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Training Your New Mastiff Puppy
From the very beginning all Mastiff puppies will need some training. How you go about this will shape how your Mastiff puppy will act and respond as an adult. Starting early will give your puppy a base for good discipline. You can start with the basic preliminary training and continue into more advanced training.
Obedience training is the first place to start. It is important to remember that Mastiff puppies do not speak the same language that you and I do. You have to find a way to communicate with your new puppy in terms that they will understand and obey. Basic obedience training includes teaching your Mastiff puppy not to jump on people, run away, or act disobedient in any manner. Taking your dog to a professional dog trainer is recommended. Many new owners in Tennessee are attending puppy kindergarten classes with their new pups. This is more basic obedience training and will allow your Mastiff puppy to become socialized and well behaved.
You should continue the training classes or do your own training at home for 10 minutes a day (several times a day) with Mastiff puppies. Starting training very early on is essential to success according to Tennessee Mastiff breeders. Using a simple but stern "No" for bad behavior, and rewarding for good behavior is a form of training even though most owners may not even realize they are not only teaching but training their new Mastiff puppy. There are many books available on the basic rules and training techniques that can help you with your new Mastiff puppy. Each puppy is different and may take to different methods of training. Try out a few forms until you find what your puppy will respond to.
It is important to understand that you should never hit your Mastiff puppy. Being consistent and using rewards and praise are truly the best way to train. Using "No" during the unwanted action is important, but should never be followed with a hit or a slap. There are very productive ways to train your Tennessee Mastiff puppy and whether working with a trainer or doing it yourself with a book or video training is important to have a loving and calm relationship with your puppy. It’s important to remember, dominance over your dog will come by using a leadership mentality not harshness.
Mastiff Supplements and Vitamins
Your growing Mastiff puppy is now away from the Tennessee Mastiff breeder, mommy, and all the benefits that mother's milk provides. Certain vitamins and supplements can help give your Mastiff puppy what he is missing. NuVet Labs has developed a line of supplements to help your Mastiff through every stage of life. The Veterinarians at NuVet Labs understand that most dog food on the market today is lacking the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals that are important for your dog.
As your Tennessee Mastiff grows, she will need supplements to aid in a certain part of development. Most dog foods contain by-products which are seen as being toxic and poisonous to our beloved animals. These toxins are known as free radicals. Free radicals have been the cause of various forms of cancers, heart disease, arthritis, and premature aging. The ingredients in NuVet's line of supplements are designed to combat the assault of free radicals on our pets. The formula used consists of specific amounts of vitamins and minerals with high-potency antioxidants that help boost your Mastiff puppy's immune system and help with a healthy growth.
Training your Mastiff puppy is about communication. Even dogs raised in Tennessee can't speak human language, so you have to teach your Mastiff what's good and what's bad with a more structured system of rewards and corrections. The methods used to train your Mastiff puppy can be divided into three stages: motivation, correction, and distraction.
Motivation Stage
The first step of teaching your Mastiff puppy behaviors you desire is associating them with rewards your puppy desires. When your dog does something you like, such as correctly obeying a verbal command, you reward him with a treat and affection. The treat should be a healthy bit of food that can be eaten quickly so your Mastiff doesn't get distracted from the lesson by chewing and tearing at it. You can also use the treat to guide your puppy's attention to the focus of the lesson. When displaying affection toward your puppy-in-training, be enthusiastic! Your Tennessee Mastiff puppy needs to want the rewards as much as you want the behavior. You can also buy a clicker device to click at the same time you give a treat. If you use them together, the clicker becomes a consistent, clear signal that the puppy has done something right, even after you no longer use food rewards.
Start simple; if you're training your Mastiff puppy to sit, you'll have to guide him, reward him, and worry about staying later. Early training sessions should be short and to the point in a quiet, focused environment inside your Tennessee home. Once your puppy seems to be learning the first part of the command you want to teach, add the second part to it, and so on. Also, as your puppy learns a part of what you want to teach, scale back the food rewards; you eventually want your puppy to follow your commands without food always in hand. Don't move too fast for your Mastiff puppy to keep up mentally, and remember to keep these three training steps no more than seconds apart:
- Command
- Response
- Reward
If you wait too long between the command, response, or reward, your Mastiff puppy won't understand how they fit together. Also, be sure to keep your commands short, distinct, and regular. Your Mastiff puppy will remember a command exactly as you said it in training, so keep it brief and clear.
Correction Stage
Once your Mastiff puppy learns the initial expected behavior without a treat, you need to correct any mistakes your puppy makes, like standing too early after being told to sit and stay. Continue to reward good behavior, but when your puppy slips up, give a consistent signal of disappointment (a verbal "oops" or "uh-uh!"), no reward, and correct the behavior. Your Tennessee Mastiff puppy will associate his mistake with the "oops" signal and getting no treat, and avoid it. Remember that you must show your puppy how to do it right, and not just hold back rewards. Again, correction training should be done in longer and longer time spans. For example, reward your puppy for staying 2 seconds, then 5, and so on, until you're satisfied with her behavior.
