• What to feed a puppy?
• How much to feed a puppy?
• How to feed a puppy?
• Can my puppy eat human food?
• What foods shouldn’t my puppy eat?

The list could go on and on and that’s just the what, why, how’s of feeding your puppy.  In fact here’s another question I received from a commenter on this very blog a few days ago:

My boyfriend and I think he wakes up hungry but know we should not feed him. What is the latest time we should feed him so he won’t wake up hungry. We feed him really good during the day. -Megan

Lucky for us Guide Dogs of America sends us home with some very helpful guidelines answering several of the above questions including how often should you feed a puppy.

Puppy Feeding Schedule

Dublin waits patiently for his food

As a guide dog puppy raiser we get to bring home a new puppy when he is approximately 7 weeks of age.  That same day we receive a packet of information and one of the flyers in that packed contains a puppy feeding schedule.  We actually wrote about puppy feeding schedules about 4 years ago, but thought it might be a nice time to update with the latest GDA information.

In fact, I didn’t even realize the schedule had changed until a couple months before I turned in Dublin.

So here’s the latest and greatest puppy feeding schedule for our puppies in training:

PUPPY FEEDING SCHEDULE

When you first receive your 8 week old puppy you will be feeding him/her 3/4 of a cup 3 times a day (Purina Pro Plan Puppy food for Large Breed) soaked in hot water until it softens.  Keep doing this for about 1 week, then taper off on time of soaking so eventually he/she will be eating dry food with a little water.

As your puppy grows over the next couple of months you will need to adjust the feeding schedule based on your puppies growth. (Probably up to 1 cup 3x a day)

At 4 months you will increase the food gradually and you will switch to Purina Pro Plan Shredded Blend Chicken and Rice Adult food, feeding twice a day, an average of 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups twice a day.

Those are the guidelines set forth by Guide Dogs of America.  So far the school has changed our puppy food 3 times since I’ve been a raiser.  When I raised Stetson I fed him Canidae.  Derby got to  eat Natural Balance.  Dublin was eating Purina Pro Plan and Apache is eating the same.

A Few Things I’ve Learned About Feeding Your Puppy

Of course I’ve learned a lot over the years as a puppy raiser.  Every puppy is different and will require a different amount of food based on many different things like amount of exercise, metabolism, the size of your puppy, the age of your puppy.

One thing I’ve learned is that puppies require more food then adult dogs.  I scaled back on the amount of food I feed both Linus and Stetson to 1 cup twice a day. Both Stetson and Linus started gaining a little too much weight.  On the other hand Apache eats more food then any of my past puppies.  He’s currently eating 2 1/2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening for a total of 4 1/2 cups.  I may even need to add to that as he’s looking a little thinner then when he first got here.

By the way, if you’re wondering about how often you should feed your puppy and what is the best food for your puppy the best thing to do is consult your veterinarian.  Another great resource is to check out the Dog Food Advisor website.  They have a ton of reviews, but I really like looking through their comment section to see what the regular users like you and I think of different dog and puppy foods.

What’s your answer to the question how often should you feed a puppy?  Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

How Often Should You Feed A Puppy?

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2. How Do I Subscribe To The Puppy In Training RSS Feed?
3. Puppy Feeding Schedule – Lessons From Marley & Me Part 3

A couple years ago at our monthly guide dog meeting we had a little dog CPR class to show us puppy raisers how to perform CPR with our dogs in case of an emergency.  I had the opportunity to work with a stuffed dog built for dog CPR classes.  I don’t remember all the details, but I do remember a few things from that CPR class that I hopefully won’t ever have to use with my dogs.

When I saw the Dog CPR infographic today I thought it would be a good idea to post here on the Puppy In Training blog as reminder for myself and so others could see some of the basics on how give a dog cpr.

How To Perform CPR On A Dog

Here’s the Infographic from Pinterest:

The source is listed as American Red Cross, but I couldn’t find it anywhere on their website.  I still wanted to credit them with a link back.

In case you can’t see the image above here are the details from the dog cpr infographic:

Saving Your Pet With CPR

With pets increasingly being treated like a member of the family, many owners are learning emergency techniques like CPR to keep their pet alive before bringing it to a veterinarian

If there is no breathing and no pulse begin CPR immediately.

