structure or soundness. When you buy from these people, you are essentially buying generic little dogs with unknown genes. Their AKC registration papers say Lhasa Apso only because the AKC churns registration papers out of a computer that couldn't care less about structure, health, or temperament. So how do I find a good breeder? In many cities, you can find a listing in the telephone directory for a Breeder Referral service; otherwise you might phone the American Kennel Club in New York for names of reputable breeders in your area, or someone from the American Lhasa Club that can give you information on breeders near you. Don't be in a hurry and decide to buy from a breeder just because they live close to you ... remember this is a long term committment, and you'll have many years to regret a hasty decision! Use the following interview questions and answers to evaluate breeders on the phone before committing yourself to a visit. Also call some of the breeders in your newspaper, if you'd like. Compare their answers to the recommended answers of a good breeder. Remember that your decision to acquire a Lhasa Apso from a particular breeder will affect you (and your pet) for the next ten to twenty years. It will also affect other Lhasas and owners -- because whoever you buy from will most likely breed again if he or she gets enough buyers this time around. Don't think only of yourself and buy from an "backyard" breeder simply because a single puppy looks decent. Think of our breed's future, and buy from someone who has done all the right research, someone who deserves to be rewarded and encouraged to produce another litter of great puppies. Interview Questions: "I got your name from (such and such). I'm looking for a parti-color female about four months old. We're an active family and we enjoy long walks, so we want to find a sturdy Lhasa Apso who's not going to mature too large, and with a very outgoing, athletic temperament." OR "I'm looking for an older female. A small size and a sweet gentle temperament are most important because she would be a companion for my granddaughter. She's about 8 years old, and she wants a little friend and playmate to be with her and be cuddled and loved." What should the breeder say to that? At this point, a good breeder will take over the discussion. If he has something available (or is expecting or planning a litter), he will try to qualify you as a potential owner. He wants to feel reassured that his precious puppy will receive proper care in a permanent home. He also needs to know you well enough to choose (or help you choose) the individual who will best suit your needs. He hopes that color is not more important to you than good character and temperament. Good breeders rely heavily on where you got their name, on who knows you and can vouch for you, and/or by what you sound like on the phone. They listen to the questions you ask and the terminology you use (for example, asking for a cute teacup won't help your cause). Don't expect to simply call a good breeder and be greeted with cries of joy and an immediate invitation to come on over and pick any puppy you want. A good breeder will ask: Will this be your first Lhasa Apso? If not, tell me about the others. Have you had other breeds? What happened to them? Do you have pets now? What kind? How old? How do they act toward other dogs? What made you choose a Lhasa? What research have you done on the breed? Do you have children? How old? What are their personalities like? Do you have a yard? What type of fencing does it have? Would I be able to come see your home, or have a friend do so? How much time during the day will the Lhasa be alone? Where will she stay? Is anyone in your family allergic to dogs? What books have your read on raising and training? What type of socialization are you planning to do? How are you planning to housebreak the puppy? Are you interested in showing or breeding? Are you willing to accept a Limited Registration or neutering contract? Do you rent? Will your landlord OK a dog in writing? Could I have the phone number of your vet as a reference? Wow! It's like adopting a baby! From a good breeder, it is. This is the kind of breeder who has very likely put a great deal of time and effort into breeding and raising nice Lhasas. Compare his concerned questions with the response of your typical newspaper ad or pet store: "Yes we have puppies, very cute, bring $195 cash, or I can knock $50 off if you don't want the papers." YEECCCHHH!!!! |
Remember that repetition is necessary. Your puppy will not understand what you want unless you repeatedly show him/her the desired behavior MANY times. Keep in mind also that your puppy does not know what is expected and must be shown the proper place to eliminate, and when. Your best potty training friend is your crate. When you cannot watch your puppy, use a crate. Think of the crate the same way you think of a playpen for a human child. Even if you are only leaving the room for a "minute," either take the puppy with you or use the crate. After all, you would not leave a toddler in the house alone "for just a minute" would you? Crate training can be fun for the puppy if you make it a POSITIVE experience. The DEN is an integral part of the wild dogs upbringing and safety zone. The same thing applies to the "crate". Giving the pup special "treats" is a great way to introduce him to his crate. The only time the puppy receives these special treats is when he is in the crate; the treats become associated with the crate. Use the crate wisely. Don't crate only when you are leaving the house. Place the puppy in the crate while you are home as well. Use it as a "safe" zone, or for "time outs". (thus keeping your sanity) By crating when you are home AND while you are gone, the puppy becomes comfortable in the crate and not worried that you will not return, or that you are leaving him/her alone. This helps to eliminate separation anxiety later in life. Most puppies will not soil their "den." The first couple of tries you might have some accidents, but don't be discouraged. An easy way to avoid accidents in the night for the first few weeks is by following this routine: 1. set your alarm for about 3 hrs after your normal bed time. When the alarm goes off, get up immediately, go to the crate and CARRY the pup outside (I do this in my robe, with my shoes kept by the door to the outside). Place him on the ground and encourage him to eliminate. PRAISE when he does, and bring him back to the crate. Go back to bed. 2. Set your alarm for another 3 hrs, and get back to sleep. When the alarm goes off repeat part 1. 