How to Break Up a Dog Fight

I was asked recently from a client this question,

I have read several articles in our local paper about people witnessing a dog fight and wanting to stop the dog fight but did not know how to stop a dog fight. I am impulsive when it comes to these things and it caused me to ask what is the best thing to do when witnessing a dog fight? Is there a way to break up a dog fight? Should I try to stop a dog fight? I love animals and react without thinking about my safety and have stepped in before when I have seen a dog fight – fortunately I did not get hurt. What is your suggestion for what to do when confronted by dog fighting?

This was my response,

First, do not get rid of your instincts. There is no knowledge behind instinctual intelligence so “not thinking” is actually a good thing. In my profession, I only use “thinking” when I have to explain something to the human. With dogs, it’s all about instinct and energy.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind. You can stop a dog fight by observing body language. This is what I do with aggressive cases – stop the bad dog behavior at the very instance you see it about to escalate. But if that’s not possible, during a dog fight, once there is one occurring, stay calm and observe who or which of the two dogs is at a higher level of intensity. That’s the dog I’m going to focus on. Then you need to step in to give that dog the right touch – this means the rib cage area. The reason is that this forces the dog to open his mouth and let go of his hold on the other dog during the dog fight. It’s about timing too, so look for the right moment and then act quickly.

You can use a loud, strong voice or grunt directly at him and pull back from the back of his neck and collar – not from the top, but from the back and pull up, otherwise he can interpret this as you getting into the fight as well, and this is when the dog can turn on the human and bite him because his level of intensity is so high, he doesn’t think “oh, that’s the human.” You’re just another dog in the fight and before you know it, the dog you’re trying to defend is coming after you.

Whether it’s a big dog or little dog, the technique and method is the same. Do not scream repeatedly unless you are calling for help. Sometimes people are not going to help, so don’t expect that everyone will have your ability or good will. Most importantly, be quick, stay mindfully aware, emotionally in tune, and remain calm and assertive.

Ask Me How I Feel About “Flexi” Leashes

Ahhhhhhhhhh, retractable leashes… a hot topic  that inspired me to write down some brief thoughts…As most people who know me know, I HATE flexi-leashes.  This might be the one dog training tool that I absolutely cannot find ANY value in; (even silly ones usually at least have some kind of foundation in a reasonably good idea… for the most part); NOT this one (if you ask me…).

Everything you can do with a retractable leash can be done on a long, fixed line (albeit maybe not as conveniently).  The benefits of convenience, in my opinion, are far outweighed by the potential negative consequences of using of one these bad leashes.  Exhibit A…  (Fear tactic?  Possibly.)The injury in the photo to the right is a pretty typical example of what retractable leashes (cords, maybe more accurate?) can and do cause on a regular basis.  (I will accede to the fact that the argument could be made that the leash didn’t cause the injury; the poor – or complete lack of – training of the dog at the end of it did).  However, when was the last time you saw a well-trained dog walking down the street attached to one of these?  I’m going to venture a guess here & say never.  Been wrong before, but…

Exhibit A:

The reasons I can’t stand these things are as follows:1)     Simple mechanical malfunctions.  I worked at a major corporate-owned PETSTORE for 4 years and I can tell you from experience that these things malfunction.  Often, the mechanism inside breaks (never EVER at a convenient time… speaking of convenience) resulting in the line being continuously let out when you don’t want it to be OR jammed.  When and if the line jams and the contraption is ripped out of your hand, guess what happens?  Your dog was already taking off after something (or it wouldn’t have been yanked out of your hand) and now he has a plastic monster chasing after him.  It is scary to dogs when this happens, and many a canine has ended up on a “Missing” poster over it.

