Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 20, 2018 | Blog, Dog health, dog health & behaviour, Health & Safety
Puppy – toilet training
Here at Happy Hounds we are more than happy to give you basic tips and techniques. How toilet training works for your puppy? It should be quite a simple process, as long as you’re patient and take the time to develop a good routine.
You will need to build your routine around your puppies needs which are reliably predictable when your puppy is very young. Eating meals stimulates the digestive system. They will normally need to urinate 15 minutes after eating and defecate half an hour to an hour after. Having a feeding routine is very important as it will regulate your pup’s toileting. Puppies need to go every 1-2 hours so it’s so important you try and get them out in the garden as often as you can. They can wee if they get excited so take your puppy out regularly if they have been active or playing. Don’t expect your pup to hold it in through the whole night especially when they are very young.
Outside
When you’re out in the garden try and use cue words like “wee wee” and “poo poo” whilst they are actually urinating or defecating. Use different words for each action so that you can prompt the puppy later on. Don’t use words like “good girl” or “good boy” as the next time you say that guess what could happen? Always go with your puppy whenever they are in the garden so that you can reward them when they go with lots of vocal praise and treats. If you introduce the garden as the toilet area as soon as you can. You shouldn’t get your puppy into the bad habit of going indoors. If they ever do go indoors never ever punish them. These rumours of pushing their face in it or shouting at them never works. They will then become scared to go to the toilet full stop or in some cases, begin to eat their own poo in order to ‘hide it’ so they aren’t scolded. If your puppy does have an accident inside you don’t say anything just simply put them outside.
Dogs naturally don’t defecate where they sleep so never put puppy pads or try and persuade them to go near where they sleep. If they are crated it is very important that you let them out first thing in the morning. Use cleaning products that are specifically for cleaning up pet odours. It will get rid of the smell and will stop them recognising a ‘marked’ area and so they won’t repeatedly go in the same place. If you have left your puppy alone for a while and you come home, don’t make a fuss just get them straight out into the garden. If you make a big fuss, your puppy is going to get excited and will probably wee out of excitement when he sees you.
On the walk
If you’re struggling to get your puppy weeing and pooing whilst out on a walk then you could try taking them out first thing in the morning before they have had their morning wee. Make this routine and praise them when they go. Some pups struggle to learn to go when outside as they think the only place they can go is at home or in the garden. So try and get them out on walks as soon as they’ve had their jabs using your prompt words to try and persuade them to go.
Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 19, 2018 | Blog, Dog health, dog health & behaviour, Health & Safety
Puppy habits
Puppies will develop bad habits, this is all part of the process of them growing up. It’s important that you know what to do to help make these puppy habits go away. Here at Happy Hounds we have been asked numerous questions. Mainly on how to stop a puppy from biting, whining, jumping up and toilet training. The biggest piece of advice we can give you is to be patient. These processes take determination and time. You will not fix these problems overnight and every puppy is different. So it’s figuring out what works best for your puppy. Here at Happy Hounds we are more than happy to advise you.
The Biting
I think we all agree that this is the habit most owners want to get rid of as soon as possible. Those tiny razor sharp teeth can really hurt sometimes especially when your pup is at the age of 3 to 4 months and getting bigger by the day! There are various ways to teach this lesson, the overall goal is to stop them mouthing and biting people altogether. Firstly let’s teach our puppies that our skin is very sensitive. That they must be very gentle when using their mouths.
Biting inhibition is a dog’s ability to control the force of his mouthing. Trainers believe that a puppy that has learned to be gentle when playing with people is much less likely to bite hard or break the skin if they were to ever bite someone out of fear or pain. Puppies learn biting inhibition whilst playing with each other. If you watch puppies playing together you will see them biting each other all over. You will then notice when a puppy bites another too hard, the pup that’s been bitten will let out a loud “yelp” sound and will stop playing. The offender will be taken back by the “yelp” and will also stop playing for a moment. However in no time the pups are back to playing the game. Now this is what we recommend that YOU do when your pup bites you too hard. Through this interaction puppies learn to control intensity of their bite so no one gets hurt and they can continue to play. If they can teach each other that, then they can learn to do the same with people.
What to do
You’re playing with your puppy, everything is fine until he really nips you and it hurts. This is when you let out a high pitched “yelp!” and immediately stop playing. You could also try just physically turning your back on them. All the fun that you were just having together must immediately stop. I have personally done this and then the puppy has licked me afterwards as if to almost apologise because he realised he bit me too hard. That is what you want! You then need to make the judgement call of when it’s time to go back to the play. Another way to help puppies learn bite inhibition is to play lots of tug of war, this is a great game to play. Be positive when they are doing what you want them to do, lots of praise. For example if they are playing nicely and grabbing that tug of war and really going for it, good boy! Yes! Always reward puppies when they are doing what you want them to.
As I mentioned before this takes time, doing this once won’t magically stop your puppy from biting. What it will do is teach them, learning takes time. Make sure everyone in your household is providing the same rules, otherwise the pup can become confused. This is a phase that will eventually go. Be patient!
Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 6, 2018 | Blog, dog health & behaviour, Health & Safety, puppy care, puppy visits, Uncategorized
Getting a puppy!
