general questions for a new puppy owner

[newyorkiepup]

We've had Cruiser a week tomorrow. He's eating good now and playing a lot. He's much better. He's doing good with the potty training for the most part. He sleeps good at night. Now on to things we haven't started:

How often should I give him a bath? He had one last Thursday at the breeder's. I have brushed in almost everyday but I have given him a bath.

How often do his ears need to be cleaned?

When should I start brushing his teeth? Do you do it everyday?

When can he start walking on a leash? We haven't attempted to put the harness on him yet.

What age is a good age to take him to puppy kindergarten? Is Petsmart or Petco okay for this?

With all the problems with had with the vaccines and the emergency vet, etc., I am thinking of switching vets already. Is Banfield (attached to Petsmart) okay? They have a good plan cost wise.

I am leary about giving him the heartworm tablet that the vet gave us because the reaction he had to the vaccines. Also, he has to go on a medicine because his stool sample came back positive for giardi (spelling?). She said it's a powder to mix with the food and we should start it next week. Should I wait to give him the heartworm tablet the following week? The breeder suggested only giving him half the tablet. What do you think?

How harmful would bird seed be to him? I posted before that we have pet cockatiels. They are messy and there's always a little seed on the floor. Well, being the little cruiser he is, he is always cruising around and trying to eat the seed. I stop him, of course, but I'm sure he's already eaten a couple of seeds. We will do a better job of sweeping and vacuuming, but we're never going to get it all. Hopefully it's not too terrible for him if he ingests a few seeds.

What do you do about cords? He keeps trying to chew the cords to the lamps in the living room. There is no light fixture in the ceiling so we have to have the lamps. I keep distracting him from them but he gravitates back there.

I guess that's enough for now! I really appreciate everyone's helpful comments.

[newyorkiepup]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[Wrenee4]

I will try to help, but these are just my opinions

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

We've had Cruiser a week tomorrow. He's eating good now and playing a lot. He's much better. He's doing good with the potty training for the most part. He sleeps good at night. Now on to things we haven't started:

How often should I give him a bath? He had one last Thursday at the breeder's. I have brushed in almost everyday but I have given him a bath.

It depends on the dog...some smell more than others or get oily coats. Mine usually get a bath every 2 weeks unless they are naughty and get into something.

How often do his ears need to be cleaned?

I do this when they get their baths - remember to pull the hair in the ear canal too.

When should I start brushing his teeth? Do you do it everyday?

Start ASAP as they really don't like it to start, but it is SOO good for them and yes every day is the BEST!

When can he start walking on a leash? We haven't attempted to put the harness on him yet.

He can start on a harness anytime. I would put the harness on first and let him wear it for an hour or so under supervision and then after about a week of that - add the leash.

What age is a good age to take him to puppy kindergarten? Is Petsmart or Petco okay for this?

They usually have to have all of their shots I think anyway!

With all the problems with had with the vaccines and the emergency vet, etc., I am thinking of switching vets already. Is Banfield (attached to Petsmart) okay? They have a good plan cost wise.

I have never used them as they are not in our area

I am leary about giving him the heartworm tablet that the vet gave us because the reaction he had to the vaccines. Also, he has to go on a medicine because his stool sample came back positive for giardi (spelling?). She said it's a powder to mix with the food and we should start it next week. Should I wait to give him the heartworm tablet the following week? The breeder suggested only giving him half the tablet. What do you think?

I have NEVER heard of giving a half a tablet - always the full amount as you never know where the concentration of the meds are at. Hearworm is pretty safe, but if you are worried I would give it to him the AM so you can make sure your vet is open so no ER visit IF something happens.

How harmful would bird seed be to him? I posted before that we have pet cockatiels. They are messy and there's always a little seed on the floor. Well, being the little cruiser he is, he is always cruising around and trying to eat the seed. I stop him, of course, but I'm sure he's already eaten a couple of seeds. We will do a better job of sweeping and vacuuming, but we're never going to get it all. Hopefully it's not too terrible for him if he ingests a few seeds.