• Check For Breathing And Pulse – Check pulse using middle and index finger below the wrist, inner thigh (femoral artery), below the ankle or where left elbow touches the chest.
• Look For Other Warning Signs
• Gums and lips will appear gray colored
• Pupils will be dilated and not responsive to light
• If Not Breathing, Give Breath To Animal
• Cats And Smal Dogs – Place your mouth over its nose and mouth to blow air in.
• Medium-Large Dogs – Place your mouth over its nose to blow air in.
• Heimlich Manuever – If breath won’t go in, airway may be blocked. Turn dog upside down, with its back against your chest.  Wrap your arms around the dog and clasp your arms around the dog and clasp your hand together just below its rib cage (since you’re holding the dog upside down, it’s above the rib cage, in the abdomen).  Using both arms, give five sharp thrusts to the abdomen.  Then check its mouth or airway for object.  If you see it remove it and give 2 more rescue breaths.
• Start Compression If No Pulse – Lay animal on right side and place hands over ribs where its elbow touches the chest.  Begin compressions.  Do not give compressions if dog has a pulse.
• Repeat Procedure
• Check pulse after 1 minute and then after every few minutes.
• Continue giving CPR until the animal has a pulse and is breathing.
• Stop CPR after 20 minutes

So there you go, some basic instructions on dog CPR. Hopefully you never have to perform CPR on a dog, but just in case you now know a little bit about how it’s done or at least you can look back an find this resource on the Puppy In Training blog.

Have you ever given CPR to a dog?  Have you ever sat in a dog CPR class?  Tell us about your experiences in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

Do You Know How To Perform Dog CPR?

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I talk about this nearly every week, but the pet expo is one of my favorite events of the year.  Our very own Orange County Pet Expo happens every year in the middle of April.  However, our OC Pet Expo is not the only pet expo.  In fact, across the country there seems to be pet expos happening just about every week.  One day I hope to get organized and add a calendar to this blog listing all the pet expo’s happening across the country.  Until that day, I’ll do my best to list upcoming pet expos as I come across them on the web.

Pet Expo Dulles Expo Center

What: 12th Annual Super Pet Expo at the Dulles Expo Center
When: March 16th-18th 2012
Friday: 4pm – 9pm
Saturday: 10am – 7pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Where: Dulles Expo Center
4320 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, VA 20153 

What’s Going On At This Years Super Pet Expo?

• FUN—Exciting Edutainment for Pet Lovers
• SHOP—Shop 150+ Local & National Exhibitors
• ADOPT – Meet Adoptable Pets
• LEARN—Learn About Different Pets and Pet Related Products
• PLAY—Leashed Pets Welcome Retractable Leashes NOT Permitted
• SEE—Dogs, Cats, Birds, Reptiles, Small Animals and More

One of the things I love about these Pet Expos is that it’s a great venue for local pet rescues to offer pet adoptions for cats, dogs, rabbits, and other pets in need.  Every year I visit the America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa, CA and every year I hear about many successful pet adoptions.  Not only is it a great time if you’re interested in adopting that new puppy, but it’s also a time to learn and be entertained at the same time.  Another one of our favorites is the pet products, especially all the wonderful new dog toys on the market.

I often times get asked “if you’re all the way in Irvine, CA why do you talk about a pet expo at the Dulles Expo Center all the way out in Chantilly, VA?”  Until recently I did not look much into events across the nation, but after browsing my Google Analytics data I noticed that I have a whopping 12,392 visitors come from the state of Virginia in 2011.  So I decided to make my focus here on the blog slightly more national.  I might have to start thinking about a global presence after seeing more than 25% of my visitors come from another country.

Anyhow, have any of you attended the Super Pet Expo at the Dulles Expo Center?  Are you planning on going this year?  What did you think of this year or past years Super Pet Expo?  Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

Super Pet Expo 2012 At The Dulles Expo Center

Related posts:

1. Dulles Pet Expo 2011
2. Twin Cities / Minneapolis Pet Expo 2012
3. Orange County Super Pet Adoption 2009

Today we’re going to discuss one of my all time favorite things to do and that is the actual pickup before bringing home a new puppy.

