O Sunny Days!

Woof!

Hello again, I hope you're enjoying the Autumnal sunshine today, I'm loving it! Yesterday was so cold and wet I barely went outside, I don't like walking in the rain, so my owner had to drag me along to make sure I got my daily dose of exercise, but I don't think she liked it much either! Never mind because today is lovely and sunny and warm, and here's a picture of me in my favourite park enjoying being off lead this morning, I love sunny days!

Now the seasons are changing it's important to take you pooches needs into account. As a small puppy, and because I'm going through the uglies I'm going to need a coat soon, which my lovely owner is making me, if she ever stops adding details and ribbon! It's good to invest in a waterproof coat for your pooch, they are available all over the place, so choose the one that is best suited to your pet's needs. I mean think about it, you go out wearing a nice warm coat, so us pups need the same!

Footwear is another thing to think about, especially when ground frost starts setting in. Big dogs should be fine in such weather, but little paws could end up getting frost bitten or causing me to dislike walking in cold conditions, making getting my exercise difficult. So I'm eagerly awaiting some matching booties for my coat (hint hint Igaboo my owner!) so when it does get icy and maybe even snowy I can be safe and protected from the elements.

Just remember us puppies aren't fashion accessories, it may be fun to dress us up, but if that's all you want to do; go get a Barbie doll! Clothes for dogs should be practical or for special occasions, and if your pup doesn't like wearing them, then don't make us, find alternatives and middle ground so my welfare is considered but also my feelings.

I'm off to enjoy the sunshine some more now before it starts raining again tomorrow, go have a run around outside, as mad as a fruit loop, trust me, it's great fun!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Moving Mania!

Woof!

Howdy pooch pals! Today I found out I have a new home to move to, I'm very excited! My owner is a bit worried about how I will adjust so she has started to make plans and organising me so it wont be so traumatic or confusing for me. Over 30,000 pets can go missing when people relocate, and it can be a stressful endeavour for even the most stable of animals, so today I shall share some advice on the process of moving to make it a happy time for you and your pooch.

Try and spread out packing your things over a prolonged amount of time, this way there isn't panic and haste in the few days before moving, and this is as good to us pups as it is for you! My puppy things should be the last things you pack, so I have all my home comforts and I wont get too stressed when I can't find my favourite toy, or my nice bed to snooze in. If you can, familiarise me with the new area I am moving to, this way I'll know the streets and won't be too shocked by the loss of my favourite lamp post or park, research the area and plan some nice walks for me to go on with you once we've moved.

On the day of moving you have to be very careful not to stress me out, it will be very confusing having all the things I know being moved out of my home, so maybe keep me in a certain room all day and make that the last room you empty, or better still, send me to visit one of my friends so I have a day of fun and don't even know about it all. When introducing me to my new home, make sure it is pup safe, and thoroughly clean it so there are no smells of previous owners or pets to distress me. Keep me on my lead and walk around the new home letting me smell things and investigate my new pooch pad, put my bed in it's place that you want it to stay in, and also place my food and water bowl in their permanent home, and don't move it once you have established yourself, I need routine and structure to be happy.

Once you're all settled after moving, during my first night make sure I have all my favourite things, spoil me and give me a lot of attention, just make sure I know this is a happy and safe place we can live together in. Give me my favourite food for dinner, so in my case some sausages, and be ready for accidents like house soiling. You may have to revisit house breaking training to establish the boundaries of my new home. Just think how confusing it is for you to be in a new home, so consider my feelings, but at the same time don't let bad habits develop because of it.

So that's the things you need to remember when moving a pooch. I can't wait for our first proper home together, and my owner is strong enough now to not need to be in and out of hospital so she is very excited too! She can't wait to be there for me everyday and I love being around her, regardless of her problems, she has worked very hard to keep hold of me and I am very grateful for her efforts, she needs me and I need her!

