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Your puppy will grow the fastest during the first six months of his life, so you’ll want to take special care to plan a healthy diet from the start. “Growing puppies have a lot more energy than adult dogs,” says Madan Khare, DVM. “They require more nutrients in each bite because they can’t eat in large quantities.” Here’s everything you need to know about feeding your puppy, including what food to choose, how often to feed him and how to handle treats and teething.
Look for a premium puppy food with key ingredients such as animal-based proteins (chicken, beef or lamb) for strong bones, and energy-rich fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3 are two) for a healthy skin and coat. When perusing the products at your grocery store, don’t be tempted by the low-cost brands in the huge bags. They may contain lower-quality ingredients and artificial preservatives and may not provide your dog the with optimal nutrition he needs.
Premium puppy food, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy, is more easily digested and has additional nutritional value, containing nutrients such as DHA that are naturally found in milk from the puppy’s mother. Discuss with your vet and read package labels to determine an appropriate formula for your dog’s breed and size.
Create a clean, quiet spot for your puppy to eat, preferably in the kitchen. Additionally, provide your pup with fresh water in a clean bowl at all times, even outdoors. You may want to place a mat beneath both bowls to easily clean up spills or crumbs and keep the area tidy.
Develop a consistent eating schedule that coordinates with yours. At first, feed your puppy three times a day (consult your vet about proper quantities). After four months, twice daily should be fine.
'Feed your puppy while you eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner,' Khare suggests. Your puppy will learn that you eat at the table and he eats from his bowl. This will deter any tendency to beg. “He'll appreciate the bonding time, too,” Khare adds.
Premium dry food, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™, is your best bet for balanced nutrition, value and convenience. When stored properly, it’ll stay fresh longer than moist food — and it requires fewer cleanups.
For a teething puppy, you may want to mix dry food into moist food.
Use vet-recommended treats when training your dog, but with moderation. Don't offer human food, though — it may do more harm than good because it won’t have the important nutrients your pet needs.
Having a puppy in your household never lets a dull day knock on your door. What could be more exciting than having a fur baby live with you? For some of you, it may also be a lifelong dream finally coming true. While everything about sharing your space with a pup sounds delightful, it starts going south when an untrained puppy takes over the house.
Procrastinating the process of house training a puppy can drive your pooch to eliminate in your house and ruin carpets and furniture. This is not a pretty scenario in the long run because not being able to control your little pup can put you and your family into distress. And most first-time pet parents are clueless regarding how to handle and control their furry companion. If you are one of them, here’s everything you need to do to house train your puppy.
This is not something that you take lightly. You need to be determined and consistent with the process if you want this to stay with your pup forever. House training a dog requires patience and perseverance. Create a puppy house training schedule and stick to it. Try to get your puppy used to walking on leash before you start potty training.
Note: You need to know that your dog is new to your house, it will need time to adjust in the brand-new environment. So, make sure that you do not develop a plan that is too overwhelming for your pet.
A routine always helps in the long run, whether it is for us or for our dogs, establishing a routine will help your dog to understand that there is a specific time to eat, play, sleep, or potty. So, with this, your dog will know that there is a particular time to poop as well. It is better to have a dog with a routine than the one who defecates anytime, anywhere.
Taking your puppy out at appropriate times is non-negotiable. Take it out for a walk right after it wakes up, during its play time, and after it eats or drinks because these are the times when dogs are most likely to want to go. Hence, keep a good gap between meals and water, and bedtime, so your pup does not have to hold their business in for too long.
As a dog parent, you must know that for every month of age, puppies can control its bladder for an hour! So, if your pup is 2 months old, it can hold its bladder for 2 hours. However, 6 hours is the limit. Dogs cannot control their bladder for more than 6 hours.
Commands can help pet parents in communicating with their pooch. If you use a command repeatedly for a certain action, your dog will begin to pick up on the relation between your words and the act. For example, if you keep using the phrase ‘go fetch’ while you throw a toy or a stick, your pet will start understanding that it needs to go and retrieve the object. Similarly, when you take your dog out on a leash and want them to defecate, use the phrase ‘go potty’ and point to a particular spot. This will help them realise that they need to go.
Rewards can help establish a healthy relationship between you and your four-legged friend. These rewards can be in the form of treats or playtime with its favourite toy. It will help you teach new commands while also encouraging good behaviour. Make sure you are not showering treats on your pup before the task or action is complete. For example, give your pooch a treat after it has finished its potty round and not when it is in middle of it. Wondering why? Because then, your pup might not finish what it’s doing and have an accident later inside the house.
Note: If you feel that there's little to no progress, consult your veterinarian to rule out medical issues like bladder infections.
Now that you know how to house train a dog, you must understand that it is a time-consuming process. Your pup might take time to learn, however, with consistent practice, your dog will be obedient. Here are a few things you must know before you two get down to training:
