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There are many contributing factors to how long it may take you to housetrain your puppy. Including - breed, age, and overall health. Housetraining your puppy takes patience and vigilance. Please see our recommended reading and training links for help with housetraining. However, there are a few key ingredients to help you with your success.

Routine: Puppies do best with a schedule. You should feed your puppy at the same time each day. Depending on their age puppies need to be fed about 3 – 4 times a day. If your puppy is eating at the same times each day it will make it more likely that he’ll eliminate at consistent times as well.

Frequency: Take your puppy out frequently at least every 2 hours. Look for signs that he may need to eliminate, like circling, whining or sniffing. When you see these signs take your puppy outside immediately.

Confinement: We strongly encourage owners to employ crate training to facilitate housetraining. Like a cave or a den, a crate or kennel provides an area where the puppy can take a time out and feel secure and safe. The first few times in the crate should be a positive experience. Never scold your puppy by putting him the crate or he will associate being scolded with his crate. Puppies like to keep their den clean so they will try to avoid “messing” in the crate if at all possible.

Accidents: Expect them. Occasional accidents are to be expected. If you catch your puppy in the middle of an accident immediately take them outside.

Praise: This is the most vital step to successful potty training. Praise your puppy verbally and give them a treat immediately after he’s finished eliminating outdoors. Make sure the food treat you give him has a high value. If it is a food that your puppy goes crazy for your puppy has more motivation to please you with positive behavior.

In terms of feeding schedule, we recommend feeding puppies at specific times of the day. A measured amount of food should be offered 3-4 times a day to a puppy 6-20 weeks of age. What is not eaten after 15-20 minutes should be taken away. After 6 months of age 2 meals will be sufficient for most dogs. Many of the bagged and canned dog foods available do provide a balanced diet, however, there are certain foods we will recommend as better choices. Please see our list of recommended foods which we have listed on our resources page.

Puppies love to chew. Chewing is an instinctive behavior for puppies and is an expected behavior until they about at least 6 – 8 months in age. Chew toys such as Nyla Bones or Kong toys work well to help pacify this instinct. Make sure that toys are large enough that your puppy will not choke or swallow them. For some puppies rawhide bones are too tough and they can cause teeth to fracture, resulting in painful dental problems. Puppies’ baby teeth begin to be replaced by adult teeth at 4 – 6 months of age and it is normal for a small amount of blood to be seen as they loosen.

Many dog trainers and veterinarians now recommend a variety of very firm rubber toys (virtually indestructible) that have a hollow center into which food and treats can be stuffed. As the eager pet chews the toy small morsels of treat fall out and are eaten, only to prompt further chewing. The most common of these toys are called Kongs®. Please ask us about your specific toys or let us know what has worked for you. Avoid toys which can be chewed into pieces that can become lodged in the stomach and cause an obstruction in the digestive system. This has been the cause for many emergency surgeries. In addition, many dogs are sensitive to the preservatives used to condition the bones and will have stomach upset (diarrhea and vomiting) from chewing them.

It is a good idea to touch your puppies’ feet and toes often as soon as you bring them home. It is a good idea to start trimming puppy’s claws when they are first brought into the house. Purchase a good quality nail trimmer and a product called quick stop. Begin by trimming off the last 1 – 2 millimeters of the claw a couple of times over the course of a week. Avoid trimming the “quick” or pink part of the nail that provides its blood supply. If bleeding occurs your can push the quick stop into the nail to stop the bleeding. If you do not have quick stop on hand you can use corn meal, flour. Always give your puppy a reward of verbal praise or a treat immediately after finishing. You can tell the nails need to be trimmed when your puppy’s paws “click” on the ground when he/she is walking. We would be happy to give you a demonstration on how to trim the nails.

Most leashes and collars on the market are acceptable for dogs. Obedience trainers seem to favor leather leashes 6 feet long and have a width sufficient enough to withstand prolonged pulling. In general rope leashes should be avoided because a strong pull from your companion can cause rope burn. We discourage choke and prong collars because we feel that they are inappropriate for all but the most aggressive dogs, and in those cases behavioral training is a necessity. Small and toy breeds often respond best to a harness that places pressure on their chest rather than on their small necks.

The first step in acclimating your puppy to a collar is to put one on in a quiet, non-threatening manner. Have your puppy wear it around the house and make sure it is not so loose that he can chew on it. Once your puppy is used to the collar you can attach the leash to the collar in the house. Allow your puppy to walk around with the leash on but do not pick the leash up or apply any pressure to it. Only after she is used to seeing it on her can you then pick the leash up and apply gentle tension. Gradually increase the amount of tension while praising your puppy and giving her positive reinforcement. You will gradually be able to move to the outside and enjoy walking with your puppy. Another great trick when you are beginning to leash walk outdoors is to carry your puppy a block away from your home, set him/her down, and then walk back toward your home. Walking toward your home is more familiar to your puppy and will increase the chances of him feeling comfortable with the leash.

