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Frequent asked question
Keep in mind these are thing’s I personally do, just my opinion and you can feel free to do what you like with your puppy when leaving my home.
~~ How do I kennel train?
Get a kennel small enough for the puppy to move around, but not to big that he can go pee/poo in one area of the kennel and get away from it. I suggest using a pet taxi. Keep the kennel in a area that the puppy cannot see you, like a laundry room, small bathroom etc.
You always want to put the puppy in the kennel at feeding time. It teaches the puppy that this is a positive thing and not a negative. Also at night put the puppy in the kennel for bed. Give the puppy a treat and say good puppy. Continue this do not get frustrated. Your puppy will cry but keep in mind if you go get the puppy out when he/she is crying they are learning to train you and you are not accomplishing your goal here.
I use puppy training pad’s in the kennel instead of baby blankets, towels, or bedding. Because this makes easy clean up in the morning.
~~ When can I expect my puppy to learn potty training?
I will be honest dachshund’s are not the easiest breed to train. They will train you if at all possible so you have to stick with it. However you cannot expect them to fully understand the training until at least 12-16 weeks of age. A puppy younger than that cannot control there movements yet.
~~What spot cleaner carpet cleaner should I use?
I use a product called Folex. You can buy it at Walmart in the cleaning section. It’s great for stains and spot’s. Works wonderful and you can also use it in your carpet cleaner as well.
~~What should I feed my puppy?
I will send you home with what I feed which is pro pac puppy food or Eagle pac puppy food. If you want to continue feeding this brand then GREAT! However I do ask that you leave your puppy on this food for a few weeks until they have adjusted to there new surroundings then slowly switch them over to whatever you like.
~~How do I pick a good dog food for my puppy?
I’ve done a lot of research on different dog foods and I’ve been very pleased with pro pac for several reasons.
Most dog foods use corn in the kibble, as most people know us as human’s do not digest corn. And it’s the same with animal’s they do not digest corn either so it goes right through them. You want to look for a dog food that doesn’t contain corn. By doing this you will find that your puppy will poo less because the dog food is sticking with them and not going straight through them. You will also find that the poo will be more firm as well.
~~When do I start to switch my puppy over to a new food?
Whenever you switch your puppy over to a new food you want to do this slowly. Just mix the kibble in with the new kibble and do this for about a week and then make the transition. You do not want to just switch them to something else, you will end up with pudding poo and who wants that? You want to make sure the food is agreeing with them okay before you totally take them off the other.
~~How often do I feed?
On the back of your dog food bag it will tell you the amount per day your dog or puppy should have. With my puppies I feed them 3-4 times a day. In the morning, late morning, afternoon and early evening. I do this because I want to make sure on the last meal of the day they have had time to digest and hopefully relive themselves before kennel time at night. As long as your puppy is getting what he/she needs a day you can develop a schedule that works best for you. I realize not everyone is home all day too feed like I do, so do what works best for your schedule.
With my older dogs I only feed once a day, in the early evening.
~~ What heartworm preventive do you use?
I use Interceptor. It not only takes care of heart worm’s, it takes care of whip worm, hook worm, tape worm, and round worm. Interceptor is a once a month pill that you can get through your vet.
~~What flee protection do you use?
I use Frontline. It takes care of flees and ticks. I personally only use this during the summer months when flee tick season is high. However a lot of vets will suggest you do this year round. It’s up to you what you would like to do with this.
~~ When will my puppy need his/her shot’s?
Depending on when you puppy leaves my home he/she will be UTD on shot’s and worming. Shot schedules go as fallowed 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks along with rabies vaccine.
Then your puppy will be due for his/her yearly booster along with another rabies shot. After that it’s only required that you do rabies vaccine every 3 years for your pet, however some vets push you to do it every year. It’s not necessary according to state law.
~~ What too do if my puppy gets pudding poo?
Sometimes when puppies go into a new environment or a stressful situation it’s not uncommon for this to happen.
You can do several thing’s here, add a tablespoon full of low fat cottage cheese into there kibble this should do the trick. However if it does not you after 24 hours, then I suggest taking the puppy off kibble and feeding boiled chicken breast and white rice for the next day. Do not let your puppy go more than 48 hours with pudding poo. It might be something else so go see your vet. If your puppy is running a fever or not drinking take your vet in right away.
If however your puppy is not eating which is also common with new surrounding. Add a bit of chicken broth to the kibble they should eat it right up.
