Puppy Grooming by Peggy Helming To begin with, your puppy has had his toenails trimmed 9-10 times, yes folks, once a week from birth until you took him home. This should continue weekly for the life of your pup. From birth until 10 weeks we used human toenail clippers. From 10 weeks to 4 months we use human toenail clippers. From 4 months on we use regular dog nail clippers. Make sure your blades are sharp for quick, safe cutting. We replace ours often! In addition, your puppy was bathed and dried before he went to the vet s office for his final checkup. Your puppy has also become accustomed to being handled many times by various people throughout the daily chores. To continue this training we recommend you brush your puppy daily. Don t worry, we re not talking about all out grooming. A slicker brush will do quite nicely. Make sure you have all your tools handy before you start. Although we prefer to use a grooming table (it saves your back), you may lie down on the floor with your pup and speak in a calm soothing voice while petting or rubbing his tummy. Once the pup settles down, gently begin brushing with the slicker brush. Don t push too hard as the fine teeth can scratch the skin. Remember to be especially gentle when brushing the hair on the inside of the rear legs and tummy. After the slicker, use a stainless steel comb and go over the pup completely. The comb will get in all the nooks and crannies. In the beginning these sessions should only last a couple of minutes, ending with big hugs and a cookie. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend brushing. At the end of each session, stop brushing but continue to talk and pet. Gently pick up each foot and rub and gently squeeze each pad on each foot. At the end of a week, have someone pet the pup, while you talk and carefully trim the nails. Start by just clipping off a little at a time and shave each nail until you see the half- moon of healthy nail tissue. We always have the styptic (powdered form) ready just in case we cut the nail too short and nick the blood vessel that runs inside the nail ( quick ). Should you quick the pup don t panic, you will only instill your fear in the pup. Speak in a soothing voice while dipping the nail in the styptic. Once your pup settles down, tell him what a good boy he is. Don t forget the hugs and cookies. Small cookies - remember, a growing pup is always watching his weight. By using this system, we ve found that we ve actually taught the pup several things. First is down. If you tell the pup down each time you start a session, before too long, they ve learned what the word means. Because it s associated with wonderful petting and cookies, they learn it quick. Second is that they can trust you to help the hurt feel better. They don t realize that you re the one that quicked them, only that you hugged and loved them to make them feel better.
Bathing by Suzanne S. Jones Many skin problems are caused by improper grooming, in other words, a well groomed dog is a healthy dog. Mats collect dirt and lead to hot spots which smell. A matted dog is not pleasant to touch or live with. Regular grooming will give you early warning to fleas and ticks and keep down the hair in the house. In addition, a well groomed dog get lots of attention when in public. Dogs may be bathed as often as necessary provided you use a good dog shampoo. Remember, when a dog is being shown, they are bathed once a week or more! We ve found that dogs usually require more baths during the summer than the winter with the heaviest grooming required during the spring shed. Bathing a dog is much easier if you have first combed the entire coat, removing all loose hairs and mats. The two basic tools we use are a rake and fine tooth comb. The rake removes large clumps of hair while the fine tooth comb fine tunes by removing any final loose hair. To begin grooming, start with the rake. Push up the hair on the leg with your hand and comb down pulling small amounts of hair at a time. By working up you are starting with the shorter hair on the legs and pulling the longer body hair down. This way you are always combing through already-combed hair. If you come to a mat, hold the mat between your fingers, close to the skin (to minimize pulling) and comb through small amounts of the mat until you have worked the mat out. It seems as though mats always form behind the ears, under the front legs, inside the back legs and in the long hair on the front and back legs (furnishings). If you take long walks in the woods, check the furnishings often as they collect burrs and brambles. Once your dog is combed out, you will find the bathing process easier. As a precaution, we use flea shampoo year round. Mix your shampoo with warm water, according to the directions, in a small container. We mix about 1/4 cup of shampoo to a quart of water. A small sponge works well to apply the shampoo. Thoroughly wet the dog with warm water, starting at the head and working your way back. Once the dog is wet, apply the shampoo in the same manner, starting at the head and working your way back and down. If you tilt the dog s head back you won t get shampoo in the eyes. Pay particular attention to the tail area as this is where most fleas love to hide. Work the shampoo in with your sponge, getting the suds all the way to the skin. Don t forget to wash the bottom of the feet. The feet can collect all kinds of debris which, if not removed, will cause problems. Now that your dog is soaped head to toe to tail it s time to rinse. Again, tilt the head back and remove the shampoo the same way you applied it, from head to tail. Rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse then rinse some more. Any shampoo left on may cause skin irritations, itchiness and a greasy feel to the coat. Rinse until the water runs clean then rinse again. Make sure you rinse under the tummy, under the front arms, and between the rear legs. Then stand back and let your dog have a few good shakes. If the dog s coat seems dry, we follow with a creme rinse, diluting it with water, working it into the coat, especially the furnishings, then rinse again. To dry your dog, there are many different techniques you may use. Towels will quickly remove most of the excess moisture making the actual drying process easier. Human hair dryers, dog blasters, stand dryers, or a canister type vacuum with the hose plugged into the exhaust port all work well. Make sure you are very careful if you use a human hair dryer as they get very hot and can burn a dog s skin. As you dry, comb through the dog again removing any hair the bath has worked loose. When the dog is dry, give him a big hug, a cookie and tell him how pretty he looks (and how wet he made you!)
