Getting Off on the Right Paw

You scurried right home with your bundle in hand, beaming and bragging about the addition of a baby to your household. Congratulations! During these important first few months, let’s try to navigate around some very common misconceptions about new puppies and kittens:

Don’t take him home too early. Kittens and puppies are so adorable at six weeks! It’s very difficult to resist, but separating him from his siblings at such an early age can have far-reaching effects on his temperament. Many experts recommend leaving babies with their litter until the age of ten weeks. Each additional day of immersion in normal sibling behavior helps to allay future problems, such as overly rough play or separation anxiety.

Don’t begin by feeding her your favored brand of food. We’d like to allow 4-6 days for transition to an unfamiliar diet. Ask the breeder or the shelter for a baggie of the food that she’s been eating, or at least take note of the exact brand and type.

Don’t shampoo too much. Baby dogs are not baby humans. A surprising number of people are bathing the puppy twice a week or more, and that’s way too much. Shampooing more than once every 4-6 weeks is a recipe for itchy skin. Please don’t use “baby wash” for baths, since this is formulated specifically for the pH of human skin.

Begin as you mean to go on; that is, try to start good habits immediately. Did you take the pup to bed with you her first night in your house? Do you still intend to do so when she’s grown to the size of a six-year-old child? If you mean to crate train your pet, have her sleep there on her first night in your home. Don’t play biting games with your fingers or clothing unless you’d like to face the challenge of breaking that habit later on.

Don’t hide your pet away from the outside world. Pampered pups are sometimes kept completely isolated in the hopes of helping them bond with the family, and this tends to result in an anxious, overly reactive dog. Past the age of four months or so, it’s exponentially more difficult for young animals to accept new people and settings. If you want a well-adjusted dog or cat, get him acquainted early with a wide variety of sights, sounds, and individuals. Take him for trips in the car, introduce him (cordially) to the cat carrier, go scam some treats at the vet clinic.

Visit the vet right away. A series of properly timed inoculations is the only barrier between your innocent baby and the hospital isolation ward, and it’s essential that this series doesn’t end prematurely. Consult your veterinarian for the details, and don’t take anyone else’s word for it.

You and your new pet are at the outset of a long and rewarding relationship. I hope this bit of guidance will help you get off to a solid start.

Dr M.S. Regan