Getting a new puppy is always an exciting time.

For young puppies, it is imperative you use a lot of encouragement, praise and rewards (positive reinforcement) to train your new addition. As soon as you get home, start your training right away…the sooner the better.

Work on developing good habits and preventing the bad habits from the start, as opposed to trying to correct bad behaviors later on. Keep your training sessions fun, consistent and short. Start out with easy commands and build from there. Really celebrate the successes, and reward your puppy for good behavior.

Developing a strong sense of trust between you and your puppy is essential…the puppy needs to trust you, and you need to trust the puppy. Avoid harsh corrections, punishment, and any other kind of negative punishment. The goal is to make your puppy enjoy the training sessions and look forward to them, not be afraid or anxious.

It is important to remember you are dealing with essentially a baby. Don’t create unrealistic expectations…it takes time to learn new behaviors. Be flexible, loving and patient. This is all new to the puppy, and he is not going to learn it overnight. Don’t focus on the mistakes, focus on the positive behavior, and the bad behaviors will eventually subside.

Have fun with your puppy…they grow up so fast! But keep in mind this is a very important time, as you are laying the groundwork for his life with you and your family. You are also developing a relationship and bond with your new puppy, so this time is precious and critical.

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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.

Question:

“My dog has had a condition that no one can figure out. It seems to be mange, but it comes back every 3 to 6 months worse then before. I’ve spent over $8,000 with 5 differnt vets. His condition looks as if he has pimples, but big chunks of hair come out where the pimples are, and he looses his hair. I’ve used Petsbest RX shampoo. It seems to work, but every so often, it’s so bad he won’t let me touch him.  What can i do?”

Jason

Answer:

“Hi Jason. Thanks for the question. Sorry to hear your dog has such a severe recurrent skin condition. With such brief information, it is going to be hard for me to tell you what might be going on, but there are a few things I will absolutely recommend.

You said that this seems to be mange. Have your veterinarians found mange mites? I wonder because this recurrent pattern in a dog of his age doesn’t sound exactly like mange. My concern would be for some form of immune deficiency or immune mediated skin disease–especially given his breed.

Also some forms of severe deep pyoderma (deep skin infection) can look like this. Both of these things will require months of ongoing treatment. My best recommendation would be to visit a veterinary dermatologist in your area.

Based on your area code, looks like you might be in the Tucson, Arizona area. There is a dermatologist at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialists in Tucson. Just like in people, some skin conditions really need the expertise of a specialist, and I would strongly recommend you consider it. Also if your dog is not on a fatty acid supplement, I would recommend that as well. Fatty acids have been proven very beneficial in a number of skin disorders and may help with some of his symptoms.”

Good Luck.
Dr. Donna Spector

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