by Penny Shubert Trimming Ears, Feet and Hocks Just as a clean Newf is not only healthier but more of a joy to its owner, so too, does proper trimming have benefits beyond appearance. Feet that look like dust mops don t work that way. They do, however, trap outdoor mud and magically release it on the carpet. Besides being harder to keep clean, shaggy feet provide an excellent environment for the development of fungus infections of the pads. Untrimmed ears also help foster the growth of fungus infections by reducing air circulation and trapping moisture. Trimming can be done on the floor (don t try it on carpeting or your rug may develop some bare spots), but it s a lot easier on your back if you have a low (24") grooming table on which to stand your dog. A grooming arm or friend to help keep the dog on the table is very helpful. Always remember a dog can move faster than you can and you will be working with sharp scissors. The equipment I suggest for basic trimming is a greyhound comb, a Universal slicker brush, a pair of 6-1/2" ball-tipped curved scissors and a pair of thinning shears (approx. 30 tooth double edges preferred). Always start with a bathed, dried and brushed dog. To trim a foot, stand your dog on the table. Pick up the foot and with the curve of the scissors pointing away, trim the hair on the bottom of the foot flush with the pads. Put the foot down on the table and brush the hair up between the toes. With the scissors pointing straight down and the curve towards the dog, trim the front and sides of the foot. Keeping the scissors along the line of the toes, trim the hair sticking up between the toes down to the level of the hair on the toes to make a rounded arch. Brush the foot again with the slicker and repeat trimming until no more extra hair comes up. Finally, for the front feet, point the scissors down with the curve towards the dog and trim the bottom of the feathers rounding them into the bottom of the foot to keep them from dragging on the ground. To trim the hocks, comb the hair straight out all the way around. Stand the dog so the foot is positioned correctly (ie, the hock is perpendicular to the table). Trim the sides of the hock vertically the width of the foot so they are parallel. Then trim the back of the hock vertically so it is parallel to the front. Round off the edges to make an oval hock. Then round the bottom into the foot at the same angle as the feathers were rounded on the front feet. Comb the hair on the ear and use the scissors around the edge to trim the hair and define the shape. Then use the comb to lift the hair and the thinning shears to blend the length from short at the tip to round up to the length of the hair at the top of the head. Finally, lift up the ear and use the scissors to trim the long fuzzies under the ear to blend with the neck. Don t be afraid to trim your Newf. If the end result doesn t look like what you wanted, remember you re dealing with one of nature s great renewable resources and in a few weeks you ll have another chance to try your hand. Keep telling what a good looking guy (or girl) he is and regular trimmings can be fun for you and your dog.
