Raising a Puppy
and recommended supplies
raising a puppy
POTTY & CRATE TRAINING
- All of our puppies have foundational crate and potty training skills but it's up to you to continue that once they are in their new homes.
- Start with a crate small enough that puppy has just enough room to turn around and lay down in (you can buy an adult size crate that comes with a divider panel and then slowly let the puppy have more room oce they can hold their bladder longer (Puppies under 6 months of age should not be expected to stay in a crate and not eliminate for longer than 3-4 hours at a time. You will be able to increase the time they are expected to “hold it” as the puppy gets older. A good 'rule of thumb' is that your puppy can only “hold it” for the number of hours puppy is in age, plus one.)
- Let them cry it out! I know it’s hard but setting the ground work now will make things easier down the road. They aren’t going to want to stay in their crate when so many exciting new things are going on outside of it. Leaving them with a durable toy, and covering the crate to block out some sounds/noise can help. A sound machine or leaving a tv/radio on can also help as they are used to sound sensitivity training. As a rule of thumb try to make the crate a positive thing and give them treats going in and try not to let them out of their crate until they are quiet.
Potty Training Basics
- Take them outside immediately after they wake up even from just a nap, coming out of a crate, sniffing the ground a lot and after meals.
- Say “Go Potty,” and reward with a treat when they do go will help them associate going potty with getting a treat and it will click faster.
- Try to tire them out before putting them in their crate and before meals. Leave a nyabone or benebone in the crate with them to chew on when leaving them. When they scream bloody murder totally ignore it and don’t interact or let them out/give them anything until they are quiet. As soon as they are quiet you can let them out.
- Also, we highly recommend feeding them in their crate so they learn faster that it’s not a place you want them to potty
*If they are having accidents frequently they may need a smaller crate*
Crate Recommendations
RUFFLAND KENNELS
Ruffland Crates are hard for them to escape from, impact resistant in cars for car accidents, and are easy to hose out messes from.
SIZING
Adult Males and Large Females- Size Large
Moderate Females - Size Intermediate
Puppies - Size Intermediate
WIRE CRATES
We use Midwest single door crates in size 36 x 23 for all adults. Most come with an insert panel to split the crate to make it smaller for raising your puppy in.
SOCIALIZATION + PUPPY CLASSES
- Avoid public places, dog parks, or high trafficked areas until your puppy is fully vaccinated
- We highly recommend doing several levels of a puppy/intro obedience classes
- It's important to socialize them as much as possible to new people/ places/ puppy friendly dogs/animals etc. as early as possible to help create a calm, well adjusted Siberian
** If they show fear to anything totally ignore it and don’t baby them or comfort them as this reinforces the fear**
Grooming Supplies + Tips
NAILS
Trim nails weekly or bi-weekly (if you can hear clicking on hard surfaces the nails are too long!
- We recommend a dremel to grind the nails down
- Either use the included sand paper head attachment (OR)
- For less Dremel dust, heat, and a quieter experience for the dogs a Diamagroove attachment head for your Dremel is a splurge but they last forever and are worth every penny
BATHING + BLOWDRYING
*We don't recommend ever shaving your Siberian or using a furminator because doing so damages the undercoat that naturally allows your Siberian to regulate its temeperature in extreme heat + cold! Shaving and/or using a furminator can cause irreversible damage.
BRUSHES - for daily maintenance brushing or raking out shedding coat
SHAMPOO - an all in one moisturizing shampoo that smells amazing for basic grooming needs
GROOMING TABLE + GROOMING ARM - The most durable tables that hold up to lots of use and water on them (size 24 x 36")
DOG DRYER - super high powered, cuts drying time in ½, gets out all the loose hair, paired with a bath and blow dry where the dog is dry to the skin the coat stays nice for a long time
TREATS + BONES
*DO NOT GIVE ROPE TOYS OR RAWHIDE BONES AS THOSE CAN CAUSE
OBSTRUCTIONS/DEATH
TRAINING TREATS
Small in size and great for rewarding during training sessions
BASIC TREATS
Super limited ingredients and great for everyday treats
BONES
We use nylabones + benebones and throw away when they get worn down
FLEA + TICK PREVENTION
BRAVECTO
*Seizure Risk with Usage of all Chemical Preventatives!*
Bravecto Gives you at least 3 months of protection - We recommend giving a gap between doses because we have seen it last a lot longer than 3 months, use only when necessary and be careful to not overdose/ give too frequently.
NATURAL ALTERNATIVE
For a safer alternative we love the Wondercide Spray (Use it like how you would use bug spray and it must be freshly applied when you need it to work) they also have a version for spraying on your yard.
Our Siberians
New England
High Quality AKC Siberian Huskies
Located in the White Mountains of Northern, NH
Kristen Neufelder + Nate Adams | polairesiberians@gmail.com
Resources