puppies

Puppies!

Hi {!firstname},
Here is Part 1 of your Puppies! informational series.
You are receiving this series because you opted to do
so. You may unsubscribe at anytime by clicking on the
link at the bottom of this page.

================================
5 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy Your
First Puppy
==========================================

Your kids want a puppy. All your neighbors have dogs.
It’s the great American Dream (for children, anyway) to
have a dog like Lassie. However, if this is your first
puppy, there are some things you need to know before
you commit to buying a dog.

#1 - Dogs Take Time. Puppies Take More Time.

Having a puppy is like having a 2-year-old. Until they
are trained (see #2), they require pretty much constant
supervision. After they are trained, they still
require supervision until they are older. Much older.
If you can't entertain them all day, you may want to
consider two dogs, or a cat. Or puppy day care!

#2 - Puppies Need Training. And so do your children.

When I was growing up, we had a dog - for a while. It
didn't work out because my parents didn't realize that
puppies need training. We were a cat family - and you
can pretty much ignore cats. Not so with dogs.

You will need several puppy classes and possibly more
classes when your puppy is grown. Dogs are not
independent, and you need to teach them proper
behavior.

If you have children, they need to take the classes
with their puppies so they can learn how to interact
with your new pet.

#3 - Puppies Cost Money. Lots of Money.

Ok - this isn't unreasonable, but you need to be
prepared to add your puppy into your budget. You will
have many expenses, especially when you first get your
new puppy. They need toys, bones, shots, registrations
with the state, and don't forget the food, dog houses,
collars, clothes (no really - it’s a big business -
you'll be tempted!) vet bills, and training (see #2).

Dogs are one of the most expensive pets around. Most
puppies are part of the family - and will cost you like
part of the family. Don't go into this venture
thinking they're cheap.

#4 - Puppies Grow Into Dogs.

I know that's obvious - but you need to be sure you
know how big your dog will be. If you have young
children, your puppy may outweigh them within a year.
Do the research so you know how big your cute little
puppy will be when he's a dog.

If your pet is a mixed breed dog, look at the paws.
Usually, a puppy will grow into their paws.

#5 - Dogs Need Exercise.

And people need exercise - so this can actually be an
advantage if handled properly. Puppies need room to
run and play. They need people to play with, and they
need toys to play with. If you lead a very sedentary
lifestyle, be sure you pick a dog breed that is low
activity.

The larger the dog, the more room and exercise they
need. You will probably need to walk your dog several
times a week. Be sure and plan that into your schedule
now - or you may find your puppy running around the
house all day without you.

Owning a dog can be a very rewarding experience - even
if this is your first puppy. Your dog will become one
of the family and be a faithful companion for life. Be
prepared for your new puppy, and it will be a great
adventure for both of you.

That’s all for Part 1, {!firstname}. Next up... housetraining
your puppy!

Peggy
www.kennelmenot.net
================================
{!firstname},for more information on training your
puppy, I highly suggest you take a look at Dog Training
with SitStayFetch.
================================
This ecourse is for informational purposes only and not
meant to be any sort of promise or guarantee, nor should
it be considered medical or professional advice.
www.kennelmenot.net
================================

==========================================
Puppies!

Hi {!firstname},
Here is Part 2 of your Puppies! informational series.
You are receiving this series because you opted to do
so. You may unsubscribe at anytime by clicking on the
link at the bottom of this page.

==========================================
The Happy Puppy Owner's Guide to
Housetraining Your Puppy
================================

Dogs are probably the only animals in the world who
love unconditionally, with their whole heart and body
and soul. There are many stories of dogs saving the
lives of their humans, of warning people of danger or
of seeming to know when an owner is sick or in pain.

If you've decided to get a puppy, or you've recently
brought one home, congratulations! You will have a
loyal friend and companion who will enjoy your company,
never be too tired to go for a walk with you, and who
will always be on your side, no matter what!

One note of caution though. A dog is only as
well-trained as he has been taught to be by his owner.
It is important that your puppy understands as quickly
as possible what is considered acceptable behavior and
what is not in your home.

You need to decide early if you will allow your puppy
to get on your furniture, where he can sleep, and what
he can chew on.

So housetraining your dog now, while your dog is still
a puppy is the best way to assure that she/he is a
welcome and happy member of your household.

The crate method is one of the fastest and most humane
methods of housetraining your puppy.

