[Faumpiggueria]

We've had Jasmine for a few days, and this is how the daily routine has been so far:

Out of her dog room when Scott comes home at 6:30 am, eat breakfast (some kibble and raw food mixed for now, transitioning to all raw)
Play or go for a short walk for an hour or so until I get home at 8 am; by then she seems to be worn out a bit and snoozes for an hour with Scott
Play with me for an hour or so chasing a toy on a rope and walking around the yard
By around noon, she gets a lunch of kibble, that will phase out as she matures, take her out to potty, then she passes out for a few hours
Wake up around mid afternoon and play for a bit or entertain herself
Dinner after we eat around 6pm or so, same as breakfast
Play out in the yard for an hour or in the house if it's dark
Passes out again before going into her dog room for the night around 10pm when Scott and I go to work; brother in law checks on her periodically, but she's slept quietly for the night the last few nights

Is this too much activity for her growing body? I've mostly been letting her dictate when she feels like sleeping or playing, and how hard she wants to play. I want to keep her active and doing something when she's awake, though, so she doesn't terrorize the cats as much or chew the house apart.

Any other suggestions?

[tigoCeree]

The only thing, IMO, that needs critiquing is that you are mixing raw and kibble. Stop that. They are digested differently and when you feed both the stomach/intestines are "confused"... It could cause issues! That's not how you transition to raw anyways... For a puppy, transitioning to raw consists of fasting for 12 hours then just starting raw and sticking with it. If you go to the prey model raw website it'll give you all kinds of info good luck with your new little one

[Faumpiggueria]

Thanks! I was thinking of just switching over to straight raw today anyway, she's really been picking at the kibble from the foster mom, but will wolf down a pound of ground raw if I let her, though I stick to 1/4-1/2 per day. I've been feeding it a spoonful at a time, otherwise she'll eat everything in one gulp.

[suingincentix]

What exactly are you feeding her as "raw" ? A raw diet needs to be properly balanced... there are a lot of websites that will help you find the right protein source and balance for your pup

Overall, it sounds like an awesome schedule! As long as her exercise doesn't involve any "hard labour" like going for a run/job on pavement or a lot of jumping up and landing on hard ground (both of which can affect her growing joints), I wouldn't worry about it being too much activity. Spreading it out over the day like you do is actually ensuring a tired pup by the end of the day.. so good on ya for that!

[eduptultyt]

The only thing, IMO, that needs critiquing is that you are mixing raw and kibble. Stop that. They are digested differently and when you feed both the stomach/intestines are "confused"... It could cause issues! That's not how you transition to raw anyways... For a puppy, transitioning to raw consists of fasting for 12 hours then just starting raw and sticking with it. If you go to the prey model raw website it'll give you all kinds of info good luck with your new little one

Agreed 110%!!! Please stop mixing the two and just focus on getting your pmr ratios perfect!

---------- Post added at 06:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:37 PM ----------

Thanks! I was thinking of just switching over to straight raw today anyway, she's really been picking at the kibble from the foster mom, but will wolf down a pound of ground raw if I let her, though I stick to 1/4-1/2 per day. I've been feeding it a spoonful at a time, otherwise she'll eat everything in one gulp.

Don't feed ground.... it defeats the main purpose of prey model raw which is actually chewing, shearing, and gulping as nature intended...
PLease do a lot more research or stick to a good kibble only. If you aren't doing it right, you'll can really screw up your puppy. A grown dog has much more margin for error.
www.preymodelraw.com

[Faumpiggueria]

I try and keep her on the grass as much as I can while we're out walking; I take her to the local park and walk on the grass, but she still has to deal with some pavement on the way there, about 200 feet. She's not that great about staying on the yards and always wants to stop and sniff stuff on the pavement!

Thanks for the link Monkeys, I'll read through it tonight.