Tips For Bringing Home A New Puppy

Bringing Home My New Puppy, Dublin

While there are many do’s and don’t's when it comes to bringing home a new puppy.  This is a list of things I learned from my experience bringing home my last 3 puppies in training from Guide Dogs of America.

Tip #1 Arrive Early

Puppy #1 – Stetson – The GDA campus is located in Sylmar, CA and just under an hour away from my house with no traffic.  I left 2 hours before puppy pickup orientation began and arrived over an hour early to campus.  I guess I was a little excited and over eager that day, but it was better to be early then late.

Puppy #2 – Derby – as I mentioned it’s a little under an hour to the campus with no traffic so this time I left about 1 1/2 hours before orientation.  Unfortunately, I hit a ton of traffic and it took me approximately 2 hours to get to campus.  Being late really puts a damper on your day I suggest you give yourself extra time to arrive early if you have an appointment to pickup a puppy.

Puppy #3 – Dublin – I left about 2 1/2 hours early.  I planned on arriving early so I planned to grab a bite to eat and do some shopping near the campus.

What did I learn from my 3 puppies? It’s not worth it to have the added stress of arriving late.  You miss out on talking to some of the other puppy raisers.  You also miss out on some important information at orientation.  If you’re really late then you may miss out on bringing home a new puppy that day.  By the time I got to my third puppy I made sure to arrive early and just spent the extra time grabbing food and doing a little shopping.

Tip #2 Bring A Camera

Puppy #1 – Stetson - I brought a camera and had other puppy raisers take a few pictures for me, but unfortunately, I only came home with a handful of pictures.

Puppy #2 – Derby - I grabbed a video recorder and 2 friend brought their camera shot some video and took some pictures.  The video recorder ran out of batteries and the camera pictures got corrupted on my friends computer.

Puppy #3 – Dublin - I brought my phone for taking still pictures and a video recorder with a monopod for shooting video.  I came home with some pretty great video, but not too many still photos.  I missed a spot where I wished I had some video instead of pictures and vice versa.

What did I learn from my 3 puppies?  Bring a video recorder and a still picture camera.  If you have a DSLR camera and a nice HD Video recorder those would be the best.  Make sure the batteries are charged and make sure and download to your own computer as well as backup to an external hard drive if you want to be safe.  Also, if you want the best quality of video and images read more in tip #3.

3. Bring A Friend(s)

Bringing Home A Puppy Named Stetson

Puppy #1 – Stetson - I went by myself to pickup Stetson.  It was definitely a lot more difficult by myself.  I had to ask strangers to take a few pictures of Stetson and I that day.  I couldn’t use the carpool lane.  I had to get a crate so Stetson wouldn’t be running around the car while I tried to drive.  Stetson cried while in the crate and also pee’d in the crate on the ride home.  Lesson learned to bring a friend(s) next time.

Puppy #2 – Derby - When I picked up Derby two friends came along one was in charge of video the other was in charge of still pictures.  This should have been the perfect setup, but my video recorder ran out of batteries and the pictures on the camera became corrupted.  Lesson learned to bring friends and good video/camera equipment.

Puppy #3 – Dublin - I brought only my girlfriend to pickup Dublin.  I brought my own video recorder, monopod, and cell phone for still pictures.  The video turned out great, but I didn’t get many still pictures.  Lesson learned to bring one videographer and one photographer.  If you want to see some of the video from that day then check out this page from the day we picked up our puppy, Dublin.

What did I learn from my 3 puppies?  The best option is to try and bring 2 friends.  One to take still pictures and another to shoot video.  If you have friends when bringing home your new puppy  you do not have to worry about having a kennel during the car ride home.  When I brought home both Derby and Dublin I just had the pups sleep on the passenger side floor boards near the passengers feet.  It’s definitely worth it to have someone to help you out with pics, video, and during the car ride home.

4. Bring A Plush Dog Toy

All 3 Puppies – Lucky for me I was given a little puppy training tip by our group leader and that was to bring a plush dog toy to rub all over my puppy’s littermates.  Why is this important?  Your puppy’s first night home is his first night alone without his siblings.  If you get the scent of his littermates on a plush dog toy then you can put it in his kennel which will make him feel more comfortable because he will at least smell his siblings.

