We got another dog!

[caseysmom]

Well after seaching at 4 shelters (one that was over an hour away) and going to many of the shelters 4 times we decided to shop the ads in the paper.

We came home with a 7 week old shih tzu/pooldle mix, he is very cute all black with wavy hair. I have never owned a puppy before, I have always rescued young to medium age dogs from the pound. He is so helpless. I will post a picture on Monday from work my home computer won't load the kodak software.

Casey has done fine so far her tail was even wagging when she sniffed him.

I had been second on a waiting list at our high kill shelter for a little chihuaha mix girl with a crooked smile and long hair. The person who was first on the list showed up and the other 2 small dogs had people fighting over them. The ironic thing about it was 2 of the small dogs were brother and sister, the owner showed up and said his wife threw them outside and called animal control to report them as strays...he said they weren't safe at his home and he had just shown up at opening time to say goodbye, me and all the other ladies starting crying because this big tough looking guy was telling her "goodbye baby you have a good life" sigh....

[luvofallhorses]

aww we have had two shih-tzus and they are great dogs..congratulations hopefully we can see pics soon:D

[GraciesMommy]

7 weeks! Goodness...

Congrats!

[caseysmom]

Yeah 7 weeks...my daughter has a new baby to care for. She is funny she keeps telling me to be careful when I walk because I stepped on my cats tail today.

[chrissycat21]

Congrats! I can't wait for pictures!

[molucass]

Congratulations!! :D

I can't wait to see pictures of the sweet little pup...

Any ideas on what your going to name him yet?

[LorraineO]

congrats,,, have lots and lots of patience,, they are so worth it!!

[Jods]

congrats can't wait to see pics!!:D

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Congratulations!!! I can't wait to see a few pictures of the new pup and Casey:D

[caseysmom]

Does anybody have any "puppy" knowledge? Can I bathe him yet? How often should he be fed?

[KYS]

A big Congratulations on your new baby! :)

[Wolffffman]

No baths yet.....puppies skin is generally too sensitive until 4-6 months for baths and as for feeding...smaller amounts at regular intervals for the first while will really help with housebreaking (outside about 1/2 hour after eating until they go)

Hope this helps a bit......if I'm totally wrong someone please say lol

[caseysmom]

Another question please....he is definetely a male...he has one of the required parts...but not the other 2...hehe...is this normal for now?

[Wolffffman]

Yes :D they will drop in a while....different all the time....If they haven't dropped by six months then the vet should be consulted

[caseysmom]

Thanks!:o

My daughter saw 2 of the nipples in that area and she was saying "here they are!" it was pretty funny.

[Wolffffman]

lol.....the size of the nipples on Kitana could almost pass for them....that's why her nickname is "boobs" lol

[Giselle]

Congrats!

Did you rescue him or was he an Oops litter? If he was from a "breeder", 7 weeks is way too young to be separated from his mother:eek: . Expect to teach bite inhibition and start potty training because Toy breeds are notoriously difficult to housebreak.

[vinjashira]

congratulations! can hardly wait to see the picture.

[caseysmom]

I plan on asking for your help with a name after I post a picture tomorrow...we can't think of anything. He is black with one tiny white spot on his chest and he looks like a little black fur ball. With a little monkey face.

[bckrazy]

Originally posted by Giselle
Congrats!

Did you rescue him or was he an Oops litter? If he was from a "breeder", 7 weeks is way too young to be separated from his mother:eek: . Expect to teach bite inhibition and start potty training because Toy breeds are notoriously difficult to housebreak.

bah. thats what I thought, but a lot of people sell at 6-7 weeks anyway.. I don't expect it was an "oops" litter, the cross of shih's and poo's are pretty popular ;). I do know that puppies are supposed to be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old to prevent hookworm and parvo, and most reputable breeders don't sell until theyre 10-12 weeks.

wow! that's really cool, he must be such a sweetie! :) Be sure to take him for his first check-up and round of shots soon... I don't think he has been completely wormed and might not have his full round of puppy shots. You should definately ask the breeder and your vet, it would not be good for the new puppy and/or Casey to get sick! here's a good link about shots and ages and whatnot.. here! (http://delayrekennel.com/Breeder.htm). Ask whatever you want about puppies... we went through about everything with little Benny brat :p! Also, yeah, feed 3 or more small meals a day, look on the requested amount on the bag for amounts to feed. Take the puppy out after he eats/drink each time.. it is harder to train a younger puppy, so it may take him a while to get into the habbit of going to the door. and, definately, buy puppy pads!! They are training pads that attract the puppy, put them near the door so that he is used to going to the door when he has to potty, and wherever he has accidents put a puppy pad on the area :)

[Shelteez2]

I second the feeding several small meals as toy dogs (especially puppies) often have troubles with keeping their blood sugar levels up.

