How to Care for a Puppy

If that wonderful moment has arrived when you've decided to expand your family by bringing home a puppy — congratulations! Your life is about to fill with even more love and joy, but you're probably also wondering how to take proper care of your new furry family member.

That's why here at SoyUnPerro we've put together this complete guide covering everything you need to know to properly care for your "fur-child," since there are many details to keep in mind and a bit of help and good advice never hurts.

Adopt the Puppy That's Right for Your Home and for You

If you're planning to adopt a puppy, remember that not all puppies are alike — every type of dog or breed has its own specific traits, and those traits need to fit your living situation.

If you live in a small flat or apartment, it's best to adopt a small-sized puppy, since a puppy of a large breed may end up feeling cramped once it grows. Remember that puppies grow very quickly.

The climate where you live matters a lot too. If you live in southern Spain, where it's always hot, it's not a good idea to adopt a dog built for northern climates, such as an Alaskan Malamute or a Siberian Husky.

If you live in a family household, choosing a puppy with a calm temperament is the best option, so that both the puppy and the children stay safe. Avoid adopting a dog from a very high-energy, nervous, or potentially dangerous breed.

Adopting a Pinscher puppy (essentially a mini Doberman) is a very different matter from adopting a Great Dane puppy (an extremely large dog). Choose wisely, and you'll avoid problems down the road.

Get Your Home Ready for Your Puppy's Arrival

Caring for a puppy means taking certain precautions around the house to prevent injuries or accidents. It's a bit like having a small child around: the puppy will try to play with and chew on everything, so we need to get prepared and puppy-proof our home.

It's very important to keep cables and electrical appliances out of your puppy's reach. Puppies are innocent and extremely curious, and while playing they might chew through a cable and accidentally electrocute themselves.

The same goes for chemical products, such as the cleaning supplies we normally use around the house. And if you live in a rural home and have rodent traps set out, you should remove them so the puppy doesn't accidentally eat the poison.

Keep in mind that puppies will pee and poop just about anywhere, so while they're learning to go outside, it's a good idea to put away any rugs you care about — because they're bound to get peed on more than once.

Set Up a Space at Home

Puppies are very susceptible to illness, parasites, and changes in weather. That's why they should live indoors with us, at least until they're fully grown — leaving them outside in the yard can lead to serious health problems.

You should set up one or two beds for your puppy at home. It's a good idea to place one bed in a room where you spend a lot of time, such as the living room, and the other bed in your own bedroom, next to your own bed.

Your puppy's beds should be comfortable and cozy — an old towel or cushion tossed on the floor won't cut it, because your dog won't feel comfortable. Try to choose plush, soft beds where they can really settle in.

You'll also need two steel or aluminum bowls, one for water and the other for your puppy's meals. The water bowl should always have clean, fresh water and be available to the puppy at all times.

The Importance of Toys

Among the preparations you need to make to properly care for a puppy is choosing suitable toys for them. Puppies have sharp baby teeth that they'll use to gnaw on absolutely everything.

It's their way of building jaw strength and dexterity, having fun, and easing the discomfort caused by the transition from baby teeth to adult teeth during the teething period.

Choose several chew toys for your puppy, keeping in mind that they must be made of non-toxic latex. Many toys are made of low-quality plastic that ends up breaking and poisoning dogs, so pay close attention to what they're made of.

How to Feed a Puppy and What Kind of Treats to Give Them

This is one of the most important — and also trickiest — issues you'll run into. On one hand, everyone wants to feed their puppy the best food possible, but on the other, the best food isn't always the cheapest.

Don't think for a second that you can feed your puppy low-quality commercial food (kibble in Spain, "balanceado" in Mexico, "croquetas" in Argentina, pet food in the United States) without consequences.

Your dog's health is directly tied to the quality of the food you feed them. If you don't invest in quality food, they'll get sick sooner or later, and you'll end up paying for it in vet bills.

Feeding Puppies Under Three Months Old

Puppies under three months old must be fed exclusively on their mother's milk, nursing directly from her. It's the healthiest way for them to feed.

