Jordyalan's Interesting Dog Articles

Before You Bring Your Puppy Home, You Need Some Supplies

Before bringing home your new puppy, you need to have some supplies that are necessary for having a puppy. You might think having water and food is all you need, but you will need a few other things to get you started and enjoying your puppy.

What You Should Have Available

The first thing to get is the food and water dish. Keep in mind that the stainless steel dishes are the best and are hypoallergenic. They are also easy to keep clean and should not need replacing very often. Always avoid plastic dishes as they can cause problems for some dog breeds as well as they are easy to chew up.

If your puppy would chew on a plastic dish, it could create sharp edges that can cut the puppy. They could also shadow the pieces that may cause some internal problems for the puppy. They can also create quite a mess if they decide to chew up the water and food bowl.

Before bringing your puppy home, you need to have some food, but you need to determine what kind of food you should have to feed the puppy. You can ask the breeder for a good dog food, but you also need to consider that the puppy needs the proper nutrients, vitamins, carbohydrates and protein as well as fats. Do not think that all dry dog foods are right to feed your puppy, if it does not have all the ingredients that a growing puppy needs they will lack a proper diet.

You also need a place for the puppy to sleep. You do not need to have a fancy bed, but something that is easy to clean and place in different places is idea. Some people even use some clothes they have worn for the puppy to sleep on, it has their scent and calms the puppy. You can crate them for sleep time or have another area that will keep them safe.

All puppies need toys. This should include chew toys such as bones and squeaky toys. Balls are good for playing fetch as well as Frisbees. You only need a few toys, but you should have enough to keep the new puppy entertained. Do not give the puppy an old shoe or a rolled up sock, as this will confuse them as to what they can chew on and what they cannot. They do not know the difference between old and new.

  By Kelly Perry of

How to Fend off the Sexual Mounting by Your Puppy

It is often a great shock when a new dog owner finds their puppy mounting their leg; most new dog owners have no idea what to do when this happens.  Sometimes the dog owner will quickly retract their leg and tell the dog no, while other times the dog owner believes that ignoring the behavior and letting the behavior dissipate on its own is the best course.

Unfortunately if the dog owner just ignores the behavior they are actually letting themselves become subordinate to their puppy, this can lead to severe behavioral problems in the long run.  Some common behavioral problems for puppies left to become dominate include becoming overprotective, barking and biting.

The best way to stop your puppy from sexually mounting your leg is to immediately pull back your leg in a startling manner as soon as your puppy starts mounting it.  Combine this immediate movement with a verbal command of “NO” every time the puppy begins to mount your leg or other body part.  The sexual experimentation of your puppy is a normal process as they mature, but it is important as the owner to establish your dominance in the household and not allow the puppy any type of sexual mounting behavior at all around you.

If you are having an extremely hard time breaking your puppy of their pattern of sexual mounting it may be important to establish yourself as a leader again.  This can be accomplished with regular obedience programs as well as some nonphysical commands.  It will be necessary to distract your puppy before they began mounting, you can use food distractions but a better distraction is activities such as playing catch.

When you are dealing with a puppy that has an extreme case of sexual mounting everything they come into contact with, you may have to stop all petting and praising.  For these puppies you will need to withhold all affection unless they have specifically obeyed a command.  When they obey a brief command, such as sitting, you can offer them a quick rub on the back and then continue about your normal activities.

Through the process of persistence, education, and love you will be able to break your puppy of the annoying mounting of your leg or visitors in your home.  With proper care and attention this type of behavior can easily fade away within a couple of weeks, if you do not give this type of behavior the proper attention it needs it can last throughout the life of your dog. Take the time necessary to train you are dog in how you want them to behave around you and the people that come into your home.
By Kelly Perry of 

Where to Adopt Your Next Dog

There are a variety of ways to add a new dog to your family.  Each has its benefits and its potential problems.  So, it is important to consider all of your choices and make the decision that will allow you to find the right pet your family.  The most common places to adopt a dog include dog shelters and breed rescue associations.

Dog Shelters, Dog Pounds and Humane Societies

Responsible animal shelters, dog pounds or humane societies can be some of the best places to find a dog for your family.  Most of the pets that end up in these shelters were obtained by families who did not understand the responsibilities of caring for a pet or who had an unforeseen change in their family circumstances and can no longer properly care for their pet. 

Good shelters will make sure that the dogs have a complete medical screening and are healthy.  The shelter will get as complete a history of the pet as it can and will thoroughly assess the dog’s temperament.  Shelters typically offer a good range of services to make sure that a dog is being placed in the proper home.  They may offer pre-adoption counseling to make sure that you fully understand what is required to properly care for your dog and to make sure that the type of dog that you adopt is a good fit for your family.  Most offer dogs for adoption who are up to date on their vaccinations and have already been spayed or neutered.  Some shelters even offer post-adoption services including dog-training classes and medical services. 

You will pay a lot less for your dog at a shelter than you would from a breeder or pet store and you can feel good about knowing that you prevented a dog from being euthanized when you welcomed him into your home. 

One of the potential problems with adopting a dog from a shelter is that you can’t be sure of the dog’s history since shelter staff are relying on previous owners to fill in the gaps.  Another potential problem is that you may not get the dog that you want.  If you have your heart set on a certain breed, there is no guarantee that a shelter will have that particular dog, especially if you are looking for a dog of a particular gender or age.

Breed Rescue Associations

If you are looking for a dog of a particular breed then a breed rescue association might be a good place for you to begin your search.  These type of rescue associations usually only handle the adoption of one dog breed.  So, they are a good way to find a particular breed of dog and provide it a good home.  Their prices are usually significantly lower than a breeder or pet store.  However, they may have dogs that have been abused or have health problems.  You may also need to adopt an older dog rather than a new puppy which you could get from a breeder.

So, if you are looking to add a new dog to your home then consider doing a good deed and adopting a dog that would be otherwise euthanized.

Article by Jake Roberts of 

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