new puppy

[cpr]

I am getting an 8 week old puppy sat. and am not sure how much and how often to feed her.The owner has food down all the time and all the pups eat when they want.
Also i have a blind/deaf maltise/sisuee[not sure of the spelling] that is 17 years old. Do you have any advise for me as to make the intro to each other easy on all of us.:)
Thank you

[rottnkidd]

Will you be using a crate to train your pup? If not, you need to seriously consider it. This may "help" your older dog, too, if the
young one isn't allowed to wreak too much havoc by running throughout the house. It will be a great place for puppy to call her own, and take a break from being sassy! It will also help in housetraining. The older dog has been the Queen Bee for almost 17 yrs now, and may or may not be too accepting initially. Take it slow, and exercise caution.
As for the feeding, I answered that in your other post about bones, however, I personally don't believe in the free-feeding method. It may work for some, but I think it can encourage over-eating, thus obesity.
kathy

[TrishB]

Hi CPR,

Welcome to the forums!

No, I don't believe in free-feeding. It makes house breaking near impossible! An 8 week old pup should be on 4 feedings a day. I normally switch down to 3 feedings a day between 12 and 16 weeks and then down to 2 at about 5 months. I like to keep adult dogs on 2 feedings a day. It helps them so that they don't get so hungry that they gobble their food (less stomach upset too).

After each feeding - you know that your pup will be a need to go outside within 20 minutes to 40 minutes. Watch for sniffing, circling, pawing at the floor... your pup will tell you when they need to go. You just need to watch for the signs!

If they're on free feeding, you'll have to watch them 24/7 like a hawk because they could have eaten at any time!

Set yourself up for success, don't set up your pup for failure. ;)

I agree with Rottnkid - crate training would be the best option. If you do a search for "crate training" here in the forums, you'll find a wealth of knowledge. :D

Best of luck!

[BarryMcD]

CPR:

Just started with an 8-week Rottie this past December, and have a 5-year-old Rottie and three other non-Rott dogs.

1) Definitely get off the free feeeding right away. Do not leave food down all the time.

2) Right now use three or four meal per day until the pup is about 4 months. Then go to three until about 5-6 months, Then two. Feed on schedule at exaclty the same time each day. This will help greatly with housetraining! Outside for a try about twnty mintes after every meal, nap, and play session.

3) Place the dish in the same place--crate HIGHLY suggested from the start! Pup should eat in it and sleep in it. Leave the bowl down for 20-30 minutes maximum, then remove it whether the pup has eaten it all or not.

4) You can moisten the food for the coming month or two at most. Then slowly dry it out and feed mostly dry kibble, without the wasteful canned food mixed in. You can moisten with water or meat broth, but avoid dairy products such as milk or yogurt. Make sure the brand you use has below 1.5 % calcium! Higher calcium is dangerous for large breed pups.

5) Do nt use Puppy Formulas. Select the nest super premium you can afford (Adult Maintenance) and feed it from the start. Avoid canned food. Canidae is a very good choice for Rotts.

5) Keep treats to a minimum, except for chew toys, and make the kibble the main food.

6) Feed less than the chart on the bag. Your goal is too keep the pup slim. The best advice for Rotties is to grow them slow! The slower the better. You want the pup to look slim and light for the first eight to ten months. Excess body weight is a prime cause of Hip Dysplasia and other
skeletal problems.

7) I highly recommend a super premium kibble, not a cheaper supermarket brand. The difference is extraordinary! Canidae is my chosen brand. It is a very well balance food for both Rottie pups and adults.

8) Avoid strenous or lengthy exercise such as jumping, stair climbing, or long runs for the first 6 months because the pups bones are forming and the cartiledge and tendons cannot support excess stress. Excercise moderately.

9) Age NOW to 4 months is the critical socialization period. Expose the pup to everything in the wonderful world: childrem, other dogs, car rides. visits, men with beards, woman, cats, traffic... the more the better and the less it will be scared of later.

Regarding introducing the existing dog to the pup:

Older dogs can sometime get grumpy around pups, but the standard strategies include:

1) When the pup first comes home, let the two meet outside, whether through a fence or with with the pup inside a crate. Try to avoid leashing either dog.

2) Make the first meetings during the first weeks mostly outside. The extra space will relieve tension and make things go better. Eventuslly, try both lose in a large outsdoor space, and just let them sniff, growl and look each other over. Stay on your toes, though, just inc ase.

3) Once in the house, the pup should be crated in a sturdy good guality crate that gives it enough room to turn around easily, and an extra foot or two in the front for water bowl and food bowl. Make the crate a positive experience by feeding in it, gradually introducing the pup to it by rewarding for a quick entry into the crate, or by planting treats in the back of the crate. Eventually, start closing the door for just a momement, and gradually increase the time. It is important that the crate be placed in a location where people will be most of the day. This could be a living room, kitchen, or bedroom. At night, the crate should be placed in or near the bedroom so tha pup can see you in bed.
NEVER pu a pp in a crate with a collar on!

4)If the pup cries or whines in the crate, you can let is out, but NEVER open the door when the pup is complaining. Wait for fifteen seconds of quiet and then open the crate. Never reward for leaving the crate, but only for entering.

5) Use the crate to get the indoor introductions going. Lock the crate and let the older dog freely sniff around and look inside. When the older dog seems comfortable, you can try carefully supervised visits out of crate, off of leash. Reward the older dog with treats frequently if it behaves well. If it growls or complains about the pup, put the pup away and try again another day.

6) The main idea is that the older dog should get good things and be rewarded when around the pup and acting civily. When not acting well, it should be removed and ignored. Don't punish or correct. Just get it away from the pup. Also concentrate on continueing to spend qua;ity time with the older dog alone.

7) A good trick is to hold the pup, and if the older dog approaches, give it a treat. Make sure you only give the treat if the dog is well-mannered and has not started to bark or growl.

8) To minimize conflicts, it is best to spay/neuter the pup when the vet says the time is right. This will prevent hormonally stimulated aggressive and mischivous behavior in most cases.

9) Start teaching the pup bite inhabition right away. If it nips you, scream "Ouch!" in a loud voice, and then walk away and do not continue to play. Ignore the pup for 3-4 minutes, then start again with a clean slate. If the dog ceases to bite, or at first, if it starts to bite very softly, reward it with treats. Also have plenty of chewie toys available at all times. Smaller pups often like plush soft toys. As they grow older and teethe, they will want harder bones, rawhide sticks, etc. I have rarely fund a dog that likes rubber or plastic toys that squeak to chew on, so I would avoid these. Some love ice cubes!

God luck. You have a busy time ahead, but a wonderful one!

Get a book by Ian Dunbar on pups if you want the best advice!

[cpr]

thank you for your advise.In regards to the older dog I had to put her down 2 days before red came home. So that isn't a problem anymore.