I don't know? I don't have birds

What do you do about cords? He keeps trying to chew the cords to the lamps in the living room. There is no light fixture in the ceiling so we have to have the lamps. I keep distracting him from them but he gravitates back there.

We say no and give a toy or chew like a bully stick to take their minds off of it. Yes puppies are full of it! LOL

I guess that's enough for now! I really appreciate everyone's helpful comments.

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

We've had Cruiser a week tomorrow. He's eating good now and playing a lot. He's much better. He's doing good with the potty training for the most part. He sleeps good at night. Now on to things we haven't started:

How often should I give him a bath? He had one last Thursday at the breeder's. I have brushed in almost everyday but I have given him a bath.
I give Bear a bath once a week. It really depends on your Yorkie's skin & if it gets dry really quickly. If it gets dry quickly then you shouldn't bathe him too often. Also, you shouldn't brush his hair when it is dry because this can damage the hair. Either use a conditioning spray on it first & then brush it, or just brush it after his bath.

How often do his ears need to be cleaned?
I really don't know, lol.

When should I start brushing his teeth? Do you do it everyday?
You should start brushing his teeth as soon as possible. Yes, I brush his teeth every day.

When can he start walking on a leash? We haven't attempted to put the harness on him yet.
It depends on how old your Yorkie is. You have to wait until he has all of his shots before you can take him on walks. First I would put on the harness & let him get used to it. Put it on for short periods of time, like fifteen minutes at a time & then take it off. Gradually increase the time that he is wearing it. After he is used to the harness, put the leash on him & let him walk around with it dragging after him. I would do that for about a week so that he gets used to having a leash on him. It takes awhile sometimes for them to get used to being walked, so be patient with him & he will get it eventually Some pick it up quickly & others take awhile to get used to it.

What age is a good age to take him to puppy kindergarten? Is Petsmart or Petco okay for this?
I would say after he has had all of his shots is a good time to go. A lot of people on here do not like Petsmart or Petco puppy classes, but it really does depend on the instructor. See if you can sit in on one of the classes. Observe how the instructor interacts with the dogs & their owners. Talk to the instructor & ask her about her/his classes & how he/she runs them. Talk to other people who are in the class & ask them if they like the class.

With all the problems with had with the vaccines and the emergency vet, etc., I am thinking of switching vets already. Is Banfield (attached to Petsmart) okay? They have a good plan cost wise.
I have no idea. Remember that cheaper isn't necessarily the way to go. There are some vets out there who are amazing who don't charge a lot, but to be honest, you should be more worried about the quality of your vet instead of how much they charge you. I would give the Banfield vet a try & if you don't like them then switch to a different vet.

I am leary about giving him the heartworm tablet that the vet gave us because the reaction he had to the vaccines. Also, he has to go on a medicine because his stool sample came back positive for giardi (spelling?). She said it's a powder to mix with the food and we should start it next week. Should I wait to give him the heartworm tablet the following week? The breeder suggested only giving him half the tablet. What do you think?
In my opinion, I believe that you should give him the full amount of the heartworm tablet. They are supposed to take the entire thing, not part of it, so I would advise you to give your Yorkie the whole thing. I give my Yorkie the entire tablet & he is fine with it. I know that you are worried about him because of his reactions to the vaccines, but the heartworm medication isn't the same thing as a vaccine, so I'm thinking that he will be fine taking the whole tablet. If you are really worried about it then I would monitor him for twenty-four hours to make sure that he doesn't get sick from taking the heartworm medicine.

How harmful would bird seed be to him? I posted before that we have pet cockatiels. They are messy and there's always a little seed on the floor. Well, being the little cruiser he is, he is always cruising around and trying to eat the seed. I stop him, of course, but I'm sure he's already eaten a couple of seeds. We will do a better job of sweeping and vacuuming, but we're never going to get it all. Hopefully it's not too terrible for him if he ingests a few seeds.
I don't have birds, so I don't know

What do you do about cords? He keeps trying to chew the cords to the lamps in the living room. There is no light fixture in the ceiling so we have to have the lamps. I keep distracting him from them but he gravitates back there.
Try spraying bitter apple on them. Some dogs don't like the way that that tastes & they won't chew on cords & such if they have been sprayed with bitter apple. I believe that you can buy the bitter apple spray at places like Petco & Petsmart.