When considering a microchip for your pet you should know the following facts: More than 10 million pets are lost each year; 50% of dogs and 75% of cats arrive at shelters without collars; over 20,000 pets have been returned to their owners through the HomeAgain® system. A microchip is a pet retrieval system that involves injecting a small microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, under the skin between the shoulder blades of a dog or cat in much the same way a vaccine is administered. Each chip has a unique digit code that must be registered with the AKC’s program. When a lost pet arrives at a shelter or veterinary clinic a special handheld scanner is passed over the shoulder blades. The scanner can read the identification number and the shelter can then notify the AKC and the pet’s owner or a veterinarian.

The socialization period for puppies is between 4 and 12 weeks of age, and we encourage you to expose your dog to as many types of social events and influences as possible during that time. If a puppy has good experiences with men, women, children, cats or other dogs, etc., it is likely to accept them throughout life. If the experiences are unpleasant or even absent, the puppy may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them.

Eighty-five percent of all puppies have intestinal parasites or worms, and some of these present serious health concerns to children who can be infected with them. Therefore it is imperative that everyone washes his or her hands after playing with your puppy. At your initial visit we will evaluate a stool sample for parasites and start your puppy on an intestinal parasite control program as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Additional fecal exams may be recommended at a later date if your puppy develops diarrhea or vomiting.

Fleas are small, wingless, blood sucking parasites that can spread disease and cause anemia in puppies. There are several excellent flea-repelling medications (Frontline, Program, etc.) available for dogs that are prone to fleas or have allergies to them, however, we generally do not advocate these medications unless a puppy currently has fleas or has had problems with them in the past. When fleas are present on a puppy it is essential that owners clean up the home environment to eliminate flea eggs before they hatch.
Like fleas, ticks can be effectively controlled before they suck blood, irritate your puppy, and possibly spread Lyme disease. Preventative medicines are available and best used in the spring, summer and fall when ticks are active. We will mutually determine whether your puppy is at a significant risk for acquiring ticks and decide on the best course of action to eliminate them.

Heartworms are large, thread-like worms that live in the heart and lungs of infected dogs. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm disease and infected dogs will develop fatal signs of heart disease such as coughing, lethargy, and fainting. Prevention has become very effective and involves giving a monthly chewable tablet during the mosquito season. Each year your dog needs to be tested for heartworms to ensure that it is free of the disease and to ensure that it is safe to give the monthly preventative. While preventing the disease is simple, treatment of infected dogs is dangerous, expensive, painful, and not always 100% effective. Preventing heartworm disease is one of the most important and easiest ways to ensure the well being of your animal companion.

Having children and a puppy at the same time can be a challenge. Children often match a puppy’s energy level and it can be difficult to convince your children that puppy needs his/her quiet time. In fact, you may spend more time teaching your children what is appropriate behavior around puppy than vice versa! We encourage parents to actively involve children in chores, training, and feeding of the new puppy so they learn mutual respect.
One of the most frequently encountered problems with puppies is their interest in chewing on the hands, feet, and ears of children. It is very important that children do not encourage this behavior by continuing to give puppy attention (playing, giggling, pushing puppy away, etc). Have children stop playing with puppy when he/she gets too rough and is biting too hard. This will let puppy know that biting is not playing and that he/she will not get attention for that behavior. In addition, do not play tug-of-war or pet your puppy in short strokes on the head or face that will get him/her excited.

We recommend pet foods that are well balanced and have been shown to provide excellent nutritional support. Please see our handout about diets. If your puppy has a hereditary disease or a medical problem early in life we may recommend a supplement based on that condition. Otherwise we do not frequently recommend vitamins for all puppies as there have been no studies that show supplementation increases the amount of nutrients they absorb.

We recommend getting your puppy accustomed to having a brush or comb run through its hair as part of the process of socializing it at an early age. This should be done on a daily basis for at least a few minutes and will help to minimize shedding in the rest of the house. Most dogs need NO MORE than 1 bath every 2 weeks, and the vast majority require bathing only when they have become especially dirty from playing. If your dog is dirty, use an oatmeal based shampoo/conditioner to keep the skin from becoming too dry. On the other hand, there are particular curly-coated breeds that require professional bathing and grooming to keep the hair coat from becoming matted and uncomfortable. See our list of area grooming facilities.