But, first, here are some do's and don'ts for
housetraining your puppy:

DO'S:
Do be assessable to your puppy. If you're going to be
gone for long periods of time during the training
period, then do not give the puppy full access to your
house. Put him in an area where you've prepared for
accidents.

Do limit the amount of food and water your puppy has
throughout the day. (If it's hot outside, make sure
your puppy has enough water to drink, but remember that
what goes in, will come out!

Do praise your puppy every time he/she does what you
expect him/her to do. Your puppy wants to please you,
and he/she needs to learn what behaviors create praise
from you.

Do be consistent. You will only confuse your puppy
otherwise.

Do be realistic. Your puppy may not be capable of
being completely housetrained until he is at least six
months old.

DONT'S:
Don't reprimand your puppy when he has an accident.
It's going to happen, and if it does, it means that you
didn't get him outside in time. Just clean it up and
move on.

Don't use the crate as a means of locking your puppy up
for long periods of time, or as a punishment.

Don't let your puppy go to the bathroom anywhere except
his/her designated area while you are training
him/her.

Why the crate method works: Dogs are naturally
fastidious animals and they don't like to eliminate
where they sleep or eat. Therefore, if your puppy
sleeps in the crate, she/he will not use the crate as a
bathroom.

First things first:

Puppies need to urinate shortly after they eat, drink,
play, chew, run or walk. Depending on the breed, size,
temperament and age of your puppy, this can be within
15 to 30 minutes.

1. Keep a record of the times your puppy needs to go
for a couple of days. This will help you to learn his
natural schedule, and make the training process
easier.

2. Plan your "walking" schedule around your puppy's
needs. From the time your puppy is about 10 or 11 weeks
to six months old, he/she should be walked between 5
and 10 times a day. Once your puppy is between six
months and 11 months old, this will drop to around 4 to
6 times a day. And when he/she is an adult, walking
your dog three to four times a day will be sufficient.

3. Especially after your puppy has spent the night in
his/her crate, do not return from your morning walk
until he/she has eliminated. (If for some reason you
do have to return, put your puppy in his/her crate, and
then take him/her out every fifteen minutes or so,
until he/she goes.) Make sure you give your puppy lots
of praise and affection, once he/she has done what you
wanted.

What the crate means for your puppy:

A crate is your puppy's home away from home, his/her
sanctuary in times of stress and his "bedroom" at
night.

Make sure that your puppy associates his/her crate with
positive feelings. Put his/her favorite blanket, chew
toys and treats inside the crate. When helping your
puppy get used to the crate, leave the door open until
your puppy shows no sign of fear of the crate.

The more comfortable your puppy is inside the crate,
the less likely he/she will be of soiling it.

Never let your puppy out of the crate for bad behavior
such as barking, whining or scratching.

How To Get Started:

1. Establish a regular schedule of feeding and going
outdoors.

2. Put the puppy in the crate at night, but make sure
you take him/her out first thing in the morning and
don't go back in the house until the puppy has
finished.

3. After the puppy has gone, bring him/her in, and let
him play for an hour or so. (Remember not to give your
puppy complete run of the house until he is completely
housetrained.)

4. Feed the puppy.

5. Using the chart you created, take the puppy outside
within 15 minutes of the time you know he/she is going
to need to go. Don't come back in until the puppy has
gone.

6. Bring the puppy in and let him/her play.

7. Put the puppy in his/her crate for a nap.

Repeat this schedule throughout the day.

Yes, this is a lot of work. But the method is
effective, it works quickly, and your puppy will soon
become housebroken, and as he/she gets older, your
puppy will let you know when he/she needs to go. In
the meantime, you'll be able to have complete
confidence in your puppy!

{!firstname}, I hope this information helps. In Part 3 I
will talk about the importance of puppy-proofing your
home, and how to go about it.

Peggy
www.kennelmenot.net
==========================================
{!firstname},for more information on training your
puppy, I highly suggest you take a look at Dog Training
with SitStayFetch.
================================
This ecourse is for informational purposes only and not
meant to be any sort of promise or guarantee, nor should
it be considered medical or professional advice.
www.kennelmenot.net
================================

================================

Puppies!

Hi {!firstname},
Here is Part 3 of your Puppies! informational series.
You are receiving this series because you opted to do
so. You may unsubscribe at anytime by clicking on the
link at the bottom of this page.