Come Puppy Come! By Frank and Carol Winnert Come Puppy, Come! may be the most important lesson you ever teach the new canine member of your family, as it could save its life. A really consistent response to the command can remove the dog from dangerous circumstances, such as oncoming cars or a threatening dog. This lesson needs to be taught at a very early age, and probably is most easily learned at that point in the puppy s development. Begin as soon as the puppy begins tottering around. It s a good time to teach him his name as well as to come. Sit on the floor and call the puppy in a warm and welcoming manner. If he doesn t come at once, lure him with a small treat of food. And, when he arrives in front of you, offer immediate hugs and lots of praise. Make every trip to you a positive reinforcement of the command. Be sure that the puppy responds EVERY time you give the command. If he chooses to ignore you, first try the food lure and as a last resort, physically have someone bring him to you. Consistency is the important factor. He needs to understand that COME means every time!never use negative reinforcement when training a puppy to come. If he has done something naughty, carry him to the scene, but don t call him and then punish him when he comes. He ll soon learn that COME can be negative. Play the COME game on a consistent basis, but remember that your puppy has a very short attention span. A come or two is enough at any one time, so he doesn t lose interest in the game. Make sure that he is successful each and every time he responds to your command. Hugs and kisses work very well with puppies, and they are so rewarding to you too. Soon your puppy will be a youngster interested in moving out and exploring the world. Controlling him will be much easier if he has learned his come well. With the exciting lure of the wide outdoors, you will need to reinforce your command many times. At first, put a long line on the puppy. Let him wander and snoop a while and then call him in your warmest and most welcome manner. Don t be surprised if your wonderfully trained puppy from the house refuses to come when he has found the wonderful, enticing smells of the whole outdoors to distract him. But, DO insist that he come when called. A gentle reeling of the rope will probably be necessary. Do it every time. One slip-up gives him the message that come is an arbitrary command. It will probably be some time before your puppy can be trusted to respond absolutely reliably to your come command. Don t give him the opportunity to disobey. They learn that lesson all too easily. Keep him on a line dragging behind him so that you can control him even though he thinks he is running free. Of course, there is no absolute certainty that a dog will always respond to your command. There would be far fewer accidents if we could count on their responding every time. BUT, you can save yourself a lot of heartache and just plain aggravation by teaching your puppy that he MUST COME. Please note, the above system works with older dogs too! You just need to have more patience and practice longer!
Socialization by Tracy Warncke From the time your puppy was born it was handled by many people. Washing machines, dryers, television sets, radios, vacuum cleaners and telephones were a normal part of its day. It s breeder spent a tremendous amount of time with each puppy in the litter exposing them to all of life s little wonders. When you picked up your puppy, the breeder strongly recommended puppy kindergarten or obedience school. You ve heard many people say I don t need to go to training class, my dog behaves beautifully in the yard. Well, what happens when that owner is walking the dog down the street and they encounter another dog? Or, when they are at the vet s office and that well behaved dog suddenly becomes terrified when confronted with all those other dogs and cats? What s happening? The dog was not socialized. In other words, it was not taught to behave around other animals in a variety of situations. One way to help puppy with social skill is puppy directions, share, play nicely and learn the alphabet. Puppy kindergarten is basically the same. Puppies learn to listen to their owners, not growl when a toy is taken away, become accustomed to strangers and other puppies, strange objects such as umbrellas and folding chairs. They also learn a few basic commands such as come and stay in a loving, reassuring manner. In other words, they learn social skills. These social skills create mentally sound dogs. Because they have been exposed to a variety of situations, slowly and lovingly, they are stable in just about any situation. Imagine a dog about a year old that has lived in a very quiet house and/ or neighborhood. Everytime the garbarge trucks come down the street the dog barks frantically and tears around the house. At the vet's office it tucks it's tail between it's legs and growls at other dogs. It shys away from the vet. One day construction starts on the empty lot next door. The tailgate of the dumptruck slams shut with a loud resounding BANG! The puppy takes off like a shot, hiding behind the sofa, shaking fiercely and wets on the floor. Because of it's reaction, the owner decides to take the dog to obedience school. Because this dog hasn't seen another dog since it was a baby puppy, all it want's to do charge the other dogs. Frustrated because of the dog's lack of attention and seeming inability to learn, the owner drops out of school... then several months later, the dog ends up in the pound, unwanted and terrified. If this dog has been properly socialized, in all likelyhood none of the above would have happened. Study after study has shown that properly socialized puppies are easier to train. We all know that a well behaved dog is alot easier to love. While you cannot prepare a dog for everything that will happen in it's life, you can teach it to not be fearful. If you start early and work hard with a lot of love and kindness you will end up with a dog that you can take anywhere. Puppy kindergarten classes are usually held by clubs/trainers that also offer regular obedience classes. These classes are very structured with very specific rules such as: puppies must have proof of vaccination (prevents spread/outbreak of disease) and be a certain age/weight (so you don't have 9 month/90 pound puppies playing with a 3 month/30 pounder!) To locate a class in your area, talk with your vet. He is a wonderful source of information. Ask if he knows of any dog clubs or dog training clubs in your area. Dogs clubs/training clubs can sometimes be difficult to locate as the members are volunteers and the organizations are non-profit. This means that their phone numbers normally aren't listed in the phone book. But, many will run ads in the paper (usually Sunday) announcing the start of obedience classes. Watch for Dog Show or Match announcements. These can also help you track down a "Kennel Club". While you are sitting in your vet's waiting room, ask the owners of other puppies or dogs if they know of any good trainers. Check the newspapers under the animals for sale column or your local yellow pages. Classes, though sometimes are to find, are out there and lots of fun - track one down for your puppy's mental health - it's well worth it.