The ground raw she's eating is from a local shop, I buy the meat/bones/organ versions. My cats frequently get whole chicken parts, beef bone scraps (which they mostly just lick clean) and the occasional fish, along with the ground raw; what size of bone would be advisable for the puppy? I wasn't sure if her jaw would be damaged by bones yet, hence the ground raw. I have a friend that runs a meat locker, but I believe he only deals with beef.

I'll give some local butchers a call tomorrow and see what I can get for whole stuff.

[eduptultyt]

How many of her puppy series of vaccinations has this puppy had? I'd be careful where you take her until she's done with her puppy series.... stay away from really dog heavy parks.... Parvo is no bueno.

I've seen pics of "pit bull" puppies easily handling chicken quarters.
But wings and things would be super easy for her. She can very easily crunch bones and it will feel very good on those new teeth! And it will aid teething when that time arrives... there's a forum that the people who created the pmr website are a big part of, I think there is a link on PMR.com there are many breeders and experienced puppy raisers who've fed raw for years and years who can better advise you. I highly suggest you join. You can do way way better than commercial ground mixes... who knows what is really in that.

[Faumpiggueria]

She's met one dog friend of ours so far, who's up to date on his vaccinations. No dog parks yet or other random dogs. She's getting her shots this weekend with the rescue group.

I found the forum you speak of; looks great! I was doing a bunch of research on feeding our cats raw after their regular food was recalled years ago. They've been on raw food of one type or another for I think 4 years and couldn't be happier, though our vet probably wishes we needed to come in more often. Digging into it with a dog in mind is sorta exciting, in a weird way. I think the foster mom approved our application on the spot because I went on and on about how great our cats are doing on raw food and that the dog would also do raw food.

Thanks! Beautiful husky, always loved them. If I liked winter enough to be outside for an extended period of time, I'd love to get into huskies and sled dogging.

[suingincentix]

Meeting other dogs isn't all you need to worry about - parvo lives in the ground, too. If she is not FULLY vaccinated, she shouldn't be walking in public areas as she is still at risk for catching parvo.

On a side note... I'm a musher (with borrowed huskies lol). It's a TON of fun! If you have any interest in it at all, I would definitely recommend looking into local musher groups in your area. Like I mentioned... the team of dogs I run is a borrowed team, so you don't have to own a bunch of them to get into it

[corsar-caribean]

I feed raw and kibble, no problems. I don't usually feed them in the same meal, but my grandpa fed all his racing hounds a mix of ground raw and kibble in the same meal, and they were in phenomenal health, with the exception of bad teeth from a lack of raw meaty bones. That being said, when you do switch to full raw, make sure you do it right. Supplementing kibble with plain ol' ground beef has proven to be good for health in my experience, but that's what it is... a supplement. Nutritional deficiency in the ground beef is made up for by the kibble. When you go whole hog (which I highly recommend as the healthiest thing), it has to be well-balanced, especially for a pup. 80:10:10 meat:bonergan ratio.

[angelxmagic]

My puppies are never off my property until they have had ALL their vaccinations and then there are limited areas on my property that they are allowed. Parvo is no joke among a whole array of crap a puppy can get from being outside.

As far as the raw is concerned...Everyone is right do not feed with kibble. My biggest worry in a newby transitioning to raw especially with a puppy is if not done right you can cause more harm then good. Puppies require more vit and minerals for proper growth then an adult dog does. I only give raw to my pups as a treat like a nice bone or some green tripe from time to time...

I would also suggest crate training at this age, giving them a nice bone while in the crate or a stuffed kong helps them learn to like their safe place.

Good luck with your new puppy =)

[9mm_fan]

I would start incorporating some basic obedience training into your day. You can start teaching the basics now (sit, come, etc.). Crate training like Celtic suggested would be good too. Also, getting the puppy used to body handling and car rides.

I would start researching dog parks if I were you. The theory is good but in reality they are very dirty and bad socialization. It's not a good place for any dog, no matter the age.

