M1keAU

They each have a designated bed but won't sleep separate to each other! lol. I guess its a good thing that they are bonding well. I have been getting her to have her daytime naps in the crate yesterday and today and she is getting a little more familiar with it -- i think the trick of an evening is to tire her our before bed by letting them play together and giving her some attention in the crate prior to her falling asleep. Overall she is really well. I think I overfed her yesterday (wasn't paying attention to what I was mixing up) and she regurgitated up the food but has been fine since. I have actually split her meals in half, at a time, so that she digests some then gets the other little bit as she just vaccuum's up the food. She is being fed the correct amounts and at the right frequency, but the breed generally tends to be ruled by their appetite.

Ok, so just a quick update. She is great, fitting in well with the family, our other dog and in general is such an enjoyable presence in our house. Already she will respond to her name, understands our gestures to hop on her bed (although staying is a slightly harder one) and she is really responding well. I am glad I went with the crate training for toilet training... So simple and virtually no mess. So. Far she hasn't gone once in her crate. In fact, last night she didn't wake up once... I was cheering as I got some good sleep. If she does it again and wakes at 5am I cam handle that as I'm up at 6 so it gives us some bonding time after a toilet stop to play and she can cuddle up to me on my bed. Last night was such a good night, no noise no nothing. This evening a few moments ago there was a little bit of resistance to quietly go down for the night but she is now asleep. I am pleased with our older dog, she has accepted her quite well. They play quite often and she is very very very patient with the pup. Occasionally there might be one bark a night but it isn't aggressive. It's more of an "enough" response to the pups energy and then she will go play with a toy. She has also stopped licking the pup as much but I guess it's a maternal thing, pup loves it so it is quite harmless. I think I need to do some more work on getting her to accept the crate a little more. Any suggestions? Feeding her inside it? She is also getting better with where she goes to the toilet. If it's an emergency she will run to the puppy pad (we have had 2 successful days of zero clean up incidents and it is all on the pads. Now the next step is to get it to be outside. For her being here not even a week I am very impressed with her progress and really appreciate her character and affectionate nature. Here's hoping for a quiet night.

I thought I proofed the entire house, so I let her have a wonder and looked at everything within her reach. Cords and powerpoints were a big one. I've put those plastic stoppers in the points that are low and chords are all moved. Starting to set some boundaries with her (i.e putting her in her pen for short periods). She wasn't a happy camper this evening so we waited for her to stop and then took out her small meal for the evening and put her on the 'shared' bed and brought the other dog in. I guess the hardest part is not giving in when they want that 24/7 attention and I can understand she probably thinks we may leave her and not come back but it'll be a tough week or so until she is completely comfortable and can handle us not being with her all the time! She is really well behaved, other than when she want be near us -_-

The harness was for the older dog, just so that in need we can control her a little better (excitement, and it generally calms her when she is wearing it. She was very badly treated before being rescued so perhaps its a security blanket?). Play has definitely been give and take, pup has been pouncing, running, grabbing on to the older ones tail, ears, etc. She just licks the younger pup and very gently nudges her if she runs away. Whenever I can see the pup is over it, we separate them and once calm we allow them to go back together if they are still both wanting to play. Re: licking. It does seem maternal or an almost 'discovery' type action to determine who/what the puppy is. However, when the pup doesn't like it she lets the older one know. I guess monitoring their interactions and treating each equally, should lead to positive experiences. here are 2 photos of her. 1st is from yesterday, 2nd is from about 10 minutes ago when she is asleep on the bed with our older dog.

Cheers Hank. I think for now it is very early days and will just be a matter of controlled interactions. So far, today has been a very successful day. Pup was in enclosure so we could spend some time with the older dog (mind you she only wanted the pup). She started not crying but that excited noise dogs make so both slept on the same bed for about 2 hours. They are very playful together and our older dog (female) is mothering her every chance she gets, although loves licking the pup all over. Should i stop this? Pup loves it.,.. Last night was a success -- no incidents re: toilet training. Mind you, 1AM, 3AM (false alarm) and 4:15AM breaks. And only one 'incident in the house' which was just now as I was out of the room :sigh: it will be a long journey but whenevr she has access to the puppy pad thing she seems to be using it quite well.