2)     Manners.  I can’t tell you how many times on how many different occasions (at how many different events, to the disillusion of how many people) I have seen someone’s dog 16 feet away from its owner wrapped around a display in a store, peeing on a table at an event, tying up another dog, “THIS CLOSE” to becoming dinner for another dog, in a completely different aisle or on a completely different STREET than the person holding the other end of the leash, jumping up, scratching, lifting their legs, wrapping up an exhibit, pulling down shelving… You see where I’m going with this.  “Manners” is also a nice way of saying this is yet another reason I can’t stand these things.  Safety may be more accurate, which brings me to:

Exhibit B:

Reason #3)    They are dangerous.  Notice the pictures that I have included thus far depict injuries to HUMANS.  Never mind the injuries to unfortunate dogs, including the BYSTANDERS.  I will again accede to the fact that it is probably POSSIBLE to use these things appropriately(?), responsibly, but I am gritting my teach while even typing out that sentence because I have such a bad taste in my mouth for these due to what I have consistently seen over the years.  I cannot recall ever once seeing somebody use one of these things responsibly… and I have seen a LOT of dog/human interactions (ya think? ;).Retractable (extendable… flexi… choose your word) leashes frequently cause injuries up to & including those in Exhibit B, adapted from Flexi’s own website.  (See picture on left.) I can already hear somebody arguing with me in favor of “Flexi” leashes by saying something like, “Well, I could say pit bulls frequently cause injuries up to and including the propaganda photos to my right” which is bullsh*t for many reasons and I will debunk that potential argument in another article. 4)     … and one of the more important reasons in my profession: retractable leashes send mixed (poor) communication signals to the dog.  There is ALWAYS tension on a retractable leash… ALWAYS.  The dog is aware of this, and this can have a SLEW of negative consequences, too innumerable to include all of them in this article, but teaching your dog to walk with tension on the leash  being the least of it.

And Reason #5:    The total lack of control any given owner has on one of these things leads to injuries to other dogs with unusual frequency. Even more so when there are multiple dogs on retractables.All three dogs were on leashes, but both of the attacking dogs were (1) larger  (2) on extendable leashes that were fully extended, leaving their owner with little control over them; (3) too large and strong for their owner to control both of them at the same time to begin with, [reliably on extendable leashes]. The other dogs’ owner should know better.  My friend had taken their dog outside for a poo, and suddenly around the corner  came the neighbor dogs at the ends of their leashes, their owner obviously not paying a great deal of attention to what her dogs might encounter out of her sight, running ahead of her as they were.  Even though she knew her dogs had attacked her dog just a few months’ previous, to the tune of over $300 in veterinary care.  This time was worse (& the vet’s bill reflects it).”

Exhibit C:

I did not actually include in these pictorial’s the injuries inflicted on dogs BY their own “Flexi” leashes.. I have knowledge of these through friends who work at vets’ offices and those injuries include: tail injuries resulting in amputation, lacerations down to the bone, injuries to tendons, torn skin (think inner thighs from leashes going under dogs), eye injuries, burns to the skin, etc.

In conclusion, I’d like to go on record as saying I can’t stand extendable/retractable/Flexi leashes.  I do not believe that they can be used 100% safely for the simple malfunction argument alone.  They do nothing to help in a typical dog’s training because of the constant tension on the collar.  They give the owner extremely limited control… to the potential physical detriment to both human & canine, as evidenced above.  They basically represent a gigantic percentage of what I feel is wrong with dog ownership these days; lack of: control, responsibility, understanding, and training.  Rant concluded.  Love it or hate it, thank you for reading.If you or someone you know have had your mind at all opened to my arguments here and would like assistance with your own dog, please contact us anytime at rrruffhouse.com we are always happy to educate and teach everyone who wants help.

How Much Exercise Does My Dog Need?

I found this awesome link check it out! http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-exercise-does-my-dog-need.htm

Although all dogs need some exercise, not all dogs require the same amount. It’s also important to remember that dog exercise comes in a variety of forms not regularly practiced by people.

 Exercise needs have very little to do with size. Instead, breed tends to count the most. For example, Jack Russell Terriers and Shelties often begin to misbehave when given too few exercise opportunities. On the other hand, a mastiff and many other large dogs may be happy with a couple of daily walks in the park or a 15 minute game of catch.

Little dogs quite frequently require more exercise than larger dogs. Many of these needs can be satisfied in an apartment or back yard. If the small dog has adequate toys, or a dog or cat companion, it can generally meet all its own activity needs. However, don’t miss walking thedog on a daily basis too; a walk proves healthy exercise for both the dog and its owner.

Mid-size breeds also vary in their need for exercise. Expect dogs that are natural hunters or herders to require more activity. Beagles, hounds, border collies, Alaskan sled dogs, and Australian shepherds are naturally going to be restless if cooped up. They need time to run around, catch things, chase things, and to walk or jog.

