Raising your new puppy!

The following is provided to you as a helpful guide, for your new puppy to help inform you and keep your pup healthy through life!

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If I have recommended something in this guide then I likely have personal experience with it and would still recommend it over any possible side effects! That being said I will try to include details to help explain my recommendations!

I have 12+ years of experience in vet clinics and I hope you take the time to read my advice. I am always an email or call away if you have questions.

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I do recommend you find a close vet clinic that you like to also confide in and see them yearly to keep a relationship with them. This way they will be more likely able to see you in emergency and dispense medications to you when needed! Vet medicine is changing and extremely busy so keeping this relationship strong is important! Your vet clinic should be the first place you call if something has changed in your dog’s day to day life! Not Facebook… (yes, there is some helpful info there, but also a lot of misguiding info)

Your vet is there to offer advice, to confirm if you should be concerned or not. If your pet ingests something, is limping, lethargic, vomiting, etc, call them. They do want to help.

 

What Vaccines Should I Get for my Pet?

What vaccines are recommended to an individual pet depend on many factors: what kind of exposure to disease the animal has, what diseases are common in the area, what kind of stress factors are present, etc.

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Recommended Vaccines

-Rabies vaccine is required by law. Rabies is fatal as soon as symptoms appear and the only way to test for it is after death. Yes Rabies is prevalent enough to justify vaccinating! Especially considering the amount of animal imports from other countries. Visit this web page for detailed statistics of Rabies in Ontario; https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/rabies/rabies-cases-in-canada-2022/eng/1644357099939/1644357100705

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-DHPP combo. This is another standard vaccine that is mandatory. As a vet tech I have had the displeasure of watching many young dogs and puppies’ parish from Parvo and Distemper while their loving new families watch helplessly. These are preventable diseases when vaccinated properly!

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-Bordetella (Kennel Cough) is highly transmissible. It is like a severe cold for some dogs and in some cases can be detrimental especially in young or immune compromised pets. I recommend this vaccine if your pet will be doing dog sports, socializing with other dogs, going to the groomer, visiting relatives’ pets, going to a boarding kennel, etc. This vaccine will not cover all strains but helps keep your pet safer in any social situation.

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-Leptospirosis is now considered a core vaccine. Lepto is highly recommended as it is a serious disease transmitted by wildlife urine everywhere. This disease is also transmissible to humans! It is prevalent in Ontario and is life threatening very quicky.  

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-Lyme When it comes to Lyme I recommend preventative medications since ticks carry more that just Lyme. In addition, you can get the vaccines for stronger defense. Most tick diseases like Lyme are hard to tell if they are present until you maybe see a sign which often means the disease has advanced.

Preventatives can protect against ticks (which carry several diseases including Lyme) fleas, and intestinal parasites.

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Vaccines Reactions -When it comes to vaccines in my years of working in practice, I rarely see vaccine reactions, and when I do it is often minor. Minor localized swelling, pain at the injection site, in rare cases maybe vomit or diarrhea which is also often stress related and motion sickness. If you are worried about vaccine reactions, I recommend booking your vaccine early in business hours and even sitting in your car for 15 minutes before you leave the clinic. Most serious reactions would happen within this time period.   

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In the end this is your puppy, as a breeder and a vet tech it is my job to inform you as best as possible to help keep your new family member safe and with you as long as possible!

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Following is a vaccine schedule I recommend.

8 weeks old

‐DHPP

12 weeks old

‐DHPP + Lepto

-Lyme +/-

(combined vaccines available for DHPP/Lepto)

16 weeks old

‐DHPP + Lepto

‐Rabies

-Lyme +/-

‐Bordetella Intra nasal or Oral vaccination

1 year and 4 months old

‐DHPP + Lepto

‐Rabies

-Lyme

‐Bordetella Intra nasal or Oral vaccination

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DHPP can then be given once every 3 years, Rabies can also be given once every 3 years, Lepto, Lyme, and Bordetella are always yearly vaccines.

Vaccines must be boostered by their ‘due date’ on the certificate from your vet. This will be 4 weeks for booster vaccines. As long as you do this, your vet will be able to licence the vaccines for as long as possible (1-3 years). If you are late for vaccines, your vet legally cannot licence the vaccine for the maximum amount of time.

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Visiting your vet for yearly exams is a good idea even if your pet does not need any vaccines to ensure you are not missing anything underlying, especially as they age. This will also keep a great relationship with your vet.

This being said make sure you regularly look at things you may not think of on a regular basis; like ears, teeth, mouth, nose, toes, belly, genitals, etc.

