New Puppy Care - 5 Handy Hints About Dog Health-Care For the New Puppy Owner

If you are a new puppy owner, the amount of information you need to take in about new puppy care can be a bit overwhelming. Don't worry! Help is at hand!
Here are 5 handy hints about some aspects of puppy care and puppy health that you might not be aware of. They will help you get your puppy set for good health for life.

1. Know your puppy's history

Get to know your puppy's breed and any health problems or little oddities that might be associated with it. For example, some dogs are prone to hip dysplasia (a disease that can cause lameness and arthritis in the hips); others might be susceptible to eye problems. Some are more likely to get allergies to certain foods or materials. The more you know about your puppy's history, the better prepared you will be for any dog health problems in the future.

2. Get your puppy microchipped

Microchipping is one of the easiest ways of ensuring your dog can find his way home if he gets lost. The microchip is a tiny chip placed under his skin. The chip carries a number recorded in a database that in turn records your contact details. The chip can be scanned and read with scanners operated by council pounds, animal shelters and vets so that if your dog is found, you can be quickly reunited. Your vet can arrange to insert a microchip for you.

3. Puppy dental care

Your new puppy should have lovely, pearly white teeth--and you want to keep them that way! Puppies will start teething--losing their puppy teeth--at around 3 or 4 months of age.

This is a trying time for puppies and owners as the puppy will want to chew on everything he can to ease the discomfort and to help new teeth break through.

You can help him by giving him plenty of appropriate things to chew like puppy chew toys--and even frozen carrots to help numb the pain in his gums! Then you need to keep his new adult teeth in top shape by giving him plenty of chew toys and bones throughout his life.

4. Flea treatment

Dogs and fleas just seem to go together but you can eliminate or at least reduce these pests with proper treatment. You may be lucky enough to have no fleas in your house but speak to your vet about what sorts of products you should use for your puppy in your area and when you should start to use them. Remember that you don't want to overload your young puppy's system with strong chemicals so make sure any products you use are suitable for puppies.

5. Start puppy training

You can start some basic puppy training as soon as you get your puppy home. Training your puppy with gentle, reward-based techniques will help to develop a bond between the two of you. Learning, and being rewarded for learning, will help to stimulate your puppy's mental development and will encourage good habits to form that will last for the rest of his life.

These are just 5 tips to get you started on caring for your new puppy. There's a lot more to be learned by the new puppy owner but remember that there's a wealth of information available to help you look after your pup. And don't forget to get well acquainted with your vet too--they can give you valuable advice about what's required to keep your pet in the best of health.

Jay Roach is passionate about the proper care and training of puppies, and about helping new dog owners understand their furry friends. For more facts, tips and guidance on new puppy care, and on buying and caring for a puppy,

visit http://www.puppyprimer.com/

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