Bringing your new puppy home

Before bringing your puppy home make sure your home is puppy proof -medicines, chemicals, certain plants–is out of reach. Probably you have agreed in the family early on what the dog can do in the future, what not, what you intend to teach him, etc. - Creating and growing a relationship between the dog and his new family begins on the first day. When you come to collect your puppy, take his collar and leash, water, bowl, some towels and paper because the puppy can vomit during car ride home.

Coming home

The puppy is probably already so stressed that he tries to take a nap on his new bed. Let him rest! The puppy should gradually introduce his new home. Let him choose the right pace for himself. Do not invite the friends over to  meet him immediately in the first few days. Let the puppy recover from stress and get to know his new home. Be calm with your puppy, lie down, let him get to know you, offer him a lot of tenderness and a sense of security. It may be that the puppy is so stressed that he has no appetite - no reason to worry, it's natural. This appetite is coming back slowly. It is important that all family members behave calmly and normally. Once the dog has calmed down and become more confident, introduce him to his toys and try to play with him. The puppy gets tired of course and you have to let him have enough rest. Remember that the puppy must not be disturbed when he sleeps or is resting. Also explain it to children!

First night in new home.

This is very difficult for the puppy because he has so far been used to sleeping with his brothers and sisters. If the breeder has given you a soft toy or some other item for the puppy with familiar and homemade scents, we recommend putting it in to his bed with him. In the first few weeks it would be good if the puppy could sleep near a family member. The puppy would then be a contact with hearing, smelling, and cognition. Since the dog is a social being, ISOLATING HIM FROM HIS FAMILY IS WORST PUNISHMENT FOR HIM! Especially for a puppy who has been separated from his habitual and safe environment! It prepares the dog for serious psychic suffering! Many problems can arise from this. The puppy is leaning on you, treat him humanely! When the puppy crying for the first night, touch him and talk to him with a soothing voice. Offer him a sense of security!

Housetraining your puppy

Being taught to potty training must be patient and consistent, and your efforts will bear fruit.

• Always bring your puppy to the yard after awakening and after eating.

• Don't play with a puppy until he has done his buisness.

• Praise and reward the puppy when he has done his buisness.

• Avoid punishment! Only then can the puppy be kept clean if he has the thing completely clear, i.e. he has learned to pee - only the yard.

• Always bring the puppy to the pee - the same place, which should preferably be a little separate and quieter.

Teaching the name.

In fact, it's very simple. The dog should be associated with something pleasant, the name should be repeated when the puppy contacts us, looks at us, stroking, praising, giving him a treat, feeding, inviting him, etc. Usually the puppy learns his name very quickly. You call the puppy by name only for praise, not for ban.

Name used:

- calling a puppy;

- When a puppy comes to you;

- giving the treat;

- petting a puppy;

- if the puppy is looking for your closeness;

- by inviting to eat.

So the puppy learns his name quickly. When you invite your puppy, use only the puppy's name at the beginning and when he comes to the invitation, praise, pet and reward him. When the moment comes when the puppy is wagging his tail and looks you in the eye when you have called his name, then you have reached one of the most important goals.

Teaching you puppy to come when called

The puppy also learns this quick. It should be remembered that the coming to you must always be great for the dog! When we see that the puppy is coming to us, we say "Here" with an encouraging and friendly tone of voice. When he comes to our commandment, he has to praised, give him treat, pet him, or play with him. Soon he will associate it with coming to us. You should never call a dog to punish, reprimand, or follow any unpleasant activity. The puppy is called only when he is sure he will execute this commandment. There is no point in forcing the puppy to come to the play if we do not offer him something exciting and more fun. Never start to chase your puppy, it just takes it as a sneaky game. If the puppy does not listen, shout at him and run in the opposite direction, if the puppy now notices that he is "left behind", he will follow us quickly. This exercise should be done often, so the puppy learns to stay in this herd. It is always important to be interesting to your dog!