Distraction Stage
Now that your Mastiff puppy knows what to do and what not to do, bring your training sessions from your quiet, distraction-free environment out into the real world, like Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Jackson, and Johnson City. Your puppy must learn to ignore noises, movement, and other distractions when you give a command, using similar techniques to the correction stage. Still, keep the lessons gradual. Don't move straight from a silent room to a city street!
Once your Mastiff puppy is trained to obey your simple commands without slipping outside your home, it's time for your reward: a well-trained dog!
Vet Visits and Mastiff Health
Mastiff puppies for sale will have received some immunizations from their mother's milk. This will provide a base for very strong and healthy Mastiff puppies. Your Mastiff will still need the standard immunization shots or vaccinations from your Tennessee veterinarian to help your puppy build up immunity to certain canine diseases. Your Mastiff puppy will need these vaccinations at least every 3-4 weeks starting at 6-8 weeks of age. After you've brought your puppy home from a Mastiff breeder, depending on the age, you will have to continue the protocol. These vaccinations will be a series of 3-4 (at least) shots until the puppy is around 16-18 weeks old. The last round of shots should be given after the puppy reaches the 16 week mark. The shots that are given early on include; Distemper, Parvo, Adenovirus, and Parainfluenza Combo.
During these early weeks you should keep your Tennessee Mastiff puppy away from strange dogs to reduce the risk of your puppy becoming infected with diseases. If you have another dog in the home or know of another dog that you are certain has all of its shots and is free of any diseases, then you can certainly let new Mastiff puppies play and become acquainted with the other dogs. The same goes with humans. Just like a baby, you should tell anyone who wants to hold or touch the new puppy to wash their hands before interacting with them. This is important because the new puppy is just building up its immunity and can catch a virus very easily. After the first few rounds of shots you can slowly let Mastiff puppies interact on a more normal basis.
Your new Tennessee Mastiff puppy will also need to be de-wormed. Intestinal parasites are naturally occurring in dogs, this is why your vet will suggested keeping your dog on a preventive like Heart Guard, and it is not unusual for the mother to pass these “worms” onto your puppy. You will need to get a few rounds of de=worming from your vet as a preventive measure.
Grooming and Keeping Your Mastiff Puppy Clean
Once your Mastiff puppy is home with you and your family in Tennessee from the Mastiff breeder, you will want to start a schedule for grooming and cleaning your puppy. This is not only important for the appearance of your new Mastiff puppy but also for its health and well being. It's not something that we often think about but puppies can not only produce an odor when not cleansed or groomed often but also may developed matted areas of fur and skin allergies as well.
Properly grooming your Tennessee Mastiff puppy will make you and your puppy feel very happy. The fur is the main area that will need to be groomed. This involves trimming of the fur, brushing and or combing of the fur. With long haired puppies you may want to comb through on a daily basis, trimming at areas that may be matted or may have a tendency to become matted. With curly and woolly dog breeds you will have to brush them every day to avoid any knots which tend to come about more frequently. The short-haired dogs with close tight hair or fur will only need a combing or brushing every two or three weeks. This is solely up you as the new owner but our recommendations should be kept in mind.
You will also need to do regular checking of your Mastiff puppy's paws. This will include trimming of the nails as well. You will need to check for any kind of dirt or debris that can become lodged in between the toes. This is especially important if your dog spends a great deal of time outdoors in Tennessee. The nails will need to be trimmed every few weeks. This will help your Mastiff puppy with movement as well as prevent any ingrown nails that can grow inward into the paw pads. This can be extremely painful for the pup and will cost quite a bit at the vets office to have removed and then closed up. To avoid this problem you must do a check every two weeks. Trimming of the nails will also save your furniture as well. If you have hardwood floors you will want to make sure your Mastiff puppy's nails are trimmed to avoid any damage. If your Mastiff puppy's nails are making clicking noises on your floors, then your pup may need a trimming.
Ear care is very important for your little Mastiff puppy. As a rule, the ears should always be a pale pink color and should not carry a fowl odor. If you notice anything odd you should take your Mastiff puppy to your vet to get checked. Cleaning your Mastiff puppy's ears is a fairly easy task. You will want to wet a cotton swab or pad with a little bit of warm water and gently clean the inner areas of the ear. You only want to go as far as you can see and never go deep into the ear canal. Cleaning of the ears should be done just about as regularly as you would groom the outside of your Tennessee Mastiff puppy.
Dental care for your Mastiff puppy is important as well. Cleaning of your dog's teeth should start at a very early age. As soon as the teeth start showing dental care should begin. Poor dental care is one of the main causes of early health problems in Mastiff dogs. Decay of the mouth and teeth can lead to serious kidney and liver disease. This can lead to an early death. You should brush your Mastiff's teeth as often as possible and take your pup into your Tennessee vet once a year for a thorough cleaning.
Bathing your Tennessee Mastiff dog is another way to get rid of most of the smelly odors that most dogs carry. At first sniff, if your dog has a smelly odor then you will certainly want to bathe your Mastiff puppy. Most dogs will need to be bathed once every two weeks. The exception will be the curly or woolly breeds, they only require a bathing every two months or so. Always remember to use the special dog shampoos; never use human shampoo. The special formula for dogs is designed to remove dirt and odor but still leave behind the essential oils under the fur that your Mastiff needs.