An orphaned newborn puppy should be fed exclusively with special milk replacer for dogs, which you can get at veterinary clinics. Dogs should never be given cow's milk, since it contains lactose and will cause illness and diarrhea.

Puppies are usually weaned at around three months old, at which point you can start introducing a little special puppy food, always moistened and mashed into a kind of purée or paste to make it easier to digest.

Feeding Puppies Three Months Old or Older

Puppies over three months old can already be fed high-quality commercial food (kibble). But you should always choose commercial food suited to your specific puppy.

If your puppy is a small breed, always choose food formulated for small-breed puppies; if they're a large breed, choose food formulated for large-breed puppies. Never feed your puppy food that wasn't designed for them, as they could choke and die.

Choosing a food brand is a very personal decision, though we always recommend using high-quality products, such as those offered by companies like Orijen or NFNatcane. Avoid buying low-quality products, since you'd essentially be poisoning your puppy.

How Much Food Should I Give Them?

The daily amount you should give your puppy varies a lot depending on the commercial food brand you choose. Some brands recommend around 300 grams a day, while others recommend as much as 500.

Read the feeding guidelines on the kibble brand you've bought and follow them based on your dog's weight. Once you know how many grams a day to give your dog, you need to split that amount into several meals throughout the day.

• Puppies under six months old: Four meals a day — breakfast, mid-morning snack, afternoon snack, and dinner.
• Puppies over six months old: Three meals a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Always make sure fresh, clean water is available to your puppy, both during meals and throughout the rest of the day. They should be able to drink water whenever they want, without restrictions, since their food can make them quite thirsty.

Treats

Treats are small chewy candies and/or biscuits made for dogs, which you give your puppy when they do something right, so they learn that good behavior earns a reward. It's the best way to teach them, through treats and positive reinforcement.

You can buy dog biscuits and always carry some with you — when your puppy pees outside the house, praise them and give them a biscuit. This way, they'll start learning that peeing outside, rather than inside, earns them a reward.

This technique is actually used to teach your puppy any trick at all — it's the most widely used method in dog training worldwide, because it delivers the best results.

How to Take Care of Your Pup's Grooming

Just as we take care of our own hygiene, caring for a puppy means taking care of theirs too. To do that, you should follow a few simple guidelines that will help keep them clean and healthy.

Finding a brush suited to the size and thickness of their coat is essential, so you can brush them two to three times a week, removing dead hair and any dirt.

Bathing Puppies

Bathing a puppy is a much more delicate task than you might imagine. You should bathe them at least once a month to keep them clean and free of odor, always taking extra care, since puppies are very sensitive.

To bathe a puppy, get ready with some lukewarm water, a shampoo made specifically for dogs, and several towels so you can dry them off completely. You can also use a hair dryer, as long as it won't burn them, since the air these devices put out tends to run too hot.

There are two key things to keep in mind when bathing a puppy. The first is preventing them from licking the shampoo or choking on water. The second is drying them completely, to avoid them getting cold and catching a chill — since they're so small, even a simple cold can turn serious.

Caring for Their Nails and Teeth

Another thing to keep in mind when caring for your puppy is knowing how to properly trim their nails. It's important to learn how to do this correctly, since unlike humans, dogs have nerves and blood vessels running through their nails.

You can find all the information you need here: How to Trim a Dog's Nails.

Caring for a Puppy's Teeth

While puppies with baby teeth don't require too much attention paid to their teeth, from around five or six months of age they'll lose their baby teeth and grow in their adult teeth, and that's when you do need to start paying attention.

You can clean your dog's teeth in two ways: with a special dog toothbrush, available at veterinary clinics, or by using dog-safe chew bones that clean their teeth and remove excess tartar.

How to Take Care of Their Health

A puppy's health depends on two basic factors: the safety measures and precautions you provide, and the luck they have in life. Obviously, well-cared-for puppies have a much lower chance of getting sick.