As your best friend gets older, I would recommend doing occasional bloodwork and maybe even an xray to take a deeper look into their health. This can help to catch conditions very early should your older pet develop any treatable medical issues. I usually think about these things once my dog is around 7 years old. If they are developing ‘old age’ related symptoms or are on medications, it may be recommended that you do blood work more frequently by your vet.

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Prevention!

I strongly recommend monthly prevention. These days the weather is unpredictable but as soon as we are seeing temperatures around 0⁰C that means we have ticks waking up in the grass and leaf litter. It is recommended to use Flea and tick prevention year round now.

Heartworm prevention is used from June to November. (Yes I also see Heartworm yearly in pets that come into the clinic) (if you travel south it is recommended to use heartworm prevention year round due to the strength of the strains south of Ontario)

Getting a fecal test every now and then is definitely beneficial if your pet is exposed to poultry, rodents, other animals, dog parks, etc. Otherwise regular preventions should help keep them clean. Remember some parasites are transmissible to humans through the skin even, EWW!   

 

Products:

**Nexgard Spectra** is an oral prevention for fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal parasites that you would give at minimum from June- Nov. (year round would be ideal!)

**Bravecto oral is a decent option for the winter months of the year to prevent fleas and ticks as it only has to be given once every 3 months. ‘1 tab covers Nov, Dec, Jan’

*Nexgard is a monthly oral flea and tick prevention that you can get at your vet.

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(Topical Advantix (not safe for cats) is available in pet stores; the only pet store product for I would approve for flea and tick at this time. This is a safe product to use for fleas and ticks. The most common side effect is irritation at the site which can be helped by putting some vitamin E on the area before applying)

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There are other preventatives that your vet may offer that are also fine; these are just a few I like to keep it simple.

I personally use and recommend Nexgard Spectra year-round.  

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Spaying and Neutering!

I do recommend spaying or neutering anytime from 6 months old. It does somewhat help with training by keeping your pups mind free from distractions. In no way does it replace training however. I do recommend spay and neuter at 6-7 months of age for the less experienced dog owners, other intact dogs in the home, etc.

If you choose to wait until your pup matures a bit more then you can do so at a later date. I do not see any harm in either option! However, if you do wait then you need to be aware of some things! Talk to your vet about risks like Pyometra, mammary mass’ and pseudo pregnancy in females so you know what to watch for. But most importantly if you are not fully prepared and knowledgeable in proper breeding practices, then keep them on a leash and away from other intact dogs. All dogs sold are on a Spay/Neuter contract and must be altered by the age of 2 years old. 

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Diet!

Your puppy has been started on a med breed puppy diet, which is what I recommend for the first 7-12 months of their life. If your puppy is a healthy weight then I recommend switching to a medium breed adult food by around 8 months to help prevent obesity and other issues. Please follow feeding guides on the bag. Keeping your pet on the leaner side is far healthier for them and their joints/back in the long run then accidentally getting a little chunky. Take a look at your pet from above and from the side, you should clearly see their beautiful curves! If you’re seeing a tube then it’s time to cut back! Corgis are well known for being great eaters and it is very easy for them to gain weight! My corgis generally eat 1/2 - 2/3 of a cup twice daily dependent on the number of treats and their current weight. 

Brands I recommend include; Royal Canin, Hills, Fromm, Purina in no particular order.

I do not recommend big store brands or boutique diets that do not have studies behind them.

*Absolutely never feed a grain free diet as it does have proven negative effects on the heart that can be irreversible once noted.

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When it comes to RAW diets, I do not recommend them. They are an art and there is a reason why we do scientific studies on pet food. It is hard to ensure a puppy gets the right amounts of nutrients to grow properly. Of course, kibble is not perfect either but it is much more accurate and scientifically tested (the brands I recommend). Unfortunately, as this diet became popular, I have first hand seen the negative effects on puppies that were fed raw, from GI issues/inflammation, dental, growth/bone developmental issues, and GI blockages. Therefore, I no longer support this as a good dietary option. I do add some dog friendly snacks in here and there. Carrots, blueberries, lettuce in small amounts is a nice treat.

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Housetraining and House Rules

Your new pup is well on its way to house breaking! They may be used to going on a washable incontinence/pee pad. They are used to going out frequently, whenever they wake up, right after eating, 15-30 minutes after eating, and right before bed. It may be helpful to place one of these pads near the door they are expected to go out to the bathroom. If your catch your puppy going to the bathroom, just quickly and calmly put them outside and praise them when they are there!

