Petit Jean Puppies
NEW PUPPY CARE GUIDE
Print this off and refer to often.
Please take the time to read this entire guide now and again after you get your puppy. I do not mind you calling me for
emergencies, but please read this before calling with questions. Email questions are encouraged and I love to hear how
the puppies are doing! Please send picture to me to post on my website too!
Hypoglycemia is probably the most important thing you can learn about. New and transitioning toy or teacup puppies are
very susceptible to low blood sugar due to their small liver size and the fact that they will not eat as well the first few days
in a new home. Therefore, NutriCal or Nutri-stat is a very important item on your shopping list. This keeps the puppy
supplemented during transition. In teacup and toy breeds, give 2 -4 times per day and especially before bed or leaving
it alone. Put it on your finger and make the puppy eat it. Give about the size of a large pea. Check for gum color. It
should be PINK not gray. If it is gray or white, it may be hypoglycemia. You need to get sugar into this puppy NOW.
See urgent instructions in next paragraph. Buy Nutrical at Petsmart or pet store PRIOR to picking it up. In tiny toy
breeds, I provide what you call sugar loading prior to shipment. 24 hours prior to shipping I provide sugar water and
nutrical to prepare for the trip.
URGENT HYPOGLYCEMIC EPISODE INSTRUCTIONS: If your pup acts lethargic or cant hold his head up act quickly!
Nutrical is not going to work if your pup is already crashed. Nutrical is a preventative not a treatment. Give 1/2 tsp Karo
syrup or honey or pancake syrup now and then 1/4 tsp every 15 min. Put puppy on heat pad with several towels
between pup and pad, or put a heat lamp within safe distance. Just a blanket is not enough. When their blood sugar
drops, their body temperature drops as well. They may also start to vomit and if really bad, start to seize. If your pup
does not respond or stand within 10 minutes, this is when you need to go to the vet. They can give anti-nausea meds
(reglan) and give IV Fluids. If your pup is standing, go ahead and make it eat and drink. This is when I use a syringe
and pedialite or sugar water and I syringe feed can science diet a/d food.
Hold the pup all the way home, this will help it get use to you and your smell. Let it look around and do not put it in the
floorboard. This will make it carsick. Keep away from a/c vent and drafts. Get the puppy home to its new
environment. Do not take the puppy anywhere else to show it off for at least 3 days. This is very important.
The pup has had a long journey and needs to get settled it asap. No Petsmart trips, no trip to the groomer, no trips to
friends, just go take it home and let it get rested and familiar with its new home.
Provide fresh water and food and sleeping blanket and leave puppy be for at least 30 minutes. You might even give a
small portion of wetted food too. I know it is so tempting to play with the pup, but let the pup regain its energy and
rehydrate. It will not do this if it is playing. They are just like children. They would rather play than eat.
HYPOGLYCEMIA can be deadly. Toy breed puppies do not store much body sugar and have to replace it often. You
will need to watch the pup for this for about 5 months. Running and playing for a long period of time without eating
regularly will cause it. Keep NutriCal Tube handy. IF you do not have any, use straight Karo syrup or honey or pancake
syrup immediately. Give every 15 min approx 1/2 tsp till standing and eating. You will not have time to make it to the
vet. You will see that in just a few minutes after sugar they will regain their energy. Some pups will even pass out, and
get comatose, just get that sugar on the gums or in the mouth asap.
FEEDING: Please feed the puppy wetted dry food in the morning. Mix or Eukanuba with hot water and let sit for 10
minutes till soft and then feed. In teacups or finicky puppies I add Little Cesars Puppy to their dry food. Do not give
straight can food; it will give a loose stool. Do not change the pup’s food for at least 2 weeks. I use Eukanuba Small
breed puppy and you should have some that I sent. If or when you change food, mix the Eukanuba with your new food
and gradually end up with new mixture. DO NOT FEED PEOPLE FOOD!!! Feed high quality puppy food for 12 months,
then you can switch to a quality adult food. Leave dry food out all day for the first few weeks. You can schedule
feedings later.