As for the question on bathing you can definitely bathe him now if you want/need to. Use dog/puppy shampoo and conditioner and make sure to rinse thoroughly and then dry him right after so he doesn't get a chill. Best to start him young so he gets used to it as he is of a mix that will need regular grooming, whether you do it yourself or take him to a groomer. If you do end up taking him to a groomer then your groomer will thank you for starting him young. :)

Congratulations, good luck and have fun! :)

[caseysmom]

Here is a picture...please help with a name. He got his first round of shots on 12-7. He is due for second round 1-8. He got one worming on 12-2 I believe.

[Miranda_Rae]

Oh, how cute! :D Congradulations. I am not good with names so I would be no help in that area. :o

I bathed Heidi when she was 7 wks old (yes I got her when she was 7 wks....her breeder didn't want to seperate them from their mommy until they were 8 wks, but I guess he made an exception for us or something....when I got Heidi I didn't really know about the whole "proper" age for a dog to leave her mommy. I have learned over the years about things like that). I had to bathe her though when we got her, she STUNK!!

Anyway, good luck, and congradulations!!! :D

[lute]

AWWWW!!! he is so cute! i think i could come up with a few names.

billy
fuzzball
peatie
reese
king
prince
moe
royaltee
comet

they aren't great names,but it's just what i could come up with.

[caseysmom]

Thanks...I'll have my daughters check out those names....a neighbor came up with bubba....;)

[GraciesMommy]

You can certainly bath them as puppies but I wouldnt before 12 weeks. Petsmart does puppy packages...up to age 6 months...$14.99 I believe, but you can get good puppy shampoo and do it yourself as well...
Also I used puppy wipes on Gracie the first 3 weeks I had her..and she was 9 weeks when I got her...which is too young for a bath and they need to be comfortable in their environment first too.

[molucass]

He's soooo cute! :)


I like the name Moe, too.

Here's a few others:
Charlie
Ziggy
Rusty
Tux (He looks like he's wearing one)
Jack
Archie
Max

[GraciesMommy]

Oh how darling! I completely missed that you had attached a pic til now! And he looks so much like my Gracie!
I vote for the name of Graceland!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v367/pamelagraves/framedgracie.gif

[caseysmom]

Yes he does look like gracie! I love the name tux! what a great idea....hope my girls will like it. I also like ziggy.

[mruffruff]

He's adorable!:D

Of course, I'm prejudiced. I have a shih tsu/poodle too.
His name is Bear (Ted E. Bear) He's now 13.



He was 6-7 weeks old when he had his first bath. He got them regularly and he actually likes them. I give him a buzz cut every 8-9 weeks because his hair gets so frizzy and knotted. Potty training wasn't too bad. These little guys are smart, so they learn quickly as long as you are consistent.

I wish I had taught him let me brush his teeth. Small dogs often have a little pocket behind their teeth that collects food, causing a nasty odor. Even after a professional cleaning Bear's breath is pretty bad.

Bear developed diabetes at 9, cataracts and glaucoma right after that. It helps to keep them thin; around 18 pounds.

I think Tux is a cute name.

Maryhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/mruffruff/Bear2004.jpg

[My Peanuts]

When I got my RB Shih Tzu, Angie, she was very young. I don't remember exactly how old, but she barely had teeth. She shouldn't have been away from her mom yet, but I have to admit she was so cute! My dad took her home in his pocket to keep her warm. She was less than two pounds :).

Congrats on the puppy! I can't wait to see some pics!

[Tina]

Congrats! He is a cutie!:D

[My Peanuts]

OMG, I missed the pic earlier! He is such a cute puppy! How about the name Miki (pronounced Mickey) That was my grandma's poodle's name :)

[DogLover9501]

I'm a bit late, but congratulations!!!

You can definatly bath him now, it is a GOOD idea to bath him young and get him used to it, and also brushing, as he'll definatly need to get used to both.

I have always used Johnson's baby shampoo until they were all about a year old! It's very mild on skin, and eyes(incase of an accident!).

Shih-tzus are great dogs, I would die without ours, he has more personality than the other dogs and cats put together!!

The only thing I would suggest is to socialize, socialize, SOCIALIZE!!! That's one thing we didn't do with ours and now he's 3 years old and we have an aggression problem on our hands that could have been avoided with some extra training and socialization!

Good Luck and Congrats again!

[caseysmom]

Looks like you have a lot of animals...that didn't take care of the socialization? Should I take him to the dog park alot?

[My Peanuts]

Originally posted by caseysmom
Looks like you have a lot of animals...that didn't take care of the socialization? Should I take him to the dog park alot?