Ok. So Day 1 is almost over. Pup is amazing, full of energy, then exhausted, then she eats. Now she is asleep. So. she is set up temporarily in her enclosure in the lounge room and the initial meet and greet with our existing dog went well. There was a lot of licking of the pup, face, body, tail, etc. It seemed harmless and the pup didn't mind so I let it continue. I noticed that the pup was a little unsure and gradually wanted to play doing the whole bowing thing then a little pounce time movement. Our existing dog I think was overwhelmed. There was a lot of happy whining, not distressed but more of a 'let me play with it' type behaviour. There was one or two barks however these seemed to be more out of surprise than anger (the pup darted under neath her body). So at this point I called it a day for play time. Put the older dog on a harness/leash to control her more. Pup went to sleep on a rug and she sat next to it making those excited noises every now and then. Bit of a full on afternoon and I think it will take time for the older dog to adjust and deal with her excitement over the pup. Certainly controlled and limited interactions for the time being. Any advice on the above? The main thing I will probably change is move the pup's enclosure out of the main room, in to my bedroom which is visible from the lounge room. Now we are giving our other dog plenty of attention while the pup is asleep and preserving her routine. Whoa. What a day.

Very valid points. I guess. As I said, im hoping they have a good compromise, it is just some of the crates look a bit scary. Having said that, this one is quite $$$ and realistically, probably doesn't stand a chance to be in one piece in a few months time. One question I didn't ask before, what is the general consensus on recommended food? The breeder is providing a week or so and so long as it is proper stuff, i'd prefer not to change it so as not to upset her stomach and all.

What is it made of ? The better ones for puppies are sturdy plastic or wire mesh .... puppies - even minis can scratch/dig/bite and damage themselves or a crate if the crate is unsuitable . Tiny puppies can also get noses/feet thru the wire ..and chew holes in teh mesh on 'soft' crates . Hi Persephone, Here is a link http://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-kennels-crates-containment/kennels/bono-fido-soft-kennel.html I am swinging by on a mad run this morning to get some astro-turf (for the top of the puppy pad thing for during the day, a food and water bowl, some blanket type material to line the crate, chew toys, etc. Thank you for the link -- it was very helpful!

I will be sure to post some photos. And I will go ahead with the crate. I found a good collapsible one at pet barn with plenty of ventilation and windows. And as it turns out, I got my dates wrong. She comes home tomorrow! I had planned on doing my last minute run to grab a few things so just make that a little earlier in the morning. It's very exciting but also a little scary but the advice I've gotten here has been very helpful!

Thank you, Yvonne. I only have a photo of her from about 2 weeks ago -- she was around 6 weeks. Was just before she was getting her microchip, etc. She was big enough to fit in mine and my brothers palm... About the size of a Samsung Galaxy S4/Iphone 5. Very tiny and probably weighed about the same as a block of cooking butter...250g? For a crate, I like the idea of this...safe and secure but also not too restrictive. I will probably go in to the store and buy it or at least size them up before ordering (20% off for online orders). It seems practical that if we take her when I go on a road trip or something or go away with the GF we can bring her with us. I got an exercise/play pen today from a work colleague I am borrowing, almost all set now. I doubt anything other than a ferret harness/guinea pig will fit her lol. I couldn't believe pups were that small.

