A clean bill of health...
Puppy Care Basics
Puppies require a special diet. Ask your breeder if your dog has become accustomed to a certain type of food before buying one of the many perfectly acceptable commercial pet foods designed for puppies. Avoid the temptation to feed your dog milk, meat, or table scraps, which interfere with its digestion and foster behavior problems, such as begging.
One of the first responsibilities of ownership is to bring your puppy is a veterinarian for an examination. The dog must be immunized against such illnesses as rabies, parvovirus, and distemper, and must also be checked for heartworms. Your Vet will give you a detailed account of what is necessary.
The chances are very good that your dog will one day lose its way home. In order to be sure that your dog is returned, attach a personal identification tag with your name, address, and telephone number on its collar. Some dog owners wisely tattoo their dogs with an identifying symbol, such as a social security number, and list the symbol with a national dog registry. Such tattooing is painless, and by having your dog thus marked you will improve the chances of its being returned. (One recommended agency is the American Dog Registry. P.O. Box 262 Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056.) It is also advisable to keep up -to-date photographs of your dog on hand for identification.