Puppies, Puppies, Puppies

Which breed to choose? Am I looking for a large, medium or small dog with short hair or long hair that sheds or doesn’t with a high activity level or one that prefers to be a lap dog? These are all questions that one should think about before looking for a puppy. How do you get the answers to these questions? There are several ways but one easy way is to go to the AKC website www.akc.org and research the different breeds. Every AKC recognized breed has their own page(s) that will tell you about that particular breed and give you the breed’s standard. You can go to the library and then there is also the internet. If there happens to be a dog show close by, go and ask the exhibitors about their dogs. Most of them will be more than happy to answer your questions.

If you have a family, think about the things you and your family like to do together. Do you like to hike and camp or do you prefer to play board games or watch TV? If you are a hiking camping family you might be more suited to a Golden Retriever whereas a Toy Poodle might not take to hiking very well (unless you carry him). The board game family would be more to the Toy Poodle’s liking. Make sure that the breed you settle on will mesh with your family’s life style.

Miniature Schnauzers are robust little dogs that like to do just about anything that you do. If you are hiking, they want to hike. If you are playing cards, they want to be on your lap playing cards (watch out…they are really smart and they can call the next play!). They are people dogs and want to be where their people are and doing what their people are doing.
Miniature Schnauzers are a very clean breed that does not shed, does not have a doggy odor and does not drool. Their one drawback is that they required coat care consisting of weekly (minimum) brushing/combing and every 6 weeks or so they must be fully bathed and body clippered with furnishing scissored. I like to bathe my dogs much more frequently. Learning to groom and clipper your own puppy is not that difficult to do and if you live close to the breeder they should be willing to teach you if you want to learn.

After you have researched the breeds and decided that a Miniature Schnauzer is THE breed for you the next task is to find a reputable breeder to obtain your puppy from. A good place to start is by going to the American Miniature Schnauzer Club website breeder referral page www.amsc.us . All breeders listed here have signed a code of ethics where they pledge to breed for proper temperament, good health, and quality and improvement of the breed. They also promise to act as mentors and to share information with other Miniature Schnauzer owners. A written guarantee, 3-generation pedigree, health record, registration papers and care and feeding instructions will also be provided by an AMSC breeder.

An AMSC member loves the breed and if you can find a member to obtain a puppy from you will not only obtain a healthy well bred puppy but years of experience, knowledge and guidance. You should be prepared to answer numerous questions and in some cases fill out a questionnaire and you may have to go on a waiting list. You will also have to pay more than you would for a backyard breeder or puppy mill puppy. AMSC members have years and years of their lives devoted to breeding, exhibiting, competing and just plain loving their dogs. Placing a puppy with a new owner is like adopting out a child…they want only the best of homes for them.

“Puppy Care Tips”

Grooming – Remove the 'sleepers' from your puppy’s eyes daily. Every six to eight weeks your puppy should have a professional grooming to keep him looking his best. A bath is given at this time and unless your puppy get into something smelly or gets muddy and dirty, it should not be necessary to give a full bath between professional groomings. The leg furnishings and beard can be washed as often as you like. Make sure the groomer removes the hair from the ear canal and from between the pads on the bottom of the feet. In between groomings, you can use a scissor to keep the hair short on the bottom of the feet. At least weekly and preferably twice weekly, the leg furnishings, arm pit hair and beard should be combed through to prevent matting. Weekly, and no longer than every two weeks, cut the nails with a nail clipper.

Teeth – When your puppy hits 4 – 5 months of age he will start to lose his baby teeth. Check his mouth often to see that there are no doubles. This happens often especially with the four canines. An obvious indication of retained baby teeth is foul smelling breath. If you cannot wiggle the baby tooth (teeth) loose yourself, take the puppy to your veterinarian and have it (them) removed. This will ensure a proper bite when the permanent teeth are in place. If your veterinarian wants to put your puppy under general anesthesia to remove the teeth please request that a local be used instead. We are, after all, only dealing with a puppy tooth that normally can be quite easily removed with use of the proper tools. Local deadener (like your dentist uses) is safer and easier on your puppy.

You should start at an early age brushing your puppy’s teeth. They, like us, will develop stain and tartar and frequent brushing will help reduce the likely hood of this happening. Be sure to use toothpaste designed for dogs. If, as your puppy ages into adulthood stain and tartar do develop, you will need to take him in to your veterinarian and have this substance removed to prevent periodontal disease down the road. While still a puppy, introduce things to chew on that will aid in cleaning the teeth such as “nylabone”.

