(with Expert Advice from Bernadine Cruz, DVM, Anyes Van Volkenburgh, DVM and Maralyn Redford, an obedience instructor and breeder of Champion Golden Retrievers )

To wrap up the main portion of the course, we are going to leave you with some advice from our experts. We asked them for their top five tips for new puppy owners and here they are:

Bernadine Cruz, DVM says:

1. Feed a well balance food appropriate for its age and breed. When in doubt, ask your vet for a diet that will suit your dog’s growth profile.

2. Keep your puppy slim. Studies have shown that a pet that maintains its ideal weight throughout its life can expect to live 15% longer than its chubby littermate.

3. The number one reason why dogs are relinquished by their owners to a shelter is unacceptable behaviors. Train your dog. Set compassionate rules that are reinforced by all members of the family.

4. Follow your veterinarian’s advice. What you read on the internet or learn from your breeder or friend may be stated with the best of intentions but not necessarily correct. Your veterinarian is trained to provide the best medical advice for your particular pet.

5. Before adopting a pet, do your homework. Just because you see a particular breed on TV or a movie that is just too cute, it may not be the most appropriate pet for you. Be sure you have the time, finances and desire to devote to your dog. When you adopt a pet, it is for life, their life.

Anyes Van Volkenburgh, DVM had six important tips to leave with new puppy owners:
1. Nutrition is key – If you choose not to cook for your pet (and there are a myriad of great books with home made pet food recipes), then make sure the pet food you buy is made of wholesome, human quality ingredients.

2. Proper medical care – I stress the improtance of finding a progressive, preferably holistic, veterinarian who will treat your pet’s mind, body and soul.

3. Training – find a positive trainer to help you teach your puppy what is expected. Do not wait for behavioral problems to develop; take your puppy to a puppy class asap.

4. Talk to your puppy – We’ve been conditioned to think that animals do not understand our language, but new research shows that dogs, cats and parrots are more capable of understanding complex sentences than we ever thought before. Talk to your pet – tell him or her that you are happy, excited about a new opportunity, or hungry or tired, that you have to go work and will be back in 9 hours, that you’ll miss them while you’re gone. You’ll be amazed to see that in a short time your puppy is able to understand seemingly complex sentences. And you will cherish the bond that talking to your pet fosters.

5. Play together – dogs living in packs play together to show that they share a friendship and feel safe and comfortable with each other. Cats who like each other play, too. Play is a way of letting your guard down.

6. Smile – Animals gravitate towards people who are joyful, calm and centered, not negative, scattered and anxious. Since animals pick up on our emotions and often internalize them, they much prefer healthy emotions.

Wishing you and your new puppy a long and happy life,
Katelyn

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