Thank you everyone for the advice. Regarding the crate, I know there is a lot of strong support for using them and the results they achieve just I don't want her to feel trapped or locked up. But I guess, overall, it is a much safer option. It would probably only until I am certain she is fully house trained for the evenings. Once she is at that stage, I don't mind if she is on my bed -- we wash our current dog each week and her bedding etc. Are you able to recommend any particular places (in Sydney) to buy the crates, or online? Obviously don't mind spending a little extra to make sure it will be spacious enough and comfortable for her... Certainly agree here. Until the pup and her are fully comfortable with each other (and she is grown) I will be feeding them separately. Probably at different times at first with the older dog first, pup second. Just to eliminate issues and not provide any opportunities for our existing dog to feel threatened and neither of them start the whole resource guarding behaviours. I will be doing my best to preserve our current dog's routine, essentially, she is on our schedules. In of an evening, out during the day, but fed outside, etc. Once they are comfortable and friendly I will slowly start to bring them in to the same routine which will be that of the existing dog's.

Good evening, Everyone! I've been lurking around the forums for a few weeks now reading through the various discussions, boards, etc and I have some questions and topics I would like to obtain some advice on. I have searched everything I can find on the internet, spoken with a couple of breeders, etc -- and still have some points i'd like to see what the community here could offer as far as guidance/advice. In about 2 weeks we will be bringing home a Miniature Dachshund who will be a little over 8 weeks old in to our house and as it is the first pup I have ever raised, I want to ensure that I do everything I possibly can to raise her appropriately, socialise and care for her. I am very familiar with the breed and throughout my life have had standards and a miniature x wire-haired (some rescue, some pure) however, this will be the first time I have had/will have a pup. I expect it will be very exciting but also, very full on. Our house is suitable for her (no stairs), any risky areas of the yard have been dealt with, fenced off, and suitable for a pup who for the most part, anything within reach is something to explore. 1. Current situation; currently we have an older dog at home (a rescue Scottish highland x) who about 6 months ago lost her partner (a miniature dachs.). It has been a rough ride for her and it took a good 3 months for her to pull through and adjust. However now, she has become very maternal and affectionate towards our neighbours pup (unfortunately they are moving as both have been interacting great and have become friends). I have no concerns with her temperament and how she will interact with the pup but I will not leave them unsupervised for probably 1 - 2 months until I have completely sussed out how they will interact. Besides introducing them on neutral ground, ensuring that the existing dog's routine still takes precedence and that she has full and normal reign and the pup will at times have to remain in a pen/enclosure we have set up in the loungeroom... what other advice would you offer to help them bond? 2. Socialisation/training; From past experience, I have learnt it is very, very important to socialise this breed with people and other dogs in an early stage and in a very supervised manner. At what age is it most effective to start proper training? Toilet training will be a first, I do not feel comfortable confining her to a crate of an evening, however I have found a large washing basket that she will be unable to get out of and it has been padded with some blankets, etc. I am hoping that by restricting her movements during the evening, she will make noise when she needs to go to the toilet. 3. Daytime supervision; For the first week, my brother will be home due to uni exams and will keep an eye on her in her enclosure (having water, a puppy bad thing (with astroturf on the top to replicate grass) a bed, etc. and I will probably leave a soft radio on for her so she doesn't feel too lonely. FOr the most part, as we will be getting her on a Saturday, during the first week in working hours I am requesting my brother limit the interaction with her to help her acclimatise to entertaining herself with toys, etc. as opposed to spending every minute of the day with her and then the following week, she has no one for a period of about 6 hours. Our older dog will remain outside throughout the day and not until the puppy is a little bigger will I leave them unsupervised. Our existing dog is quite placid, I expect that in time she will assert her authority over the pup however, for the most part is not an over-active dog. I understand puppy's often require multiple feedings per day, however, we can establish a routine for her and make sure that there is some food available for her throughout the day. I am quite careful with food and Dachshund's as they are moreso ruled by their love of food than much else, at times. :p Any other advice from someone who has dealt with the breed and raised a pup, or could offer observations is greatly appreciated. I know what we are getting ourselves in to as far as the breed goes and fully commited to raising this pup properly so I am open to all advice/suggestions. Cheers