Pets
Grooming & Health Care
There are several grooming tasks that you should attend to regularly in order to maintain your puppy's health.Brushing: Try to give your puppy a quick brush on a daily basis. Each type of coat requires special grooming tools, but the principles of hair growth and the factors, which produce a healthy coat, are the same. Brushing is a necessity since it removes dead hair and cleans the skin and living hair. Teach your puppy to sit or stand quietly while you brush. If he squirms, is obnoxious, or bites at the brush, you are making the session too long. Praise him when he is quiet and cooperative. Perhaps, periodically reward him with a treat. Begin with very brief brushing sessions -- maybe five to ten seconds and gradually increase the time. You can also get into the habit of brushing your puppy prior to eating, going out, etc. so the act of brushing brings about a real life reward. If he will not sit still for brushing because he sees his food dish, put the bowl away and try again in a few seconds. Keep working on this until he gets the idea that he must be still and accept the brushing in order to get what he wants -- his dinner.
Bathing: You can start bathing a puppy as young as 7-8 weeks. How often you bathe your puppy depends not only on how frequently he gets dirty, but also on the type of skin and hair he has and the kind of shampoo you use. It is best to bathe him in a bathtub so that he is physically contained, comfortable, and warm water is available. Line the bottom of the tub with rubber mats or a terry towel to give your puppy solid footing. It helps tremendously to have a removable shower head, which can be detached, brought down to the puppy's level, and manipulated to spray in the desired direction. Use a shampoo specifically designed for puppies, so that if it does get in their eyes it will not cause discomfort. Later, when your puppy is trained to be bathed without fuss, you can switch to regular shampoo or flea shampoo. A cream rinse, used according to directions, can be used after the shampoo to make comb out of longhaired puppies easier. Obtain some expert information about what is best for your particular puppy.
Ears: Try to get into the habit of checking inside your puppy's ears on a regular basis. Ears are a common haven for ticks, mites, and infections. Frequent care is required for puppies with hanging ears. Your puppy's ears should be clean, pink and odor-free. If you see normal surface dirt, you can clean them by wiping them out gently with a moistened cotton ball. Be very gentle, wiping out only what you can visibly see. Don't go deep into the ear canal. You can seriously hurt or injure your puppy if you do so. The folds or crevices can be cleaned using a cotton swab moistened with water, mineral oil, or isopropyl alcohol. If you ever see that your puppy's ears are red, inflamed, swollen, sore, or if there is a foul smell or discharge, your puppy probably has an ear infection. We recommend that you take your puppy to your veterinarian for a thorough examination. Ear infections are relatively common, and are easy to treat if noticed early. But if you ignore it, it can rapidly worsen to a serious condition.
Mouth and Teeth: Attending to your puppy's mouth and teeth now will get him used to having his teeth and gums brushed later on. We included putting your hand in his mouth as part of dog massage earlier in the course. You can gently rub a recommended dental care product across your puppy's teeth and gums using your finger.
Nail Cutting: Cutting your puppy's nails should be a regular part of your grooming routine. Most people neglect nail cutting because they do not know how to do it, or are afraid. As a result, the nails grow very long, and are uncomfortable and unhealthy for the puppy. Your puppy's nails should be short enough so that they do not "click" on a tile or wood floor. If you allow your puppy's nails to become too long, it causes the puppy to stand abnormally, sometimes causing pain. In extreme cases, nails can grow in a complete circle penetrating the pad.
There are two types of nail clippers, guillotine, pliers or nail grinders. Select the style you feel most comfortable with.
Nails are "alive", meaning they contain blood vessels and nerves. Only the tip is dead. Light colored nails are the easiest to trim since the blood vessel can be seen as a pink area coming to a point. Cut the nail just beyond the point where you see the pink end. If you cut into the vessel, it is painful and will bleed. Put a little bit of styptic powder on the nail and it will immediately stop any bleeding. Black nails are more difficult to trim. The best rule to follow is to cut the nail just beyond the point where it starts to curve downward. Once you learn how to cut nails, and teach your puppy how to have his nails cut, nail cutting is a very simple procedure, and you will be able to maintain his nails properly.
Fleas
Fleas are very common external parasites. They are irritating, and can cause skin problems. They thrive in all seasons at moderate temperatures. They cannot survive in high elevations, so they're not a problem in mountain states or for mountain dwellers. Fleas are tiny brown insects that crawl on your puppy's skin, ingesting blood. If you disturb them they hop away. Concentrate on preventing fleas. Check your puppy often by stroking the hair the wrong way, especially in the groin area. If you find fleas -- even one -- treat your puppy immediately before it multiplies into a major problem! You can use flea shampoo, dip, powder, spray or a preventative treatment through your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can recommend the best treatment, especially for young puppies. If your puppy has fleas, so does your house. Fleas spend the vast majority of their time off the puppy. They complete their breeding life cycle in your carpet, furniture, walls, floors, etc. You must treat both your puppy as well as the house in order to rid of the parasite. The best, most effective products for fleas are available through your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can also recommend a good flea and tick collar for your puppy.
Ticks
Ticks are also common external parasites. They latch into the puppy's skin and ingest blood. As they do, they grow to the size of a small jellybean. Their body becomes a sack of blood with a tiny head. You can purchase special tick tweezers in our grooming department. In removing a tick, it is essential to remove the head, which is locked into the skin. Grasp the tick using tweezers right at the skin. You will have to pull hard to remove it -- their jaws are very strong. Once you have it out, be certain that you did get the head, and then kill it. Often they will take a piece of skin with them. If so, clean the spot on your puppy and watch it for a while for signs of infection. Since Lyme Disease has become a very common disease in many areas of the country, many veterinarians are recommending the Lyme Vaccine. Lyme Disease can be deadly so it is highly recommended that you speak with your veterinarian about this treatment.
Worms
Worms are internal parasites that live in your puppy's digestive tract. The most common types are round, hook, whip, and tape worms. We recommend that you take a sample of your puppy's stool to your veterinarian on an annual basis. If they find worms, you will be given medication to kill them.
Inoculations
Your puppy will need regular inoculations to protect him from common but serious canine diseases. Be careful to follow your veterinarian's schedule for keeping your puppy up-to-date on his inoculations.
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Back to Smart Pet Guide to Training
PETsMART Accredited Training Instructors, in addition to their previous experience, receive a minimum of 120 hours of training in a curriculum which includes: Canine Behavior, Learning Theory ("How Dogs Learn"), Problem-Solving, Classroom Management, Equipment, Handling Skills and more. Where possible, hands-on training is completed in partnership with local shelters, using shelter dogs to demonstrate training methods, behavior assessment and handling skills. This enables us to accredit our instructors while contributing to the community, as we help to make these dogs even more adoptable.
Suzanne Hetts Ph.D. is certified as an applied animal behaviorist and co-owner of Animal Behavior Associates, Inc., in Denver, CO.
Terry Ryan is the well-known author of training books such as The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog and The Bark Stops Here.
Pia Silvani is the Director of Pet Training and Behavior at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J.
Mary Lee Nitschke, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Linfield College, an Animal Behavior Therapist and the Director of Training for Animal School in Portland, OR.
Trish King is the Director of the Animal Behavior and Training Department at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, CA.
Pamela J. Reid, Ph.D. is a certified applied animal behaviorist and assistant professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, where she teaches veterinary students courses in Applied Ethology and the Principles of Learning.
Information and advice contained on this site is for your consideration only. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet.
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