Teaching of being alone

The most important thing I always emphasize is to teach being alone !!! The Pyrenean Mountain Dog seperation anxiety is more a breed feature than a behavioral problem, so teaching your puppy to stay home alone should begin early. Seperation anxiety is easy to come to breeds that have a strong herding insticts = desire to be with others, and a herd instinct is needed in livestock guardian dogs that they stay with the herd and protect them from predators. A man and a dog form a herd and your puppy has a strong bond with your family members and always wants to be with you. Staying at home alone, however, is the skill that every dog needs in their lifetime. Inadequate teaching leads to separation anxiety. This is a weakening problem for the quality of life of both the dog and the owner in the case of a large breed. Therefore, special attention must be paid to teaching the puppy to be alone at home.

It is often planned to take a puppy during a holiday and it is very good if you do not forget to deal with the continuation of the puppy's teachings that the breeder has already started. In the worst case scenario, enthusiastic start with the socialization of the puppy with family members, to whom he is very fond  of and then forgetting to teach about being alone. The holiday is over and family members go to work, the puppy is alone at home for the first time and does not understand when family members come back and is full of energy. Coming home, you may have a surprise where your home has been reorganized by a puppy.

It is best to teach the puppy to be alone when he is tired. The emotional state of mind learned in the training phase is related to the learned activity.

Teach your puppy to rest in a room where she should stay alone. Room with her bed, water bowl, paper where he can pee on and toys. When a puppy tries to come with you, starts to bark, scratches the floor or jumps against the gate = don't pay attention to it. Ignore and soon the puppy will calm down and lie down to sleep. When the puppy is lying down and sleeping, then open the gate / door. Teaching for being alone requires continuity and patience from the owner. Take your initial goal to have your puppy alone for at least 30 minutes after a few days of exercise. If you have to go to work then make an area for the puppy where he can be and is safe for him. When returning home, the puppy is ready to give you the joy of jumping in your arms, but avoid the initial overwhelming emotions. Leaving and returning is part of everyday life, so it is not advisable to add an intense mental state - at least by the owner. If your puppy has done any trouble then do not bunish him because the dog is living in a momentary motion and he does not understand why he is being bunished.

Prohibition and Punishment.

Hopefully this shouldn't be written here, but just in case again - any physical punishment of the dog is unacceptable! We must always remember that we cannot demand from the dog what we have not taught him! As a puppy, we teach the dog the rules that are allowed, which are forbidden. The puppy needs to be taught what the word "No" means. It requires a lot of patience because the puppy learns only through his own experience. If the puppy does something unacceptable, let's say clearly to her, "No," and as soon as she interrupts her activity, we praise her and give her a treat. Command only once - don't repeat "no-no-no". For dog ears, this sounds like a nonsense. The command is short and with a definite tone. When it comes to banning, it is important to offer the puppy an alternative activity, which should, of course, be even more interesting and fun for him. One option is just to get his attention away.

Now using teeth. It is quite natural that the puppy also uses his own teeth to get to know the world, ie. he tries to chew our hands, he tries to hang on our trousers, etc. Instead of banning her right away, she should instead teach her to use her teeth correctly. The puppy must be shown that biting is painful! When the puppy is hurting you with teeth, shout "Ai", look at him for a moment, and go away from him for a few minutes. That's how his brothers and sisters would work. This puppy who is doing too much for others just doesn't play. When you come back, it's naturally forgiven. Remember, puppy wrestling, her backstroke and more. is pointless. The herd leader never uses violence! A "winning" puppy is not a "winning" adult dog. In the worst case, the dog will be afraid of you, but to prove itself may become aggressive towards children and weaker ones. It is just as bad for the dog to shout (the hearing of the dog is more sensitive than that of the person), which makes the puppy nervous and insecure.

Caring for a puppy.

