[snizzle]

Thanks! I need to go check out our local shelters and see what's available, although I have a very specific breed and type in mind.

The daycare would be nice, I assume, but I'm sure they are rediculously pricey. Even $10 a day would run me $200 a month and i'm sure they are more costly than that.

From what I understand of the concept of leashing, it's basically to keep them from making a mess before they 'know better'. Before puppies reach 6 months or so their bladders aren't strong enough to hold so they tend to go wherever. My family back home adopted a dog (beagle) that was never housebroken because they just let it roam free. They reprimanded him when he did wrong and used the bathroom where he wasn't supposed to but it was to no avail. The dog is almost a year old now and still is not housebroken.

The leash thing struck me as strange at first, but I really like the control aspect of it during the learning process. Less time to roam free = less time to make a mess and get into trouble. Once the dog is housebroken the leash is removed and while there may be some minor setbacks the dog will at least understand where and when to go to the bathroom and will be familiar with the house and used to sticking by your side. At least that's how it works in theory, as I have not tried it out yet.

Still a lot more research and reading to do, but it's starting to look like this is definately a go. I'm still concerned with leaving the dog home alone during the day but I've heard from quite a few people (some of them dachshund owners) that they actual adapt quite well and are pleased to see you as you return home. I think i'll also be able to make a few random stops in while my wife is at work.
-shane

[snizzle]

I'm getting more excited about this daily. I'm tempted to make it an early Christmas present and go pick it out today! Any other tips?
-shane

[SecretAgentRat]

Let your wife pick it out with you!
I would wait until Christmas, honestly--can you imagine how thrilled your wife will be?
Also, didn't you mention something about "being out of town" over Christmas? That's hard on puppies.

Make sure you play with the dog A LOT before picking it out. Mess with it--see how it reacts to things. A puppy that shows a lot of fear or aggression at a young age may continue in those undesirable traits into adulthood. Get a confidant, energetic and intelligent looking puppy.

[snizzle]

Yea, I guess that is probably my best option. I'm to the point now where I'm researching it so much that I REALLY want to start talking to her about it. Like, "Oh! That would be a great place for the dog carrier!".

I'm trying to find the best place in Bham to pick one out. There are a few different breeders within an hour or so and a few local shelters. The shelters didn't have any dachshunds (from their online 'inventory) so it looks like I may be going the route of a breeder. The more I read, the more I really want to go with a good, knowledgable breeder in the area that knows a lot about the breed and can offer info and assistance as needed.

What do you think about leashing the dog indoors until it is trained?
-shane

[SecretAgentRat]

Originally Posted by snizzle

What do you think about leashing the dog indoors until it is trained?
-shane

I never found it necessary for housebreaking, but I do understand the thinking behind it (though I would agree with Pontius about the dangers of a leash...). At the time that my dogs were puppies we had a very large tiled area and we just baby gated them into that area until they began to show signs of being housebroken.
Then we slowly started expanding their horizons. They handled it well, though they were terrified of our basement carpet at first (and goodness, I don't blame them. Gotta love black and red zebra stripe carpeting from the 70's!) but they had very few accidents.
There were times I would leash the dogs in the house, but it was for very strategic matters of training or (after we'd stopped using the gates) when I needed to know exactly what they were for various reasons and a very short periods of time (I preferred to leash my dogs when they met new people coming into our house as a training device, or when young children would be present and I couldn't lock them away or keep a very close eye it was handy to have them leashed...but again, this was only during their young "training" months and before all of their personality traits had been discovered by us).

[snizzle]

Gah! I'm so excited about this I can hardly stand it. I'm a little afraid that I might want this even more than she does! Other tips for bringing a new puppy, buying a dog, training a dog, etc?
-shane

[snizzle]

So, we went to PetSmart last night and it really sealed the fact that this is the right way to go for Christmas. Also, as a side note, I think i'm going to have more fun with dog toys and accessories than the dog will. There is some really sweet stuff out there!

What is a list of 'must haves' for a dog. Start from zero. I go out and buy a dog, I need EVERYTHING else. What do I need to get?
-shane

[Fandrew]

I have a miniature dachshund, let me tell you what she likes.

