Frequently Asked Questions for New Puppy Owners

•  What type of play should I expect from my puppy?

Play with him several times a day, making sure to include stimulating play during the first week. If you play with your puppy often, he will think of you as the pack leader and look to you for leadership in the future. Stalking and pouncing behaviors are very important for puppies because it encourages proper muscle development and increases curiosity. Provide lightweight and movable toys such as wads of paper and rubber balls so he will play with them instead of household items like shoes or the sofa.

•  How do I prepare my home for a new puppy?

See our Top 10 List of How to Puppy Proof your home .

•  Can I discipline a puppy?

Disciplining a young puppy may be necessary if the behavior is threatening to people, other pets or property, but harsh physical or verbal punishments should be avoided. Usually simple hand clapping and the use of a shaker can are intimidating enough to stop the behavior. This type of punishment associates the punishment with the behavior instead of you. You can also use spray bottles, throw a small object in the direction of the puppy (make sure not to hit him!) or make a loud noise to distract his attention away from the behavior.

•  When do I have to give all those shots?

Vaccinations must be given as a series of injections at 6-8, 10, 13, 16, and 19 weeks of age. See our Preventative Puppy Care page for more information.

•  Why does my puppy have to have more than one round of vaccines?

When a puppy is first born it receives short-acting immunity from its mother's milk. Proteins called antibodies are absorbed through the puppy's intestine during the first 24-48 hours. This immunity lasts only for the first few weeks of the puppy's life. After that the puppy must be able to make its own antibodies to fight off diseases. This is where vaccinations come in.

We have no way of determining when a puppy will lose its short-term immunity, so we give a series of vaccinations. An animal must be vaccinated for a disease twice before it begins making its own antibodies, which are needed for long-term immunity. When you look at our puppy vaccination schedule , you will see that each vaccine is given at one time and then boostered at a later time. The Rabies vaccine is an exception to this because it can trigger long-term immunity as long as it is given at the proper age.

•  Do all puppies have worms?

Internal parasites are very common in puppies because they can become infected with parasites before they are born or while they are nursing, with the parasites passing to the puppy from the mother's milk. By microscopically examining a stool sample from your puppy, we can detect whether or not internal parasites are present. Each time you bring in your puppy for booster shots, be sure to bring a stool sample with you!

The deworming medication can only kill adult worms, so it is important to repeat the medication in 3-4 weeks to kill any worms that were in the larval stage during the first administration. Dogs remain susceptible to reinfection by tapeworms, hookworms and roundworms, so if you notice small segments in your dog's stool, bring in a stool sample for us to analyze and we can deworm him again.

•  Are heartworms really that important?

Yes! Heartworms are deadly parasites that are carried by mosquitoes. When a dog becomes infected with heartworms, they infest his heart and cause serious damage to the heart and lungs. Once an infestation has occurred, the worms then clog the blood vessels of the heart.

Fortunately, we have monthly medication and a 6-month injection to prevent heartworms. We recommend that you keep your dog on heartworm prevention year round because in Indiana it is difficult to predict when the first mosquitoes will come out. The monthly medication is a flavored pill that you give at home every 30 days, while the injection is given by the veterinarian and lasts for 6-months. Heartworm medications are dosed by the dog's weight, so as your puppy grows make sure the container matches his weight. Heartworm preventions today are both safe and effective.

•  How do I know what to feed my puppy when there are so many different foods on the market?

Large breed dogs can quadruple in size in only 6 months, so proper nutrition is very important for a growing dog. We recommend feeding a name-brand dog food that is made by a national company (don't feed generics or local brands) made for puppies only. Puppy formulas should be fed until the dog is 12-18 months of age depending on the size (12 months for small breed dogs, 18 months for large breed dogs). The best foods to feed are ones that are nutrient dense, complete, balanced and highly digestible.

Large puppies often do not have large enough stomachs to consume enough food to fulfill their nutrient requirements; buying the large-breed puppy formula will help with this problem. Balanced foods have the proper amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals that your puppy needs for correct development. Also, overfeeding your puppy can contribute to developmental bone problems, so be sure to follow the feeding directions on the label.

Feeding dry, semi-moist or canned foods are all acceptable. Moist foods are usually more tasteful but are often more expensive and contain more sugar, which can lead to diabetes. Moist foods also leave a tarter build-up on the dog's teeth, causing a need for dental cleanings more frequently and the possibility of abscesses down the line. Dry foods are usually the most inexpensive, offer complete diets and chip the tarter off of the dog's teeth to prevent build-up. We recommend a dry complete puppy formula such as Iams Original Puppy Food.

Dog food commercials can be very misleading, usually only focusing on the taste and not nutrition. These foods are far more expensive and do not offer any nutritional advantage over a quality dry food. Another reason we discourage feeding gourmet foods is because they make your dog a finicky eater. If the puppy has to be put on a special diet because of health reasons, he is not likely to accept it because of the taste.

•  How do I ensure that my puppy is well socialized?

See our Puppy Training page for more information about socialization.

•  What about fleas?

Many flea control products are safe for use on adult dogs and not puppies less than 4 months of age. If your puppy has fleas they will occasionally jump off to seek another host. This is why it is important to kill fleas before they become established in your home.