Many of the working dogs benefit from having another dog companion. They also will benefit from visits to dog parks. A 30 minute to one hour visit to a dog park each day frequently gives the dog as much exercise as he needs because playing with other dogs requires exertion. Also expect to walk or jog with these dogs daily.

Some dogs also require mental exercise. Dogs, like people, can get bored. Certain dogs get bored enough to engage in undesirable behaviors like destroying potted plants or eating your shoes and furniture. New toys that require some work to get reward are fantastic for dogs that need a mental challenge. Also, daily interaction with your dog will help satisfy some mental needs.

Since many dogs are mixed breeds, it may be hard to know what type of exercise requirements they have. Once you get a mixed breed dog, observe its behavior. If the dog enjoys basking in the sun most of the day, it probably does not need as much exercise. Conversely, if the dog appears restless and wanders around the house or yard relentlessly, its needs may be better met by more activity. Also, older dogs tend to have fewer daily exercise needs than do younger dogs.

As with people, be wary of providing too much exercise in hot temperatures. During hot months, allow your dog to take breaks and bring along water. Also, schedule activities during the coolest parts of the day, like right before sunrise or right after sunset.

RRRUFFHOUSE IS EXPANDING AGAIN!

 

Meet Sherry, our newest staff member!! Welcome aboard

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new staff member to the rrruffhouse family! I have been working with this lady and her family for about a year now and she has become a valuable asset to our team. She was once one of my hardest students and once upon a time thought she was going to be the ” one ” case that was going to end my career as a dog trainer. I actually nick named her my ” BUT ” girl. Every time I would ask her to do something or asked why she had done what she had done there was always an excuse that started with the word BUT! After many, many months of me telling her that if she didn’t have a reality check the one thing she feared the most was going to happen, six months later it did! Her and I sat down and had a very honest heart tot heart where I explained that how she was treating her dog was going to bite her in the ass and now that it had we needed to try something different, MY WAY!  No longer was I going to allow her to give the BUT excuse, she was no longer going to treat her dog like a human being, and she was to put down and enforce some rules, boundaries and limitations, and she did! Not only did she finally understand what I had been telling her for almost a year, but now she understood why it was so important to do things my way. I am proud to say she has stuck to the rules and she has been firm with all the visitors entering the house and ensuring that they also were to follow the ” NEW TRAINING ” and she has been incredibly successful and I have seen such improvement with her, and how she handles a pack of dogs that I have now hired her for my Monday daycare days! So welcome aboard Sherry, hope you can handle it here ( I know you can ) and be careful what you ask for!! LOL

QUICK UPDATE THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE!

 

So where do I start as not to bore you? Well as many of you know that my big dog Daddy just over a week ago broke his back leg and has had surgery, well what you may not know is he is NOT allowed to walk too much for seven months ( UGH! ) so he is kinda depressed because his friends are out playing and he is not. Some of you may also know that we have a new boot camp dog in named Rusty, he is a Yorkie mix and a very friendly little guy and is about 10 pounds soaking wet ( if that? ) He has warmed our hearts here like no other dog, he goes into the yard with all the dogs ( almost 1000 pounds collectively ) and does not even flinch, he loves being down there getting to run and play. Rusty has never experienced this kind of dog yard ever before but acts like he grew up here! Last night Rusty did not want to go back out into the yard to play or pee and I didn’t know why, I thought it was a bit strange because he had been down there all day and loved it! In fact didn’t want to come in when called. Also the night before last, Rusty’s first night here he slept in his crate with his bed and blanket and we didn’t hear a peep out of him, but this morning he was crying in his crate so I looked in at him and thought maybe he needs to pee, so out we went. Nope! that wasn’t it either??? By this point Daddy was whimpering as well so I also took him to pee, nope! that was not what he wanted. I was tired and confused by this point so I brought Rusty out of the crate to come lay with me, Nope! He didn’t want me at all, ( strange because he follows me everywhere ) so I put him down on the floor. Rusty went straight to Daddy to see why he was whimpering, Daddy stopped!!! So did Rusty!! Well I was so impressed with little Rusty that I actually had a tear in my eye because he went and soothed Daddy in one minute and I have been trying and failing for seven days!!!!

