Puppy Care:
Here are some things you will find helpful for your puppy's transition into it's new home. If you still have questions feel free to call or email me.
- Remember your puppy is leaving the home it was born and raised in. Every smell and sound will be different to him. Give him a few days to start adjusting. If after a week your puppy has not adjusted please call me.
- For the first few days your puppy might be hesitant to eat, because he's scared. If this occurs try adding a little water or a teaspoon of canned puppy food to the dry food. This will often stimulate the smell and get him interested.
- Do not let everyone play "Pass the puppy". It is a stressful time for him. Limit holders to your self and one other person for a week. He will begin recognising your smell and it will help with transition.
- Kids loves puppies, no doubt. But imagine one coming at you from a puppies view. Toddlers are often rough, fast, and while well meaning, they do not understand how to handle a puppy. Supervise all contact between puppy and young children. No matter how well behaved, beware. You wouldn't let your young child in charge of a infant right?
- Housebreaking: To Crate or Not? The decision is yours alone. You will need to do the best one that fits your need. There is a wealth of information on the interenet and in books to help you decide which is right for you. We start our puppies on puppy pads at about 5-6 weeks of age or when they start weaning from Mom. Normally our puppies go home around 8 wks of age so they are still using pads at that time. If your puppy is older when he/she leaves us, most likely we have started taking the puppy outside to potty. We do not recommend "free" feeding as it makes puppies harder to housebreak. If they have constant access to food, they'll have to go to the potty much more often. I recommend a feeding schedule of 1/4 cup-1/2 cup per feeding 2-3 times daily, depending on puppy's age/size.
- Until your puppy has received his required booster vaccinations, refrain from taking him into situations where he will encounter other dogs.Public parks, pet stores or any place that is frequented by dogs should be avoided. Though you can't eliminate the vets office, you can hold your puppy while there. Do not let him on the floor. Ask the vet's technician if the examining table has been sanitized before sitting your puppy down on it. If they cannot respect your concern(infact they should be concerned too) I would look for a new vet. Do not let strangers bring their dog to "meet" yours or allow others to hold him. If asked, just say,"He hasn't had all his shots yet and I'd prefer not to take any risks". If they get mad , oh well, you are protecting a infant, remember.
- Puppy proof your home before his arrival. Electrical cords, paper, houseplants, etc are dangerous to your puppy. Please take the time to go through your home and think from a puppy's view what you can see and get into.
- A good idea for while you're gone during the day/night- have a gated area/small room(utility, extra bathroom, etc) or a playpen to put puppy in. Never crate your puppy for more than a few hours.
- We normally feed our puppies Royal Canin, dry puppy food. It has worked well for us for years. There are many opinions out there on foods, but for us this is a keeper.
- If you must change the food remember to do so gradually. Allow a week for the change, by mixing the new/old together until you are feeding the new solely.
- We do not "free" feed our puppies. They are fed 3 times daily. If you choose to "free feed", housebreaking could be tougher.
- Offer fresh water always.
- Do not feed him table food.
- Within the first weeks home, be aware of your puppies stool. A loose stool can happen due to the stress of transition. If it lingeres for for than a day or two, take your puppy in for a fecal exam. Often a simple round of antibiotics will set it straight.
- Parasites, Bacterias and Intestinal viruses- Such as but not limited to Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms, Coccidiosis and Giardia. Puppies are more prone to these problems than adults. We follow a protocal for preventing them , and after you recieve your puppy you should follow up with your vet for further preventatives. Should you notice your puppy has a loose stool that does not clear up in a few days, you should take him in to your vet for a fecal. If he is found to have parasites a oral medication will be given to clear it up. Its not deadly if its caught early, so do not delay!
- Schedule his first vet appointment within the first few days of arrival. Your vet will want to get him set up on a regular health routine. It also establishes him as a patient with that clinic in case a emergency arrives Your vet will tell you when the next vaccinations and dewormings are needed as well as flea/tick preventive.
- Registration papers- Our puppies are registered with either AKC or CKC. Alot of people ask me what is the difference. To me there is no difference in the puppy, just the registry. Both are record keeping agencies. AKC has been around longer, but CKC has been growing and improving over the years. If you are buying a puppy for a pet, papers are for your assurance of what you're buying. The quality of the puppy is what counts , not the papers. If you are wanting to show in AKC sanctioned events, then you will want to purchase a puppy with AKC papers.
- Breeding rights- What are they? It is to purchase your puppy with the intent of breeding at some point. I sell my AKC puppies with limited registration. If you wish to have full registration , then please inform me. I will decide if the puppy is breeding quality and discuss your breeding program. Breeding rights do cost more. I am not against breeders, so please be honest.
- I reserve the right to refuse a sale to anyone. If we feel that the placement is not suitable for our puppy then we will and have said NO! We are obligated to our puppies 1st, customers 2nd. Would you want it any other way?
Supplies: These are suggested items to have on hand when your puppy arrives
- Blanket-Dachshunds love them!
- Collar (6-10 inch) or Harness(ask us to measure)
- Leash-4 ft, 5/8 inch width
- Puppy bed-they love the ones with sides to burrow in
- Seperate food/water dishes-low sided
- Puppy food- Royal Canin(found at Petsmart, Petco and other high end pet stores and online)
- NuVet Vitamins- We send a small sample home with the puppy but go ahead and order so you don't get caught empty handed!
- Wire Crate - Medium Sized to last throughout life and/or Travel crate for vet visits, etc.
- Small rubber chew toys-(Nylabone, Konga, etc)
- Small stuffed toy for him to snuggle with.(w/no parts easily pulled off ,could be swallowed)
- Toothbrush, get into the habit early-avoid costly cleanings
- Patience and Love!- puppies are like human children, they'll try you but you'll always love them.
- ID- Collar tag w/contact info or Consider microchipping(we can have it done before they leave, ask ahead of time)
What We Feed: Over the years we've tried numerous foods and all have had good things about them but none catered to our breeds specific needs but one. Royal Canin- Ours are started on their puppy formula and changed over to the adult Dachshund formula at 10 moths of age. Below is a store locator of where you can find it. I can't say enough about the quality or the way the puppies eat it. Their stools are smaller and firmer than I've ever seen and the coats are beautiful! Your puppy will go home with a small bag of it, but please make sure you have found a place that carries it before you bring your baby home.
Click on the banner below to register your puppy's microchip into your name. It's very important that you do so. Otherwise if your puppy becomes lost and is scanned for a chip no one will be able to locate you. If you move or change any information, please contact them to update. Our provider number for the initial registration is C20995
You can also call them at 1-800-434-2843
At Purchase you will be given a AKC puppy registration application. You can now register online at:https://www.apps.akc.org/dogreg/index.cfm
