The Sunday Mail
Exercise
Young dogs, especially larger breeds, should not be allowed too much exercise. Puppies have a lot of energy, but their bones, joints and growth plates are soft and can be easily damaged. Too much exercise is almost as harmful as not enough. Over-activity at the wrong age leads to health problems, including hip dysplasia, growth deformation and movement disorders. However, a general rule of thumb is five minutes per month of age, twice a day. By this logic, a 16-week-old puppy would need a daily total of only 40 minutes exercise.
Vaccinations
Vaccinating your puppy is one of the most important things to be done in the first few weeks as a new owner. Vaccinations can protect dogs from a wide variety of potentially dangerous pathogens including parvovirus, kennel cough, hepatitis and leptospirosis. Puppies typically receive their first set of vaccinations around eight to 10 weeks of age, with another set two to three weeks later, although protocols vary. Puppies are not advised to come into contact with un-vaccinated dogs until they are fully protected, so walks in the park are off limits. However, pups can still be carried around the neighbourhood to facilitate socialisation.
Socialisation
Dogs have a number of important stages of development, one being the socialisation period, thought to lie between three and 16 weeks of age. Within this relatively short window of opportunity, puppies need to be exposed to as many different people, animals and situations as possible. Failure to socialise your puppy can result in a strong fear of these stimuli later in life and, in some cases, the development of resistant behaviour problems. Dogs that are denied contact with children may become overly reactive in their presence, lunging towards them and even attempting to bite.
Separation
Lockdown has resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of time owners spend with their pets, which could lead to an increase in canine separation anxiety when owners return to work. This problem is believed to stem from an over-attachment between the animal and its caregiver, and one that frequently results in animals being re-homed. Typical symptoms of this anxiety disorder include urinating or defecating indoors, barking and whining, destruction of the home, escape attempts or self-mutilation whenever the pet is left alone. Separation anxiety is difficult to treat successfully. It is important to put effort into preventing over-attachment from an early stage, by gradually increasing the length of time the animal spends alone.
Dangerous foods
While it can be tempting to give your puppy leftovers from the table, there is a long list of foods that can be toxic to dogs. For example, chocolate, especially the dark variety, contains the stimulant theobromine. If ingested, this can damage dogs’ guts, heart, central nervous system or kidneys, leading to vomiting, diarrhoea, hyperactivity, seizures and even death. Onions, garlic and chives, in all forms, can cause damage to dogs’ red blood cells, eventually leading to anaemia. Xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in foods like sugar-free chewing gum, some peanut butters and some sweets, can cause dramatic drops in blood sugar, and, in some cases, liver failure. The list of other foods that are dangerous to dogs is quite extensive.
Poisonous plants
Puppies are notorious for eating anything and everything. Many seem to regard the garden as their own personal larder. Unfortunately, there are numerous botanical hazards that owners need to be aware of. A veterinary services department could assist you with a list of dangerous plants in your area. — The Conversation