 

So it has been several hours now that neither dog has been upset, Rusty does not want to go out and play today, he feels his job is to be Daddy’s body guard and new BFF!! they are inseparable today where ever Daddy lays down,  Rusty is right there. Rusty is the first dog Daddy has let near him since surgery, also Rusty has been washing Daddy’s face and ears and Daddy didn’t eat him!!!!!! That is a huge plus! I am not a religious person by any means, but I am I guess you could say……. spiritual, I don’t always under stand why things happen , but always know there is a reason whether I under stand that reason or not? Rusty was kind of a last minute boot camp dog, and I was really wondering if I should take him in so soon after Daddy’s surgery? I did for some reason, and felt good about bringing him in too. Maybe Rusty is here to make Daddy’s recovery this little bit easier?? Daddy is happy today, and has not been in over a week! Yes Rusty is in boot camp and learning all kinds of good things that he will be able to take home, but Rusty has taught me a thing or two as well. I always say ” it takes a good dog to teach another dog ”  well it took Rusty to teach this old dog ( me ) that sometimes I am not the fixer of all things, and although I was doing my best to make Daddy happy, I just wasn’t. It took this little dog, who is not part of his pack to put a smile on his face! Yup!! It took a dog to show me that it really does take a dog to teach another dog or simply, make him happy. Dogs never stop amazing me!! I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!  Thanks Rusty!!

AN ENORMOUS THANK YOU!!

I would like to send a huge shout out to MOIRA VET CLINIC for the great job they did with Daddy and I today, At 8:30am I was a nervous wreck and an anxious owner. Dr. Chris Tummon and his entire staff took such good care of all my needs both medical and emotional. As some of you who know me and know me well will admit that I am not an emotional or unreasonable dog owner, maybe a little bit of a control issue in the sense that I need to know where my dogs are and that they are SAFE! Well for those who have never seen me vulnerable or emotional, where my dog was concerned today and yesterday I was horrible ( wanted to slap myself ) but the entire staff at Moira Vet Clinic made me feel so at ease I couldn’t imagine leaving my dog anywhere else. When I arrived at 8:30am I was greeted with a warm hello and a smile from the receptionist who also was just coming in to start what looked like a hectic day. Dr. Chris Tummon arrived shortly after to explain what was going to happen today and answer all my questions ( boy did I have a lot ) and introduced me to the surgeon doing the actual operation, Dr. Brodeur.  I went from feeling sick to my stomach to a huge sigh of relief, and out the door I went to go home and wait, and wait, and wait some more. During the entire surgery the vet tech Julie was giving me updates on his progress, and again easing my stress! As soon as the surgery was complete the surgeon was on the phone with me telling me all that he had done and how good Daddy was and that he was going to pull through just fine and with some recovery time and plenty of exercise Daddy will be as good as new!! I’m going to nick name him the bionic dog! He has so much metal in him he will never get through air port security! lol

 

I was told by Julie that I was now welcome back to the clinic to see my poor boy and I was in the car quicker

DADDY FIRST WAKING UP

THE MILLION DOLLAR LEG

STITCHES ON THE INSIDE TO NOT HINDER HIS SEXINESS

TRYING TO SIT UP, DIDN’T GO WELL

than lightning! When I arrived I was brought to the back where I found Daddy fast a sleep and heavily medicated, poor guy but he did look great all considering. I sat with Daddy for about a half hour when Dr. Tummon came over and showed me the new x-rays of his million dollar leg, a little shocked to see what was done but happy that it was done, and done well. I am now back home and I have left my big boy behind, again if any of you know me, know what a huge ordeal that was for me to go home with out him. I did this happily I may add simply because Dr. Tummon assured me he was in good hands ( which were not mine by the way ) If I had any doubt, I mean any doubt that he was not in the best place possible I would not have left him! So you know I have trust and faith in Moira Vets and that says a lot because I don’t trust anyone with my dogs!  Again an enormous thank you to the entire staff and the surgeon that came in to do the operation, THANK YOU!!!!!! I can’t say enough good things about these guys and will be recommending him to many beloved dog owners!

Obedience Dog Training – WHY? It Could Save Your Dog’s Life!

Obedience dog training is so important for your dog’s life. There are many different methods that you can use. But belief me when I tell you that Aggressive dog training is the best thing you can do for yourself and your dog.