We recommend that all pets be started on a dental hygiene program that includes brushing of teeth, chewing on acceptable toys, and periodic dental exams by a veterinarian. Please see the handout entitled A GUIDE TO BRUSHING YOUR COMPANION ANIMAL'S TEETH. Dental disease is the most common disease in dogs and cats of all ages and can be prevented by brushing your companion’s teeth. For those pets more prone to dental problems or those not tolerant of home care we recommend an appointment for dental scaling and polishing. This is done to prevent pulling teeth in an emergency situation where dental disease begins to cause difficulty chewing, loss of bone around teeth, and pain. As dental disease has been linked to heart, liver and kidney disease we must emphasize this advice. An appointment to have a dental cleaning involves removal of plaque and polishing, cleaning under the gums, and probing for periodontal pockets. Sometimes more advance dental work is required and we may refer you to a veterinary dentist. We would be happy to schedule a demonstration to help you start brushing your own pet's teeth.

We do not recommend it for most dogs that spend all of their time in a fenced-in backyard in the Twin Cities. In addition, research has shown the vaccine to be only 70% effective at protecting dogs against the disease. An excellent alternative to the Lyme vaccine is the use of a topical tick repellent such as Frontline®, which is 99% effective at keeping ticks off of your dog for 1 month. This is especially effective because deer ticks must be attached from 20-48 hours to be able to spread the disease.

Puppies may bark when they are frustrated, anxious, separated from their family or pack, or as a territorial behavior. It is important to know that barking is natural, and also that they should be trained to not bark during inappropriate times. The most important step to take when your puppy is barking at an inappropriate time is to make sure you are not reinforcing the behavior. Owners may unknowingly reinforce barking by feeding, patting, praising, playing with, giving a toy to, or even just going to a barking dog. Unless the barking is directed at another person you should try your best to ignore him.

Your puppy jumps up on people in order to meet them "face to face" and to get more attention. The important step to take is to make sure he/she is not getting any attention or praise for jumping up on people. When a puppy jumps up you should walk by him and give him no attention. As soon as he approaches you without jumping he should be praised immediately. Require that your puppy "sit" and "stay" before giving him any attention and the jumping up behavior will quickly cease.

Many of the bagged and canned cat foods available do provide a balanced diet, however, there are certain foods we will recommend as better choices. We will discuss these diets as it pertains to your situation and our handout on specific types of food should be consulted. In terms of feeding schedule, we recommend feeding kittens at specific times of the day. A measured amount of food should be offered 3-4 times a day to a kitten 6-20 weeks of age. What is not eaten after 15-20 minutes should be taken away. After 6 months of age 2 meals will be sufficient for most cats. Because “free feeding” can contribute to obesity in cats we do not recommend it. Always allow cats and dogs 24-hour access to fresh water.

Scratching is a normal activity for cats and kittens and you can’t keep them from scratching. In order to minimize damage to you and your furniture, be sure to trim your kitten’s nails on a regular basis and encourage the use of a scratching post. Experiment with the types of surfaces your kitten prefers and use those to construct a scratching post. Some people have also found it helpful to cover their furniture with cloth, double sided tape, or even foil until their kitten is trained to the scratching post. We do not recommend declawing due to the potential medical and behavioral complications. Please see our handout on declawing for further information.

It is a good idea to start trimming kitten’s nails when they are first brought into the house. This will make future efforts at trimming go much more smoothly. Human nail trimmers make excellent cat nail trimmers. Begin by trimming off the last 1-2 millimeters of the nail a couple of times over the course of a week. Avoid trimming the “quick” or pink part of the nail that provides its blood supply. If bleeding occurs you can push corn meal, corn flour or regular flour into the nail to stop bleeding. Always give your kitten a reward of verbal praise or a treat immediately after finishing. Most people trim them every few weeks to keep the nails from getting razor sharp. We would be happy to give you a demonstration.

We recommend pet foods that are well balanced and have been shown to provide excellent nutritional support. Please see our handout about diets. If your kitten has a hereditary disease or a medical problem early in life we may recommend a supplement based on that condition. Otherwise we do not frequently recommend vitamins for kittens.

We recommend getting your kitten accustomed to having a brush or comb run through its hair as part of the process of socialization. This should be done on a daily basis for at least a few minutes; it will help to minimize shedding in the rest of the house. Most cats do not need bathing as they keep themselves clean through grooming. Some very short haired or hairless cats do have additional needs that we will discuss. If you must bathe your cat please take great care to not be injured yourself!

Most kittens are litter box trained by the time you take them home. The number of litter boxes we recommend is one per cat plus one extra. While covered litterboxes may be convenient for owners, they tend to trap offensive smells inside the box and this can cause an aversion for some. There are a number of different types of litter, but the most important factor is choosing one that your cat likes, so experiment a little. Scoop litterboxes daily and completely dump the litter and scrub the box every 1-2 weeks using hot water and a natural cleaner. Bleach is best avoided but if necessary it must be VERY thoroughly rinsed. Be sure to place litterboxes in quite out-of-the way places so your cat will have some privacy. Some intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms can be transmitted from cat to cat through a litter box. We recommend checking a fecal sample on all kittens at their first visit and yearly thereafter.

