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Your Puppy: 12 Weeks Old

| Print | April 17, 2009 10:22 AM

Mental and Physical Development

Possessive Behavior
Much like toddlers who go through a possessive stage, puppies at 12 weeks of age do not like to share their toys or food. Possessive instincts keep puppies in the wild from starving, but at home these traits can lead to unacceptable behavior.

Many puppies will become attached to a particular toy and react aggressively if people or other animals touch the toy. If your puppy displays this behavior, get rid of the toy while the puppy isn't looking. To prevent possessiveness of food and toys, periodically hand feed your puppy and buy a lot of similar toys.
If you have multiple pets, make sure there are plenty of toys, water bowls and food dishes for all of them.

How to Read Food Labels
When choosing a puppy food, you'll need to do some comparison shopping to decide among all the cans and bags that claim to offer the best nutrition.

Start your comparison with the front label, which should say that it is "complete and balanced" for puppies. Dog foods with this label are required to meet standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Also check the ingredients list to make sure the first several ingredients listed are meat-based and that there are no unwanted preservatives in the food.

Health and Veterinary Care: Second Round of Vaccinations

At 12 weeks, your puppy may need a second round of vaccinations, which will usually include another five-shot combination vaccination -- for distemper, adenovirus cough, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvovirus -- and the first of two leptospirosis vaccinations.

The vaccine for leptospirosis, a life-threatening illness caused by bacteria, should not be given before 12 weeks of age, and a second booster shot will be needed in three to four weeks. Symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, muscle pain, lethargy, vomiting and dehydration, and the infection can lead to kidney and liver failure.

Distemper is a highly contagious virus that quickly spreads between puppies and their mothers or other dogs. A third and final distemper booster will be needed in another three to four weeks.

Both leptospirosis and distemper are difficult to treat and have a high fatality rate. If your puppy's vaccination series is not completed according to the schedule set by your veterinarian, your puppy could have an incomplete immune system.

Training

Separation Anxiety
It may be difficult to differentiate between separation anxiety and a puppy just being a puppy. Symptoms of separation anxiety include constant barking, going to the bathroom in unwanted places and chewing up household items after you leave the house.
The earlier you deal with this problem the better, because it is more serious if it continues as the dog gets older. It is very important to get your puppy used to being away from you when you're at home.

If your puppy constantly follows you around the house, set up a gate and sit on the opposite side, gradually moving farther away. Eventually, it will become easier on your puppy when you're gone.

Proper Bathing
When puppies are young, their mothers take care of their hygiene. But by the time they're 12 weeks old, it's time for a real bath. Your puppy needs to experience a bath at this age so it doesn't come as such a shock when they're older and less likely to take new experiences in stride. You also want the first few baths to be good experiences, so don't get too carried away with being thorough.

The best place to wash your puppy is in a large sink with a hand sprayer. If you don't have a hand sprayer, use a cup to apply lukewarm water rather than trying to hold your puppy under the faucet. Place a screen in the drain to catch any hair, and a nonslip mat or a towel in the bottom of the sink to prevent slipping. Follow these steps to wash your puppy.

1. Remove all tangles and matted hair before you put your puppy in the sink, because wet hair expands and mats more.

2. Wet down your puppy starting at their neck, and work down and back. Wet the fur down to the skin, and use a sponge to wet the puppy's head, making sure not to get water in their ears.

3. Gently rub in the shampoo. Dog skin has a different pH (7 to 7.5) than human skin (5.5), and although human shampoo will do an adequate job, dog shampoo is better suited.

4. Rinse the shampoo out entirely, starting at the head and working down and back. Rinse the face with a sponge.

5. If necessary, repeat the process using a coat conditioner.

6. Gently squeeze the water from your puppy's coat, and then cover them with a towel and place them somewhere to shake off any excess water. Keep them in a warm place until they dry completely.

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