I only brought a plush dog toy to rub on Stetson’s littermates, but when I picked up Derby and Dublin I brought both a plush dog toy and a cute little doggy blanket to rub on the siblings.

5. Bring Rags, A Roll Of Paper Towels, Plastic Bags

Puppy #1 – Stetson - I went to puppy pickup by myself so I had to put Stetson in a crate for the car ride home.  I could have used some rags or paper towels because he did have a potty accident in his crate during the car ride home.

Puppy #2 – Derby - I brought only rags, but no paper towels.  Derby vomited during the car ride home.  I used the old rags to cleanup, but it would have been nice to have some paper towels, and a plastic bag to contain the dirty rags.

Puppy #3 – Dublin - I brought rags, paper towels, and plastic bags.  Dublin didn’t have any accidents during the care ride home…figures!?  At least I was prepared!!!

What did I learn from my 3 puppies?  Bring rags, a roll of paper towels, and plastic bags.  You never know what kind of accidents your puppy will have during your car ride home.  Better safe then sorry!

There you go!  Those are 5 lessons I learned on the first day of bringing home a new puppy.  I’m sure as time goes on I’ll come up with new tips, hints, and tricks you can do when bringing home a puppy.  If you are a guide dog puppy raiser I would make sure you follow these simple guidelines.  After all you want to have the best experience possible on this special day.

What about you?  Is there anything special you say when someone asks what to do when bringing home a new puppy?  Tell us your puppy tips, hints, and tricks in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

5 Tips For Bringing Home A New Puppy

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1. What Should We Do Before We Bring Home A Puppy?
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3. Irvine Pet Adoption – Home For The Holidays

At the time PetPDC contacted me I had already been using an Orange ComfortFlex Sport Harness (affiliate link) with Stetson for his Nosework Training.  However, I requested a new harness so I could do a full review of the product from the time of unpacking, to fitting my dog Linus, all the way to using the product for several weeks.  In all fairness and for full disclosure PetPDC did send me 2 free ComfortFlex Sport Harnesses for review and has also agreed to send one more harness to a lucky winner.  I’m also only using one of the 2 blue ComfortFlex harnesses in my review so I will also have an extra Blue Medium sized ComfortFlex Sport Harness to give away.  Keep reading to find our how to win 1 of the 2 ComfortFlex Harnesses.

Stetson and Linus wearing their ComfortFlex Sport Harnesses

ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review

I’m not biased, but I did know beforehand that the ComfortFlex Sport Harness was a quality product.  Stetson had for several months loved using his during his Sniffer training.  If you look back at his sniffer training article you can see that he was wearing his orange harness.  Anyhow, here are the details on this harness for dogs.

Product: ComfortFlex Sport Harness (affiliate link)

ComfortFlex Harness Features:

• Made in the USA
• Incredibly simple to put on and take off
• Ergonomic design allowing full range of motion
• Dual purpose “handle” leash connection drops back along the spine to keep pressure of your dogs throat
• Ideal for dogs with respiratory or trachea issues
• Adjustable front chest piece for small dogs (Petite – XS) offering an even more personalized fit
• VELCRO and Safety Snap Closure with redundant Rock Lockster side release buckle for increased safety
• Reflective nylon strapping trim on chestpiece
• Available in 10 colors
• Machine Washable (Line Dry)

ComfortFlex Harness Colors

• Kelly Green
• Saffron
• Hunter Orange
• Red
• Bordeaux
• Mariner
• Blue Jay
• Berry
• Purple
• Raven

You can get a better idea of the colors if you visit the ComfortFlex Sports Harness sales page on Amazon  (affiliate link).

ComfortFlex Harness Sizing

It’s an ugly pictures, but take a look and measure the girth of your dog before ordering your ComfortFlex Sport Harness.  Follow the picture and table below for sizing.

Sport Harness Sizing

*These breeds are just guidelines and true measurements of the customers dog should ideally be taken.

ComfortFlex Harness Description:

The ComfortFlex Sport Harness offers you and your dog only the highest standards of safety, simplicity and security.

