Puppy Care
PUPPY CARE
THE JOURNEY HOME: Your new puppy will be ready to leave the nest and start a new life away from its brothers and sisters at around 8 weeks of age. On the day of collection you will need a suitable travelling crate for the journey home in which you can lay a puppy pad (this may need to be changed should it become soiled).
Agree with your breeder a suitable collection time and ask that the puppy is not fed prior to collection. Try to toilet the puppy at the start of your journey (stroking its tummy may help) and again during the journey if it takes longer than 45 mins. If you take the puppy out of the car for a break DO NOT assume you can control it without a lead & collar - after all you would not want to lose your new puppy on the very first day!!
Do not become alarmed if your new puppy is sick on the journey home, after all this is probably its first journey of any significance in its lifetime. Spitz in common with many breeds are not natural car travellers so take the time once you have your puppy home to take it out in the car every day or so until it becomes accustomed to travel.
Although you should not attempt to feed your puppy either during the journey, or for the first hour after it arrives at your home, Fresh Water should always be available to it.
You can download our comprehensive guide to buying a puppy here . . . .
SOCIALISATION
SOCIALISATION: starts right at home getting your puppy accustomed to the sights & sounds of the world in which it lives. Your new puppy needs to be able to deal with the household, the family, the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner, visitors to your home, etc. Japanese Spitz are a sensitive breed and can sometimes exhibit fear to one or more of the above, if so gradual & repeated exposure to the problem together with distraction with a favourite toy plus treating with a tit-bit will ultimately bring success.
Once your puppy is comfortable with the home environment it is time to investigate the wider world where the very inquisitive nature of the breed will often put its snout where it should not. The starting point for any trip beyond the home is to get your puppy used to its collar & lead.
Use a lightweight rolled collar & lead and ensure the fit is such that it will not slip over the puppies head; again be gradual and using distraction first try the collar for short periods, then adding the lead and allow the puppy to simply 'trail' the lead behind itself. Once used to this you can then pick up the lead and encourage the puppy to walk with you.
Start with brief 5 min walks and build up from there by introducing areas with traffic noise, busy town centre areas, parks with wild fowl, horses, etc. but most importantly do not forget your camera so you can capture these experiences forever.