Get puppy to vet within 72 hours for vet exam to keep your guarantee in effect. Take your shot record so you vet can
see what he/she has received at my kennel. DO NOT LET YOUR VET GIVE A SHOT This soon. Allow the puppy to
settle in their new home before giving another shot. A puppy needs at the minimum three rounds of puppy
boosters to be protected. If it is given any closer than every 2-3 wks it is not going to do any good. DO NOT LET YOUR
VET GIVE HEARTWORM PROTECTION YET. SOME VETS WILL WANT TO GIVE A SHOT, HEARTWORM MEDS,
REVOLUTION, ADVANTIX OR FRONTLINE ON THE NECK, AND KENNEL COUGH VACCINE ALL AT ONCE. THIS IS
WAY TOO MUCH ON A NEW TRANSITIONING PUPPY AND IT CAN BE FATAL. THIS ALL WEAKENS THEIR IMMUNE
SYSTEM AND IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR THEM ON TOP OF GOING TO A NEW HOME AND ALSO TRAVELING. . ASK
FOR THE EXAM AND A FECAL CHECK ONLY. Remember you are in control, not them. You don’t have to sit back and
let them do all this to your puppy. They also do not realize that you JUST got the pup. Tell the vet the pup needs time
to settle in first.
Health issues to watch for that are common in puppies:
There are many things to watch for but I have found these to be the most common. I cannot stress the importance of
up-to-date immunizations are to your pet and monthly worming with panacur or safeguard.
Hypoglycemia: see above instructions.
Watch puppy’s stools for the following: diarrhea, blood, or gel like substance. These are all signs of stress or coccidia.
Call the vet and discuss right away. Also watch for worms. For loose stools from stress with travel you can give ½ cc
pepto bismol or 1/4cc of immodium or ½ cc kaeopectate. For worming, I use Panacur Wormer every 2 wks for 3 days in
a row. I have medications here at the house, and if you are local I would be glad to provide to you if needed.
Kennel Cough or Bordetella: This sounds like a dry hacking cough or like the pup has something stuck in the back of
their throat. This is the same thing as a human viral cold but can last much longer in puppies (up to 21 days and even
keep a residual cough even longer). Puppies at this age are VERY prone to either catching kennel cough from another
dog OR getting chilled and catching a cold. Some vets will treat this with clavamox and robitussin; while others will give
steroids too. Some vets do not treat it with antibiotics because they feel like it’s a viral cold and just has to run its
course. I feel this way too but I do give children’s robitussin (1/2cc every 4-6 hrs). The only time we use antibiotics is
when it tries to move into the chest (just like your cold might turn into bronchitis). I no longer give the intra-nasal vaccine
for kennel cough because 80% of the time it will give it to them. So wait till the pup is over 12 wks old and you can get
the kennel cough injection that is much more effective and doesn’t give them a case of it! It takes 2 rounds of this to be
effective (2 wks apart). You will be required to have this if you will be getting your dog groomed or boarded. You have
to get the kennel cough vaccine updated every 6 months. I do not sell a pup or ship a pup with active kennel cough.
After 21 days they can be shipped if they act healthy and are only coughing minimally. At this point they are thought to
be no longer contagious.
Ear infection is common in dogs that have ear hair. Poodles and bichons are very prone to this. It is caused by dirt and
moisture and is a yeast infection. A sour smell in the ear or a black gunk in the ear is a sure sign of an ear infection.
They will also scratch and claw at the ear and it will become very sensitive. It is important to use either ear powder prior
to a bath or put cotton balls in the ear during a bath. You can clean the ear with mouthwash and Q-tips. Keep cleaning
till the qtip comes clean (be careful not to go to deep). I usually put about 1 cc/tsp into each ear and let sit and
massage the ear for a minute or so and then clean out. You can buy Ear Wash and Momentamax at the vet's office to
treat the infection.
Watch for small blister like bumps on belly and groin area for staff infection. This is caused by moist bedding and is
easily treated with good hygiene. Clean area twice daily at first sign of blisters and dry thoroughly and apply neosporin.
If no improvement in 2 days, an oral antibiotic is needed, consult your veterinarian. It is important during potty training
to provide clean and dry bedding everyday, usually change out twice, am and pm. Keep potty area coat trimmed short.
Matted and poop compacted rear. This is when the puppies coat around the tail gets in the way of the stool and keeps
building and eventually the puppy can't potty anymore. This is why it is very important to clip the hair around the potty
areas. This is a painful thing and requires soaking in warm water and clipping the hair away and then apply preparation
H ointment. Moms usually keep the puppies bottoms clean so at first they don't know to do this and it can get nasty
very quickly. Just raise that tail and keep an eye on it!
Keep pup free from drafty areas. Too cold or too hot is not good. Listen for cough or congestion. A puppy’s normal
rectal temp. is 100.5-102. You can use a human digital thermometer to check for elevated temp. Take pup to vet right
away with an abnormal temp. Low is just as serious as too high. Watery nose is just a sign of sweating not a cold.
Dogs do not have sweat glands and they sweat out their nose.