Unlike many harnesses, the ComfortFlex Sport Harness is designed to protect sensitive areas, like the dogs throat and underarm, during any level of exercise.  The simple yet effective ergonomic design also lets the dog retain a full range of motion without having to worry about underarm irritation or chaffing.  We have even added an adjustable front chest strap on our smaller harnesses to accomodate the wide variety of body shapes among small breeds.

As you can see, the leash attachment is located on the strap between the shoulder-blades of the dog.  This strap acts as a useful handle for holding your dog close though it’s actual purpose is to act as a fulcrum for the leash, allowing pressure to always be directed directly to the chest, never riding up on the dogs throat.

Getting dogs into this harness is incredibly easy.  Just drop it over the dogs head, secure the Velcro strap around his girth and connect the safety snap closure.  with very little practice, this can even be done with just one hand.  Due to the semi rigid construction, the harness holds its shape and is very easy to orient on the dog.  There is no struggling with figuring out if the harness is inside out or upside down.  This combination makes the ComfortFlex Sport Harness ideal for owners who may have a hard time controlling their dog to apply a harness.

When properly fit, the girth strap should sit approximately one to two fingerwidths behind the front leg.  This avoids chaffing.  You should also be able to fit two fingers (one finger for small dogs) vertically, comfortably between the harness and the area between the shoulder blades to ensure the fit isn’t too snug.  Lastly, the front chest piece should sit just above the sternum bone on the dogs chest, but below the trachea.

So that’s the description and information I received from PetPDC and pulled some of the information from the Amazon website.  Now here are some of my first thoughts on the ComfortFlex Harness.

 My Initial Thoughts On The ComfortFlex Harness

I received the ComfortFlex Sport Harness (affiliate link) in a regular brown box with 2 sport harnesses and a short flyer with general information about the harnesses.  The first thing I notice is the sturdy construction of the harness, no packaging besides the brown box just a rubber band around each harness.  I also noticed that the harness is rigid and holds it’s shape once released from it’s confines of the rubber band.  This is nice because in the past I’ve owned harnesses that collapse and sometimes it’s difficult to find up from down and left from right.

After reading through the flyer I can see that you can purchase either an extra-extra small dog harness or an extra-extra large dog harness and pretty much every size in between as well as a variety of colors.

So far so good with the ComfortFlex Sport Harness (affiliate link).  My next step is to fit it to my dog Linus.  Linus is an Australian Shepherd mix and weighs in at about 55 pounds.  Of course it’s best to measure your dogs girth and check against the chart above.  According to his breed and the chart he would fit into either a medium or a medium large.  Fortunately for us PetPDC sent us both a Medium and a Medium/Large.  The Medium/Large fits Linus perfectly the Medium is too small, and Stetson’s Large Orange ComfortFlex Harness also fits Linus okay.  As you can see in the Sport Harness Sizing Chart there is overlap between the different size harnesses.  Make sure you find one that fits you best.

Linus wearing his ComfortFlex Harness

One thing I do recall when purchasing my initial ComfortFlex Harness for Stetson was that the shipping cost was extremely high.  I ordered from the Clean Run website and I just looked back and the total cost was $26.95 for the harness and $9.31 for shipping.  Ugh…I wasn’t too happy with the shipping cost.  However, I did notice that PetPDC is offering the harness on Amazon  (affiliate link) now.  However, I’m not too sure what the shipping cost is without going through the checkout process.

Those are my initial thoughts.  Now I’m going to put it through the test and use this new dog harness to see what I, Linus, and Stetson think of it.  Is it sturdy enough for my dog’s K9 Nosework, running, walking, and general activities?  We’ll see…

Contest Time!!!

Are you interested in receiving a FREE ComfortFlex Sport Harness???  We’re giving away 2 ComfortFlex Sport Harnesses (affiliate link) in the coming weeks.  All you have to do to be eligible for the first harness giveaway is leave us a comment below (on the PuppyInTraining.com blog) telling us what activities you do with your dog that would require a ComfortFlex Harness.  In two weeks (March 2nd) I’ll choose 1 random commenter from the comment section below.  Make sure you use a valid email address when leaving your comment so I can contact you if you’re the winner.

