New Puppy Owners Guide
The following information is intended to be useful to new owners of
Wirehaired Dachshund Puppies...
It is given in good faith, based on experience, but individual owners
must develop routines for their puppies specific to their own needs
and circumstances.
1. DIET
Your puppy will probably have been reared primarily on Pedigree Chum
Puppyfood and mixer biscuit. The breeder will probably give you a
supply of food to take away with you and you should try to stick to this
diet for the first few days, only making any changes gradually. Details of
your puppy's suggested diet follow below. You do not need to add any
vitamin or mineral supplements to this diet. Fresh drinking water should
always be available.
All quantities are based on a Standard Wire (reduce accordingly for
a Miniature).
8-12 WEEKS
4 meals a day:-
BREAKFAST: 1/3 tin of Pedigree Chum Puppyfood with approx 1
to 2 oz of soaked puppy meal mixed in.
LUNCH: 1 to 2 oz of puppy meal soaked in warm water
mixed with 3 oz of raw mince or a scrambled egg.
TEATIME: As breakfast.
SUPPER: 1 crumbled Weetabix mixed with warm milk.
As your puppy grows during this initial four week period, the quantities
suggested should be gradually increased. You will know if you are
feeding too much if the pup does not clear his dish within about 5
minutes. Don't leave food down for him if he does not eat it all up. Wait
until the next meal time and prepare a fresh feed.
12 WEEKS - 5 MONTHS
At 12 weeks, cut out the suppertime feed so that 3 meals a day are fed.
You may now wish to carry on with this traditional meat and biscuit meal
diet for all three meals or to try one of the many brands of complete
puppy food now on the market. The choice is entirely up to you. Make
any changes to the diet gradually over a period of days and don't feed
too varied a diet. Find something the pup likes to eat and feed the
same every day.
Increase the quantities fed as the pup grows. By 5 months he could
well be eating 1/2 to 3/4 a mug of complete food at each meal , or if fed
a tinned meat and biscuit diet, 1/2 a tin of meat plus 2 to 3 oz of biscuit
meal each time.
5 MONTHS - ADULT
Around 5 months, cut out the lunchtime meal. Keep an eye on how your
dog looks. Obviously, if he is too fat or thin, adjust the amount fed
accordingly. As a guide, our adult dogs have two meals daily of about 1
mugful of complete food with 2 oz meat added.
REMEMBER - Always have fresh drinking water available at all times.
2. WORMING
Your puppy should have been dosed for roundworms at 4, 6, and 8
weeks. He will need dosing again at 10 and 12 weeks, then monthly
until 6 months. Thereafter dose twice yearly.
Obtain a roundworm preparation from your vet , and be sure to weigh
your puppy accurately and follow the instructions closely.
3. VACCINATION
Before collecting your puppy, you should have found out from your vet
at what ages your puppy needs vaccinating against the various canine
diseases. This will vary from area to area, so please take your vet's
advice. A typical vaccination regime could be at 8 and 12 weeks. Until
your puppy is fully vaccinated, he must not meet other dogs or leave
your house and garden.
Be sure to have your dog's immunity boosted annually. Boarding
kennels will not take your pet unless you have a current vaccination
certificate.
4. HOUSE-TRAINING
Right from the start, get your puppy used to relieving himself outside in
the garden. Do not be tempted to put newspaper down in the house.
This only confuses him and encourages him to relieve himself indoors
which is not a habit to be developed and once established is difficult to
break.
Adopt a positive approach, and forestall the need to tell your puppy off
by putting him outside frequently and giving lavish praise every time he
goes. Put him out every time he wakes up, before and after every
meal, and when he is awake, every 15-20 minutes. Time spent now is
worth its weight in gold.
To help teach your pup to be clean overnight cage him, or if you do not
have a cage, confine him to a small area of the kitchen. He will not
wish to soil his bed and is more likely to "hold on" until morning if
confined in this way.
5. AROUND THE HOUSE
A) CHEWING and TOYS
Young puppies like to chew, and as with house-training, establish the
ground rules right from day one.
Provide a selection of toys such as nylon bones, white sterilised bones,
hard rubber balls and knotted rag rope. If the pup attempts to chew
anything other than these toys, scold him verbally, and maybe give him
a little shake by the scruff of the neck and immediately give him one of
his own toys and praise him. In this way, your pup will soon learn to
ignore anything that is not his. Once again, time spent now will pay
dividends when your pup is older and you will know you have a totally
reliable dog who will respect your possessions and not become
destructive.
