I have a 5 week old boxer puppy, that I just got a couple days ago. First please do not tell me how horrible I am until after you read this. A so called friend of mine had this puppy, she said that if she did not get rid of him she would just dump him off somewhere. So here I am now. She did give him shots though.... I took him to the vet that said it would not hurt him to have had he shots now instead of at 6 weeks. The vet said to give a good food and to add water to make it like oatmeal consenity (sp). I have him on Merricks Dry food. What else can I do to make sure that he turns out to be a good dog since I know that he should have been around his mother until he is 8 weeks. Thanks so much.
Need help with 5 week old puppy
- Thread starter Gizmosmom
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Kilby'sMum
Super Boxer
I would also try giving your baby some di vetelact (a milk replacement) and some baby cereal and/or a little bit of natural yoghurt. Also, there are some puppy foods designed to absorb the water (though I can't for the life of me remember which ones). Our breeder gave our girls the Di Vetelact and we used it for about a month after they came home just to give them some extra sustenance.
I'm sure there will be an impact from not being around mum or any of the litter mates but there's not much you can do about now, he's lucky that he has you to love him
I'm sure there will be an impact from not being around mum or any of the litter mates but there's not much you can do about now, he's lucky that he has you to love him
bucca
Boxer Insane
you are an angel for taking this little guy what a tough start already for him. this site is great for all the info you will need and of course all the info your vet gives you, im sure if you follow what the vet says and what you learn your guy will be growing up really fast and healthy. i cant wait to see pics of him, and hear how he is doing.
Thanks so much for the help so far. I have been giving food at all times, not forcing it on him , just letting him know its there, and making sure he has water at all times. I do have a crate for him that I am using, just at night though. He is out with me and the kids all day. I forgot how much fun it is to have a dog, and all the hard work it takes. I know that he is young, but my mom has a dog that he can play with.
EAO76
Boxer Insane
He needs to learn from other dogs (since he has also been removed from his littermates). Continue to socialize him around your mom’s dog & other dogs (that you know are healthy & fully vaccinated). Keep him out of public places that many dogs visit (parks, dog parks, petsmart, or petco, etc) until he has all his shots as he can easily get parvo from coming in contact with sick dogs or their feces.
RVsBoxer
Super Boxer
Bless you for taking him. I would definitely try to get him socialized with other (healthy!) dogs, especially older ones who know all about dog manners and can help him learn. I think that is probably the most important thing you can do - so he can learn how to be a dog. Also, like one of the other members was saying, bite inhibition will be important, but most puppies haven't mastered that even by 8 weeks, so I think you'll be fine.
Also found this bit of info doing a google search (I typed: what does a puppy learn from it's mother?):
From four weeks of age a puppy is conscious of what part of his body is being touched. Breeders need to regularly handle each puppy, very gently and calmly turning them over and checking them, touching different parts of the body, such as feet, ears, and teeth, etc. In this way the breeder will be exposing the puppy to minor stress, which will help him build up his coping skills for stress levels he may encounter later in life. This is good for the development of the pup's mind and also influences the adrenal-pituitary system that will help him later in life. All experiences at this stage must be positive.
Breeders should allow people of all ages including small children to frequently and gently handle the puppy and he should also be exposed to as many different situations indoor and outdoor in a careful, calm way, which help stimulate and develop the pup's mind. Exposure to different situations should be handled carefully and with a positive association so that the pup does not develop fear. The puppy will become habituated to his normal surroundings that will prevent him from becoming fearful or spooked by everything around him.
Hope it helps, good luck!
Also found this bit of info doing a google search (I typed: what does a puppy learn from it's mother?):
From four weeks of age a puppy is conscious of what part of his body is being touched. Breeders need to regularly handle each puppy, very gently and calmly turning them over and checking them, touching different parts of the body, such as feet, ears, and teeth, etc. In this way the breeder will be exposing the puppy to minor stress, which will help him build up his coping skills for stress levels he may encounter later in life. This is good for the development of the pup's mind and also influences the adrenal-pituitary system that will help him later in life. All experiences at this stage must be positive.
Breeders should allow people of all ages including small children to frequently and gently handle the puppy and he should also be exposed to as many different situations indoor and outdoor in a careful, calm way, which help stimulate and develop the pup's mind. Exposure to different situations should be handled carefully and with a positive association so that the pup does not develop fear. The puppy will become habituated to his normal surroundings that will prevent him from becoming fearful or spooked by everything around him.
Hope it helps, good luck!
Thanks for that last tip, I will keep him away from all dogs unless I know. He seems to be doing well, eating about 4-5 times a day, and pooping and peeing a lot. Thank goodness I remember what dogs look like when they need to go. He has only had a couple accidents in the house. I know that he can not be potty trained yet, but I think this will give a good head start. I will be posting pics soon.
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