Just wondering have you used a ComfortFlex Sport Harness?  What do you think about these dog harnesses?  Leave us a comment to become eligible for a free ComfortFlex Sport Harness!

Post from: Puppy Training

ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review

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I’ve talked about puppy pickup day quite extensively here on the blog.  Can I just reiterate that it’s an AWESOME DAY!  It’s the evening that can sometimes be a disaster if your puppy does not like crate training.

That brings me to today’s quick puppy training tip.  On puppy pickup day we are given a packet full of paperwork.  It’s basically a folder with our puppy’s name, health records, vet reimbursement sheets, blank monthly puppy reports, GDA information, and puppy training tips.

I was looking over one of those puppy training tips and I thought I’d share it with you today.

Dublin Works On Sit-Stay

A Quick Puppy Training Tip

From my Guide Dogs of America (GDA) puppy folder.  Puppy training tips for the first week:

Your puppy is being sent home at 7 to 8 weeks of age, it is vital for this puppy to spend a week at home before going out into public.  Use this time to help the new puppy get used to his/her new family and surroundings, learn his/her name, how to sit for feeding time, crate training and last but not least learning to relieve on leash.

A lot of us are really excited to show our puppies off.  However, try not to forget the following:

1. Your puppy was born 7 weeks ago…
2. There’s a good chance this is his first time outside the sterile nursery…
3. This is his first time away from his family (brothers, sisters, mother)…
4. Every person, place, and thing he meets is brand new…

Those are a lot of new things for your puppy.  Take it easy with him.  Give him a week to get used to his new family and surroundings.  You don’t need to rush him out into the public.

What did you do during your puppies first day and week at home?  How did it go?  Tell us some of your puppy training tips in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

A Quick Puppy Training Tip

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1. The Global Pet Expo 2012 is held in Orlando, Florida.  That’s clear on the other side of the country and even though it sounds like an awesome event I don’t have the scratch to travel to Florida.
2. The Global Pet Expo is not open to the public.

Yep, I repeat, this event is not open to the public.  The Global Pet Expo is actually for independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals.  The show is not open to the public.  That’s a bummer because I’d love to see all the awesome new dog products making there way to the marketplace.

However, some of you guys out there might be interested and have the credentials to attend the expo.  If that’s you, here’s a bit of information about this years Global Pet Expo

Global Pet Expo 2012

WHAT: Global Pet Expo 2012
WHEN: February 29th-March 2, 2012
Wed. Feb 29th – 9am – 6pm
Thu. Mar 1st – 9am – 6pm
Fri. Mar 2nd – 9am – 5pm
WHERE: Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida

For more information on the Global Pet Expo 2012 visit their website.

One of our favorite events of the year is the Orange County Pet Expo a great show held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA.  The Global Pet Expo is also held in Orange County, but instead its in Florida and the event sounds completely different then what you see at the America’s Family Pet Expo.

Here’s some general information from the Global Pet Expo website:

Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, is presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA).

The 2011 Show featured 835 exhibitors, 2,380 booths and more than 3,000 new product launches. 4,691 pet product buyers from around the world attended.

Wow!  Now that’s a lot of exhibitors, booths, product launches and if you’ve seen some of the numbers the American Pets Products Association (APPA) has published then you know that besides the current recession the pet industry is alive and healthy.

Just to give you and idea of what we as a country are spending here are a few of the numbers from the APPA website:

Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures 

Year – in Billions
2011 – $50.84 (est.)
2010 – $48.35
2009 – $45.2

That’s in Billions of dollars folks! I suspect an updated report will be coming up soon with estimated numbers for 2012.  It’s nice to see that with this poor economy the pet industry is still alive and booming.

There’s more interesting information on the APPA website so I suggest you check it out.

Are you a retailer, distributor, mass market buyer, or qualified professional attending this years Global Pet Expo?  If you attend the Global Pet Expo 2012 or have attended one in the past please tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

In fact, if you plan on going and you would like to guest post while you are at the event or after the event please contact us through our contact form.  We’d love to have a roving reporter at the Global Pet Expo 2012.

