Welcome to our online blog. Romeo and I are happy you are here to perhaps learn a few things before you get your puppy and what to do after you bring your puppy home!!

Life is better with a canine companion! That's my idea, but the dog should be trained first! That's my professional and personal opinion.

Excellent links for socializing your puppy:

http://wonder-puppy.com

http://puppies.about.com

http://www.cooldogtraining.com

http://cooldogtraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Socialization-List.pdf

My recommendations come from the list below.  This list includes almost everything a puppy should know and welcome easily before the puppy is 6 months old and a short list (details in depth on link) of common behavior problems:

• 100 different kinds of people (ages, how they move, what they hold, what they wear)
• 25 dogs off leash (good/socialized dogs- puppies and adult dogs)
• Noises (fireworks, baby crying, thunder, lightening, trash truck, motorcycles, lawn equipment)
• Human touch (ears, mouths, teeth, paws, nails, base of tail, etc.)
• Mouthy
• Nipping at clothing
• Jumping
• Digging
• Stealing
• Free feeding (don't do it)
• House training

Two most important skills to know before puppy comes home

Potty Training & Puppy Biting

• Puppies prefer the same surface to go potty on.  Be consistent.
• Kennel training, crate should be just big enough for pup to stand up, turn around and lie down.
• No absorbent material in crate.
• With success, increase the pup's freedom...GRADUALLY!
• Changes in household, stress, holidays, vacation time - can cause pup to suddenly have accidents. Get back to your schedule.
• Pups have more accidents in inclement weather; use umbrella, sweater, make the situation as pleasant as possible for your pup.
• Good rule of thumb for how long a pup can hold its bladder: the dog's age in months, plus one.  A 4 month old could possibly hold its bladder for 5 hours.  You should build up to this gradually.
• If you can't supervise the pup every minute, use a crate/kennel.
• Manage the pup, and supervise so the pup will not eliminate in the house.
• Take the pup out on a schedule.  Use the same door, same routine, same spot outside.
• Feeding and watering on a schedule will help with your schedule
• When the pup eliminates outside, offer a soft, chewy reward AFTER the pup has completed its elimination.  Not during.
• If you don't treat immediately outside, then the pup will learn to 'hold it' and 'stall' its eliminations.
• If the pup likes being outside, taking him/her in immediately can be viewed as a punishment and the pup may then learn to 'stall' so he/she can stay out longer.
• If the pup has an accident and no one witnesses it, do not scold or punish the dog.  At all costs, hold your tempers!  Pushing the dogs nose into "it" doesn't teach the dog anything good.  
• If one does see the dog while eliminating inside, gently take the dog outside to finish.

Have fun, enjoy your pup and take it one day at a time :-)

One example of indoor sod setup for puppy or dog that must be contained
for a period of time without supervision.

• Puppy biting in a very normal puppy behavior.  
• Typically, puppy biting, with training from you, fades out as the pup matures.
• If the pup was taken from its mother and siblings too early, say 8 weeks, the often lack bite inhibition.
• Do not play 'finger,' 'hand,' games with your pup.  Waving fingers in front of puppy's face is a big no-no.
• ALWAYS have an appropriate chew or toy to play with the dog.  Many will bite when being pet or cuddled, therefore, have a toy ready.
• A tired dog is a happy dog, is a happy pet owner.  Plan your dog's exercises, especially during high-energy times.
• Never hit, smack, hold the muzzle closed, tap, pop or even hurt your pup in anyway.  This will scare dogs and will create fear associated with your hands.
• Always use your hands in a calm, smooth manner around pups.
• If the pup bites you, squeal loudly in a high-pitched voice, take your hands away and look away for 3 seconds.  Repeat the play action and if the pup bites again, repeat the squeal.  The pup will learn if he/she bites too hard, the playmate will leave.

Most importantly, have fun and take it one day at a time with your new puppy 

Look at her adorable paw!



Poisonous Foods for Dogs

While dogs can eat some of the same foods that we do, there are many they should not eat. Some common foods you may have around your house could kill your dog in the right amount.

Some foods dogs should not eat and if your dog has ingested any of these foods, get veterinary help immediately:

Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.

Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.

Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes.

Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis.

Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Cooked Animal Bones: Bones can splinter and dogs can choke and they can damage their internal organs.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants are the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe.

Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart .

Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death.

Apples, Cherries, Peaches and similar fruit: The seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them.

Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible.

Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems.

Food that most dogs can eat:

Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store.  This is just a small list of examples of foods dogs can eat, not a list of every food they should eat. Dogs won’t necessarily get all the nutrients they need if they eat these foods exclusively, so check with your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your dog a home cooked diet.
Any food that causes stomach upsets or digestive problems in your dogs should be avoided. Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods.

Meats:
Meats should be boneless and it’s best if the skin is removed. Don’t consider raw meat a good idea because of the small risk of food poisoning and parasites.
Skinless, boneless chicken breast, skinless, boneless turkey breast
Boneless fish

Vegetables:
Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegetables whole or in large chunks. It’s best to put them through a food processor before giving them to your dog:
Carrots
Green Beans
Lettuce
Potatoes
Yams

Grains:
Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but these foods are generally safe in small amounts:
Rice
Bread

Dairy products:
Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. Usually, nonfat plain yogurt is safe in small amounts.


Disaster preparedness is a real possible event.  Listed below are a few websites that can help get you and your pets ready.

www.uan.org 
Disaster resources for companion animals:

Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS)

United Animal Nations

www.avma.org/disaster