Training your dog to be obedient can be a long and frustrating process. All you want him to do is listen when you call him and do as he is told, can that really be that complicated? But then when you think about it, you think about how difficult it is to teach your children to do what you say, to follow rules and obey. Training your dog to be obedient is actually quite easy in comparison.

Obedience training teaches your pet to act properly and has many benefits, for the dogs and their human companions alike. Obedience Dog training is critical in order to prevent such negative behaviors as aggression, biting, digging holes in the yard and urinate in the house and these are some reasons owner turn their dogs into the pound.

It is a fact that over 85 percent of the dogs that end up in the pound are because the owner could not deal with the way their pet is acting anymore. At times some owner become so frustrated it leads them to neglecting or abusing their dogs. This is not why you first went out and found a pet to bring home.

These are some reasons owner turn their pets into the pound. And when a pet is unruly, no one wants to take them home and we all know what that means for a dog the no one wants. Very sad indeed.

It seems to be a widely held school of though that a well-trained dog is a happy dog and of course, you are a happier person when your dog listens to you.

There is help for those owners and dogs to live a happy, long life together. Obedience dog training is the way to teach your pet all the right things you want him to do. And it is easier than you may think.

With the proper obedience dog training, your dog will learn to be respectful of your house by not urinating, respect your children and or your friends, by not jumping all over them.

Earning your pets respect is the first crucial step in effective dog training, and it will lay the groundwork for all succeeding training.

There are many reasons to train a dog properly. A calm and well-mannered dog is pleasant to be near, both for the dogs family, and other people he might encounter. There is nothing better than having a well-trained dog.

HOW COME THE PHRASE ” BREAK A LEG” IS GOOD LUCK?

If the phrase break a leg is good luck, it has to make me wonder what kind of luck the person is having that breaking a leg is an improvement! I know your thinking ” what does any of this have to do with dogs?” well nothing really, but in a beat around the bush kinda way it does. I realize that when I have time on my hands, which I almost never do, so when I do I seem to fill my head with non sensible kind of thoughts, really stupid thoughts actually. I also got to thinking that since I have so little spare time is this really the most productive way to spend it? The answer seems to be YES! I will tell you why. Yesterday ” where I found myself with this spare time to think ”  I was sitting in the emergency room of our fine local hospital ( insert sarcasm here ) with a very painful broken ring finger, and as I do I started to lose patients and find myself board, I can’t seem to sit still long, but also I have discovered I am kind of nosy!  I started to look around and listen to what others were saying, and that’s when the random thoughts ( of my own ) started. The first one was ” who started the good luck saying …. break a leg?” From where I’m sitting with a broken finger I fail to see the good fortune in my pain, I can’t imagine how a broken leg must feel? Also you seem to hear this phrase just before the person goes on stage, how in the hell is it good luck if they break their leg and can’t perform? Then it occurred to me……. Aha!! that must be where the next phrase comes from, The show must go on!!!!!

Now I have been in the emergency room a grand total of about fifteen minutes! OMG…….. If it’s only been 15 minutes, I am gonna lose my mind if it takes longer than this!! ( you know damn well it’s gonna take longer than this ) Okay so I change-up my strategy for coping, I am going to walk around and find a pop machine, how can this go wrong? I find myself down a hall way, and at the end I see a sign ” COCA COLA” its a vending machine, that I can handle! So I stand in front of the machine and as I am looking through my wallet for some money, I hear a man talking and of course you know me, I was trying to listen and this is what I heard ” Well MR. ( insert name ) lucky for you it’s a good clean break!”  WHAT?????????  So I get my pop and hurry myself back to the waiting room and sit in my chair and start the, ” OMG, OMG, O M G !!!!!! ”  What does that mean?? A good clean break?? Again as I am still sitting with an extremely painful broken finger I fail to see how this can possibly be ” Good!! ”  and from the purple and green bruising I can see, never mind the swelling, how can this be ” Clean!! ”

Okay Grace, take a deep breath and calm down!! you’re going to be fine! Oh I hear my name!! so In I go, to be told by my doctor ” your finger is broken in three places ” the good news is ” you wont need surgery like we thought!” Oh thank God, then he said ” Lucky for you it’s a good clean break!”  Bah hahahahahahahahah He fixed my finger right up and said to make an appointment in three weeks to have it re-x-rayed and we will reassess then! Out I went and on with the rest of my day! Even as I type this, again with a very swollen, purple and painful finger I still fail to under stand what is ” good ” or ” lucky ” about breaking any body part! Which lead me to my last and final thought, the old saying ” If you didn’t have bad luck, you would have no luck at all ” I’m good thanks, if this is lucky, please make me the unluckiest girl in the world!!!!!!!