Post from: Puppy Training

Global Pet Expo 2012

Related posts:

1. Global Pet Expo 2011
2. Twin Cities / Minneapolis Pet Expo 2012
3. Orange County Pet Expo 2012

A while back I talked about why a Christmas puppy does not make a good gift and today I’m going to reiterate that same sentiment for that Valentine Puppy you’re thinking about getting for your GF.

Valentine Puppy…Don’t Do It!

Not A Valentine Puppy, but definitely a gift!

• Potty accidents in the house – is your house ready for potty accidents?
• Crying, whining, barking, howling at night – not only you, but are your neighbors prepared for a noisy puppy?
• Mouthy behavior…biting! – puppy teeth are like little daggers they can be painful!
• Your favorite hat, piece of furniture, cell phone, remote control chewed into a million pieces – are you prepared for a destructive puppy?
• Sleepless nights – are your prepared to do without sleep for anywhere from a few nights to a couple months?

Puppy As A Gift

7 years ago I wanted a puppy.  My girlfriend new I wanted a puppy.  She came up with a very practical plan for getting me that puppy.  On my birthday she took me out on a most awesome date.  She told me we were going to visit several homes with litters of puppies and she wanted to get me a puppy for my birthday.  However, it was up to me to choose which puppy I wanted for my b-day.

It started with a visit to a home with 5 black Labrador Retriever puppies…adorable each one of them.  Then a stop at another home on over an acre of land with 7 yellow Labrador Retriever puppies…irresistable, tubby little things.  Finally a litter of 12 Golden Retriever puppies all living in a tiny little condo…so cute to see them run ramped in a tiny little space.

All of these puppies were absolutely adorable, but I was given a CHOICE as to which puppy I wanted and whether or not I wanted to take a puppy home that day at all.  I decided that it was to big of a responsibility to decide in such a short period of time.  Instead we stopped off at the book store on the way home and ended up buying Puppies For Dummies (affiliate link).  I read that book twice before we went out to look at another puppy. I was patient and looked at several more puppies, but ultimately ended up adopting a puppy about a month later from our local animal shelter rather than buying from a breeder.

A Few Alternatives To A Valentine Puppy

If you really want to get your honey a Valentine Puppy how about trying one of these alternatives:

• The awesome day I described above visiting several litters and breeders was a great way to find a puppy.
• Just get her a collar with dog tags or maybe the Puppies For Dummies (affiliate link) book and tell her this is the first step next week we’re going to look at puppies.
• How about a plush dog toy and tell her tomorrow you’re going to get her the real thing.

It’s a good idea to have an alternative game plan as your girlfriend may not be as eager as you to take the plunge of puppy ownership.  It’s a lot easier to return a book or dog toy then an actual puppy.  Of course you do lose the WOW factor, but I think you can live with that. A few other things to keep in mind.

• Please consider contacting your local animal shelter or rescue.  These organizations often have puppies and many times they are purebred.
• I’d also recommend against purchasing a puppy from the pet store.  Many pet stores get there puppies from puppy mills…make sure you do your research before buying from a pet store.
• Don’t forget to train your puppy.  I highly recommend taking your puppy to a minimum of puppy kindergarten and basic dog obedience training.  Puppy Training classes are fun and it also gives your puppy a chance to socialize with other puppies.  If you’re looking for some general puppy training information check out our section on how to train a puppy.

The moral of the story…Do Not Buy A Valentine’s Day Puppy For Your Girlfriend!  Choose one of the alternatives instead.

Do you know someone who has gotten their girlfriend a Valentine Puppy?  How did it turn out?  Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

Why A Valentine Puppy Is Not A Good Gift

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I did however come across another blog: Failures of a Puppy Raiser that had a similar t-shirt with the “Answers”.  Basically a shirt that listed common service/guide dog questions answered by a puppy raiser.  If you’re a guide dog puppy raiser (or a puppy raiser of any kind) then I think you’ll appreciate this post.

Dublin had the answers to all the puppy dog questions!

