A busy day! Lots of Good byes

Scarlet with her new best friend.

Today I said good bye to Scarlet (Bella), Toffee ('Bruno') and Taco ('Yankee').

We sent each of the puppies home with a 'puppy blankie'.  These fleece blankies are full of the smells of the litter and are provided to the puppies to give them a piece of familiar scents amongst all the unfamiliar smells of their new environment.

Toffee and Peaches enjoy their puppy 'blankies'.

I forgot to get pictures of everyone, so I will just put up my last pictures of Toffee Bruno and Taco Yankee.

Dixie seemed fine  She did run around the yard barking after everyone was gone.   I think she smelled the friends that came....and she might have been looking for the puppies that had left.  But she did not seem upset when she came back to the house.  I guess she was doing her duty to make sure no puppy was left outside. 

Be a good boy Taco!

I worried that Peaches and Tigger might feel the loss of their syblings so I brought them into the family room this evening to play with us.  I put the litter box in the middle of the room and let the puppies run around to their hearts content.  Dixie was happy to be with the party.  The puppies each ran to the litter box to tinkle once during their playtime.  I was glad to see that even though they had free reign in the kitchen and family room, they still had the good sense to find the litter box.  After that I put them to bed, and they seemed content.

I hope that Scarlet (Bella), Toffee (Bruno), and Taco (Yankee) are adjusting to their first night away from their syblings.  This will be Ginger's second night, so hopefully she too is adjusting.

We'll miss you Ginger!

Ginger's family came to get their little girl today.  They decided to keep the name Ginger.  Ah that is nice.  I thought she was a little Ginger!

So they took their little girl home...Such a mixture of Sadness and Joy for me!   I think of Gingers adorable face, too cute for words...I won't be cuddling her anymore.  And then I think of the smiles on the children, even more precious.   I know Ginger will be sooo well loved.  Its fantastic!

How I wish all you families a lifetime of puppy love!

Puppy Pics 7 1/2 weeks old

Peaches and Scarlet

Tigger

Ginger

Taco

Scarlet

Bringing Your Puppy Home

This weekend our puppies turn 8 weeks old and will all be going home to their new families.  It is an exciting day to bring a puppy home, but it does come with its moments of anxiety.  Hopefully if you know what to expect ahead of time, you can relieve some of these anxieties.

First of all, when the puppies ride home, it is not uncommon for them to cry or whine.  Just driving in the car itself is something new.  When I took the pups to the vet, a few of the pups complained very loudly in the car.  They just were not sure about the motion of the vehicle.  On a long car ride, your puppy might also get car sick.  So be prepared with a towel for him to sit on.  It is recommended that you come with a companion so that someone can drive and the other person can hold the puppy.  This makes it a little easier on the pup.

Your puppy will miss his litter mates a bit as well.  If your pup cries, he is not crying for Dixie, as she does not spend very much time with them anymore.  She does romp with them sporadically during the day....but she has stopped nursing them completely over these past few days and she has been separating herself from them naturally.

You can relieve the litter separation your puppy is feeling by letting your pup be near you as much as you are able.  You will quickly replace his litter.

It is hardest for the puppy at night time, because he has always had a furry friend to curl up with.  It is not recommended that you sleep with your dog...but I have known several people do this for the first few days to get through the initial loneliness the puppy feels.  Do not lock your pup up in a basement or laundry room if he whines or cries...it will only add to his anxiety.  The best thing to do, is to tether your puppy to your bed, so that he can be near you, smell you and hear your breathing.  As long as he is tethered, it is unlikely he will soil your rug.  You can also put the litter box within his reach so he can use it in the night if he needs to.

Being close to you is comforting to him, and will help him bond to you.  He will go to sleep much easier.  If he seems happy in his crate, then you could also crate him in your room.

If the puppy has been sleeping quietly for several hours in the night and then wakes up and starts crying again....chances are he needs to use the potty.  You will need to take him to his litter box if it is not within his reach.  In time his bladder will mature and then he will sleep through the night.

