Your puppy needs to learn to be groomed, hugged, touched and restrained on your terms. The more puppies are familiarized with these procedures, the less they feel threatened by such experiences and the less likely they are to bite when touched, particularly during stressful situations such as visiting the vet.
Touching and stroking the puppy all over, as well as holding, gently hugging and restraining him, builds a trust and an acceptance that will be projected on to people outside the immediate family.
Early Grooming Sessions
Start grooming sessions as soon as you get your puppy. Keep them short to begin with, gradually extending the time taken to groom him. In terms of oral hygiene, as soon as you get your puppy, get him used to having his mouth opened and inspected, and also to having his teeth cleaned to help prevent tartar build-up and periodontal disease.
To clean his teeth, start by rubbing your finger dipped in dog toothpaste on his gums and teeth. Once he is used to this, progress to using a dog toothbrush, or finger tooth-glove, and gently brush his gums and teeth. Both the toothbrushes and toothpaste are available from pet stores.
Puppy Vaccinations
For many reasons, some people are for vaccinating dogs, while others are against (the frequency of booster jabs being a particular problem). However, from the vet point of view and due to a lack of scientific evidence to prove otherwise, the balance is in favor of vaccination because there are some unpleasant and lethal diseases that dogs can fall victim to.
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Some insurance companies insist that dogs are vaccinated before they will issue policies; if vaccinations are not kept up to date, the insurers may not pay out in the event of a claim, so check the terms before signing up.
