puppy question (1 Viewer)

[Philip_G]

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[Steve_Tk]

No clue, but reading this makes me want a dog, but I don't think I'll ever get one again. Grew up with dogs.

Got annoyed with them though. They always want to be entertained. Now I'm a cat person, and I never thought I would be.

 

[James T]

Feed the dog the canned puppy food twice a day. You can switch to dry food after a couple months, if you prefer. I'm not sure about spayed, but it's recommended to have dogs neutered before they're one(human years).

I remember when my dog was a puppy. Always crying in the middle of the night because he woke up sleeping alone. Having him piss outside my bedroom door, leaving me with a wet foot before I even hit the showers. Also having him naw up my wallet. He was a good boy since he left my money alone, but replacing all my cards wasn't fun. It also wasn't fun when he pissed on me the very first time I carried him. So many memories.

 

[Philip_G]

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[Julian Reville]

Hey Philip,

Her weight may just be a function of the larger, stronger pups beating her out of the food. Or, it may be something else...your vet can tell. (this answer will be used a lot)

Check the teeth: if she has them, then dry puppy food with a little canned mixed in is fine. Vitamins only if she is really debilitated. (see vet answer above)

Spaying, or Ovariohysterectomy, as we say in the trade, should be done after age 6 months and before 18 months, to get maximum protection from mammary cancer. Cost: anywhere from $50 to $500. Large variability due to differences in technique, anesthesia, monitoring, equipment, supplies and personnel used. Think about this: if I were having surgery, would I shop for the cheapest price?

Hip dysplasia can only be diagnosed at a very young age by using the Penn Hip method, which, quite frankly, is a pain in the ass to do (at least for me). I went through the course, but never use it. The tried and true OFA method requires radiographs after 24 months of age for a certification, but they will give a "informational" reading before then.

Did I miss anything?

Julian Reville, DVM

 

[JayV]

A friend of mine rescued a springer spaniel. He is pretty skinny at about 5 months. I mean the dog, not my friend. Although my friend may have been pretty skinny at 5 months; I just don't know.

He also spent extra time exercising the dog because the previous owners must have kept the dog confined an awful lot.

If you are happy with the young lady, adopt her, feed her the recommended amount and take her to a vet in two weeks for a check-up and to have her stitches removed -- if she hasn't been spayed the shelter will probably do this before they let her go home.

Ask your vet your questions when you see him or her. I'm sure Julian would be hesitant to offer weight advice for a dog he hasn't seen. Plus, it's a good idea to establish a relationship with a local vet when you have a puppy. EDIT: Oops, I see Julian just replied to this question. And a belated thanks to Julian about my toxic grapes question in another thread; I wasn't looking for free professional advice, honest!

As an aside, I vastly prefer feeding my dog dry food; you may want to look at the plusses and minuses of dry and wet food and make your own decision.

Also, my my dog and I took puppy classes at a local pet store that were very valuable.

-j

 

[Micheal]

Wow! Great pics Jay. Lucy is one cute dog!
I'll have to get around to scanning some of my dog pictures when I get a chance.

Phillip, puppies can be tough to handle in the early stages. My dog actually tore up carpeting in two different rooms, so bad that the rooms had to be redone completely. He also liked chewing on the corners of walls.
This was partially my fault, I forgot what it was like to raise a puppy and I didn't have any chew toys for him. Make sure that you pick some up.

 

[JayV]

Lucy is one cute dog!

Thanks, she sure is! Scan those pics so we can see your pooch.

And your comments about the destructive power of puppies reminds me: crate train your puppies! This is good for your peace of mind and your puppy's. There was a time when I couldn't shower with out putting her in her crate -- she has a long and amazing list of things she's destroyed.

Lucy likes her crate now and feel like it's her private place to hang out.

-j

 

[Philip_G]

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[JayV]

the humane society office is right next door to mine

While you're there, rescue a dog! What's great about adoption from a shelter is that you can check out the info from the owner who surrendered the dog (dog's habits, food, why it was surrendered, etc.). Take it with a grain of salt, however.

-j

 

[Philip_G]

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[Henry Carmona]

The owner of the pet store said...

Philip,
This of cours is just my opinion, but i would urge you to NEVER purchase a puppy froma pet store.

You did very well taking the pup to a vet and your/his finding are a prime example of what most pups are like at pet stores.

