Looking After A Papillon?
September 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I’m getting a papillon in about two weeks, and it’ll probably be around 9 weeks by then. And i haven’t had a papillon before so i need to know how to look after one.
What do they eat and how much?
How much exercise is needed?
How to toilet train them?
and more info pleeese?
Related Papillon Training & Care posts:
Toilet training is the same for any breed of dog. Here’s an article on crate training, which is the most effective method of toilet training. It also helps avoid many common household bad habits from developing: http://servicedogcentral.org/content/nod…
As far as exercise goes…well Papillions are small dogs and not as active as some others. Being small, you can probably give them good aerobic exercise just walking them. Three 15-minute walks per day would be good.
Remember to exercise the mind as well as the body. That means play time every day. You should enroll your puppy in a puppy kindergarten class for socialization. The instructor should teach you educational games you can play with your pup and give you pointers on dealing with common puppy issues.
All puppies should be fed a high quality puppy food. Yours will need a formula for small breed dogs. The breeder you get your pup from should tell you what food the pup is used to eating. It is hard on them to suddenly change their diet (can give them diarrhea). The breeder should also tell you how much your pup has been eating per day. A young pup like that will need at least three, and preferably four meals per day. Later on you can wean them down to two meals per day as an adult, but should not feed them less often than that.
If they were feeding the pup a low quality food, or one not easily found in your area, you may need to gradually transition to a new food. Your vet can recommend which brand he likes. I usually feed either Eukanuba or ProPlan.
As your puppy grows, he or she will need more calories. There are instructions on the food bag estimating how much food a puppy should need based on their weight. You can use that as a guideline, but be ready to feed more or less as needed to maintain a good weight.
Arrange to take your pup to your own vet within a day or two of getting him or her. Take a poop sample with you. Your pup will need a fecal exam and vaccinations. There is usually a series of three vaccinations given between age six weeks and four months. Yours is about due.
Your vet can also advise you on additional care for your new pup.
One thing is paps are not low energy dogs typically. My four are pretty energetic. The good news, though, is that they’re small enough that most can get enough exercise by running around indoors playing or by running in the yard.
However, my pap and I walk several miles a day as well as do agility. The big deal with them is not so much physical exercise, but rather mental exercise. They’re smart so they excel at training and they appreciate a mental challenge.
They’re very delightful dogs, so enjoy yours!