Ok, so I'm off to help do some packing and sorting, although I'm more of a pest taking things out of boxes as my owner puts things in, but I shall let you all know how the move goes and keep you all updated on it.

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Dexy Does... Sit!

Woof!

Hello! An exciting start today of Dexy Does... blog biscuits. In these I shall explain the simple wonders of training pups all the important tricks! So for my début Dexy Does... I am going to teach you lovely people the art of sitting!

First of all choose your command word and stick to it, obviously 'sit' is the most practical, but you can choose any word you like, just make sure it is a clear, concise syllable sound that cannot be confused with another command word. Once you have the command word set, you can also try using hand gestures to convey a trick, but that is advance puppy training! So let's just stick with a word for now.

Ok, now you know the command word you're going to use, add one puppy, preferably a calm one, too much hyperactivity and I'm not going to learn anything! Right, so you have your word, your puppy, and now the magic ingredient- a yummy treat! Incentive to do something is crucial for a puppy, we are fickle, simple creatures really, so find a treat that works for your pooch and use this specific treat solely for the use of training, so no sneaky nom noms just because I'm cute!

Lets go then, first of all, come down to my level and hold the treat just above my little wet nose, not too low so I can just snap it away and munch, but not too high causing me to jump like a flea. Make sure I am concentrating on the treat, and slowly move it over my head towards my tail, and as you do say my name and then the command word, say nothing else but these two things, always in that order. You may need to try many, many times before I do actually park my tushy down, so every time I fail the trick, restart from the beginning, do not give in, or give me the treat until I have completed it. Then suddenly you will have that magical moment when I do actually sit, and timing on your part is the key, the second I move to sit, say just the command word (with glee!) and reward my treat to me, praise me with strokes, and then try again!

I'm not saying training is an instant thing, and my owner has spent weeks training me, but the important thing to remember is to be patient, reward my good behaviour, make sure your tone of voice is friendly but firm, and practice makes perfect! Once you have established the treat reward method, start only rewarding me with strokes, and once you have reinforced the command word, you can try using hand gestures, my owner has started this by saying my command word with her index finger on her left hand up. But make sure the basics are in place before moving on to advance training.

So there you are, the first Dexy Does... for you, next time I shall look at walking techniques, I'm still perfecting it all so I'll get back to you with that blog biscuit. Until then I'll keep you all updated with my puppy antics and pooch psychology as much as I can. And ooo! Look out for my 'Dr. Dexy' blog biscuits that will be coming soon about illnesses and diseases us pooches can get.

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x sit x sit x

Separation Anxiety

Woof!

Hello again! Today is a lesson about separation anxiety, I've mentioned it before, but today we're going to have big look at it as it's a very interesting trait us puppies have. Separation anxiety is a condition that affects a lot of pooches in many different ways. It's basic reasoning is as a canine I have a pack mentality, and you as my owner are in my pack, so when you leave me I fret because I am worried about my pack and need to know you are ok, quite sweet of me really, but quite frustrating for you!

First of all you need to look out for the signs, these may include me following you around the house, over excitement, self harming or feigning injuries, barking/whining, destructive behaviour, house soiling, and panic attacks to name just a few symptoms. The negative behaviour can be result of a change of routine, not use to being left alone, a traumatic event (i.e. thunderstorm etc), moving house, or because your pup has spent time in a dog home, but, with clever training and patience you can eliminate all problems and have a happy, self secure pooch that will be a joy to live with! You may think it's nice to have a pup so needing of your love and attention, but a puppy like that can't be a fully happy pup!

Next you need to know and understand your puppies triggers, so what sets off the negative behaviour traits? For most it is leaving us behind when you go out, or not being able to be right there next to you at all times when we are at home. So you need to address the issues and tackle them with a lot of patience!

