VACCINATIONS 
Puppies need to be protected against the contagious fatal diseases Distemper, Hepatitis, and Parvo.  We use the Protech range of vaccines which provides long lasting immunity at a younger age.  This means we only need to give two vaccinations to most puppies instead of three.    
For maximum protection we usually also vaccinate puppies against two of the causes of Kennel Cough.  Kennel Cough is not usually a fatal disease but puppies are more vulnerable than adult dogs so we like to give them as much protection against disease as we can.         
So most puppies are given:  
1.  a temporary vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age, and    
2.  a second vaccination at 12 weeks of age.      
It is not until 1-2 weeks after the second injection that the puppy is fully protected so he or she should avoid contact with unvaccinated dogs or where unvaccinated dogs have been for at least a week.

Annual health checks and vaccinations are recommended after the puppy course has been completed.

WORMING 
Most puppies are born with intestinal (gut) worms and it takes repeated treatments to get rid of them.  Puppies should be wormed at least every month until 6 months of age, then every 3 months through adult life.  

HEARTWORM       
Heartworm is a separate concern to intestinal worms.  It is a fatal disease and it is transmitted by mosquitoes.  There is a high enough incidence of heartworm in the Ferntree Gully area to be of concern to every dog owner.  It is also a very preventable disease.  We can give your puppy a long-acting injection which will prevent heartworm for 3 months. We then repeat this injection at 6 months of age and after this it only needs to be given once a year.
Another option for heartworm prevention is monthly tablets (Interceptor or Sentinel). These have the benefit of also controlling intestinal worms and (in the case of Sentinel) fleas.


DESEXING        
Unless required for breeding we recommend desexing your dog. Female dogs do not need to have a litter before they are speyed.
Females should be done before their first season (i.e. at 6 months of age) in order to decrease the likelihood of breast cancer later on in life.  This procedure also prevents the possibility of unplanned pregnancy, reproductive tract cancer and pyometra (potentially fatal uterus infection).  Council registration is also cheaper for desexed bitches.       
Males should also be neutered at 6 months of age.  This decreases undesirable male behaviour such as aggression, escaping, roaming and humping.  This procedure also decreases the likelihood of prostate disease later in life and removes the possibility of testicular cancer.       


DIET     
The food you give to a pup is crucial to normal growth.  A puppy should never be fed meat alone.  It is best for your puppy, and often more convenient for you as the owner, to raise him or her on a diet mainly based on good quality commercial puppy food.  Such foods are nutritionally balanced and require no supplementation (e.g.  Advance Growth, Hills Science Diet, Pal Puppyfood).      
-Feed 3 times a day until 16 weeks old      
-Feed 2 times a day until 6 months old      
-Feed 1-2 times a day through adult life      
Bones can and should be given to puppies as long as they are large, raw and unable to be broken into small pieces.  Bones are very important for maintaining good dental health.  Regular bone chewing decreases plaque and tartar build-up on dogs’ teeth. You can also offer rawhides, dentabones and pig ears for chewing.

 
IDENTIFICATION     
It is very important that dogs wear a collar that carries some form of identification.  Dogs do escape from their homes and they are much more likely to be returned if they have identification.  We recommend “Pet Tags”, which have your details on one side and our phone number on the other.
Permanent identification is now required by councils and this is done by implanting a microchip between the shoulder blades.
       

FLEAS      
Flea control in a puppy can be difficult as most products are not recommended for dogs under the age of 12 weeks.  To treat a flea-infested puppy, the best and safest product is Advantage.
            

BEHAVIOUR      
Everybody wants to have a well-behaved manageable dog yet many people end up with the complete opposite.  Puppyhood is the most
influential time of life for the development of desirable behaviour.  Up to 3 months of age puppies are very adaptable and very impressionable.  This means that they can adjust to new situations well.  It also means that the things they learn at this age are retained well.  This has its up side and its down side.  The down side is that its hard to break bad habits that form at this age (e.g. chewing fingers, sleeping in your room, fussy eating, etc.).  The up side is that you can mould them into the sort of dog you wish to own.  It is, therefore, important to get them used to new situations that they will eventually come across (e.g. traveling in the car, meeting other dogs, being bathed, relating to children, etc.) and to start training them in basic obedience i.e. come, sit, stay, drop, heel.

TOILET TRAINING
There are a few principles to keep in mind in trying to toilet train a puppy:
- toilet training is a complicated thing for a puppy to learn - you need persistence and patience
- be vigilant, especially after the pup has eaten or just woken up.  These are times he or she will usually need to “go”.  When your puppy starts snuffling purposefully around looking for a place to “go” remove him or her to the place you would like the toileting to occur.
- if the pup does the right thing, a reward is very important.  Give a piece of meat or some other tasty treat and lots of praise.  Create positive associations with doing the right thing.
- don’t punish mistakes - it does nothing but make the pup frightened of you.  Anyway, mistakes are your fault not the puppy’s - try harder next time.