You are getting a dog for the first time and you are excited. There's just one thing. You don't know how to take care of a puppy. What do you do with a puppy? What are its needs?

She will need some sort of protection since she is so small, but how do you do that?

And then there are health concerns. How do you make sure she stays healthy? What things do you have to worry about? Can you take precautions?

You probably never thought of these issues when you fell in love with that bundle of joy.

The first step is to understand what dangers lurk and what you can do to ensure she stays protected and well.

Here are 5 tips to get you started.

1. Make her comfortable. Make a special place for her to sleep. Gather up some safe toys designed for puppies. Soft toys will help to provide the comfort that her littermates would have given her. She also will need tough toys to ease her when she is teething. Yes, puppies teethe, just like babies do.

2. Watch out for potentially hazardous situations throughout your home where she is allowed to go. Puppies are adventurous. They want to check things out. They instinctively test things they don't understand.

Put all wiring, chemicals, cleaning fluids and the like out of her way. Thoroughly inspect the yard to make sure there are no holes and broken fence parts where she can escape. Get rid of all plants in and around your home that present a danger to dogs. You'll have to ask your vet or dog expert for a list of what those plants are. One is poinsettias, but there are others that seem innocent but are not.

3. Take time to visit the vet regularly. As a puppy, she will need vaccinations against major diseases like rabies and distemper. Ask your vet what she needs and when. She must remain isolated from other animals until she has completed her series of shots. As well as keeping her vaccinations up to date, the vet can check your puppy to make sure there are no developmental problems as she grows into an adult.

4. Your puppy will need puppy formula. Her body needs more nutrients than she will get from adult dog food. This is vitally important. If she does not get the right food, she can have growth problems, such as deformed joints, and other health issues that can affect her entire future. Speak to your vet to find out what he would suggest you feed your puppy at different stages of development.

5. Always use the right tools, gear and products for your puppy. For example, a rope collar is no guarantee that she can't be harmed. Choose a proper collar from your local pet store, one that fits properly without choking or slipping off. You will need to upgrade the collar as she grows and becomes stronger. Keep her bed in a warm location, free of drafts. Prolonged exposure to cold can leave her with arthritis as an adult.

We've only had time to cover 5 tips on how to take care of a puppy, but there is so much more to know. You will soon discover that your learning will be an ongoing process, especially during her puppy years. What you do now can have a significant impact on your puppy's life.

Want to find out more about dog weight, then visit our site on how to choose the best pregnant dogs for your needs.

You can buy just about anything online these days, cars, groceries, a date, even a new dog. It seems strange but people purchase dogs over the internet all the time. Some from breeders clear across the country. It's almost the new designer thing to do. Personally, I think it's ridiculous to purchase a dog across the country when there are so many unwanted dogs right in your own backyard. Why put the poor animal in such a stressful situation for traveling? I think it's cruel but that's just my opinion and may not count for much. So, if you are going to purchase a dog, here are some guidelines to help make the experience a little more pleasurable for both of you.

The internet has come a long way but it still can't quite mimic the experience of actually touching and caressing a dog you may have chosen as a potential pet. All you can do is trust that the person selling the dog is being honest with you about the dog's temperament and demeanor. A picture says a thousand words but unless you can come face to face and interact with the pup, I'm not really sure how you can be certain that he will make the perfect match for your family. But, I digress again. So, how do you choose a dog based on a picture and a paragraph? How do you know if the seller is reputable or not?

When looking online to purchase a dog, be very wary of an ad that professes to be selling "papered" purebred pups. Does this ad come from a credible licensed breeder or is it just an individual selling his litter of puppies and claiming them to be purebred? It's pretty tricky because pictures of purebred pups do not resemble their adult counterparts at all so just seeing pictures will not be convincing. They must show proof of AKC membership for both the parents and the puppies as having been certified as purebred. Be sure you get a certificate of authenticity from the American Kennel Club with the appropriate documentation. Do some research ahead of time so you know what you're looking at when you receive it as these documents can be easily forged as well. Purebred dogs are big business these days and just like anything else worth scamming, this is no exception.

