How To Care For A Mixed Breed Puppy

Mixed breed puppies require the same care and attention as purebred puppies. They must get proper nutrition, stimulation, and preventive medicines to ensure they grow into strong, happy, and healthy dogs. If this is your first time owning or caring for a mixed breed puppy, this care guide can help you. 

Mixed Breed Puppy Nutrition 

Puppies need the right amount of food to grow properly. When choosing kibble, make sure to get the ones that are specially formulated for puppies. Puppy food has higher protein content than adult dog food since their bodies need more protein for growth and development.  

Every brand of dog food will have a feeding guide on the packaging. Following the guide is important to ensure you’re not underfeeding or overfeeding your puppy. The amount of food usually depends on your puppy’s weight and age. So, make sure to keep track of that. 

If you’re aware of the parentage of your mixed breed puppy, you may choose more specific types of puppy food. Some kinds of kibble are formulated for small, medium, or large-sized breeds. If you’re sure that your mixed breed puppy comes from a line of medium-sized dogs, you may choose brands specially formulated for their breed.   

Getting a puppy from reputable breeders, like the Central Park Puppies breeding family, will make it easier to determine the proper nutrition for them. But if you’re unsure about your puppy’s parentage, choose a puppy food formula that suits puppies of all breed sizes.  

Basic House Training 

Every puppy needs to be house-trained, so you don’t have to worry about coming home to a mess or having your furniture soiled or ruined. Experts recommend that house training should start at around three months old. You may use training pads at home or establish an area in your yard where your puppy can go potty.  

Make sure to take your puppy outside when they wake up. Then, reward them if they pee or poop in the designated area. Make sure to take them outside every hour for potty breaks until your puppy gets used to the habit. 

It’s important to note that accidents may still happen, but it’s crucial not to punish your puppy as it can lead to fear and anxiety. Instead, redirect them to the designated potty area and reward them for good behavior. 

Veterinary Care 

Like purebred puppies, mixed breed puppies are also prone to viral infections because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Therefore, you must ensure your mixed breed puppy gets all the necessary vaccinations as your veterinarian recommends.    

Vaccines can protect your puppy from deadly infections such as parvovirus, kennel cough, distemper, and rabies. In the meantime, keep your puppy away from dog parks and public spaces until they get their complete shots. 

Socialization  

It can be difficult to determine the temperament of a mixed breed puppy because they can inherit traits from both of their parents—which could be unpredictable. Additionally, if you’re unsure of your pup’s parentage, the more difficult it would be to guess their behavior.  

So, if you have a mixed breed puppy, spending time with them and being more observant of their behavior is important to understand their temperament better. Seeking advice from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist can help determine the best approach for socializing your mixed breed puppy. 

Socializing your puppy as early as possible is important because it avoids behavioral problems in the future. You can always start with basic socialization, such as introducing your puppy to different people, animals, or objects. Walking around the neighborhood or visiting a family member’s house can also help socialize your puppy. However, it’s best to ensure your puppy is fully vaccinated before exposing them to various environments.  

Physical And Mental Stimulation 

Balls, chew sticks, and enrichment toys can help stimulate your puppy’s physical and mental health. Puppies have very high energy, and it’s important to let all that puppy energy out to prevent destructive behavior such as chewing furniture and aggression.  

Set aside some playtime with your mixed breed puppy each day. It can be as simple as playing fetch or running around in the yard. An important rule is that your puppy will need five minutes of playtime every month of their age. So, if your mixed breed puppy is six months old, it would need 30 minutes of playtime once or twice daily. 

Sleep Schedule 

Puppies are absolute land sharks when awake, but they need to sleep for most of the day. Your mixed breed puppy should get 15 to 20 hours of sleep daily as it will help them feel more rested and less anxious, leading to better behavior and health.  

To encourage sleep, prepare a comfortable space for them. Set aside some blankets or buy a dog bed where your puppy can rest properly. You can also use crates for this.  

In Summary 

Raising a mixed breed puppy is no different than having a purebred one. However, it’s important to be more observant and diligent in tracking the puppy’s size and behavior—especially if you’re unaware of its parentage.  

Nevertheless, giving them enough food, exercise, sleep, and playtime will help ensure their healthy growth and development. Regular visits to the veterinarian can also aid in monitoring their overall health and well-being.