Suggests on the Care of Your Airedale Terrier Puppy











PUPPY CARE









Puppy and the new home






Puppies will get into as much mischief as you allow. Check your home for safety concerns before you bring the new family member home. Go room to room inside and do an outside check and look for any concerns. They are curious and extremely determined once they put their mind to something. It is far better to prevent an event from happening than having to deal with the aftermath. You puppy will need a safe place of their own and be able to explore and play during the day when they aren’t with you. The area should be in a location that is near so the puppy can observe the household activities going on around him. An easy to clean floor and a child-safe gate are great for this! Concerns:






· Chemicals inside and out



· Coconut Bark and other landscaping items can be very poisonous to your new puppy



· Choking hazards (just like what you would watch for with a human baby)



· Poisonous House Plants









Just as a human child will pick up objects and put them in his mouth, so will a puppy. Be sure that all the items that the puppy can get to are not small enough from them to swallow. They can choke just like a human baby. Electrical wires, curtain cords and poisonous houseplants are all tempting to little puppies. Please watch your puppy, he is depending on you!






The outside area will need to be securely fenced with shade and ample water. Never leave your pup alone outside for long periods of time. He may become too hot or cold or find a way to escape out of the yard. This is also the time he starts his new bad habits such as barking and digging, they do this because they are bored and lonely. It is better to not have these things start. Your puppy wants to be a member of your family, and the more time you spend with him the quicker he will become trained. Responsible puppy care begins with you.






Items you will need:



· A collar that fits and is soft and gentle. No choke collars! We have seen what that does!!!!



· A leash for walks



· Brush for grooming



· Nail Clippers made for dogs



· Shampoo



· Crate or pet carrier



· Toothbrush



· Bag of Puppy Chow



· Water & Chow Bowls









Dog Toys






Put some thought into this area. If you choose to use old shoes as toys, don’t get mad at the pup for using your brand new tennis shoes as a toy. It is all the same to them. We strongly suggest a chew toy called the “Kong”. You can find them at many pet stores or places that carry pet items. The “Kong” is great for playing fetch and is also has a hollow area that you can put peanut butter in and your pup will spend great lengths of time licking and chewing to get it out. We also suggest giving the “Kong” to your pup when you are going to be gone for a bit. We have found that they get so excited about getting the toy with a taste treat inside that they don’t get as upset about you leaving for a bit.






If you choose to give tennis balls to your pup as a toy, please be sure to watch your pup at all times. The tennis ball came be eaten and this can cause death and extensive vet bills to save your pup.






It is a good idea to have several toys ready for your pup when he comes home. A “Kong” and a rubber ball are good choices. There is also such a thing as having too many toys and the pup will think that anything on the floor is theirs to play with. Give consideration to using one of your approved toys when you have found them chewing on something that they are not suppose to chew on. Take the item away from them and give them the toy that you have bought for them to use as a toy. You need to show them what they can use for toys.






There are also some wonderful new nylon bones out on the market that last for a really long time. We tell you they last a long time because they may seem kind of expensive. We suggest that you have some of those bones in your home, the crate, and also outside for them to chew on. You can not stop the pup from chewing. They need to chew. Your pup will teeth just like a human baby will.























Your puppy’s first night






Chances are, the first night your puppy is in your home, both of you will get little sleep. We do have some suggestions for you. Your puppy will miss his littermates and will not feel comfortable in his new surroundings until he has been around you for awhile. We do not suggest that you lock the puppy away from you. We highly suggest that you have him in a crate by your bed. Remember that this first experience with you will help form what is to come with you and your dog. The crate is a snug and warm, “mini den” for your puppy. They go to sleep quicker and feel more comfortable there.






Use your judgment as to where you have him sleep but never hit a puppy for crying.






The crate helps with controlling the chewing states at night and potty training. We have noticed that a crate trained puppy will even choose to nap in the crate during the day.






Crate training also helps once your puppy is older and you want to travel with him.






Puppy Chow






We can not express strongly enough the important of quality chow. Do not buy a big bag of puppy chow. You may need to buy according to what type your puppy develops a taste for. Some may not settle with his tummy either. Your investment that you get from a quality chow is a longer life that you get to spend with your dog and less health concerns down the road. Meat or protein should be the first ingredient of the chow. The Airedale is considered a large breed and there is chow that you can buy that is specially formulated for large breed puppies because they tend to grow too fast and that can cause joint problems. In the beginning they will need to be fed twice a day and later as they get older, (6 months), they can be fed once a day. After the puppy is potty trained, water should be out at all times.









Potty Training






First of all………….no two dogs are the same. So, you will have to adjust your methods to fit your puppy. Some pups are trained in a few weeks, others don’t get the hang of it until about 6 months.



Do not ever rub the nose of your puppy in the accident!!!!! This will cause health issues and does not help with training. Water needs to be limited in the beginning. I hate to even print this because I worry that you might be tempted to be lazy and not give water so they don’t pee. Please use common sense with this. Remember this rule…what goes in must come out. If the puppy drinks water……you had better take them out to the special potty place within 20 to 30 minutes. Tell them in a nice voice to go “pee-pee” or what ever your words you chose for this function. It is important to use the same words every-time. Pick a spot that you take them to in the yard every time. This will pay off for you in the end. Being lazy and just pushing them out the door without you going with them will make the potty training take four times as long. Be responsible and get it done.






Be patient and make sure you praise them as soon as they tinkle!!!! They do after all love to please. Make this be a positive experience.






At night time, take the food and water away before bed time. If you don’t, they will need to go pee at least two or three times and that’s not counting the pooping incidents. You want them to empty out a bit before bed time. Take them out one last time fore bed time and put them in the crate. You will need to get up and take them out at about 2:00 a.m. Go out with them and praise them when they are done and put them back into the crate. This will hopefully set you up until time to get up. As soon as they wake up……….as soon as they wake up…..take them out!!!!!!!!!! They need to go just like we do! Keep in mind they will be very excited and want to play and such in the morning time! You are the new pack member and they want to play.










Nail Care






We start trimming nails right from the start. In the beginning, if you must, you can use nail clippers but soon you will have to buy clippers for dogs. The nail color can make it hard to see if you are cutting to close, so please be careful. They can bleed if you cut too short. Take small nips and watch for a color change in the quick. When it starts to look pinkish, stop cutting! Airedales usually don’t have all black claws.









Grooming






Airedales do not shed like many other breeds so they need to have their coats trimmed. You can learn to do this yourself, (we do), and if interested please contact me and I will give you more information. As with everything else, start young with trimming and it will go better later on. If you live in a hot area, please trim your dog when the temps are climbing! They have wonderful thick curly hair that really makes them hot!









Vaccinations & Worming






Your pup will come to you with their first set of shots and worming. Please talk to you vet to set up a schedule and get updated on what they think should be done.