Dog FAQ

One essential part of acquiring a new puppy is making sure that she gets the inoculations that she needs to help keep her healthy and free from disease, and so at some point, you will be paying a visit to the vet. When you sit there in the waiting room, as inevitably you will, it is a good idea to keep your puppy sitting on your knee if you can, rather than letting her run around the floor. This is because, in the waiting room, there are bound to be a number of sick animals, and your new adventurous puppy will be very curious. However any contact she may have with them could be placing her at risk of picking something up. Also, if she is on your lap, she is in a better position to be comforted and reassured by you. Try not to get too anxious at the vet’s, as your anxiety will simply communicate itself to your new dog and make her nervous too.

And while we are on the topic of health issues, it is important to teach your puppy not to bite or nip people, even in play. One good way to make this point in a way that your puppy can understand is by reacting as if in pain to her playful nips. Going “owwwww!”, and adopting an exaggerated facial expression will let you dog know that this is simply not on, and will be far more effective than giving her a telling off that she will not understand. It is important to do this early on, as when your dog has a full set of adult teeth, those nips really will be harmful.

Filed under: Puppies, Training & Behavoir