Whether you’re adopting from us or with another organization, we have some information that will help you keep your dog healthy and happy!
Housebreaking Your Puppy
• Always bear in mind that a dog evacuates his bowels on waking in the morning, after a meal, and about 3 hours after a meal, especially as a puppy.
• As soon as he wakes in the morning, and after every nap, take him directly outdoors on a leash and collar to empty his bladder and/or bowel.
• Take him to the same place each time, stay with him and give him 10-15 minutes to "perform".
• I find that an expression associated with the action is very helpful in the teaching process.
• You choose your own words - “do your chores" - "time for business", “go hurry”, etc.
• When the same phrase is repeated over a few days, the pup learns what it is you want of him very quickly. Your puppy is a very intelligent dog and eager to please you.
• When he does what you've requested of him, heap praise on him and bring him back into the house immediately and give him a little reward treat.
• There should be no outdoor play until he has it firmly in his mind that the outdoors is the place to go to relieve himself, and is giving you signals that he needs to go out ( and RIGHT NOW).
• This may be whining, circling, sniffing at various places or going towards the door.
IT'S UP TO YOU TO LEARN TO READ HIS MESSAGES!!!
• Remember that you are dealing with a baby with a small bladder, and you should expect to have accidents to clean up until he is about 6 months old.
• When accidents do happen, DO NOT RUB HIS NOSE IN IT, OR HIT HIM.
• A rolled up newspaper has no value in teaching a dog.
• You wouldn't do that to a child or want it done to you.
YOUR PUP DOES HAVE DIGNITY TOO!!!
• You can clean up the accident using "Nature's Answer".
• The dog crate will be your most valuable asset in the house-training effort.
• Dogs are den animals and he will not want to soil his sleeping area if he can help it.
• He will whine or bark from the crate when he needs to go out, but he will do that too if he just wants to be with you. This is what we call the "Puppy Con" and you'll have to learn to differentiate between them. Ignore the message and you might be cleaning up a mess!
WE TRAIN OUR PUPPIES TO 'RING THE BELL' WHEN THEY NEED TO GO OUT!
• You'll need a 3'-4' length of soft rope ( I spool knit my "rope" with Phentex and the kid's spool knitting kit)
• Make a loop at one end that will fit over the door knob and tie a great big knobby knot on the other end, so that the puppy has something to grab on to.
• Attach a group of little brass bells - available at dollar stores - above the knobby knot, so that they tinkle when the rope is shaken, then hang this "rope" over the door knob of the door going outside, so that it is low enough for the pup to reach.
• When you are starting the housetraining, each time you go out the door, reach over and grab the rope so that the bells ring, and say, "time to do chores" or whatever word you have chosen.
• Within a matter of hours or days, the puppy will be ringing the bells on his own.
• As soon as he wakes in the morning, and after every nap, take him directly outdoors on a leash and collar to empty his bladder and/or bowel.
• Take him to the same place each time, stay with him and give him 10-15 minutes to "perform".
• I find that an expression associated with the action is very helpful in the teaching process.
• You choose your own words - “do your chores" - "time for business", “go hurry”, etc.
• When the same phrase is repeated over a few days, the pup learns what it is you want of him very quickly. Your puppy is a very intelligent dog and eager to please you.
• When he does what you've requested of him, heap praise on him and bring him back into the house immediately and give him a little reward treat.
• There should be no outdoor play until he has it firmly in his mind that the outdoors is the place to go to relieve himself, and is giving you signals that he needs to go out ( and RIGHT NOW).
• This may be whining, circling, sniffing at various places or going towards the door.
IT'S UP TO YOU TO LEARN TO READ HIS MESSAGES!!!
• Remember that you are dealing with a baby with a small bladder, and you should expect to have accidents to clean up until he is about 6 months old.
• When accidents do happen, DO NOT RUB HIS NOSE IN IT, OR HIT HIM.
• A rolled up newspaper has no value in teaching a dog.
• You wouldn't do that to a child or want it done to you.
YOUR PUP DOES HAVE DIGNITY TOO!!!
• You can clean up the accident using "Nature's Answer".
• The dog crate will be your most valuable asset in the house-training effort.
