Puppy Diaries: Beginner with Puppies and Some Problems Encountered

Taking care of my new puppy is tiring and consumes my time. How much more If I'll have my own child? How will I balance work and kids while still being a good partner and friend to my better half? I just realize that it’s not easy since the puppy was not in good health when I've got him. Imagine the hardship of our mothers. My mom is very good domestically but that comes with a con - she's not really sweet and affectionate to us. Maybe that’s the result of huge responsibility at an early age. Talk about early pregnancy, having a lot of kids, and a difficult partner! So think first before you commit!

My puppy's name is Pepper. Weird thing is I've received an approval from my Mom to keep him. But Pepper is still my lone responsibility. That will be a challenge for me before I’ll consider starting my own family. It will not be easy since I'm not really a dog lover and my family doesn’t give them a special treatment. I doubt too that I could rely on them to take care of him when I'm not around, perhaps on a very rare occasion only.

Unknowledgeable with dogs
What I’ve done in the past few weeks was I’ve read a lot of forum conversations and articles regarding puppies. And there’s my dog-lover boyfriend who’s generous in giving me advices on the proper treatment and caring of dogs. If I delayed giving Pepper an anti-lice bath, the damage in his skin could be worst than what it is now. Talk about zero knowledge about dogs. I was not sure if it’s okay to give the puppy an anti-lice treatment at 6 weeks of age, I don’t know if it could handle a bath, and have no idea of what anti-lice shampoo to buy. The lice devour the puppy’s skin and gives it a wet wound. That’s what happened to Pepper. The blood sucking pests could also make the puppy anemic.

Other dilemmas:

1. The Amount of Food to Give. Someone told me that puppies can die from overfeeding, not sure if it's true though. He’s very fury, it's kinda deceiving that its hard to guess if the food is too much for him. I’ve only bought a kilo of dog food (I don't even know the name) and its instruction is in the sack. There’s a computation of how much to feed based on the dog’s weight but I haven’t researched about it yet.

2. Deworming The Puppy. In our Aspin dogs, they only do it once in their entire life and that’s during their puppy days. I’m currently working on this. I bought syrup which might turn out as a bad buy compared to a tablet form since I’ve read somewhere that once it’s open, the strength lessens after 30 days. Uh-oh. My mom dislikes the idea of me buying a 350 (7$) worth deworming product. She volunteered to buy a cheaper one (not sure if the one that is intended for human babies) if I will return what I’ve bought. If only it’s not embarrassing and not a hassle to return it … It was not given to him immediately since Pepper was not feeling well after he ate other dog’s vomit and vomited it too.

3. No Cage/Crate. I’m still using my sister’s cage until that last last weekend but she disposed it on that weekend too. I offered to buy it but she refused, so I ended up with “poop everywhere” problem. It’s easier to potty train him when he’s in the cage as no dogs would want to poop in their sleeping area. Since there’s no more cage, he no longer poops outside. The potty training during lunch time doesn’t sound feasible though as a puppy could not hold his poop for straight 8 hours since I'm in work. I need someone to take him out during lunch time.

A cage is needed top since the dog is not allowed inside the house. I’m just living in other people’s house so I have to obey their rules.

But caging the dog seems like it gives them depression. Pepper only wags its tail when I let him out, not during the time that he noticed I came home.

4. Poop Everywhere. The lack of cage means he needed to be trained to poop in a carton filled with soil. Poop is a joy killer. The scent and picking of poop is the part that I hated most with pets. If the pup has worms, the poop will carry the worms and the eggs. Then there’s the flies… :| I’ve read somewhere that the worm can survive in the soil for 1-2 years? Talk about petting your puppy, holding it, licking you, and the possibility of transfer of worms to us.

When Pepper eats pure dog food soaked in water, his poops were firmer and not smelly BUT he always poop that I wonder if it is really absorbed in his body. He eat less if it’s dog food though.

5. Frequent Floor Mopping. Because of problem # 4.

6. The Attracted Flies. Because of problem # 4.

7. He Doesn’t Bark. This is still in relation to problem #4. If he will bark, at least I’ll know when to let him out in the garden. He only barked twice in the past, though yesterday I've heard him bark three times.

8. Puppy Expenses. I didn't know that puppy is a high maintenance pet. I need to find a fund for my puppy expenses else my little savings will gradually deplete because of him. Talk about vet expenses and dog needs. It's easier if it's an Aspin. Lesson learned? Taking care of a not so healthy puppy is no joke so if you have a chance, please pick a healthy one!