Miniature Dachshund Pup - Questions & Advice

[M1keAU]

Puppy may be tiny .. but scratching on that mesh may well lead to holes ... and once they learn that things can be that way ...it's a hard habit to break. I much prefer using things which are too high , too strong , and too unreachable from the very first - so that bad habits never get taught early .

Don't know what others use for puppies .. but considering the high likelihood of diarrhoea ..peeing inside , and teeth/claws - something easily washed , and strong ,would be my choice .

Soft crates look lovely from a human point of view ..and they are terrific for when travelling , or for trained adults ...I hope your girl appreciates the effort ;)

Have a great day!! Very exciting times :D

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.

[minimax]

Puppy may be tiny .. but scratching on that mesh may well lead to holes ... and once they learn that things can be that way ...it's a hard habit to break. I much prefer using things which are too high , too strong , and too unreachable from the very first - so that bad habits never get taught early .

Don't know what others use for puppies .. but considering the high likelihood of diarrhoea ..peeing inside , and teeth/claws - something easily washed , and strong ,would be my choice .

Soft crates look lovely from a human point of view ..and they are terrific for when travelling , or for trained adults ...I hope your girl appreciates the effort ;)

Have a great day!! Very exciting times :D

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.

If you were a teeny tiny thing in a big new environment, would you be happy in an open space or looking for a safe enclosed den to hide out in while you suss things out to make sure nothing is going to come and eat you?

I know I'm usually looking for a safe dark quiet enclosed place, not a bit open dangerous area when I feel scared, so maybe your pup will feel similar and like the idea of a crate?

[persephone]

:) yes, it's humans who think crates are scary ;)

with food .. keep her on it , and if you really want to change ... do it very gradually . There are heaps of threads on here about food !!

[minimax]

:) yes, it's humans who think crates are scary ;)

with food .. keep her on it , and if you really want to change ... do it very gradually . There are heaps of threads on here about food !!

It's odd, my OH refuses to call them crates and refers to them as cages as she sees them as negative too, but even if the dogs aren't in the crates they choose a similar environment like under a table, or chair or between a piece of furniture and the wall, so they are enclosed in a small space. They naturally seek out that feeling, the crate just gives them another (more comfortable!) option if the chair or table isn't available to sleep under :laugh:

[persephone]

Yep ....

[hankdog]

Yea I found wire ones scary too but somehow the solid plastic was less "cage" more "kennel".

[tikira]

Ours is lined with a soft comfy bed, and covered with a blanket if it is cold, but given it is warm here at the moment he appreciates the air flow, and most definitely likes to watch what is happening. and as others have said, we might think it looks scary/prisonlike, but to him it is his den, and a safe place to chill out or find a nice bit of food\, or a toy not snaffled by our other dogs. It is also his hidey hole for "ill gooten gains" such as pegs, coat hangers, socks, which he buries there.

I was going to upgrade to a soft crate in future, but not now that I know how much he enjoys his "bedroom"

Can't wait to see more piccies!

Di

[M1keAU]

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.

[hankdog]

The behaviorist I've taken my dog to have suggested some of his issues may have been from him being the second puppy and our neighbours have a year gap between their dogs and number 2 has some problems that were also related to being number 2 dog. If you're concerned then maybe it's worth getting a behaviorist in for a consult. That being said many people happily raise 2 dogs with no issues.

Edited November 16, 2013 by hankdog

[M1keAU]

The behaviorist I've taken my dog to have suggested some of his issues may have been from him being the second puppy and our neighbours have a year gap between their dogs and number 2 has some problems that were also related to being number 2 dog. If you're concerned then maybe it's worth getting a behaviorist in for a consult. That being said many people happily raise 2 dogs with no issues.

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.

[persephone]

Sounds good :)

[dogmatic]

It's hard to imagine the size difference between the older dog and puppy. A pic would be nice. :)

Ideally, play should be a game of tit-for-tat with both puppy and older being comfortable to give and take. It sounds like the puppy is responding well by propping on front legs as a tease, darting under the older one, etc. You be the referee. If it looks too one-sided, step in and send them both to their respective corners for a break. Be firm but fair. No favouritism.

Is the harness being used as a security device to grab hold of when necessary? I imagine it would be cumbersome to have hold of a restraint all the time.

The licking all over sounds like a maternal thing. It may sound like a cliche, but if the older one stares at the puppy, licking her lips, I'd be reading her mind and distracting her with a firm "NO!" Do that until the it stops. I've done that with a kitten and dog, and it doesn't take long to sort through. It sounds like you're well clear of that though.

As a general rule: the age of the dog in months equals the number of hours between toileting - 2 months = 2 hours, etc.

[M1keAU]

It's hard to imagine the size difference between the older dog and puppy. A pic would be nice. :)

Ideally, play should be a game of tit-for-tat with both puppy and older being comfortable to give and take. It sounds like the puppy is responding well by propping on front legs as a tease, darting under the older one, etc. You be the referee. If it looks too one-sided, step in and send them both to their respective corners for a break. Be firm but fair. No favouritism.

Is the harness being used as a security device to grab hold of when necessary? I imagine it would be cumbersome to have hold of a restraint all the time.

The licking all over sounds like a maternal thing. It may sound like a cliche, but if the older one stares at the puppy, licking her lips, I'd be reading her mind and distracting her with a firm "NO!" Do that until the it stops. I've done that with a kitten and dog, and it doesn't take long to sort through. It sounds like you're well clear of that though.

As a general rule: the age of the dog in months equals the number of hours between toileting - 2 months = 2 hours, etc.

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.

[dogmatic]

:)

Everything sounds good. Be on the look out for anything that might be hazardous. Power cords, swallowing hazards, etc. I imagine a lot of new puppies get there first reprimands chewing phone cables and the like.

[M1keAU]

:)

Everything sounds good. Be on the look out for anything that might be hazardous. Power cords, swallowing hazards, etc. I imagine a lot of new puppies get there first reprimands chewing phone cables and the like.

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 -_-

[hankdog]

Haha, 1,3 and 4:15 am, the benefits of a rescue dog is you don't have to know there's double of those in 24 hours. You'll have to post lots of pictures to prove its worth it.????

ETA just saw them, very adorable!!!

Edited November 17, 2013 by hankdog

[M1keAU]

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.

[dogmatic]

Thanks for the update.

A big test, further on down the track, will be the dog-park - if you're that way inclined. I have seen three different Mini Dachshunds in our well-populated dog parks. One was very bold and often on a leash when entering the park - usually the tricky time. It's owner would scoop it up if there was any threat and taken away to play with other smaller dogs. Another was similarly bold, and its owner would sometimes turn away as if to think, "I can't bear to watch!" It also got along fine, and held its own despite some massive size differentials. The third was very young and was desperate to be picked up, and shivering with fear. Only saw that one once, which was probably a good thing.

[bertie]

I would try treats in the crate, not feeding as such, but yummy chewy stuff. Not sure what would be safe treats for mini dachshund though sorry. And make sure older is separated, with their own treat.

Don't forget the dachshund thread, they'll be more knowledgeable :D

I wouldn't personally be interested in taking a mini anything to a dog park with unknown dogs.

[persephone]

Is there any reason why they can't have their own beds ?

I like to see dogs sharing ... but they do it themselves when they are comfortable ..not because there is one bed "to share" cos I set it up that way ;)