Getting a puppy for the first time is a wonderful feeling. You are gaining a family member and it’s a very exciting process. Everyone in your household is filled with joy when you first bring that puppy home. Us lot here at Happy Hounds agree that this should be a very special time. All that said puppies are also a lot of work. We feel that you should get as much knowledge as you possibly can so that you be the best dog owner. One topic we would like to talk about is puppy exercise. Getting a puppy is a big responsibility, there are rules and regulations on how they should behave in society. There is also information that you as dog owners should be aware of.
Puppy exercise
So were going to talk about puppy exercise. How much they should be getting and how important it is to not OVER exercise them. Puppies need much less exercise than fully-grown dogs. If you over-exercise a growing puppy you can overtire it and damage its developing joints, causing early arthritis. A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown, i.e. 15 minutes (up to twice a day). When three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer.
It’s important that puppies (when they’ve had their injections) go out every day. In a safe environment to be able to socialise and explore. Having a decent sized garden is great but puppies need variety in their lives. They are highly intelligent animals that need stimulation and lots of exercise (depending on breed). Before letting any dog off lead make sure you know that their re-call is good and that they won’t run off. It’s also good to know that you shouldn’t exercise them on a full stomach as this can cause them to bloat.
The government recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This is something that everybody can achieve, and go beyond, on a daily walk. Dogs’ exercise needs vary according to the breed that you have but every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two.
Get walking
There are many social benefits for you and your dog. People who go walking with their dogs are often believed to be friendly and approachable by others. Your dog also gets time to have a chase and play with other friendly pooches. At Happy Hounds we believe that socialisation is very important and something that your dogs should be doing on a regular basis. This is great to start when their puppies, so they get used to it from an young age. This is why group walking or day care is a fun and great opportunity for your dog. They will learn socialisation skills and what it’s like to be around other dogs.
For your dog, walking is essential for its long term health and fitness – keeping the muscles strong and supple and ensuring that it doesn’t get overweight. With one third of our pets estimated to be overweight as a result of their owners’ sedentary lifestyles. Walking is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. When out walking remember to always have poo bags and pick up after your dog. This will make all environments nicer for us to all be in.
Whilst walking your dog, it is important that you are aware of the Countryside Code to keep your pet safe. Protect the environment and show that you are a responsible dog owner. You are obliged by law to ensure your dog wears a collar and an identification tag stating your name and address (Control of Dogs Order 1992). In addition, cleaning up after your dog is one of the key areas of responsibilities for dog owners. Especially when in public spaces. You can face a considerable fine if you do not.
Don’t forget play and sleepy time
Play time is another important part of a puppies life, playing games is another way to teach commands. Aggression can be fostered if you play tug of war. So make sure you don’t create a competitive environment between you and your puppy. Always remember dogs around children. They are likely to become aroused or frustrated with intense physical play. So ensure children and dogs are never left alone. Only use suitable dog toys that are safe for your puppy.
Sleepy time is also crucial for your pups development, they need a lot of it! They may whine when you first bring them home but it is important to ignore them and let them settle. If you never leave them you will create future separation issues.
Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 6, 2018 | Blog, Dog health, Health & Safety
Under weight issues
There are many possibilities for why dogs can be underweight, worms, diabetes, disease, bad teeth, and anxiety. The most likely is not getting enough nutrition from their food or by being under fed. Regardless of the cause take any dog underweight issues very seriously. Every time you have an appointment at the vets your dog should always be weighed. Your vet will tell you whether he’s over or underweight and advise you on what you can do to help. There are lots of varied dog food out there that is high in calories or low to help with gaining and losing weight.
At Happy Hounds we sometimes come across dogs that seem to be looking underweight. Now we understand that every breed is different and that age has a lot to do with it. What we have noticed is that some dogs can look skinny when they are between the ages of six months to just over a year. This is very common something we tend to see in Labrador or high energy breeds. Dogs don’t fully develop till the age of two so when we see this it doesn’t massively concern us. We just like to suggest maybe increasing their food, especially if they are dog that charges around and gets lots of exercise.
We will always let you know of any concerns we may have with your dogs. Whenever we give advice it’s coming from a good place, we NEVER mean to offend. We just like to think of ourselves as doggy experts. We like to make our clients aware of any information or guidance that we can give.
What to do:
If you feel your dog is looking underweight the best thing to do is increase their food intake little by little. Don’t over feed them. Of course any major concerns it is always good to ask your vet (they are the experts after all). It’s also good to remember that dogs are not people. Their digestive system and what they should and shouldn’t eat are COMPLETELY different to ours. If you have a fit and healthy life style that is great but it doesn’t mean that your doggy should be on a strict diet to.
Now it’s important to just be aware of how your dog should look. Ribs shouldn’t be visible and the hip bones should not be poking out. (We understand this is different with greyhound breeds). So your dog’s weight and diet is just something to be aware of. Food is very important and I think we forget how much of an effect it has on our lives and our doggies, after all you are what you eat. If you ever have any questions about food or the amount of exercise your dog should be getting never hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to help you and your pooches in any way we can.