Your new Mastiff puppy will be an exciting addition to the family, and your child will probably want to spend a lot of time holding and playing with the pup after you bring it home from the Mastiff breeder in Tennessee. It is important to remember that your puppy, though cute and tiny, is still an animal with instincts, and children must be taught to respect these instincts.
Explain and show your child how to play with your Mastiff puppy. Make sure they know to be very gentle when touching and petting the Mastiff puppy. It's important that no one bothers the puppy while he is eating or sleeping, and for children to allow the puppy to have some down time without them around.
Adult supervision is important in the interaction of your child and the new Mastiff puppy. Show your child by example what is considered nice and good play—have them imitate what you have just done with the puppy; this is a secure way for them to learn. Have your child help with walking and feeding your new Mastiff puppy; this will teach responsibility and respect for animals. Your child can also be an assistant when bathing your puppy. Once your son or daughter understands these ideas, you can slowly allow for more alone play time, but supervision is always best at first.
Once your child understands the concepts, having your child attend training classes with your Tennessee Mastiff puppy is a smart idea. This step will teach your child how to properly interact with your puppy during this important phase. Your child can watch the training sessions, see how the trainer interacts with the Mastiff puppy, and follow by example.
Sometimes a child can be afraid of dogs, even Mastiff puppies. This is very common and can be resolved over time, and your child can have a life filled with the joy of having animals around. Some tips to cure this phobia or fear include:
- Teach your child to remain calm around the new Mastiff puppy. Most children will scream and run away when they are frightened; this will only startle the dog and cause the dog to react in a playful or scared manner. When you remain calm, the dog has no reason to behave otherwise.
- Tell your child your Mastiff's name. Most dogs have a cute or non-threatening name that sounds much better than just calling the dog a dog; this will help your child feel more at ease and more inclined to approach the Mastiff puppy.
- You can now take your child to a park in Tennessee and have her watch the dogs in their element of play and fun. Show her the ones that are behaving nicely; this will allow for a comfort level around the dogs. She will be used to seeing many different types of dogs, including your Mastiff puppy, playing in a non-threatening way.
Traveling With Your New Mastiff Puppy
Traveling with your new Mastiff puppy in Tennessee can be both exciting and comforting. You have the ease of knowing your puppy is with you and taken care of rather than leaving the pup at the vets or at an animal boarding facility. To help the experience become more enjoyable for everyone involved, here are a few recommendations to consider traveling with your new Mastiff puppy.
For car travel in Tennessee, Mastiff breeders recommend having a large kennel in the car. This allows the pup to feel secure without being confined in a super-small space. The kennel will also allow for added safety as well. Having your Mastiff pup in the kennel is much safer than having him roaming around the car unprotected. We recommend that when traveling by car that you use airline-grade pet travel kennels.
It is important that your Mastiff understands basic commands before even considering taking him on vacation in Tennessee with the family. Your dog needs to understand, "Stay", "Sit", "Stop", and "Come". These commands need to be understood for your Mastiff's own protection. You will be traveling and making destination stops and bathroom breaks and your puppy must understand and obey your commands in these unfamiliar areas.
You must also be aware that most animals will become motion sick in a lengthy car ride. Drooling and vomiting are all normal when dealing with a car-sick animal. Most animals will become accustomed to travel after the first few times, but if your Mastiff puppy is becoming quite sick even after several travels in Tennessee, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe pet-safe anti-nausea medication, which can make the experience a better one for both you and your Mastiff.
It is important that you always have your leash handy when traveling with your Mastiff puppy. You should have easy access when clipping it on to the collar for quick security. You will most likely be making frequent stops and you will need to have this motion down quick for your Mastiff's protection and for the protection of others. Another tip that goes hand in hand with having a leash is having a pet ID tag. You must be sure that your Mastiff has all identification tags securely attached to this collar. These tags should include your name and contact phone number, the number to your vet, and or the number to your close neighbor or relative in Tennessee. This will help increase the chances of your pet being returned to you if something unforeseen were to occur.
Another handy tool for fun and safety is a tie-out for your Mastiff pup. It is a very good idea to have a portable tie-out on hand for destination stops. This will allow your pup the much needed relaxation and rest while being secured in a safe manner.
You will also need to remember to pack more than the normal amount of daily dog food for your Mastiff pup. This is always important so that your pup will not only have his/her daily recommended portions of food but will also have extra on hand if you had to stay away a day or two longer than previously
planned. You will also want to be sure to have enough water on hand for long trips, and it is recommended that you keep some frozen water pops for your Tennessee Mastiff pup to lick during those long hours being stationary in the car.
Remember to bring some of your Mastiff's favorite toys along for the ride as well as a few new toys to spark his interest. This will keep your pup comfortable and occupied.
Most importantly, you must not forget the Tennessee law! Pack plenty of plastic bags and a pooper scooper for cleaning up after your Mastiff pup. It is not only sanitary, but in most states it is actually required by law that you must clean up after your pet.