One of the first things your puppy must learn is housetraining. Their bladders are tiny. You need to take the puppy outside to the area where you expect dogs to do their business the moment the puppy wakes up in the morning and after every nap, after every meal, after indoor playtime, and last thing at night. The more often you go outside and praise the puppy for going there, the faster your housetraining is more likely to occur. Do not punish a puppy in any way for an indoors accident; it just teaches a puppy not to eliminate in front of you. That being said, keeping your puppy in eyesight and on your mind when they are out of their kennel will help expedite the process! Whenever your puppy seems agitated or restless this might be the sign they have to go! Some pups will quickly learn where the door is and if you see them near it that may be a sign.

Just as puppies must learn housetraining, they also need to learn your household rules. If you do not want your adult dog on the furniture, don’t let the puppy on the couch even once. Of course, you do not want your puppy running out the front door at full speed, so it’s up to you to teach them to be in an alternative location other than the door when it opens. Reinforce the behaviors you want to see, redirect the ones that you don’t want to see, and reinforce behaviors that are incompatible with the undesirable one (i.e., go to a mat instead of your lap during meals, chasing other pets, etc.).

Whatever puppies perceive as acceptable behavior, even if you’ve said “just this once,” will be sure to continue. They don’t speak English. The entire family must be on board with the rules or the puppy will be confused! Rule #1, be consistent and clear!

The primary socialization period for puppies is between the 3rd and 12th week. An increase in social play is seen around 7-8 weeks, with hypersensitivity to unknowns happening between 6 and 8 weeks of age. Puppies should be exposed to most of the situations they will encounter as adults before the end of weeks 3-14.

Crates are very important to your dog. I request you crate train for several reasons. Safety being #1 If your pup is in the crate then you know exactly what they can or can’t get into! I personally do not put anything they could possibly chew (blankets, soft toys) in the crate. I do give them treats, their meals, kongs, very durable toys, water only.

Crate training also helps give your pup a quiet place to hide when they need ME time. It will make house breaking way smoother. It will ensure your pup does not get into things when you’re not home or watching them. It will also give them a safe and less stressful space to call home when you are on vacation or for any other reason you may have to leave your pet with a friend, vet, or boarding kennel. They will be happy for something familiar.

Start crate training right away. Lots of small spurts in the crate will help them get used to it, even when your home and just need a break! Put them in with some treats and make it a fun training game. Get them to go in and out by gently encouraging them at first. Feed meals in the crate will help also. When you put them in to leave them inside for a period of time, put them in with a kong filled with food and treats, or something to get their attention for the first little while then leave them be, even cover the crate door with something to block their view at first so they can relax.

Socialization Does NOT mean to let everyone touch your dog, it is actually quite the opposite! Socialization is actually ‘exposure’ to many things they may encounter on a daily basis. Bring your puppy to places with different sounds, floors, stairs, people. Home hardware is a good example of a place where there is a lot to look at with the ability to keep distance from people and pushy excitable dogs. Your puppy needs to see that nothing bad happens when they see people, dogs, traffic, hear noises, walk on grates, etc. Start slow and work up to more. If your puppy shows some hesitation, encourage them along with ‘good girl/boy!’ ‘Your so brave!’ as soon as they make any progress. Let them hear new sounds while offering treats for tricks, or play with favorite toys so they can associate these fun things with sounds and sights that may be a little concerning normally. They will quickly gain confidence, trust, and no longer be hesitant if you make it positive for them! Using words like ‘its ok’ puts a nervous tone on something that is not scary! Acting like its not scary is the best way to show them its fine!

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Safe toys!

Safe toys are important. As a vet tech of course, I have seen many horror stories! I avoid toys with frayed ropes, stuffing, plastic bits that can be chewed easily, balls that are small enough to lodge into the back of the throat. There are plenty of other safe options. Kong offers many safe options, but be aware some of their toys are not as tough! There are tire toys, nylabones, dogwood sticks.

It's important to play with your dog, I highly recommend a good game of tug daily, letting your puppy get lots of "wins" so they want to bring the toy back to you! Pick a toy just for this game and they will really want to play again next time! This shows them that not only is the toy fun, but it's way more fun when your involved! This is the first "teaching game" many dog trainers will start with to get their dog engaged with them!

When it comes to chewing, I do not recommend anything harder than their teeth. I do use nylabone, and the Petstages Dogwood chews occasionally!

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Training!

Training is a necessity for a corgi. I highly recommend finding a balanced trainer to help you navigate. A frustrated or bored corgi is not fun for anyone.

I have listed a few places you can find training advice.

I highly recommend using a balanced private trainer with good reviews.

I also train dogs occasionally through a board and train program as well as private sessions if you are local.  

In Durham ‘Correct Canine’ (also offers board and train)

‘Nordik K9’ in Barrie

Tom Davis Dog training YouTube and Instagram

‘Shield K9’ have a few locations.

Michael Ellis at Leerburg- you can find some on YouTube or their website.