May 24th, 2009 by admin

You have selected your puppy, and your home and family are ready. Now all you have to do is collect your St. Bernard from the breeder and the fun begins, right? Well….not so fast. Something else you need to prepare is your pup’s first trip to the veterinary surgeon.

PUPPY-PROOFING
Thoroughly puppy-proof your house before bringing your puppy home. Never use roach or rodent poisons in any area accessible to the puppy. Avoid the use of toilet cleaners. Most dogs are born with ‘toilet sonar’ and will take a drink if the lid is left open. Also keep the rubbish secured and out of reach.

Perhaps the breeder can recommend someone in the area that specialises in giant breeds, or may be you know some other St. Bernard owners who can suggest a good vet. Either way, you should have an appointment arranged for your pup before you pick him up. The pup’s first visit will consist of an overall examination to make sure that the pup does not have any problems that are not apparent to the eye. The veterinary surgeon will also set up a schedule for the pup’s vaccinations; the breeder will inform you of which ones the pup has already received and the vet can continue from there.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FAMILY

Everyone in the house will be excited about the puppy coming home and will want to pet him and play with him, but it is best to make the introduction low-key so as not to overwhelm the Puppy. He is apprehensive already. It is the first time he has been separated from his mother and the breeder, and the ride to your home is likely to beThe first time he has been in a car. The last thing you want to do is smother him. As this will only frighten him further. This is not to say that human contact is not extremely necessary at this stage, because this is the time when a connection between the pup and his human family is formed. Gentle petting and soothing words should help console him, as well as just putting him down and letting him explore on his own (under your watchful eye, of course). The pup may approach the family members or may busy himself with exploring for a while. Gradually, each person should spend some time with the pup, one at a time, crouching down to get as close to the pup’s level as possible and letting him sniff their hands and petting him gently. He definitely needs human attention and he needs to be touched this is how to form an immediate bond. Just remember that the pup is experiencing a lot of things for the first time, at the same time. There are new people, new noises, new smells, and new things to investigate: so be gentle, be affectionate, and be as comforting as you can be.

CHEMICAL TOXINS
Scour your garage for potential puppy dangers. Remove weed killers, pesticides and antifreeze materials. Antifreeze is highly toxic and even a few drops can kill an adult dog. The sweet taste attracts the animal. Who will quickly consume it from the floor or curbside?

HOW VACCINES WORK
If you’ve just bought a puppy, you surely know the importance of having your pup vaccinated, but do you understand how vaccines work? Vaccines contain the same bacteria or viruses that cause the dise3ase you want to prevent, but they have been chemically midified so that they don’t cause any harm. Instead, the vaccine causes your dog to produce antibodies that fight the harmful bacteria. Thus, if your pup is exposed to the disease in the future, the antibodies will destroy the viruses or bacteria.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
In order to know whether or not a puppy will fit into your lifestyle, you need to assess his personality. A good way to do this is to interact with his parents. Your pup inherits not only his appearance but also his personality and temperament from the sire and dam. If the parents are fearful or overly aggressive, these same traits may likely show up in your puppy.

PUP’S FIRST NIGHT HOME

You have traveled home with your new charge safely in his crate. He’s been to the vet for a through check-up; he’s been weighed, his papers examined; perhaps he’s even been vaccinated and wormed as well. He’s met the family, licked the whole family, including the excited children and the less-than happy cat. He’s explored his area, his new bed, the garden and anywhere else he’s been permitted. He’s eaten his first meal at home and relieved himself in the proper place. He’s geard lots of new sounds, smelled new friends and seen more of the outside world than ever before. That was just the first day! He’s worn out and is ready for bed….or so you think! It ‘s puppy’s first night and you are ready to say ‘good night’- keep in mind that this is puppy’s first night ever to be sleeping alone. His dam and littermates are no longer at paw’s length and he’s a bit scared, cold and lonely. Be reassuring to your new family member. This is not the time to inevitable whining. Puppies whine. They whine are and hopefully to get company out of it. Place your pup in his new bed or crate in mercifully, he may fall asleep without a peep. When the inevitable occurs, ignore the Whining: he is fine. Be strong and keep his interest in mind. Do not allow yourself to feel guilty and yourself to feel guilty and visit the pup. He will fall asleep eventually. Many breeders recommend placing a piece of bedding from his former home in his new bed so that he recognizes the scent of his littermates. Others still advise placing a hot water Bottle in his bed for warmth. This latter may be a good idea provided the pup doesn’t attempt to suckle- he’ll get good and wet and may not fall asleep so fast. Puppy’s first night can be somewhat stressful for the pup and his new family. Remember that you are setting the tone of nighttime at your house. Unless you want to play with your pup every evening at 10 p.m., midnight and 2 a.m. don’t initiate the habit. Your family will thank you, and so will your pup!

FEEDING TIP
You will probably start feeding your pup the same food that he has been getting from the breeder; the breeder should give you a few day’s supply to start you off. Although you should not give your pup too many treats, you will want to have puppy treats on hacd for coaxing, training, rewards, etc,be careful, though, as a small pup’s calorie requirements are relatively low and a few treats can add up to almost a full day’s worth of calories without the required nutrition.

PLAY’S THE THING
Teaching the puppy to play with his toys in running and fetching games is an ideal way to help the puppy develop muscle, learn motor skills and bond with you his owner and master. He also needs to learn how to inhibit his bite reflex and never to use his teeth on people, forbidden objects and other animals in play. Whenever you play with your puppy, you make the rules. This becomes an important message to your puppy in teaching him that you are the pack leader and control everything he does in life. Once your dog accepts you as his leader, your relationship with him will be cemented for life.

A FORTNIGHT’S GRACE
It will take at least two weeks for your puppy to become accustomed to his new surroundings. Give him lots of love, attention, handling, frequent opportunities to relieve himself, a diet he likes to eat and a place he can call his own.

QUALITY FOOD
The cost of food must also be mentioned. All dogs need a good quality food with an adequate supply of protein to develop their bones and muscles properly. Most dogs are not pucky eaters but unless fed properly they can quickly succumb to skin problems.