Toys!!!!

Something that may seem so much common sense now, but wasn't commonly known when I studied animal behavior back in college, is that toys (sensory and behavioral stimuli) are crucial to the development of your puppy's brain functioning.  Regardless of how intelligent your new puppy is, or how intelligent you might feel she is, having some good, safe toys around will help her learn and be happy.

I found a good, concise discussion about this on eHow.  Some of the points I would like to highlight:

• Safety is rule #1
• Using discarded clothing and shoes as clothes can create a problem because puppies (and people for that matter) can have a hard time differentiating between old shoes and your brand new Michael Kors sandals
• Also, if you have young children with favorite stuffed animals, avoiding stuffed animal puppy toys may help avoid major conflict and drama
• Pups go through many different stages of development, so things that were appropriate and interesting last week, may lose their effectiveness this week
• Toys made from soft materials can be very dangerous.  And each puppy is unique.  I have had puppies who couldn't (or wouldn't) even rip a paper towel.  I've had others that could shred any dog bed made.
• Kongs and Nylabones are great!  They come in a wide range of sizes to match the wide range of puppy sizes.  And they are made to withstand usual puppy wear and tear.

Some things I would also add:

• Soft toys can be dangerous, but so can soft towels, blankets or dog bedding.  While most dogs won't rip up their beds, puppies are curious and teething.  A wool blanket could become a choking hazard.
• Other things to be careful of are "puppy pads" that are designed to help potty train your pup.  Puppies think the entire world is a toy, and this often includes puppy pads.  And if your puppy rips the pads apart, she can ingest the padded linings which can either choke her or cause digestive issues.  I have found that unless the puppy pad is physically separated from the puppy by a screen, or I am around to stop them from ripping the pads apart, only very young puppies will leave the pads alone.  
• I have had a lot of success putting Nylabones in the puppy's crates at night.  I make sure that they are large enough that there is no possible way for the puppy to swallow them.  I find that if the pup gets up in the middle of  the night, or even if they get up a few minutes before me, they learn to quietly chew on these as pacifiers or just to keep them occupied until they either fall back to sleep or I get up.  And those last few minutes of sleep for me are GREAT!

• Even the best toys need to be checked often.  They can become damaged and no longer be safe because of sharp edges or broken pieces.  And never underestimate your puppy.  I once had one who could slice a Kong.  This was extremely rare, but if I didn't check, she could have possibly hurt herself with a piece of the toy.

• Think carefully before you engage your puppy into tug-of-war games.  Many breeds love this game, but consider how big and strong your puppy will be when she is fully grown.  Also, if there are small children around, think of what may happen if your puppy starts tugging on their clothes.  When my kids were small, just as I avoided giving my puppies stuffed toys, I thought it best to avoid tug-of-war games.

And finally, YOU will of course be your puppy's favorite toy.  But try to be an intelligent one.  

• Handle your puppy appropriately for her age, 
• Provide guidance to teach what is OK to do and what is not OK,
• Avoid letting them use YOU as a chew toy.  As they grow older and stronger this won't be so cute.  Also, it may not hurt you, but puppies chewing on small children can cause unnecessary injury and fear.
• Remember they are babies, and like babies they may suddenly get tired (or cranky because they are tired) so watch for the signs of over-stimulation and let them have time and space to rest.

Rule #2: Start with a Complete Check-up

A thorough check-up is always less expensive and troublesome than a complete overhaul. So why do so many people who always have a car completely checked-out before they buy it not think about doing the same for a puppy?

There are some very good reasons to do this. First, a complete check-up can pick up issues your puppy may have that will require more care or a different training regimen. A puppy may be partially deaf or blind and not knowing this may cause you to misjudge your puppy's behavior. Vision and hearing impaired animals, like their human counterparts, may be more easily startled if something approaches unexpectedly, especially from the puppy's blind spot. Also, you may have interpreted your puppy's inability to be trained as defiance or lack of intelligence or motivation.

This goes beyond major challenges such as deafness, and includes possible physical limitations on diet or activity. Understanding a physical challenge will allow you to use training techniques that will be more effective. In the case where you as a puppy parent are unable or unwilling to deal with a special case puppy, it is best that you know as soon as possible so the puppy can be placed in a home where his / her issues will be best dealt with, and both of you will be happier.

Another reason why an initial complete check-up is so important is to determine baseline. By establishing a puppy's temperature and other vital signs, as well as noting gait and morphology, your vet will be better able to detect when something in the future is amiss.

Even the best breeders and rescue organizations may not have the time or ability to fully check out every puppy they sell. For your puppy's sake and yours, start with that complete check-up.