Guanjun Poodle Pup go to New Home Care
Your new puppy
Poodles make adorable and adoring pets, but they do require time and energy to become ideal companions. You should plan to spend at least an hour a day with your poodle, grooming it, walking it, playing with it, teaching it or simply sitting and stroking its fur.
If you have children, show them how to hold and pat the poodle gently so that it won’t be afraid. Young children should only play with the poodle under supervision.
Your poodle is going to be your companion for a long time, and it is important to know how to care for it properly. Poodles are generally healthy, long-lived dogs, but they do need basic care.
Feeding
Your puppy should be fed on a complete and balanced diet especially formulated to suit his/her stage of life. Your puppy has been eating Hill’s Science Diet Chicken & Barley Entrée for puppy; My Dog puppy Chicken Mince with Rice & Carrots; Optimum puppy with Chicken & Rice; Royal Canin Puppy Mini and Hill’s Science Diet Small & Toy Breed puppy (dry kibbles blended into powder/grain and mixed with wet food/roasted chicken and rice).
Changes in diet should be made gradually as sudden changes can cause diarrhoea and other problems.
Puppies only have small stomachs and require small meals often. Two to three meals spread throughout the day is best.
So, especially on the first night home, don’t be tempted to dice up tiny pieces of chicken (or steak, roast lamb or any special treat) to hand feed the puppy! If you do, you may find this is all the puppy will eat.
Never give puppy milk as it can often cause diarrhoea.
Make sure that there is plenty of fresh clean water at all times.
Twice a week, raw bones should be fed to keep the puppy’s teeth clean. It is best to feed chicken wing tips bones. Never feed cooked bones.
The pups are used to eating from a single plate for the litter. At 8 weeks they get about 40gms each, on average at each meal.
When they leave us, the pups are still being weighted every 2-3 days. Weight should continue to increase and reduction in weight is a Red Flag. The other end of feeding is monitoring the pups’ stools/poo. It should be firm not too sloppy. The puppy dry kibble blend can be varied to adjust the output.
Grooming
With their dense, curly coats, poodles are truly beautiful. Let a poodle go un-groomed and it can turn into an untidy and shaggy mess.
Regular brushing will remove excess hair and knots. Most dogs enjoy the grooming process if it has been a pleasant experience from the beginning.
It is important to routinely check their ears, eyes and teeth.
Hair needs to be plucked out of poodle’s ears from about eight weeks of age for the rest of the dog’s life. The ears need to be kept free of wool and clean. There are some excellent products available that inhibit the build –up of wax and dirt in the ears. Your vet will be able to advise you on these products.
Poodle ears can develop infections quite quickly. Once the dog has an ear infection, it is very hard to treat, as the dog hates the ears to be touched. It is much better to get the puppy used to the ears being plucked and cleaned on a regular basis from the beginning.
Removal/shaving the hair very close to the eye lids can reduce weeping and staining of the hair on the poodles face.
There are numerous videos on the internet about grooming poodles. There are standard grooming styles for poodles being shown and many others that are pet cuts. Between formal grooming styles much can be achieved by simpler maintenance trims. This is good for the pup to learn to stand for grooming and also extend the period between “cuts”. Some good combs, scissors, electric clippers, tweezers and nail cutters will make these jobs easier for you and your puppy.
Your pup is used to being bathed in the kitchen sink at least 4times in 8weeks, and being sponged regularly to clean the coat and bowel area. Obtain a dog shampoo and conditioner and add Plush Puppy Seabreeze oil to the final rinse off to make combing easier and less knots. A hair dryer with gentle blow is really handy.
Companionship
Poodles are “people dogs.” They love to be around people and involved in family life. Your poodle will look to you for a lot of love and attention, and it is important that you spend some time with your poodle every day.
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Living Quarters
The first rule is: Start as you mean to go on! A puppy should have a bed of its own in a warm spot free of draughts.
It is best to start your puppy sleeping where you would like him to sleep in the long term. It is a good idea to section off a part of your house such as the laundry for your puppy. Provide him/her with a blanket and a basket or box to curl-up in. Your puppy is used to being cuddled up with his/her brothers and sisters so they may cry when put to bed for the first couple of nights or when left alone. A folding dog pen is a great item.
You may decide that you want your puppy to sleep in your bedroom with you. This is fine, but remember, if you change your mind later it may be hard to convince your pup that the laundry or outside kennel is just as cosy!
During the day or when left alone. Always make sure your puppy has water and somewhere to shelter from the weather both sun and rain.
House training
When the pups leave us at 8wks they are not house trained. However, with the litter in the pup pen at night, they have learnt not to soil their bedding but to use the wee pad.
Poodles are easy to house train and learn quickly if you assist by observing them and opening doors quickly. However, you may find they wee a lot. Please be patient with very young toy poodles as they have very small bladder and cannot hold wee for too long.
There are certain signs you should watch out for that will alert you that your puppy needs to go outside.
These include:
- If your pup walks around in circles.
- Sits or whines at the door.
- Sniffs at the ground.
There are also times when you should ensure you take your puppy outside to prevent accidents.
- First thing in the morning.
- After every sleep.
- After being left alone for a period of time.
- After every meal.
- Last thing before you put your puppy to bed.
Of course accidents will initially happen! If you catch your puppy in the act you should immediately take him/her outside. NEVER spank your puppy, rub their nose in it, or reprimand him/her after an accident has occurred. A puppy is too young to be able to connect this with what he has done wrong.
Using praise is the best method of training. Puppies only want to please their owners. Give your puppy lots of praise whenever they do the right thing.
Foods To Avoid
Especially avoid the following foods, which are poisonous to poodles:
Chocolate; Artificial sweeteners; Processed Sugars; Grapes; Raisins; Onions; Poodles also do not do well digesting turkey or pork.
Poodles are deep chested dogs so special care with dry food is necessary. Always have fresh water ready for them. To retain the athletic style of the poodle the diet needs to be watched carefully to ensure the poodle is at a ‘fit weight’.
Safety
Poodle care means protecting your dog from harm. Always use a leash when you take your dog outside a fenced area. Even if your poodle has never run away from you before, it only takes a second for a dog to get hit by a car, or lost, or stolen.
Be aware of other dogs when walking your poodle on a lead away from home. Larger dogs may lunge / bite at the toy poodles.
Keep your home as free as possible of poodle hazards. For instance, use a childproof gate to block off any stairways, make sure your poodle can’t get at any harsh chemicals (detergent, soaps, etc.), and look out for small items such as toys your poodle could choke on.
Watch your poodle carefully around small children who might play roughly or unintentionally hurt it.
Don’t leave your poodle in a parked car. Even with the windows down, the sun can warm the inside of the car to uncomfortable-or even lethal-temperatures, even on cool days. Your poodle, with its thick fur, is especially vulnerable to the heat.
Vet Care
We would recommend you introduce your Vet to the pup as soon as possible after it arrivals in your home. The pup is due for further vaccinations at about 12wks, of age.
The pup has been treated with Dontal worming Syrup every two weeks on the ‘even age weeks’ (2, 4, 6, 8). The vet’s recommendations on bi-annual or annual check-ups of the pup should be followed to ensure a long trouble free life.