It is important to practice from early start looking at the teeth, cutting the nails, cleaning the ears, etc. It may be quite unpleasant for the puppy at first. All these actions must be made pleasing to him! The puppy cannot immediately be required to stay in minutes. He must be trained gradually with these actions. Playing with her, touch her paws, look at her ears, tap her mouth, and so on. In the game, he doesn't notice it. Petting her along her back and practice her hand-to-hand contact. At first, you shouldn't try cutting her nails all at once, but one at the time and when the pupy feels tired. When doing all the maintenance, you have to act with determination - if a puppy is struggling, you should not give in. You have to behave normally and calmly. Don't emphasize with your voice. Don't forget to praise good behavior!

Phases of Dog Character Development:

4 - 7 weeks

Time of creation.

Needs a lot of human interaction 

8 - 12 weeks

A fast learning era.

Learning about human movements and words.

13 - 17 weeks

The era of hierarchy development.

At this age, a puppy must never win owner in the games.

5 - 6 months

The era of organizing herd relationships.

Any co-operation / action makes the dog happy, the puppy is looking for authority.

7 - 12 months

Puberty: nature changes, male can become particularly enthusiastic and sometimes disobedient.

The puppy must be treated calmly and sympathetically but purposefully.

Time for socialization and intensive education.

True character traits appear more clearly.

Growing puppy movement.

 The puppy must be allowed to decide on his own need for movement. He is allowed to play and check when he wants to. The puppy wants to sleep a lot on the day and then let her rest in peace. The sleeping dog must not be disturbed!

Let the puppy to be outside as much as possible when the weather is dry. Moisture, wind and frost are dangerous for a small puppy because the puppy coat does not protect against moisture and cold. The puppy can easily freeze if he is allowed to lie on the ground or even sleep. All movement is not good for the puppy, but it must be done correctly so that the puppy's bones and coordination develops correctly. Let him stay, sit and watch the world, wonder and explore. The puppy should not be forced to move, but if the puppy wants to go fast, let him do it. The floor on which the puppy moves must not be slippery and the nails must be cut. It is also not a good walk on slippery ice. Walking the stairs is not healthy for the puppy, but he must be taught to move up and down the stairs carefully. Raising two paws is forbidden, as well as bouncing and playing with large dogs. The development of skeleton and muscules takes time.

When the puppy is 6 months old, he can gradually start practicing with longer walks and slowly extending them. Caution must be exercised with thick snow, which are a burden on the developing skeleton. If you start with walks, make sure they take place every day. Occasionally longer walks do not develop muscles, but burden the developing skeleton. Swimming is a great exercise. The dog must be introduced with water in a playful way, in no way forced. In the spring and autumn, be careful with thin ice. After swimming, the dog must be dried. Swimming adds to the need for coat care. Skin problems can occur if the undercoat remains moist. It is therefore necessary to check the skin, especially under and behind the ears.

A dog under two years old may not be used as pulling weights. At the age of two, you can start training with harness and pulling empty weights.

When your puppys is changing his teeth its not reccomended to play pulling cames with him. It is important that the dog will develop correct bite

Puppy and children.

The puppy must not a toy for children. She is a family member and she must be treated as well. If the puppy comes to a new home, the children should not be alone with her at least at first. It is the duty of an adult to teach children how to behave with the dog - calmly and patiently. The puppy must not be alloed to have rough play with children as it may become a habit. The puppy grows very fast and big but still still a puppy in mind, he does not feel his strength and can inadvertently injure children in play. Children should not take the puppy on the lap (sharp teeth and unexpected movements). Child should not allowed to go out alone with a puppy or an adult dog because he / she is unable to behave in unexpected situations - traffic, meeting other dogs, etc.

Toys.

 The puppy must have only his own toys, and in no case borrowed from the children. Toys must not be made of rubber or leather or, let alone plastic, which the puppy can easily chew broken. Too small toys are dangerous in that they can be swallowed and suffocated by the dog. Suitable toys are, for example, a large enough knotless leather drawer, a large enough solid rubber ball, latex toys or, for example, an old towel that is carried by the knot. NB! Look carefully at the small parts of the toys that the puppy can chew (eg eyes, buttons, etc.). They must be removed before giving the puppy a toy.