Who made up these ridiculous sayings??????

How to Break Up a Dog Fight

First, do not get rid of your instincts. There is no knowledge behind instinctual intelligence so “not thinking” is actually a good thing. In my profession, I only use “thinking” when I have to explain something to the human. With dogs, it’s all about instinct and energy.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind. You can stop a dog fight by observing body language. This is what I do with aggressive cases – stop the bad dog behavior at the very instance you see it about to escalate. But if that’s not possible, during a dog fight, once there is one occurring, stay calm and observe who or which of the two dogs is at a higher level of intensity. That’s the dog I’m going to focus on. Then you need to step in to give that dog the right touch – this means the ribcage area. The reason is that this forces the dog to open his mouth and let go of his hold on the other dog during the dog fight. It’s about timing too, so look for the right moment and then act quickly.

You can use a loud, strong voice or grunt directly at him and pull back from the back of his neck and collar – not from the top, but from the back and pull up, otherwise he can interpret this as you getting into the fight as well, and this is when the dog can turn on the human and bite him because his level of intensity is so high, he doesn’t think “oh, that’s the human.” You’re just another dog in the fight and before you know it, the dog you’re trying to defend is coming after you.

Whether it’s a big dog or little dog, the technique and method is the same. Do not scream repeatedly unless you are calling for help. Sometimes people are not going to help, so don’t expect that everyone will have your ability or good will. Most importantly, be quick, stay mindfully aware, emotionally in tune, and remain calm

Deworming Dogs and Puppies

Although nearly all dogs are infested with parasites at one time or another, most develop an immunity that keeps the parasite population in check. This immunity can break down, however, under conditions of stress or ill health. When that happens, the worms increase in number and eventually produce signs of intestinal infection, including diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and blood in the feces.

Dogs develop the highest level of immunity to worms that have a larval phase that migrates in tissue. These are the ascarids, hookworms, and threadworms. Whipworms and tapeworms do not have a migratory phase and thus produce little immunity.

Recommended Related to Dogs

Immunosuppressive drugs such as cortisonehave been shown to activate large numbers of encysted hookworm larvae. Stressful events such as pregnancy, surgery, severe illness, trauma, and emotional upsets (such as shipping or going to a new home) can also activate dormant larvae.

Although some deworming medications are effective against more than one species of worm, no single medication is effective against them all. A specific diagnosis is necessary to choose the safest and most effective drug. This requires an examination of the dog’s stool and determining whether the parasite is in the egg, larval, or adult stage. It is not advisable to deworm a dog suffering from an unexplained illness that is assumed to be caused by “worms.”

All anthelmintics (medications that act to expel or destroy parasitic worms) are poisons-meant to poison the worm but not the dog. Dogs debilitated by heartwormsor some other infestation may be too weak to resist the toxicity of the dewormer. Be sure to check with your veterinarian before using any dewormer. It is also important to give the medication exactly as prescribed.

Deworming Puppies

Most young puppies are infested with ascarids. Other worm parasites may also be present, but they’re not as common. It is advisable to have your veterinarian check your puppy’s stool before deworming for ascarids, because if other worms are present, a broad-spectrum deworming agent may be recommended.

Puppies should be dewormed at 2 weeks of age (before ascarid eggs are passed in the stool) and again at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Then, it’s prudent to put them on a monthly heartworm preventive for life that also protects the dog against other parsites, or at least continue monthly deworming for six months. This schedule kills all ascarids, whether acquired in utero, through infected mother’s milk, or by ingesting the eggs. Pyrantel pamoate (Nemex or Strongid) is an excellent choice for ascarids and can be safely given to 2-week-old puppies. It is available as a liquid suspension or tablet.

Worm medications can be harmful to puppies that are ill from a respiratory infection, chilled, crowded in unsanitary surroundings or abruptly weaned from their mothers. Stressful conditions such as these should be corrected before administering the dewormer. Do not deworm a puppy who has diarrhea unless your veterinarian has determined that the diarrhea is caused by the parasite.