A Nice Clean Puppy

A Clean Puppy

As a dog I have a very different standard of clean than my human family.  It seems I finally find some lovely slime to roll in and they want to bathe the perfume away.

As humans will persist in this doggie bath thing there are a few pointers I have to share.

My puppies don't mind showers.  Some of them really rather enjoy them and splash around like they were at the beach.  Baths are a little more stressful but the worst is the blow drier.  The sound is very scary.  If you want the process to be fun rub them in a towel and then run around leaping and shaking all over the house to dry.  Save the fluffy blow dry do for the groomer.

Don't do what my mum did and think you are doing puppies a favour by using expensive human shampoo.  Many years ago before I was born she didn't have doggie shampoo in the house when Annabel the standard poodle was ready for her shower.  Mum used some of her very expensive people shampoo from the hair dresser.  Then she added some conditioner!  She thought it was so terrific she used it several times on Annabel's long coat.

One day Annabel's curls began to fall out one by one.  As you can imagine Annabel was very distressed.  The curls began to fall because the shampoo is too harsh.  Even special human shampoo is too harsh for we more delicate creatures.  Stick to a good doggie shampoo and all will be well.

Pretty Little Collars

Here we all are at home….fresh from the groomer.  You can hardly see Lexi, Savannah is on the left, old poodle Dundee in the middle, me with a very short hair do after puppies, and then there is little Sophie.  As you can see we are all wearing collars and scarves.  Very chic. 

      When your puppy is too young for the groomer but wears a stylish collar be very careful of her little neck that is growing every day.  It seems obvious but you would be amazed at how easy it is to overlook the pretty collar's size.  It seems to be shrinking as puppy grows.  One day poor puppy wakes up to find that he is in a very tight, miserable collar.  

      Every few days put a couple of fingers in between the puppy collar and the little neck. Fingers should slide in easily.

      A loose collar is a health hazard as well.  I can remember a puppy howling in circles because his little bottom jaw got caught in his collar.  Poor little fellow.  The collar should be just able to accommodate your two fingers but no bigger.

     A big collar seems comfortable but puppy could become frightened by something and back out of the collar faster than the speed of light. 

     I like to see my puppies in harnesses when they are on leash.  The harness is safe and if it fits nicely they can't escape when they are frightened by something like a passing truck.

    Dress your puppy well.  I like my collars sporty, some like diamonds.  To each her own.

Love Guini

Sadie's puppies at 9 days

http://www.youtube.com/v/QhUpeC4DBTI?autohide=1&version=3&attribution_tag=qMNseCMhaL-0kVpYl18obQ&feature=share&autoplay=1&autohide=1&showinfo=1

Nasty Little Creatures That can Plague us.

  I don't like to talk about them but as a mother I have to confront the fact that when my puppies sniff poop, eat dirt and roll in rodent droppings they can pick up little worm eggs.  Kids will be kids and sadly worms are a part of life.
  Sometimes ailments like coughing or stiff joints can be caused by various kinds of parasites.  Did you know that puppies are all born with worms?  Even well bred, lovely puppies like mine need to be wormed at three weeks of age.  There is a regular worming program of three, seven and nine weeks until the puppies go home.
  It's a good idea  to worm doggies at the change of each season which is every three months.  I know it keeps me well.  Sometimes mum has us checked out if she is not sure.  She does something at the vets called a fecal float.  Not sure about the sound of that!  Anyway my advice is to ask your vet about a worming program for your darling.
 The picture is Lexi feeling good, happy and parasite free!

Car Ride!

We have a friend, a little boy who is almost two who doesn't like to go in the car because he lives in a lovely town where he can go almost everywhere in his stroller.  Interestingly enough I have a puppy who hates the car as well.  Most likely he feels he can walk everywhere he needs to go.
    If you want your puppy to love the car make sure you start taking him out in it every day.  Even if there isn't a good reason puppy should travel with you until it is second nature.  I suggest our mum put puppy in a crate with a dog bone.  If the puppy drools or is upset make it short with a treat or a walk at the end whenever you have time.
   Everything you want puppy to do as a grown up dog it is a good idea to start doing as soon as you can.  Myself, I love the truck.  I live to go to the dump.
 This is a picture of an enthusiastic Ruby puppy with his new mum on his first ride home.
Guini.

You're Going Potty Again!

When my puppies are very little I keep them clean and nobody has to worry about where they go to the bathroom.  As they get older we encourage them to go in a litter box in the pen.  When they are preparing to go to their own families it is time to think about waiting to go to the bathroom outside.

New parents are often amazed at just how often a puppy has to go to the bathroom.  Often!!  My puppies are bigger than little mini puppies and have bigger bladders, they can last a bit longer however, when they are running and playing in the kitchen they can have to go pee once every hour or so.

When you take puppy out it is likely he will go to the bathroom fairly soon after he feels the nice absorbent grass under his little feet.

   Praise puppy as soon as he pees so he knows he has done the right thing.  

  I notice that in this house it is easy to forget a puppy playing in the corner and Jean sets a timer on the oven so that she remembers to take the puppy outside. 

   Don't be upset when he goes to the bathroom under the table or in the corner.  He really doesn't know what he has done wrong but thinks to himself "gee...peeing couldn't be good".  Then he will slip away and try to pee when you are not looking...maybe behind the sofa. 

  Our friend read in a book that when a puppy pees in the house take a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head with it. I thought that was pretty funny.

Cheerio

Guini

Labradoodle Puppy Advice. No from Puppy Should Not Mean No.

No!

I must tell you I hear that from my puppies every day.  Puppies, like human children, get to an age when they realize they can do just as they please.  I don't allow that.  I gave mum some good advice when new puppy Lexi decided she didn't want to go on car rides.
   Puppy Lexi (who is a little spoiled) came to us at 10 weeks old and right away decided she didn't want to go in the car.  Now I ask you what dog doesn't run when they hear the words 'car ride'?
Lexi ran but in the opposite direction!  So mum did just as I suggested.
  Every day, sometimes twice a day Lexi was picked up and put into a crate in the car.  In the crate was a really good chewy bone.  It was the kind I really wanted to steal from her but I wasn't allowed.  The car crate was the only place that Lexi got that great chewy.
  We just went five minutes away.  She was too young to walk on the town streets so we went to a friends house to play or we would have a really great treat like chicken at the end of the ride.
  When Lexi was older she went on little walks at the end of the ride and walked around showing off her long coat.  I think she's a bit of a show-off.
   The crate helped her understand that you don't jump all over the place when it is a car ride. Now she lies on the floor of the van and sometimes chooses to go in the crate.  Sometimes she has a chew but she doesn't need one.  It took some time and some coaxing but step by step and little by little Lexi became a good car dog because mum followed my good advice.