Helpful Tip's

Helpful Tip's On What To Buy;  What Not To Buy; For You New Puppy

Long Haired Doxie? or Smooth/Short Haired Doxie?

Male verses Female?     What Food Should I Buy?   and...

Question's To Always Ask  When Looking For A New Puppy


WHEN BUYING FOR YOUR NEW DACHSHUND PUPPY...

  • Puppies like to chew so make sure you buy tough durable chew toys.
Soft toys tear easy and would require supervision.
I have found that the edible chew bones are dangerous as they break off in big pieces
and they can choke on them. Nylabones are great. Toys with strings need supervision.

  • They love blankets so be careful of the ones with stitching on the ends...take the stitching off.

  • Puppies will need a bed...they can sometimes tear apart a foam filled bed or cotton bed.
These beds work great for older dogs who have gotten past the chewing and tearing stage.
So if you go with a crate of some sort you can just put blankets in the crate while they are small.

  • Puppies should not have free run of your entire home at first as it can be overwhelming to
    them where to go and what to do especially during potty training time...so you may need  a
    gait to keep them to a certain room with....or an exercise pen for confined freedom works great
    while away or at night. Their crate/bed can be in the corner of the exercise pen for their own
    space.

  • It is best to keep a new puppy on the same food they are used too for a while so they will have
    "something familiar" to them while getting used to their new owners and new home.  So check
    with the breeder ahead of time what puppy food the puppy will be on so you can already have
    some before you bring your puppy home. Avoid canned food as this is very watery and can
    cause loose or runny stools. Should you decide to change food brands...Remember that
    different brands of food affect all dogs/puppies differently. They can have a food sensitivity
    which can cause bowl problems so it can be a matter of trial and error till you find a food that
    your dogie can tolerate and do well on.

  • I have found that puppies will chew on a plastic food dish or water bowl...so stainless steal or
    a heavy ceramic food and water bowl is best.

  • When it is time to go to the vet or travel somewhere and you must drive without a helper to
    hold your puppy then you will need a travel crate for your safety and the puppies safety.
Ever Wonder What Dog Food To Buy? Me Too! So Many Choices.....
Here is a link I found to be helpful to me....maybe it will help you to.

TYPE IN ON YOUR WEB SEARCH THE FOLLOWING:
Dog Food - Or What In The World Should I Buy

www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogfoods.html
A LINK FROM THE WOOD HAVEN LABS SHOULD COME UP. GOOD ARTICLE TO READ.
QUESTIONS TO ALWAYS ASK WHEN LOOKING FOR A NEW PUPPY...
These are my own personal thoughts...I have learned a lot through my own  
experiences in buying puppies locally and out of state. I have had wonderful
experiences and would be a repeat buyer and I have had terrible experiences and
would never buy again. It has been trial and error.

  • First of all do not support puppy mills and large commercial kennels that have hundreds of
    dogs and are kept in cages 24/7.  Buying from a pet store keeps the mills  and commercial
    kennels in business. New regulations now state they must have some "exercise time" but
    then they are right back in the cage. The new regulations also no longer allows wire on the
    floor of the cages which can ruin a doggies feet.  Puppies that grow up in cages tend to have
    anxiety issues, they learn to potty in their "space" making potty training very hard, they will
    run circles endlessly even as an adult and even if they have "freedom" they still might run in
    "circles". Commercial Kennels and Out of State Dealers that supply puppies to stores is public
    information  and can be found on the internet...I get a list every year with my licence renewal.
    Unfortunately PA has a bad rap for "puppy mills" and their are a lot of them but their is also a
    lot of good conscience breeders in PA.

  • Ask the breeder "how the puppies are kept? Like what kind of space do they grow up in.

  • Ask if they are handled by people and "how often".

