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Followup To
Question -
Hello, I was wondering if my puppy should be breathing so fast. When he sleeps, it goes about 40-50(not sure) times a minuite? I aslo wonder how long will it take to be house broken? My family was thinking that we might take him to Pet Smart and get him trained (potty trained, housebroken, etc.).And, I feed my puppy a mix. from Costco, is that al right, because I read that you said that is wasn't good to feed the dog like, Junk food(Junk Puppy food,LOL). Thank you for your time, I hope you answer my question ASAP.Thank you Carrie.Bye!:^)
Answer -
Hi Vickie,
His breathing is probably fine. They do breath faster than we do. Make such he doesn't get too hot. (If you ever feel that something may be wrong with him check with your vet.)
Here is a respond I wrote on housetraining you may find helpful:
It will take lots of patience and persistence. Some pups can take several months or so to train. Do not allow the puppy to have free reign in the house until he is completely trained. When you are home keep him with
you at all times. When you leave the house either put him in a crate (never for more than four hours at a time) or block him off in a small area (bathroom, utility room or kitchen) with a gate. Put newspaper or puppy pads in an area for him to use. Neutering him by five or six
months of age will help, and can prevent him from developing the habit of leg lifting. If he has an accident but you don't catch him don't scold him for it. He won't understand what he's done wrong. Clean up the mess completely. Using a product like Simple Solution will remove the stain and the odor. If you catch him it the act, firmly say, "No" and take him outside. Never rub his nose in it. He can be trained to go in a particular area in your yard and to go on command. Take him to the
same spot every time and use the same command like, "Go potty". Praise him when he goes! Of course you'll want to take him out frequently, especially after sleeping, eating, and playing.
I was never able to use a crate for training. My pom would go potty in it. I blocked him off in the kitchen and set up a dog liter box. I didn't use dog liter but lined the box with newspaper. Puppy pads would work
as well. I would put him in the box and say, "Go potty". If he did, I would praise him profusely. Sometimes I would give him a treat. I always took him to the same spot outside too. It took approximately two and a
half months and after I had him neutered at five and a half months he was pretty much trained. I kept him blocked off in the kitchen when I had to leave the house for about the first year. Now, he has free reign when
I am gone. He is liter box trained and trained to go in a
specific spot in the yard. Having him liter box trained is great for when I am gone and when the weather is bad. (Rain, snow, etc.)
What is the brand name of the dog food you are feeding?
I am not completely sure of what brand the food is, when I bought puppy, the lady that was selling the puppy gave us a zip lock baggy with food in it, but I think that it is a "Kirkland" brand or "Costco" brand(I think they are the same thing!(LOL)).But, now since, that food is gone, we are using Purina Puppy Food. I think that some of this imformation will be helpful. Except, I have one more question, when my family goes on a vacation, what kennel (Modesto), should we take him to? We normally take him to one in Downtown Modesto or American Pet Vet(Something like that), APV(American Pet Vet) is in Modesto, I would really appreciate this answer, we were planning on going on a Cruise and to Disneyland(NOT AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH!)And Disneyland would be for about a week, or 2, and The cruise would also be a week, or 2. Thank you, Carrie!:^)
:)
-Vickie
AnswerHi Vickie,
I don't recommend feeding Purina puppy or dog food. Feed the best you can afford, rotate between brands and add fresh foods.
Here is a response I wrote on nutrition you may find helpful:
I have been researching canine nutrition over the past year or so because I want to feed my pom the best. Recently, I've advised others to avoid feeding commerical brands in grocery stores. (Alpo, Kibbles and Bits,
Purina Beneful, Pedigree, etc.) They are junk. Science Diet, Pro Plan, Eukanuba and Iams are better. If you really want to feed a higher-quality diet, try one of these: Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Spot's Stew,
Chicken Soup for the Soul, PetGuard, Wellness, California Natural, Innova, Canidae, Wysong or Neura Meats. But now, I would even go a step further and recommend a human grade dog food. (Wellness, Solid Gold, and Canidae are human grade kibble/canned and some of the others are as well.)
I have recently discovered dehydrated human grade dog food. I believe that it is a higher quality than kibble because is not processed like kibble. I purchased a dehydrated food from Olee.com called NRG Canine Blend.
My pom loves it! The Honest Kitchen also makes: Natural Dehydrated Dog Food. Sojourner Farms offers a European-style dog food mix that you just add fresh meat to. I also feed my dog fresh food: chicken, beef, fish, cottage cheese, yogurt, brown rice, grains, cheese, veggies, and fruit. I never feed him junk food like hot dogs, anything with added sugar, etc.
A kennel would not be my first choice, although it could be alright if it is responsibly run and if the stay is not too long. You should definitely check out the facility in person. Look for such things as the degree of privacy provided (each animal should have a place to rest quietly), the sanitation, the noise level and the availability of sunlight, exercise space, fresh air, water, decent food and medical care, should the need arise.
A better alternative would be in-home care. Ask a veterinarian, breeder, pet store owner, or friend with a pet, to recommend a professional pet-sitter who will stop by a minumun of three times daily, to feed, groom, pet and exercise your pom and bring the mail and water plants too. If you can't get any leads from professionals, you might seek out teenagers who want a summer job, students in an animal health technician program, or who work in a vets office, or humane society volunteers. Maybe you know someone who could pet-sit for you. Do you know anyone who could keep the dog at their house?
Hope this helps!
Best Regards,
Carrie
Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Best Regards,
Carrie
