It's Puppy Time!

When you have new puppies running around the home you are probably going to encounter one or two little snags that make living with your puppies a little bit of a challenge. Snags that frequently come with having puppies usually involve peeing in the house, biting and chewing on shoes and playing havoc with your household goods. But it really only ever has to a be little challenge and the challenge does not have to last if you can pick up on it quickly and can do something effective to curb unruly puppies’ behaviour.

Puppies are curious and lively, it is part of their cuddly lovable charm and when their bubbliness and energy is diverted into eth right things their exuberance will stay cute instead becoming a problem. To prevent some unnecessary mishaps with your puppies you can make your home puppy friendly in a few simple steps: start by picking up the odd things around the house – this will help your home look neater and will keep your possessions out of puppies’ mouths! Keep cupboards closed and room doors closed to keep puppies out and buy your puppies a few chewing toys of their own so that they know what they may play with till their energy is spent and their little hearts are content.

How long does it take for puppies to open up their eyes?

When puppies are born they are, like humans, very vulnerable and need a lot of love and attention. We received a question this week asking us 'how long does it take for puppies to open their eyes after they are born?' - a great question for potential puppy breeders or for dog owners whose pups are becoming mommies this season!

Puppies can take anywhere between one week and two weeks to open up their eyes - until this time they will rely on their mother and their sense of smell to get around and to attend to their most vital needs: food, sleep and mom.

When your puppy first opens his eyes they will be blue. They will then change and become the more permanent colour, often brown, green or a mixture of the two. If you notice that there is drainage seeping from your puppy's eyes then you need to take a soft washcloth that has been dipped in some warm water and very gently wipe away the drainage with an extra soft touch. Check your puppy's eyes often to make sure that there is no drainage and that they comfortably respond to gentle visual stimuli such as moving a toy in front of them and seeing whether they follow it.

The importance of socialising your puppy

It is essential that you make sure that your puppy is well socialised in his or her early years so that they will get on with other dogs and even children as they grow up. There are a number of different ways that you can socialise your pup – taking them for walks in this beautiful spring weather is a definite must, and there are a lot of interactive puppy lessons on the go at puppy training facilities across the country.

A dog that wasn’t socialised as a pup with puppy training will have difficulty playing with other dogs, and might feel hostile towards other animals when you, his or her owner, are around. People also have to be socialised, but that is why we have to attend school. Your dog doesn’t have that, and more often than not the only people he will see are you and your immediate family.

Make sure that your puppy has the very best future ahead of him or her, and provide them with puppy playmates and puppy training school so that they experience a high socialisation factor. Puppy training facilities also allow your dog to interact with other dogs in a controlled and calm environment – just in case.