Socializing a Puppy:

What an adventure you’ve begun!  A new puppy and member of your family has arrived.  Proper puppy care is no easy task, however it is very rewarding and worth the time and effort.  To let you in on your pup’s life and to get you thinking from their perspective...your pup has currently socialized with the Impact Dogs family of people and friends, the pup’s mother and their littermates.  They have spent the majority of their life roaming and playing with their four-legged brothers and sisters and currently see the world through the lens of a 12” tall furry ball of playfulness. This is quite different from you and me who are quite accustomed to the world around us; knowing lots of people, places and things which we find completely normal.  However what we perceive as normal, your dog may think of as very foreign. Let’s talk about socializing your puppy and what that means. Commonly when a new puppy parent hears the word “socialize” they think about introducing their puppy to new people. And while people play a part in socialization, they are only a small part of it. Trains, sidewalks, horses, shiny statues of people, shiny slick floors, etc. are all foreign to a new puppy that has just entered this world. So, it’s our job to positively introduce them to the plethora of new things which we live with every day.  Impact Dogs has started their journey to socialization through Biosensor training, obstacles, different surfaces, etc. but you now have to take full responsibility for their continued socialization and put in the work towards having a great adult dog.  This is where many pet owners fail to put in the time and effort leading to an improperly socialized adult dog. Once your pup is fully vaccinated (see below) you need to get your puppy everywhere you will ever have them as an adult (or at least environments which closely mimic their future).  Meaning, walks through pet-friendly stores, up to a picnic table at the park, across a busy road in the rain, on a leash next to the campfire, around your Saturday morning coffee buddies….so on and so on. Have you ever observed a dog which shied away when it encounter something new or slowly crouched up to a new object as if they were waiting for it to explode....most likely their owner never introduced them to those things during their developmental stages.  

So your job is to introduce your puppy to everything!!!  As a professional dog and K-9 trainer, here’s how I positively do this at Impact Dogs. We take a dog into a new environment, walking them in or around the new area/object as if this was simply part of life...casual, not even paying much attention to the new area/object.  If the dog sees that you aren’t afraid or nervous about the new area/object and walks around/up to it with full confidence...GREAT! However, if the dog shows any hesitancy, fear, or nervousness at all, we pause and take some time to introduce the pup to the area/object by creating a positive experience around/with the new object/area.  Let’s take a quick journey through animal behavior and then come back to this story….dogs (like most animals) simply learn by associating (or pairing) a behavior with an outcome. This could also be stated as 1. A dog does something (walks into a new building) 2. Something happens either positive, neutral, or negative (Positive: The cashier hands them a treat. Neutral: Nothing notable takes place. Negative: A cart falls over as they enter and scares them.) 3. If the dog had a good experience it will most likely want to repeat the behavior (walking into the store again) or if it had a negative experience it will most likely not want to repeat the behavior in the future (stop at the door and pull away).  SO….back to the story...if the pup walks in or around the new area/object and shows hesitancy, fear, nervousness, etc. it’s our job to make that “thing” a positive experience in order for the dog to want to repeat the behavior in the future (we need to manufacture the cashier handing the dog a treat so to speak). We can’t fully understand what a pup is thinking when they get nervous about something new….are they seeing a reflection that we can’t see from our angle, are they associating the object with their one evil littermate that liked to chew on their tale :)...we can’t know because we can’t exactly think like a dog. So our job simply becomes to make the new place/object a good/positive thing....to rewire their brain into thinking and remembering something good about the place/object in the future.   For example, we can do this by turning the object or place into a game of chasing the pups favorite toy past the object or by turning the object/place into life-sized treat dispenser and giving the pup treats as they walk upto to the object or by showing the dog physical affirmation (petting) or verbal affirmation (talking calmly, assuringly) as we touch the object ourself...you have to become creative and do what works for your pup. You see, it become your job to show the pup that the place/object is a good thing to be around and rewire the puppy's brain and memory to believe the object/place is a positive thing that they want to repeat in the future...simple as that! We do this process with new stores, vehicles, people, floor surfaces, noises, outdoor places and the list goes on and on. The ball is in your court now...have fun, be creative and set your dog up for success.    

Puppy Health & Veterinary Care: ​

Your next few weeks and months will require a lot from you as a puppy parent.  Raising a puppy is a lot of work, however it’s a very rewarding endeavor which leads to a great life with your pup.  We recommend you visit your vet within a week of taking your pup home or at least by your pup’s 11 week birthday.  Your vet should provide all necessary tips and advice on how to care for your dog.  We’ll discuss what types of care your pup has received at Impact Dogs and give you an idea of several steps your vet might recommend in the future.   Dogs in general are prone to types of illnesses and worms which us humans rarely face and we have to care for them accordingly.  As a result, Impact Dogs (and now you, into the future) must deworm, vaccinate (as your vet recommends) and provide preventive care to your pup.   We dewormed your pup at 2 and 4 weeks using Pyrantel Pamoate and at 6 weeks using a five day dose of Safe-Guard (fenbendazole) which also helps to protect against giardia, a common puppy parasite.   We gave your pup 5-way vaccine at 5 & 8 weeks of age as a strong preventative against Parvo.  This does NOT mean your pup is vaccinated however, they have only begun the 3 or more phases of vaccination. Your pup will need at least two booster shots to ensure they are fully vaccinated.  Please do not take your pup to dog parks, boarding kennels, etc. until they are fully vaccinated (meaning they have had at least two more booster shots).   Each vet may recommend a different vaccine schedule but at Impact Dogs we vaccinate with 5-way shots at 8, 10, and 14 weeks of age.  Your pup will also need their rabies vaccine between 12-24 weeks of age (as recommended by AKC).  At Impact Dogs, we have our vet give the rabies vaccine at their 12 week visit. If you plan on your pup visiting other dogs, going to a dog park, boarding kennel or anywhere else they will be exposed to other dogs, you will want to request a Bordatella vaccine from your vet, which protects against kennel cough.  As far as preventative care, you will also want to discuss medications to prevent heartworm, fleas and ticks.  There are several great products out there, at Impact Dogs we use Iverheart Max for heartworm and parasite prevention and Nextguard chewables for flea and tick prevention.  These medications are to be taken once a month, so we recommend saving a reminder in your phone or on your calendar to give this medication at the same time each month.    

The following chart is utilized by Impact Dogs, however, consult your vet for their recommendations.  

Impact Dogs Provided:
2wk -Worm w/ Pyrantel
4wk - Worm w/ Pyrantel
6 wks - DA2PP
6wk - Worm w/ SafeGuard (5 day dose)
8 wk - DA2PP 

Puppy owners Responsibility:  Consult your vet for recommendations and advice
8wk - Heartworm w/ Iverheart Max
10wk - DA2PP (5-way), Boradatella 
12wk - Rabies (vet) & Heartworm w/ Iverheart Max
14wk - DA2PP (5-way)
16wk - Heartworm w/ Iverheart Max
18wk - DA2PP (5-way)

Puppy Food:

 Food:  We should care about what we eat and also what our dog eats.  Your pup is used to being fed three times a day, which should continue until around 16 weeks of age and then can be reduced to two times a day.  Consult your dog food bag or vet for proper feeding amounts. You will need to feed your pup a food which states in the fine print of the recommendation “for the growth of large sized dogs” (sometimes called Large Breed Puppy food) for the first 12 months of age and then a good quality adult dog food after that.  After lots of research into dog food and dog nutrition, I’ve discovered this is vitally important for your dog’s proper bone growth, development and overall health.  Why “large breed” puppy food?  The main difference between regular puppy food and large breed puppy food are the amounts of calcium and phosphorus.  Since larger breeds develop at faster rates than smaller breeds, large breeds actually require less calcium so their bones don’t develop too fast or too large which could cause hip dysplasia or other issues. We feed our pups Purina Pro Plan 30/20 food.  If you want to change from this food, we recommend visiting dogfoodadvisor.com and finding a large breed puppy food rated 4 stars or higher to feed.  As far as adult dog food, there are many great options.  If your dogs is performing consistent high-energy tasks (working dog), you may want a performance dog food (around 30% protein & 20% fat) and if your dog is only exerting average amounts of energy (like most pets), you may want a maintenance dog food (usually 9-15% fat).   

As far as how much to feed, consult the dog food bag label.  This is a general guideline and you may need to fluctuate a little more or less according to your dog's weight. Don't allow your dog to become overweight.  It is always better to have a slender-toned dog with only a little fat, than a very overweight dog.  Just like with people, an overweight dog will begin to experience health complications much younger.  As far as German Shepherds go, you should maintain a slight indentation near the flank (between the ribcage and rear legs). 

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Dog Grooming: ​

A few considerations in grooming are types of combs, frequency of bathing, cleaning ears, and trimming nails.  Combs:  Over years of working with German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, I’ve found only one comb that gets the job done quick and nearly effortlessly...the Furminator dog comb.  We use the the “long hair” “large” version which seems to be the best fit for those breeds.  To use the Furminator, you aplly a variety of long and short linear strokes going “with” the flow of hair in a straight stroke and also in a scooping stroke. Taking a 5-gallon bucket of hair out during heavy shedding seasons is no myth with the Furminator which helps to keep your house, kennel or car much cleaner.  Bathing: Most dog’s skin has a tendency to dry out rather than be too oily, especially puppies.  Bathing too frequently makes their nature oil levels in the skin too low and can cause dry, flaky or itchy skin.  We recommend only giving your dog a bath when you notice them starting to “stink like a dog.”  For normal pets, this is usually no more than once a month and for some dogs they may only need a bath every two-three months.  If your dog is prone to rolling in something dirty or stinky or you truly feel they need a bath more often than once a month, you should use a good quality moisturizing shampoo. Ear cleaning:  This is one of those areas “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” but German Shepherd as a whole, having erect-forward-facing ears, are prone to needing their ears cleaned.  There are different complications that can arise, simple dirty ears that need cleaned to funguses or infections that need treatment by medications.  Most dogs, even German Shepherds, who live in clean environments and receive regular grooming measures won’t face any serious ear complications.  If you notice your dog’s ears appear dirty with build-up, you notice your dog digging at their ears, or if you observe a foul odor coming from their ears, have your vet check them out and recommend a treatment.  Ear treatments can range from cleaning with a basic liquid solution and/or cleaning with Q-tips to administering medications.  Nail trimming:  Puppies can have sharp nails that scratch us and our home.  Simply trimming their nails on an “as needed basis” with help prevent this.  Unlike humans, dogs have blood vessels in the rear and middle portion of their nails.  This “quick” as it’s often referred to, will bleed a large amount if trimmed into.  As a result, only trim the tip of their nail which is usually a slightly different color shade that where the “quick” is present. ​

Potty & Crate Training:  ​

A negative stigma of metal “cages” or the like, has evolved over the years from puppies locked in pet store crates, to videos of puppy mills surfacing on YouTube.  Don’t let this stigma of improper usage stop you from using a dog crate, either metal-wire or plastic, in the correct manner.  Dog crates are nearly a necessity to quickly potty train your puppy and prevent them from chewing your house up.  A puppy’s life needs to be fully managed, simple as that.  When I have people come to me with potty training and puppy chewing issues, I always start with a crate.  A secondary type of puppy confinement is a metal-wire exercise pen or metal kennel.  Exercise pens are not a replacement for a crate but rather an optional addition to a crate to give a little more freedom during day time hours.  First off, if a puppy is properly crate trained, they often love their crate, as most dogs enjoy a secluded area where they can get away! To crate train, we start by making the crate a positive memory, not a negative one (see Socializing section above).  We usually place treats or food on the floor around the crate and let the dog eat it, getting used to being by the crate.  Next, we progress to placing treats/food inside of the crate with the door open and letting the dog go in and out of the crate to get the treats.  We then progress to tossing a treat/food into the crate, letting the dog go in and shutting the door behind the dog.  While the door is closed, we feed a few treats/food through the door or side of the crate and then let the dog back out.  We progressively keep the dog inside the crate for longer periods of time, 2 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 mins, 1 hours, 3 hours etc. occasionally walking past and dropping a treat to the dog.  This process usually is accomplished in a day or two.  We then will leave the puppy in the crate overnight while we sleep.  Most puppies will at some point during the first few nights of being in a crate, start barking, streeching, wining and causing all sorts of noise...it’s important not to let them out when they make extra noise.  Remember how dogs learn...they simply associate a behavior with an outcome...so we don’t want them to think, “If I just make a bunch of noise, someone will come get me out.”  As a result, the first few nights of teaching crate training and potty training together, we will place the crate in an area of the house where we can’t hear the commotion, we will then set an alarm to wake us up every 3-4 hours to let them outside.  This accomplishes potty training but also teaches them that we will let them out on our schedule, not anytime they just make lots of noise.  If this sounds harsh, just think of the alternative, you wake up to a puppy poop in your carpet, chewed trim around your house and a puppy with a stomach full of wood pieces which could kill it...a few nights of commotion is ok!   After just a few days of this process (if you stick to the plan), you should have a quiet puppy in the crate while you sleep.  