I guess that's enough for now! I really appreciate everyone's helpful comments.

Good luck! I hope that I have helped you a little bit

[silyjillie]

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

We've had Cruiser a week tomorrow. He's eating good now and playing a lot. He's much better. He's doing good with the potty training for the most part. He sleeps good at night. Now on to things we haven't started:

How often should I give him a bath? He had one last Thursday at the breeder's. I have brushed in almost everyday but I have given him a bath.

I give Meeko a bath once a week and his skin is fine. If you find that your baby's skin is getting dry you can wait 2 weeks for every bath. I bathe him with a soap less shampoo. It's better, especially for puppies, because they usually wiggle around and you don't want to get soap in their eyes. The shampoo i use is made with Oatmeal and Aloe. It's better for their skin, and prevents drying. I got mine from my vet. It smells great too!

How often do his ears need to be cleaned?

Like the previous poster mentioned you should be plucking the hair in his ears. It's really simple. Petsmart sells a powder that numbs their ear and then you just use tweezers to pluck the hairs in their ear canal. As far as cleaning their ears, I got an ear solution from my vet that has alcohol in it and has a fruity smell (the ones I found at Petsmart had a horrible smell) After each bathroom I put a few drops in his ear and rub the base of his ear and let him shake. You do this after the bath, because if you get any water in the ear by accident, the alcohol in the solution will help dry it up. Getting water in the ear causes ear infections, so you should be very careful. I've read that come people put cotton on the ears when they bathe their babies.

When should I start brushing his teeth? Do you do it everyday?

Like the previous users said start early and do it every day. There's also a product called Petzlife that is really great. If you google their website, somewhere on the website they'll give you a list of shops that carry it. I use the gel form. Just take a Q-tip and rub a little bit around the teeth and it works great getting the plaque off. I use the Petzlife 3 times a week and then brush his teeth the other days. It's also easier if you go buy a toddlers toothbrush. They are the perfect size for their mouths

When can he start walking on a leash? We haven't attempted to put the harness on him yet.

The earlier the better! I just left the harness on for an hour or two when I was home watching him. It took a while for him to get use to it. Once it didn't bother him, I started with the harness. I'd just attach it to his harness and let him drag it around for a while. When he stopped playing with the leash, I started picking it up and following him around holding it. After a few days he was fine. If he's slow with the leash, grab a few pieces of food and walk ahead of him dropping a line of kibble. He should follow you eating the kibble.

What age is a good age to take him to puppy kindergarten? Is Petsmart or Petco okay for this?

I used Petsmart and loved it. It's all about your instructor tho. If you can go and check out the instructors there. Watch a few classes and see who you like best. Petsmart won't let you start untill you've had your puppy shots. I started with Meeko when he was about 3 months.

With all the problems with had with the vaccines and the emergency vet, etc., I am thinking of switching vets already. Is Banfield (attached to Petsmart) okay? They have a good plan cost wise.

I can't answer this, because I didn't use them. sorry.

I am leary about giving him the heartworm tablet that the vet gave us because the reaction he had to the vaccines. Also, he has to go on a medicine because his stool sample came back positive for giardi (spelling?). She said it's a powder to mix with the food and we should start it next week. Should I wait to give him the heartworm tablet the following week? The breeder suggested only giving him half the tablet. What do you think?

What brand did your vet give you? I don't know the problems you've had with your baby but, I wouldn't split it. How big is he? I'd wait for some other members to give their opinions of this. Definitely get the giardi fixed tho. Thats a nasty little parasite.

