Halloween Puppy Parade

Maya left, Oscar right

We hope all of you had a fun filled Halloween.  We know that Oscar and Maya did.  These brother and sister pups got to dress up for a Halloween parade.   So nice to know they are still having fun together! Aren't they adorable!!   Thank you for sharing these photos!!!

Oscar, the dragon who won the princess' heart!

Dixie is in heat !!

Here's some important information for all of those waiting for Dixie's next litter....Dixie is currently in heat!   I do not plan to breed a Schnoodle litter this winter.   But it gives us a good idea that Dixie will likely come into heat in early May 2013....litter born early July....going home early September.  Hopefully this information helps you all with your planning.

Dixie enjoys a romp on Oct 25...but she won't be running loose while she is in heat!

An Awesome Temperament !

I got an email from our first litter families.   She gives such a glowing report of her dogs temperament I had to share it.  

Hello there:)

I just came across this email so I thought I would say hello!  Madison is doing VERY well and extremely sweet as usual:)  I still can't believe how much love she has in her little heart!  Their temperament is just amazing to me, never seen any other dog close to that sweet and a lot of people tell me that.  I would love to get a brother or sister for Madison to play with. Do you know of anyone that you trust or is Dixie still having litters?  I can't remember if you are on Facebook but I post pictures of Madison quite a bit and everyone just loves her:)

Madison's Mom

Chesapeake, VA

Update on Oscar

I received a lovely note from Oscar's mom...but it was a little long to share the whole note!  So I will send some of the key information.

Oscar is a very social puppy who loves being with people dogs and everyone.  Lucky for Oscar, he lives in an apartment complex with tons of people and dogs, so he has many opportunities to interact with many people and pets.

"People tell me how cute he is, and how he looks so much like a stuffed animal!"

Oscars mom started Potty training Oscar for the outdoors as soon as she brought him home. 

"I actually decided against litter training just because I live in a smaller space and was worried about the smell.  So since the first day I home I started crate training and outdoor potty training."

At first he just wanted to eat stick and chase after leaves.  But after about 2 weeks he got the hang of it and then he would go every time we went outside.  When he goes potty he looks at me to make sure I am watching, and then sits and waits for a treat. 

Oscar goes to a puppy class and has 'come' and 'sit' commands down.  He is not as good at 'stay'.

I don't know any young puppys that are good at stay.  They will gain that skill with maturity.

He is a vocal dog, and his mom is working on his barking.  Eventually it got so bad that she reverted to a Spray Bottle of Water.  That seemed to help quite a bit.

 He also had a problem with biting..".no matter what I do I cannot get him to stop nibbling on my fingers!"  (This did get better over time.)

This is a common stage that teething puppies go through.  A puppy just has to grow out of this stage.  Do not think that you have to discipline a puppy for this behavior.  It is natural to him.  The important thing is that you let him know when he is biting too hard.  Be sure to yell out in pain when he bites hard.  That is how they learn from their litter mates.  Also certainly try to avoid putting your fingers near his mouth.  

Just remember that he will eventually have more self control in this area.   Every dog I know has matured out of this stage.  Even babies go through a stage where they will chew on everything. 

This is actually an important learning stage for a puppy.   He needs to learn the 'soft bite'.  But he won't learn this if you don't give them the 'ow' message...If they are overly rambunctious a 'quiet time' in the crate, helps them settle down as well.   Be patient!   He will get much better, when all his permanent teeth come in!

As of October 2012, Oscar is 5 mths and weighs about 15 lbs.  He is much bigger than his sister Maya.

He loves sleeping with his Snuggle Puppy!   I highly recommend this toy for next years litter.

Oscar's mom brought her Snuggle Puppy to me during her first visit to the litter.  We put the toy in the crate with all the litter.  All the pups enjoyed sleeping on it...It was great for Oscar to have this familiar cuddle toy to take home with him.   It was something familiar that also smelled of his litter mates.  This is a great toy for new puppies!  

 ...." but Oscar is definitely my snuggle puppy too!  He sleeps with me at night and never has an accident in my bed. 

Oscar is a wonderful and loving dog, and I can't thank you enough for bringing him into my life!"

It is such a joy to me to see the happiness that my puppies bring into the lives of their owners.  This is why I love breeding puppies.  It is as much about happy people as it is about awesome puppies!

Update from Peaches, 2011 litter

Here is an update from Peaches.  Peaches understands that we all love a little distraction from work every now and then!

