My 6-week-old puppy: How to care for her health, train, and sleep?

Congrats! I would just schedule a wellness visit with your vet soon so they can make sure he is healthy and no obvious issues. I would make sure he is on a large breed puppy food and that he is eating 2-3 times per day. I would go ahead and start crate training him if you are planning to do this to help house break him. See link below for tips. If his 1st set of shots were given before he was 6 weeks old, then there is a good chance your vet may want to repeat his 1st set of shots simply because any shots given before 6 weeks technically don't count. I hope this helps! https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/new-pet/Puppy-and-Dog-Crate-Training.html

Congrats on your new puppies! First thing you need to do is stop taking them to the dog park. They will not be fully vaccinated at six weeks of age, and it is not safe at all to take Oscar and Harper places where many dogs can frequently. They can contract parvo or distemper, both of which are horrible and fatal diseases. They should not be taken outside your backyard until they are fully vaccinated. They need their first round of shots now, and then will need two additional series of vaccines four weeks apart. Ten days after they receive their final round of vaccines, then it will be safe for them to go to the dog park. As for their behavior when you leave, it sounds like they may be suffering from separation anxiety. I would recommend crating them in separate crates when you are gone. The crate will provide them a small space where they can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train them to get used to a crate. Start putting them in it when you are home and sitting nearby so they doesn't think you are abandoning them, and slowly increase the time they are in it. They can have toys in their crates, and puzzle toys with treats in it that they have to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to them in their crates. That will keep them occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

Hello. I do not know if it is illegal to take a puppy away from its mother at 6 weeks of age, but it is a very common practice. By 6 weeks, the puppies are large enough to eat on their own, & may actually be tearing up the mother's breasts as they aggressively nurse. Now, puppies do seem to develop better social skills if they are left with their siblings until they are 8-12 weeks, but this does not mean your pup will have any problems. Do not feel bad. I am sure she will develop into a great dog, especially since you are already so concerned about her welfare. Do not listen to people on social media. Only the loudest & nastiest comments will come through. Care for her as any puppy, have your vet check her out as soon as possible to make sure she is healthy & parasite free, & obtain vaccinations as your veterinarian recommends. You will do great. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Make sure everyone in your household interacts with him to get him used to being touched and handled and used to people. He is too young to be around other dogs yet. But once he has his vaccines completed you can enroll him in doggy day care or a group obedience class to help with social skills

Expose her as much as possible to the different sights and sounds of the home and yard. This will help acclimate her to different environments. You can "puppy proof" and area, but try not to make it too sterile for her. When feeding her, take the bottle away early every now and then and hold her in an uncomfortable position for brief periods of time. This will impart various coping skills and teach her how to deal with frustrations. Ideally, she should be enrolled in puppy socialization classes very soon. The best way for her to learn how to be a dog is to play and tumble around with other dogs. A vaccinated and healthy adult female dog can also be used to teach manners

Congrats on your new addition! Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian within 3 days of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. At the very least, she will likely need to be dewormed. Vaccines can start around 6 weeks of age and will continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Discuss monthly parasite prevention with your vet to protect against worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm. Feed a good quality puppy food. Look for brands such as Canidae, Acana or Merrick. You can feed according tot the directions on the bag, just know that each puppy is different and you may need to adjust the amount if Coqueta is gaining too much weight or not enough weight. Avoid store or discount brands as these may contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Puppies typically need to go about about 20-30 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. Expect accidents, they are going to happen. Since dogs thrive on routine, start a consistent schedule for potty breaks; first thing in the morning, midday, evening and before bedtime to begin with. Choose one spot in the yard and use it for bathroom training. She can have a short walk or playtime after she does her business. Praise and reward her each time. Avoid areas with other dogs and dogs of unknown vaccine status until she has at least 2 rounds of vaccines. Visit the PetCoach Educational Center for additional information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ https://www.petcoach.co/educational-center/

If he is no longer nursing, then he isn’t getting antibodies from Mom anymore so he will need to start his vaccine series earlier than usual. Also, he may not learn the social cues that Mom teaches during this time. He can, however, learn those by participating in a puppy play group . I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon to start the vaccinations and to ask for a recommendation for a puppy play group. Best of luck and enjoy your cute new puppy!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.