At Home

When at home you have to make me understand that you do not want to spend time with me constantly. Give me toys to play with and try leaving me in another room, I will protest at first, but I will slowly learn, also ignore my hyper activities to get your attention, instead opting to only give me attention when I am calm, this will slowly reinforce in my little puppy head the behaviour you deem good and thus we both get what we want. Other things to consider are my boredom levels, make sure I have enough to keep me occupied or I will start being destructive and having a chew at things I shouldn't, Kong toys are a great mind exercise for pups, and some treats like pig ears are great because they take ages to eat. If I follow you around the house a lot just ignore me, hard I know because I'm so cute, but I need to know that you might love me, but you need a break sometimes too!

On Leaving

Now, I have this very bad habit of getting very excited when my owner is about to leave, it triggers when I see her get her shoes on, or pick up her keys, or puts on her coat. My owner use to take me everywhere with her, but as I've gotten bigger, and was starting to develop bad habits and an over attachment to her, she has started leaving me at home sometimes. The trick she has learnt is to just put on her shoes and walk around the house in them, put on her coat and sit and read a book next to me, and holding her keys, just holding them, at first we both thought this was very strange, but I'm starting to not notice now when she does any of these things, so when she does do it to leave me, I'm not really that bothered. This is good as well for when I go on walks, because it means I'm not over excited before I leave so I get the full benefit of my exercise. When you return after leaving me, also remember to not give me attention straight away, come in, take off your coat, put the kettle on perhaps, and then greet me once I have calmed down.

Separation anxiety is something you need to address as soon as it flares up, otherwise it's harder to crack the bad behaviour. It does take a lot of time and patience to tackle it, and you wont see any positive results of it for a few weeks, but eventually you and your pup will have an understanding that's secure and both of you can enjoy each other's company. It may feel like you're punishing us pooches, but it's merely reinforcing positive behaviour and ignoring the bad, because hyperactivity and needy behaviour does not mean your pup is completely happy.

Hope that helps, today I got a new wind up mousie to play with and a lovely pink bed to sleep in, both thanks to my owner's mummy, many tail wags and puppy kisses! So I'm off to chase my mousie and once I'm all pooped out, I'll test out my new bed. Stay happy folks!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Puppy Changes

Woof!

Hello again! Do you like my montage of pictures? They show how much I have changed since my owner got me! I was once a small ball of fluff, and now look at me, my colour has changed, my fur looks different, and just look at my big ears! At 3 months old I'm starting to go through the dreaded stage of the Puppy Uglies! (I'm still cute though regardless of what it is called!)

Most pups experience the uglies from about 3 months old, and all it is about is my puppy coat growing out and my big doggie adult coat growing in. I've only just started the transition myself so my coat's still soft and silky, but I do have random balding patches and random tufts of long fluffy hair. My colour is also changing, and I'm getting light blonde highlights on my shoulders and scruff of my neck, and I'm also developing black tipped fur along my back and on my tail. At one point my belly and chest looked completely bald, but now I have some soft white hair growing and it causes a mohican along my chest of fluffiness!

It's completely normal for doggies to go through this stage, it can be extreme or mild, some people may not recognise their little pooch pal, whilst others wont even notice a difference. Just like my teeth, the fur I was born with was only my puppy fur, and before I can be a big doggie I need to grow a thick, warm coat, especially now Autumn's here, so it's a case of out with the old, in with the new! As an owner you need to remember to brush me daily to get rid off the loose hairs, make sure I'm nice and clean from bathing me and to not worry, give me a year and it'll be settled down and my regular doggie coat will be here to stay, and then I should only shed profusely around Springtime to be ready for Summer.

Just remember it's normal, and it's not something wrong with me! Things you can do to help is to feed me a proper diet to give me all the nutrients I need to grow strong and healthy, and also supplement my diet with things like cod liver oil or Greek yoghurt, both help puppy fur to be soft and silky. I'll have to see how I go, who knows what I'll look like in a months time?! My owner can't wait to find out, she loves me regardless of how I look, which is a very important thing to take heed to, because yes, puppies are super cute and adorable when you first get us, but we do grow up, and you should love your pup whatever they grow up into, it's so sad when people lose interest in things they once proclaimed to love, all because they think they have changed too much or aren't the thing they thought they were.