I don't know about other Shih Tzu's, but when Angie was alive she was an only dog. She wasn't socialized and on the off chance a dog was in our house she HATED it. She would stay away from them and if they went up to her she would snap. Angie was very gentle and NEVER mean except when other dogs got in her face. I don't think it will be a problem with your little guy since you have one dog already.

[DogLover9501]

Originally posted by caseysmom
Looks like you have a lot of animals...that didn't take care of the socialization? Should I take him to the dog park alot?

No it didn't, he was okay with THEM but only them(actually Piddle doesn't like Jasper, and will snap at him), so I think alot of socialization is very important.

I think maybe a dog park if it has a seperate section for smaller dogs, as they could get trampled :eek:

[caseysmom]

Yes...there is a section that the small dogs usually go to.

[DogLover9501]

Well I think that would be a good idea, from an early age :)

[Samantha Puppy]

Originally posted by caseysmom
Thanks...I'll have my daughters check out those names....a neighbor came up with bubba....;) That's so weird! The first two names that popped into my head was Bub and Buster!

[molucass]

Originally posted by caseysmom
Yes...there is a section that the small dogs usually go to.

Don't bring him to the park until he's done with his shots, or he could catch something.

[vinjashira]

yes, wait until he has all his shots and the vet says it's ok to go out (around 12 weeks). I was worried how other dogs would react to snowy when I first took her out, but just like people like babies, dogs seem to like puppies :) watch out for large puppies though as they can be too boisterous for small puppies.

congratulations again for your new puppy, he's so cute and he does look like gracie.

[Cincy'sMom]

What a cutie!! Congrats on the new addition!

As Molucass said, avoid the dog park until the pup is about 4 months old (that is about the time they have had all shots). Puppy Kindergarten is a great place for socialization as well.

I read somewhere that a puppy should meet 100 people in their first 6 months. As many dogs as possible at an early age is good too...your dog can never be too socialized!

[caseysmom]

I plan on waiting till he is done with the 3 rounds of shots. He is also way too tiny for the park.

I have lots of neighbors coming to see my new baby though.

[bckrazy]

Originally posted by caseysmom
Looks like you have a lot of animals...that didn't take care of the socialization? Should I take him to the dog park alot?

yeah, you might want to try to find some special puppy play classes for the little man :).. dogs at the dog park can be kind of tough on a young puppy. I wouldn't suggest bringing him to the dog park until atleast 4-6 months, until then puppy play/socialization classes, taking him to see the nieghborhood dogs, and obedience class is good for socializiation. I dont know if you're willing to drive downtown, but there's an obedience school called 4 Paws that has AWESOME puppy play class every Saturday morning. All of the trainers are really professional, have a lot of training, and they will always answer all of your questions knowledgably. We took Gonzo there for socialization and beginning through advanced obedience classes - the drive is sooo worth it! their website is http://www.4pawsu.com ... I think you can bring your pup there as soon as he gets all of his shots done ;) at 14 weeks, actually. they hold the classes at McKinley park, but its all really nice and completely worth the cost. My nieghbors brought their Cairn puppy there for puppy kindergarten and they *loved* it..

ohh, he is so cute!! Tux would fit him perfectly, and Bubba is adorable too! He also might look like Bobo, or Jack :). what is his personality like so far?

[GraciesMommy]

This is true..they should meet a LOT Of people in the first 6 months as well as get the chance to be around small children. Gracie does great with kids. She has only been around 2 dogs up close and personal so far and did fine...and then she sees them all the time at Petsmart..

I started brushing Gracie's teeth right away. I got the triple sided brush and chicken flavor toothpaste and she loves it. The vet said let her chew on it some too and that helps. Of course she gets cheweez and that also helps with tartar build up. I know a lot of people that aren't true pet parents think its crazy to brush their teeth, but bad teeth (esp in toys) can cause liver and brain damage if they get gum infections..so you want to take care of them.

[molucass]

Have ya'll decided one a name yet? :D

[caseysmom]

We cannot agree on a name! The kids say tux sounds like tucks...you know the personal hygeine product....I didn't even know they knew what that was....

We all keep going back to bubba...my husband calls him boo boo I call him puppy...poor guy needs a name....he has a cute playful personality so far...follows us around...he is so cute...

I had to give him a bath tonight ...he was trying to poop and seemed constipated...I took a look and it was just too much hair back there...so I bathed him (not his head) and clipped back there...not sure why he hasn't pooped tonight but the kids say he pooped this morning..

Not sure what I can give a puppy for constipation.

[GraciesMommy]

You can get this stuff that comes in a tube, cant remember the name, but it says to squeeze out a ribbon onto your finger and let them lick it off...been a long time since I bought any but used to have to use it for Mercedes when she was with me. So far Gracie hasn't had that problem. The vet will know what it is or suggest something similar.