Member

Posts: 10
From:GEORGIA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-20-2003 02:08 PM         

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THE FIRST QUESTIONS IS, DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A GOOD BOOK THAT I CAN GET FOR MY PUPPIES. I'VE NEVER HAD A DOG BEFORE SO I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO TRAIN THEM TO DO BASIC THINGS AND HOW TO TRAIN THEM NOT TO DO CERTAIN THINGS!

MY LAST QUESTION: MY VET TOLD ME THAT MY PUPPIES HAD TO HAVE 4 SETS OF HIS FIRST SHOTS. I THOUGHT THEY ONLY HAD TO HAVE 2 SETS. EACH VISIT FOR THE SHOTS, FLEA MED, DE-WORM, AND HEART GUARD IS ABOUT $100.00 PER VISIT AND THAT'S WITH TWO DOGS. SO WERE TALKING $400.00 WITHIN 2 MONTHS, BECAUSE SHE SAID EVERY 3 WEEKS. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE OR HAVE HAD A VET TELL THEM DIFFERENT?

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Moderator

Posts: 343
From:Harrisburg,PA USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 06-20-2003 04:20 PM            

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As far as a puppy book I am not sure on good ones for that. I have only adult dogs and I can tell you that Culture Clash and Dogs behaving Badly by Nicholas Dodman are excellent books for helping with issues and understanding how dogs think. As for shots it depends on the vet some do shots up to 20 weeks usually it is 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 and then some do 20. I am sure that people that have puppies around can help you out more with that though. Good luck and remember puppies are not cheap thats for sure.

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Member

Posts: 132
From:miami, fl, usa
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 06-20-2003 06:24 PM         

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tracy.. i have the book "puppies for dummies" i find it to be very helpful and informative; however, there are a ton of books out there and this one not might be right for you.. my pup is over a year now and i still like to use this book as a reference.. as far as the vaccinations go.. puppies usually get there first set of shots between 6 and 8 weeks.. they then must go back every 2 to 3 weeks for another set of shots until about 16 weeks of age.. the reason the shots are continually given every few weeks is because we need to make sure the antibodies have taken effect.. when the puppy drinks milk from their mother they get antibodies passed down to them which helps protect them until they wear off, which can be anywhere from 6 - 16 weeks, it differs with every dog.. if the dog is vaccinated while they still have their mothers antibodies than the pup is not 100% safe, because of the wearing off.. therefore the shots kept being given until usually 16 weeks to be sure that the dog is vaccinated.. i hope i answered your question and didn't completely confuse you.. just a note: i got the above vaccination info from vets and websites, i'm not an expert.. also about the cost.. the puppies should just need the shots after the initial first visit and possibly fecal exam to check for worms, so hopefully it won't be as much every visit.. if your vet says it will ask them about a payment plan so you don't have to spend so much every 3 weeks.. good luck

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Member

Posts: 309
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 06-20-2003 06:54 PM            

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I don't know the name of a good book...but I will post an addy to a website that has excellent tips. The trainer is wonderful in my experience.
As for shots... my first pup got his on the schedule listed above..but my new pup was wormed at 3 weeks and 5 weeks, shots at 6, 9 and 12 weeks. He got neutered, microchipped and rabies at 6 months. I got him at 9 weeks so he was half done when I took over.
You could type in puppy training on your computers search feature and come up with all sorts of advice and tips. Think about what you read and pick and choose advice from more than one source. Take the best from several places, and know that some will work better than others for your pups.

Don Abney Trainer: http://www.abcantra.com/index.html

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