Health and Care
Now that puppy vaccines are completed, your puppy will not need to see the veterinarian until adulthood (unless something is wrong). Be sure to watch your puppy for any signs of illness. Contact your vet with any concerns. You are still learning what is normal for your puppy. It is much easier to treat most health issues if they are caught early.
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A Few Other Puppy Care Tips
Some advantages to bringing home a puppy at this stage is that they’ll have more bladder control than younger dogs and have a more independent nature, Wells says. They will sleep less and play more enthusiastically, however, so they will still need supervision at home and an environment that’s puppy-proof. Because of the differences between infant and adolescent puppies, Wells recommends providing your puppy with consistent aerobic exercise and a specific set of rules, just as you would with a human teenager.
Puppy’s Sixth Month: Health & Safety
Here are the most important health-related topics relating to your puppys sixth month:
Your pup is approaching sexual maturity this month, and you may want to set up an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss neutering him (or spaying for females).
Veterinary guidelines still recommend that these procedures be done before your pup reaches sexual maturity to obtain maximum health benefits such as protection from reproductive organ diseases, as well as preventing unwanted pregnancies and reducing any negative side effects of the procedure.
Small to medium breed puppies may be ready for surgery at around six months, but for large and giant breeds waiting until they are twelve to eighteen months of age, fully grown and sexually mature is not recommended by many veterinarians.
Check out this page to learn more about how to determine when is the right time to neuter or spay YOUR puppy.
By the end of your puppys sixth month he will most likely have all his adult teeth in place (the upper canines, aka fangs, are the last ones to come in).
This will eventually lead to a slow-down in the endless chewing that a teething puppy does, but many dogs (especially mouthy breeds such as shepherds and retrievers) will have a strong need to chew on stuff their whole lives.
Puppy Training Goals – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Your little pooch has been alive for nearly half a year and has gone through many impawtant changes. They haven’t quite hit adulthood but are past the innocent baby phase. In other words, they are teenagers! At this point, your puppy knows they have a lot of energy, but they aren’t quite sure how to deal with it. So you end up with a curious pup that’s willing to break a few rules. Even if they have been trained, they may revert back to some of their naughty behavior. Be patient and reinforce rules with pawsitivity. Oh, and make sure they get exercised daily. You will soon discover that a tired dog is a good dog! Read on for more pawsome information about this stage of your pup’s life.