• Dogs are den animals and he will not want to soil his sleeping area if he can help it.
• He will whine or bark from the crate when he needs to go out, but he will do that too if he just wants to be with you. This is what we call the "Puppy Con" and you'll have to learn to differentiate between them. Ignore the message and you might be cleaning up a mess!
WE TRAIN OUR PUPPIES TO 'RING THE BELL' WHEN THEY NEED TO GO OUT!
• You'll need a 3'-4' length of soft rope ( I spool knit my "rope" with Phentex and the kid's spool knitting kit)
• Make a loop at one end that will fit over the door knob and tie a great big knobby knot on the other end, so that the puppy has something to grab on to.
• Attach a group of little brass bells - available at dollar stores - above the knobby knot, so that they tinkle when the rope is shaken, then hang this "rope" over the door knob of the door going outside, so that it is low enough for the pup to reach.
• When you are starting the housetraining, each time you go out the door, reach over and grab the rope so that the bells ring, and say, "time to do chores" or whatever word you have chosen.
• Within a matter of hours or days, the puppy will be ringing the bells on his own.
The Holistic Dog
How to Have a Healthy Dog-
Choices concerning the lives of our dogs. They don't have a choice, but have our directives imposed on them so you, the pet owner, are your animal's guide to optimal health.
*Feed your dog a healthy diet
*Raw diet most closely matches the dog's dietary requirements. You can find a wealth of information on the internet and we'll give you some good links as well.
*Home cooked food is better than commercial
*Shop at smaller pet food suppliers
*Staff more knowledgeable of good foods
*Less likely to sell "bad" dog food
*Often hold workshops on raw vs. commercial foods
*Read the labels and choose wisely. If you must use a commercial dog food, learning to read labels will help you to choose the best brand for your dog.
*Commercial dog food is cooked at high temperatures, destroying nutritional value and it contains many ingredients that are not healthy for your dog:
Avoid a corn-based diet - Causes allergies and immune disorders, it adds bulk to the bag, but quantity is not quality. It also makes your pet obese (corn is used to fatten cattle and will do the same for your dog)
Avoid Meat-by-products and Meat Meal as they contain: Whatever is unfit for human consumption and it includes downed cows and cancerous meat, rendered pets & road kill.
Dogs do best on raw meat. www.barfworld.com
* If raw food is not a practical choice for you, then please consider the following highly nutritional dog foods:
Healthwise, EVVO, INNOVA, California Naturals, Orijen, Eagle Hollistic, Natures Variety – all found only at specialty dog food stores.
Other Foods found at PetCo. &/or PetSmart: Wellness Core, Natural Balance & Blue Buffalo, Pinnacle, Blue Buffalo.
Use Supplements to Boost Your Dog's Immune System
Most of us realize that the soil is depleted of the adequate minerals and nutrients that we need. It's no different for our pets, especially if your dog is on a commercial pet food diet. By using vitamin C and grapefruit seed extract you can notice a remarkable improvement in the rescued dog's ability to fight off upper respiratory infections. Kennel cough and upper respiratory infections are common ailment for dogs who are in or just coming out of the shelter environment.
For adult dogs (40 lbs or over) you can give 1 tablet of Grapefruit Seed Extract once a day. It looks like kibble, so you can put it in the dog's food bowl and they won't even notice. You can buy a small bottle at the Vitamin Shoppe for under $5.
For small dogs and puppies, you can use a powdered Vitamin C in a buffered form (so it's easy on their stomach). Usually just a pinch for the puppies in the morning and 1/8 to ¼ tsp for small dogs 10-15 lbs. This can be given once a day. Buffered Vitamin C in powdered form is available at most health food stores as well as Whole Foods.
In addition to grapefruit seed extract and vitamin C, your dog would greatly benefit from Vitamins B, D, E, and A, which you can usually find in a multi-vitamin format at your pet supply store.
