Do you think she has a little rabbit in her?

We took this photo a few months ago....I just thought it was funny how high Dixie can prick her ears:)

Are you training your Schnoodle to be groomed?

Grooming a schnoodle is very important part of his life long care.  If you have not been introducing your pup to the noice of clippers, you should begin soon!  Now that the heat of summer is in full force, it is a good idea to give your puppy a good close haircut.  

Even if you plan to choose to have a professional groomer clip your dog you may want to take the time to introduce your dog to the items the groomer will be using. For instance, introduce your puppy to the clippers by turning the machine on and holding it near the puppy for a few minutes so they become familiar with the noise and are less likely to be frightened. Once he/she is familiar with the noise, you can begin touching the clippers to the puppy so he/she can become used to the vibrations (don’t clip your dog at this point).
You should keep introducing your dog to the noise and feeling of the clippers a few times during a week before you actually begin grooming. Don’t rush your dog. Some schnoodles will become accustomed to the clippers faster than others.

A week with Bella

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to puppysit Bella (Scarlet) while her family went on vacation to New Hampshire.  She had just turned 3 months old, so it had only been a month since she had left our home.

I wondered if Bella might forget us in that month...remember that at just 3 mths old a 30 day time frame is 1/3 of her whole life!  But I had nothing to worry about.  When Bella arrived she happily greeted us as if she had never left. 

She had grown from 4 lbs to almost 10 lbs in her month away.  She clearly had been very well trained, since she responded well to sit, stay and her clicker training.

Best of all it was so fun to see her reunion with Dixie.  They ran up to eachother, and started romping about on the lawn.  They clearly had not lost their affection for one another.

 We were so impressed with Bella.  She was so well behaved!

Dixie and Bella were almost inseparable the whole week.

 When the week was done and Bella's family drove up, we knew we were going to have a hard time seeing Bella leave us again.  But when her little girl scooped her up in her arms, it made me feel so happy for her.  Bella could not have found a more perfect home, with people who give her the absolute best love and care a puppy could want.  She is so special to them, and that is such a good feeling to have helped to make that possible.

There's nothing better than to be loved!

Memorial Day with Remy

I wanted to share this update from Remy's family....

Dear Mary,

Just wanted to update you on our little wonderful puppy--Remy!  He is such a joy!  Has only had 3 accidents in the house since coming home!!  Loves to go to the lake house and ride on the boat!  Uses his paws like hands!  Loves to play fetch with his ball and has a stuffed animal that looks like Peaches that he sleeps with!  Went to the vet and got a good check up and is up to date on all meds.  Vet loved him as does EVERYBODY!  Now if these sharp little teeth will just come out!! Thank you so much for such a great pet!

Kit and Bob 

 

Remy at 3 months old

Remy has great times with his family

How to help your puppy sleep quietly at night

After a few days in his new home, poor little Yankee was having a little difficulty adjusting to his new setting.  After his first few days his Mom says he is still crying at night.  I discussed the things that help make transitions easier.  One disadvantage for Yankee was that since his Mom works during the day he is spending the day at Grandma's house until she comes home from work.  It is a lot for a puppy to transition from one home to two homes.  But puppies are very resilient and Yankee will adjust to his new routines very soon.

Every puppies experience will be a little different.  I wanted to share some things I have read that help a puppy to sleep quietly at night...

Most puppies when moved to a strange place, cry for the first week or two. It is completely normal and it is because they are frightened, they do not understand where their littermates went or where their mother is. They basically want attention and many new dog owners become worried that the dog is just not happy with them. The best way to sort the problem out is to ignore it. It can be hard to do because it is the same as hearing a baby crying for help and not going to help them. It tugs on the heart strings and it is difficult to ignore.

However, if you do ignore the problem then the puppy will eventually realize that crying does not help and that they will still see you in the morning. Some puppies do not cry at all, others cry for a few nights, whilst some simply will not give up for a week or two. So, just persevere and you will notice that the problem does go away, just as long as you do not give the puppy any attention whilst it is moaning.    Anonymous

 Here are my best tips for night time....

- Use the crate as a bed for all the puppies naps during the day so he associates his crate with sleep

- Use a carpet sample in his bed, since that was what he is use to***

---Use the 'blankie' for the litter smells.