To use the crate for potty training, you must first realize a few facts...1. Dogs don’t like to potty where they sleep  2. Dogs are going to go potty  3. Like people, dogs usually go potty after they eat  4. Your dog wants to learn how to please you, you just have to train it to do so.   So for starters, we recommend a crate which has an adjustable divider, so you can make the crate small while your puppy is small and larger as your puppy grows larger to keep it from wanting to go potty in their crate.  Next, you have to create a schedule combining times to play with your puppy, feeding your puppy, having your puppy in their crate and taking the puppy outside to go potty.  I’ll illustrate a  schedule we have found to work at Impact Dogs.  The puppy sleeps in the crate (letting the puppy out every 3-4 hours a night for the first couple weeks), when we wake up we feed the puppy a morning meal in the crate and let them out to go potty AS SOON AS they eat.  Once they go potty outside, the moment they start going or finish, we verbally mark their good behavior with a clicker or by saying “good” or “good boy” and then give them a food reward for doing what we want them to.  We bring them inside and play with them (now that they have just gone potty and should have any accidents).  After about an hour of playing or having supervised roaming, we put them back in the crate.  After another hour or two of being in the crate, we take them outside, mark and reward their going potty outside and repeat the process.  By keeping them back in the crate for a duration of time, it teaches them that they can in fact hold it.  This is the easiest and quickest way to potty train that we’ve found.  If you want to avoid the crate as much during the day time or use an exercise pen, you will need to take them out every hour or so, mark and reward them going potty outside and repeat.  If you find that your pup still is going potty in their crate, simply take them out to go potty more frequently and then slowly increase the time again.  

Chewing Prevention:  ​

Puppies are going to chew, simple as that! They are teething and dogs in general explore the world more with their mouth than us humans do.  So, if we can’t prevent it, how do we at least keep them from chewing up our house and hands?  Again, you have to manage the puppy’s life through confinement (discussed in crate/potty section), creating a schedule (discussed in crate/potty section) and now by offering them an alternative to chew on (i.e. toys).  If you can’t directly supervise your puppy then they need to be in a crate or exercise pen (usually made of metal-wire panels which create a circle pen about 6-8 feet in diameter) with toys to chew on.  Make sure to only offer approved “chew” toys to your puppy and not soft decorative or play toys.  We recommend and use Kong “rubber” toys, either the light blue or pink for puppies or the red or black for adult dogs.  For extreme adult chewers, use the black rubber Kong toys.  We do not use any non-Kong branded toys for unsupervised chewing.  Puppies will eat anything and everything!  As a result, we do not place towels, mats, sticks or anything the puppy can chew up into their crate or exercise pen until they have proven over time that they won’t eat it (usually around 12-18 months of age).  If you have a problem with your puppy trying to bite or chew on your clothing or skin while playing with them, which is common with German Shepherd puppies, simply shove a chew toy near their mouth as an alternative.    

Have a great life with your puppy, they’re beautiful animals that deserve our care and attention.   

Sincerely, 

Matt Cox, Impact Dogs owner

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