If you’re a first time dog owner, caring for a new puppy can be a bit overwhelming and downright scary. What do you do if he gets sick? For that matter, how do you even tell if he’s sick? To find out how to care for a new puppy and make sure you are both off to a great start, take a look at a few of these great free resources for new puppy owners:

1. ABC’s of New Puppy Care – www.puppycare.free-dog-tips.com – A free dog care mini course for new puppy owners. Includes expert advice from dog trainers, veterinarians and AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson.

2. The New Puppy Shopping Checklist – http://www.goldendoodles.com/newpuppy.htm – Make sure you have all of the supplies you will need to care for your puppy when you bring him home.

3. First Week Home – http://www.puppychow.com/New_Pet/First_Week_Home.aspx – What to do during your puppy’s first week with you.

4. Guide for New Owners – http://www.homevet.com/petcare/puppy1.html – A new puppy guide that covers the basics of new puppy care. Written by a veterinarian.

5. Puppy Training and Socialization Tips – http://www.perfectpaws.com/pup1.html – Learn how to socialize your new puppy so he grows up to be a well adjusted dog.

6. Advice for the New Puppy Owner – http://www.littleshelter.com/library/new_puppy_advice.htm – Some important advice from the Little Shelter on how to raise a new puppy.

7. Preparing Your Home for a New Pup – http://www.ddrt.net/shelternewpuppy.htm – This article is a must read for anyone concerned about puppy proofing their home. It is easier to prevent puppy injuries than it is to cure an ill puppy!

8. About Buying a Dog – http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/about_buying_a_dog.cfm – Don’t have a new puppy yet? You won’t want to miss this article on how to buy a dog.

9. Karen Pryor Clickertraining – http://www.clickertraining.com/training/dogs/ – Clickertraining is my favorite training method. My dogs and I have so much fun. Learn the basics here.

10. Dog Tips Forum – http://www.free-dog-tips.com/forum – Do you have questions or concerns that weren’t covered here? Ask other dog lovers what they did with their puppies.

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Dogs have a language all their own and if you listen they’ll teach you to speak it too! By listening to your dog, you’ll begin to understand their needs and their intentions. There are things your dog says every day with his body language that you don’t even realize. Read on to learn the language of ‘dog’!

Tell your dog to sit. Notice as you tell your dog to sit, his ears will go back. This is a sign of submission. Your dog is saying that you’re the dominant one and he’s submitting to you. Another sign of this is a raised paw, which is as easy to train as a human handshake. This is especially significant because it is the step right before they roll over on their backs, completely submitting to you and showing you that you are their leader and their over lord.

Next, roll your dog on his back. Watch his body language. He’ll generally raise his back leg in elevation. This is what the mother dogs do to their pups. Look down at his face. You’ll notice a grin of sorts. Your dog’s grin is a friendly gesture, which is not the same as our grin, but a submissive gesture of his own. (A smile can easily be taught, as a trick, by saying the words smile, and then lifting the animal’s upper lip back in a smiling look. Repete this and you’ll have a smiley dog in no time! )

Dogs are very vocal animals. Many times, they will give you a friendly howl or they will give a menacing growl in warning. It’s very rare that a dog will directly attack or bite. A warning almost always comes first. Dogs also use their eyes. A direct stare is a threat, and its important not to look directly into a dog’s eyes when you are first meeting. Make sure you avoid making your self seem threatening to the animal.

Dogs are very playful as well. Putting their fore legs out in front and bowing is an invitation to play. They’ll run around and leap and bound here and there playing with each other.

Dogs will show their dominance by having an erect tail and stout body, while the subordinate animal crouches or lays on its back, allowing the leader to do whatever he pleases. Listen to your dog; he’ll talk to you with his body…and his mouth!

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Believe it or not, most dogs like to be ‘groomed’ just as much as humans do! Grooming not only makes your dog’s coat shiny and healthy, but it also allows your dog to relax and enjoy himself. You’ll find that when your dog sees you coming with a comb or brush in your hand, he’ll get excited to see you and look forward to the attention each day. Brushing your dog every day will help the bonding process between you and your pet grow stronger each day, while at the same time giving the animal a sort of daily reward and making him feel loved.

A daily grooming is very healthy for the animal’s coat, as well as the skin beneath. Many people will answer this with “wolves aren’t groomed daily in the wild, why should we brush our domesticated pets?” Well, the reply to this is that wolves do groom and clean each other in the wild. Wolves will frequently pull out burrs and other objects that get intertwined in the rest of the pack’s fur. They also lick each other when one of them is dirty. This also explains the way a dog will lick your face, your hands, or your legs. Not only is he showing you that you’re the authority, he’s grooming you, as well as eating the remains of lunch.

When brushing your pet, begin at the head and make a twisting motion, pulling out the deep under fur. This will reduce shedding all over your house, as well as cool the dog off in the summer time. Do this all over the body, removing all of the excess under fur. Then with a bristle brush, go over the top of your pet’s coat. For breeds such as the Afghan hound, a comb works best for detangling the long shiny hairs. Dogs with long hair such as the Afghan will require a brushing every day to prevent deep tangles and matting from occurring. Brush your pet every day and he’ll have a healthy coat of fur.

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