  • Ask if you can visit if you are close enough to do a visit to see the environment where the
    puppies are living and growing up in. Each breeder has their own recommendation about
    visiting rules. SAFETY of the puppies are a breeders first concern. Visitors can carry the parvo
    virus on their shoes and clothing. You would not want to visit a litter of puppies unless you are
    seriously interested in buying. I personally do not allow visits to a litter until pups are 3 weeks
    of age...which allows "some" immunization time from the mothers milk. My visitors are ask to
    leave shoes at the door and wash hands before touching the puppies and the mother.
I do not allow visitors to handle puppies that have deposits on because they belong to someone
else. Parvo can kill your entire litter. Some breeders do not even let anyone handle pups till 6 to 8
weeks of age.

  • If you can't visit or is not possible....then ask for references from other people who have
    bought a puppy from them. A good breeder would not mind giving references. Some breeders
    may also give a vet reference.

  • Ask if the puppies are checked by a vet and if so at what age?

  • Ask if they have a written health guarantee. I have personally found when acquiring puppies  
    that have a "Written Health Agreement" that those breeders tend to take better care of their
    puppies and adults.

  • If buying for breeding purpose ask what the policy is for males who do not drop both testicles
    upon pick-up date...and ask for females & males to be checked for hernias.
Ask about teeth alignment and how their bite is.

  • Ask any other questions you may have to the breeder...no question is a dumb question.
If the breeder does not want to answer your questions or cuts you off...keep looking. If it is a bad
time to talk the breeder will ask you for your name and number and call you back as sometimes we
are busy with puppy or dogie care. I once had a breeder hang up on me saying I asked too many
questions...??? Their is no such thing as too many questions!

ON A FINAL NOTE...
How many dogs is too many?  It is best put this way...PA is trying to establish a new law limiting the
number of dogs a breeder can own of any breed(s). One breeder may give better care and attention
to 30 dogs while another breeder may have 10 dogs and give bad care and attention.
So it is the care level of the dogs and condition of the dogs versus how many dogs their are.
If a breeder has several dogs...it is ok to ask if they have "help" with their dogs.
I personally have helpers who love my dogs as much as I do and I spend countless hours with
them. It is a huge commitment and very time consuming. I give up lots of other things in my life to be
committed to my dogs and their care. I enjoy providing healthy puppies to better the dachshund
breed. The day I stop enjoying it will be the day I stop breeding.
My motto is: "YOU WILL RECEIVE A HAPPY HEALTHY PUPPY FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!"

  • I AM IN GOOD STANDING WITH MY DOG LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WITH AKC INSPECTORS.
  • I STRIVE TO DO THE VERY BEST AND BE THE BEST THAT I CAN.
SHOULD I BUY A LONG HAIR? OR SMOOTH COAT?... ALSO CALLED A SHORT HAIR.

Some differences I have personally observed on average...always an exception...

LONG HAIRED
  • More calmer temperament than the short hairs.
  • More apt to go outside if raining to go potty. Loves to play in the snow.

SHORT HAIRED
  • More nervous, or excitable. More clingy natured especially to one person more than another.
  • Does not like to go out in the rain to potty. Does not like to play in the snow.

PRO'S & CONS:
Short hairs are easier to groom than the long hairs...quicker to bath and blow dry.
Short hairs get colder faster than the long hairs.

BOTH COATS...Are lovable lap dogs, affectionate and smart.
Some bark more than others and that goes for either coat.
MALE? VERSES FEMALE?
  • It is a matter of personal preference if you want a boy or a girl.
  • Boys typically cost less than a girl. Neuter fees cost less than a spay at the vet. If neutered at 6
    months of age or before they learn to lift their leg to pee...they usually will always squat to pee
    even as an adult. Neutering on time prevents "marking territory" in most cases.
  • Boys are always very affectionate, more playful for longer periods of time, more playful even
    when they are older, eager to give you attention and love.
  • Boys are easier then girls to potty train and they do their "business faster" as adults.
  • Girls can be very affectionate too like the boys however if you get an independent dominate
    female she will want to do her own thing and come sit in your lap when "she" is ready to. Girls
    can be more moody. Not all females have a dominate nature.
  • Two females together will break out into a fight faster than 2 neutered males.
  • KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE JUST THE MAJORITY....THEIR IS ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS!