NEW PUPPY INSTRUCTIONS

 

DAY ONE ; Your puppy may feel disoriented and frightened. He is, after all, just a baby leaving home and mommy and his security for a whole new life. He will need your constant companionship for the first few days to let him feel safe. Please don't expect him to sleep alone in a room away from the family at night, (this can come later if you wish). After the adujustment period, you may wish to decide upon a routine for house training that will work with your schedule. Cavaliers love routines and once they learn it, they willingly comply. Decide on some rules and let all members of the family be consistent.

 

HOUSETRAINING

 --Consistency is the key to success--

· Designate one area outside as a "potty" area. 

· Feed your puppy at the same times everyday. 

 

· Take your puppy out at least every 2 hours to  the "potty" area, whether he/she has eaten or not. Go out with your puppy!!!

 

· The times that a puppy will most likely want to eliminate are after eating or drinking, after a nap, or after a period of play or vigorous exercise. 

 

· Bring the puppy to the designated area―use a leash if the area is not confined. Initially, you want to teach the puppy what the words "go potty" mean.  Once the puppy has performed the task at hand, give him/her a treat and

lots of hugs and kisses.  

 

· Sometimes a puppy just won’t eliminate―even though you think it’s time.  If you’ve been out for more than five minutes but your puppy hasn’t completed the task at hand, take him/her back inside―but do not take your eyes off him/her. Watch for signs that he/she needs to go: circling, pacing, intense sniffing, or a sudden stop in the middle of an activity.  The second you see any such signs, get him/her back outside.  

 

· In housebreaking your puppy, the two most important concepts for you are WATCH and CONFINE.  It is not a good idea to give your new puppy full run of the house; instead, start in a small area like a utility room or a small pen.  Don't graduate to a larger area until he/she has proven himself/herself by having no accidents in that area over a period of time. Until then, you must be aware of where your puppy is at every moment. 

 

· It’s a good idea to have a puppy pen ready when you bring your new puppy home.  It's not cruel to use a pen; it is cruel to constantly reprimand, scold and possibly get physical with the puppy for having an accident inside the house. Provide a bed, food, water, and a puppy pad in the pen.  Always make sure the pen is in a well ventilated area out of direct sunlight.  Also, be sure the room temperature stays fairly constant―not too hot or too cold. 

 

· NEVER BE PHYSICAL WITH A PUPPY FOR ELIMINATING INSIDE... Being physical with your puppy will make it not want to perform in front of you, and will actually cause the puppy to leave gifts for you out of your sight.  Remember that accidents happen, and it's not the end of the world.  A good enzymatic cleaner designed to eliminate all traces, including the lingering odor, of an accident is God's gift to new pet owners!! 

 

Be patient, consistent, and diligent in taking the puppy outside.  Regulate what goes into your puppy's tummy, so you can regulate what comes out.  WATCH or CONFINE your puppy with a gate or exercise pen, gradually extending his/her living area.  Clean any accidents with an enzymatic cleaner that will eliminate any traces of the unwanted event.  In a matter of weeks, your hard work and diligence will pay off―with a fully housebroken puppy!

 

If these tricks fail, the use of "sani-pants" for girls and "belly bands" for boys while they are inside is helpful. They do not like to wet their pants and will soon learn to hold it until pants are removed outside.

 

We recommend an indoor "exercise pen," 30-ish inches high, or a gated safe area for the first several weeks with your puppy. This will minimize chewing damage and hazards (cords, shoes, etc.) or falling off furniture. He should be kept in the pen whenever you cannot be watching him. This area could have a litter box or newspaper if he must be kept here for extended periods. Food, water and a bed or open crate should also be in the exercise pen.  (They really appreciate an open crate.  NO CLOSED CRATES/CAGES.)