Grooming

Grooming your puppy starts at puppy age. The puppy is groomed every day to get used to combing. The puppy must not go away before grooming is finished - this is decided by the owner. At least once a week, the whole dog must be combed properly. When brushing and combing, keep in mind that the brush or comb must go through the hair to the skin. Knots are easily formed behind the ears, trousers and tails. Take care of the male dog's testicles - they must be protected with another hand during combing. It is best to comb the hair layer after layer, raising the hairline with one hand (tough hair) and then comb it in the right direction.

The dog is washed when it is dirty. The adult Pyrenean Mountain Dog's coat remains fairly clean and does not always require washing. Lukewarm water and dog shampoo are used for washing. It should be observed that neither water nor shampoo will get into the ears or eyes of the dog. You can put small pieaces of cotton inside the ear during washing to help prevent water getting into dogs ear. The shampoo should be rinsed properly. The coat should then be handled with a conditioner, rinsed if necessary. If the dog wants to shake during washing, put the hand on the dog's shoulder, and the dog will stop shaking. The coat should be carefully dried. For drying it is best to use a special  pet dryer. Human hair dryers with no temperature regulator are unsuitable as the air from them is hot and it damages the dog's skin and coat. Let the dog dry in the room. The wet dog should not be left in the yard. Ears should be carefully dried immediately after washing.

Fleas and other parasites are quite common today. When the dog starts to scratching there is reason to check the ears and the neck, which are the most common places for fleas. Flea control should be done regularly. Ask your breeder or your vet what tools are best for you.

Ears, eyes, paws, nails and teeth.

The ears should be checked from time to time. If they need cleaning, they are cleaned with a damp cotton swab. No need to clean the ears when they are clean. Also, do not insert the cotton swab deep inside the ear canal. A dog with ear infection constantly scratches the ears and shakes his head. Outer ear infection (otitis externa). A waxy, yellow, or reddish-brown ear dischargecan also be a sign your dog has an ear infection, which can be a result of allergies, mites, polyps, overproduction of ear wax, excessive bathing or swimming (which can leave too much moisture in the ears), or other problems. Only a veterinarian will treat ear infections.

 Healthy eyes are clear and has no discharge or redness. The rust accumulated in the eye corners is removed with a clean cotton swab or cloth. The eyes can be washed with chamomile.

Remember to take care of your dogs paws. In muddy weather, the paws must be rinsed with water and dried to prevent the road salt from depositing in the coat. The coat growing between the toes and pads should be cut short. In winter, it is recommended that the pads salve, for example, anhydrous vaseline or a special paw cream. Using them before going out reduces the accumulation of snow under the paws. The toe gaps should also be checked regularly - if they are red.

 Puppy teeth changing usually starts at 3 to 4 months of age. Dried bones and dried bread as well as carrots help in this process. If the puppy teeth do not want to come out of the permanent teeth, they should be pulled out. Otherwise, residual teeth may grow incorrectly. DENTAL CHANGE MUST BE CAREFULLY monitored!

The nails are cut once a week, even just a little bit. NB! Don't forget to check the dewclaw nails. The cut nail edges can be finished with nail file or fine sandpaper to prevent nail cracking. If the nails are not cut regularly, the nail will grow longer and the cut will be harder and more painful. Puppy should be practiced by cutting nails from the beginning. The best way is to get someone to help you by keeping the  puppy on her lap while cutting her nails and talking to her soothingly or use the opportunity to cut puppy nales when she is at sleep. Do not give up if the puppy starts to scream or escape from the situation - the nails must be cut off.

Feeding your puppy.

It is important to regularly observe your puppy's feeding and growth, during the first months the puppy will take a little over a kilo a week and it is important to keep the puppy growing harmoniously in order to ensure optimal development. How do I observe it? The ribs need to be delt but not visable. The puppy does not have to get snacks between the feeding intervals  and  his own dry food is also suitable for rewarding in training sessions. When the puppy is arriving to her new home she already is eating three times a day, starting at 8 weeks of age. It is advisable to keep such a meal ratio for up to 4 months old, ideally up to 5-6 months, to avoid unnecessary stretching of the stomach when the amount of food is increased. The adult dog eats twice a day, which is a suitable number of meals for optimal digestion.

The puppy is fed a dry dog's food according to the manufacturer's instructions on the package. It contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other nutrients for growth. Breeder will recommend you high qaulity food and you do not need to give extra vitamins or calcium.

During the first weekens it is good to let dry food swell with water before serving. If desired, you can add a sourmilk, kefir, unflavoured yogurt or a pinch of minced meat, but all this reasonably, otherwise the puppy will get used to such good cuts and refuse to eat dry food without additives. Later, it is no longer necessary to swell dry food, but can add water if it is a greedy puppy to prevent them from chocking food and that the stomach would have a liquid that can expel dry food. It is advisable to add lukewarm water to the dry food of adult dogs during the winter when the drinking cups go into the ice, so that there is no lack of fluid.

Bones are not dog food, but a good and tasty fun for the dogs to chew on, especially when changing teeth. Other dried products (dried pig ears, meat, etc.), dog biscuits, carrots or natural leather chews are also suitable for giving action and just chewing. Food and water must always be clean. If the dog refuses to eat, the food bowl must be taken out after 10-15 minutes and offered again after the next meal. The puppy must be practiced from the beginning, so that the owner can touch his food bowl or chewing bone: take the bowl or chew from him, but give it back, praising the puppy abundantly. Teach your puppy to give up things that are in his mouth. Fresh and clean water must always be available. Place the drinking bowl in a safe place, for example on a towel or in the bathroom, because the puppy can climb into the bath sometimes.

The Pyrenean Mountain Dogs are somewhat food sensitive, which means that the effect of the food on the puppy is individual - not all foods are suitable for everyone. Follow your dog's digestion to make conclusions about suitability or unsuitability for food. If diarrhea occurs, it is essential to find out what the cause is, because diarrhea can be dangerous for the puppy. If you think dry food is the cause of diarrhea or if your puppy is constantly refusing to eat dry food, be sure to contact the breeder. It is possible that in the first days of the new home the puppy will not have appetite.

NB! See that the puppy does not have access to the food bag! For him, the problem is not to chew it and eat as much as it fits into it. However, this can lead to a life-threatening problem - the food expands and the dog basically eats itself. Be careful!!!

Pet insurance

As a breeder, I recommend making pet insurance at least for the puppy's growing period. The insurance may be terminated voluntarily until the puppy reaches the age of 18 months. In the case of a large dog, growth disorder is quite frequent, and good-coverage pet insurance can be a great help if you experience some serious health worry and save you from expensive unexpected costs. In Estonia it is possible to make IF animal insurance and Ergo, in the latter case only if there is already a previous insurance from this company.

Joint growth and development disorders

Unfortunately growth and developmental disorders of the skeleton are common in this breed. It is therefore necessary to monitor the growth of the puppy. Usually limping is the first characteristic of developmental disorders. There may also be signs of particularly rapid "growth" that can make the puppy's movement troublesome. If you notice changes in your puppy's limbs, contact your breeder. He will give you advice on what to do. It is important that the dog get help quickly in case of growth disorders. Prophylaxis can be given to glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation for dogs from 4 months of age. Synoquin and Cosequin are the most effective and clinically proven functional joint supplements.

At least until the end of the 9th months of age, we recommend continuing to feed the puppy at home with the dry food breeder has recommended. It is not advisable to add meat products to every meal. Sometimes it is a good treat but not for the whole meal. The puppy can also be given fruit and vegetables - carrot, apple, pear, pineapple, banana, etc. 

Parasites and deworming

The puppy has been dewormed after every 2-3 weeks till the day he lives to his new home, after that you need to deworm him every month until he is 6 months old and after that 4 times in a year. Deworming tablets are administrated according to dogs weight. Parasite treatment only when it is necessary. In Estonia tick season starts from April till September. Fleas can be all year around but most activly from July to October.