I am assuming your new dog is a pit bull mix puppy. I would suggest learning about the breed's history/behavior so that you can intelligently answer questions when asked and know what to expect as your puppy ages (prey drive, dog aggression/selectivity, etc.). I would also suggest purchasing a couple of break sticks now so that you have them on hand for when you puppy gets older.

If I am reading correctly, you also have cats. I would make it a point to teach the puppy now that chasing them is not allowed and get in the habit of always supervising them and separating when you cannot.

Good luck

[eduptultyt]

Doesn't matter if there are no other dogs currently in the park.... parvo lives in the ground...
Dog parks and random dogs are inappropriate for any breed, but especially "pit bulls". Please read the sticky on dog parks and pit bulls.

It is very fun to research, make their meals, and watch them eat.

Thank you. However would not recommend 98% of people even think about owning a sled dog or even a showline bred Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute. They are pretty extreme atheletes. I took each dog on an individual run, yeah thats right run, after lifting at the gym last night. And they usually get one run together earlier in the day. Thats bare bones minimum.... Lily especially could take a lot more. And for what its worth, Lily is just as happy in 110 degree Idaho summers as she is in the winter snowstorms. She likes to lay in direct sunlight on concrete.... doesn't slow down her running requirements either.
I don't mush, but I think its super cool. They are GSD heavy (especially my other dog Scout) in their mix so we do bitesports. Next dog will hopefully be a Belgian Malinois which is another breed most people should not own, but holy crap they are amazing. I am a sick person, I love cracked out athlete dogs.

---------- Post added at 08:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 AM ----------

I would start incorporating some basic obedience training into your day. You can start teaching the basics now (sit, come, etc.). Crate training like Celtic suggested would be good too. Also, getting the puppy used to body handling and car rides.

I would start researching dog parks if I were you. The theory is good but in reality they are very dirty and bad socialization. It's not a good place for any dog, no matter the age.

I am assuming your new dog is a pit bull mix puppy. I would suggest learning about the breed's history/behavior so that you can intelligently answer questions when asked and know what to expect as your puppy ages (prey drive, dog aggression/selectivity, etc.). I would also suggest purchasing a couple of break sticks now so that you have them on hand for when you puppy gets older.

If I am reading correctly, you also have cats. I would make it a point to teach the puppy now that chasing them is not allowed and get in the habit of always supervising them and separating when you cannot.

Good luck

Excellent post, heed this advice as well!

[Faumpiggueria]

Okay, I called the foster mom to confirm which shots puppy has had, hopefully she'll call back soon. Until they're all done, going out of the yard will be off limits.

We're working on come and sit, as well as inside and outside. I was trying to work on heel a little bit, but I think all of it is too much, so that will have to wait. She isn't thrilled with car rides yet, but if I take her when she's a bit worn out, she doesn't cry as much. So far it's a been a few short trips to the post office or Menards for a quick return with the brother in law staying in the car with her.

The park we went to isn't a dog park, just a regular neighborhood playground type park. We did do research on dog parks and already decided those are off limits; the one in our city is pretty gross looking anyway, and there's rumors going around that there's a cranky old man who likes to toss out poison sometimes there. The few dogs that were there were running around like tweaked out meth heads, too.

The crate we picked up yesterday has been cleaned and disinfected, she'll get her first go at it tonight. Regarding the cats, yes, she is learning "no cat" and is being redirected when she starts chasing them. We did read some stories on here about unfortunate incidents with being unsupervised with cats, so she's in her room or crated when we're not around or sleeping. She's gotten a few swats already, though, and is getting better at learning the cat's back off signals.

Break sticks are on the to-buy list, do you have a recommended place to buy them, or wherever will be fine?

My husband's aunt has two huskies, and holy bananas, are they active dogs. They're like the energizer bunny, they keep going and going and going...

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep on it all!

[wmtravelservice]

I'm so glad that you're here to heed warning and advice from experienced owners.

Stillwater has break sticks:
Stillwater Kennel Supply --

Pit Bull Rescue Central has a good "how-to"on break sticks:
http://www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html