FAQs

7910 Winchester Rd.
Memphis, TN 38125-2307
Phone: (901) 362-8321 Fax: (901) 795-9127

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I housetrain my puppy or adult dog?
Where can I find the right puppy?
Why spay or neuter my pet?
What medical care does my new puppy need?
When should my puppy develop social skills?

How do I housetrain my puppy or adult dog?

Puppies or dogs on a regular feeding schedule are much more responsive to housetraining. Offer the food 2-3 times daily, for 20 minutes ONLY each time.

Take the puppy outside for eliminations after a meal, after a long period of sleep, after a long period of play, and whenever whining, sniffing, or circling.
Accompany the puppy outside, praising briefly every time he/she eliminates.
Close attention is a MUST until the puppy has not soiled in the house for 4 weeks. Whenever unobserved, keep the puppy in a small, safe room or a crate.
If the puppy is observed soiling in the house, scold with a loud “No!” perhaps followed by a clap of the hands. Physical punishment is rarely effective. NEVER scold after the soiling has occurred.
Clean any soiled areas using urine/feces odor eliminators, such as EliminOdor®. Always clean up the accident WITHOUT the puppy watching.

Crate Training is a fast, effective method of housetraining. The puppy is restricted to a crate (kennel or airline carrier), limiting the space inside the crate to an area ONLY large enough to lie down, turn around, & take one step in each direction.

Confinement to the crate is used ANY & EVERY time the pet is unobserved. It is best to start with a shorter period of confinement (as 2-3 hours), gradually increasing the length of time. After 3-4 days, most dogs are ready for an extended period of confinement (as 8 hours). Most dogs find it unnatural to soil where they are kept; however, if the pet should soil inside the crate, simply clean the crate with an odor eliminator (without the dog observing) and continue crate training.

Whenever the pet is removed from the crate, he/she should be taken outside for the opportunity to eliminate. Upon returning to the house, the pet should be returned to the crate unless under constant supervision. Removal from the crate is also the time to offer food and water, being sure to walk the pet outside after a meal to eliminate.

After no house soiling for 4 weeks, crate training may be gradually discontinued.

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Where can I find the right puppy?

Here are the things to consider when looking for a new family member:

Consider the size of the puppy as an adult. Choose a size that best fits your household.
Consider the nature of the haircoat. Some longer hair types require more brushing maintenance or professional grooming needs.
Consider the breed. Although there are personality variations within any breed, there are some general characteristics associated with each breed. For example, some breeds are more prone to assertiveness and dominance (Rottweiler, Scottish Terrier, Dachshund) and other breeds are more prone to passivity and submissiveness (Labrador Retriever, German Shorthaired Pointer, Basset Hound).
Meet the parents of the puppy if at all possible. THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT! Personality is inherited, as well as size, appearance, and some health aspects. If each parent is a dog that you would like to own, then you are ready to look at the puppies.
Select a puppy between 6 and 8 weeks. At this age, it will have received some of the critical socialization to other dogs, yet is the best age for maximum socialization opportunities with people.
Consider the personality of the puppy compared with littermates. Choose the puppy that can be content with the group, yet will follow you if called or coaxed. The very most outgoing puppy may be too domineering later in life; the shyest may be the most fearful later—or could have health problems causing lethargy.
An excellent resource for further information is "The Perfect Puppy" by Hart and Hart or the website www.digitaldog.com.

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Why spay or neuter my pet?

What is spaying?
Spaying is a surgical procedure called an ovariohysterectomy, eliminating the ability to reproduce and removing the primary source of production of the female hormones. It is a routine procedure requiring overnight hospitalization. Spaying is best done when the female is not in heat.

Reasons for spaying your pet include:

Eliminates risk of life-threatening uterine infections
Eliminates risk of uterine & ovarian cancer
Reduces risk of breast cancer (especially if done < 2 years of age)
Reduces risk of some metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus
Spaying does not significantly alter the personality of the female dog

What is neutering?
Neutering is a surgical procedure called an orchectomy, eliminating the ability to reproduce and removes the primary source of production of the male hormone production. It is a routine procedure requiring one-day hospitalization for a cat and overnight hospitalization for a dog.

