Puppy FAQs

You see, I've found that there are some puppy questions that seem to come up again and again! These are the ones that just about every puppy parent asks at some time or another.

So as part of my commitment to helping all new puppy parents on their journey of enlightenment(!), I decided to put them all on one page. Hope it helps YOU find the answer to your question right now :)

What shots does my puppy need?

The DHLPP puppy shot is a combination vaccine that protects against 5 separate diseases :

• Distemper
• Hepatitis
• Leptospirosis
• Parainfluenza
• Parvovirus

At the same time as the DHLPP shots, your puppy will be vaccinated against the Coronavirus. At 16 weeks of age he will be given his Rabies shot. After that he will need annual boosters in order to maintain his immunity.

For more information on everything to do with puppy vaccinations see my Puppy Shots page.

If you're a experienced pet owner and are comfortable with needles, it's possible to give your puppy vaccinations yourself. BUT you need to be properly prepared and know what he needs, and when to give it.. PLUS the dangers of allergic reaction and how to deal with an emergency should it happen. You can find out more about this on my How To Give Puppy Shots At Home page.

It's also a good idea to know the symptoms of some of the most common, contagious diseases that these vaccinations protect your puppy from. Check out my Dog Illnesses page for tips on recognizing illness in your puppy.

What's the best way to housebreak a puppy?

Any puppy of 8 weeks of age or older can begin crate-training. A 9 - 10 week old puppy can stay in his crate for 30 mins at a time, when he reaches around 18 weeks or so, he can spend up to 6 hours per day and overnight in his crate.

However, a crated puppy needs plenty of 'free' time and one-on-one interaction with his family as well. Crates should never be used as a punishment.

You can find out how to choose the right size crate, how to introduce it to your puppy, and exactly how this method of housebreaking works on my Crate-Training page.

You'll also find lots of helpful advice on housebreaking in general on my Potty Training page.

How do I choose the best dog food for my puppy?

Up until about 16 weeks of age you should be feeding your puppy a good quality puppy kibble 3 times a day.

Choose a food that has the wording 'a complete and balanced diet' on the package. This shows it meets the standards set by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials).

You need to be sure the dog food you pick has a good source of high quality protein as it's first ingredient. Chicken or Lamb are both good choices. Puppies grow very rapidly, and to support that growth they need a diet high in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Protein values should be around 25% plus and fat around 15%. If you have a large breed or small breed puppy, look for a puppy food that is especially designed to meet their specific requirements.

In addition to my puppy FAQs article on this, you can see a list of what I consider to be the best puppy foods on the market here - Best Puppy Food, also check out my Puppy Food Reviews.

If you have an older dog, you can find tons of information on dog food ingredients, how much and how often to feed, what to look for and what to avoid, plus links to information on organic, homemade and natural dog food on my Dog Food page. Then see the Top 10 premium dog foods on my 10 Best Dog Food Choices page.

Also, take a minute to check out my Dog Food Comparison Chart page where you'll find several popular puppy foods and dog food comparisons.

I've also got all the information you need to compare and analyze ANY dog food brand, using a unique grading system based on the quality of the ingredients. Learn more on my Dog Food Comparisons.

How can I get rid of the stains and odor of dog urine?

To be effective, you need to blot up any liquid that is in your carpet. Then you need to rinse the area well with clean, cool water and blot that up too. Follow this with an application of an enzymatic-based cleaner/odor remover. Allow this to soak into the carpet for at least 10 minutes and then blot up the excess. Allow area to dry thoroughly.

You may need to repeat this process more than once. For more information on how to keep your carpets stain and odor free, and find out which product REALLY works, see my Dog Urine Cleaning and Best Dog Urine Cleaning Products pages.

How do I know if my puppy has worms, and what do I do about it?

Other symptoms of worm infestation include a round, distended belly, a dull, rough coat or a cough. Although very common, worms can make your puppy quite sick...at the very least he'll feel and look 'out of sorts'. The most common worms are Roundworms, your pup could also get whipworms, tapeworms, hookworms or heartworms.

Treatment for the first 4 types is fairly straightforward. You will need your veterinarian to diagnose and confirm the infestation, and the type of worm involved. They will then prescribe, or administer, the appropriate de-wormer. Do not use over-the-counter medications as they can be ineffective at best, and harmful at worst.

Heartworms are a different story, but you are unlikely to find these in a young puppy. They're transmitted by mosquitoes and can be deadly. Treatment is often effective if caught early enough, but it is complicated and expensive.

