Looking to become a Dachshund owner, any advice?

[Cattie]

I would deff find a good breeder. Make sure they do all the recommended tests for that particular breed. Certain breeds have certain health problems, I'm not quite sure if dachshunds are notorious for a certain issue, but make sure you check. If so, make sure the breeder you use runs tests and find out all the background information on that breeder.

 

Make sure you get him fixed as soon as he drops, his little woobles that is! The last thing you want is to find him humping your friends legs as they walk in the house! It will also calm them down a bit.

 

AKC papers aren't always needed. They just show the family tree, ect. If you aren't planning on showing him or breeding they REALLY aren't needed. However if you go to a good breeder and they have show dogs, they will make the proper check in the box if you can breed or not based on the dogs standards. If they check the box where he's not breedable, you won't be able to register any puppies sired by your dog. If he's a possible show dog, then that's different. And alot more money.

 

Crate training is the way to go. Just don't be a softy! If the puppy isn't being watched, make sure he's crated. Make sure he has plenty of chew toys so he doesn't decide your furniture or shoes look good.

 

 

Seems like you are doing plenty of research on your own, which is good. Make sure to ask as many questions as possible to the breeder.

 

GL!!

[dolfinluck]

My FI and I plan to get a puppy soon as well. Here are two good website I have found that help with preparing for a puppy: Southern Cal Kennels and Puppy Supplies - The Basics You Need to Buy | Dog Topics. the first one has a lot of great info on crate training.

[Infinity22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cattie I would deff find a good breeder. Make sure they do all the recommended tests for that particular breed. Certain breeds have certain health problems, I'm not quite sure if dachshunds are notorious for a certain issue, but make sure you check. If so, make sure the breeder you use runs tests and find out all the background information on that breeder. Make sure you get him fixed as soon as he drops, his little woobles that is! The last thing you want is to find him humping your friends legs as they walk in the house! It will also calm them down a bit. AKC papers aren't always needed. They just show the family tree, ect. If you aren't planning on showing him or breeding they REALLY aren't needed. However if you go to a good breeder and they have show dogs, they will make the proper check in the box if you can breed or not based on the dogs standards. If they check the box where he's not breedable, you won't be able to register any puppies sired by your dog. If he's a possible show dog, then that's different. And alot more money. Crate training is the way to go. Just don't be a softy! If the puppy isn't being watched, make sure he's crated. Make sure he has plenty of chew toys so he doesn't decide your furniture or shoes look good. Seems like you are doing plenty of research on your own, which is good. Make sure to ask as many questions as possible to the breeder. GL!!

How do you tell they're a legit breeder? They told me that these two little pups that I'm going to look at tonight aren't AKC registered but we can always get them registered in the future. Like you said though, it's really not that important to have that.

Are there anymore good questions I could ask? One thing she did say is that they're feeding them Iams Small Breed Puppy Food. I guess it might be the following!?!

Iams Smart Puppy Small Breed Formula Dry Dog Food - New Puppy Center - Dog - PetSmart

Also, with the night time temperature here in Utah still getting down to the low 30's in the middle of the night, would you recommend putting some little sweaters or shirts on him since he's a little Dachshund pup without a lot of hair?

[DanielleNDerek]

Here's a link to a kong on petsmart website. Classic Kong Dog Toys for Typical Chewers - Toys - Dog - PetSmart

[binzer]

Congrats on getting a puppy! Make sure you post pictures when you get it!

 

One thing about dachshunds is that they're very prone to back injury, so besides maintaining a healthy weight, you should also limit your dog's jumping. Frequently jumping on and off of furniture (etc) can greatly increase the chances of your dog developing problems. It's not the kind of thing you'll notice for years to come, and some people definitely let their dachshunds jump without ever having problems, but other people end up spending thousands on back surgery and it really isn't worth the risk.

 

You are on the right track with crate training, and another thing worth doing is always going outside with your dog (initially) and saying "go pee." Reward him if he goes! It is EXTREMELY handy to have a dog that can pee on command, and rewards always speed up the learning process a lot.

 

What food you choose is entirely up to you, but if you can afford it I would definitely recommend feeding your dog a kibble with human-grade ingredients. People that switch from foods like Iams to something higher quality usually notice a large improvement in their dog's coats and energy levels, and it is likely to increase the lifespan of your dog. I personally feed my dog Orijen, but it can be a bit tricky to track down since it's Canadian-made. Here are couple sites than can help decide on a food:

 

Dog Food Analysis

Consumer Research: Dog Food

 

That first link actually has detailed analysis of every ingredient in the food, and I found it extremely useful.

 

Another thing that a lot of owners unfortunately skip is socialization. Once your puppy has all his shots try to bring him as many places as you can. If you have a dog park nearby, take him there, and consider signing up for puppy classes too (especially as a first time dog owner, you may find that you learn a lot).

 

A dog trainer that I talked to taught me an indispensable discipline trick. Instead of always just using "no" which is a bit more casual and gets used all the time, pick two key words or phrases that are to be used more strictly. Mine are "enough" and "too bad." If my dog is doing something really bad I say "enough" and I only ever say it once. If he continues his bad behavior I say "too bad" and he gets a time-out. The time-out is only 30 seconds to a minute long, and in my case I just stick him in the pantry and close the door (just pick somewhere isolated that isn't "fun"). If your dog runs away when you say "too bad" it's working, and he gets it (unfortunately you have to catch him). Just make sure you only ever say your words once, and always actually follow up with the time-out if he continues to be "bad."