Anywho, that's my chat for today, time for my walkies I think. Hope you all have a lovely day and I'll speak to you all soon! Woof woof!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Virtual Walkies

Woof!

Just a quick note today on all my favourite virtual walkies around the interwebs. Since my owner took me in she has found many helpful sites and people around the world to get advice and information about puppy care and thought it would be nice to share some links with you all in case you fancied a virtual walk too with your pooch.

Pet Street- This site is fantastic and is full of other animals lovers, everything from dogs to lizards, cats to rodents, horses to bunnies, and more! The people are very friendly and it's great for stories about animals and also just having a chat with fellow pet owners. A must see for all!

Dog Forum- A very good place to chat to other dog owners about a wide range of topics, all neatly laid out and easy to use. Contains forums ranging from basic dog care, breed information and also general threads to just chat to other dog lovers.

Daily Puppy- A lovely site dedicated to cute pups like myself, everyday there is a puppy of the day and it also includes information for caring for your puppy and some forums too for chatting bout your pup. I love it because it's full of cute puppies to look at and admire.

Dogs Trust- A lovely site run by a charity, it includes everything you need to know about owning a dog and responsible dog ownership, and also has links to help rescue pooches by either donating or adopting. A fantastic charity, please help and support them, and as their motto says, they never put a healthy dog down.

There's a few places to visit for now, I'll post more soon, please visit as you wish and there's always my walkies link on the side of my blog made by a dog if you fancy having a longer sniff and snuff around the interwebs.

Oh! A very big thank you to everyone as I've now hit over 300 visits to my little blog, and if I could I would thank you all individually with lots of puppy kisses and cuddles and wag my tail until it would nearly fall off! That's it for now puppy pals, have a lovely day!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x wag x wag x

Tattoo or Microchip?

Woof!

Hello all you lovely people! Today I'm going to be looking into the two methods of making sure you're puppy is traceable if ever lost or stolen, and also if you want to travel internationally with your pup. The most common and recognisable is the microchip, a small pellet like do dab that's injected into the nape, and the other method is the ear tattoo, which is a small marking in the inside of a pup's ear with a special code. Which one is best though, and more importantly, which is the safest option for keeping me safe?

The microchip is seen as the norm by the majority of dog owners, it's small, easily administered and universally recognised. It is injected by a registered practitioner into the nape and is instantly recognised by the scanner used to pick it up and register your details. Most dogs don't even notice it going in, and it lasts a lifetime, so never needs to be removed, unless it has problems. Now the problems seem to be quite high, some owners have discovered they malfunction and cannot be read, others find it to migrate in the body, and some people can't even get the info off of it due to silly data protection rules. So with all it's pluses, the microchip does have a few negative drawbacks. Hmmmmm.

The tattoo method is a widely misinformed option, most people imagine it is similar to a human tattoo, which my owner claims does hurt a little bit and takes ages from her experience. The doggy tattoo is very different. Again, administered by a registered user, they hold your pup tight and safe and use a small clamp-like apparatus to pinch a special code onto the inside of a pup's ear and then rub a vegetable based dye into the ear lobe to set the tattoo. Tattoo's have the advantage of being permanent and visible to all, so can be a good deterrent from thieves, but it is not as universally recognised by certain authorities like the microchip is. It is not possible to alter the tattoo and your details are registered safely, and unlike the microchip, tattoo's cannot become corrupted. The biggest drawback I can see with the tattoo is the aesthetics, on a pup with floppy ears its fine, but with ears like mine, it would be very noticeable!