Peaches is a year and a half old, and she is the same peachy color she was at 8 weeks.   She is 17.5 lbs.   Which is a good 'miniature' Schnoodle weight!    Thank you to Peaches' owner for sending this update and adorable picture!

Mary,

Thought you might like an update!  Attached is a photo of Peaches – sitting in my lap trying to distract me from work!  She just had a checkup for latest shots and is just “perfect” according to the vet!  She weighs 17 ½ lbs

Last vacation days with Morelka

The last play time, one week ago

Morelka (Sugar) at 13 weeks old

Maya went home from her week long visit with us on Aug 11, but Morelka was staying with us another week.   She was clearly disappointed when we said good by to Maya and brought her inside without her sister.  She cried and whined off a little bit, to tell us, she wanted her sister back.  But bringing Dixie to her to play seemed to help her feel good about things again. 

Always giving kisses to Mama

 During her last week with us, Morelka seemed to prefer to be with me even more than Dixie.  She seemed to know I was the top Mama.  When Dixie ran into the woods, Morelka would follow her only a few yards, but then turn and run back to me.  In the house I was happy to let her follow me around the kitchen ....I just made sure to put her back in her litterbox every 15-20 minutes.   It worked out perfectly and she didn't have any potty accidents.

Candy Cat is good 'cat socialization' for  Morelka

During Morelka's visit Candy, our cat finally decided it was OK to meet her.  Instead of avoiding the puppy (like the plague)  she started coming up to say hello.  They'd sniff noses briefly and that was all.  She did not want to play...but she at least was teaching Morelka that cats can be nice....if you don't chase them!

After this second week with us, the time again came to say goodby.   Morelka's family came for her on Saturday evening.   Morelka was very excited to see them as they were to see her.!  What a treat it was for us to have this time with her!

Yankee and Bruno update

Yankee and Bruno --- 1 1/2 years old --- 2011 litter

Mary,

I followed Dixie's 2012 puppies and so enjoyed your posts. It must be so hard for you to send them to new homes. Boy, do we ALL love Yankee and Bruno. Bruno has been staying here while the rest of his family has been on vacation. Yankee was here tonight also and they had the best time together. They still love playing together. The tug of war happened when I gave Yankee a new Nyla Bone because Bruno was chewing on another one. Bruno immediately put his down and the tug began! It was quite amusing. They like to eat and drink together (from the same bowls) Neither is going to be out done! Just like the other 4 grands!

Hope your Summer has been good.

Think of you often,

Bruno and Yankee's Gram (Tish)

 Thank you Tish for your note!    I do miss my puppies and remember each litter with fondness.  So it is especially exciting to see the updates of our puppies all grown up!   I love the fact that you have been able to help your kids out with their dogs.  It is hard for families to leave their dogs when they go on vacation....but it looks like Yankee and Bruno have it made!  I am so glad that you have been able to share the joy of the Schnoodles.   Thanks for sending this fun photo and for keeping us up to date!  ---Mary

Ruby Rose is Growing Up!

Ruby Rose growing up....

 

Hi Mary,

Just wanted to update you with some pictures of Ruby over the past few weeks. 

She has adjusted wonderfully to our home! We have been enjoying the recent postings

of her sisters, Maya and Morelka! They seem to be having a lot of fun while staying with

8 weeks old Ruby

your family. I'm sure Dixie was happy to have them back. 

Ruby currently weighs 4.8 lbs 

at almost 12 weeks. My mom takes her to the vets this upcoming week for her check up and shots. She is really teething, and we have lots of toys to help with this. If she starts chewing on something she shouldn't we firmly tell her "No" and then give her one of her 

toys. She's starting to understand what "No" means. 

Her potty training is going well. After 

the first two weeks, we took away her litter pan, to transition her over to just going outside.  She has had a few accidents here and there. She does have some anxiety when we leave her, but eventually we hope that she will get better with that. As far as her eating and sleeping, that is 

9 weeks old Ruby

going great. We are amazed at how well and long she sleeps at night. 

Our pavers for our backyard were delivered this past week. Once we get that started, it won't

be long until we put up our large fenced in area. Can't wait for Ruby to have a larger area to run

in. For now, we have been taking her out on her leash to run and play with her. 

Hope all is well with you and your family, and you are enjoying your summer!

We will continue to keep you posted on Ruby's progress.

---Ruby's family

Thanks so much for sharing your update and photos!   They are absolutely beautiful!  ---Mary

Too Sweet!   10 weeks old Ruby

10 weeks old Ruby

My goodness, Ruby Looks like a Teddy Bear too!

