Where will puppy Sleep?

Young puppies sleep a lot! While it is vitally important to interact with your puppy to build your relationship, space and quiet time is also very important to the dog.

Your puppy needs to feel that it has a place of it’s own, where it can feel safe to sleep and to retreat from the rather overwhelming new world it has just been placed in.

To achieve this you need to give your puppy the following:

· It’s own designated space / area, preferably enclosed and NOT NEXT TO A RADIATOR!
· Soft bedding
· Old towel / item of clothing which smells of you
· Newspaper or other suitable material for toilet until house trained
· Continuous access to water
· Couple of toys

If you are planning to keep the dog outside the house please ask for further specialist advice from BMK. We are happy to discuss the design of kennel facilities with you.

Creating a puppy-proof zone

Puppys chew – anything and everything they can get their jaws on. This is at once inevitable, irritating and potentially dangerous. Electricity and telephone wires, plug sockets and video/music cassettes are among a wide range of common household items that are potentially lethal to your new family member. This is to say nothing of the money you could end up spending on new fabrics / wood / shoes etc.

The easiest way to avoid this (or most of it) is to deny access. Think about the area where the puppy is going to be unsupervised and ensure that this area is as chew proof as possible.

All puppys will try to chew inappropriate items, so it’s important that you provide something satisfying that the puppy IS allowed to chew. Many products are available but BMK favour tug toys made from dental floss. Please consult us for details.

Over time, you will be able to train the puppy to only chew appropriate items – this is part of basic training along with toileting etc. We are happy to advise on any aspect of basic training.

Equipment & Toys

Some new owners spend a LOT of money on their dogs. Yes, you need to spend some cash on basic items, but you don’t need all the kit at eight weeks.

· Food and water bowls appropriate to size. BMK strongly recommend stainless steel bowls with an inverted lip to prevent spillage.
· Couple of toys (including chew item). These must be very tough – no bells,squeekies or other such designed for small dogs.
· Collar and lead
· Grooming Comb

Puppy Food

Correct nutrition is vital for a healthy and happy GSD. Your puppy needs the right balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals to grow.

From weaning, BMK dogs are fed with a mixture of raw minced beef and Friskies Beta Complete Bio Plus (puppy) dried food. We strongly advise that you feed the same combination for at least the first two weeks of the puppy’s time with you. Any change in diet should be introduced gradually over a period of at least one week.

Your puppy has been used to feeding three times a day and we would recommend that this is continued until about four months when feeding frequency may be reduced to twice daily. Many dogs will prefer to stay on two feeds, others will let you know if they only want their food once a day but don’t step down to one feed per day until at least eight months.

Many owners feed scraps. This isn’t wrong in itself but be sure to include them in the dog’s meal rather than feeding as tit bits. They should also be of good quality - the general rule is, never feed your dog something you wouldn’t eat yourself.

No spicy foods please and NEVER FEED CHOCOLATE TO YOUR DOG. Chocolate contains chemical compounds which are poisonous to canines.

From about three months you can introduce large raw bones. These should preferably be marrow bones. Never feed any form of poultry / pork bone or cooked bones.

As always, please ask if you need further advice on any aspect of nutrition.

Bringing your bmk puppy home

On your way home, try to maintain as much physical contact as possible with your new puppy.
Do not feed the pup anything, including titbits, until after you have arrived home. On a long trip, make a stop every 2 hours so puppy can relieve itself (on leash). If the trip lasts more than a couple of hours, offer the pup a bit of water every 2 hours.

After arriving home, give the pup a chance to relieve itself in a quiet area. Carry the pup to the area you would like it to eventually use for it’s toilet and let it sniff round. Give the trigger word you have chosen for toilet and the pup will soon relieve itself. This is a good start to toilet training.
Next, feed it inside the pen you have set up with the food provided as soon as possible. Offer it as much water as it wants. When finished eating and drinking, immediately take it out to relieve itself again and stay outside with the pup, repeating exactly what you did when you arrived home.
If this went well, relax and let the puppy explore the new home at it's own pace, but under your very close supervision. If it did not relieve itself, take it out again every 10 minutes until relieved.

Puppy’s first day

You are a strange person with a very different scent, definitely not a pack member, and therefore may well be dangerous. While selecting the puppy, you may well have intimidated it by looking at it repeatedly with staring eyes, the way a cat looks at a mouse just before killing it. Now it has been taken and isolated from it's familiar surroundings and playmates. Being taken away from everything that is known and dear and precious can only lead to disaster in the pup’s mind. According to the puppies inborn pack instinct, being separated from its pack means certain death. Not a good beginning for a new relationship.

The best way to help the new puppy overcome it's apprehension is to let it experience it's new surroundings and it's new pack (family) at it's own pace. We explore anything new with our eyes and remember most things in the form of pictures. Dogs explore anything new with their nose, ears and mouth, and form memories of smells and sounds and whether it's edible or not. Give puppy plenty of opportunity to explore, sniff and play under your supervision whenever it feels like it, and let it rest and sleep without being disturbed by family members. Maintain your distance, do not force yourself onto the puppy, in this way puppy learns to come to you.