Reasons for neutering your pet include:

Reduces risk of prostate infection
Reduces risk of prostate cancer
Eliminates risk of testicular cancer
Reduces risk of anal tumors
Although neutering does not alter the personality of the male dog, it does significantly affect the following behaviors:

reduces the tendency to escape and roam

reduces urinary marking

reduces sexual mounting

reduces assertive and aggressive tendencies

Note that spaying or neutering can reduce a dog’s ability to burn off calories, so that monitoring the diet can become more important

For more information on spaying or neutering your pet, click here.

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What medical care does my new puppy need?

The following schedule is our recommendation for routine preventive medical care for healthy puppies. Some puppies may require additional care.

Preventive Care

1. 5-7 weeks of age — Puppies are weaned at this age and should receive a general physical exam, a fecal check for parasites (most puppies have intestinal worms), deworming and the first set of immunizations. This initial immunization series includes: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Parvo, and Corona. We will also discuss feeding, housetraining, general care, and heartworm/intestinal worm prevention at this time.

2. 8-10 weeks of age — This second visit includes repeat immunizations of the initial vaccine series, an intranasal Bordetella vaccine, as well as a follow-up deworming or fecal exam. We will also reweigh your puppy and determine the correct dosage for heartworm/intestinal worm preventive. Any behavior or training problems will also be discussed.

3. 11-14 weeks of age — This is generally the final visit scheduled for your puppy unless additional care is required. The final booster for Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Parvo and Corona is administered along with a Rabies vaccination.The appropriate license (Memphis, Shelby County, Germantown or Collierville) is also issued. Again the preventive medication dosage will be adjusted if necessary.

Spaying or neutering

Unless you are planning to breed your dog, we recommend spaying or neutering at six months of age. This is particularly important in female dogs since they generally experience their first estrus (heat) cycle around 8-9 months of age. Spaying prevents estrus cycles as well as many types of uterine disease and breast tumors that frequently occur in older, non-spayed females. Neutering a male prevents testicular cancer and helps prevent prostate problems.

Annual Visit

Beginning at one year of age and once a year thereafter we recommend that your pet receive an annual wellness exam. Also your pet should be immunized for Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Bordetella, and Rabies. Many of these vaccines are now effective for 3 years. We also highly recommend annual wellness blood screening as well as testing for heartworms and intestinal worms. We will send you a reminder when these procedures are due.

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When should my puppy develop social skills?

A puppy’s socialization period is between 6 and 16 weeks of age. This is the time when the puppy is most influenced and affected by interactions with his or her environment.

During this period, it is important for you to determine what is desired for the puppy to accept as normal in the future. Frequent exposure would be given to the things that you want the puppy to accept as normal. For example:

take the puppy for a short ride in the car twice weekly from 6-16 weeks of age.
give the puppy a bath once weekly from 6-16 weeks of age.
expose the puppy to a positive experience with small children 1-2 times weekly from 6-16 weeks of age.
expose the puppy to new people 1-2 times weekly from 6-16 weeks of age.
expose the puppy to a positive experience with other pets.
restrain and handle the puppy’s face and feet as if you are checking the eyes, cleaning the ears, looking at the teeth, clipping the nails. Do this once daily from 6-16 weeks of age.

During this period, it is important for you to determine what is desired for the puppy to not accept as normal. Restriction would be given to the things that you want the puppy to not accept as normal. For example:

do not allow the puppy on any furniture you do not wish him/her to be on when full size.
do not allow the puppy to be held much in your lap or carried if he/she will be too large to do so later.
do not allow the puppy to play bite on your hands/feet/body/clothing.
do not allow the puppy to chew on any item that resembles a family member’s personal belonging in shape or texture.

If the puppy has a fearful or anxious response to a situation, speak to the puppy in a bright, upbeat tone of voice and pet the puppy in a light, happy manner. The puppy should associate this response with happiness. Consoling or scolding would tend to worsen fear.