B) SLEEPING and CAGES
Young puppies need a great deal of sleep. Please ensure your puppy
has a secure draught-free bed to go to when his energy flags, where he
can sleep undisturbed by children or other pets.
A folding wire cage is the best type of bed. These can be obtained by
mail order or from dog shows and pet shops. The cage must be large
enough for an adult Dachsie to stretch out in comfort. Your pup can
be shut safely in his cage to sleep, and can be shut in with some toys
whenever you are unable to keep a close eye on him, or when you go
shopping, for example. If the cage fits into your car, your pup can also
travel safely in it. The folding cage is also useful when you go on
holiday with your dog, or when visiting friends.
C) LIFTING YOUR PUPPY
Until your puppy is about 6 months old, he is growing rapidly, and is
thus susceptible to injury. He will be quite loosely constructed until he
attains adult size and muscles up. For this reason, do not allow him to
jump on and off chairs or ascend and descend stairs.
When lifting him, put one hand under his chest between his front legs
and with the other hand, support him under his rump. This way, you will
not strain his back. Never pick him up under his elbows.
6. CAR TRAINING
While your pup is still young it is a good idea to get him used to car
travel as some dogs can have a tendency to be car sick. The best idea
is to travel your pup in his cage for short trips initially, reassuring him
with your voice.
On no account let the pup travel in the front of the car. If you do not
have a cage either keep him in the back of your hatchback or estate
car with a dog guard or travel him on a rug on the back seat. If he is
persistently car sick, you may need to obtain travel sick pills, but usually,
with regular, short journeys your pup will outgrow this habit.
7. LEAD TRAINING and EXERCISE
Although your puppy is not allowed out until he has finished his course
of inoculations, it is a good idea to get him used to a collar and lead
before this in your garden.
Put a light collar on him for a couple of hours a day, and after a bit of
initial scratching at it, the pup will soon learn to ignore it. Attach a lead
and try to encourage your pup to walk with you. He may behave like a
fish on the end of a line, leaping and twisting against the lead or he may
sit down and refuse to budge. Soothe the lively puppy quietly and
praise lavishly when he accepts the restraint of the collar and lead and
walks with you. The puppy that sits rooted to the spot will need patient,
gentle encouragement and tit-bits to persuade him to walk. You may
eventually have to drag him a few steps which he will dislike, and as
soon as he gets to his feet, give lavish praise.
Five minutes a day at the most is all the training necessary when the
pup is young. Always try to end on a positive note.
Once the puppy has finished his course of inoculations, start to take him
for a short walk of about 5 minutes every couple of days or so to help
him get used to traffic and other people and dogs. By the time he is
about 4 months old, he should be having a 10 minute walk every other
day, then as he gets to 5 months gradually increase the distance and
time to about 15 minutes every day. By 6 months he should be going for
a 20 to 25 minute walk on the lead each day. By a year old you should
be giving your dog a 30-40 minute walk a day. Once adult, your
Dachsie will take any amount of exercise you care to give.
Because Dachshunds are not noted for their obedience, and in some
the hunting instinct is quite strong, it is a good idea to begin letting your
puppy off his lead and teaching him to come back to you when he is still
quite small. As soon as he has finished his inoculations, choose
somewhere free from traffic and away from the distractions of lots of
other dogs, and let the puppy run free. He will be a little overawed by
his surroundings, and hopefully this will mean he will stay close to you for
reassurance. Take some titbits with you and call him back to you now
and then, rewarding him with food when he returns. If you do this about
once a week to start with, by the time he is 6 months old he should be
good off his lead.
If you want to take your young dog somewhere where you are likely to
meet lots of distractions, then it can be a good idea to put him on a
Flexi-lead initially. This is an extending lead which will give him about 20
feet of freedom, but you still remain in control. You can buy a Flexi-lead
from any pet-shop.
8. GROOMING and STRIPPING THE COAT
Your wire will need regular grooming 2-3 times a week using a bristle
brush and wide-toothed metal comb. Get your puppy used to standing
quietly on a steady table to allow you to brush him. Pay particular
attention to the longer hair on the legs and beard to ensure there are no
tangles.
