The following will help you
along with your new puppy. Puppies are all very cute and loving but they
also require a few different things to help them along in turning them
in to a healthy dog that will keep them with you for as long as possible.
Diet
The diet of a young puppy should consist
of a premium dry food made specifically for the growing stage. This is
not the area to cut corners, when it will reflect on the puppies overall
health right into adulthood. Make sure that the ingredients are USDA inspected,
not the refuse of contaminated sources. I choose to feed my babies Nutro.
All puppies will come with a puppy pack including a sample of this particular
brand. I have fed this to my dogs for over 5 years now and their coats
and health are superb. Nutro offers a variety of different choices for
your baby. Including a line for small breeds. I also ad some linotone oil
to there hard food. This aids in keeping the coat shiny it also helps prevent
drying of skin and overall is a wonderful supplement for your cavalier.
I also feed my little darlings a brewers yeast with garlic tablet once
a day. This helps prevent any unwanted fleas and ticks and is also extremely
healthy for your cavalier. Please take all of this up with your vet he/she
will be able to advise you what is best for your baby. It is also a good
idea for him/her to know what kind of diet your baby is on.
Treats
I strongly suggest keeping a large amount
of rawhide bones and carrots around for your little one to chew on. A teething
puppy will chew up anything to help relive there sore gums. The carrots
are a wonderful choice for this , not only do they serve the purpose they
are good for them as well. A tip for those who choose the raw hide treats,
make sure to replace them often, I have seen many pups choke on a small
piece of rawhide, which can result in a quick trip to your vet. Please
watch for an update in this section for some recipes on some wonderful
treats you can make yourself with common household ingredients. These work
well for training and for those "You are so cute have a treat" days. Please
remember with any pet, to many treats can become an issue with weight.
Vaccines
There are so many changes going on with
regards to vaccinations. It is getting hard to keep up. A puppy is born
with a natural immunity from the dam that lasts only fro a few short weeks
(6-8). Cavalier pups usually start there vaccinations between 6-8 weeks
of age and need a series of 4 puppy shots along with a rabies shot at the
required age in your state. All vets have a different schedule so please
discuss this with him/her on your initial well puppy visit. It is wise
to keep an eye on your recently vaccinated pup. I have heard many cases
of puppies having reactions to shots. So keep this in mind when scheduling
there appointment. Make it on a day where you can spend a lot of quality
time with your pet to make sure nothing happens. If this should happen
you need to call your vet as soon as possible to bring your pup back in.
House Training
I personally suggest kennel training or
dog litter training. Although there are many different ways to train your
puppy the first and most important thing to remember is to be consistent.
If you don't follow through your puppy wont either and the longer you wait
the harder this process will be. Discuss with the breeder what they have
been doing with the puppy and also what they find to be effective. They
may also be able to make a suggestion as to what will fit into your lifestyle
to help with this task.
Spay & Neuter
There are a dozen excellent reasons for
pets to be altered, and not one good one I can think of for not having
it done. Leaving a pet intact can cause serious life threatening conditions
to arise, such as mammary tumors, & pyometra. Speak with your vet about
the benefits of alterations. You may have your pet for additional years
because you did.