Getting Started

We hope the following will be of some help to you in settling your new puppy into his/her new home:-

Feeding

Usual Feeding Routine.

 

The above times are a rough guide; they spread meals over the day.  It is recommended that Pup is fed after you (you eat first – all of it – don’t give Pup the plate to clean), then feed Pup.  This will let the pup understand that he is NOT boss and also will help maintain pup’s correct weight, scraps from the table soon add up to an overweight dog.

The puppy is used to Purina Beta Puppy and James Wellbeloved Puppy dried foods so please do not make sudden changes.  We have provided a small bag for you to be going on with, however if you wish to introduce another brand, please do so gradually as sudden diet changes cause tummy upsets.  We also recommend Royal Canin Mini Junior food.  If you prefer, you can use complete food for both meals and drop the James Wellbeloved Puppy and HiLife Nature Essentials.  As the puppy settles in to his/her new home, you can introduce other foods.  TT’s enjoy cooked vegetables and some fresh meat added into their Purina Beta Puppy or James Wellbeloved Puppy for a treat.  If premium quality complete food is the main diet i.e. Purina Beta Puppy or James Wellbeloved Puppy, etc there is no need for any other vitamin supplements.

Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.  The puppy no longer needs to drink milk but if he does, use goats or skimmed not full cream.  Milk is not a suitable food for adult dogs as they have difficulty in digesting lactose.

Gradually phase out the lunchtime meal and increase the dinner meal as your puppy grows a little older.  We do like to keep our puppies on breakfast until around twelve months old as we feel eggs are good for the coat, but Pup will probably tell you when they no longer want breakfast and dinner..   As puppy’s teeth become stronger, the dry food can be fed less mushy until eventually it is fed dry or just slightly moist.  The grade of complete food changes throughout the puppy’s development, i.e. puppy to junior, junior to adult.

Do not allow your puppy to become a fussy eater.  Any food not eaten after ten minutes should be taken away and no more food should be offered until the next mealtime!!  It is not unusual for puppies to go off their food when they leave their home and he will eat when he is ready.  Do not try to force him, or pander to him or get yourself upset when feeding him!  Just stick to regular mealtimes and give him a bit of peace and quiet to eat his food.  Once a good feeding routine has been established, you can introduce him to other foods for a treat, a small amount of baked liver, tuna, salmon and sardines, grated cheese and so on, in with the meal, are all a great treat.  Do not introduce too many new foods in the first few days with you but let him settle in well before making any changes.

Cows hooves, pigs ears, smoked, roast and sterilized bones are all great favourites for a teething puppy and can provide hours of entertainment and comfort during heavy teething periods, and at all times when he has to be left alone.  Be cautious of providing too many hide type chews, they are 100% protein and can cause overheating and consequent scratching.

Worming and Injections

Your puppy has been wormed three times, at three, five and seven weeks with Panacur.  Please worm your puppy again at twelve weeks old and then every three months.  Otherwise you can use a monthly drop on treatment, obtained from your Veterinary Practice, we use Advocate, a monthly flea and worming treatment, this is not advisable until your puppy is over twelve weeks old.  The Spot on flea and worm treatments do not cover Tape worms so you will still need to treat for these separately.  Register your puppy with your veterinary practice and make and appointment for his vaccination.  Puppy will need two vaccinations, one at eight weeks and one at twelve weeks (you may like to microchip with the second vaccination).  Please note it is not advisable to use vaccine, worming or flea treatments at the same time, leave about one week between treatments.

Wait until a week after his inoculations have been completed before taking Pup out in public, it is not safe to take your puppy out in public places or allow him to mingle with other dogs that may be unknowingly carrying germs.  You can however start to acquaint him to lead training in the home or your garden.

Lead Training

You are legally required to ensure your dog wears an identification disk containing your name and address (the police require the name and address of the person to prosecute). Initially use a soft nylon collar to hold the disk. The dog must wear the disk whenever they are away from home. Introduce the pup to the collar gradually – start with a few minutes and work your way up. Your puppy pack contains a lead and nylon half check collar. Attach the collar to the lead and slip the collar over the pup’s head – leave some slack so that the collar is not tight , call the pup towards you, let him come of his own free will, do not pull him by the lead, reward him with a treat or toy.  Do this several times.  When he has mastered this stage, holding the lead, call him and walk off, he should walk with you, again a treat or a toy will help.  Keep any such training sessions short and always finish when you are winning.  Do not leave very young puppies unattended when wearing a collar or lead. If you go to puppy training classes you will be told to hold the ‘loop’ end of the lead in your right hand and let the lead slip through your left so that you are always in contact with your dog. 

Training

TTs learn quickly, but sometimes need a reason to do what they have learnt. Start training early and gently.  Puppy training classes not only help you train your puppy, but also train you, as well as socialising Pup and giving you an excellent evening’s amusement. Going for The Kennel Club’s Good Citizen qualifications gives a good target to aim for.  You may start going to classes soon after Pup has had their injections.

