A well fenced yard is absolutely important to keep your pet safe. They tend to get “tunnel vision” and have no real road sense. Just make sure that the fence is BABY PUPPY proof not just adult proof!

A frequently asked question is how often to bath the dog. We believe that this in some respects is a personal choice but feel that at least once a fortnight is a good guide. It really depends on whether you think the dog is dirty (or has that dreaded doggy odour) as to how often to bath your pet. Human shampoo can be used, but there are plenty of specific dog shampoos to choose from which are probably more appropriate. Natural ingredient products are good to help prevent allergies and a capful of Martha Gardeners Wool mix added to the final rinse water will help to ward off fleas.

In the winter to dry that wet fur obtained from going out to toilet, a handful of either cornflour or potato flour rubbed into the offending fur and then brushed out will do the trick quite nicely. Don’t worry about it being white flour on brown fur, once brushed out you won’t know it was ever there.

As mentioned on the first page, vaccination of your puppy is commenced by our vet with a ‘C3’ vaccination at around six weeks of age. A second vaccination at 12 weeks arranged by you will then protect your dog for a full year. If you intend to board your dog in kennels during holidays then a ‘C4’ vaccination should be given at 12 weeks instead, with a further ‘C4’ given at 16 weeks. We also begin treating our puppies at 10 days old for worms. We continue this periodically until 8 weeks of age and then you will need to treat your puppy every month until 6 months old and then 3 monthly for life.

As part of the package that we give to new owners, information on heartworm is included so that you can make an informed decision regarding treatment and if you have any questions you can ask your vet.

We also believe in a periodic dose with a probiotic product such as Yokult or a yogurt with the additives in it to promote healthy gut bacteria just as we should for ourselves. This is an especially good thing to do if for some reason your pet has needed a course of antibiotics as the antibiotics neutralize the “good” bacteria in the gut. However wait until the course of medication is completed before doing so.

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