3. After about a week of the above routine, IF it has been successful (no crate messing) then you can set the alarm for ½ way through your sleep time. Follow the remainder of part 1. When you arise in the morning, TAKE the pup outside BEFORE you do anything else. Feed the pup and then crate. Follow your regular waking routine, then walk the pup one more time before going off to work. 4. Repeat the feeding, walking and crating at lunch time. Pups from the ages of 2 to 4 months CANNOT control their elimination for much more than 4 hours, so if you cannot return home at lunch time, arrange for someone to do this for you at lunch. If the CRATE is too large, the pup can easily soil on one side and sleep on the other. The way to prevent this is to buy a crate that will accommodate your pet when it is fully grown. Then get a box that will fit inside the back of the crate. The box should be large enough that there is only room for the puppy to stand and lie down comfortably. As the puppy grows, provide more room by putting in a smaller box, or cutting down the size. When the puppy reliably asks to be put outside to eliminate, remove the box so the puppy can use the whole crate. If the puppy messes the crate, replace the box size to the point at which the puppy was reliable, and just give the pup a little more time to learn. In conjunction with crate training, potty training starts immediately. Whenever you remove the puppy from the crate or just want the puppy to "go potty," take the dog to the door that will always be used to "go outside." Use the SAME door throughout the training period. On the handle of this door, tie a bell to a string, dropping it even with the height of the puppy's nose. When you bring the puppy to the door, lure the puppy to touch the bell with either it's nose or paw, (using a treat) causing the bell to ring. After the puppy rings the bell, give it the treat, (use a SMALL piece of meat or dried liver) and say "OUTSIDE" in a happy tone of voice. Take the puppy outside on leash. Reminder: During housebreaking DO NOT allow the pup outside to eliminate alone or loose in the yard. Yes, that means in the rain, snow, whatever: YOU GO OUTSIDE ALSO. Give the puppy plenty of time. Don't rush or you will be sorry. When the puppy urinates or defecates, praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and again, give the puppy a tiny, tiny treat. Continue to wait. When the puppy poops, again praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and give a treat. Go back inside, stop at the door again, and treat once again. If the puppy does not "potty" even after staying outside 15 minutes, return back inside, place the puppy back into the crate, wait 15 minutes and start again from the beginning. If done religiously, this training process should take only about 2 weeks for the puppy to understand. This method will work with any dog, regardless of age. If you adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue program, follow the same routine. Remember, even though the dog is older or even an adult, he still does not know the rules of your home, and may not have ever BEEN in a house. Be PATIENT and this method WILL work. |
needs to be modified so you and the puppy will be happy. The first thing to teach your new puppy is that human flesh is much more sensitive than other puppies and that it really hurts us when they bite. This is called bite inhibition. A puppy has very sharp teeth and a weak jaw. This means that the puppy can cause you to be uncomfortable when mouthing or puppy biting you, but can not cause severe damage. An adult dog has duller teeth and a powerful jaw. This means that an adult dog can cause significant damage when biting. ANY DOG WILL BITE GIVEN THE RIGHT OR WRONG CIRCUMSTANCES
! If a small child falls on your adult dog and sticks a finger in the dog's eye, you
should not be surprised if the dog bites. If It is simple to teach a puppy bite inhibition. Every time
the puppy touches you with its teeth, say "OUCH!" in a harsh tone of voice. This
will probably not stop the puppy from mouthing, but over The commands necessary to teach a puppy NOT to mouth, are
easy and fun. Hold a small handful of the puppy's dry food, say "take it" in a
sweet tone of voice, and give the puppy one piece of food. Then close the rest of the food
in your hand and say "off" in that same sweet tone of voice. When the puppy has
not touched your hand for 3 to 5 seconds, say "take it" and give the puppy one
piece of food. After a couple of weeks of the above training, here is how you are going to handle puppy biting or mouthing: a. Unexpected mouthing (you don't know the puppy is going to mouth, until you feel the puppy's teeth): "OUCH!" b. Expected mouthing (you see the puppy getting ready to mouth you): You say "OFF" before the puppy can mouth you. c. The puppy is mouthing you because of a desire to play. You have to answer the question, "Do I have time to play with t,,he puppy now ?" If you do, then do "sit", "down", "stand" or other positive 'lure and reward' training. If the answer is "No, I don't have time for the
puppy, right now," then you need to do a time out (crate, or otherwise confine the
puppy, so the puppy can't continue to mouth you and get in trouble. |
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