Free Puppy Care Instructions
Our Puppy Care Instructions will include the following when complete: Separation Anxiety, Puppy Chewing on Hands, Food & Ingredients, Flee Control, Immunizations, Grooming, Crate Training, Obedience, Barking, Disciplining, Toxic Plants & Foods, Potty Training, Rough Puppy Play, Chewing, & more.
Expect Separation Anxiety
Tibetan Terriers are very sensitive, sweet & emotional dogs. They are also very intelligent & loyal. Because of the emotional sensitivity of the breed, your new puppy may experience some separation anxiety. Each puppy is different so each puppy may not react the same. Some have no separation anxiety at all. Especially when there is another dog in the family.
Your puppy just came from a family of dogs & puppies with Sharon acting as Alfa and leader of the family. Because of their loyal nature some dogs find the adjustment into a new family very hard & others have no problem at all. Your new puppy may cry for their litter mates for a few days. Be patient. This will pass as they come to accept you as their new family & Alpha leaders. Some puppies need loving patience as they shift their loyalty to their new family. Once they do...you have a friend for life.
If your puppy just took a long flight they may be scared and nervous. Imagine this: Someone takes you from your family, shoves you in a dark box and dumps you into the middle of China. You do not know where you are, you do not know the language & you become fearful of these new strangers in your life. This is exactly how it may feel to your new puppy. So be compassionate and understanding for the first few days.
Do not lock the puppy in a room by itself for the night. That will intensify the anxiety. They want to be where you are. They will do fine if you let the puppy sleep with you, in a crate next to you, or with your other dog. To separate the dogs will also inflate the anxiety. So Fido may have to tolerate the new sleeping arrangement until the puppy adjust to the new family. Sorry Fido....You will get over it!
Puppy Kisses
Your puppy just came from a pack of dogs. It is normal for a puppy to use it's mouth as a form of communication and play. This is instinct for the puppy. This is different from fear biting. They may be using play biting as a way to show affection. You will need to train your puppy not to use it's teeth on your hands and clothes.
Carry Chew Sticks everywhere you go. Have them in every room of the house and in your pockets. Every time your puppy tries to nibble on your hand, replace your hand with a chew. Let your hand go limp in his mouth...then remove it. Insert chew stick.
If they grab your clothes in their mouth make a loud Shuuut! sound...and poke them gently & abruptly on the chest with your finger at the same time. You can teach him that "licking" is ok by placing spread on your arm and letting him lick it off while you say "Puppy Kisses". You can teach them to kiss on command.
Puppy Food
A drastic or sudden change if puppy's diet can cause diarrhea & stomach upset in your new puppy. It is best to find out which food the breeder has been feeding the puppy and continue the same food, then slowly ad the new dog food a little bit more every day until they are switched over completely to the new food. It is best not to keep switching the puppy back & forth from one food to another trying to experiment because it will lead to loose bowels. Find a high quality dog food and stick with it. If loose bowels becomes a constant problem, that is a sign that they are not doing well on the brand of dog food you picked. Try another. All dogs are different. There may be an ingredient that they are allergic to.
Go to the Dog Food Link and study more about the different ingredients found in dog food. There is a dog food rating chart which grades the different dog foods. This is just a base, not a bible. Some breeds may have a high sensitivity to certain ingredients and all things should be taken into consideration. I encourage everyone to do their own research and make an educated decision.
The puppy foods we use for the weaning process is: We make a mush using soaked dry puppy food & goat milk. We recommend a high quality puppy food with chicken as the primary ingredient, rice being the second. Remember that it is not about the fancy sells pitch when it comes to dog food...It is about the ingredients. We will soon be posting a breakdown of the different dog foods and their ingredients on our Education Link. We will teach you what to look for and what to avoid. So stay tuned for this valuable information. We recommend that you use a high quality Puppy Food for at least 9 months to 1 year.
We also supplement our puppies with goat's milk during the weaning process. We buy the condensed can goat milk (located next to the can milk)....then dilute it. The puppies love it and it is better for them than cow's milk. Never use cow milk. Giving your new puppy a treat of goat's milk once or twice a day will make them happy. It is a comfort food for them. I would stop after three months of age when their digestive system begins to change.
We also give all the puppies fish oil. We buy the fish oil gel tablets. The puppies love to pop the gel tabs in their mouths and get an explosion of fishy flavor. Fish oil helps with brain development, coat, and has many other health benefits. Most puppy food have fish oil, I give a little extra.
Bad Ingredients for Tibetan Terriers
The ingredients you want to avoid when purchasing puppy food and treats for you new puppy are: Flour, corn, sugar & anything that says "Meat by Products". Flour and corn are loaded with sugar. Dogs are NOT meant to have sugar. Any sugar in a dog's diet can lead to an unbalanced colon and can cause fungus to grow in the intestines. Sugar feeds fungus. Fungus surfaces in several ways. Ears & skin are the most common. If your dog has continuous ear & skin problems then you need to take a nice long look at what YOU have been feeding your dog. You control your dog's diet. This health issue starts with you.