=================================
5 Tips for Puppy-Proofing Your Home
=================================

Ah, puppies...so adorable, filled with boundless energy
and curious about any-and-everything around them.
That's why taking steps to puppy-proof your home will
go a long way in protecting these little ones from
harm. And on the flip side, your precautions will also
safeguard your belongings from possible damage.

Your first task is to get a puppy's point of view.
How? By going from room to room, getting down on your
hands and knees and taking a good look at what your
puppy might be enticed by. Remember, they are new to
the world and like toddlers, puppies are inclined to
explore their surroundings by putting things in their
mouths and poking around in nooks and crannies.

Cabinets

Be mindful of cleaning supplies and personal care items
that are stored in low storage areas like kitchen and
under-sink bathroom cabinets. Needless to say, the
ingredients in these products are extremely harmful and
can even cause death. If the cabinet doors can be
easily pried open, think about storing these items in
some other place. Another option is to purchase
plastic child-proof cabinet locks that can be
temporarily attached to the handles or knobs. These
safety locks can usually be found online or in local
pet supply (or baby) stores.

Electrical Cords

How tantalizing is an electrical cord especially when
it's looping down from a table or desk? "I can jump at
it, pull on it, wrestle with it and even gnaw on it,"
Puppy thinks to himself. Well, the dangers are
obvious: a falling lamp or electrocution can cause
serious injury or worse. Wrap up loose hanging
electrical cords or at least block access to them. And
for cords that need to run across the floor, use rubber
or plastic cord/cable runners that can be purchased at
an office supply outlet or home improvement store.

Plants

Household plants are attractive to most puppies but
they are toxic. Ingesting a bite or two can cause
nausea, vomiting and in some cases death. So
re-position your plants so that they are out of reach.

Small Objects Around the House

Be alert to small items around the house that can be
swallowed or cause choking such as coins, jewelry,
sewing supplies, batteries, medication and miniature
knick-knacks left on low surfaces. And don't forget to
block access to trash receptacles in the kitchen, your
home office and even the bathroom. Now speaking of
bathrooms...

Toilet (Or, "Beyond the Great Rim")

To an adventurous puppy, the challenge of climbing up,
up and over the rim of your toilet is a tail-wagging
delight. Unfortunately, falling head first into this
big, slippery bowl of water is not so delightful
especially for a smaller-sized pup. Simple solution:
make it a house rule to keep the bathroom door closed
at all times.

Puppy-proofing your home may seem like a hassle but
providing the safest environment possible is a
necessity. After all, your lovable, four-legged bundle
of joy is worth it.

Next week’s email is about testing your puppy’s
personality. Be sure to try it, it’s pretty cool.

Peggy
www.kennelmenot.net
================================
{!firstname},for more information on training your
puppy, I highly suggest you take a look at Dog Training
with SitStayFetch.
================================
This ecourse is for informational purposes only and not
meant to be any sort of promise or guarantee, nor should
it be considered medical or professional advice.
www.kennelmenot.net
==========================================

================================

Puppies!

Hi {!firstname},
Here is Part 4 of your Puppies! informational series.
You are receiving this series because you opted to do
so. You may unsubscribe at anytime by clicking on the
link at the bottom of this page.

=================================
Testing a Puppy’s Personality
=================================

What is Puppy Testing?

Just as with humans, every dog has it's own
personality. For dogs this can already be determined at
a very young age. The object of a puppy test is to
determine what kind of personality the dog has. Knowing
this allows you to train your dog more effectively.

Some believe that a puppy test allows you to pick the
perfect dog. This is nonsense. It allows you to pick a
puppy which is mentally stable and has an
easy-to-work-with personality. Plus from experience we
can say that dog training is 70% the owners experience
and mentality and only 30% that of the dog.

Conditions For a Puppy Test

It's important that the test is performed in a neutral
room or space where the dog hasn't been before and
where there is no external distraction for the dog.

The optimal age for the test to be performed is when
the puppy is 5 to 7 weeks old. At this point the
personality is already set but they are not yet fully
attached to humans yet.

The person performing the test should also be someone
who the puppies haven't met before as some parts of the
test would give untrustworthy results otherwise.

The Actual Test

The test described below is the well known Campbell
test. This is however not the only existing test,
several others exist.

With this test, the puppies are scored on 5 criteria:

* Social attraction

* Facility to follow

* Response to obligation

* Social domination

* Acceptance to be lifted

For the social attraction, the testing person sits a
few feet from the puppy and observes how the dog
reacts: Does it come? If it comes, is the tail carried
high or low? Does he scout his surroundings? Does he
run the other way?

