Puppy Care

Bringing home a new puppy? Here’s what you need to know to raise a happy, healthy canine companion.

Weaning & feeding

  • Puppies are weaned by 6 weeks and ready for solid food.
  • Feed small meals:- 4 times daily until 8 weeks, 3 times daily until 12 weeks. 2 times daily after 6 months
  • Always provide fresh water, and avoid raw meats, which can be too rich.

Toilet training

  • Start immediately! Take your puppy outside after meals, naps, playtime, and before bedtime.
  • If they start going inside, take them out right away.
  • Praise good behaviour—never punish accidents.

Worming & flea control

  • Worm your puppy every 2 weeks until 3 months old, then every 3-4 months.
  • Fleas can cause health issues—protect your puppy year-round with safe treatments.
Puppy Care vet services
Puppy Care vet services

Desexing

  • Females (4-6 months) – prevents unwanted pregnancy & health risks.
  • Males (4-6 months) – reduces aggression & roaming behaviour. There is much less time pressure on male dogs to be desexed young. Discuss the best time to desex for your dog's breed and size with your veterinarian.

Vaccination

Start from 6 weeks old to protect against dangerous diseases.
Avoid public places until 10 days after vaccinations are complete at 16 weeks, as puppies are particularly susceptible to parvovirus, which is spread through faeces from infected dogs.
To see the vaccination schedule, visit our vaccination page.

Socialisation & training

  • Introduce your puppy to new people, places, and friendly dogs between 4 and 16 weeks.
  • Puppy preschool is a great way to build confidence & teach basic manners.

Registration & microchipping

  • Register your puppy by 3 months at your local council office.
  • As part of registration, all dogs (except working farm dogs) need to be micro-chipped within 2 months of being registered. A small ‘chip’ is injected under the skin on the back of the neck, where it remains for life. This provides life-long, undisputable identification of your pet. The details on the chip are easily detected with a special scanner and kept on a readily accessible database.
  • The Vet Centre is a New Zealand Veterinary Association-approved micro-chipping centre. We also microchip your dog and provide all the documentation and verification required by the local councils.

Pet Insurance

  • Consider pet insurance for unexpected vet costs - ask us for options.

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