You can learn more about worms, causes, symptoms and treatments on my Puppy Worms page.

My puppy has diarrhea. What can cause that and what do I do?

This is one of those puppy questions where it's not necessarily easy to know the answer yourself. As there's the potential for serious problems with these puppy FAQ's, we've compiled a quick guide that will help you decide if you need to take him straight to the veterinarian's office, or if you can 'wait and see' for a few hours.

Puppies are little garbage-disposals on legs! They can, and do, eat anything and everything that's in front of them. This inevitably leads to an upset tummy (or two!), and of course, is best avoided whenever possible. However, if your puppy has diarrhea that looks has the consistency of custard, or chocolate pudding, but otherwise seems okay, chances are he's eaten something he shouldn't.

If he's not vomiting, is alert, playful and bright-eyed you can afford to wait and see for a while. Withhold food for 12 - 24 hours to allow his digestive system to recover, but allow him as much fresh water as he wants. If he's not feeling better within 24 hours, or seems to be getting worse, call your veterinarian right away.

If your puppy's diarrhea is severe and watery, he's vomiting and/or seems lethargic, has dull eyes and looks like he feel unwell you need to get in touch with your veterinarian right away. He could be suffering from Parvo, Giardia, Coccidiosis or a number of other dog illnesses/conditions.

If it's after hours you should contact your nearest 24 hour emergency pet clinic. Look for any traces of blood in his diarrhea, this is a classic sign of the deadly disease Parvo. If he DOES have Parvo, immediate veterinary care MAY save his life!

For more detailed information on this common puppy complaint, check out my Puppy Diarrhea page.

My puppy is constipated, what can I do to help him?

There are many reasons why a puppy can get constipated, and these from medical conditions to hairballs (and everything in between!). Whatever the reason behind the constipation, there are some simple remedies that you can use to help get their system moving again.

There are also a few things that you can do to prevent future episodes of puppy constipation, and the correct diet, plenty of fluids and a good amount of exercise are vital.

Find out more about preventing and treating puppy constipation on my A Constipated Puppy page.

How can I train my puppy?

A puppy that is out of control may not seem to be a huge problem at first, but when he turns into a dog that's out of control it will be a whole different story.

A fair number of puppy FAQs center around puppy behavior, and learning what behavior is acceptable and what isn't should be some of his earliest lessons!

Puppies are very eager to please you, but they have very short attention spans and often need quite a bit of repetition before they 'get it'. If you want your pup to understand what you expect of him, there are three simple steps that you MUST follow :

• tell your puppy what you want him to do


• help him to perform that behavior


• reward him with treats and/or praise when he is successful

Several short training sessions per day are much better than one longer one. Your puppy will get bored and lose interest after a couple of minutes, and that's not what you want!

You want him to enjoy his trainings sessions and think they're a fun part of his day. Always praise your puppy when he's successful and end each session on a positive note so that he's eager to start again next time.

The first thing to teach your little one is to recognize his name. After that, the basic obedience commands that you want your pup to teach him are "sit", "come" and "down". You can read more about this on my Puppy Training Page

Puppy FAQs also often include questions about obedience training classes, and how to choose an dog obedience training school. You can usually start your puppy off in a 'Puppy Class' after he's started his vaccination program, and is around 10 weeks old.

Some obedience schools will allow him to attend class provided he's had one or two sets of shots. Others will want to wait until he's completed the full vaccination schedule.

It's important to make sure that the dog obedience school that you choose offers classes taught by certified dog trainers. There are often more than one obedience school within your area, so call around and check them out before you enrol your pup. There's a lot more information about finding and choosing formal obedience classes on my Dog Obedience Schools page.

How do I introduce a new puppy to our resident dog?

Don't worry, this is a common problem and is also high on the puppy FAQs list! Most dogs learn to get along with a newcomer (and some super-sociable souls accept them right away), but if your older dog is treating the new baby with something less than unbridled enthusiasm he won't be the first to do so!

Here's a short puppy guide to help you overcome those first few rocky days, and help your pooches become best friends...

When choosing a new dog to integrate into your family, it's best to choose one of the opposite sex to the resident dog. Two same-sex dogs are less likely to get along as adults, especially if they're not neutered/spayed.

Also consider size and temperament, an older dog with a high prey drive may not be the best match for a puppy from a tiny, fast-moving breed such as the Yorkshire Terrier.

Make the initial introductions under supervision, and expect some hesitation on the part of either pooch. There may be a little low growling, or posturing, but most puppies instinctively submit to older, more mature dogs and once your resident dog has shown the interloper 'who's boss' things should settle down.

