It’s a very exciting day when you pick up your puppy for the first time. It seems obvious that you will have to feed and give her a lot of love, but what else is involved in keeping your puppy healthy? Much. That is the simple answer. So let’s start from the beginning.

You should never take a puppy away from its mother too early – anything less than 8 weeks old really doesn’t give a dog the best chance at life. Sometimes pet store puppies come from their mothers at six weeks, and in that case they won’t have the full immunity that mother’s milk provides.

You should always take your puppy to the vet for a checkup when you first buy him. He needs his ears checked, and his nose should be moist and not runny. Your eyes must be clear. Assuming all is well, then your vet can explain the two main issues with your pup: vaccinations and flea control.

Depending on where you live and your state’s laws, the required vaccinations will be different, but sometimes your puppy will need a series of shots and won’t be ready to fully socialize until 12 weeks of age. Do not take your puppy to play with adult dogs if you are not sure that the adult dog has been vaccinated.

Once your puppy has been vaccinated, you should make an annual trip to the vet to keep the vaccinations up to date. Many kennels won’t accept dogs unless this is the case, so if you’re planning on vacationing away from your pets at any time, keeping vaccinations up to date will be vital.

Flea and tick control and heartworm control will depend on the climate of the state you live in. It’s hard to give all puppy owners accurate advice, but asking any dog ​​owner at your local dog park is probably your best bet. You will need to know how often they use products that kill or prevent fleas from living on your puppy.

Some dogs will also have allergies, to grass or flea bites, so you will need to see if your dog is scratching too often or is chewing on parts of his fur. If you start to see bald patches, you may need to have your vet do an allergy test. In this case, flea control is probably even more important.

If you can, have a dog groomer teach you how to care for your dog as well. You need to know how to keep your puppy’s coat healthy, nails trimmed and ears clean too. Good quality food. [http://www.snooppooch.com] Dog food is vital for a healthy life.

There are a few other things you shouldn’t forget too: never letting your pup near traffic, having a fully fenced yard, and even considering microchipping him; If it’s not a legal requirement, it’s a great way to ensure that your beloved pet will always be returned to you if it’s lost.