The puppy has moved in and everyone is thrilled! This is an exciting time, when your new family member has a lot to discover and learn. Of course, as a new dog owner, you also have a responsibility to ensure a good start to a happy future together. One of the most important tasks is to house-train your dog as quickly as possible.
Your home will not automatically become your puppy's home when he arrives. First, your little treasure needs to get to know his new home, after all, it doesn't smell like his mother's anymore. But once your puppy feels at home, it's wonderful. Fortunately, dogs naturally want to keep their living space, sleeping area, and places of retreat clean.
Unfortunately, however, it's not always possible to control a little puppy's bladder. It's only from around 14 weeks of age that young dogs are able to control their bladder and sphincter muscles better. So you should forgive your puppy for any little accidents that happen in the beginning in their new home. Punishment would be completely inappropriate and would only unsettle the dog, which could lead to even more accidents. Patience and understanding are the most important companions on the road to house training.
During the first few weeks, you should make sure that your dog can relieve itself outside very regularly. Puppies are like small children; they need to go more often. Therefore, it would be good if there are no more than two to three hours between walks at the beginning. You should also know that your puppy usually needs to relieve itself after eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping. So it's best to go outside straight after, to avoid any accidents. Observe your dog closely. You will soon notice when they become restless or even start sniffing around and turning in circles to relieve themselves. Then you need to be quick.
It's best to go for a walk right after a meal and even train your puppy to relieve itself. Whenever it happens, say a specific word or make a specific sound. After your dog has done its business, praise it effusively. Often, after a short time, you will be able to trigger your dog's "business" directly with the code word you have chosen.
It's even easier if you create a special place for this in the garden, in a field, or elsewhere. Ideally, this should be a place with some greenery or sandy ground where your dog can do its business repeatedly. Dogs sniff out where their toilet spot is and like to use it again.
Every now and then, an emergency arises: sometimes the little ones can't hold it in, or sometimes you, as the owner, realize that the distance to the designated spot is too far in the current situation. So you can create a place in your home that your dog is allowed to use in exceptional cases. Perhaps a litter tray without a lid and with a flat rim. It's best to line it with newspaper so that you can quickly dispose of everything after your dog has done its business.
Be sure to remain friendly to your puppy, even if they have an accident. Their trust in you should be able to grow. Consistency is important, but punishing them for an accident is not the right approach. Of course, you can also use the code word for the newspaper mat.
When your dog gets older, can hold it longer, and you have established a routine, the mat can be removed.
Of course, there are also stubborn cases. A dog that cannot be house-trained at all should definitely be taken to a veterinarian. First of all, organic deficiencies must be ruled out. Your young dog's psyche also plays a major role, of course: Has he perhaps brought trauma with him from his original family?
Soiling is often a form of protest in dogs. What is your dog protesting against? A good dog trainer can help you with this. Don't be afraid to take action and get support.
Pulmonary stenosis, also known as pulmonary artery stenosis, is one of the most common congenital heart diseases in dogs and describes the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, which originates in the right ventricle. This heart disease is extremely rare in cats.
A withers fistula refers to any disease of the horse's withers that is accompanied by inflammation and fistula formation.
Many people find birds fascinating. And some feathered friends can not only live with "their" human for a very long time, but also form a close bond with them. But what do you actually need to ensure that everything is perfectly prepared when your feathered roommates move in?
Leptospirosis is a contagious infectious disease of dogs that is widespread worldwide and can also be transmitted to humans, which is why it is also referred to as a zoonosis. This bacterial disease was first discovered in dogs in 1852. Almost half a century later, it was observed at a dog show in Stuttgart, which is why it was initially called Stuttgart dog disease. In Germany, leptospirosis is a notifiable animal disease.
Both dogs and cats can have allergic reactions to certain ingredients in their food. This causes the immune system to overreact to certain ingredients in the food. Between 1 and 5% of all allergic skin diseases in dogs are caused by food allergies. Animals of all breeds and ages are affected. As in humans, an increase in allergies can also be observed in dogs and cats.
This disease is a mostly congenital vascular malformation of the liver that was first described in 1949. The "shunt" is a connecting vessel that directs blood from the body's circulation past the liver directly into the main vein and thus unfiltered to the heart. The liver's inability to detoxify the blood leads to gradual internal poisoning of the animal.
Scintigraphy uses substances labeled with weak radioactive isotopes to visualize pathological changes in the body. The image produced is called a scintigram.
Dental disease is one of the most common reasons for visits to the vet for both rabbits and guinea pigs. Since their teeth grow throughout their lives but are not sufficiently worn down in their current living conditions, pathological changes to the teeth often occur.
Syncope refers to fainting or circulatory collapse that occurs suddenly without warning and leads to a temporary loss of consciousness in animals. The dog collapses suddenly and shows no signs of life. After a short time, it regains consciousness and behaves as it did before the syncope.
Ectropion is a malposition of the eyelid that mainly affects the lower eyelid. The outer edge of the eyelid is turned outward and hangs down, which is why it is also referred to as a "drooping eyelid." This malposition prevents the eyelid from closing normally, leaving the eye permanently slightly open.
Tracheal collapse is a condition in dogs that causes the windpipe (trachea) to collapse. It mainly affects small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, miniature Spitz, poodles, and Pekingese. The condition often manifests itself in the first few months of life, sometimes with severe breathing problems.
This muscle disease, which was only discovered in recent years, occurs primarily in Quarter Horses and cold-blooded animals and is characterized by the storage of excessive amounts of glycogen (animal starch stored in cells) in the horse's muscles. It is known as polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM).