Before you start a random search for reputable breeders, go to the American Kennel Club website and look for the link of approved breeders. I personally would trust the AKC of doing their homework as they would not be putting up breeder's websites if they haven't been checked out thoroughly. Even with this knowledge however, do not go head on and purchase a dog outright without doing some checking on your own as well. Play it safe throughout the whole process and if anything feels funny about the way the breeder does business, don't ignore that feeling. Do a little more research to find out if what they're doing is common practice among all breeders. Pretend that you are buying a car and that you want to make the best deal possible for what you're getting even though what you get is far more precious than just a car.

Before you consider the sale complete, have the dog checked out thoroughly by your veterinarian to ensure that he is as healthy as the breeders documents claim him to be. If there is any discrepancy, speak to the seller and discuss what (if anything) needs to be done. There is a chance that the original vet check was indeed valid, and if it is only a minor injury or slight issue, keeping the dog might not be that big of a deal, but you should have part of your purchase price refunded to offset this medical care. Be careful, know what you are looking for and be wary of any thing that sounds far too good to be true.

Want to find out more about small puppies, then visit our site on how to choose the best dog car seat for your needs.

If you are keeping a dog as pet, it is quite likely and natural that you want the best for your dog and expect also best input from your dog. This is a good reason to wish to train a dog some manners and maneuvers. At times, you come across the difficulty of understanding why your dog behaves in a certain way as it does, and you feel totally baffled.

You desire to know the reasons behind its peculiar behavior so that you can train it in a better manner. You do consider the options of taking your dog to a professional dog-trainer or dog-conditioner but their exorbitant fees put you off. Finally, it dawns upon you that only you yourself could the best at training your own dog.

The good news for a do it yourself aspiring dog trainer is all the online resources available on the internet.Most of the content is about personal experiences with training dogs and the trick they are willing to share with you.These online dog training courses can be downloaded easily.

There are also many dog training courses which can be downloaded, and will guide you through training step by step. The best part is that these courses are free!

The latest internet courses for training dogs are video based. These give better results and so more popular as you can visually see the actual program. These videos can be found on pet related web pages. The negative point of these sessions can be that some of these are formulated by unproved producers. You are required to use your judgment while going through these training plans. It will be prudent to take advice from a friend who might have actually used such program, to confirm the authenticity and trustworthiness of the website. The well trained dog is indispensable for those who love their pets as close kin.

Please not take away good training from your dog and give him full scope to be useful to its owner. Spending more money is not pre-requisite for good training but you can simple take help of online dog training programs.

Find the perfect dog training course for your best friend today. Visit this website to start now, even find out about dog training tips.

categories: dog,pet,puppy,training,manners,people,nature,environment,animals,hobby,online,home,family

by Bob Moore

Going camping soon? Taking the dog with you? Well, even if you're not an outdoorsman, the Coleman Hibernation Sleeping Bag for Dogs is for your pet. That's right. I said "sleeping bag." It looks just like yours, except smaller. Our dog loves it because she can nestle right in. It's quite a nifty little invention.

When my better half told me she ordered a sleeping bag for the dog, I must say I was a bit surprised. I didn't even know there was such a thing, but I was pleased to see that she (the dog, not my wife) took to it right away. It has a number of great features, not the least of which are the heavy duty zippers and soft interior. Speaking of zippers, one of the neat features is something called a "zipper plow" which prevents the material from getting caught in the zipper.

Two other neat features of the bag are the ThermoLock insulation and the ComfortSmart technology. ThermoLock assures that your pet stays warm, while ComfortSmart assures that the insulation stays in place and that the zipper works smoothly. There's even a compression strap for the bag if you want to take it places but not use up too much room.

The sleeping bag also offers a sturdy cotton interior, a cozy fleece for added comfort, a Zipper Glide for easier zipping and no snagging, a water-resistant bottom, and elements that ensure comfort without the loss of heat. Your dog will love this.

Your dog will also like the Hibernation bag for the added comfort it brings. Whether it's the Comfort Coil system that helps the bag mold to your dog's body, or the Comfort Cuff that gives him a soft place to rest his face, this will soon become your dog's favorite place to sleep. While he'll like it for the comfort, you'll like it for its portability. The Hibernation bag comes complete with a compression strap that allows you to take it anywhere. As a final feature, you'll like the fact that it opens completely so you can protect your car seats and your furniture.

Whether you're a camper or not, or whether you live in a consistently cold climate or not, the Hibernation bag is ideal for your dog. Just make sure you select the style suited for your dog's weight. He or she will thank you for it.

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