Once a week, check your dog's eyes, ears and feet. If you discover
runny eyes, or a smelly brown discharge in the ears, visit the vet. Keep
the nails short using nail clippers, (the guillotine type are the best). Be
careful not to cut through the quick and make the nail bleed.
Your dog will probably need bathing every couple of months. It is a good
idea to use an insecticidal shampoo to guard against fleas or
alternatively use a flea-spray from the vet. At about 6 months of age,
when your dog has all his adult teeth, you should start regularly brushing
his teeth each week. Use an old toothbrush and either ordinary
toothpaste or special "doggy" toothpaste, and don't forget to try and
brush the back teeth too. This way you will help keep your dog's teeth
free from tartar build-up.
STRIPPING THE COAT
Wire Dachsies have a "double-coat". There is a longer, harsh top coat
with a dense, woolly undercoat beneath. Two or three times a year the
long, dead top coat will need to be plucked out to allow the new top
coat to grow in. Wires have the advantage of not moulting like other
dogs.
You can take your pet wire to a grooming parlour to have his coat
stripped or you can, with time and patience, do it yourself. If you decide
to do it yourself, choose a time when the dog is relaxed and lying quietly
beside you. Starting at the neck, raise a fold of skin with one hand -
you will see the long hairs of the top coat standing away from the woolly
undercoat. Taking a few of the long top coat hairs between the finger
and thumb of your other hand, pluck them out. If the coat is ready to
come out, the top coat will come away easily without distressing the
dog. Continue down one side of the dog, then the other and down the
back, until the dog is in his undercoat all over. This could take several
sessions over a few days to achieve. Be kind and firm and patient at all
times. Finally, tidy the tail and legs with a stripping knife (a blade
between two combs) which can be obtained from pet shops and dog
shows.
9. GENERAL HEALTH CARE
Tummy upsets - young puppies are noted for being keen to eat various
unsuitable things in the garden etc., and adult dogs are occasionally
sick without there being any cause for alarm. However, if your dog
vomits or has diarrhoea, keep a close eye on him. It may be just a
one-off or could be something more serious. Withhold food, and give
only small drinks of water. If there is no improvement over a 12 hour
period of if the dog passes any blood - see the vet.
As mentioned above, regular weekly checks when grooming your dog
will keep you aware of any changes in your dog's health. If you are at
all worried about any aspect of your dog's health do consult your vet.
10. INSURANCE
Your new puppy may come to you with 6 weeks free insurance cover
from a Company such as Petplan, or from the Kennel Club. This usually
covers death from accident or illness; loss by theft or straying; up to
£500 for vets fees resulting from accidental injury; up to £500 for vets
fees resulting from illness; up to £100 for advertising and reward if the
puppy is stolen or gets lost and up to £2 million for third party liability plus
legal costs.
Check your Policy or Cover Note for details.
The insurance company will contact you at the end of this
initial six weeks to see if you wish to continue the policy. If you do take
out an annual healthcare policy either with Petplan or one of the other
pet animal insurers, bear in mind that you will probably still have to pay
approximately the first fifteen pounds or so of any course of treatment,
and these policies do not cover routine annual inoculations, castration
or spaying.
Third party insurance, however, is a must. If, for example, your dog
were to escape from your garden and cause an accident, you would be
liable.
Do ensure that whenever your dog goes out he wears a collar and
name tag with your address and telephone number. This is a legal
requirement in the UK, as well as being a sensible precaution.
11. AFTER-SALES SERVICE
A reputable breeder will always be happy to answer any queries you
may have at any stage of your dog's life and will like to hear how your
dog is progressing.
Reputable breeders will want you to be assured that your puppy has
been well reared and is a fit, healthy and typical specimen of the breed.
You are strongly advised to consult your own Vet for advice prior to
purchasing a puppy (or an older dog). He will be able to give you
impartial information on potential health problems.
Please remember that a puppy bought as a pet is not suitable for
showing or breeding from.
If at any stage, for whatever reason, it becomes necessary to re-home
your dog, speak to the breeder initially. They will not be annoyed if this
is the case - circumstances change, and they may know of someone
who could give the dog a loving home. They will wish to
know exactly where all their dogs are living.
Unless your breeder also runs a boarding kennel, they will not, however,
be able to have your dog back to stay when you go on holiday - you
must make arrangements with a local boarding kennel.
Good luck with your new puppy, we hope you will enjoy many years of
companionship with your Wire.