-  Routine is very important.  Keep to a regular schedule.

-  Make sure the puppy is very active in the late afternoon so he is plenty tired.

- Don't let puppy nap a few hours before bedtime

- Take puppy out to the potty right before bed.  

- Put him to bed at a regular time, when the rest of the house is quieting down.

- Put him in his crate, and close the door.  If he cries you cannot take him out or you are rewarding him for crying and he will cry to get his way.

- Keep the puppy crate in your bedroom so he can be near his new pack.

- If he won't settle down after half an hour, then move him to another room, so you can get your rest.

- Bring him back to your room the next night, and try again.  Eventually he will see it as a reward to be in your room, and he will realize that crying only moves him to another room.

***You may remember from an earlier post that I chose to use carpet for the puppies bedding because then he will know that carpets are beds, and not places to pee.  So far it looks like this theory is really working!

Feel free to comment on this post, or email me to share any ideas that work for you!

Update on Ginger

I just recieved this update on Ginger...

Ginger is doing great. She loves her Crate and honestly night time crying has been minimal. She is an absolute joy and really well mannered. And let me tell you litter box training rules. Not one accident in the house (knocking on wood as I type this)  Our kids couldn't be happier. Thank you for checking in. I hope all is well with you and your family. Talk soon.    ---Wade

Thank you for this update, Wade.  I am so thrilled to hear that everything is going well! 

The Best Bedding for Puppies

One of our puppy Moms shared her experience with crate training in case it will help others....

"In case it helps other families struggling with the crates, we figured out the missing link.  It was the carpet you used in the crate.  We went out and got a piece to fit in the bottom of the cage and Bella has been sleeping through the night ever since.  We were just using a soft round fleece bed like they sell at Petco but it wasn't working.  She now sleeps on the carpet piece and puts her head on the fleece bed.  Too cute!!"

Thanks for sharing this Jackie!  I did send a piece of carpet with three families who asked for one, but since some of them had become pretty funky I hesitated to hand them all out.  Now I will know to have more on hand for next year.   I am so glad you shared this with us!

Crates are a great thing!

The families of new puppies are now involved in the process of crate training.  This is an important thing for a young dog since it helps with outdoor potty training, and also keeps your puppy safe, when you cannot be with him/her.   Our litter spent time in a large crate as a group, but they did not spend much time alone in a small crate.  I will incorporate more individual puppy crate training into my program for future litters.

I wanted to share some information to help you all in your crate training efforts.  ....Keep the crate positive, by introducing it when the puppy has already spent a lot of his energy in playtime.  Put him in it for a few minutes at a time and give him treats when puppy is quiet in his crate.  Avoid rewarding your puppy for whining in his crate by taking him out when he complains.

Here's some more extensive tips from the Humane Society.


Step 1: Introduce your dog to the crate
Place the crate in an area of your house where the family spends a lot of time, such as the family room. Put a soft blanket or towel in the crate. Take the door off and let the dog explore the crate at his leisure. Some dogs will be naturally curious and start sleeping in the crate right away.  If yours isn't one of them:

• Bring him over to the crate, and talk to him in a happy tone of voice. Make sure the crate door is open and secured so that it won't hit your dog and frighten him.
• Encourage your dog to enter the crate by dropping some small food treats nearby, then just inside the door, and finally, all the way inside the crate. If he refuses to go all the way in at first, that's okay; don't force him to enter.
• Continue tossing treats into the crate until your dog will walk calmly all the way into the crate to get the food. If he isn't interested in treats, try tossing a favorite toy in the crate. This step may take a few minutes or as long as several days.

Step 2: Feed your dog his meals in the crate
After introducing your dog to the crate, begin feeding him his regular meals near the crate. This will create a pleasant association with the crate.

• If your dog is readily entering the crate when you begin Step 2, place the food dish all the way at the back of the crate.
• If he remains reluctant to enter the crate, put the dish only as far inside as he will readily go without becoming fearful or anxious. Each time you feed him, place the dish a little further back in the crate.
• Once your dog is standing comfortably in the crate to eat his meal, you can close the door while he's eating. The first time you do this, open the door as soon as he finishes his meal. With each successive feeding, leave the door closed a few minutes longer, until he's staying in the crate for ten minutes or so after eating.
• If he begins to whine to be let out, you may have increased the length of time too quickly. Next time, try leaving him in the crate for a shorter time period. If he does whine or cry in the crate, don’t let him out until he stops. Otherwise, he'll learn that the way to get out of the crate is to whine, so he'll keep doing it.