Whichever method you prefer, use, or give to your dog, the key thing to remember is responsible dog ownership. Have your details on the collar, not your dogs name, and make sure your dog is insured fully. If you are planning to travel, make sure their pet passport is in date and if they have the chip, make sure it works before leaving. When out in public make sure you know where your dog is at all times, and when at home make sure your doors and locks are secure. Of course, most of it is just basic common sense, but it's always good to have a back up plan in regards to either the tattoo or microchip, or even both. Stay safe for now my puppy pals!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Here's some extra kibble bits for you if you wanted more info on either procedure-

Tattooing Info- http://www.dog-register.co.uk/

Microchipping Info- http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/m/microchipping/

What's New Dexy Do (Dah) ?

Woof!

Hello to you all again! Can I first of all give extra puppy kisses and love to all the people who have come and had a sniff and snuff at my blog made by a dog, I've had over 200 visits and I thank you all very, very much, my tail is wagging non-stop!

Today I'm going to give you all an update on how I'm getting along in my puppy life. I am now just over 3 months old and I'm learning and doing so many new things everyday! I have gotten a lot bigger for a start, my ears have gotten bigger (if that was possible!) and my once little, stubby legs have become these long, lanky ones. This is good though because now I have truly learnt the ability of jumping, when before I couldn't get up onto the sofa or bed by myself, with a good run up I can now leap with ease onto heights of about 2 feet! I find this very exciting and do it all the time now, I just like jumping up, jumping down, running around and jumping onto something else, around and around I go!

I have also learnt some commands that my owner has been working hard to teach me, I now know how to stop, come, sit, and stay. The first two are good for when I'm out on my walks, my owner thinks I'm big enough to go off-lead now in safe park areas- so fun, and the latter two are great around the house, and I get treats for doing things, like having lots of cuddles and strokes. My chewing has become less of a problem too, I've learnt that I'm not allowed to chew everything, so when I get the urge I go and pick a special toy and have a good gnaw on them whilst having a cuddle on my owner's lap. My little teeth have become a lot stronger too and this has made it possible for me to play with different types of toys, as well as the ability of being about to nibble on hard dog treats like beefy bones and Markies, they keep my entertained for hours as it takes a lot of work to nom them.

In general really, I have become a lot more confident, more curious and more cute! I love going for walks and exploring new routes and the things I find along my way, I've also met a lot of pooch pals! I am less demanding of attention, but show more and more affection everyday, and my owner is very proud of how I am getting along with my development into a happy little doggie. She got her baby pack from Cow & Gate and I couldn't help but steal the soft toy cow in it, I mean, I did walk over 5 miles yesterday so I think I deserved a good rest and cuddle with my new Little Moo friend, and I do look darn cute!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Sidekick or Stalker?

Woof!

Howdy there! I'm back again to talk about my incessant need for attention today. I'm a small, cute puppy and as such I think I deserve a lot of attention and as I've gotten bigger and a little more confident I'm defiantly letting my owner know about it!

My owner considers me as a little sidekick in her daily life, she takes me to most places she goes and spends a lot of time with me, but this just makes me want to spend more time with her and play more! She thinks I'm getting a little clingy sometimes, so she has started to leave me at home all by myself, and tries not to cave in to my attention demands. It's not that I'm a bad puppy, it's just that I need to be stimulated lots and I also love company being a Pom, I was originally bred from a working dog to become a lap dog, so it's also my genetics that play a part in my behaviour.

Behaviour which is considered bad is when I jump at my owner, and I'm so excited I sometimes nip her with my lil puppy teeth, I get a loud clap when I do this, and the sound isn't very nice so I tend to stop. Making a loud noise is a good way to stop a puppy doing something mischievous. Another example is when I whine and whimper, but my owner knows this is normally down to boredom so I get a walkies or a good playing session with some of my favourite toys. I also don't like to be separated from my owner, but she has started going into a room, but not letting me in, so I learn to amuse myself when I have to, at first I use to bark and scratch at the door, but I've learnt now that she always comes back and gives me lots of attention when she does!

