10/29/2024
Okey dokey puppy families! Just a few things I wanted to share now that the puppies are fast approaching 8 weeks old! 🥳♥️
They will be receiving their vet checks and first vaccinations this week and will be ready for second vaccinations with your regular vets, around 3 to 4 weeks from now. :) These dates, and all their vaccine info, will be included in each of their puppy folders along with full notes on each puppy from our vet after their exams and will also include their AKC registration forms.
You will absolutely need healthy chews to get them through their "teething stage" which lasts 6-8+ months old! (No rawhide!) I definitely love bully sticks and so do they. Also, uncooked beef bones filled with some peanut butter or even a thick fruit smoothie (no grapes, those are extremely poisonous!) then frozen make a nice teething treat! I give those especially at bedtime to help them relax (chewing also helps relieve stress in puppy during their transition from their current home into their forever homes).
Refreshing treats - a few banana slices and apple slices each day. I also give them whole carrots to chew on as well. They love these fresh treats!
Bells on the door are great to help puppies learn where to go out and potty at and also to help alert you when he/she needs to go out. (They are trained to use a doggie door so that we can give them lots of opportunities to learn go outside to potty.)
You will want a bag of "Diamond Naturals - large breed puppy food" to start them out, and then you can switch them over to whichever brand of food you like, slowly. Or, if you like the brand they are currently on, you are welcome to keep them on it. (I like some healthy grains in our dog's food. We do not reccomend any of the 100% grain free foods, and likewise we do not reccomend any foods with corn, wheat, or soy!)
I like toys that they can't rip the stuffing out of and chuck it balls (specifically those that have holes in case they ever swallow a ball, holes can save their lives by allowing airflow and not completely suffocating them. No tennis balls as they can actually damage their teeth enamel and they trap lots of bacteria!)
A collar that is the next size up. The one they have on currently goes up to 12 inches. And a leash if you don’t have one. I like short leashes, (not retractable) for teaching good position. They need to be beside you, so a long leash just isn't needed. (Leash training needs to start very young, so they learn quickly not to pull, as they get big fast!)
Treats for training!
I like cutting hotdogs into teeny little pieces, using dehydrated beef liver pieces, or a redbarn food roll cut-up works great! (Just remember that these "special" treats are ONLY given during training. This way, they are always excited for their play/training sessions!) Smaller pieces help them not fill up too fast, and then when the hot dog or other treats are gone, I quit the session. Usually lasts 15 minutes with lots of rewards and praise for handler focus and for every try. (When they are young, all you really want is a short session of gaining their focus with a quick reward and big praise and then releasing them for a few feet and repeating. I practice on and off leash recalls immediately once the puppy is settled in. So give him/her a week to adjust and then really engage in play, get their focus, reward, and release quickly. (15 min twice a day for young pups works brilliantly! But you can do several more small sessions throughout the day as well. ) I normally play with them extra after they have breakfast and go potty and again right before dinner/bedtime to get them ready for bed. :)
*A liquid or a tablet dewormer for PUPPIES*
I de-worm every two weeks, and this should continue at home until 12 weeks old. Then, from there, switch to the adult schedule of de-worming every 3 months. They will be wormed again by us on November 4th. (So you will want to make a note to worm them again on November 18th.)
Crate, kennel, or puppy play pen works great to create a safe environment for nighttime routines. However, we are VERY against the improper use of crates as a quick fix to replace training your pup OR as a place to continually keep them lovked up to avoid working with and training them appropriately. It is a tool, NOT an end all be all to replace the correct training of desired behaviors in the home.
We recommend using them initially with the goal of having a well trained pup that can safely be out in the house/yard if you have to be gone working long hours. Our worry is that as they grow, they might have development issues in hips/elbows if left for long hours every day to lay stationary in a crate. (Which happened to a dog we took in at almost a yr old. By then ut was too late and he had developed permanent issues in his hip. It was devastating.) Keeping them secluded and confined can also be detrimental to their overall physical and mental health. (Especially for large breed, growing, and working line pups.) Ideally, using a play pen or a dog run where they can freely move around works wonderfully for longer time periods if needed. Again, the goal is to housetrain them, and then there is no need for long periods of time in their crates. All 8 of our GSDs (past and present) have never needed a crate. We train quickly and consistently and stay on top of potty training until they are 100% reliable. Chewing can be redirected to appropriate items. Just be consistent! No play biting or chewing of feet/hands, furniture/decor, shoes (on or off the feet), etc. You set the boundaries you want to maintain as the puppy grows up and then be consistent!
The puppies are allowed to play loose in our living room with supervision now and have learned not to bite/chew these things here, so just continue that at home, and they will thrive! :) Keep in mind that there are almost always a few accidents or misbehaviors when transitioning to a new home. But with the great start we give them, potty training is usually quite fast with our pups. Be patient and be consistent! :)
We do not correct our puppies for potty accidents, which can bring long-term negative effects. They are still learning and have small baldders. If they didn't get out in time, that's totally on us. So if we catch them in the act of doing something they should not, we say loudly/firmly "NO" to get their attention and then redirect them to where they should be going potty. Always praise them HUGE for being in THAT area whenever they do go potty there.
If they are biting, I will gently pinch their scruff with my pointer finger and thumb and say NO BITE. They understand and let go immediately normally (if they don't let go, I increase pressure until they do respond), then they get huge praise, and I redirect them immediately to something that they can bite on or play with. The only time you should scold them and say NO, etc, is if they are currently doing an action they shouldn't be doing. Scolding after the fact is more harmful than helpful in our experience. Focus more on the positive and the things they do well instead of any accidents, etc, and you will have a much better bond/relationship.
Think of how their mothers behave and interact with them. They only scold or nip in the moment of the puppy crossing a boundary. Never after the fact. And never do they scold the pup for going potty! They just clean it up and move on. 💯
Again, focus on moving forward and staying positive as much as possible! You want your pup to WANT to be with you and work/play with you! Keep the relationship fun and engaging, and watch them grow into an incredible and well trained family member!
If you have any questions I did not answer, please reach out! I am happy to help anytime. 😊
Home to our beautiful, AKC, Czech/DDR working line, German Shepherds! Located in Calhan, Colorado 🏔 Here at VSGSD, we value quality over quantity!