Training – Puppies are never too young to start training. The first thing that normally requires training is housebreaking quickly followed by chewing. A Miniature Schnauzer puppy is a meticulously clean puppy and will demand to be taken outside to relieve himself starting around 4 - 5 weeks of age. They are normally well on their way to being housebroken by the time they arrive at their new home. The key to maintaining their level of achievement is vigilance. Once you get your puppy home always remember when they get up from a nap…outside; when they get done eating…outside; if they have had a play inside…they go outside to go potty. If you can’t watch them put them in their crate. They won’t go potty in there unless a) the crate is really big and they have a whole lot of room to get away from it; b) they are sick and have diarrhea or a urinary tract infection of some sort or; c) they were left in their crate way too long and they just couldn’t hold it any longer. Once you identify to the puppy the way outdoors at your home it won’t take long for them to identify to you their sign that “I need to go outside”.

Miniature Schnauzer puppies are not notoriously destructive in their behavior but when cutting teeth some chewing is normal. To curtail any destruction of property channel their chewing by providing them with things of their own to chew on…toys, nylabones, kongs, etc. When you notice destructive chewing behavior taking place, remove him from the forbidden article and give your puppy something of his own to chew on instead and praise him enthusiastically. He will quickly learn what is his to play with and chew on. The worst offenders are puppies and dogs that are left alone unsupervised for long periods of time. When he must be alone, confine him to an area where he can do the least harm, preferably his crate, and provide him with his own chewables. Always be mindful of what you provide for him to chew on and make sure that they are safe. Look for items that are non-toxic, contain no sharp edges, and have no small swallowable pieces (hard plastic eyes for example). Always remove all tags and any display hanging loops that might be attached.

Feeding – Your puppy should be fed four times a day until he is approximately 4 months of age at which time you can cut him back to three times a day. Feeding three times a day should continue until they are 6 months old. At 6 months of age, you can decrease to twice a day. Twice a day feedings should continue for the life of your dog. The amount to feed will depend on what you are feeding and the age of your puppy. An 8 week old puppy will generally consume 1/8 cup 4 times a day but each puppy is different. Overfeeding will cause diarrhea. Underfeeding will cause your puppy to have an empty stomach which can cause vomiting of yellow bile. Extending underfeeding will lead to weight loss. Both over and underfeeding over an extended period will lead to health issues and are to be avoided. DO NOT feed your puppy table food or scraps. Stick to a healthy dog food diet.

There are several wholesome kibble diets on the market today. Look for one that lists the protein as the first ingredient and try to avoid fillers such as corn and wheat. “The Whole Dog Journal” is a publication that once a year provides a list of dried and canned dog foods that they feel are the cream of the crop in ready-to-eat diets. The editors actually visit the factories where the foods are made and analyze the ingredients before the diets are recommended in their publication. This is a good place to start your search for the perfect diet for your canine companion.

Vaccinations – It is my belief that we over vaccinate our canine companions. While some vaccinations are necessary to prevent communicable disease, over vaccination, in my opinion, can lead to a myriad of health problems and over stimulation of the auto immune system. I recommend giving a canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type-2, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus Vaccine during early puppyhood. This shot is also called a DAPP2. I have this vaccination administered at age 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. At 20 weeks they need to have a rabies innoculation. This first rabies shot is good for one year. If you decide to board your puppy you will also probably need to get them a Bordatella either nasally or by injection. Bordatella is a preventative against kennel cough. Never give multiple injections at the same time and never ever give a Leptospirosia Bacterin shot to your Miniature Schnauzer. Once you have completed the 3 dose DAPP2 protocol and the initial rabies vaccination, all your puppy should require from that point forward is a 3 year rabies booster on the anniversary of his 1 year puppy rabies shot every 3 years depending on the state you live in. You can discuss the vaccination protocol with your veterinary professional. If your veterinary professional insists on annual DAPP2 injections, discuss the possibility of doing a blood titre to see where the antibody level is and determine if the injection is really necessary.

Worms – Your puppy should be worm free when you take him home but worm eggs can lie dormant in the soil in your yard for years. It is a good idea to take a fresh stool sample with you to your veterinary professional for analysis each year when you take your companion in for their annual veterinary visit. Worms can literally suck the life force out of your friend if they are allowed to go unchecked. With a quick look under the microscope most infestations can be diagnosed early before permanent damage is done and a cure is easily obtained. Always police your yard daily and pick up any feces and dispose of it in a proper manner. Be a courteous neighbor and don’t let your puppy “do his business” in someone else’s yard. If an accident does happen, be sure to clean it up.

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