When testing the facility to follow, the tester will
put the puppy next to him an walk a little. Then see if
the dog follows or not? Does he follow and jump up at
the test person and even try to bit his ankles? Does he
follow from a distance? Does he rather wander off on
his own?

The response to obligation test entails that the puppy
is put on his back and held down on the ground by
placing a flat hand on his chest. Does the puppy
protest heavily and tries to bite the hands of the
testing person? Does he initially protest but calm down
later? Does he remain quiet or does he try to lick
hands?

With the social domination test, the tester will sit
down next to the puppy and just stroke him. Here we'll
observe that some puppies will try to crawl upon the
test person others will try to bite their hands or lie
on their back and lick hands. Some will even run away.

For the final test the puppy is lifted from the ground
supported only at his chest (this way the puppy doesn't
see the test person). Does he struggle and try to bite
hands? Does he initially struggle but calms down after
a while? Does he remain calm and perhaps even try to
lick the hands?

The combination of results lets you determine what
personality the dog has. For novice dog owner it's best
to pick a puppy that hasn't got an extreme test result
because those are either very dominant or extremely
submissive and will require a handler who is
experienced.

Can kids and puppies go safely together? Read Part 5 in
this series to find out.

Peggy
www.kennelmenot.net
================================
{!firstname},for more information on training your
puppy, I highly suggest you take a look at Dog Training
with SitStayFetch
================================
This ecourse is for informational purposes only and not
meant to be any sort of promise or guarantee, nor should
it be considered medical or professional advice.
www.kennelmenot.net
================================

================================

Puppies!

Hi {!firstname},
Here is Part 5 of your Puppies! informational series.
You are receiving this series because you opted to do
so. You may unsubscribe at anytime by clicking on the
link at the bottom of this page.

================================
Teach Your Child to be Safe with a Puppy
================================

It has been said that a dog is 'man's best friend' and
that a well trained dog can provide much love, fun, and
security, but at the end of the day this same dog is an
animal, one that can be dangerous inflicting serious
injuries and even causing death. It is therefore vital
that just as at an early age a puppy is trained, so
must children be educated in the correct ways of
dealing with a canine, and that always, when a child
and dog are 'loose' together that they are under adult
supervision.

Children must always understand that a dog, especially
a puppy, is not a toy, a doll or teddy bear. Children
love being cuddled and hugged, kissed and carried
around but they also know that at times they can become
grumpy and irritable when adults fuss them too much.
Well a dog is exactly the same they do not want to be
disturbed when eating or resting or sleeping but they
cannot say 'go away' or cry, they get grumpy and may
snap at the offender.

Adults must be aware that young children may
unwittingly encourage puppies to chase them often
leading to play biting, the puppy sees the child as one
of its own and in the excitement of play an injury can
occur, so therefore always adult supervision. However
older children and even adults can be guilty of
over-stimulating an excitable puppy one minute and then
telling it off for the same thing a minute later and
even worse hitting it the next! Adults should avoid and
definitely should not let children play aggressive
rough games with any puppy as this may result in a dog
with aggression and behavior problems later on.
Likewise taunting or making a puppy jealous can have
serious implications in an adult dog, which remembering
its puppy days can misjudge a situation and react in
the wrong way.

Children should be encouraged to ignore a puppy unless
it comes to them for attention. If they want to play
with the dog, it should, by name, be invited to go to
them. Just as humans dislike close face-to-face
interaction so do puppies so again children must learn
not to push their faces into the dogs, or risk a
painful nip! Children should also be encouraged to put
their toys, clothes, shoes, etc. out of the reach of a
puppy, preventing the temptation for the puppy to claim
items as it's own; this solves two possible problems, a
child trying to pull away items from a dog and also the
possibility of pup swallowing an item leading to a
painful (for the dog and the adults purse) trip to a
vets.

The most important lesson though is to teach respect
for a living animal. Children must understand the need
to give a dog space, let them have quiet time and then
when together to be quiet and gentle with one another.
The same rules really apply with children's interaction
with one another. Living with dogs will enrich their
lives as long as they learn to understand canine
language. Caring for dogs encourages responsibility and
develops empathy; there are so many positives providing
a responsible adult has trained the dog and the child
in the correct ways of living together.