~~What to bathe my puppy in?
Dachshund’s skin tend to dry out quit easy. I use bio groom odor remover shampoo when bathing my dogs when necessary. In between baths I use a product called Waterless shampoo also from bio groom. I also use wet wipes as well.
~~When do I start trimming nails?
I start trimming nails by the time your puppy is two weeks of age. I use the scissor type trimmers. I find it easier to use. You want to trim them as often as possible so it makes it easier to do when they get older, they will be used to having there feet handled and laying on there back for you. I trim right up too the bend of the nail.
If for some reason you nick it to close and it bleeds, Don’t panic! It’s just a myth that the dog will bleed to death. I use a syptic stick or gel to put on the nail until it stops bleeding.
~~How do I clean out my puppies ears?
I use a puppy ear cleaner solution and a small cotton ball or q tip and clean right inside the ear. I only do this if there is quit a bit of build up or dirt in the ear. You want to try as much as possible to keep the ear dry so your dog or puppy does not get yeast in the ear. If you smell a funny odor in your dog ear. I would suggest calling your vet to have it looked at. This is uncommon but not impossible.
~~ Do you do anal glands?
Welcome to the wonderful world of dogs haha! Normally with proper feedings and firm stool your dog will express anal glands on there own. However if you see your dog or puppy dragging there bottom on the ground it’s possible they need a bit of help expressing anal glands. You can do a couple things here. You can call the vet for suggestion or make a appointment and pay an office visit for the vet to do it or you can do it yourself.
You put your dog or puppy on a table or hard surface, You want to lift the tail with one hand and with the other you want to slightly squeeze the anus until you see a runny liquid run out. Trust me this does not smell good so I suggest you doing this outside if possible. It’s not painful for the puppy just not comfortable so don’t be surprised if you get a wiggle and they are trying to get away from you.
~~ Toy’s and chewing? The puppy will let you know what he/she needs. If the puppy is chewing on thing’s that are hard your puppy is probably either loosing baby teeth or cutting teeth. Your puppy will need something hard to chew on, such as a raw hide or puppy bone. If your puppy is chewing on something soft I suggest giving him/her a toy something soft to chew and play with.
~~How do I keep my puppy away from thing’s he is not supposed to have?
I recommend a product called “No” or pet training aid. You can spray this on thing’s you do not want your puppy to chew or pee on. Such as table legs, furniture, carpet etc. You can buy this at pet stores or Walmart.
~~ Do Dachshund’s shed?
Yes, I don’t care what people say but I’ve never been around any dog that did not shed unless they are hairless. However dachshund’s do not shed as bad as some I’ve seen. But they do shed. I have both long hairs and smoothes and I do not see a difference in the amount of shedding between coat types. I use a zoom groom rubber like brush you can get them at the pet stores. They work great for removing the loose hair without pulling on the coat and hurting the puppy.
~~ How do you train your dachshund’s to do what you want?
I have seven dachshund’s, so this is not my first rodeo
My best advice to you is be patient, be persistent and firm.
These are just a few choice words I suggest you use often.
Kennel up…So your dog catches on that it means kennel time. I do this for dinner, if I am feeding raw hides to my dogs, and bed time. You will be surprised how quick your puppy catches on to this phrase and will run and jump in his/her own kennel when he/she hears the words kennel up!
Go potty….Self explanatory use this every time you take your puppy outside. Have a reward in your hard so when they do go make a big deal! Good girl!!! Good boy!! And give the treat. Do not rub your dogs nose in potty or poo if he/she pee’s in the house. Trust me this is a old myth that this actually works for potty training. All it does it make your dogs fearful of you and submissive you will end up with a submissive dog who urinates because they are scared.
NO…….See your puppy doing or chewing on something he/she isn’t supposed to. Firmly say No and give them something else to do or chew.
Back…….I use this when my dogs are in the house and someone is going in/out of the door or I am letting someone in my front door. I have a tile entry way and my dogs know that stepping onto that area is a No No! I say back and walk toward them and they know that they are not allowed to come off the carpet. I do this because of the chance of someone running out the door. I keep puppy treats at my entry way so they can be rewarded when they fallow this command.
At anytime you have question’s or concerns feel free to contact me anytime. I hope this has helped you with many frequent asked question’s. However if I have left something out! I am always up for a challenge.
As always hope you enjoy your new found friend from Abc Doxies and have a long happy healthy life together.
