New Puppy Check List brought to you by Akitas de MacLeod

Puppy Check List

Due to large demand I have established a new puppy check list. Please STAY OUT OF PET STORES WHERE DOGS ARE - your puppy needs packaged toys, not ones that were drooled on by other might-be-contagious dogs. You can bring germs home of your feet from these areas. Walmart and purchases online are fine - no kids' outgrown stuffed animals with removable eyes! Included in the list below is a list a things that you will probably need for your new pup:

Pet insurance - I do not endorse any products so there are no companies listed here. However, there is one link on the Links page of a company whose name I see often. Get a program that covers the vaccinations, spay/neuter, medical expenses, Heartguard and Frontline and accidents and it will be cheaper then your puppy checkups alone..... before the one year renewal, switch to a more inclusive program that covers surgeries like TPLA and TPLO and bloat and things of that nature

The Dog Listener by Jan Hemmel (usually inexpensive copies can be found on Amazon.com)

a crate (I suggest a LifeStages crate because you can move a divider back in it as the puppy grows instead of repurchasing larger crates or a Walmart large plastic crate if you will be doing any traveling.) - A small plastic crate comes with your puppy ONLY if it is being shipped to you!

another suggested item would be a diagonal playpen, especially if you have small children, so that you and your children choose when they pet the pup and not vice versa which sends mixed signals regarding pecking order. The taller the better, they are called x pens.

a veterinary visit scheduled within the next two weeks after arrival to have a checkup and booster vaccines and preparing for heartworm preventatives (a stool/blood test is needed before your begin Heart Worm Preventative.

You will also want to start the pup on Frontline Plus when it is old enough. I suggest getting on the Dog.com email list. They send you an email for 10% specials frequently and Frontline is inexpensive through them.) Depending on the weight you are buying for, PetEdge.com may be even cheaper on Frontline.

a big tennis ball (three times the size as normal tennis ball so that they can't lodge it in their throat as they grow up)

a stuffed animal without eyes or anything else sewn on it (Pet Edge is the most affordable or Walmart has some! I don't ever buy puppy toys from Petsmart, Petco etc as every dog has drooled all over them carrying who knows what diseases.)

water and food bowl (stainless steel is the easiest to keep clean and heavy enough not to be knocked over) You must be careful with elevated food and water because if it is too high and they have to reach for food with their tongues, it can cause bloat. The objective is to have the food at their neck level so that they can stand naturally while they eat and not have to grab for food, getting air at the same time. If their food doesn't get elevated as they grow, their body weight will start to curve their front legs and they will stand on their wrists instead of on their paws. This effect can be turned around, if you catch it quickly enough, by elevating their food. Otherwise, you will begin encouraging joint damage. I suggest heated containers for outdoors in cooler climates and Lixits for anywhere at all - no cleaning needed - try www.gundogsupply.com

scatterproof rugs to cover all slick surfaces, hard surfaced flooring etc where the puppy will be including outdoor concrete and staircases. As their joints are developing, the should stay off slick surfaces and staircases, slipping can permanently injure the joints

a puppy shampoo - tearless

Flint River Ranch Kibble food or if you feed something else, change gradually (You will not need to order FRR until 2 weeks prior to getting pup!) You will need the "Regular Kibble For Puppies and Adults which is ordered here: www.frrco.com/121522

a treat of some sort - we suggest any of the ones here (click logo):

a collar with name tag (Name tags are cheapest at the Walmart machine) I like these collars from Walmart and many other places; they are adjustable slips and I buy the large which can be altered for puppies and then changed as they grow:

    - collar for $3.50 at Walmart

    - adjusted to fit an 8 week old pup

     - same collar let out to fit adult

a leash (if you use a halter, let someone fit it for you if you aren't sure how so that it doesn't rub even though it may look fine. Try PetEdge for savings!) Please read our instructions on how to properly use a leash as probably 98 percent of dog owners don't know how to leash walk a dog!

Outdoor watering devices:

For those of you in extreme heat climates, I would definitely look into these but they are good for anyone! The first, most obvious device is a watering bucket with a floater device in it. You hook it up to your spicket outdoors, leave the spicket all the way on, and it fills automatically to ensure that the dog always has water. You can alter the floater level inside so if you have a bird problem, you can lower it, or if your dog won't stick it's face down very far, you can raise the water lever. Of course, you could mount this on a wall, the back of your house, or a structure that you build. Mine pictured is for horses, because I have so many dogs using it at once. However, you can get smaller options for dogs if you like but there isn't much price difference.

The second device, above the bucket, is a little trickier to use but Akitas are smart enough to figure it out with persistent lessons. They lick the tip, or nudge it, and it drops a stream of water, like a hamster uses in a cage. However, you will need to watch for build up in it, and clean it often to get out the sediment as well. If you are in an extreme climate, you will need to cover it with a shelf or something similar to keep it from freezing or burning your dogs face. As you see, mine are put together on a y divider so that they can both be used on each spicket simultaneously. I find these are a must during outdoor play and beat constantly refilling water bowls!

I bought mine at my local feed store but since you have time for planning in advance, you could buy them much cheaper from the online venues that I have mentioned!

bleach for constant disinfecting, especially on picked up stool spots so that any worms or other parasites or bacteria do not reinfect the pup as he plays.

Peroxide and Bacetracine for cuts that don't need a vet but need to just be cleaned....never put Neosporin on a dog! If the pup is showing some discomfort, you can give one Baby Aspirin every 12 hours for every 24 pounds. Any other pain med, unless prescription, is toxic to dogs.

digital thermometer with a pack of covers and some KY jelly. (A fever over 101 in a normally healthy dog is too high! In extreme summer climates (Arizona), most hospitals say not to worry if the dog has been outside unless the fever goes over 103 but consult your own vet to be sure what is normal for your area!)

Benadryl in case they get bitten by something but don't need medical attention, can take one 25 mg Benadryl tablet for every 35 pounds.

Baby Aspirin, it is pretty much the only thing that you can give for pain without a prescription. Other human pain meds are toxic to canines!