After a few days it will become accustomed to all the new smells and sounds of your home and realise it not only survived the ordeal, but had a lot of fun making new friends.

A puppy's first impressions are the deepest and longest lasting; make sure they all are as positive as possible. That's why one of the most important first things for you to do, is to feed the pup some of the dog food that came with the pup as soon as you get home. Remember to give the pup a chance to relieve itself within 10 minutes after feeding and immediately after prolonged periods of sleep

Introducing your puppy to children

Do not let any children play with the pup without your very close supervision!

It is unreasonable to expect children to understand how vulnerable, lonely and lost the new puppy feels after being taken out of it's old environment, so you simply have to establish (and enforce!) some basic rules.

1. The pen is the puppy's very own and private bedroom (refuge), where it can sleep absolutely undisturbed whenever it feels like it.

2. Respect puppies and dogs for what they are. The new puppy is not a toy, but a living being with feelings and wants and needs similar to children, yet different because it came from another world.

3. Children are not allowed to chase, or run after, or pick up the puppy; and play with it only after it has come to them.

4. Loud screaming and running games, or playing with sticks will give the pup the impression that children are unpredictable and scary, or fair game to chase and nip (bite). Even the tiniest of dogs has a deep - seated genetic urge to chase and catch wild prey.

5. Only an adult can prevent the pup from mouthing any children. You have to intervene by placing your hand over the pup's muzzle and then pressing it's upper lips against it's teeth with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other side of it's muzzle. If the pup continues, do it again by pressing a bit harder until you get a little yelp. Now it knows you really meant it. The pup will understand what your intentions are, because this is the way mum taught the pup to stop nursing.

6. Older children that have shown leadership qualities should be encouraged to take an active part in your training.

Introducing your puppy to other household animals

Between 8 and 12 weeks of age is a crucial and very useful development period for a puppy. This period is called “the imprinting period”. This means that whatever your pup experiences during this time will have a lasting effect and will be learnt easily. Use this period wisely to introduce other household animals, travelling in the car, visiting the vet, etc.

Always supervise VERY carefully the introduction of the pup to other animals. Be vigilant: if the other animal is smaller than the pup, the pup may think it is a prey item or play thing and accidentally injure it. If the pup shows signs of this then gently teach the pup that this is wrong by using your thumb and first finger to pin the pup to the floor by the neck, whilst saying “no!” in a firm voice. The pup will soon learn how to behave but this must be repeated with each new animal it meets. If the other animal is larger than the pup you must be extra vigilant that the pup does not have negative experience, which could stay with him for life and affect his view of other animals in general. The larger animal must be taught that it is wrong to intimidate the pup and the pup must be taught not to hassle the other animal

If you have concerns about introducing other animals, please talk to us in more detail.

Vets, Health & vaccinations

BMK kennels is deliberately sited in a remote location for a number of reasons. One of these is to minimise the chance of infection. Your BMK puppy will be supplied having been vaccinated at eight weeks of age but (probably) prior to the essential second set of jabs at ten weeks. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU HAVE THE PUPPY VACCINATED AT TEN WEEKS.

BMK will supply details of the eight week innoculation to ensure that your vet gives the correct vaccines.

Although not mandatory, responsible breeders will test their male breeding stock for haemophilia. Please feel free to discuss this with us if you intend to breed from your male BMK puppy in the future.

Your puppy will have completed a full worming programme. You need to continue this monthly until six months and then worm regularly as directed by your vet. BMK use and recommend PANACUR for puppies, and Bayer Drontal Plus for adult dogs.

Please, please use an effective flea agent on your dog. It makes for happier dogs and happier owners. BMK use and recommend Merial FRONTLINE spot on.

A good veterinarian should be "down to earth" (have more concern for the dog than for you), answer all your questions without hesitation, ask questions that may reveal clues about the pup's health rather than what else he can sell you, and not sweet talk you into buying ‘special’ food or taking unnecessary tests and x-rays, etc. A vet that talks too much, is afraid of getting bitten by a German Shepherd puppy, criticizes or refuses to accept a breeders vaccination schedule, insists on your leaving the pup at the clinic for observations, etc., is setting you up as a cash cow.

House training

The German Shepherd is a clean animal by nature, all you have to do is give it half a chance by opening the door! Your puppy will be clean first and then dry.