10 weeks old Ruby

Teddy Webster's Update

Teddy Webster at home July 7, 2012

As you can see, I still am behind on sharing our updates!   Its fun to go back and reread the lovely letters that people have shared.  And I am SURE you all are happy to finally be able to read it too!

Hey Mary-

A nice rainy day to send you an update on Webster.

First off, I love the litterbox.  Not one accident so far...not even almost in the box accidents...and we have moved the box as we moved around the house.  He is a middle of the night pooper and the box has been a real sleep saver.

Webster has adjusted to our house pretty well - some real separation anxiety that we are working on and the typical puppy nipping (also working on that), but he seems to have settled in.

 

He likes the neighbors who have come to meet him (lots of aunts and uncles so far)  - no issues there - largely due, I believe, to your beginning socialization and handling.

He and Rob are currently watching a soccer game on TV and Webster is content to snooze the afternoon away in quiet companionship.

He has 2 speeds, puppy-spastic-frantic and then snooze.  Everyonce in awhile during his frantic activity he barks at his reflection or at a toy but is quiet overall (unless we leave).  He has figured out how to maximize the slide speed on the hardwood floor and has a great time doing that.   In the snooze speed his favorite place so far seems to be on top of my feet if I am still enough.  If I am not still, it is on the corner of the rug closest to me or to Rob.

The tip on mixing wet food in with the dry until he adjusted worked great....he will eat both ways and LOVES his meal time. A bit shy at first about eating you now just have to tap on the stainless bowl and he comes running...and sits before he eats without asking!

What a great addition to our family!  And what a great start you gave him. 

Many thanks!   ---- S and R

Grooming Guidelines

I wanted to share with you the file that I used to trim our Toby, 10 years ago when he was a tiny pup.   I had never seen a Mini Schnauzer in real life, and I had no idea what the cut was suppose to look like...so I just searched the internet and found this diagram.   It was pretty much all I have used for the past 10 years.

I have to admit...I was scared to death the first few times.  But honestly, I was even more scared of grooming prices!

http://www.amsc.us/docs/grmchtsm.jpg

This website goes through the steps for grooming much more thoroughly than I did.....http://www.miniatureschnauzer.ca/grooming.php

 If any of you puppy owners are interested in trying to try grooming your puppy, here's my advice...


Its hardest to groom a little puppy when they are very little….because they don’t want to sit still.  so start by turning the groomer on ever so often.  Let your puppy get use to the noise and give him a few treats if he is calm with it.   Next time, if he is still calm let him feel the vibrations and give him a treat.   Keep this up, and he will not be alarmed by the grooming tool in the least.  

When you actually decide to trim him for real start with a comb attached...so you don't cut too short.  If you or your puppy lose patience ….you could still take him to the groomer.    Some groomers may actually give you a price break if you wash and comb out all tangles ahead of time.

When I groomed Toby for the first time, I had my son hold him while I did it.  I just broke the grooming into short sessions.   I remember when I went to Petsmart I heard someone say, “Look at that, a Schnauzer with a crew cut.”  I was a little sensitive about that, since I had no idea what he was ‘suppose’ to look like.  In hinesite, I should not have cut his fur quite so short….but I don’t think Toby was too embarrassed!

Finally, you could always let the groomer groom your puppy while he is young.  If you wait until he's a little older to try it yourself , he will be pretty relaxed  for the grooming process.   

Dixie Gets a Haircut

Dixie can't even see with eyebrows this long!

You may have noticed from some of the recent photos that Dixie  has been looking more like an English Sheepdog, then a Schnauzer.  Admittedly her fur was a little overgrown.

I usually don't let her go so long between trimmings...but my cheapo, Walmart clippers were not working like they use to.  These clippers by Wahl were what I bought 10 years ago when Toby was a little puppy.  I didn't know if I would be successful at grooming...so I didn't want to spend much money.  I have to admit they have done the job for 10 years now...but I am glad to move on now.
The blade on my last clippers was slipping (even though I tried to secure the lever with Duck Tape).  The blade would slide down short, and I would find myself nicking the dogs.   That just is not acceptable!

So I started to research for my next clippers...a set to last me for the rest of my years.


I already knew that the top two brands of clippers were Andis and Oster.  It seemed that both were pretty expensive, running from $60-200.  Andis seemed to have higher reviews...so I decided to go for that brand.