Do not let your puppy down on public ground where other dogs have been. Parvo lives in the dirt from where other
infected dogs may have gone potty. Until your pup has had its last puppy booster this is very import. If you have had a
dog that has had parvo, call your vet about how to sanitize the ground and yard. Signs of parvo are vomiting, diarrhea
and lethargia. This is a very deadly disease and must be treated by a vet immediately for good results.
When bathing do not get water into ears or up nose. Buy some dog ear wash or powder (powder goes in prior to bath).
If you do get water in ears, put a few drops of alcohol or mouthwash into ears. After bath, make sure you dry puppy
completely. If I need to clean the pups nose area, I will lather it up with baby shampoo and right before I put it under the
faucet I will pinch it’s nostrils so it doesn’t breathe in. Do this only for 1-2 seconds and then let the pup take a breath
and repeat. Use a human puppy shampoo or baby shampoo especially around eyes, nose, and mouth. Keep the potty
trail area clean and trimmed regularly. They can get dry skin in the winter just like we can from over bathing. Make sure
to use a conditioner. Also, if your puppy scratches, use an oatmeal and aloe Vera shampoo and conditioner.
BEHAVIOR ISSUES:
Biting and chewing are all a part of the puppy's teething and chewing needs. Just like a human baby, puppies have oral
fixations with chewing and is a part of their growth phase. A favorite thing to chew on is your hand if you let them. And
with small children and their tender skin, this can be painful. A puppy has very small sharp teeth. You must discourage
this or it will get worse. Always have a chew toy in hand if sitting for a long period with the puppy. Soft toys or rubber
chew toys are good teethers. You can use a word to discourage this, no is not understood, a noise in a harsh tone is
enough. This works only if you also have a good praise word to mean the opposite. As far as chewing on furniture or
other unwanted items, spray with bitter apple spray. Have lots of chew toys for the puppy. Chicken jerky is a good one
too.
Stool eating is common in young puppies. It is actually very tasty to them BUT needs to be stopped. A puppy that eats
his stool can be more susceptible to coccidia and bacterial infections (diarrhea that must be treated). You can get a
product called FORBID to sprinkle on the puppy’s food for about a week. If this doesn't work, do another week. If your
puppy is eating another dogs or cats food, you must also put it on that animal’s food as well. This product makes the
stool taste bitter. Most pups also grow out of this. Also try feeding bananas or pineapple. They are now saying it's a
potassium defiency. I like to use the baby jar food bananas and syringe feed a few cc's per day. THEY LOVE IT TOO!
Licking genitals All dogs clean themselves by licking their genitals. This is NOT a behavior to try and stop. This is a
natural behavior and is not to be considered a behavior problem at all. A male dog that is over 6 months will repeatedly
lick his self and this is something that neutering will definitely help stop!
Humping behaviors can be common in mainly male puppies, but I have also seen females do this! This is mostly a
dominance behavior but can also be hormonal. Of course the males need to be neutered as early as possible between
4 - 6 months old. Males not neutered early will regress with their potty training and start to mark their territories in your
house! You can discourage this behavior in a puppy with distraction with a toy or verbal command to come here.
Crying and Whining in crate: Most puppies will cry in the crate the first few nights. This is a very important time to set
standards and routines. Do not go let the puppy out if he cries. If you do --you are telling him its ok to cry that you will
come get him every time he cries. This is a learned behavior just like a newborn baby will learn to cry and receive
attention. You can comfort the pup verbally and make sure he is not soiled and is ok, you need to tell the puppy he is
ok and you will let him out in the morning. In a few nights (some puppies may take longer than others) most puppies will
feel secure and cozy in their crate and actually will start to go to the crate and take naps. One way to keep the puppy
from crying is to leave a chicken jerky treat or a Kong toy filled with treat. This will keep him busy. Also chew toys are a
must! As a last resort, if puppies continue to cry for over 5 nites, then I would give 1/4 tsp children's benadryl for 3
nites in a row. Please consult your vet before doing this for dosage.
Barking: usually a puppy doesn't start a barking habit until later on when they feel they "own the place" and need to
protect it. This can be a very annoying habit and is hard to break. The only thing I have used effectively is a bark
collar. They make a citronella spray collar or shock collar. You can control the shock to just work at first then a tone will
be sufficient. Of course the bark collar is a last resort. Some dogs can get overly protective of their home and family.
Aggression is seen in Chihuahuas and some other breeds right off the bat. This needs to be corrected as a puppy
quickly. A tiny puppy that shows aggression as a puppy is cute and we usually laugh at it or I have even seen people
encourage this. This is very bad and needs to be corrected NOW. I would use time out in a crate or a slight thump on
the nose. I do not like to use aggression, but in this case it may be necessary to prove who is the boss. Some puppies
(in my experience especially Chihuahuas and poodles) get overly possessive of their owners if spoiled as a new puppy.
Cesar Milan's website is great info for behavioral issues and he recommends to hold the pup down on it's back on the
floor until he calms down. I cannot stress the importance of how this will negatively affect the long-term attitude of your
dog as an adult. It is very very important to socialize all puppies around other people and strangers during their growth
and development. I have heard the saying, spoiled puppy, unhappy adult.
Hyperactive dogs can drive you crazy! But they need time to run off their energy just like children. In the mornings, let
your dog run for a good 15 minutes to get his energy out during his potty break. Do the same a couple times during the
day. A good exercise break will also discourage unwanted behaviors throughout the rest of the day. Crate training can
make them especially antsy and need to run! So make time in your day to allow for this.
Scooting butt on the carpet! Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT from worms! It is a sign that your dog's anal glands
need to be drained. Dogs have tiny scent glands on the inside of their anus that fill with fluid. The groomer will take
care of this as part of a normal groom on any toy breed dog (or they should). Some dogs need this done very regularly
while others do not. It is a horrible smell and if your dog has full glands, they will leak some and you may notice the
strange foul odor. You can also take your dog to the vet to have this drained, and I would advise you to watch and ask
how so that you can learn to take care of this yourself!
Puppies can be so much fun and add so much love into your family but you must be the pack leader and demonstrate
early how you expect your puppy to act just as you would your child. I highly recommend that you enroll in a puppy
kindergarten or obedience class early on. This is a great investment in your puppy’s future. Some issues need a
professional! I have taken classes at Pet Smart and highly recommend them! I have turned adult problem dogs around
in less than 6 weeks with their methods.
POTTY TRAINING
Potty Training is probably the most difficult part of owning a new puppy. Until the pup is 10-12 weeks old, it is unable to
really control or give you much warning when it needs to potty. Most pups act nervous or sniff the floor and walk in
circles. Watch for this and say your command you choose, “need to go outside?”, “need to potty?” and take the pup
outside or to your potty location. Usually by 12 wks a puppy can hold it about 6-7 hours at night too. I do not
recommend taking a new puppy outside in temps lower than 40 degrees. At this age they are very prone to catching
colds. I would recommend potty pads and when springtime comes, start the outdoor training.
There are several methods you can use: The very most important part to potty training is to keep the pup on the same
schedule and the same location every day. Right now the pup needs food and water available all day, but by 3-4
months old you can start a feeding schedule 3 times per day and by 6 months 2 times per day and by 1 year, once per
day. This eating schedule will help you predict when the pup will need to go. They will almost always go within 10
minutes after they have eaten. So you can see how important a feeding schedule is!
Crate Training while you are away for a maximum of 4 hours and at night. You will need a crate about 2-3 times the size
of your pet, do not get a huge crate because the pup will just potty in the corner and be able to get away from it. The
idea behind crate training is to teach the pup to hold it so that it does not dirty itself. From a very very young age, I see
the puppies get off their bedding towel to potty on the training pads so that they do not have to lay in wet bedding. So
this is an instinctive behavior. You must not put food or water in the crate at night. If you are gone all day long to work,
you will need to leave food and water. Sometimes with a small pup, a water bottle is the cleanest method of watering.
They will usually turn over their water and get all wet. I would leave a tiny crate type bowl with about a ½ a cup of puppy
food in it. Let the pup out at the same times everyday, first thing in the morning. When the pup hears people getting up
it will too start becoming active and want out to potty, do this before you do anything else. Take pup out to same area
every time. You might also want to leave the poop on the ground for a few days so that it knows it is okay to go there.
I would then allow the pup to eat and drink and 10 minutes later let the pup out again. You may need to confine a small
area to make the pup realize this is breakfast time, not play time. Provide water and food bowl outside of the crate. It
would be nice if you could go home at lunch to let the pup out. Provide at least one dry towel for the pup and one or two
toys. Repeat the breakfast routine again, take pup out to potty first thing, bring it back in and feed and water it and take
it out again. Offer extended playtimes outside of crate whenever possible, at least 2-3 times per day. Do not scold the
pup for mistakes, they will happen. If you scold the pup, it will learn that potty is a bad thing in general and will go hide
to do this in a hidden location. Make sure that you excessively praise the pup for pottying in the correct location
EVERYTIME. Small soft training treats are great too for puppies.
