Written By: Cindy Jacobs (Cyd)
As the pups are soon to be 12 weeks old, I was looking back over some of the video I had taken and never had put up. German Shepherd Puppies are smart, I believe the breed is rated #3 of all dog breeds. They are quite fun to watch.
When you start feeding your pups mush to move them to puppy food, you notice there are always pups that try to hog the full meal. You then look to other means to start feeding the pups to give all an even chance for food. This video clip was done when the pups were 8 weeks, two of the pups had already gone to their homes. I remember when doing this I would often laugh, and seeing the video clip almost a month later I laughed again. Hope you enjoy the clip, puppies are sure fun and funny to watch and see just what they will do.
My history included information about my dog-mom and dad's pedigree, and my operation, shot and medical information to date.
My schedule...
And advice...
Since my hu-mom and hu-man had never had a puppy before, Michael and Karen wanted to make sure that we would "adjust" well to one another, so they gave my hu-mom and hu-man the following advice....
- They said that if I ever chewed up something that I wasn't supposed to, peed inside the house, or did something that I wasn't supposed to, my hu-mom and hu-man should roll up a newspaper and....(oh I know what you are thinking, but wait...) they should whack themselves on the side of the head with it, because they are the humans and it is up to them to provide a "puppy-proof" environment, let me out when I should be let out, and provide a nurturing environment for me.
- They also encouraged my hu-mom and hu-man to touch and massage my paws, so I would be used to the touch and wouldn't go ballistic when it was times to get my nails clipped.
- They also had the same advice for touching and massaging my ears, so ear-cleaning wouldn't be traumatic.
- They also showed my hu-mom and hu-man to touch my muzzle, clean my eyes, and open my mouth and dig things out, that shouldn't be there -- (I gave them plenty of opportunity to practice this one in those early days!) All of this was designed to get my hu-mom and hu-man used to touching me...and me getting used to them touching me, so that when I was a "big" dog, I wouldn't growl at or bite them when I saw them coming near my face.
- Michael and Karen told my hu-mom and hu-man that I was smart, so they should challenge me, give me plenty of time and attention, and most of all love.
And it is with the above information and advice that we started our new live together....
Training a puppy to walk on lead will take endurance, but it is one of the most important foundations for successful training. Puppies are naturally wild and full of liveliness – walking coolly at your side will not be natural to them at first. Your puppy will need leadership and positive reinforcement from you to realize proper lead behavior. The answer is to start unhurriedly, with just a couple minutes at a time to get your puppy used to the lead.
After he has accepted the collar you can begin lead training by attaching a light weight lead to his collar and allowing him to move around dragging the lead. Be sure to supervise this so that he does not get hung up on something. Once he is exceptionally comfortable with the lead and collar you can begin picking up the end and walking around the house with it.
If your puppy struggles do not yank or pull the lead but rather give out the ‘come’ command straight away and compensate him when he obeys. The means of training a puppy to walk on lead will be made up of many such instances until he learns not to pull. Once he stops pulling against the lead you can embark outside.
When you are first training a puppy to walk on lead you ought to keep the outside trips brief and sweet. If he walks well for a building block, reward him and get him home. Each day you can venture farther, at all times giving treats for good behavior on the leash. If you encounter a cat or other reason that causes the puppy to dive away from you keep in mind the ‘come’ command and reward him for responding. As he gets used to this you can reward him for not jumping when he observes the kitten. All puppies respond well to ‘happy-voice’ admiration and will labor to get it. Two crucial things to keep in mind are:
- Make certain that the pet is in good spirits and has an adequate amount of energy to try out training.
- Be imaginative, by no means let the puppy get fed up and tutor the dog where the restrictions are set.
This piece of writing was composed of just a few key thoughts. There are many other training guidelines that we do not have time to chat about here but feel free to go to online and offline pet stores and find out more about the ever budding line of puppy obedience books and how they can support you in your training ventures.
And keep in mind, training a puppy to walk on lead is best done incrementally starting inside and only progressing outside after he responds optimistically to the lead in the abode. By no means jerk on the lead or get into a tugging game with your puppy – the first will jolt him, and the second can speedily become a game. Your puppy naturally wants to satisfy you and by means of positive reinforcement and consistent use of instructions he will shortly learn to walk on lead proudly and coolly at your side.
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Found this great series over at The New York Times called "The Puppy Diaries." The author is writing about the first year of owning a puppy. Good stuff.
This particular article is about pet health insurance. She says, "pet insurance" but we know she means pet health insurance. In the article, Jill, the author, talks extensively about what she considers the pros and cons of having pet insurance for Scout, her puppy, who is almost six months old. Much of what Jill writes has been posted here - for instance, she says, "Frankly, I think the possibility of a big out-of-pocket puppy health expense is pretty high." Smart woman.
She notes that friends' pets have had to have emergency surgery for one thing or another, and pet health insurance is supposed to help cover something like that. Which it does. Certainly, Dr. Bill and Dr. Larry have shared some claim stories that prove it. And, we have more coming.
Beyond that, though, I was surprised at one statement she made. She said she'd done some research and checked monthly premiums ranging from "about $12 to $45." Then, she wrote, "Ouch!"
Hmmm...I'm not sure what the "ouch" is for. MY health insurance is 1000X more than that and...I still have high deductibles. As someone who is well aware of the terrible things that can happen - beyond the car accidents, the eating stuff they shouldn't, and the reality that some pets have skin allergies and /or become allergic to their food, what about cancer? Our pets get that - and it needs treatment. I suspect many of us, myself included, would be hard pressed to pay for cancer treatment, without help.
Is the security of spending $45/month worth it - knowing there are dozens of things that could happen to my cat or dog...? I think so.
Like many things in life, pets cost money. You need to feed them, clothe them (well, you know...get'em a bed or dress'em up for Easter; at least that's what some people do), and you need to love them. With love comes care. With care comes responsibility. Responsibility requires pet parents to at least consider pet health insurance. And, if that means cutting back on the lattes, or on pizza, so be it. IMHO
To Jill, who wrote the excellent article, I say this, "The bigger ouch is when you take Scout in for a broken leg, or an insect bite that got infected." Case in point, my daughter's dog, Twiggy - seen with her cast in this picture. How did she break her leg? Just running around the dog park!
Pet Product Reviews - Sofnit 200 Washable Pads - Economy Weight by Mednet
If you have a puppy you know that protecting your floors, your rugs, your furniture, every thing that puppy can reach is important. A puppy has a way of doing pee pee on every thing. I am extremely fortunate that my puppy has been housebroken in under four months. But I know I need a good supply of training pads on hand for one full year. And now that my puppy is a bit older I know his bladder its fuller and has the potential to pee much more than before. That's why I was happy to hear that MedNet a leading manufacturer and supplier of training pads has introduced their new heavyweight SoftNit washable training pads.
Medline Sofnit 200 Underpads in a Variety of Styles and Sizes. A mainstay in many facilities, this underpad is a more economical version of our Sofnit 300 pad, designed with a good combination of durability and economy. A lighter weight cotton/poly face fabric of Twill offers good stain resistance and high heat resistance during drying. The total weight of the pad is lower than many other styles, resulting in lower processing costs. Pink Vintex barrier is extremely durable.
The price is right at $129 for a 200 count box. Order yours here: http://www.mednetdirect.com/Sofnit-Washable-Underpads-p/msc013000-p.htm
If you've got a product you think will pass the secret shopper test, send an e-mail to secretshopperblog@Gmail.com