Health Guarantee and Preventative Care

We guarantee that your puppy will be sent home with you healthy and free of diseases to the best of our knowledge.  We have had a recent veterinary good health report to further ensure the health of these puppies for you. If you take your puppy to a licensed veterinary within 3 days after your date of purchase and the vet finds an unforeseen congenital abnormality, it is your options to return your puppy for a full refund.  You must present to us a written health report from your veterinary stating the defect.   

If your puppy is exposed to an infectious disease after it leaves here, we cannot be held responsible, and this is not covered under the health guarantee.  

We also cannot guarantee that your puppy will never develop any health problems, just like a pediatrician cannot guarantee that a child will never develop any health problems in the future. Some things are just not able to be predicted.  Our parents are free of diseases, disorders, and health problems, or we would not breed them.  That means the puppies are less likely to develop problems.  However, we cannot guarantee that puppies will never develop a problem.

First Shots and Deworming ---A trip to the Veterinary

Yesterday the puppies visited the veterinary, Dr. Sharon Kensik from Lees Hill Animal Hospital.

Dr Kensik checked each puppy individually to listen for genetic defects.

She checked their hearts for heart murmurs, their eyes for signs of cataracts, their ears for ear mites.  She checked their mouths for a good bite and cleft pallet.  She looked over their whole physique to see that they had a sound structure.

Happily, all the puppies were reported to be in good health.

Dr. Kensik announces that all the puppies are in excellent health!

The vet techs then weighed each puppy and gave them a dewormer.

The puppies were not too happy to get their first set of shots.

The Vet Techs seemed to genuinely enjoy seeing our adorable puppies.

These booster shots will need to be repeated in three weeks.  Be sure to mark your calendars so you don't forget to make an appointment to see the veterinary for your puppies boosters around May 23.  At that time, your veterinary will also prescribe Heart Worm medication that you will need to administer monthly throughout the year.  Your veterinary will also start your puppy on Flea medication.  With the weather heating up, it will be very important to protect your puppy from parasites.

I will send home with each family a Puppy Packet with their individual shot records, Registration papers, and other helpful information about caring for your new puppy.

If you don't already have a veterinary and groomer in mind, do your research now.  Ask your friends for their recommendations.   You will find that veterinaries vary tremendously in their fees and routine procedures and patient manner.  I like to call ahead before a visit to know what procedures are routine, and what I can expect for a bill.

Grooming the Schnoodle Puppy

When the puppies were just 4 weeks old they got their first nail trimming.  This was to help Dixie not get scratched by the puppies while they nursed. 

Last Saturday I did some more puppy grooming.  I always exhaust the puppies first with a good romp outdoors so they will be less squirmy when I groom them.  Then I went to it...

1. Clipping the fur on the Pads of their feet

I'm only 7 weeks, but I am getting pretty fluffy!

It is important to clip the fur around the pads of the puppies feet.  Long fur collects dirt and germs, plus it is prone to getting matted which can be rather uncomfortable.  The puppies feet fur was already long and thick.  I trimmed it down around the nails and between the pads of their feet.

I spent all my energy in playtime, so I am pretty relaxed right now.

2. Clipping Toe Nails
After clipping the feet fur, I was able to see the toe nails quite visibly.  I used specially designed dog toe clippers to trim each toe nail on the front and back paws.  When you take your puppy in for his first hair cut, you might want to ask the groomer to show you how to clip the nails.  Their are also a lot of good instruction online. You have to be very careful not to clip the wick or you will cause the dog to bleed.  It is advisable to keep Styptic powder on hand as it will stop the bleeding of a toe nail.  Happily, I have never needed it.

Mom gives me tummy rubs to reward me during grooming.

3. Trimming the Fur around the eyes
It is important for your puppy to be able to see, and we also don't want excessive fur to be a breeding ground of bacteria around your puppies eyes.  Today I trimmed the fur that was at the corners of their eyes and cleaned away any goop that had accumulated.  I used a pair of round nose scissors, especially for cutting fur, so I wouldn't risk any injury.

4. Trimming the Anal area.
It is also important to keep the fur trimmed short near the puppies anus, so that the fur in this area won't trap feces.  If puppies get a dried poopy butt it is unsightly, unhygienic and very uncomfortable for the puppy.

I am a good puppy even for grooming!

