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Puppy Tips Kitten Tips

Puppies
Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting, life–changing decision. Here are some puppy–specific tips to make your new friend's welcome warm and lasting.

Selecting Your Puppy

A puppy's adult personality is fairly well defined as early as seven weeks of age, so it’s an excellent age to "test" a prospective pet. There are some distinct qualities to look for when picking out a new pooch.

  • Look for the puppy that's willing to relax when cradled in your arms for a minute or two. Puppies that fight, bite or struggle may not be able to handle stressful situations or restraints such as leashes.
  • Try to startle the puppy with a loud noise, like dropping your keys during a quiet moment. A puppy that runs and hides may always fear loud noises and eventually may display destructive behavior or soil the house.
  • If you're selecting a puppy from a litter, the attraction test is instructive and fun. Get on your hands and knees, and call to the puppies as a group. A curious puppy that responds immediately is likely to be people oriented as an adult.
Protecting Your Puppy
As your new puppy grows, it faces a variety of parasites and infectious organisms, some of which pose a threat to humans. A preventive health–care program is the foundation of a long and healthy life, so it is important to take your puppy to a veterinarian as soon as possible. If you don't already have a veterinarian, click here to sign up for Veterinarian Locator service, free from Merial.com. See our Preventive Health Care section for a general list of puppy–health topics you should discuss with your veterinarian. While the list does not cover every threat to the health of your puppy or replace veterinary care, it is an excellent place to start discussions with your veterinarian.

Your Puppy's Vaccination Schedule
No matter what kind of puppy you've selected, its vaccination schedule should begin at six to eight weeks of age. After that, revaccinations are necessary to keep your dog healthy. See your veterinarian to establish a vaccination and revaccination schedule.

Use of Medication to Help Change Pet Behavior
In recent years there has been an increase in the use of medication to treat a variety of behavioral problems in cats and dogs. There are a number of potential disadvantages to use of medication for treating behavioral problems, though, and you should know that there is no “magic bullet” that will easily and quickly solve the problem. The limitations of medication use include the potential for adverse side effects, cost, the need to treat for a considerable length of time before the medication takes effect, limited information on how to select a medication and what dosage to use, and the potential that the problem will reappear once the medication is withdrawn.

Litter Box Choice Tests
Cats are often very particular about their litter box and may express their dislike of a box by starting to eliminate in other places. What may seem sufficient to you, or what may be attractive to most cats, may not be suitable from your cat’s perspective.