Always remember to show lots of affection to your older dog. It's sometimes difficult to tear yourself away from an adorable new puppy, but make a point of greeting, feeding and petting the older dog first, as it reinforces his status (in both his eyes, and the eyes of the new puppy) and helps to maintain a natural transition into the 'pecking order'.

As with our other puppy FAQs, you'll find more detailed information on handling these introductions on my Introducing A New Puppy page.

My dog barks, howls or destroys stuff when I'm out. What can I do?

If so, chances are Fido's suffering from separation anxiety. Dogs who are generally nervous or anxious, or exhibit what I call 'velcro-dog' behavior (ie. never leaves your side, whimpers and whines if left alone in the kitchen, sleeps pressed against you etc.) are especially prone to this problem. It's unpleasant and upsetting for them, and for you, and can escalate until it becomes a huge issue, if not dealt with.

Many dogs are surrendered to shelters, or even euthanized, because of their destructive behavior. Don't let your dog become one of those statistics!

There are levels of separation anxiety, ranging from mild distress to hysteria (on the part of the dog, not you. Although the sight of your Persian rug in tatters has the potential to trigger a hysterical reaction!). For milder cases, there are simple measures you can take to ease your dogs' discomfort. Things such as leaving lights and the TV or radio on when you leave. This makes the house feel less empty and your pooch therefore feels less alone.

Supplying plenty of sturdy chew toys and some interactive toys, such as the kind that dispense treats at intervals, can help to keep Fido busy and his little mind occupied with more productive pastimes than chewing the leg off your favorite chair. Also, making sure you've given your dog a good, long walk or some pretty strenuous exercise BEFORE leaving him at home, is a good idea. There's truth in the saying 'a good pup, is a tired pup'.

In addition to physically tiring your dog, exercise will help him to release some of the pent-up nervous and emotional energy that causes him to behave badly when you're gone.

If your dog suffers from moderate to severe separation anxiety, you may want to consider behavior modification exercises, which are designed to lower your dog's stress reaction to your absence and help him relax. There are several ways of doing this, and your aim is to de-sensitize him to your comings and going. You can find detailed instructions on behavioral modification techniques at on my Dog Training for Separation Anxiety page.

For mild cases of separation anxiety in dogs, you can also find several natural/herbal products that can be used to safely and effectively reduce your pups' anxiety levels, without medicating him. You can find out more about these on my Dog Separation Remedies page.

By using one, or a combination of, the methods above, you should be able to lower your dogs' anxiety levels and teach him that it's okay to be left alone for a while, and that you always return.

Why does my dog seem to be always licking and scratching himself? He has sore, red patches of skin and bald spots too!

I think it's important to point out in this Puppy FAQs page that dogs suffer from allergies just as people do! There are many different causes and triggers for canine allergies, but most result in skin problems and symptoms.

Causes of dog allergies include:

• Flea allergy


• Inhalant allergy


• Dog food allergy


• Contact allergy

A good flea preventative will stop your pup from suffering flea allergies (many dogs are allergic to flea saliva), and if he's already had problems there are many shampoos and products available to soothe his skin.

Inhalant allergies are basically seasonal allergies, and contact allergies often occur when your pooch is exposed to something in his environment that reacts badly with his skin. For example, if you wash his dog bed with a new, scented laundry detergent and he starts scratching all over... there's a clue he's allergic (or at least sensitive) to something in the detergent.

Dog food allergies can be more difficult to diagnose, and are more likely to occur with a familiar food than an new one. However, if your pooch is suffering from chronic allergy symptoms that don't seem to fluctuate (ie seasonal), you can't think of anything he's been in contact with that could have caused the reaction, and he doesn't have fleas, a dog food allergy should definitely be suspected.

You can follow an elimination diet to isolate the dog food ingredients that are causing the problem. Find out how to do this, and find the best, hypo-allergenic and natural dog food specifically designed for dogs with food allergies, on my Dog Food Allergies page.

From hypoallergenic shampoos, to hydro-cortisone products and natural supplements, there are many ways to relieve your dogs allergy symptoms. Check out my Canine Skin Allergies page.

Itchy, irritated skin and patches of thinning hair or baldness can also be caused by conditions other than allergies. Mange is a fairly common skin condition that's caused by tiny skin mites. You might also want to check out my Puppy Hair Loss page for other skin problems and issues.

Would these Puppy FAQs help someone you know? If so, why not share this page with them right now!

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