As a small pup I like to be picked up and cuddled, and if I had my way, I'd be carried everywhere, but my owner reminds me that I have four legs and makes me walk nearly everywhere, I enjoy walking now, but I still like being carried like a baby! I love following my owner around the house and often trip her up, which she thinks is dangerous, but it's the attention I'm after, but all she does is clap again, I love it when my friends come over to see me too, but they don't seem that keen on me jumping all over them, so I need to learn to not to do that too, it's so hard being a puppy sometimes, everything is so exciting! Attention is the number one thing I want, I love my owner and just want to be with her as much as possible, but she doesn't want a stalker, she wants a sidekick, so addressing separation anxiety and clingyness issues are very important.

Top tips to remember is that I am a dog, so don't treat me like a baby, even though I'm cuter than one. Remember that you can't be with your pooch all the time so make sure they understand that early on, and don't prolong goodbyes, but make hello's super exaggerated. Keep me occupied with toys and treats so you're not my only source of fun, especially when you're gone. Don't reinforce negative behaviour by caving in and giving me attention when I'm after it, even negative attention is better than nothing, so ignore my cunning ploys. The best thing you need to heed is that I don't need attention all day everyday, by giving me that I'll always demand it- so train your puppy early!

But! Make sure your puppy is actually only after attention and it's not an underlying problem for something else, make sure I have fresh water and food, been to the toilet and had plenty of exercise and stimulus, if your pup is still demanding attention and you can't determine why, please take them to your vet just to make sure its nothing nasty, but then some dogs and pups are known to fake illness just to get attention, but it's best to be safe.

That's it for now, I'm off to get some attention from my owner now, put some of her ideas into practice!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

A Girl's Best Friend Too

Woof!

Hello there again! They say a dog is man's best friend, well I'm a girl's best friend too! My owner needed me when she was very lonely and sad, and luckily I came along and helped her! Let me tell you a little bit more about us, because she thinks I deserve the recognition.

My owner was mistreated by someone in her life, he did many, many horrible things to her and made her feel very, very bad. She ended up so bad she was taking overdoses and cutting her wrists, so bad that the doctors wanted to put her in a place to look after her. The person that caused her to do all this didn't care and continued hurting her, and my owner got worse and worse. Then one day, my owner hit rock bottom, and ended up being taken into the care the doctors wanted her to go into, she did not like this and felt that there was nothing left in life, so she made plans to leave the world and all the bad things.

Then she met me, well, I met her, I must of knew she needed someone to love her and need her, and I remember the first time I met her I escaped my kennel and ran up to her and she gave me a big hug. She was so excited to meet me, and gave me lots of fuss and wouldn't stop hugging me, I was so tiny when we first met, the picture on this blog biscuit is the first one of us together. She took me home and gave me so much love and attention and I gave it back to her, she definitely needed someone to be there for her.

Since being together I have grown into a strong, happy puppy and my owner has become a much happier person, she still has bad days but I just get to hug her more on those days! I can't believe someone could of ever treated her badly because all she has is love and affection to give, and he does still try to hurt her, but hopefully she'll get stronger and stronger and one day he'll just leave her alone and realise she has everything she needs with me, her little sidekick! So yes, a dog may be a man's best friend, but this puppy here, me, Dexy Do Dah Dog is a girl's best friend!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Buzzing Good Time!

Woof!

No lesson today, instead I'm going to talk about my day, today I went and played mini bee keeper! Bee's are very interesting, and the honey they make is very yummy, I have a little bit with a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt once a week to help me have a shiny coat, but I wanted to learn where my yummy honey comes from.

So off we went with our new friend to meet the bees hidden away in a beautiful location. I wasn't allowed to go near them myself, as I didn't have a suit to protect my tushy from stings, but my owner told me all about it, I sat and supervised to make sure she was ok. It was fun and interesting learning something new, and the bees weren't angry and didn't sting anyone. It's sad to hear that the bees have a parasite that is causing them to die out, and that means no more honey!

