Bringing a new puppy home can be the most exciting thing for a pet parent, but the responsibilities that follow it can leave you regretting this decision. Teaching your pup manners and training them towards healthy adult behavior can be a real task sometimes. Puppies are just like human babies and require a lot of care and support till they complete 12 weeks. Thus, to address this concern and help pet parents out there we decided to make a complete puppy care guide. 

We have earlier done a similar adult dog care guide where we discussed topics like dog training, aggression, and genetics. You can check it out later!!

How To Take Care Of Your First Puppy?

Puppies are born to be cared for!! But before this, it’s quite important to understand if you can take care of one. 

Firstly, your task starts by first choosing the right pup breed. Consider your surrounding, work life, family, health, etc. before choosing a pup. If you feel you can’t take care of a big boy, go for smaller breeds like Chihuahuas. If you want a family-friendly dog you can go for Goldens or Labs. 

Secondly, consider pet-proofing your home. This would be a safe choice as it would keep your pup out of danger. Remove hanging wires, toxic plants, and trash bins, from your pup’s sight. Consider your puppy’s height and keep fragile things above normal reach.

Thirdly, pack your house with everything that a pup might require. You can’t run to the market every now and then to get things for your puppy, so pack all the necessary things in advance like-

Puppy Food

Chew/ Distress Toys

Diapers

Food Bowl

Extra Collar (if they lose the previous one)

Comfortable Leash  

Blanket

Dog Cage, etc. 

Fourthly, go and vaccinate your pup so they stay healthy. Vaccines are beneficial and protect your pup from fatal illnesses that can cause serious problems. Check with your vet about your pup’s monthly vaccines and get them done regularly.  

How To Groom Your Puppy?

Teaching your pup grooming early on can save you time later. It’s your duty to make them comfortable with it. 

Pups often show drama when we touch their paw, pet them, or try to bathe them. So it’s always recommended to teach grooming early on, to avoid drama later. Offer them treats in-between grooming sessions to reinforce it as a positive behavior. 

Puppies show less drama when they are tried. Go choose a fun activity that drains your pup’s energy and then introduce grooming to them. This way they won’t pull out tantrums and would get more comfortable with grooming. 

When starting your pup’s grooming use the correct supplies to keep the activity enjoyable. Use the right hair brush according to your pup’s coat and don’t bathe them before they cross the three-month mark. 

For dental care first, start by gently massaging their gums and teeth. After they feel at ease, introduce dog-friendly toothpaste and brush their teeth twice a day. 

Teaching your puppy healthy grooming habits is important as it maintains their health. Regularly combing and bathing keeps their hair unmatted and fresh. Brushing avoids the development of serious gum issues. So go and consult your vet now, to know the best grooming supplies for your pup.

Contact Buckaroos for your puppy or dog grooming in Oklahoma.

How To Take Care Of Your Puppy’s Nails?

You need to start this early as well!! Watch the video here

Cutting a pup’s nail can be a tiring task but the earlier you start the better it is. First of all, choose the right nail clippers that suit your pup’s size. This will ensure their safety. A normal nail-cutting session will cost you up to $13-$30. 

But if you wish to do it yourself, you need to know where to cut. The below picture demonstrates the correct way to trim your pet’s nails. 

Never cut along the red part, also known as the quick. 

But how do you identify a quick?

It’s simple. If your dog has lighter nails the pink area on its nail bed is quick, so just cut beyond it and you’re done. 

If your dog has darker nails, cut where you notice the nail is getting curled. It is advised to only trim the tip as cutting quick can lead to excessive pain and bleeding. 

How To Potty Train Your Puppy?  

The real task after you get a puppy begins when it starts to litter and pass out everywhere around the house. That’s when crate training comes in handy. Uses of potty pads watch video here.

Dogs love keeping their living spaces clean. Crate training helps improve this belief. When they are in their crate and feel like eliminating, they would start scratching the crate to get out. That’s when you take them out to do their business. 

This is quite effective as it builds their old belief!!

Another way to potty train your dog is to fix up their intervals of eating and discharging. Once you feed them, immediately take them out to clear their tracts. As dogs love following routines this method works wonders. 

How To Train Your Puppy?

This is where the most tiresome and interesting part comes in!! Training a pup is hard and requires lots of patience. So when you start keep the following things in mind- 

Before you start your training session, take your dog for a potty break. Do the same after the session ends. This keeps the dog focused. Teach your puppy new commands watch the video here.

As puppies have small attention spams, always carry their favorite treats and toys along to avoid unwanted distractions. Take your puppy to a hushed environment so they stay attentive.

Puppies often get bored, thus taking small play breaks would help a lot. Use your pup’s favorite toys to keep them engaged. You can always resume the training after 5-10 minutes of break.

Behavior Guide For Your Puppy

When you bring a new pup home, it can be hard to understand its weird behaviors at first. Our puppy behavior guide will surely help you calm down. Some normal puppy behavior includes- 

Biting and Chewing- Pups love to nibble down and bite things. That’s a basic instinct they are born with. This behavior can amplify if your pup is in the teething stage. A normal way to calm this down is by introducing chew toys and bones.

If your pup still prefers biting and nibbling your finger, exclaim ‘Ouch’ out of pain whenever they engage in this action. This will avoid them from repeating the behavior. 

