Here are some tips for the care of a Jack Russell puppy from 8 weeks!
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Nutrition
Proper nutrition and quantity is important. We always feed the puppy dogs Royal Canin, puppy food. Dogs are fed several times a day, depending on the stage of life the dog is in. Young animals (puppies) should be fed 3 or 4 times a day for up to 12 weeks. In terms of quantity, we then start with an amount the size of an expresso coffee cup at a time. Dogs in the juvenile phase (3 to 8 months) are fed 3 times a day and adult dogs preferably twice a day or possibly once a day. Prevent the growing dog from becoming overweight, as this can lead to joint problems, if you notice that the dog is getting too fat, give a little less per day.
Always feed your dog a meal, that is to say an always balanced amount of food. Let the food sit for 10 minutes and then remove the container. Make sure there is constant fresh drinking water available. . Dogs should not eat chocolate, grapes, raisins, currants and macadamia nuts. This is toxic to the dog.
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Growing up and moving
A growing dog should not be exposed to excessive physical exertion and should be given adequate rest (match movement to the age of the growing dog). A growing dog should not jump and / or turn excessively, but he really wants to, but keep him or her in check! Also be careful with slippery floors, which is not so good for a young dog, because he then has no grip. Walking a lot of stairs is not so good for a young dog, so wait until he is one year old.
Teeth
Give your dog a good chew bar from time to time, which is good against plaque.
Trimming
Your dog should be trimmed equally well from time to time, usually in spring and fall, our advice is to get it done by a professional groomer. If you start right away, the dog will get used to it. We have our dogs trimmed at Trimsalon Gabrielle, Cantekoogweg 13D in Purmerend. To comb your dog yourself from time to time, this is a good comb:
Nails
You can basically cut the nails yourself, but be careful, do not cut too short. We prefer to do it ourselves from time to time at a grooming salon!
Puppy course
To get to know your dog well and to form a good team together, it is fun and advisable to follow a puppy course.
Vaccinations puppy
The puppies received their first vaccination when they were 6 weeks old. You can also see this in the European passport. This vaccination protects against disease caused by the parvo and distemper virus. Young puppies are very sensitive to these viruses and infection at this age is often fatal. After this first injection, the puppies are vaccinated twice, namely at the age of 9 and 12 weeks. Since you take the puppy home at 8 weeks, you should schedule an appointment with your vet for the vaccinations after 6 weeks. After the last vaccination, the puppy is fully and long-term protected against all viral diseases, which is of course nice because the puppy has to learn to interact with other dogs and to discover the environment.
Why three vaccinations?
There are a number of reasons for repeating the vaccination. First, the immune system is not fully developed at a young age, the protection that the puppies have received from their mother's milk can hinder vaccination and some vaccines do not give sufficient immunity after a single vaccination. The first vaccinations therefore provide protection, but do not yet provide full or long-term immunity.
Because in adult dogs the antibody titre decreases faster after vaccination than in an older adult dog, we repeat the vaccination with a large cocktail one year after the last puppy vaccination at 6 months of age. Thereafter, the vaccination is alternated with small and large cocktails according to the adult dog schedule.
Deworming
The first deworming should be given at 2 weeks of age. Then the puppy is dewormed at 4 to 6 weeks, so we have already done that for you. At 8 weeks, deworming is necessary again, then monthly up to 6 months of age . From 6 months of age, a dog must be dewormed 4 times a year. You can buy a deworming cure at the pet store or vet. We always use Vitaminthe that we buy from the vet. We always use these ourselves, which we buy from the vet.
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Fleas
Fleas can cause a lot of nuisance. They can cause itching or even an allergic reaction. A flea can easily jump from one animal to another. Even if the dog has never had fleas before, you may still be affected. We recommend checking the dogs regularly. Fleas often look for warm spots in the skin, in the groin. If you see fleas, treat immediately with an anti flea agent, available at the pet store or vet. There are also remedies that should be given to the dog on a monthly basis. That can of course also be an option.
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With children
Our experience is that Jack Russell's are very enthusiastic dogs. Diesel loves children. Dibbes also likes to play football with children. The dogs from our first puppy litter all get along well with children. Diesel gets very excited when our babysitter is here, and would like to give him a lick on his hands or face. We do notice that the enthusiasm of the dogs for children can sometimes be a bit too intense for children, sometimes children start running out of fear of the enthusiastic dog. But that is a good reason for the dogs to run along with them… they think, "Yippie we are going to play!" Our advice is to always stay with small children, to let them get used to each other, as soon as the children are a bit bigger, they can safely play with the dog. Also, teach the children from the start that they should not be afraid, that they are in charge, and not the dog.
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Going abroad with your puppy.
If you want to travel with your puppy you need a Europaspoort and a rabies or rabies vaccination. This vaccination is only given by a vet when the puppy is 12 weeks old. Keep in mind that you can only travel with your puppy 3 weeks after giving the vaccination. you must have your passport with you when you travel!
Chip and Register database
From April 1, 2013 it is mandatory to identify and register every born or imported dog. This applies to both the breeder and the (puppy) owner. Dogs database is an official database designated by the government for compulsory registration. As a breeder we are obliged to register the dog with the chip number with this database for dogs. We have already done this for your dog. As the new owner of the dog, you can now transfer the dog to your name. Go to www.databankhonden.nl. Create an account and then go to 2) Purchase a dog from the Netherlands. (here you register a dog that was born in the Netherlands, or has already been registered here by the breeder).
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More information can be found on this website: www.licg.nl/honden/jack-russell-terrier
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