If there is one thing we should know about at our house, it's puppies and puppy care. We sure have had bunches of em! I remember when Ozzy and Brandi were just wee babes. I liked em when they were little. I helped clean em up for my Lady. Then, there was all them pups of Little Momma's and Little Girl's - 15 squirmy little furballs between the two of em! My Lady fostered em until they could get adopted. I was always hearin' her callin' up folks for answers to things or askin' that google person on the 'puter. Now, she's all fired up over a new site from Purina called My Pupphood. She says it has lots of answers all in one place! I don't know what all the fuss is over so I better go get my Lady and she can tell ya 'bout it.
Here's my Lady to tell ya 'bout puppy care and My Puppyhood from Purina:
Over the years, we have had our fair share of puppies. I am the lady that says - oh look - puppy! And, that's all she wrote! In my defense, the cards are really stacked against me, as I also volunteer in rescue/adoption. That puts me front and center of the sad eyes and especially puppy breath. I simply cannot resist puppy breath! Before you know it, the puppy is packed up, in my arms and on their way home with me. Hence, my house full of pups!
While most puppies require similar things, they are also all different in their own little ways - just like human babies. No two are exactly alike. There are always ongoing questions that pop up about their care, their training, or just general puppyhood questions like the what-why-and-how's of raising a puppy. It is important to get those questions answered. That's why I am so excited over Purina's new website Puppyhood.com!
Puppies are like babies in that you only get one chance at getting it right. Puppies do a LOT of growing in their first year! The one thing I have always been a stickler for is their nutrition. One of the keys to raising a healthy puppy is providing complete and balanced nutrition from the start. Purina Puppy Chow® offers a unique healthy-start blend made with high-quality protein, plus DHA and essential nutrients also found in mothers' milk. From personal experience throughout the past 30 years, I have always fed my puppies Purina Puppy Chow for the first year of their life. It is just one of those things that I have stuck to for healthy happy puppies.
Ozzy
Ozzy and his sister Brandi have been with me since they were 4 weeks old. They were born to a stray momma dog in one of our outbuildings. However, if you remember, for whatever reason, the momma dog moved 4 of her pups to an unknown location in the middle of an ice storm. Unfortunately, she did not make it back for 4 of the pups. At below zero temps, I gathered them up and brought them in. I was able to find homes for 2 of them and Ozzy and Brandi became part of our pack. Having two 4 week old puppies was a handful plus everything was in doubles! Yikes! We had a ton of puppy health/care questions! Everything from puppy grooming, puppy training, to just general puppy advice/info - we had them. A website like Puppyhood.com would have been AMAZING at giving us the answer to so many puppy care questions!
Having 4 week old puppies was not the perfect situation, since puppies really need their mother for at least the first 8 weeks, but we made it through. Ozzy and Brandi are now 2 years old, but over the course of their first year they reached over 100 lbs.! That is a LOT of growing. That's not all there was a lot of!
During that first year, not only did we have to conquer potty training for the two of them, they tried their best to eat the house and everything in it! Yep! They chewed everything in sight, from shoes, to furniture, to door facings, to the carpet! While the potty training went fairly quick, the chewing was an ongoing problem that got bigger as they got bigger! I would have welcomed any, and all, advice on puppy training for their chew issues!
Ozzy and Brandi enjoying some fresh air as puppies.
I would have loved to have access to a site like the Pupphood.com. You can literally go on a virtual dog walk, where you'll encounter hotspots that bring up puppy related content, including tips on nutrition, behavior, training and what to expect as your puppy grows.
By joining the Puppyhood free, you and your pup get a customized learning experience, helpful tools and exclusive benefits and coupons on the journey to doghood. As a member, you can also access special features, including a puppy milestone tracker, expert advice and puppy destinations and resources in your own community.
Puppyhood.com from Purina Puppy Chow holds a wealth of information! The website is able to help with so many common puppy questions on topics such as:
- Nutrition
- Grooming
- Exercise
- Health
- Behavior
- Training
- What to expect as your puppy grows
They even have a section on puppy planning! It is a great resource for a family looking to add a new family member. Making sure a puppy matches your lifestyle BEFORE you get the puppy is a number one step to solving a lot of issues all the way around. It's still a novel idea to me, as I've never actually 'chosen' a puppy before. They seem to choose me as in stray puppies, in need puppies, and can I say I am a failure at fostering?! Nonetheless, it is an awesome section, as it tells you all about the breeds allowing you to make a more informed decision.
Last, but not least! Check out this super cute video of a guy with a new puppy. Yep, I think he is getting the full new puppy ownership experience! I feel his pain!
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Do you have a new puppy? Looking to get a new puppy? Why not join My Puppyhood at puppyhood.com today? It's free and will get you and your puppy off to a great start! It really is an awesome resource for all pet owners!
tracee says
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ is another good site. This one evaluates dog food brands and breaks it down into nutrition info, ingredient info, things to watch out for, etc.
Nicole Lancaster says
I have two wild adult Dachshunds and I am not looking for a puppy right now. The site will be very useful if I ever get a puppy. I like that you can track puppy milestones and the site gives you dog resources available in your town.
tracee says
I like that there is info for all stages of your puppy's growth.
Carol Bryant says
Great resource. A neighbor of mine just got a Golden Retriever Puppy and I am sharing this site with her.
jenn says
Sounds like a very useful site! I also would have liked to have that when my dog was a puppy.
tracee says
I wish everyone contemplating a new puppy would use the puppy planner, especially newbie dog owners.
tracee says
Cute video. Thanks for sharing.
tracee says
The puppyhood logo is pretty cute.
tracee says
I like that they provide the information for free so that everyone can have access to this valuable info.
Sherry Freeman says
Never had heard of this website will have to check it out.
Nataile Brown says
I've never had a puppy because the dogs I've had have been adult rescues. Although, this is a great and comprehensive guide for puppy owners. Nice!
Dianne Messina says
We didn't know Harley when she was a puppy. She was done with the chewing but not with peeing in the house. We had a lot of work with that one. 🙂
Heather W says
This post is so cute and informative. SO many people get puppies and have NO idea how much work they are until they bring them home!
tracee says
Ozzy and Brandi are adorable. I love puppies, but as you say, they are a LOT of work. All of my dogs were adopted as adults. Not only is it less work for me, but I gave a home to dogs whose chances were less good (than a puppies). Win-win!
tracee says
*puppy's
Holly E says
Thanks for sharing. I had never heard of this site before, but it looks like it has a lot of great info for pet owners. Nice!
M. K. Clinton says
That is the hardest part of going to ur local humane society Puppy breath and sweet little faces make me want them ALL! Great post and we love the Puppyhood site too! ♥