RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS. A NEW SPANISH WATER DOG PUPPY AT HOME

From the UBBADAT kennel we want to give a minimum of necessary information so that the arrival of a Spanish water dog puppy at home is as positive as possible for the puppy and for the family. A quick adaptation to its new environment and some basic tips for the first moments and the first year of life that can help all families that acquire a puppy with us.

FIRST MOMENTS AT HOME. HOW THE FAMILY SHOULD ACT

When we get home with our new puppy we should moderate, as much as possible, all kinds of stress and over-saturation.

Normally a puppy is delivered from its 60 days of life. With a minimum of 2 vaccines and 2 internal deworming. Freshly bathed by us and ready for his new adventure with his family.

When we get home with our new puppy we should moderate, as much as possible, all kinds of stress and over-saturation. Trying that if we have children at home, they overwhelm the newly arrived puppy. We should talk to our children, and know ourselves, about the puppy’s need to be as calm as possible so that he himself can recognize his new environment, know where his bed and water is and adapt to his new home as quickly as possible. without stress and in a positive way.

We will establish a fixed place for your water (always available) and your bed to sleep or rest with us at home. And we will help you know and know the whole house so that you do not feel in a strange place and you can start to relate to us without stress.

The tranquility that we show in these first moments will greatly favor the speed with which the puppy will assimilate all his new environment and we can begin to create a strong bond with our new companion.

 

 

Once the puppy smells and investigates its entire environment, it will surely drink a little water and go alone to seek the company and love of the people around it. Especially women and children (the latter should be calm because the excitement, screaming or jumping of a child can scare a puppy). After the human family has presented the puppy with caresses and soft words we will leave him alone because he is surely tired of the trip to his new home and needs sleep.

To spend the first night with us, it is essential that the puppy feels protected and in a stable home. If we have given him his space to do a little research on the new house, we have given him petting and some play, the puppy will know for sure which people to approach to feel safe and calm. It’s time to rest.

During the days after the puppy’s arrival, we must go little by little showing him the different inhabitants of the house, routine situations of the family and introducing him to the members of the family. The children will be able to play with the puppy and we will create a bond with games, caresses and talk to him a lot. Making the puppy a participant and member of her new family.

CREATE A LINK WITH YOUR PUPPY

Since the puppy comes home he is learning and one of the most important things to learn is who is his master, his guide, his shepherd.

This wonderful breed of sheepdog stands out for its great intelligence, smell and predisposition to serve its master always with joy.

A few minutes a day with your puppy, playing with him, talking to him a lot, stroking him … will serve to create an eternal bond between dog – owner that will grow and grow until it becomes something already famous in this breed. A bond so close that a simple glance, small gesture or word will make our dog obey the orders as if he understood us. It is difficult to express in words what a Spanish water dog and a good guide can achieve together thanks to a bond between them that must be created as a puppy.

Remember, always positive. The dog must be happy, confident and playful with his us. And we will have an amazing partner.

 

FEEDING

A puppy eats 2 times a day, in the morning and at night. Water always at your disposal.
The way of giving food should be the same always, in the same place and trying to make it at the same time. Regularity in feedings will favor regularity in the digestion and excretion of the animal.

The food should be left for 10-15 minutes. No more. If she doesn’t eat it whole, she retires and we wait for the next shot. We must be consistent and strong in this type of act because the puppy must learn a routine and eat without leaving anything on the plate.

We will put the food in a metal bowl (easily disinfected material) and always ourselves. The puppy must know from the first moment that the food does not appear magically on the plate but that we are the one who supplies it. It is very easy to establish a routine talking to the dog while we feed him and even starting to teach him to sit down and wait for us to put the food on him and give him the order to start eating.

While eating, it is convenient to caress him and talk to him. Take away the food for a few seconds and make the animal see that we are the ones who have control of the food and or he.

Don’t worry if the puppy eats little or almost nothing his first night at home. It is normal. Surely in the morning he will eat more.

From about one year of age, feedings will be reduced to one shot only in the evening. And always after exercising or going to play outside. The dog must eat and be calm for its digestion – this way we will avoid gastric torsion.

It is good to take the puppy out to the street just before going to bed so that it is relieved and it can spend the night calmly.

 

BATH

All the puppies that from UBBADAT we give to their new owners are previously bathed and groomed. We have removed the possible hairs from the ears and trimmed the hairs from the perigee area (anus).

A 2-month-old puppy can bathe, yes. We should do it only when it is dirty, not very regularly.
With warm water and special shampoo for puppies; gently and ensuring that the bath time is always positive.

We will dry it as much as possible with a soft towel and finish with a little hand dryer. Previously familiarizing the puppy with the noise of the device.

Getting these moments to be pleasant and positive for the puppy the first few times will facilitate this task in the future.

Talk to your puppy while you bathe him, pet him and make him understand that absolutely nothing happens and that he is fun.

When the dog is a little bigger, after its first haircut (around 3 months old) we can bathe the puppy and let it dry playing in the garden, on the terrace or taking it down to the park to play in the sun. In this way we favor that you have healthy, strong hair and that the curls of your adult hair begin to appear.

