potty break

Question
hello
I need help with a pup i got at the shelter that knows nothing about the toilet manners, nor do i know how to teach her to.
i need to know what to, where, and when.
i do not know the right food to feed her.
should i just crate her at night and forget, if she goes, so what its a crate??
who care i can clean a crate, right.?
thanks

Answer
Hi juan;
You need to keep the crate very clean, or you will have a sick dog and a smelly house.
When the crate gets very dirty, the dog won't go into it, and shouldn't.
For a puppy under 9 or 10 months, fed puppy chow.
Purina is the best of the foods you can buy at grocery stores.
Walmart carries Iams, and that is a very good brand.
It costs a little more than the foods sold in the stores, but you feed less each time, so it evens out.
You need to provide a very good diet to keep the pup healthy, and avoid as many vet bills as you can.
After 9 months old, you can switch to the adult formula.
Taking care of a puppy is just like taking care of a human child, if you don't take very good care of it, it will be sickly and need a lot of medical care.
You must train it, and train it right.
NEVER hit it. A dog wants to please you, and if you show it what you want it to do, it will do it, and repay your kindness and love and care, with the most loyal friendship you can ever get.
crate is for keeping the dog safe in while you are away from the house, at work, etc. Dogs also sleep in them at night. I don't use a crate except for traveling, to keep the dog safe in case of a car wreck.
You get crates at pet stores, they are also called pet carriers, and they are hard plastic, with grates on the sides for windows (for air circulation) and the grate for a door, so you can open it, or close it and secure the dog inside.
You ned to put a pad or blanket in it for the dog to sleep in, and when you are away during the day, you need to put a water bowl in for her.
Puppies need to be fed more often. After the dog is about 14 months old, you can feed once a day.
To potty train is really easy, but you have to be diligent.
Write me, and tell me how old the puppy is, and I will lay you out a potty training plan. How old the dog is makes a difference in the way you train.
I will wait for an answer from you, with more information about the puppy, and we will go from there. Also, tell me how many hours a day you are away from the dog etc. Have you ever owned a dog before, that sort of thing. the more you tell me, the better answers I can give you.
Raising a puppy isn't a hard thing, just takes patience and a little more effort than not having a dog, but the love and joy they bring you is unmeasurable.
I have raised many a pup, and cat, among other animals.
I will be glad to help you every step of the way, so you can get as much pleasure out of this little girl as I get out of my animals.
Charlotte