 

Anyways, you didn't request a novel so that's probably enough for now! Keep us updated and let us know if you have any other questions

 

Btw, it sounds like the breeder you're considering is a backyard breeder. "Legit breeders" will always have AKC registered puppies, and they usually participate in medical testing to check their breeding dogs for genetic diseases. They will also often have two classes of puppies available (show quality and pet quality) and will usually make you sign a contract agreeing to take proper care of the animal and spay or neuter it. You will usually pay more for a legit breeder simply b/c they spend so much more money on their breeding program, but it can be worth it. There are some conscientious backyard breeders out there (who just aren't interested in dog shows, etc) but they are a lot harder to come by.

 

If you don't want to pay for a legit breeder, you should also consider a Dachshund rescue society as an option, since puppies are sometimes available.

 

Ok, now I'm done for real! Good luck!

[Cattie]

Exactly the way Bizner said! I would ask how old the mother is and how many litters she's had. If they're breeding her more then once every year to year and a half it's way to much.

 

Check out this site.

 

Kennel Ads

 

I found that through the AKC site.

 

Don't get me wrong, is it possible to get a good puppy from a classified ad. Just ask alot of questions! If they have a few litters of puppies around, IMO I'd run the other way. When we had our Akita's we had maybe 1 litter each 6 months, sometimes we'd only do 1 litter a year. Depending on if we wanted a specific color or we retired one of our champs and wanted to bring up a new puppy.

 

Just make sure the area where the puppies are is clean, they seem like they are getting enough attention. Make sure they've had there first shots and wormed.

 

That would be the Iams food she is talking about. It's not a bad food, I actually feed my cat Iams. It's been so long since I had my dogs and I was in the pet industry I'm not even sure what the high end foods are anymore!

 

You can always get him a little sweater, especially for when you take him out for his night walk.

 

Oh I saw you mentioned you where in Utah. Here's a link to the Utah breeders through the AKC website.

 

http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breed...?action=search

 

Just put in the breed and your state. It won't let me post the search!

[TammyB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infinity22 You sound like you have personal experience with them. Do you have a Dachshund Tammy?

My Mother inlaw has one. When she broke up with her FI, she moved in with us for 6 months, while she looked for a home. Of course her Mini dachshund Came with her (His name is Big Al, lol) The only thing they did with him, was potty train him. My husband and I have been in rescue for several years now and he's a certified dog trainer. BUT boy did Big Al put us to the test.. lol He required A LOT of work, and you really have to be very consistant with your training or else you'll never get anywhere. Also, I would suggest to neuter your dog, for many reason really, but they have an "Alpha" personality, and will continue to try to take that role from you. Big Al is now 4 years old and is a totally different dog then when my MIL moved in with us. If you ever have any questions, feel free to PM me.

[trance_angelx0x]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infinity22 How do you tell they're a legit breeder? They told me that these two little pups that I'm going to look at tonight aren't AKC registered but we can always get them registered in the future. Like you said though, it's really not that important to have that. Are there anymore good questions I could ask? One thing she did say is that they're feeding them Iams Small Breed Puppy Food. I guess it might be the following!?! Iams Smart Puppy Small Breed Formula Dry Dog Food - New Puppy Center - Dog - PetSmart Also, with the night time temperature here in Utah still getting down to the low 30's in the middle of the night, would you recommend putting some little sweaters or shirts on him since he's a little Dachshund pup without a lot of hair?

I live in Canada where it's like -500 degrees celcius at night (ok, I exagerate a BIT). My dog doesn't have a lot of hair and I don't put a coat or anything or even little boots and he doesn't care!

I think that when you go look at the puppies you just need to look around and see how the puppies are brought up. If you wouldn't let your dog live that way, then don't buy from that breeder. See how the parents of your new puppy act, how they are treated with the owners (do they sleep outside, in the bed, in a crate)?

[Infinity22]

Well everyone, last night my family and I went and picked up our new little mini Dachshund runt puppy that's 7 weeks old. After talking about possible names for the past few months I came up with Lewis in a conversation and it's stuck ever since then. So here's the first photos we've taken of our new little cut puppy Lewis! I swear he's the cutest puppy I've ever seen face to face. He's so cute when you play catch with his squeaky toy too.

 

 

More photos...

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis01.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis02.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis03.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis04.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis05.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis06.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis07.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...dw/Lewis11.jpg

[Infinity22]

Now that we've introduced him into our family, I've noticed a few things that have caught my eye so far. A little history on the situation....he was the last of 2 puppies and they were apparently "pee pad" training them instead of crate training them. They apparently slept in a little bed in a bathroom with little "pee pads" around for them to urinate on at night, so his new crate probably has him a little mixed up. Upstairs we have 3 bedrooms.....1 master, the kids bedroom and then a guest. We put Lewis' crate in the guest bedroom for his first night but when you put him in there, he whines and whines. Last night we could throw little squeaky toys in there and he's run in and get them but now he doesn't want to go in there. I think he associates the crate with him being abandoned or left alone (something he really hates right now) since nobody else sleeps in that room. So any suggestions? Should we possibly move his crate into a higher traffic area?