There are a number of methods to house train your pup, the preferred BMK method is :

1. Place newspaper in the puppy pen (your pup will be used to using this) but now you are starting active toilet training this is only really for accidents.
2. Ensure that 10 minutes after eating and immediately upon waking up you take the pup to it’s spot outside, stay with the pup and give a trigger word that you have chosen for the toilet command. Say the word again and again until the pup relieves itself.
3. Immediately after the pup has finished, praise it saying “good <insert trigger word here>” and make a general fuss of the pup.
4. You will learn to recognise the signs that your pup needs to go out. It will generally run around in circles sniffing the floor, or try to go into a corner or behind the sofa. Watch constantly for this and when it happens, pick up the pup immediately and take it to its toilet area, repeating the trigger word and the praise afterwards.
5. A door may be left open to the garden if it is a secure area, so that the pup can learn to go out itself. But don’t forget to keep watching for the signs while the pup is inside.
6. The least possible chances for failure and the more chances for success and praise will mean that your pup toilet trains quickly and easily. Puppy will soon begin to go to the door and look at you expectantly to open it.
7. If puppy makes a mistake in the house, do not scold it! It will not associate any reprimand with the mistake and this will just cause anxiety. Clear up any mess without letting puppy see what you are doing.
8. If you catch puppy in the middle of doing it’s toilet inside, say a firm “No!” and carry him outside to his toilet spot. Give lots of praise when you get there and repeat the trigger word for toilet.

Early Weeks

1. Socialise puppy at every opportunity. Take him to lots of new places with different sounds, smells and lots of people, traffic, children. Give him a week or so to settle with you first though and then don't put him on the ground outside your house/garden until after he has had his second set of injections.

2. Never tell him off angrily. Decide on one word/noise for "no" I use a noise which sounds like "Ach Ach Ach" - (short stacato) and when he stops doing the bad thing praise him immediately! Have some treats always on hand and reward him for stopping. Always use this positive reinforcement to get him to behave.

3. When he settles with you and grows in confidence he will start biting your hands and ankles. Train him out of this using treats - but keep the treat in your fist, fingers tucked well in and release the treat out of the side of your fist. He will learn he only gets the treat when he is gentle. You can also use a soft rag toy to divert his teeth - when he bites at your sleeve/hands etc, give him the rag toy and he will learn that if he wants to bite and chew he can only do so on the rag toy. This will also save your carpets, curtains, sofa from chewing when he starts teething at about 5 months old! Always keep a range of interesting (safe) toys and chews etc to keep him amused, especially if he is left alone.

4. Don't give him constant access to these toys. When you are around, take them up and put them away for a time. He needs to know they are your toys which he is allowed to play with sometimes. This will help to avoid any possessiveness later. Get him used to you taking these items off him. Also get him used to you putting your hand in his food bowl while he is eating. If you can borrow some children to help with this even better!

5. Toilet training - GSDs are generally clean animals. As soon as he wakes and also about 10-15 mins after eating, take him outside to where you want him to learn to go toilet. Stay with him! This is important - many people put the pup out and go indoors. The pup gets worried that he has been excluded from his new pack and can't pee. Then he gets brought in again and is so relieved that he is back in the bosom of his new family that he relaxes and pees!! Then there is a load of fuss and sometimes anger - he can't understand what is going on! So, stay with him and as soon as he performs give him loads of praise - act like he has just won you the lottery and give him a treat. You can also say a key word as he is performing like "go toilet" and when praising use the words "good toilet, good boy"

6. Dominance - Always eat something yourself before feeding him and let him see you doing this. This mimicks the fact that in the wild, the pack leader always eats first. Do not let him sit on the furniture or beds - subservient pack members always belong at a lower level not an equal one. Always insist on going through doors first - don't open the door for him to trot through ahead of you. It is very important that you identify yourself very early as the pack leader. It is easier doing these things with a tiny puppy than with a 5-6 stone adolescent!

7. When he gets older, at various times in his development he will challenge you or other family members for pack position. This is totally normal and shouldn't be regarded as a problem - just a phase which needs dealing with practically. Things he may do are: growl when you take a toy away / approach his food bowl, try and sit on the furniture, barge through doors in front of you, refuse to obay previously learnt obedience commands. You can really limit this behaviour by carrying out advice in point 6 throughout his growing up. When he does start to challenge you, you must remind him who is pack leader by being assertive, assuming a very commanding voice and divert his attention by walking off purposefully and saying "come" he will be confused, and will usually come. When he does give him a treat. Issue some more obedience commands with treat rewards for about 5 mins before returning to the original request. Whatever you do, do not turn the issue into a confrontation.

8. Puppy classes - my advice always is to avoid these until your pup has the basic commands: sit, down, stay, come, perfectly and is over 6 months old. Teaching dogs these basic commands is not difficult to do at home, in the garden or later on, in the park. Trying to teach a pup / young dog these basics in a training class is like trying to teach a child algebra in the middle of a pantomime! Just make sure that as well as home training, your dog receives plenty of interaction with other dogs. The other problem with training classes is this: If an aggressive pup/dog lunges at/attacks your pup it may have an everlasting effect on your dog, especially at a young age. It can make your dog fear agressive - a dog who will always attack first just in case the other dog may hurt him. Be careful of the dogs your pup meets elsewhere too.

These are some of the things we include in our puppy pack to new owners. I hope they are helpful to you and your new pup.

It is so important that these things are done consistently from an early age. With some of the above points you have a "window" between 8-12 weeks and then it becomes more difficult.

Most importantly, the time you spend with your new pack member should be FUN for both of you. Let us know how you get on. . .

contact@bmk.org.uk