Even if you find a healthy pup at a pet store the whole process is detached, and impersonal. Most pups suffer because of "puppy mill" type breeders who are out to make a buck and could care less who purchases their puppies.

I could go on and on and on and im some here would disagree with me. Please, i dont want to offend anyone but those are the facts.

I know not everyone can afford a purebred dog from a reputable breeder, and you can get a beautiful dog from a shelter or rescue organization.

Some of the healthiest dogs are mutts

As for food, i have lots of info, just ask.
But basically, dont think that just any ole store brand will do, cuz it wont.

Good Luck!

 

[DaveGTP]

MY fiancee surprised me with a little Shih-Tzu puppy about 6-7 months ago. He is purebred and cost her $250 from a Shih-tzu breeder.
(Keep in mind I am a cat person, they take care of themselves, clean themselves, etc).

The puppy (Wickett) is very cute. But he is so frickin' dumb (coming from a cat person) Seeing him chasing his own tail, catching it, and making himself fall over by not letting go. Still isn't fully housebroken (but doing OK). Jumping up on something, he doesn't seem to realize he has an ass, it just falls off (and then he falls too). Seriously. I always joke that pure-bred just means in-bred. My family was poor, we had mutts. I feel that mutts are smarter for the most part. I feel that the genetic diversity makes them smarter. IMO.

I have to admit I like the cute little guy, though. Even if he isn't as good as the cat

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I'm another great beleiver in mutts, and in "pound puppies." I wouldn't trade my Corgiterripoo for anything. This little dog is so smart she learns what I want without even being told.

I got a new kitten last summer and she developed a bad habit of going behind the HT rack and playing with the cables.

I shooed her away and put her outside every time I saw her doing it for a few days, while the dog watched. Within a week the dog would jump off the couch and chase the cat away from the cables before I even noticed it was happening.

 

[Jay Heyl]

I'm not an expert, but I have to agree with Henry about never, ever buying from a pet store. You want to meet the breeders, and if they're good breeders, they're going to want to meet you. You want to observe the environment in which your prospective puppy spent his/her first weeks of life. Is the "nest" clean? Do the puppies have room to wander around? You want to check out if the puppies spent time "socializing" with the family. The earlier puppies are exposed to people, the less trouble they'll have adapting to having people around. If you're looking at a breed susceptible to hip dysplasia you need to be sure both parents have been certified dysplasia free.

You're going to fall in love with whatever puppy you get. You might as well do as much as you can to be sure it's a healthy, well adjusted puppy, not one that's going to be prone to behavioral and health problems. You definitely don't want to have to decide five or six years down the road between spending a ton of money on hip surgery or letting your dog live out the rest of his/her days in pain and having trouble getting around.

If all goes well, your puppy will be your companion for the next 15 to 20 years. It's worth spending some time being sure your prospective companion has a good chance of surviving that long with no more than the normal aches and pains of aging. I'd recommend doing some reading on the things to look for when buying a puppy. "Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide" by Michele Welton is an excellent guide to breeds and includes a lot of info on picking out a puppy. It's available at Amazon and, most likely, at your local library.

 

[JayV]

I generally wouldn't buy a dog from a pet shop, this one I considered because the owner lives just around the way from my sister and seemed to actually care, guess not.

Judging from Philip's comment I would guess that he generally agrees with your (our) thoughts on puppy mills and perhaps even "pure" breeds.

I think he saw a dog that looked like a good match and wanted to give it a shot.

It's a shame this particular dog didn't work out for him, though.

-j

 

[Philip_G]

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[Brent Cantrell]

Bah. You want a big dog, try dealing with an English Mastiff. Love my baby boy, but WOW, sometimes his size STILL amazes me!

 

[DaveDickey]

Philip,

I volunteer one day a week at my local Humane Society kennel. I see a lot of GREAT dogs put down daily. I highly recommend repeat visits to your local shelter until you find a dog or puppy that you like. I'm not trying to preach at you...just my thoughts.

Dave

 

[Seth--L]

You should always spay or neuter pet dogs. The stray dog and cat population in the US and rest of the world is out of control. I worked for an animal shelter in Philadelphia for three years, and about 7-15 stray dogs were brought in off the streets each week (that does not include puppy litters). Spaying/neuter dogs is the easiest and most humane way to curb this problem. All adopted dogs had to undergo the procedure before leaving the shelter ($60 for cats, $75 for dogs). Dogs that undergo it also tend to live longer, healthier lives.