Be sure that any over the counter flea product you use is labeled safe for puppies! For very young or small puppies, you can spray a cotton ball with the flea spray and then wipe it on the puppy. Flea dips are not recommended for puppies under 4 months of age.

Incessant itching isn't a definite sign of flea problems because itchy skin can be caused by a food allergy, skin disorder or sensitivity. You can confirm the presence of fleas on your puppy by using a fine-toothed comb, known as a “flea comb.” If you run the flea comb through your puppy's fur and black dirt is seen, your puppy probably has fleas. This black dirt is known as “flea dirt” and is really the flea's feces.

We carry a once a month flea medication called Advantix that can be used on puppies over 7 weeks of age. It comes in a small tube, which is broken open and dispensed at the base of the neck. The product is then absorbed into the skin. Within one day it kills all adult fleas on the puppy, providing 4 weeks of flea prevention.

See our Flea Control page for more information about fleas.

•  What are ear mites?

Ear mites are tiny parasites that live in the ear canal of dogs and cats. The most common sign of ear mite infection is scratching of the ears. Sometimes the ears appear dirty because of a black material in the ear canal left behind by the mites; this material is sometimes shaken out from heavy shaking of the head.

The instrument we use for examining the ear canals, an otoscope, has the necessary magnification to allow us to see the mites. Sometimes, we can also find mites by taking a small amount of the black material from the ear and examining it with a microscope. Although they may leave the ear canals for short periods of time, they spend the vast majority of their lives within the protection of the ear canal.

Transmission generally requires direct ear-to-ear contact. Ear mites, therefore, are common in litters of puppies if their mother has ear mites. Ear infections may also cause the production of a dark discharge in the ear canals, so it is very important that we examine your puppy's ears to be certain that the black material is due to ear mites and not infection. Both of these conditions are ones that need to be examined and treated; please schedule an appointment for your puppy if you notice that the inside of his ears are darker than usual.

•  Why should I have my female dog spayed?

Spaying offers several advantages to an owner and the dog's health.

• The female's heat period result in about 2-3 weeks of vaginal bleeding every six months. This can be quite annoying if your dog is kept indoors. Because spaying is the removal of the uterus and ovaries, after a spay procedure your dog will no longer have heat periods and leave unwanted messes.

• Male dogs are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors or fences. In many cases, despite your best effort, the female will become pregnant; spaying prevents unplanned litters of puppies.

• It has been proven that as the female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and uterine infections if she has not been spayed. Spaying before she has any heat periods will virtually eliminate the chance of these health problems.

• There are serious pet overpopulation issues in this country, and intact (animals that have not been spayed or neutered) animals are a major contributor to this problem. Theoretically, one bitch and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years. Be part of the solution, not the problem.

If you do not plan to breed your dog, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before her first heat period. This can be done anytime after she is 6 months old.

•  Why should I have my male dog neutered?

There are several reasons to neuter your dog, both for your benefit and the dog's health.

• Male dogs are attracted to a female dog in heat and will climb over or go through fences to find her. A male dog can breed a bitch any time that he finds one in heat, contributing to the pet overpopulation problem.

• Intact male dogs are more aggressive and more likely to fight, especially with other male dogs, in order to determine dominance. Neutering will make him more affectionate toward you and other pets.

• As male dogs age, the prostate gland frequently enlarges and causes difficulty urinating and defecating.

Neutering will greatly help solve the problems that come with owning a male dog and allow you to enjoy his company. The surgery can be performed any time after he is 6 months old.

•  If I choose to breed my female dog, when should I do that?

If you plan to breed you bitch, she should have at least one or two heat periods first. This will allow her to physically mature, allowing her to be a better mother without as much physical stress. We do not recommend breeding her for the first time after she hits the age of 5. Having her first litter after 5 years of age increases the risk of problems during the pregnancy and delivery. Once your dog has had her last litter, she should be spayed to prevent the reproductive problems such as breast cancer and uterine infections that older dogs have.

•  Can I trim my puppy's sharp toenails at home?

Puppies have sharp toenails that grow very quickly. When trimming a dog's toenails, be sure to only use nail clippers designed for cats and dogs. If you cut the nail too short, you will get into the quick (or the blood supply to the toes). Like cutting your fingernails too short, it bleeds and is painful. If this happens you might be wary to cut the puppy's nails again, and he may not be sure about letting you do it. You can follow these simple tips to avoid this problem:

• If the puppy has clear or white nails, you will be able to see the pink of the quick through the nail. Avoid cutting the pink area, and you should be out of the quick.

• If he has black nails, you will not be able to see the quick. Therefore, only cut 1mm of the nail at a time until the puppy begins to get sensitive. The nail is usually sensitive before you get into the quick. A good guideline to follow is to line up the bottom of the clippers along the pad of the foot. Only cut the nail as short as the pad of the foot guides, and you should be out of the quick. Chances are with black nails you will get too close on at least one nail. Use styptic powder on the nail to stop the bleeding.

• If your puppy has some clear and some black nails, use the average clear nail as a guide for cutting the black ones.

• When cutting nails, be sure to use sharp trimmers. Dull trimmers cause the nails to crush instead of cut and cause pain even if you are out of the quick. Also, always have styptic powder available. Most pet stores carry it under several trade names, but it is labeled for use in trimming nails. The powder is used to stop any bleeding that may occur from trimming the nails too close.

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