New Puppy Care Sheet

Puppy Care Sheet

PLEASE TRY TO KEEP YOUR PUPPY ON THE FOOD PROVIDED FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS AFTER RECEIVING THEM. YOU CAN THEN SLOWLY TRANSITION THEM TO WHICHEVER FOOD YOU CHOOSE, BY GRADUALLY ADDING MORE NEW FOOD THE THE ORIGINAL FOOD, THEN SLOWLY DECREASING THE OLD FOOD OVER A WEEK OR TWO.

The first 24 hours, you may noticed your new puppy is uninterested in his food, sleepy, or not pooping and peeing alot. This is generally normal for the first 24-36 hours after being picked up, as they are a bit unsettled and stressed to be leaving thier Dam and siblings, and thier familiar environment for the first time in thier lives. A Dam scented blanket has been provided to help comfort your puppy through this transition, and you can help by giving a little extra TLC, and talking calmly and soothingly to your puppy.

Most of our puppies are big cuddlers, and are soothed just by being held, or allowed to lay in a warm lap.
Warm water can also be added to puppy's food, to make it more appealing, and try to limit extra treats and such to help keep his/her tummy calm. Please do not try switching your puppy's food to try to find a brand they "like" better during this time. Quick changes in brand of food can lead to stomach upset, and lead to continued lack of interest in food.

During the first 24 hours, your puppy may experience some clear runny nose, or watery eyes, or tummy upset. They may also display mild cold like symptoms, and be more prone to picking up a infection or parasite, as their immune system can become stressed during the transition to a new home. You can help limit this occurrence by keeping your pup away from other dogs, and germs places, like dog parks, pet stores, and classes, until they are full vaccinated (generally 16 weeks of age) and no longer going through the new home transition period (roughly two weeks in their new home). Unfortunately, even with all precautions taken, they can still pick up a parasite or infection during this transition period. If symptoms persist for more then 24 hours, or they show signs of having difficulty breathing, coughing, fever, vomiting or diarrhea then you will want to consult your vet. This is generally a rare occurrence, but when in doubt, never be afraid to contact me, and/or your vet!

Training
Corgis tend to be stubborn and very smart. As a puppy, we have put your puppy gently on his back, and handled his feet on a daily basis, and done weekly nail trimmings. Corgis tend to be notorious for disliking having their feet touched, and nails trimmed, so we recommend you continue training them to allow you to touch every part of their body, with out protest. You can do this by being gentle, but firm. If they wiggle, wait for them to calm themselves before setting them down or releasing them! They will quickly realize it is more fun to cooperate and move on quickly, then fight and have it take longer. This goes for ears and mouth as well!

We do recommend crate training. It is the safest place for your puppy if your eyes are not on him, and makes house breaking much easier. Be sure he is never left in a wire crate with a collar of any sort one, as they can become caught on the crate, and injure your puppy. Try not let your pup out if they are barking, whining, or otherwise carrying on. Again, they can quickly learn sitting quietly is rewarded, while unacceptable behavior is not!

Be certain to let your pup out first thing in the morning (before breakfast even!) to go potty. Praise them when they go where they should. If for some reason, they have an accident in the house, you can pick up the waste and put it in the appropriate spot outside, to help give your pup the right idea. Always praise your pup for doing the right thing, and try to redirect when they do the wrong. If you see them try to eliminate where they shouldn't, a sharp "No" or loud clap of the hands can make them realize that they are making a mistake.
You want to get your pup outside to potty very often when they are working on house breaking. First thing after being let out of the crate, after eating, or if it has been an hour or 2 since they've been out. An hour before bed time, remove food and water, then right before tucking them in their crate for the night, take them out to potty again.

Your pup is a herding breed. They do naturally enjoy nipping, chewing, and herding. These things are acceptable, but do need to be channeled correctly. If your puppy is nipping hands, ankles, or other items, say a firm "No" or "Leave it" and replace the item (or body part, ha) with an appropriate toy or bully stick. You can also remove them your presence. Again, they learn very quickly! "If I am naughty, I lose what I want." With Corgis, what they want is generally being with their people and/or attention!

If you have a pup who is going to be alone during the day, a puzzle toy such as a Kong, stuffed with goodies and frozen, is a good way to keep your pup entertained and stimulated while you are away. We use xylitol free peanut butter, low sodium broth, small amounts of cheese, and various fruits and veggies to stuff ours. Make sure you never use grapes or raisins, as these are toxic to dogs!

Feeding
We feed free choice (food and water always available), as our dogs are very active. Your pup will eventually need regular meal times. Follow the directions on the bag of food you choose, and remember that smaller, more frequent meals are better then 1 big meal! Also, keep in mind any treats you may feed also will add to the calorie intake, and be aware of what you are feeding in total. Corgis are happiest with a defined waistline! An overweight Corgi is not living life to the fullest, and is at risk for serious health problems.

Your puppy has been well vaccinated and wormed, and comes from well vaccinated, wormed, and health tested parents. For pups born after 7/2018, this means Bordetalla at 3 weeks, Neopar at 4 weeks, and a 5 way plus Lepto at 7 weeks of age. Worming generally takes place at 2,3,4,6, and 8 weeks of age with Nemex-2, and a 3 day course of Safeguard at 7 weeks. We do run fecals at well checks, and adjust worming accordingly. Please keep in mind, young pups are very difficult to keep completely free of worms, as they generally love tasting everything they come across that smells interesting (read: stinky and disgusting). You will want to be sure that you discuss an appropriate worming and vaccination schedule with your vet, once you pick up your pup. Make sure you take your pups' worming and vaccination chart with you to your first vet visit, so that your vet is aware of exactly what your pup has, and has not received!

At the time of pick up, you were provided with your puppy's individual vaccination, worming, health records, as well as microchip info, and AKC registration info. I take care of registering your pup's microchip into your name, and completing his AKC paperwork. In order to do this, I must have your name, address, email, phone number, and the "official" registration name you have chosen for your pup. It is perfectly all right to take your pup home, and get to know him/her before choosing a name, but be sure to send the name to me once you decide, so I can complete the paperwork!  If I do not receive your name within 30 days of picking up your puppy, I do reserve the right to name your puppy in order to complete his/her AKC Registration.

Of course, if you ever have a concern, or question, ect. I am always here to help!! Never hesitate to contact me for any reason, and be sure to send updates when you can :)
Fawn Lane Farm Corgis