Top 10 KSDS Puppy Raiser Answers

10. Yes, it IS hard to give them up
9. Proper socialization teaches them to be calm while they work
8. I’m a volunteer
7. It’s not a muzzle, it’s a halti
6. No, I did not choose the puppy’s name
5. Guide Dog, Service Dog, or Social Dog
4. Washington, Kansas
3. 18 – 24 months
2. Black and Yellow Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers
1. Yes, it is REALLY hard to give them up

Great T-Shirt!!!  Although the “Answers” would be slightly different for me and my guide dog group, I’d love to print up a similar T-Shirt to present the answers to these common guide dog questions for puppy raisers.

I’ve never made a t-shirt in the past, but I’ve heard it’s not to difficult to create a shirt using either Zazzle or CafePress.  Here’s what I think I’d do for our guide dog puppy group:

Top 10 Puppy Raiser Answers

10. Yes, it IS hard to give them up
9. My puppy’s name is “Apache”
8. Proper socialization teaches them to be calm while they work
7. I’m a volunteer
6. A Guide Dog for the Blind
5. Yes, it is REALLY hard to give them up
4. 18 – 22 months
3. Sylmar, California
2. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds
1. Yes, it is EXTREMELY hard to give them up

Maybe I can come up with a more general list of Puppy Raiser answers that would apply to all puppy raisers, print up the shirts, and sell them online so I can make another donation to our guide dog group.  What do you think?  Would you buy a shirt with the “answers” to common dog questions asked of us puppy raisers?  What “Answers” to service/guide dog questions would you have on your Puppy Raiser T-Shirt?

I think I might put together a mockup of a T-Shirt with “The Answers” to common dog questions for puppy raisers…If I do I’ll share in an upcoming blog post.

Post from: Puppy Training

Top 10 Dog Questions For Puppy Raisers

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I love being a puppy raiser and one of my favorite days is picking up a brand new puppy for the first time.  There’s always a lot of excitement on puppy pickup day and one thing I don’t think a lot about are future puppy health problems.  Good thing GDA sends puppy raisers home with a packet of information including important info on the most common puppy health care tips.

Stetson Wearing The Cone Of Shame

Most Common Puppy Health Care Tips

Please always contact your veterinarian if you are experiencing a puppy health problem.

If it’s your first time raising and training a puppy then a lot of information may be new to you including future puppy health problems.  Lucky for me as a guide dog puppy raiser I was issued a short sheet of paper detailing what I can do when my dog runs into health issues.  Here’s the information I received on puppy pickup day.  Hopefully this information will some day help you and your dog.

PUPPY VOMITING

1. NO FOOD OR WATER FOR 6-8 HOURS, or you will upset the stomach more.
2. Afterward, give small, frequent feedings of a bland diet, such as 2/3 rice to 1/3 boiled chicken.
3. Give water in the form of ice cubes, just 3 or 4 in the pup’s dish.
4. If there is no change in the puppy’s condition within 24 hours, call GDA (call your veterinarian).

PUPPY DIARRHEA

1. Call GDA (call your veterinarian), we will probably want you to drop off a stool sample.
2. If puppy has diarrhea, but no vomiting, give 3-4 ice cubes every hour.
3. Follow steps 1,2, and 4 from the puppy vomiting section above.

PUPPY FLEA CONTROL

The following products are recommended by GDA for the prevention of fleas:

• PROGRAM – Given orally once a month.
• FRONTLINE – Applied topically to the dog’s skin once a month.

These products may be started as young as 8 weeks of age.  Please refer to the Puppy Manual for detailed information about these products.  Do not use any other products (i.e. dips/insecticide, shampoos/flea collars) with Program or Frontline.

I’ve been raising guide dog puppies for over 5 years now and I’ve encountered each of these puppy illnesses.  Lucky for me all the puppy vomiting, diarrhea, and fleas were more of an annoyance then anything for me to get alarmed about.  However, that may not be the case with every puppy.  Puppy vomiting, diarrhea, and flea control can all be serious issues and I’d definitely recommend you contact your veterinarian as soon as possible if you run into any of these common puppy health problems.

As I’ve mentioned earlier in this article please contact your veterinarian any time you are having a puppy health problem.  Veterinarians are the experts and they should always be notified if your puppy is experiencing an illness.

Hopefully you never run into these health problems with your puppy, but if you have tell us what you did to treat your puppy’s upset stomach or flea problem.  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

How To Handle The 3 Most Common Puppy Health Problems

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