Exercise Pen Training/Potty Training Pads: If you work 8 hours then you are probably gone 9-10 hours away from the
puppy, then crate training is not recommended. This many hours per day left in a crate, can make a puppy crazy! I
recommend the 24" high wire exercise pens. You can get them for $40 from petedge.com online. They are easy to
move around and you can make them as small or as large as you want. At first you will just need to make it one panel
by two panels wide. This gives the puppy about a 2 x 4 area. The idea is to fill one side of the area with blanket or dog
bed and toys and in the middle food and water and on the other end, potty pads or newspaper. A puppy will learn not to
soil its bed and play area and will always use the potty pad. This will teach the pup that it is ok to use the potty training
pads. Of course when you get home take the puppy straight out to potty (weather permitting). After the pup has
reached about 6 months old you can just leave with a small amount of water and start scheduled feedings. This will
reduce the number of bowel movements and the dog will usually learn to hold it till you get home. You can at this time
increase the size of the expen to accommodate more play area! After about 12 months you can usually put the expen
away and trust the pup in a room in the house (without carpet!). By this age they should have reduced their chewing
needs and can hold their potty all day till you get home.
Doggie Door/ Outside Training is the best method by far. To get pup familiar with doggie door, have someone on the
outside and you inside and pass the pup thru the opening several times to help the pup understand and not to be
afraid, praise the pup after using it correctly. You may need to combine this method with some of the above methods.
But be careful not to confuse the puppy.
I highly recommend Micro-chipping your puppy. Your vet can also do this. It is common at 4-5 months for pups to want
to wander during potty time. This is the best thing you can do to help your pup find it’s home again. All vet clinics and
shelters have the scanners now, and can help him to be reunited with you again! I offer this chipping service but you
have to get it registered.
Dental care is very important in toy breeds. Usually a professional cleaning is required once per year. By about 8-9
months you will need to schedule his first dental cleaning. This is also a good time to remove any retained baby teeth.
(it is normal for some puppies, especially yorkies to not loose their baby teeth) Food can collect around the retained
baby teeth and the adult teeth and cause HORRIBLE breath and infection. Dry dog food is good to keep their teeth
clean, but you can also buy treats just for that. You can tell when you dog needs a dental cleaning, look at the tartar
on the back teeth. Also, bad breath is also a sign they need a cleaning!!!
Worm every 2 wks till 6 months, then monthly. Start Front line at 12 wks. Start Heart Guard at 6 months, see your vet.
SHOPPING LIST FOR NEW PUPPY OWNERS:
NutriCal or Nutri-stat 2 Tubes, one for home, one for trips
Eukanuba Small breed puppy food, I should have sent a coupon for you to use! Leave dry out all day.
Cesars Puppy Pink (not adult) (mix 1/2 can with 1/2 cup dry food once per day)
Small food and water crocs. These are heavy bowls and don’t tip easily.
Puppy Training Pads (kroger has the best deal locally, 101 for $19.99)
Collar/Leash, retractable leashes are great (small ones)
Harnesses work best for smaller headed dogs like poodles and yorkies,
but the collars work well on shihtzus and bichons.
Wire Exercise pen for either inside or outside unsupervised play. (recommend 24" at petedge.com)
Treats, I prefer the small moist bits, I like the Authority Treats liver flavored at petsmart and I cut them in 1/4 pcs
or they also love Chicken Jerky by Wagon Trails for night time crate training (walmart)!
Medium Size Crate (you will receive a small one from shipping that is great for night time) replace as pup grows
Sweater or rain coat for pottying in bad weather extra small or small
Nail trimmers, plier type not gillotene
Brush slicker brush and soft brush, wire comb and flea comb for cleaning under eye goo
Baby (human) shampoo for face, aloe and oatmeal shampoo for body and conditioner for winter for dry skin
Ear powder and ear cleanser, q-tips
Finger Tooth Brush and paste
Towels, small bath size and hand size or washable pet blankets or baby blankets for crate training at night.
Soft Dog bed for day time sleeping in ex pen.
Toys: Soft small stuffed toys, rubber type chew bones, kong, rope toys. No rawhide or bones!
FOR TEACUPS:
For emergency hypoglycemia, have this on hand: Honey or Karo Syrup
1cc syringe without needle (vet can give you-but get before you get puppy home)
1 can Science Diet A/D food for syringe feeding if hypoglycemic.
Pedialite, small (they sell 6 packs) good to have on hand
Heated Dog bed or clamp utility dome light w/ 60 watt bulb to mount safely above dog bed.
Human Baby Meat Sticks in jar (look like vienna sausages, but dont use them, too salty!) chicken or turkey!
Yogurt (I love the activia vanilla) they love it. I syringe feed about 3cc a day for pickey eaters.
Copyright, Laura Koch, revised 2-09