Vaccination

The first vaccination has been given to the puppy before he leaves to new home. So-called full vaccination is done three times starting at  6-8 weeks old, and  the last vaccination not before 14-16. weeks of life. The first repeat a year after the last full vaccination. Further depending on lifestyle 1-3 years, rabies after 2 years  and the the country where the puppy will live. Before starting the vaccination program, the puppy must be given a deworming tablet week before vaccination. Take the puppy vaccination passport with you when going to the vet. According to the vaccination program, the dog is vaccinated against rabies, parvo, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus. Leptospirosis is voluntary but as a breeder I recommend vaccination against it because the risk of leptospirosis exists in Estonia and it can be fatal.

Breed club

In Estonia the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is represented by the Estonian French Hedring and Livestosk guardian dog Association www.eplk.ee The association organizes events, exhibitions and trainings, and everyone can become a member. The members of the breed club have several advantages and have the opportunity to purchase different products more favorably prices from the breed club's cooperation partners.

Socialization and education

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog puppy is a wonderful cute little white fur ball that reminds the polar bear but you must remember that it is a big dog and early learned patterns that were cute as a puppy are not fun when done by adult dog. So if you're not excited about 50-60kg adult dog jumping on you when coming home or about 70cm tall dog steals food from the table then rules must be made clear now! There is no jumping and no food giving at the table. Perseverance is very important when training your dog. What is forbidden is now is also forbidden when the puppy comes to the house. All family members must follow the same rules. The dog must not be in the role of decision-maker in any situation. Be honest with your dog.

Socialization is very important in the development of a puppy, it must be introduced to strangers, other dogs, children, etc. However, these training sessions do not have to be intense enough to allow the puppy to adapt to new situations. It is important that the puppy after the vaccinations gets acquainted with other dogs and new people. He has to get used to new things, noise, traffic, etc.

Puppy is the easiest to teach. It all depends on the owner - how, what and how fast the puppy learns. In many places there are puppy communication schools and dog training groups. In these schools, the puppy will meet other people and the owner will get good tips from the trainer for training the dog.

Stages of puppy development

The first period of fear and experience with people at the age of 8-12 weeks and the first puberty period are 12-16 weeks.

Another period of fear from 6-8 months and another puberty period from 8-14 months. Large slowly growing breeds  also have a third period of fear, which is 14-19 months old.

In a period of fear, the amount of socialization is not as important as its quality. The less you act when the dog is afraid, the faster the dog realizes that nothing happens because the owner is not afraid and ignores it (be it a dust cloud or a flying plastic bag). When you begin to patronize and comfort the dog, the dog will begin to pay more attention to this fearful thing and will be more afraid of it than before.

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is stubborn , and at junior age the simplest commands and routines can be forgotten. Some of them start to discover their voice and bark more than others. The guarding instict comes when the dog is about 2 years old.

Other important things to know

Since accidents can happen at home then there might be some necessary first aid items at home. A digital thermometer (for the dog separately) when it comes to measuring the dog's body temperature to find out if it has a fever. The dog's normal body temperature is 38.5. When temperature is above 39.2 ° C it means the dog has fever and the temperature is lower than 37.5 ° C than the dog has hypothermia. For small dogs and cats the thermomete must be at a depth of about 1 cm, in large dogs at a depth of 3cm.

At home, there could be: ear cleaner, wound cleanser and wound cream, aaolevera gel,  NaCl, self-adhesive bandage, chamomile, syringe.

In case of diarrhea, Smecta powder, which is sold in a pharmacy. Mix the powder with water and let the dog drink it. If this fails, you can mix with dry food and add water to swell it. Prokolin or Promax can also be used at home. In case of bloody diarrhea, consult a veterinarian, but if diarrhea is caused by a food change or stress, then it can be treated with home remedies; NB! In case of puppy diarrhea, consult a vet immediately!