How harmful would bird seed be to him? I posted before that we have pet cockatiels. They are messy and there's always a little seed on the floor. Well, being the little cruiser he is, he is always cruising around and trying to eat the seed. I stop him, of course, but I'm sure he's already eaten a couple of seeds. We will do a better job of sweeping and vacuuming, but we're never going to get it all. Hopefully it's not too terrible for him if he ingests a few seeds.

I don't have birds but, I'm sure they aren't good for him. I'd try my best to keep him from getting to the seeds. I don't know what you could do but, it's better to be safe than sorry. it's not worth the chance of your baby eating of lot of seeds and getting sick.

What do you do about cords? He keeps trying to chew the cords to the lamps in the living room. There is no light fixture in the ceiling so we have to have the lamps. I keep distracting him from them but he gravitates back there.

Meeko gave him hard time with cords for the 1st week. I nipped that in the bud tho. Every time he goes for them just tell him firmly no and hand him a toy. This applies for him trying to bit your hands too! It's better to stop that before it turns into a problem. Just keep offering him toys he can chew on. Try bitter apple, you can get it from Petsmart. Bitter apple didn't work for Meeko tho, he loved it! I had to rub tabasco sauce on things for him. He loved metal! So I had to put tabasco sauce on the clip of his leash.

I guess that's enough for now! I really appreciate everyone's helpful comments.

If you have anymore you can always pm me! Good luck with your baby!!

[PROLINKer]

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

We've had Cruiser a week tomorrow. He's eating good now and playing a lot. He's much better. He's doing good with the potty training for the most part. He sleeps good at night. Now on to things we haven't started:

How often should I give him a bath? He had one last Thursday at the breeder's. I have brushed in almost everyday but I have given him a bath.

I bathe my yorkie once a week (every Saturday).

How often do his ears need to be cleaned?

I clean her ear after bathing so that's once a week too. As they mentioned pluck the hairs inside so that you can clean it better and it would deter any infections as mites loves dirty yorkie ears.

When should I start brushing his teeth? Do you do it everyday?

Yes start early but I brush my yorkie's teeth 3x a week only because of my busy sched.

When can he start walking on a leash? We haven't attempted to put the harness on him yet.

As early as possible, let him feel the harness as early as possible.

What age is a good age to take him to puppy kindergarten? Is Petsmart or Petco okay for this?

No idea, there is no pet kindergarden here in the Philippines.

With all the problems with had with the vaccines and the emergency vet, etc., I am thinking of switching vets already. Is Banfield (attached to Petsmart) okay? They have a good plan cost wise.

No idea too, I'm a different country hehehehe.

I am leary about giving him the heartworm tablet that the vet gave us because the reaction he had to the vaccines. Also, he has to go on a medicine because his stool sample came back positive for giardi (spelling?). She said it's a powder to mix with the food and we should start it next week. Should I wait to give him the heartworm tablet the following week? The breeder suggested only giving him half the tablet. What do you think?

I buy the heartworm tablet for medium sized dog and cut it in half. Half of it every month.


How harmful would bird seed be to him? I posted before that we have pet cockatiels. They are messy and there's always a little seed on the floor. Well, being the little cruiser he is, he is always cruising around and trying to eat the seed. I stop him, of course, but I'm sure he's already eaten a couple of seeds. We will do a better job of sweeping and vacuuming, but we're never going to get it all. Hopefully it's not too terrible for him if he ingests a few seeds.

Seeds sometimes contains cyanide. Small amout of it is fatal for a small dog like yorkies.

What do you do about cords? He keeps trying to chew the cords to the lamps in the living room. There is no light fixture in the ceiling so we have to have the lamps. I keep distracting him from them but he gravitates back there.

This is bad, you need to train him. Say something like a firm "NO" or "BAD" so he will know that he is doing something wrong. Be consistent. Ask your other housemate to do the same when they see him chewing something he shouldn't chew.

I guess that's enough for now! I really appreciate everyone's helpful comments.

No problem, everyone will be glad to help.

Goodluck!