Vaccinations and Worming
4 Weeks
Start worming fortnightly with a good all wormer eg. Milbemax or Drontal. Always worm according to weight; as your puppy is growing quickly we advise weighing him/her before each worming.
6-8 Weeks
Puppies have their first vaccination (C3). If you have purchased your dog from a breeder or a pet shop he/she may have already had this vaccination.
10-12 Weeks
Worming can now be done every month, remember to weigh your puppy first.
This is when your puppy has their 2nd vaccination.
14-16 Weeks
This is when your puppy has their 3rd vaccination.
Heartworm
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos, so your dog does not have come into contact with other dogs to become infected. The mosquito injects the heartworm larvae into your dog’s blood stream while feeding on its blood.
It is essential that all dogs in Sydney be on heartworm prevention. This will kill the larvae before they can mature. The mature adult heartworms live in the heart and major blood vessels and cause heart failure.
Puppies should start heartworm prevention at 12 weeks of age or earlier. There are many different heartworm preventative products, so you will need to discuss this with your vet and choose the product that suits your routine.
If your adult dog is not on heartworm prevention or has missed treatments you will need to speak to a vet about having a heartworm test. Heartworm disease is treatable if your animal is tested and diagnosed prior to the development of heart disease. If you forget to give your dog it’s tablets we recommend at his/her next yearly vaccination you change over to the heartworm injection. This is given yearly and saves you having to remember to give a monthly tablet.
Desexing
We strongly recommend desexing your dog (both males and females) at 5-6 months of age. This does not alter your pet’s personality and there are many advantages.
Dogs desexed at a young age carry very little risk of developing either mammary cancer (females) or prostatic cancer (males). Desexing will help ‘antisocial’ behaviour such as inappropriate urination and humping. Desexed dogs are generally less aggressive and less dominant, hence are less likely to fight. Desexed dogs (particularly males) are also significantly less likely to want to escape and roam. It is not true that female dogs should have one litter before desexing; this does not enhance her character and could become a costly and worrisome adventure for you.
Microchipping
As of the 1st of July 1999 all new dogs must be microchipped and registered with the NSW Companion Animal Register. By law, this should be done at the point of sale or transfer, irrespective of the puppy’s age. Desexed animals are cheaper to register with the council.
Feeding
Good quality commercial dog foods provide a balanced and complete diet for dogs. It is also recommended to feed raw bones (never cooked) weekly for good den tal hygiene (chewing keeps the teeth clean).
Growing puppies need special feeding and must be given a diet high in calcium, correctly balanced with phosphorous, in order to form strong, healthy bones. It is not enough to add calcium powders to fresh food.
Feeding meat only is a very poor diet for puppies as it is very low in calcium. Puppies fed only meat will develop very brittle bones that are painful and easily fractured. Good commercial puppy diets provide the right balance of nutrients for growth and coat condition. Raw chicken wings are also good to help with teething and learning to chew.
If your puppy’s diet is inadequate and you need to change it do it gradually over a few days as a sudden change may cause diarrhoea.
Socialisation and behaviour
Puppies learn ‘dog language’ between 8-18 weeks of age; this allows them to communicate and play well with other dogs. They can only learn this language if they mix with other dogs during this period – puppies that do not mix with other dogs between 8-18 weeks are more likely (for the rest of their life) to be aggressive when other dogs are around or bark at them continuously. It is important then that you introduce your pup to other dogs. Our Puppy preschool is fun and designed to help with socialization as well as help you to understand why your puppy behaves the way he does, also to help you teach him in a non threatening way to behave the way you want him to. Take your puppy, as long as he is vaccinated to meet friends (vaccinated) dogs. It is also good for your puppies to spend time with children.
Give your puppy lots of TLC and remember he /she is very young and learning all the time. Positive reinforcement – rewarding good behaviour and ignoring bad is the most effective way to raise a happy content, non-aggressive dog.
Toilet Training
The best way to toilet train your dog is to use positive reinforcement. Take your puppy outside where you want him to go – if he goes in the correct area praise him and give him/her a treat, for example a liver treat or a piece of schmako.
Do this first thing in the morning, and last thing at night after every meal and every time he/she wakes up. If puppy goes inside, it does not help to rub puppy’s nose in it or smack the puppy as this will just make your puppy nervous .If you catch the puppy going in the house change your tone of voice say NO and put puppy outside. Be patient – some dogs learn quickly and others take longer but all will learn in the end.