So I'm asking everyone to have a look at this other site once you're finished here, and show your support for our lovely buzzing friends, and then that means more honey for me!

http://www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/takeaction/planbee/

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x buzz x buzz x

I Am What I Eats

Woof!

Hi there! Today's subject is puppy nutrition, a very important one if you ask me! A puppy's diet is very important due to our sensitive tummies and need for certain nutrients so I can grow into a healthy little doggie.

First of all is the matter of my general food, and the big question wet or dry? Well wet food has a higher concentration of meat and also has the added factor of hydration, but then dry food has the extra minerals and vitamins that help me be healthy, so which is best? The answer is both, I like two portions of wet food a day and I have my dry kibble biscuits to munch on whenever I want. But you should ask your puppy, because they will let you know which is the one they prefer.

With wet food remember to feed me proper puppy food, it will contain everything I need and also not be too rich for me, rich food will upset my tummy, then you'll be cleaning that up all night! It's important to try and find the food I like best, so try a few different brands and establish what flavours and textures I prefer. And a very important note is that when you radically change my diet I may end up with another poorly tummy, but if you think it's more than that then it's off to the vets again.

Now dry food, buy the best brand you can afford, I only say this because the cheaper brands tend to have a high ash and corn content, and both of these are not good for me. I like to have a small bowl left out all day for me to nibble on as I please. I also like the fact my owner has several types of different biscuits and gives me a nice variety, this is good because I would get bored of the same thing everyday, a cheap and easy way to do this is to apply for lots of free samples of different biscuits, and then the samples last ages because you only use a little bit each day to replenish my kibble bowl. Remember though, if your puppy only eats dry food to have plenty of water available as it can cause dehydration.

Next is snacks, I know it is very tempting to feed me titbits, especially when I give you puppy eyes, but they will not help with my health. I need proper doggie treats, and as a pup one of the most important ones are milky bone biscuits, I need the calcium to help my bones grow strong. Other doggie treats to look out for are ones that promote dental health, just go to your local pet shop and they can help you find all you need. Treats should mean treat though, they are a great incentive for training, but too many could leave me as a little fatty so use sparingly!

Things to avoid in my diet include cow's milk (goat's milk is a good substitute-but only in moderation), fried foods, cheese, raw and cooked eggs, and the biggest worry is chocolate. Human chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which in certain quantities is poisonous to puppys and may result in death. So if your pup has a sweet tooth, only buy chocolate designed for dogs!

That's it for today's lesson, I'll follow with a more in depth look at certain foods and nutritional needs, but for now I'll just to remind you to look after your pup with proper puppy food and they'll have happy nom noms everyday!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Bite Bite Bite

Woof!

Hello again, today I'm going to be talking about the big, big issue that all puppies have, and that is teething! All puppies have an uncontrollable urge to bite and chew on things as our little teeth can hurt us and whilst we're going through the transition of growing into a big doggie, we need things to keep our urges under control!

To help with the pain and discomfort of teething, I need lots of different types of toys, a rope tug toy is a great one coz you can play too, and it's fun for me! Another good trick is ice cubes crushed up, they're great to chew and crunch and the coldness soothes my gums and teeth.

In terms of me just biting and chewing, well that might be a whole host of reasons, sometimes, yes it's coz it's my teeth, but sometimes it could be separation anxiety, boredom, or something else, but I'll post a blog biscuit bout all that soon.

But back to the teething issue, think of every morning you get up, and every night you go bed, what do you do? You brush your teeth! I need the same please, it's very easy to pick up a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste at your local petshop, and then brush away baby! A lady needs a gleaming smile don't you know?! Always check my gums are nice and pink, and look out for any decaying or rotting, as well any damage, if you suspect anything, get me off to the nice vet people for a thorough check-up. Very bad breath is a very obvious symptom of something being wrong, but then puppy breath isn't normally that nice, but doesn't stop me giving you lots of puppy kisses!

Puppy kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x