puppy info

My friend just got a new Schnauzer/Shih-Tzu mix puppy (she says it was from an add in the paper, she knows how I feel about this but it was surprise, she had NO idea she was getting her, she thinks it might have been an oops litter anyways). She knows nothing about dogs other than what I have told her so I am putting together a bunch of info for her. I already gave her information on the two breeds, a list of things she needs and housebreaking info. I have already told her about food so that's no issue...What other info should I give her on raising a puppy and owning a dog?

basic training comands that puppies need--sit, leave it, give (we use this to give up toys)--make sure she is careful about food agression--feed from hand, put hands in bowl ect. Exposing pup to all sorts of people and situations--small, big, black, white, children, strollers, wheelchairs, busy areas, noises pots and pans, cars ect...

Wow I can't believe I forgot about a socialization page :yikes: that's a must. I did mention I would help her to prevent food guarding, told her to approach her during her meal and stick her hand in and hand her some of the kibble but to not take the bowl or prevent her from eating but I will write up a page about that as well as other resource guarding. I'm working on the Basic commands page right now!

How about a puppy training class?

Also maybe some info on health - when to get vaccines, spay/neuter, grooming (teeth, ears, nails, brushing, etc.), deworming, flea/heartworm preventative, etc.

We spoke about spaying today...She didn't know what it was. I told her it should be done around 6 months (that is what our vet recommends). I will do a health page though, thanks for all the ideas, it will be very helpful, right now I'm writing up a "how to stop nipping" info sheet. I'm going to meet the puppy tomorrow, I can't wait!

Wow, she sounds like she needs a LOT of info....

How about a "What is Chazhound" page??

lol she's actually a member she just does not come on much (since she didn't have a dog) but hopefully she will start coming on. I'm hoping her parents know more, but she will listen to me (she's super nice and willing to learn), she knows my basic babbling about stupid people breeding, good food and positive training methods (I have told her if she ever hits her dog I will be furious, she would never do that anyways) and I'm going to teach her as much as I can tomorrow. I think it will be alright though. I'll try and get her to go on frequently and ask questions/read through the threads. The pup is going to the vet soon so she should get some more info from him (hopefully good info). Do you think I should give her info on over vaccinating or just leave that be?

I don't really think over-vaccinating is an issue at this point, I think just let it be until she kind of settles in to owning a puppy and gets some other things under control.

If you can point her towards the right vet, he can take care of the over-vaccinating issue without making her poor head explode. Ideally good vet care should just happen when the person takes the puppy to the vet. I know that's not always the case. I had a great vet in LA and you could really trust him to take care of the health end of things. If you can help her find one of these, then you can concentrate on the training, behavior end.

Please tell her about my housebreaking site. It has really comprehensive information about crate training and housebreaking, so that should help her to get started with some clear, consistent info. It's designed for total dog novices, so it should be easy to follow- if not, please tell me and we'll work on it!

I also love the Good Owners, Great Dogs book. It has so much great info that other books just miss. And it's really readable, with helpful pics. You may think the training methods are a bit dated, but the rest of it is really good, I think, and the writing is entertaining, which certainly encourages newbies to actually read it.