Short Creek Puppies

Congratulations on your new Kerry Blue Terrier!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW KERRY BLUE TERRIER PUPPY!

About the Kerry Blue Terrier:You have chosen the Kerry Blue Terrier,  to be your companion for the next 12 to 15 years. The weight of a Kerry Blue Terrier is usually between 33-40 lbs with females weighing less. This is a commitment that, in order for both of you to be happy, will take some time and effort on your part, especially during the first few months of your puppy's life.  The Kerry Blue Terrier originated in Ireland having been noticed first in the mountainous regions of County Kerry, hence the name.  They were bred primarily for hunting small game and birds, and for retrieving from land and water.  The Kerry Blue Terrier was used quite successfully for herding sheep and cattle.  These dogs  were considered as working and sporting terriers.  They were developed to be a medium sized dog that is an intelligent, gentle and loveable all-around working and utility terrier used primarily in Ireland and England.  The Kerry Blue Terrier is adaptable to all manners of farm work, for which he is easily trained.  They cannot be surpassed as a watchdog and companion.  In some instances in England they have even been used for police work.  The first important show which the Kerry Blue Terrier appeared was at Westminster in 1922.  

Color: Kerry Blue Terriers go through a process called “clearing.” This process takes place over the first 18 months of life.  From an apparent black (some white patches are permissible) at birth to maturity any shade of gray blue or blue gray from the deep slate to light blue gray.  Distinctly darker to black parts may appear on the muzzle, head, ears, tail and feet.

Socialization:Now that you have your new little Kerry Blue Terrier, what should you do with it? Besides providing them with abundant love, exercise, food and water, the most important thing your puppy needs is socialization.
The socialization period is between 6 and 16 weeks. Once the puppy has had its second set of immunizations, it is generally safe to get them out in public. It needs positive experiences with as many people as possible. Let family members, friends, and strangers greet your puppy and offer small treats (that you provide).
Of course there are always exceptions, but a Kerry Blue Terrier is generally not the type of dog that can be left in a backyard with a pat on the head now and then.  Kerry Blue Terriers, like any other breed of dog, if not properly socialized can become aggressive.  A well-socialized Kerry Blue Terrier will still be a good watch dog. The difference is they will know when to be a watch dog and how to greet new people when they are invited into your home.
Your puppy also needs to continue socializing with other dogs; so it can build on the doggie skills it learned while part of its birth pack. Enrolling in a puppy class is the best way to ensure your puppy acquires doggie socialization in a safe and supervised environment. Not only will your puppy have a chance to play with other puppies; but will start to learn some basic obedience commands as well.
Time spent training and socializing your puppy is the best investment you can make in its future. Socialization is so important — the lack of people taking the time to do so with their dog is one of the reasons why so many of them end up in a shelter.
A well-socialized, obedient Kerry Blue Terrier will add to the enjoyment of your pet. This breed is so unique in its “clearing” (change in color over 18 months) that people will love to stop you to ask about your dog. It's even more enjoyable when you can show them that this breed is not only beautiful and unique, but intelligent and highly trainable!

Playtime:Kerry Blue Terrier puppies generally are energetic and enthusiastic.  You want to provide your puppy with exercise and plenty of playtime.  You will need toys and things he/she can chew on, especially during the teething period from around 3 to 6 months of age. Keeping a puppy crated or confined to an extremely small area for hours on end can lead to destructive behavior such as digging and chewing out of boredom. Kerry Blue Terriers need time to run, jump and rough-house. This is important for not only the mental development of your pup, but his physical development as well.

Grooming & Bathing:Your Kerry Blue Terrier will require a certain amount of grooming. They require regular brushing and nail trimming. They have a soft, dense and wavy coat.  Their ears need to be cleared of hair regularly to prevent ear infections from developing.  I recommend that this be done when your puppy is taken to the groomer, approximately every 6 weeks.  Check with your groomer to see that he/she will clear the ears of hair, some will, some won’t.
Start brushing and trimming your pup at an early age and they will learn to enjoy their grooming sessions!  When bathing your puppy be sure to put cotton in the puppy's ears to prevent water or soap from entering the ear canal and causing a nasty ear infection, remove cotton after bathing.  Keep puppy warm so he/she doesn't chill after the bath and don't take the puppy outside for several hours after bathing.

Parasites:Check your pup over regularly for fleas and ticks. Fleas are the intermediate host for tapeworm and when swallowed by the dog can eventually infest them with tapeworm. Ticks can carry several different serious diseases, such as Lyme disease, which is transmitted by the bite of a tick. Also check inside the ears of your pup. If you see your pup shaking its head and scratching at its ears, it may have ear mites. When a dog has ear mites, its ears will generally have a dark brown, thick material encrusted around the ear canal.

Diarrhea:  Your puppy may be nervous - the puppy is no longer experiencing familiar sights and sounds, this unsettling feeling will pass shortly.  Nervousness, change in water or diet may cause diarrhea.  Not all puppies get diarrhea but on a rare occasion it can happen.  If it last longer than two days, a visit to your vet may be beneficial.

Feeding Instructions: Your puppy received dry puppy food and clean water at all times.  I recommend that you feed your puppy a good quality dry puppy food.  I have provided you with a small bag of Purina Puppy Chow, Complete & Balanced, for growing puppies. This is what the puppy is currently eating.  I purchase this at Wal-Mart.  It is important to pay special attention to the protein and fat content of the puppy food that you feed.  The food the puppy is currently eating is  27% protein and 12% fat.  I recommend this level or higher.  If you change the puppy food, you will need to mix the food I provided with the food you are switching to.  Pay special attention that the puppy is eating and eating enough.  I am not against table scraps if given in moderate amounts.  Be careful not to let your puppy become overweight as this can lead to health issues.

Post-Operative Care Instructions for Spay or Neuter:  If your puppy was spay or neutered before you received it here are the instructions that Dr. Welcher passed along. 

The skin at the surgical site has been closed with sutures that are buried underneath the skin.  These are dissolvable sutures and will not normally need to be removed.  They will slowly dissolve over the next 30 days.

Observe the surgical site daily and inspect the skin for any signs of inflammation or infection.  If the skin edges appear to be red and swollen or if there is excessive discharge coming from the wound, notify your veterinarian.

Exercise should be restricted for the first few days after surgery to allow healing to begin and prevent any undue stress on the skin closure.

The surgical site may be slightly sore, but should not be overly painful.  If you note increasing pain, please contact your veterinarian.

The skin incision should not be exposed to water for 7-10 days.  Unless your veterinarian indicates otherwise, do not bathe Puppies for the next 10 days.

NuVet Plus: Be sure to check out my article about NuVet Plus. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Thank you,

Malinda Proctor

www.shortcreekpuppies.com