Your New Puppy

Feeding—Never feed commercial PUPPY food! It is to rich and causes bone growth that is too rapid. Adult type dog food is perfectly balanced. I feed Nurta Nuggets, Lamb & Rice, available from Costco. Nutro Max/Natural Lamb & Rice is comparable, available at Pets Mart, but is more expensive. I attach a bag of Dog food to the crates for those who are flown and will give a bag to buyers who pick their pup at my house. Any new commercial ADULT dog food (don’t feed grocery store food such as Purina or no-name brands) should be preserved with Vit E, no chemical preservatives. Some Canaan Owners feed raw meet & veggies. Sometimes called BARF (Bone & Raw Food). Canaan breeder, Renee Kent has some good info on feeding raw foods.

 http://www.renegadecanaandogs.com/diet/diet_and_health.asp

Dry food feeding instructions.--Start out with 1.5 cups per day, divided into 2 or 3 feedings. You can also add plain yogurt. Adding a little hot water and a small amount of canned dog food can help if they won’t eat. When they are adults they only need one feeding per day. Adjust the quantity if they are too fat or slim. I feed my adult dogs 1.5 to 2 cups once per day, but puppies may need more while they are growing. I feed raw chicken wings, legs and veggies as a treat sometimes. Raw chicken wings will not hurt them, but never give cooked chicken bones they splinter. Raw beef marrow bones are not only a good treat but help clean the teeth.

 Water—I give filtered water to my dogs, never tap water. Tap water has so many chemicals in it.

AKC Registration—Please register you pet. The fee is only $15 and you will get 60 days of free pet health insurance. Whether you have pet or show prospect registration gives a record of the number of Canaan Dogs in the USA. You must send in the applications to compete in AKC herding, agility, or obedience.

Naming your Puppy—It is traditional to name a puppy with the first name as their kennel name and then whatever strikes your fancy. You can name them with their litter name as well. For example, we named all the pups from the 2003 litter after Lord of the Rings and one puppy was named Tahoe Mountain’s Strider (Strider). While another owner went with a Hebrew theme, Tahoe Roni Bat Tziyon Ariel or Ariel for short.  So please let me know what your puppies call name and registered names will be for my web page.

First night home/house breaking/Crate Training--Your new puppy is going to miss his littermates and mom. He will probably cry for the first few nights, but a crate is a safe place, as he can’t get into trouble, while you sleep. He will cry for a while but ignore him and he will settle down. I used to put my puppy in the garage at night so I wouldn’t have to listen to the crying the first couple of nights. They have been in a crate but all together. When in the car a crate is a lot safer for your puppy or dog than riding loose. A dog flying through the windshield is not good. We wear seat belts they need crates.

Crate training is the best way to housebreak your puppy as well. Make sure your crate is not too large or they will sleep in one end a potty in the other. Once they get used to it a crate is like their den and place to hide and feel secure at times. Leave the puppy in the crate unless you are watching them. You can also tie them to your belt with a leash so you can catch them in the act. Never hit your puppy for his mistakes. Canaans are soft dogs and may withdrawal if punished. That is why you must catch them, tell them, “no, no,” and lake them outside and tell them “good potty” (happy voice) when they go where you want. Always reward them when they go outside, either verbal or a treat.

Socializing—Remember socialization is imperative for the wellbeing of your puppy, but you should wait till they are 12 weeks before doing too much because they may not have immunity to all diseases yet. One low impact socialization method you can do at 8 weeks is to take your puppy to Pets Mart and carry them around so they can see all the sights but not be exposed to all the germs. Inviting friends to your house is also low impact socialization. Have people give them treats when ever you can. This teaches them to not to be afraid if they get rewarded with a cookie.

Vaccines—I believe that many Vets give too may vaccines. Many vaccines are unnecessary and can cause Vaccinosis: arthritis, various skin diseases, diabetes, epileptic seizures, loss of motor control, and cancer. Most research indicates that most vaccines give immunity for at least 3 years, some for life. Even the American Veterinary Assoc is going to a 3 years revaccination schedule. When was the last time you had a Measles shot?  Of course Vets and vaccine companies make lots of money from yearly vaccines. Puppies should be at least 6 months before they get a Rabies shot or whatever your area laws require.

You puppy will received Parvo and Distemper shots at 8 weeks.  You should wait at least 2 weeks for the next set. Avoid multiple vaccines as this puts a bigger strain their immature immune system. Also they should only receive vaccines when they are healthy and not under stress as this impairs the immune system.

·      Read about over vaccinations by searching on Yahoo for “Vaccinosis” or “over vaccination.”

·      I will be adding a section on my web page about over vaccinations. Check for it latter.

·      See the document NewVaccineProtocol.doc for info on why puppies don’t need shots before 8 weeks and why they aren’t necessary every year.

 Holistic Vets—I use a holistic and a traditional vet depending on what I’m going for. Holistic vets generally require minimal vaccines. Read my attachment describing what the different vaccines are to help you determine whether your dog needs them. Unfortunately there are few Holistic vets around. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association web page has a search page to find vets near you.

http://www.ahvma.org/referral/index.html

 Pictures and Updates—Please send me email updates and photos of your puppy. I want to keep in contact with you. Let me know if you have any problems with training, any questions, or just let me know how he/she is doing. I will post new pictures on my web site and any info you would like to share with the Canaan world about your puppy/dog. I will add your name and city to my web page unless you tell me other wise. It really helps people who are looking at my web page to see what they look like as an adult.