New Puppy Care

Congratulations on your New Puppy!

new puppy care Freeport VetPuppies are so cute and fun…..and frustrating!!  We hope these resources will help you settle in with your new family member and prepare for a wonderful life together. These first few weeks are incredibly important for relationship building and socialization. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have ANY questions or concerns as we’d rather hear from you daily than miss an opportunity to help your new pup thrive!

Goals For Your New Puppy

We’ve listed some goals for your puppy during this period. For each goal, there’s an associated handout or two. If you complete all the goals below before your next puppy visit, you’ll get $10 off your next visit!  Just bring in this checklist to qualify!

Here is a list of some goals for puppies aged 8 to 14 weeks:

  • MOST IMPORTANT: Socialization 
  • House Training
    • This is a process. Look for progress, not perfection!
    • Consistency is key!
    • Crate training can help!
  • Teaching a Soft Mouth
    • This is so important for so many reasons:
      • Appropriate play
      • Reducing nips and scratches from those crazy puppy teach
      • Most importantly: reducing the chance of injury from a bite as an adult. Any dog could bite if put in a scary or painful situation. Dogs that have been conditioned to have a soft mouth do significantly less damage than those that haven’t
  • Enrichment
    • This is something we will talk about life-long. It’s important that your pup gets plenty of physical AND mental exercise. Training is a great way to exercise those brains, but when you need a break, food, toys, and puzzles can be a great alternative.

How Do I Choose Pet Insurance?ticks, fleas, dogs, cats

We can’t talk enough about how valuable pet insurance can be for your new friend. It is our experience that pets that are insured, get better healthcare throughout their lives because finances become a lot less of the picture. 

We take all pet insurance carriers, but we work closely with Trupanion due to their dedication to quality pet care and their phenomenal customer service. Your pup gets a 30-day free trial with their first visit.  Be sure to activate the trial within 24 hours of the exam to keep them protected.

Puppies and Parasites

Everything you wanted (or didn’t want) to know about the critters that can affect your pup (and sometimes you!)  Check out the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s website for more information  

Heartworm and Flea/Tick Preventions For Puppies

In your puppy kit, you received a free dose of Interceptor Plus for heartworm protection and Credelio for protection against fleas and ticks. We recommending keeping all dogs on both of these preventions year-round. 

As your pup grows, there are additional options, but we like to start with Interceptor Plus and Credelio due to their easy, once a month dosing as pups grow.

What Are Some Training Resources For Puppies?

Here are some excellent books we think are great resources for helping to train your new puppy.

And of course, puppy classes! We cannot stress enough the importance of puppy classes. These are opportunities for puppies to socialize with different puppies their age as well as new people. They also get a chance to learn new skills in a busy environment. The American Kennel Club has a great article on why puppy classes are so important. 

We are excited to welcome back Mim Coward, LVT, CDPT-KA to teach our puppy classes. Mim has been in the veterinary field for over 15 years and recently stepped away to open Problem Solved Training and pursue her passion of helping dogs in a different way. She is passionate about Fear Free handling both in and out of the veterinary hospital.  

We are happy to offer a class for puppies ages 8-16 weeks here at the clinic on Monday evenings at 5:30 pm.  Our next session begins Monday, January 11th.  Please visit Mim's website to sign up for class.

In order to maintain adequate social distancing for we are limiting class sizes and practicing social distancing. Participants will be required to wear a mask during class.   Please limit your attendance to 1 human per puppy and no children under the age of 12.  Thank you!!

If our puppy class isn't the right fit for you, we are happy to partner with these local trainers.

Regardless of who you choose for puppy classes, choose a positive reinforcement trainer.  Avoid any trainers advertising balanced training, shock or electronic collars or any other form of aversive training methods. 

We are dedicated to a lifetime of health and happiness for your new pup!  We can't wait to see you on your next visit!