Welcoming a new puppy into your home is an exciting experience, but there’s so much to learn and prepare for!
Here’s what you need to know to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Puppy Vaccinations
We vaccinate new puppies with a C4 vaccination to keep them safe from Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, and Canine Parainfluenza. In addition, we recommend a C5 vaccination at the second or third vaccination to protect your puppy from Bordetella (known as kennel cough).
Visiting vaccinated pets for playdates is fine, but we recommend keeping your puppy at home before they’re fully vaccinated to keep them away from potential illnesses and parasites.
Vaccination schedule:
- 6-8 weeks
- 10-12 weeks
- 14-16 weeks
Your puppy will be fully protected and safe to meet other dogs ten days after their final vaccination. Following this, your dog will need an annual booster shot.
Preventative medications
Your dog will also need to take a number of preventative medications to protect them from fleas, ticks, and worms.
Intestinal worm prevention
To protect your dog from intestinal worms, you should get them wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. Then, from 12 weeks of age, get your puppy wormed monthly.
Heartworm prevention
We recommend monthly tablets from 10-12 weeks of age until six months of age to control heartworm. After this, you can protect your dog from heartworm with an annual heartworm injection, or by continuing monthly tablets.
Flea and tick prevention
Fleas and ticks are a threat to puppies year-round. If your dog goes outside, including spending time in your backyard, then they’re exposed to fleas and paralysis ticks.
Learn more about protecting your pet from ticks
There are so many different flea and tick prevention products on the market, but we recommend using thoroughly tested products. Come see us for our product recommendations.
Desexing your new puppy
Desexing has a range of benefits for you and your pet, including preventing unwanted litters, reducing behavioural problems, and even lowering your council registration fees!
The ideal time for desexing is at 5-6 months old as the council now has additional fees for dogs desexed after six months. Although, if you own a giant breed dog, you can talk to us about getting an extension to allow you to desex your pet at nine months.
Learn more about desexing with us
Diet
Nutrition is the basis for good long-term health for your pet. We recommend feeding your dog high-quality dry puppy food for 10-12 months for small breeds, and 12-18 months for large breeds (for large dogs, large breed puppy food is ideal). Then, you can switch over to high-quality adult dog food.
Diet also plays an essential role in dental health. You can start brushing your puppy’s teeth once they get their adult teeth at six months. Alternatively, we recommend giving your puppy dental chews for them to use for about 15 minutes daily.
Puppy preschool & socialisation
It’s important to start socialising your puppy at 2-4 months old. In fact, this is a critical time, as early experiences can influence and shape dog behaviour well into adulthood.
Puppy preschool is a great way for your furry new friend to learn social rules and meet different types of dogs and people in a safe environment.
Find out about our puppy preschool program
Microchipping and registering your puppy with the council
Microchipping your dog is a legal requirement and ensures that someone will contact you if your pet ever gets lost. After microchipping, you can register your puppy at any time. However, we recommend registering them after they get desexed at six months old to get your council discount.
You can register your puppy through your local council or online
Pet health insurance
Vet bills can add up quickly in the unfortunate event that your dog needs emergency surgery or intensive care. It’s essential to have an emergency savings fund ready for your pet or to invest in pet health insurance. There are a variety of plans and pet insurance providers, so we recommend exploring your options and choosing the plan that’s right for you.