Probiotics, which contain healthy bacteria will help your dog develop and maintain strong intestinal health. This is especially important if your dog is or was on any antibiotics. As we all know, antibiotics kill off the “bad” bacteria in the system, however, they also destroy the “good” bacteria which is essential in maintaining a healthy body. We use Total Flora from The Right Solution for all of our dogs (www.rightsolution.com) and found it to be tremendously effective. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Avoid or Minimize Chemical-based Products
Don't Use Lawn Pesticides
*The herbicide 2, 4-D is used by homeowners and lawn care companies and has been linked to canine malignant lymphoma. This herbicide is found in one-third of all pesticides and is a component of Agent Orange.
*Pets walk barefoot and lick paws, hence no protection.
*False advertising by Lawn chemical companies causes Attorney General to take action.
www.livinglawn.org and www.greendecade.com
Choices concerning the lives of our dogs. They don't have a choice, but have our directives imposed on them so you, the pet owner, are your animal's guide to optimal health.
*Feed your dog a healthy diet
*Raw diet most closely matches the dog's dietary requirements. You can find a wealth of information on the internet and we'll give you some good links as well.
*Home cooked food is better than commercial
*Shop at smaller pet food suppliers
*Staff more knowledgeable of good foods
*Less likely to sell "bad" dog food
*Often hold workshops on raw vs. commercial foods
*Read the labels and choose wisely. If you must use a commercial dog food, learning to read labels will help you to choose the best brand for your dog.
*Commercial dog food is cooked at high temperatures, destroying nutritional value and it contains many ingredients that are not healthy for your dog:
Avoid a corn-based diet - Causes allergies and immune disorders, it adds bulk to the bag, but quantity is not quality. It also makes your pet obese (corn is used to fatten cattle and will do the same for your dog)
Avoid Meat-by-products and Meat Meal as they contain: Whatever is unfit for human consumption and it includes downed cows and cancerous meat, rendered pets & road kill.
Dogs do best on raw meat. www.barfworld.com
* If raw food is not a practical choice for you, then please consider the following highly nutritional dog foods:
Healthwise, EVVO, INNOVA, California Naturals, Orijen, Eagle Hollistic, Natures Variety – all found only at specialty dog food stores.
Other Foods found at PetCo. &/or PetSmart: Wellness Core, Natural Balance & Blue Buffalo, Pinnacle, Blue Buffalo.
Use Supplements to Boost Your Dog's Immune System
Most of us realize that the soil is depleted of the adequate minerals and nutrients that we need. It's no different for our pets, especially if your dog is on a commercial pet food diet. By using vitamin C and grapefruit seed extract you can notice a remarkable improvement in the rescued dog's ability to fight off upper respiratory infections. Kennel cough and upper respiratory infections are common ailment for dogs who are in or just coming out of the shelter environment.
For adult dogs (40 lbs or over) you can give 1 tablet of Grapefruit Seed Extract once a day. It looks like kibble, so you can put it in the dog's food bowl and they won't even notice. You can buy a small bottle at the Vitamin Shoppe for under $5.
For small dogs and puppies, you can use a powdered Vitamin C in a buffered form (so it's easy on their stomach). Usually just a pinch for the puppies in the morning and 1/8 to ¼ tsp for small dogs 10-15 lbs. This can be given once a day. Buffered Vitamin C in powdered form is available at most health food stores as well as Whole Foods.
In addition to grapefruit seed extract and vitamin C, your dog would greatly benefit from Vitamins B, D, E, and A, which you can usually find in a multi-vitamin format at your pet supply store.
Probiotics, which contain healthy bacteria will help your dog develop and maintain strong intestinal health. This is especially important if your dog is or was on any antibiotics. As we all know, antibiotics kill off the “bad” bacteria in the system, however, they also destroy the “good” bacteria which is essential in maintaining a healthy body. We use Total Flora from The Right Solution for all of our dogs (www.rightsolution.com) and found it to be tremendously effective. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Avoid or Minimize Chemical-based Products
Don't Use Lawn Pesticides
*The herbicide 2, 4-D is used by homeowners and lawn care companies and has been linked to canine malignant lymphoma. This herbicide is found in one-third of all pesticides and is a component of Agent Orange.
*Pets walk barefoot and lick paws, hence no protection.
*False advertising by Lawn chemical companies causes Attorney General to take action.
www.livinglawn.org and www.greendecade.com