Andis has so many clippers to choose from it was quite a dilemma to know what to choose.  When I really want to get the Best buy for my money, I usually go to a middle price range.  The Andis AG2 Speed seemed to right smack in the middle at $108.08.   It was an improvement over the cheaper models since it has detachable blades.  That was an essential element to me.  I wanted to be able to change the length of my cut without any trouble.    Additionally the AG2 has a nice long cord, a quiet motor, and a VERY smooth cut!  I wish I had bought these several years ago.  These clippers are awesome!

Soon after I ordered my clippers I realized that I hadn't bought clipper oil.  I was hating to have to spend more money....but I would ruin my clippers right away if they weren't oiled every time I use them.  (before and after a cut).  I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find that they actually come with clipper oil!  Yah!



 

 The blade that comes in the box is a #10 length.  Thats a nice close cut and will work well on our Toby's back...the head, ears and so forth.  But for Dixie's back, I wanted a longer cut.  I chose a #7FC since it was recommended for the dog with a finer coat.  It will be great in the winter too, when I want both dogs to have a longer cut.

The first step in grooming the dog is to me the most tedious.  I give them a really good bath, then I blow them dry and work out all the knots and matts.  Because Dixie's fur was so long, it was pretty knotted in places.  I was glad to have a 'Matt Breaker' to work through the tangles with the least pain.

First off I trimmed Dixie's back, neck and face.

 When I start to shave the dogs, I put them on a table. (preferably on the back deck).   That keeps them at my working level, and they know they have to stand still for me.   It was a rather warm day and Dixie got tired of standing still as soon as I finished her back.  I let her flop down and decided to move on to her face and ears.  I then scissor cut her eyebrows, trimmed around the leather of the ear (to shape it). 

Dixie is patient but hot and tired!

'Some one tell me...When will she be done!"

Using the scissors requires a bit of an eye for keeping things even.  Its probably the trickiest part of the haircut process.   I have to hold Dixie's muzzle firm to trim that beard.  She doesn't want me messin' with her face!

After the face, Dixie had to stand up again for me to scissor her legs and sides.  I reach under her belly and push up.  She stands reluctantly...but understands she has to wait now.

Wow Mom, I can see again!

"...But my ears still look pretty stupid!"

I like to leave the hair on the back a bit longer, since Dixie's fur is not too thick.

When I am all finished I stand back, let Dixie shake off the loose fur and look at her from all angles.  I usually find I missed a few spots.  But it is always a relief to see Dixie looking so much better!

Dixie looks like a Schauzer again!

Update from Bruno (Toffee)

I just got some photos from Bruno's family !!  Some of you recent viewers may be wondering...who's Bruno?   Well Bruno was one of our puppies from last years litter!   His first name was Toffee before he went home.  He was the lightest in the litter.  Bruno is now almost 1 1/2 years old.    He was born in March 2011.

Schnoodles make good body pillows!

Here's is what Bruno's Mom writes...

 

Hi Mary,

I wanted to share with you some photos I quickly took this morning before we all got moving out the door. Little Adam and Ella love Bruno so much! Too cute!

 Thank you for writing and sharing your photos!  Those two are so adorable together!  I can tell Bruno is well cared for...and well loved!  ---Mary


 Wow Bruno!  You and your boy are just getting more and more handsome!

Oh my!  How cute are those ears!

This is just adorable.  Look at that little boys face!

Here is an update sent from (Sugar) Morelka's family at the end of July.  Sorry I am so late getting it posted!

We are all adjusting great.  Morelka sleeps through the night for the most part, and we have had only a few accidents (only because we still haven’t quite figured out all the warning signs – the poo dance is different from the pee dance). 

She has had two baths already and one hair cut.   J   I am a little scared to cut her nails – and they have grown quickly – so that is still on the to do list.

The only really puppy issue had been biting.   She tried to eat various pants cuffs as the kids were walking by and liked  to bite/dive at their faces when they are/were low to the ground playing with her.  We have initiated several “puppy protocols” to either divert or teach that isn’t a great idea.   She now has multiple chew sticks (one in the pics I sent), and several chew toys that she like to gnaw on.  We have also gotten a tiny squirt bottle and every time she uses her teeth she gets a little squirt.  We did try time outs, but they didn’t work at all.  The biting has decreased by 90% and we think it will soon be gone.  I researched a number of dog techniques on the web before we tried the above. 

Oh yes – and we have a new game “treat hockey.”  It gets a lot of her energy out.

Lastly, she is already learned her first command – “Sit”.  J

We all love her – she is a wonderful smart and energetic puppy!

XOXOX see you soon - L

Thank you so much for sharing this letter and photos with us!  We love to hear how the puppies are doing!  ---Mary