Her bed is a small one, and has walls, not just a mat. She gets cold really easily, so we threw in a little blanket for her. She likes small places, and use to hide under the furniture. She does have a few animals she likes to carry around in her mouth, but a dog this small isn't going to be too big on fetching toys or "tug-o-war" toys.

Also, chew toys for a dog this side are a little risky, be sure you get one the right side for you. She can handle small rawhide bones, but not ones that come off in chunks.

So, must haves:
*warm bed
*dog treats (useful for training)
*maybe a stuffed animal or two
*chew item (puppies will chew anything, beware)
*collar, leash (the retractable leash is the best way to go for walking)

Oh, and our dog absolutely hates sweaters. My mom tried that last Christmas.

[SecretAgentRat]

I, personally, don't like retractable leashes. I don't feel that they give the right amount of control, but that may not be an issue with a dog so small. But that's just personal preference.

Also--avoid those rawhide bones that have the knots on either end. I've heard horror stories of dogs choking on those. I would just stick with something simple and straight.

Also--no cooked chicken bones. Dogs love raw chicken bones (you might want to read up on the raw food diet, it's interesting) but cooked ones can choke them. Incase you ever feel like sharing dinner with your dog (not advisable with a big dog...but you can seriously get away with more with a dog this small).

My small dog loved his sweater. He got so coooold. We also did the boots...but that was when he was old and arthritic and had to walk through snow taller than he was.

[Fandrew]

Retractable leashes work considerably better on small dogs.

Shane lives in Birmingham, snow isn't a common occurrence.

Oh, Shane, one more thing. Raise the dog on dry food. If you give it canned food early, it's very hard to switch to dry food. Dry food is *usually* just as healthy, and is significantly cheaper. Our dog has an odd habit of getting food in her mouth and wandering into another room to eat it.

Is this long haired or short hair?

[snizzle]

"It" isn't yet.

But, i'm pretty sure it's going to be shorthair. Actually, it will definately be a shorthair. Most likely a red shorthair miniature.

Jay, how old was yours when you got it? How was housetraining? How did you train her? Do you have someone at home all day or does she spend hours alone?

Honestly, Jay, if you just want to give me a breif memoir of you and your dog that would be great! I'd love to hear the 'process' of adopting/buying the dog up till now.
-shane

[SecretAgentRat]

Originally Posted by JayCarrfan

Retractable leashes work considerably better on small dogs.

Ya learn something new everyday!

Shane lives in Birmingham, snow isn't a common occurrence.

Hehe..yeah. I missed that.

Oh, Shane, one more thing. Raise the dog on dry food. If you give it canned food early, it's very hard to switch to dry food. Dry food is *usually* just as healthy, and is significantly cheaper. Our dog has an odd habit of getting food in her mouth and wandering into another room to eat it.

I agree. Dry food is also better for the dog's dental health than canned.
I, personally, like Purina One--if you're going to go with a common brand.

[snizzle]

How long will a bag of dog food last? Is this something that you by weekly? monthly?

What do you do to promote dental health for your dog? Brush his teeth? Certain foods or treats?
-shane

[SecretAgentRat]

Originally Posted by snizzle

How long will a bag of dog food last? Is this something that you by weekly? monthly?

Depends on how much you feed your dog and what size bag you get. In my experience, very small dogs get about 1 cup of food a day. But! I bet Andrew has a much better answer for this than I would. My big dogs go through the biggest bag in 2 weeks...I'm sure yours won't. Hehe.

What do you do to promote dental health for your dog? Brush his teeth? Certain foods or treats?
-shane

You definitely can brush their teeth. Just giving them hard things to chew on helps too. Ropes are good as well. Kind of like flossing. Some people swear by Greenies, but my dogs won't touch them.

[snizzle]

Could you list your monthly expenses? (That is, the expenses that come up every month for your pet..food, etc.)

SAR, you've got two right? So if you just want to list your expenses I can just divide that in half. (Or maybe more since your dogs are much bigger..haha)

How about annual or other expenses? (vet, etc..that doesn't come up monthly)

Sorry for so many questions. I just like to be well prepared when I go into things. Be glad you didn't know me when I was shopping for an engagement ring!
-shane