Vaccines are absolutely essential for dogs, especially for puppies, since they help protect against the most common and dangerous diseases. Remember to check the puppy vaccination schedule.

Parasite prevention will help keep your puppy healthy — using flea and tick repellent collars or spot-on treatments is a must. In the same way, you should deworm them internally every few months using medication prescribed by your vet.

One of the most serious problems puppies commonly face is intestinal worms, which is why it's vital that your vet tells you exactly what type and amount of medication to give your puppy to protect them.

A microchip is a tiny device, about the size of a grain of rice, that stores information about the dog and their owner. That way, if your dog ever gets lost, whoever finds them can trace them back home and return them to you. Ask your vet to microchip your puppy once they turn three months old — it doesn't hurt.

Neutering or spaying your puppy once they turn a year old is a responsible thing to do — they'll still be able to mate, but without producing offspring. There are thousands of dogs waiting for a home in shelters, so be responsible and spay or neuter your dog.

Walks and Exercise

Once your puppy has had their required vaccinations — that is, from around three months of age — you can start taking them out for walks so they can get to know the world around them.

It's super important that your puppy gets properly socialized — interacting and playing with other dogs, other animals, and other people. This is something they should do every day so they get used to it.

Taking your puppy for walks is essential for their mental and physical development, but you should never force it. Never make your puppy walk or run, let alone force them to exercise.

Puppies should decide for themselves how long they want to play or walk, without being pushed by us, since their stamina isn't as developed as an adult dog's, and pushing them too hard could hurt them.

The Importance of a Good Harness or Collar

Choosing the right collar or harness for your puppy is essential — if you pick one that's a bit too big or that rubs against their legs, you'll end up causing chafing injuries. If you pick the wrong one, they won't want to wear it.

Every puppy fusses a bit the first time they're fitted with a collar, since they obviously don't like it. But they need to get used to it so you can use a leash and prevent them from, say, wandering into the road or getting into trouble.

Remember that puppies grow very fast, so you'll need to adjust their collar size practically every week, to keep it from squeezing too tight and making it hard for them to breathe.

Training and Education

From around three or four months of age, you can start training your puppy — but take it slow and arm yourself with a whooooole lot of patience, since all they really want to do is play, eat, and sleep.

The best way to train your puppy is to start with simple things, like giving them a treat when they pee or poop outside and praising them enthusiastically — this is called positive reinforcement. If they pee or poop inside the house, don't scold them; simply ignore it, without giving them a treat or any praise.

You can start teaching them simple, basic tricks like shaking paws, sitting, lying down, and so on... but remember, always with plenty of patience and without forcing them.

How to Care for a Puppy at Night

Puppies can sleep more than half the day, but always in short stretches. To give you an idea, a puppy can take more than twenty naps throughout the day, which means... they're not going to sleep through the whole night.

Puppies tend to whine at night for various reasons, waking us up and, more often than not, making us a bit grumpy — something we should try to avoid. So here are a few tips to keep your puppy from crying at night:

• Place their bed next to yours, so they know you're close by.
• Put a bottle of warm water in your puppy's bed to mimic their mother's body heat.
• Also place a small ticking clock under their bed — the "tick-tock" sound will make them think it's their mother's heartbeat.
• A blanket in your dog's bed can help them feel cozier and warmer.
• Try leaving a small light on, so if your puppy wakes up in the middle of the night, they won't be scared of the dark. We've all been afraid of the dark as kids.

The Most Important Thing: Love and Affection

Despite all the guidelines listed here to help you properly care for your puppy, remember that the most important one of all is making sure they feel truly loved, giving them affection.

Give your puppy plenty of petting and cuddles, play with them, walk with them, and have fun with them. Make them feel like part of the family, and you'll quickly build a strong bond. Remember, you should never hit them, as that will only confuse them and create fears that can turn into lasting trauma.

Dogs are extremely intelligent animals — they can remember things from their puppyhood even when they're more than ten years old. If you care for them well and with respect, they'll always look out for you and respect you in return. They're part of the family, so treat them as they deserve.