What a ham. He's five months old, and nobody's really sure what kind of dog he is. I met him the other day, and basically, he's an annoying little brother. He kept following me around all over the place. He and Bear should get along, 'cause all they want to do is play.
Mom and Dad say Simba has "issues." No surprise to me. He was adopted by a nice family, but he had to look for a new one because he gets a little weird about food and toys.
Well, a lot weird, actually. He gets all growly and stuff, like that's all the food he's ever going to get. I guess he didn't learn that people were nice when he was little.
When the nice people who help doggies find new homes first found him, some really mean person had hit him with a baseball bat. One of his back legs was broken. I can't imagine anybody being mean enough to do that! Anyway, when he got his new home, he was doing OK, but he started being really wacky around food, growling and snapping and all sorts of crazy stuff. Mom and Dad and my Aunt Wendy all help teach dogs not to be naughty, and they started teaching Simba not to be so wacky. Mom says he's doing much better now, but the first family who took him couldn't keep him, 'cause there's a little boy living there and Simba doesn't know how not to be wacky.
So anyway, Simba needs a special home where there are people who know how to help teach him to be nice when he's eating - and how not to hog all the toys. That's where we come in. He's coming home tomorrow, and I'll be telling you about how things are going with the de-wackifying.
Until then, here are some things to make sure to do with your new little doggie friend, so you can help him or her start learning how to be good:
Buy a Crate!
I'm not in my crate much anymore at all - at least not with the door shut. But I still always eat in my crate, and I go there when I need some private space, like when Bear wants to play and I don't. Crates are a great way to keep a puppy out of trouble, and they help him or her feel safe - it's like our own personal den.
Your new puppy friend should be in his crate whenever someone isn't watching him. That way, you can help teach him not to piddle in the house, and you don't have to worry about him eating something he shouldn't. Take it from me, puppies like to chew on everything.
Which brings me to my next point...
Chew Toys!
Puppies need to chew. When they're teething, chewing helps make their mouths stop hurting. And when they get their new big-dog teeth, puppies need to set the teeth in the jaw. That means - you guessed it - more chewing. Petstages Orka toys and West Paw Design's Hurleys are Mom and Dad's (and my) favorite chew toys. Pet Stages also has some really great toys that people can put in the freezer so puppies can chew on something cold.
Don't let your puppy chew on anything you don't want a grown-up dog to chew on. For instance, don't let a puppy chew on an old shoe if you don't him chewing on a new one - or if you don't want your grown-up dog chewing on shoes.
Be careful of plastic and rawhide chews - make sure that any plastic or rubber toys specifically say "non-toxic," and you might want to stay away from toys made in China. Mom says that's tough, but there are toys you can find that are made right here in the U.S.A.
Rawhide can get stuck in a dog's tummy, which is not fun.
It's a good idea not to leave your puppy unsupervised with any toy he can destroy while you're gone. And make sure to check toys often for signs of wear.
Set the Rules from the Start!
One of the mistakes people make with puppies is giving them too much attention. Me, I don't think you can get too much attention, but Mom and Dad say that you have to set the rules right away - especially the Big Three:
1. No Jumping. It might look cute when he's five pounds, but that 200 pound Mastiff isn't going to be as cute when he jumps on grandma.
2. No Biting. Puppies need to learn right away that people aren't OK to chew on. What looks like play can hurt a lot from a big dog. Puppies need to learn right from the start that their teeth should never, ever touch people.
3. Poop and Pee Outside. Remember that puppies haven't learned how to hold it yet, and they have to have help to learn. Make sure that you use a crate divider so that your puppy has just enough room to lie down, and turn around. No more. No dog likes to pee or poop where he has to sleep, so if you don't give the puppy room to get away from it if he does, he's going to hold it.
You also have to make sure to take the puppy outside often enough so that you make it easier for him not to have accidents.
Puppies can, most of the time, hold it for one hour per month of age, plus one. So a four month old puppy can hold it for about five hours.
Puppies should also go outside to pee or poop:
- when they wake up
- after eating / drinking
- after a short amount of playing
If you work all day, like my Mom or Dad, you should come back at lunchtime if possible to let the puppy out - or consider having someone come and help. Lucky for Mom and Dad, they work at different times, so Mom can take Simba out before she leaves, and Dad can do it when he comes home. Other than that, Simba is going to be in his crate during the day.
Remember to be patient; puppies need time to learn. And don't correct a puppy for peeing in the house if you don't catch him while he's doing it. We dogs don't understand what we're in trouble for if you don't catch us in the act.
Setting the rules from the start helps your puppy grow up knowing how to behave, and avoids trouble later on. We dogs are happier when we know the rules, rather than having to try and figure them out for ourselves, or worse - making up our own.
So anyway, my little brother is coming home tomorrow - I'll keep you updated.
He is so not getting my bone - or my space on the bed.
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