This was all the grooming that was necessary for the 7 week old puppy.  But it will be good for you to continue to do these same grooming activities with your puppy.  The puppy will need to be groomed all his life, and he better get use to being handled early on, or he will be a problem for the groomer.

Look!  You can see my eyes!

As the summer heat sets in, your puppy will also need his body fur trimmed.  The groomer will also routinely pluck fur from inside the dogs ear canal.

Do you like my manicure?

Grooming your puppy is not just to make them look good.....it is a NECESSARY aspect of your Schnoodles health.    Ear infections and overgrown toenails are very painful.  Allowing a dogs fur to get matted is cruel because matted fur pulls at their skin and is very uncomfortable for a dog.   Please take the grooming requirements of your Schnnoodle seriously.

Even if you take your dog to a regular groomer, it is a good idea for you to get use to some of the minor grooming in between visits.  I love a freshly groomed dog!  You can see their beautiful eyes.  They look cute and everyone wants to cuddle with him.  And as the primary house cleaner in my home, I just feel better knowing that our dog is fresh and clean enough to sit on my couch.  

 

Note on Puppy Litter

One of our readers who has litter trained adult Shitzu dogs commented on an earlier post of mine concerning litter training.  He remarked that the Wood pellet litter is good for young puppies but that it is good to transition to Second Nature dog litter as the puppy gets older.   The problem is that the sawdust being so fine gets tracked around the house on the puppies paws.  The Second Nature litter is a paper product and does not create such a mess.  So on his recommendation you may wish to be prepared to transition your puppy to the less messy product when you bring him home.  Another recommendation, is to put a rough doormat outside the litter box to help catch the mess while you are using wood pellets.

Here is the link to the Second Nature Litter website if you want to read up more about it.
http://www.doglitter.com/GetPage.aspx?D=28924995&T=5957901

The importance of Socialization

PUPPY SOCIALIZATION -- 3-8 weeks

The period of time in a puppies life from 3 weeks to 8 weeks old is a very important time for them to socialize with their litter mates and their mother.   Their mother corrects them with a Yip or a bark when they get out of line.

Their puppy play is fun and games, but also teaches them about how hard they can bite before it causes another puppy to squeal and other important lessons of interaction.

At 7 weeks their socialization with people is important, but it is still secondary to their socialization with their litter.  That is why a puppy should stay with its litter until 8 weeks of age.   Taking the puppy to soon can create behavior problems for the puppy, in his later interaction with other dogs.  A good breeder ensures that a puppy has everything he needs for this early socialization....but socialization is not finished at 8 weeks!

HUMAN SOCIALIZATION   : 7-12 weeks

When you adopt your puppy, it is now your turn to continue to plan for the puppies socialization. 

At 8 weeks of age, begins the time when bonding with their family is of primary importance, this is the best time for a puppy to go to his new home.  Bonding with your puppy is easy since you will spend a lot of time with him/her.  You will replace his litter and he will want to be with you as much as you are able to be with him.

But spending his time with his own family is not enough.  It is very important that you not forget to give your puppy the opportunity to interact with other dogs and people.

Do not take your puppy into public areas before they have completed their puppy boosters, but do invite friends over to visit your puppy and ask them to bring their friendly dogs that are up-to-date on their vaccinations.

A Puppy Kindergarten Class is a great way to schedule time into the puppies life, that not only teaches basic commands, but also allows them to socialize with other puppies and people.  As soon as the shots are complete, it is highly advised that you take your puppy out whenever practical.  Trips to the park, the Petstore, or any where where they can meet other people and pets, will help your puppy to grow up to be as friendly as when you first met him.

Dogs who are not taken into public except to see the vet, or groomer are likely to be suspicious of strangers, and even hostile.  Why would a dog be positive about meeting people when at this critical stage the only strangers he saw gave him shots and did unpleasant things to him. In this current society, people live very busy lives and puppies are unlikely to get out much if we don't think ahead and plan for it.

Paying close attention to your puppies early socialization needs will ensure that your adult dog is the best he can be.

Here are our Girl Puppies and their Families

Now that all the families have chosen their puppies I am announcing which puppies will be going home with which family.  The puppy on the LEFT will go home with the family pictured to the RIGHT of them.

Peaches

Ginger

Scarlet