Jumping- Dogs are packed with energy. They choose to play to release this energy, but when their humans are busy with the important stuff, they might jump and tug your clothes to get your attention. This behavior might seem cute at first but can become real trouble soon. 

Instead of scolding or hitting them, it’s best to avoid them until they completely stop. You can also use words like, ‘no’, ‘stop’, and ‘bad dog’ to signal them that it is a negative behavior. Once they calm down you can treat them with their favorite treats.

Scratching- Pups can use their nails to scratch on furniture, glass doors, floors, etc. which can cause property damage. To avoid this behavior you should trim your pup’s nails. Crate training can also help in avoiding such accidents. 

How To Choose The Best Toys For Your Pups?

Who doesn’t love toys? Dogs of all ages love playing with their possessions for hours. Some incredible and safe toys you can try out for your dog include- 

Rubber Toys- The right paradise every teething pup needs!! Rubber toys are hard and provide comfort to pups. You can even freeze these toys to soothe your pup’s gums. 

Fetch Toys- Pups who are active players will love this type of toy. You can either go for rubber balls or discs to keep your dog entertained. 

Soft Toys- Some pups keep their soft toys as priced possessions while others go on a mission to destroy every inch of them. You can go for no-fur, heavy-duty, and no-stuffing plush toys to increase their durability. 

How To Prepare A First Aid For Your Puppy?

Emergencies can show up anytime, and if so you have a puppy, being prepared beforehand always works. 

During emergencies, puppies can bite out of fear. Thus keeping a pup muzzle handy can solve this problem. Once you put the muzzle on you can manually clean out wounds, or pick them up. 

As a pup parent, you should always keep emergency supplies within reach to avoid delays. Some imperant supplies include-

Bandages to cover up wounds

Cotton Balls to clean wounds

Gloves to operate manually

Scissors, and Tweezers 

Hydrogen Peroxide to clean wounds

Additionally, keep emergency numbers saved on your phone. This will save time during emergencies. 

How To Look After Your Puppy’s Nutrition?

As a first-time pet parent looking after your pup’s nutritional requirements can be overwhelming. With us, you get the simplest nutritional overview that you need. 

Feeding time for dogs changes as they grow old. If your pup is 2-3 months old, you need to feed them 4 meals a day. 

Once they reach 3 months, you can reduce their feeding time to 3 meals a day.

A fully grown dog usually needs 2 meals each day. 

What should I feed my puppy? 

Well, the best food you can give your pup is packaged pup food. It has all the required nutrients that your puppy needs for a balanced diet. 

Some important nutrients you should feed your growing puppies include- 

Proteins- 20-30% of their meal

Carbs- 15% of their meal

Calcium- 4.5 mg per kcal

Fats- 5.5% of their meal

Water- 2 ½ of water every 3 hours

Developmental Changes Pups Go Through

A normal puppy goes through 5 developmental stages where he/she experiences complete mental and physical transformation till they reach 18 months of age. Communicating with your dog watch the video here.

Stage 1- Neonatal Period- This stage lasts for 2 weeks after birth. They are born with closed eyes and ears and can only sense touch and taste. They completely rely on their mother as they lack thermal regulation. 

Stage 2- Transitional Period- This stage lasts for 2 weeks after the neonatal period. Here the pups start interacting with the outer world. They develop basic senses like smell and start socializing with their family. 

Stage 3- Socialization Period- This stage lasts for 10 weeks after the transitional period. A full 360 development of senses and personality occurs at this stage. This is the stage when you bring your pup home for the first time. 

Pups learn quickly at this stage, so vets recommend starting basic training during this period. They also become more friendly and learn to interact with strangers as well. 

Stage 4- Testing Period- This stage lasts for 3 months after the socialization period. Here the pup tries to understand its relations with its owner and other animals around. They also start teething at this stage, hence it’s advised to keep a constant eye on their actions. 

You can introduce chew toys at this stage to calm down their impulses. 

Stage 5- Adolescence Period- This stage lasts for 12 months after the testing period. Here your dog becomes a teenager and starts producing hormones. Female dogs may even start their heat period at this stage. 

Male dogs become more aggressive, and energetic and learn area marking by releasing pheromones. 

Once your pup reaches the adolescent stage, it’s time to train them to become a ‘Good Boy’. Train your dog to calm down and be friendly. This will help you in the long run. 

The Correct Way To Raise Your Puppy

Raising a pup isn’t easy. They not only require constant attention and care but also require patience and strictness to teach good habits. To become the ideal parent you wish to be, you need to know the following things. 

First and foremost, get your house puppy-proofed. Also, get a crate to avoid mishaps. 

Secondly, choose the right toys for your pups. Some edible toys like rawhide toys in all shapes and sizes should be avoided at all costs. Even tug toys should be kept aside once play breaks are over. 

Thirdly, when your pup grows up it might start zooming out and becoming less energetic. Well, this behavior is absolutely normal. Just like humans dogs too need alone time, so let’s respect their state of mind and give them what they want. 

To Conclude

Raising and parenting puppies is a lot harder than raising dogs. Puppies require constant attention and if not provided, its consequences can be elicited in destructive ways. For this reason, getting a puppy can feel like a headache. But with the right help and guidance, you can definitely ace this. 

We at Buckaroos work to provide you with a solution for all your dog problems. We have top-notch trainers, feel-at-home boarding areas, and much more to keep your pups entertained. Give us a visit with your pup once!!