How to Help your New dog get Healthy
Congratulations! You've welcomed a grateful, forever loyal, previously homeless yet highly desireable sought after dog into your warm home to live with your family (or you are contemplating doing so). Now what and how to do?
Quick secrets to successful adjustment for your small dog and your family
Fake grass / pee mat
1. Buy 2 fake grass pee matts (Spotty Brand, low price in our shop) for indoors (to place in two different areas of the house). Buy a third to put on your balcony or deck. Get the training pads to put under the fake grass.
Potty training
2. He'll need to relieve himself/herself on trees/grass for the first week(s) until you get him used to the fake grass (then life will be so much easier). To get your dog used to the fake grass, place a small twig that has the sent on the grass. Get a special bag of meat/bacon treats that your dog really likes. Only give it when the pee mat is properly used. Walk to it often to check, carrying the bag of treats in hand. Let your dog see you do that. Praise your dog loudly and give treats when the fake grass is used. Be consistent. No treats if not used.
Keeping him clean / bug free
3. Get your dog on Trifexis monthly medication (can get prescription from your vet, a low cost dog clinic like at the Pet Club store every Sunday afternoon) to keep him very clean and healthy. One pill monthly, anti-flea and anti parasite.
Food
4. Get a bag of Royal Canin or Nutro Natural Choice dry dog food, 10 pound bag at Pet Club or other store. This one seems to taste good. Dry food is easier to deal with and keeps the house cleaner and your dog's teeth fresh & clean. A lower cost alternative we have tried successfully is to buy the huge Kirkland Nature's Domain Beef Flavor dried dog food (yellow bag). To make dried dog food more appetizing to your dog, you can get Kirkland Nature's Domain Turkey & Pea Stew canned dog food which comes 24 cans for about $20. Just add two scoops to make it a delicious meal for your furry friend.
Shampoo and conditioner (this very important so that your dog's skin stays smooth and your dog stays hypoallergenic)
5. Get a bottle of Earthbath totally natural pet shampoo (Oatmeal & Aloe shampoo; see our shop). This one is very gentle and soothing to your dogs skin. Also, get a bottle of Espree coat renewal Luxury Remoisturizer (see our shop). This really gives your dog soft fur and makes them smell great! You can give your dog a shower every 1-3 weeks. You'll need a brush too. Furminator (see our shop) makes a nice brush and you'll want to get a couple different styles to see which works best for your dog's fur. Brush your dog before showering.
Teeth
6. For teeth hygiene, "Greenies" (see our shop for a good price) are a great snack. It is good to get a dog tooth brush and chicken flavored enzymatic toothpaste too (in our shop). Try to remember to brush their teeth a couple of times a week, if not more often. A great supplement for teeth that your small dog can learn to like are IAMS chicket flavor puppy biscuits. These come in an orange box and are small sized to fit your dog. A 24 oz. box is around $3.
Poo-bags
7. Poo-bags. Best price again is in our shop for the blue Bags on Board box of 21 rolls. Maybe half the price of that in a pet store.
Accessories: leashes, collars, and shoes!
8. A nice leash and collar from your pet store. If you like your house clean and want his/her feet clean too when walking outdoors, Petco sells a nice pair of red zip up shoes that look like little red sneakers and fit small dogs very well, and they appear comfortable. It seems a dog can run faster with them on than without. There are several types of dog shoes, but only the red ones at Petco seem to stay on and the dog seems to like them.
Beds
9. Buy a nice thick cushiony bouncy dog bed for your furry friend. Also, get a nice fleece dog blanket (baby blanket even nicer) to keep your dog warm (we have in our shop). Also, try to pick up a dog pillow as well. It seems some dogs really like to rest their heads on a pillow when they sleep. For a low price on a cushiony dog bed, it seems that Walmart and CVS have started carrying nice cushiony dog beds.
Dog bowls
10. Get a simple dog food bowl and a dog water bowl. Stainless steel seems to work fine. We highly recommend to also get a large capacity water dispenser. It looks like a plastic water bottle, upside down, in a dog bowl. It is not very expensive, but it is very important because it ensures that your dog will always have drinking water. There are times when the stainless steel water bowl is empty, and your dog can't easily ask you to refill it. Dogs can't go very long without water.
Having your dog to take care of himself at home when you go out
11. Without going into the whole training details on this site, we can suggest to maybe get your dog trained to go on the indoor grass on his own whenever he/she needs to go. When you go out from the house, it might be a good idea to find a room such as one with access to the fake grass (maybe in a connecting bathroom). Then, close the door to the room and keep your dog in that room with the bathroom and fake grass when you go out. Leave an extra set of water, dry food, and dog bed in that room.
Easily take your dog out in a bag with you
12. Get a carrying soft kennel bag from Sherpa (again low price at our store). It looks like a small black rectangular gym bag. It just makes managing your dog when you take him/her out a lot easier. Can just through your dog over your shoulder and go (shopping, driving, wherever).
Clothes
13. Get a few dog sweatshirts or hoodies (some nice ones at low prices in our shop). These are great for keeping your dog warm at night.
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