Eighty-five percent of all kittens have intestinal parasites or worms, and some of these present serious health concerns to children who can be infected with them. It is imperative that children especially wash their hands after playing with kittens. At your initial visit we will evaluate a stool sample for parasites and start your kitten on an intestinal parasite control program as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Additional unscheduled fecal exams may be recommended if your kitten develops diarrhea, vomiting, or digestive symptoms.

Fleas are small, wingless, blood sucking parasites that can spread disease (Bartonellosis) and cause anemia in kittens and cats. There are several excellent flea-repelling medications (Frontline, Program, etc.) available for cats that are prone to fleas or have allergies to them. However, we generally do not advocate these medications unless a cat has visible signs of fleas or has had problems with them in the past. When fleas are present on a kitten it is essential that owners clean up the home environment to eliminate flea eggs before they hatch. Ticks are not a concern for urban cats and Lyme disease is rare in the species. We do not recommend prevention directed at ticks.

The socialization period for kittens is between 4 and 12 weeks of age, and we encourage you to expose your cat to as many types of social events and influences as possible during that time. If a cat has good experiences with men, women, children, cats, dogs, etc., it is likely to accept them throughout life. If the experiences are unpleasant or even absent cats may become apprehensive and extremely difficult to socialize later in life.

Having children and a kitten/cat at the same time can be a challenge. Children often match a kitten’s energy level and it can be difficult to convince your children that kitten needs his/her quiet time. In fact, you may spend more time teaching your children what is appropriate behavior around kitten than vice versa. We encourage parents to actively involve children in playtime, socializing, and feeding of the new kitten so they learn mutual respect.
One of the most frequently encountered problems with kittens is their interest in chewing and scratching on the hands, feet, and ears of children. It is very important that children do not encourage this behavior by continuing to give kitten attention (playing, giggling, pushing her away, etc). Have children stop playing with kitten when he/she gets too rough and is biting too hard. This will let kitten know that biting is not playing and that he/she will not get attention for that behavior. In addition, do not pet your kitten in short strokes on the head or face as that generally results in biting and scratching.

When considering a microchip for your pet you should know the following facts: More than 10 million pets are lost each year; 50% of dogs and 75% of cats arrive at shelters without collars; over 20,000 pets have been returned to their owners through the HomeAgain® system. A microchip is a pet retrieval system that involves injecting a small microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, under the skin between the shoulder blades of a dog or cat in much the same way a vaccine is administered. Each chip has a unique digit code that must be registered with the AKC’s program. When a lost pet arrives at a shelter or veterinary clinic a special handheld scanner is passed over the shoulder blades. The scanner can read the identification number and the shelter can then notify the AKC and the pet’s owner or a veterinarian. Side effects to the implant are rare.

We recommend that all pets be started on a dental hygiene program that includes brushing of teeth, chewing on dental treats, and periodic dental exams by a veterinarian. We also accept that brushing is challenging with cats. Please see the handout that discusses details of brushing. Dental disease is the most common disease in cats of all ages and can be prevented by brushing his teeth. For those pets more prone to dental problems or those not tolerant of home care we recommend an appointment for dental scaling and polishing. This is done to prevent pulling teeth in an emergency situation where dental disease begins to cause difficulty chewing, loss of bone around teeth, and pain. As dental disease has been linked to heart, liver and kidney disease we must emphasize this advice. An appointment to have a dental cleaning involves removal of plaque and polishing, cleaning under the gums, and probing for periodontal pockets. Sometimes more advance dental work is required and we may refer you to a veterinary dentist. We would be happy to schedule a demonstration to help you start brushing your own pet's teeth.

There is no one single toy that all cats love, and many toys are inappropriate for some cats. Some cats enjoy crumpled paper balls, crinkly balls, mouse or realistic prey animal toys, paper clips, pennies, and anything that can be batted around. Others like things that fly through the air on a wand or on an automated arm. Laser pointers are a favorite for many cats and the ultimate toy may be the presence of another cat or dog companion. Make sure plastic toys, sticks, balls, etc., are not too small as to become lodged in the stomach and cause an obstruction. This has been the cause for many emergency surgeries in the past!

Heartworms are large, thread-like worms that live in the heart of infected cats. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm disease and infected cats can develop coughing, lethargy, and serious heart disease. Alternatively, some evidence shows that most cats can live a normal lifespan as infected individuals. Given the current research we cannot recommend testing for and prevention of feline heartworm disease because the incidence is so low. There is no currently labeled treatment for feline heartworm disease.