Adding raw meat into the diet can start the intestinal healing process. Raw meat contains natural enzymes that are cooked out of dog food during the processing. These enzymes are vital to your dog's health. You can also purchase enzymes for dogs on line. Some ointments treat the surface symptoms & do not fix the underlying cause. A treat is not a treat when it causes health issues in you dog. Be a good owner....stop the sugar treats.
Good Ingredients for Tibetan Terriers
Chicken or Lamb should always be listed as the first ingredients. This may very between dogs. Some dogs may be sensitive or have an allergy to one or both of these ingredients. You need to observe your dog and make an educated decision which is best. Each dog is different. I do not like generalized statements such as "Don't use lamb"...it is bad! That is like saying all politicians cheat on their taxes. ??? Educate yourself on ingredients and make the decision that is right for your dog.
Regardless of which meat you choose, meat should ALWAYS be listed as the first ingredient on your dog food. Dogs are carnivore by nature. They do best with more meat and less grain fillers. Brown Rice is the filler of choice, never corn or flour. The more meat sources the better.
Once again, beware of fancy sells pitches. Read the label. Never buy anything that says "meat by products". Many dog food companies take euthanized cats and dogs and grind them up for dog food. The drug they use to euthanized animals is toxic and should not be fed back to the dogs. Not all meat by products are cats & dogs, but I still avoid them because they can be anything.
Amount of Food to Feed Your New Puppy
It is important not to place too many restrictions on a growing puppy. Growing puppies need to be fed more often than an adult dog. We recommend feeding your new puppy three times a day and to keep them on a schedule. The reason it is important to keep a puppy on a schedule is because of potty training your puppy. Puppies are quite predictable. They eat...they will usually poop within 20 minutes of eating. We recommend turning the dog outside first thing in the morning to do both jobs and do not let them back in until done. Then feed breakfast. Feed again at noon then put the dog outside after they eat. Dinner....the same thing. Feed...then poop.
Amount: I let them eat the wet puppy food mix until they are full then put the food up when they are done. Never starve a puppy. They are like babies and need to eat more often. The amount they eat is up to them. Most puppies will eat till they are full then stop. Never feed too late at night or you will have a midnight accident . Put water up after 6 or 7 pm.
How to Serve Wet Puppy Food: I soak the dry puppy food and mix it with a high quality can food. The dry puppy food is formulated better than the can food, so I do more dry & less wet in the mix. (you can also add raw meat to the mix) I make a big batch and store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container. The reason I use wet is because they will eat it better and all at once.
Very important. If you give them dry....they will nibble off and on all day. Much harder to control the feeding. If they are only nibbling, then the food should remain down because a nibble is not enough to sustain a growing puppy. Some may disagree, but I think the added moisture is good for the puppy. They should be drinking lots of fresh water anyway's. Water equals more potty trips but I do not think it is healthy to restrict water on a puppy. Regulate...Not restrict. Regulate water...regulate potty trips. Regulate food...regulate poop trips. Simple & effective formula.
Raw Meat Diets
There has been allot of buzz about raw meat diets for dogs. Many have chosen to switch their dog to a natural, homemade, raw meat diet because of the health benefits. Raw meat is what a dog would eat in the wild. Dogs are carnivorous by nature. Many believe that the processing that takes place in dry foods kills much needed nutrients & enzymes your dog needs to maintain health. I encourage you to study the benefits and make a educated decision. However, it is not always financially possible to feed your dog this type of diet. They can also be tricky to formulate, hard to balance and time consuming to make. I do recommend that you at least give your dog raw meat three times a week if possible. Better some than none. Remember that Beef is a high allergy food for dogs. It is best to use other meat sources.
Itching
This is one of the most common complaints with TT owners.
Solution: Trouble Shoot !
Start with a good Shampoo. The wrong Shampoo can leave a dog with itchy, irritable skin. I recommend A Touch of Mink. You can purchase it online at:
http://www.touchofmink.com/catalog.asp?v=misc
For a easy solution, you can buy some dog grooming products at PETCO. Here are a few to try.
ESPREE Tea Tree & Aloe Shampoo & ESPREE Luxury Remoisturizer
For a finishing spray you can try AVODERM Natural Grooming Spray also found at PETCO.
FOOD! Food allergies can also cause skin irritation. The most common are wheat & corn. Sometimes it can be one ingredient in your dog's food which may lead to allergies. I give the puppies Fish Oil Gel Tabs to add extra oils in their diet. Chicken based foods are said to be better, but each dog is different.
Flee Control
To be continued...stay tuned for the rest of puppy care instructions.
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