There are those who advise the use of certain commercial brands of shampoos for water dogs. We do not. There are many good shampoos. It is simply applying consistency with our pet. Wash it when it is dirty, watch for possible knots (opening them with your fingers) and let it dry in the sun. The hair of the Spanish water dog is rustic, strong, woolly … and should remain so. We will not be the one who advises special shampoos or dog grooming as this breed of dog does not require any aesthetic cuts and to have beautiful hair it is not necessary to go to the hairdresser every month.

Our dogs live in the field, they have never stepped in a dog grooming, we do not make cosmetic cuts and their hair is healthy, strong and with spectacular curls. The recipe is to open knots and water, lots of water – we wet them with the hose or bathe in the pool, rivers, beach or swamps – and then dry in the sun.

 

HAIR CARE. THE HAIR CUTTING IN THE SPANISH WATER DOG

Our Spanish water dog puppies are delivered from two months of age and depending on the time of year, we will have to wait more or less time to make their first haircut.

Puppies have soft hair that is obviously not their ultimate coat. We must shear (about 3mm long uniformly throughout the body and without exception of any area. All equally) to the puppy from 3 months of age so that its strong and definitive hair begins to grow. This should be before summer (April or May) or before winter (October).

From that first shave we will let the hair grow until the next shave date that we can shave again, or not. It is our choice.
This is; If we shave in May we can let it grow until October or wait until next May.

As new hair grows, we must be aware of the possible knots that are formed – especially behind the ears – and open them with the fingers from the outside in.

Wetting the hair with plenty of water (without soap) and leaving to dry in the open air greatly favors the formation of your laces or dreadlocks. Beautiful curly hair is always the result of using water and drying in the sun. And if we can take it to the beach much better. Then rinse with fresh water and let it air dry.

The hair of the Spanish water dog is rustic, it should not be cut aesthetically, it does not need great care and it is NEVER COMBED.

HAIR IN THE EARS AND PERINEUM AREA

We must be especially careful with the hair that grows inside the ears and in the perigee area (anus)

In the ears we must pluck it with our fingers, not cut it, to avoid otitis-like infections. And in the area of the perineum we must cut it to avoid that the dirt can get stuck in that area.

Cleaning the tear area is also necessary.

 

 

THE MOST SUITABLE BELT.
THE USE OF THE NECKLACE OR NOT

Many are the owners who ask us the most suitable options to take their dogs for a safe walk.
The first thing we should know is that any necklace or harness is totally contraindicated.

The harness should not be used because it does not give us control over the dog, they were created so that the dog could pull a sled and that is not what we want. Harness, no, thanks.

Regarding a fixed collar always on, we will cause the hair on the neck to be damaged and therefore it is not advisable to always wear it.
You can do it just to go for a walk, but at home you should not wear anything around your neck.

The best option is the thin straps with included neck loop. They do not damage the hair and when you remove the strap it also runs out of a necklace. In this way the dog is free and without anything that can spoil its coat.

DEWORMING AND CARE IN SUMMER

Summer is coming, we are in spring (April or May) and we have shaved our puppy for the first time.
What we must do next is to put a SERESTO necklace (or similar brand) on the neck and put an Advantix type pipette on the back to protect it from external parasites in summer.

We will wear the SERESTO necklace from May to October or November. The dog has short hair and therefore will not spoil it.
When October or November arrives we remove the deworming collar and leave the hair already grown until the following spring – or we shave the dog again.

PUPPY SOCIABILIZATION

This topic is really important in the breed of the Spanish water dog because in the socialization stage the puppy learns to relate both to its fellows and to humans and the different situations and noises of its new owner.

We must take our puppy for a walk the more the better and always provide positive situations in different environments to get a stable adult dog in the future.

Taking the dog for a walk in the city, the park or going to a children’s area to interact with children is ideal. The puppy will learn, observe and experience different situations, different people, different noises … and all this together will create a stable and happy dog ​​in the future.

Talk to him, talk to your puppy a lot. And never stop doing it. Dogs understand orders but most of all understand tone of voice. Our tone should be happy, positive, encouraging and encouraging the puppy to take on the challenges that we are going to put every time we go out.

Good boy!, Bravo!, Come on, let’s go to the street to play! … are positive expressions that will make our puppy predisposed to go out and share positive experiences with her master.

If the puppy is scared of any situation or noise, we should NOT take it or pet it at that time. With this we will only create more insecurity. We will let you know that nothing is wrong. We will keep still and when the dog calms down we will continue our march normally. We can give you a quick pat or caress, not too much; and thus make him see that nothing happens.

Do not overprotect your puppy, make him see in a positive way that the world around him is a fantastic experience.
DO NOT TREAT THE DOG LIKE A HUMAN, because then the dog will treat you like another dog.

YOU MUST BE SUPERMAN FOR YOUR DOG
He will follow you everywhere sure that with you he will be well and happy. Teach him tricks, find his ball, follow you everywhere.
He will never separate from you and you will have an ideal partner.

ENJOY YOUR PUPPY
This has no further explanation. Enjoy, play, respect and love your water dog … and he will return it multiplied by a thousand.