Microchip

Our vet advises against micochipping until twelve weeks old. Your puppy will not have been microchipped. You should get Pup microchipped at, or after 12 weeks. Consider adding Pup to The Kennel Club DNA Database, this is not expensive and is easy to do at home (just like taking DNA on the TV series about forensics).

Grooming

Puppy will have been bathed at least three times and has therefore experienced the hair dryer, brushes and nail clippers.  Please keep up with the grooming regime, it is best to spend a little time each day so that it becomes routine for both of you and that way knots and tangles will not build up.  Bath him as often as you feel necessary and use a good quality puppy shampoo and an after shampoo conditioner which will help to prevent tangles and ease grooming.  We have provided a bottle of shampoo,  a sturdy pin brush and wide tooth comb to get you started.  Please be aware that he is going to be a long coated dog when he is mature, if you are not prepared to set aside some time each day plus and hour or so for a thorough session once a week, please think again if this is the right choice of breed for you. Returning home after a winter walk may require a good groom or bath. You can of course take him to a professional groomer on a regular basis, but this can be quite costly in the long term.  Some owners prefer to keep their dogs clipped puppy style but they still need regular grooming to prevent tangles and knots.

Puppy’s Things

We suggest a heavy crock bowl for drinking water and an stainless steel bowl for food.  You should also provide your puppy with a bed of his own and suitable bedding that can be easily washed, these to be in a draft free area.  Some people like to use a ‘crate’ as Pup’s own personal area (a crate is a collapsible cage – a bit like a see through kennel).  A range of toys such as raggers, squeaky toys, nylabone type chews, kong toys and a dog quality tennis ball in a sock are always great favourites too.

And Finally

Be firm with your new puppy!  TT’s need a firm hand as they can be quite strong willed.  Indeed, they are a big dog in a small dog’s body.  Start as you mean to go on, make the rules and stick to them.  They learn quickly as they are intelligent and eager to please, and will reward you with a lifetime of devotion.  He is trained to paper so make sure he knows where he can go to toilet and take him there often, especially when he wakes and after he has eaten.  Praise him well when he performs but do not scold him for accidents, he will soon learn.  Expect him to cry and be a bit unsettled at night for a few days, put yourself in his place, he will be missing his littermates and will be a little unsure of his new surroundings.  A gentle nightlight will help and if it is possible to leave a radio on, he will not feel so alone.  Make sure he has things to chew and play with, as well as drinking water and newspaper so he can relieve himself, he is still too young to be expected to last through the night.  Resist the temptation to go down to him when he cries or he will expect this every time he calls.  If you give in and take him to bed with you, then expect a lifetime bed companion!

Your official Kennel Club Registration documents will be passed on to you as soon as they are received, you should sign these and return them to the KC to transfer your TT into your ownership.  At the same time, if you wish to make arrangements for permanent health insurance, you should do so, either with the KC scheme or by taking out a policy with Pet Plan who we have covered him with for the first four weeks in your care.

Enjoy your new TT, We are only every a phone call away should you have any problems, we won’t just forget about the puppies as soon as they pass the door, we like to hear from you and always appreciate photos of the ones that are a little far away for us to see.

Health Issues

The Tibetan Terrier has some health issues.  They have a list of recognised issues which include:

All of the above health issues are shared with humans and the treatment are, in many cases, the same as humans.  In fact some human treatments were developed from those developed for dogs.  PLL, NCL and PRA only affect a small percentage of dogs.  With the DNA tests it is possible to identify any ‘at risk’ animals.  The average hip score of 13 in TTs for Hip Displasia generally allows them a full and active life – hip scores of three or four times the average may result in the early onset of arthritis – there are, of course, other causes of arthritis.

It should be noted that PLL is not the only cause of lens luxation and that other causes such as trauma (the dog ‘bangs’ its eye), and glaucoma will have the same affect.

Exercise. Puppies should be introduced to exercise gradually.  The Kennel club recommend that a puppy should have no more that five minutes exercise per month of age up to twice a day (three month old puppy – 15 minutes, four month old puppy 20 minutes, etc.).

There are two things that may damage your puppies joints:

Pogo-sticking is when the puppy stands on his back legs and jumps up and down.  Delightful to watch, but, potentially, disastrous for the hips.

You should register your new puppy with a vet and get Pup checked over and arrange for inoculations and micro-chipping..  Once you get to know your new puppy you will soon learn to tell when something is wrong and saying to a vet “Pup is not feeling well” may sound a bit vague, but it will give the vet an opening to start asking questions.  Infections may only show themselves in a change of temperament, or behaviour.

Vets bills can be expensive – think about pet insurance.  Shop around, but read the small print.

Suggested Reading

The list below is not intended as a definitive list. It reflects our own book shelf.  There are many other excellent books available.