Step 3: Lengthen the crating periods
After your dog is eating his regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, you can confine him there for short time periods while you're home.

• Call him over to the crate and give him a treat.
• Give him a command to enter, such as "kennel." Encourage him by pointing to the inside of the crate with a treat in your hand.
• After your dog enters the crate, praise him, give him the treat, and close the door.
• Sit quietly near the crate for five to ten minutes, and then go into another room for a few minutes. Return, sit quietly again for a short time, and then let him out of the crate.
• Repeat this process several times a day, gradually increasing the length of time you leave him in the crate and the length of time you're out of his sight.
• Once your dog will stay quietly in the crate for about 30 minutes with you mostly out of sight, you can begin leaving him crated when you're gone for short time periods and/or letting him sleep there at night. This may take several days or several weeks.

Step 4, Part A: Crate your dog when you leave
After your dog can spend about 30 minutes in the crate without becoming anxious or afraid, you can begin leaving him crated for short periods when you leave the house.

• Put him in the crate using your regular command and a treat. You might also want to leave him with a few safe toys in the crate.
• Vary at what point in your "getting ready to leave" routine you put your dog in the crate. Although he shouldn't be crated for a long time before you leave, you can crate him anywhere from five to 20 minutes prior to leaving.
• Don't make your departures emotional and prolonged—they should be matter-of-fact. Praise your dog briefly, give him a treat for entering the crate, and then leave quietly.

When you return home, don't reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to him in an excited, enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals low key to avoid increasing his anxiety over when you will return. Continue to crate your dog for short periods from time to time when you're home so he doesn't associate crating with being left alone.

Step 4, Part B: Crate your dog at night
Put your dog in the crate using your regular command and a treat. Initially, it may be a good idea to put the crate in your bedroom or nearby in a hallway, especially if you have a puppy. Puppies often need to go outside to eliminate during the night, and you'll want to be able to hear your puppy when he whines to be let outside.
Older dogs, too, should initially be kept nearby so they don't associate the crate with social isolation.
Once your dog is sleeping comfortably through the night with his crate near you, you can begin to gradually move it to the location you prefer, although time spent with your dog—even sleep time—is a chance to strengthen the bond between you and your pet.

Potential problems
Whining. If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether he's whining to be let out of the crate, or whether he needs to be let outside to eliminate. If you've followed the training procedures outlined above, then your dog hasn't been rewarded for whining in the past by being released from his crate. If that is the case, try to ignore the whining. If your dog is just testing you, he'll probably stop whining soon. Yelling at him or pounding on the crate will only make things worse.
If the whining continues after you've ignored him for several minutes, use the phrase he associates with going outside to eliminate. If he responds and becomes excited, take him outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you're convinced that your dog doesn't need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops whining. Don't give in; if you do, you'll teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what he wants. If you've progressed gradually through the training steps and haven't done too much too fast, you'll be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.


Here's a nice video from the humane society about crates and the pen as an alternative for longer periods of time.

http://video.humanesociety.org/video/775461494001

Hope this helps!

Update on Remy (Tigger)

From Remy's new Mom...

Remy did great on the ride home.  Didn't sleep but just gave lots of kisses and looked around.  He spent the day on the schedule you gave (Bob is a real stickler for schedules)!  And so far no accidents at all--uses his litter box every time.  Doesn't like his crate but my daughter is at PetSmart getting a "cage-like" crate right now and hopefully he'll like that better because it's more like the one he was in.  Kate gave him a stuffed teddy bear of hers for company and he carries it all over the kitchen.  Right now he's sacked out on the sofa sleeping while I get a little reading and computer work done.

Thank you so much for being  such a good puppy mom.  You did a great job and we love him SO much!!      --  Kit

Peaches Goes Home

Yesterday afternoon, the last of our puppies, Peaches, went home.  Her new mom seems excited and ready to begin raising her little puppy.  She decided to keep the name Peaches.

We really enjoyed having the special time with Peaches during her last day with us.

These were a few photos we took on her last day.