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Always remove your dog's collar when you put him in any type of crate. The collar could become caught and choke your dog. Some people always remove collars whenever their dogs are inside, after having the collar get caught on something in the home which could strangle the dog. It is recommended that your puppy finish his complete series of vaccinations before he is taken out in public or where there are other dogs (parks, pet stores, etc.). Until he finishes his vaccinations, he has an immature immune system. Consult with your vet on this. When you pick up your puppy to take him home, if you stop at a rest area on the way home to walk your puppy, it is best to carry your puppy to a far corner of the dog walking area and then set him down there (rather than have him walk through the most used area - where the majority of all the other dog germs are). Many dog toys have squeakers inside. Please beware of these, or anything else (beanie-baby type beads, sound-makers, etc) that is sewn inside of a toy. They are fine as long as your pup is too small to chew the toy and get to what's inside. Once the pup can get to the smaller inside part, it is a choking hazard. Tennis balls are great, but watch the size. A ball that is too small for your dog can get lodged in his throat and choke him. Many pet stores sell a dog ball that is just like a tennis ball, only much larger. My adult dogs love these, and they are much safer! Rawhide bones, pigs ears, etc. are not recommended for young pups. They provide no nutrition and are well known causes of digestive upset and diarrhea. Table scraps should be avoided as well. Beware of rope, string, yarn, dental floss, etc. I have read about dogs that had to have major surgery because they swallowed one of these items and it became entwined in the intestines. One dog that ate dental floss had to be euthanized. This includes rope toys since they can unravel. I recommend a harness rather than a collar for teaching your puppy to go for a walk. A harness is much easier on a young puppy who doesn't understand and hasn't learned what a "walk" is. Also, a puppy can pull out of a collar and escape, so a harness is much safer in that respect too. The harness is just for "walks" though, and should be removed when your walk is over. You can keep a loose collar on your puppy at all times, which will help him get used to the feel. Dog tags that hang from the collar can be hazardous. Then your dog lays down, these tags can get stuck in floor vets, between the boards on a deck, etc, and become trapped and choke your dog. I recommend these tags that attach directly to the collar and don't hang down: http://www.boomerangtags.com/page.php?c=collartags&k=h Here is a good article to read if you have a cat. It tells you how to successfully introduce a new dog to your cat. If you have a swimming pool, please be sure that your puppy doesn't have access to it except when supervised. Even though many young dogs can swim most are unable to exit the pool without help and I recently heard about a 5 month old doodle who got in the pool when no one was watching and drowned because he could not get out. If you have a pool or lake with a steep side, please consider installing a Skamper ramp or a similar product. |
I have a plastic
"kennel" that came in two pieces, a top and bottom, that are
then bolted together. It has a wire door. I had a puppy get his head stuck
between the hinged side of the door and the wall of the crate - where the
blue arrow shows in the picture. I hate to think what would have happened
if I hadn't been right there. So, I would not recommend this kind of
kennel be left with the door open for your pup to come and go as he wants.
It is safe enough if used only when you are going to put the pup inside
and close the door. Otherwise, keep the door closed at all times or
remove the door completely.