 

FEEDING:  We wean puppies from mothers milk onto ALL NATURAL, GMO FREE food beginning at 3-4 weeks. We feed Steve's Real Food Freeze Dried soaked in GME - Goat Milk Esbilac puppy formula.   Then we start adding Nourish at six weeks, which is a jerky-type food, and cut out the formula's water, having water on the side, and use the powder as a coating.  This way we can free-feed our babies.  We introduce a top-notch kibble, Farmina N & D Puppy coated with powdered formula, at 7 weeks of age.  If you choose not to free feed, food should be offered 3-4 times a day and gradually reduced to twice a day.

 

WATER:  Any change in water, along with the stress of moving, may cause loose stools. This should diminish as the puppy's intestinal flora become accustomed to the change. You may wish to give him some natural bacteria (probiotics) or Kaopectate if it persists.  (Probiotics designed for people will work, found at grocery stores, Wal Mart, etc.  Open the capsule and mix the contents with wet food.) 

 

CHEWING: Good luck! Prevention is the best policy.  Supply safe chew toys/beef chews and divert puppy's attention away from chewing the wrong items. Keep unsafe items out of the "puppy zone".

 

HANDLING:  Remember, your Cavalier is still a baby with growing bones until he is over a year old. Handle him gently, never picking him up by his legs. Don't let him jump down from high places, even though he may try too. He may wish to play rough, but he doesn't know his own limits. Too much or too strenuous exercise can cause skeletal development problems, as can lack of activity. A moderate exercise program can be recommended by your veterinarian.

 

TRAINING:  Early puppy classes are not recommended until at least 16 weeks of age. Before this age, your veterinarian may be able to recommend an in-house trainer to come to your home for some house-training tips. After vaccines are complete, puppy socialization classes are helpful. Cavaliers are soft and sensitive and too much strict training at an early age can break their spirit. Don't expect too much too soon. Never use harsh training methods and always use praise and rewards. Cavaliers do very well in obedience classes. They are eager to please you and show you how smart they are.

 

VETERINARY CARE:  It is imperative that you follow the Cavalier breed-specific vaccination schedule, developed by Jean Dodds, DVM, which we have provided.  (Endorsed by CKCSC, USA.)  For altering, we recommend about 6-9 months of age for the surgery to be performed. If your puppy has the typical umbilical hernia, it can be sewn up at time of spay/neuter. Cosmetic repair is not recommended if no other surgery is being done. Cavaliers tend to be more sensitive to anesthesia than other breeds. Make your veterinarian aware of this.

 

GROOMING:  Cavaliers require very little grooming. A daily brushing with a

natural boar bristle brush will prevent most shedding and keep coat in good condition.

 

Bathe only as needed, unless your Cavalier is very itchy.  If itchy, try to bathe every week.  To prevent dry skin use mild shampoos and conditioners. TRIM CLAWS regularly to prevent scratched eyes.  Don't forget the dewclaws.  (We do not remove any body parts from our Cavaliers, such as dewcalws, based on “what ifs.”  To date, after 15 years of breeding, we have had no problems.)

 

DENTAL CARE; Some people like to clean teeth daily with special dental cloth or brush. If this is what you choose to do, get your puppy used to this at an early age, even if his teeth look clean, there can be plaque build up. This has been implicated in the mitral valve disease found in Cavaliers, so we must be stringent in our dental care routine.

 

COMMON WORRIES

 

1) "My Cavalier drags his bottom on the ground- is this a sign of worms?" This is an "old wives tale" Cavaliers clean themselves this way. They seldom lick themselves clean and prefer to rub clean. This is often MIS-diagnosed as anal gland problems and some vets will express the anal glands to stop this. This can lead to irritation of the glands and a vicious cycle of anal gland infection and veterinary visits. We NEVER let our vets express the anal glands. 

 

2) "My cavalier is snorting and choking". Cavaliers have short noses and soft skin flaps in their upper pallets. These sometimes catch and cause what is known as a "reverse sneeze". It is common and harmless. You can often stop it by tucking their chin to their chest for a few seconds.

 

BE SURE TO LOVE THAT FUR BABY!

 

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.  That's what we're here for.  :0)