I'm a new puppy parent. What are the best tips to raise them right?

Congratulations on your new pup! You can visit the following link for training tips and how to deal with common behaviour issues http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=1 also try Adaptil, a calming pheromone that can help reduce anxiety in puppies and dogs www.adaptil.com . Training is still needed with all puppies and dogs, and enrolling Sitka in a puppy training class is a good way to help socialize him correctly in a safe environment. You can also find a trainer who can do sessions with you at home if scheduling is an issue for training classes. Neutering is also a good idea to help reduce roaming, marking behaviour, humping and aggression. Good luck.

Great questions! The most important tip I have is to have a dog fund, money set aside for your puppy's heath care. I would budget to spend at least $500-$1000 a year, but I would save more than that for emergencies. Dogs need regular health care just like humans, and you need to make sure you have the funds available to provide that care. The puppy you get should be at least six to eight weeks of age, any younger is too young to be separated from their mother. Keep in mind your puppy will need vaccines, deworming treatments, flea treatment, heartworm treatment, and should be either neutered (boy) or spayed (girl) when they are old enough. You will also need a leash, food bowl, water bowl, dog bed, and puppy toys. I would have your puppy see a vet as soon as you get it for a health check and to discuss the vaccine schedule. I hope this helps :-)

Good for you for starting your kitten on the right foot! Socialization is the key to having a happy and well-adjusted kitten, and the earlier that socialization begins, the better. Try to expose your kitten to as many different people, noises, healthy animals (that are up-to-date on vaccinations) and situations as possible. Play with your kitten regularly to keep them exercising and out of trouble. Games of fetch or chase the laser pointer are favorites of many kittens. Offer your kitten a scratching post and regularly trim their nails so that this routine aspect of normal grooming poses less stress. Particularly during the first four months of life, kittens need to make regular trips to the veterinarian for wellness exams and vaccinations to assure that they are healthy and developing properly, as well as preventing many different viral diseases.

Hello. It is never too early to start some very basic training & advocating for good manners in a puppy. Discourage any chewing or rough play using hands or feet. Gentle reminders & plenty or other things to chew on are the key. If your pup is already on a solid, but soft diet, then do not let her charge over & eat her food in seconds. Make her sit as quiet as possible for 10-15 seconds before allowing her to eat. Begin some basic obedience with her. Sit, stay, shake a paw are all possible for her to begin to understand at this age. While you can not take her out to associate with others, as soon as she has had all of her puppy shots, begin to socialize her with other pets & people ( as long as it is safe to do so with this pandemic ). If you treat her well, with a firm kindness, she should respond well to you. We will just have to wait & see how things progress with this virus, but the more professional training help you can get, the better a canine citizen your pup will be. Chances are she will do just fine. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

3. Socializationperiod:threetotwelveweeksofage • A puppy’s sensory systems and learning abilities become more developed during this time. They begin to eat solid food and show more independence. Approximately two months of age is generally the ideal time to begin housetraining, although the earlier owner’s start the better! Some experts say that housetraining can be started as early as six weeks. See the housetraining handout for more tips on maximizing housetraining success. • Puppies are very interested in novel objects and interact with their littermates, mother, and environment at this time. They start to show predictable responses to a variety of stimuli and begin to form relationships with other animals. • At between two to three months of age puppies begin to show signs of fear. This is a critical time for owners to continue safely exposing their puppy to as many new sights, sounds, environments, animals, and activities as possible. These interactions must be made as positive as possible to decrease fear and increase confidence and pleasure in new situations. Please refer to the socialization handout. • The socialization period is also an ideal time to begin basic training to teach puppies good manners and boundaries. Using positive-reinforcement training techniques will make training fun and help form a healthy bond between owner and puppy. • Many veterinarians and dog trainers offer puppy socialization classes that are designed to introduce puppies to new sights, sounds, and smells in a safe and controlled manner. These classes alone will not provide enough socialization but they can be an excellent way for puppies to safely play with other healthy dogs, and for owners to have questions answered about puppy problems they encounter. It is important to make sure that these classes are run by experienced trainers who use lots of rewards and treats. 4. Juvenileperiod:twelveweektosexuallymaturity(6-7monthsofage) • Basic learning abilities are fully developed and the speed of learning decreases. • Puppies continue to explore new environments and objects but may show avoidance behaviors (such as avoiding new situations or people) if not adequately socialized. • As they approach sexual maturity, puppies may begin to show mating behaviors and an increased interest in the opposite sex. At this time owners should consider spaying or neutering their puppy if they have not already done so. 5. Adulthood:aftersexualmaturity • The onset of adulthood varies amongst puppies but is usually around 7 months in males and 6 months in females. At 18 months of age most dogs are considered to have reached sexual and social maturity. It is important to continue training using positive reinforcement techniques for rules and boundaries without developing fear or aggression. Owners can also use these positive reinforcement to teach their dog fun tricks, and can participate in exciting games with their dog, such as flyball, agility, tracking, and rally obedience. Raising a puppy is a fun and rewarding experience. It can also be confusing and frustrating if owners don’t know what to expect or how to handle normal puppy behaviors that are not appropriate in the household. It is important that puppies visit their veterinarian on a regular basis for checkups, necessary vaccines, and alteration. It is also crucial to make training a lifelong activity that the whole family participates in. When choosing a trainer, it is important to research the trainers in the area, sit in on a class, check credentials, and make sure that the trainer uses reward based methods. If you follow the above guidelines, you will be well on your way to raising a well behaved dog who is loved by your whole family.

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/

Congrats on your new addition! If you've never had a puppy before, there will be many learning experiences ahead, some of which you will need to do on the fly. The most important thing you will need to do with your puppy is start with house training and obedience training right away. Positive reinforcement training is the best method in my opinion, with punishment reserved only for the most severe of instances when nothing else works. In terms of introduction to new animals, this should be done one at a time first, starting with the one Kira is most likely to get along with. The puppy should be kept on a leash as to have complete control over him and his behaviors. He will likely try to play and lick the other animals since this is how pitty puppies generally behave. This on-leash interaction will be particuarly important with the cats since they are much less likely to be accepting right off the bat. Reinforce good behavior of both animals with treats and praise. In terms of medical therapy and general care, Kiro should establish a relationship with a vet as soon as you get him. He will require vaccines starting at 8 weeks and every 4 weeks thereafter until 16 weeks of age. He may require additional deworming as well depending on the vet's findings. Hope this helps. Enjoy your puppy!