I want my puppies to have these qualities. My hope is that your puppy will bring you the same joy Sadie brought into my life. HISTORY
The Shih Tzu pictured is Sadie, as a senior citizen. Before I had Sadie, I had worked as a Veterinary Technician for 12 years and during that time I helped deliver many puppies, either naturally or by assisting during a C-section. Not once during those years did I
get the urge to breed any of my dogs. She was my very first Shih-Tzu and I absolutely fell in love with her and the breed. She was so gentle, kind, fun, spirited, stubborn - just absolutely wonderful. Because of her beautiful nature, the "bug" to breed one of my dogs finally hit me and Sadie's Babies was born. My Sadie has since passed away, but she instilled in me the qualities that I want my puppies, your puppy, to have: 1.) a gentle, fun-loving spirit. 2.) a lapdog that loves to cuddle, play, and give kisses. 3.) a healthy and sound body. My desire is that your puppy will bring you and your family the joy that Sadie brought into my life. To that end, I breed for healthy puppies with an emphasis on temperament and companionship. Their adult weight should be between 6 - 13 pounds. They are raised inside my home (my family room) and we begin loving on them from the moment they are born. ABOUT YOUR PUPPY
Right now, your puppy is going through a chewing phase, so be sure to have lots of chew toys available for them to chew. They will need to be gently taught puppy manners through a lot of positive reinforcement. For chew toys, I like the Kong and the Nylabone Dinosaur Chew Toys. The Kong can be filled with treats, peanut butter, or some canned puppy food. To make it last a little longer, freeze the kong after stuffing it with peanut butter or the puppy food. This is a great treat when they are crated or a nice distraction when you leave for work in the morning. Your puppy has been examined by my veterinarian and started on his/her puppy vaccination series by receiving their first Distemper/Parvo booster at 7 weeks of age. A copy of that veterinarian record will be provided to you. From this point on your puppy will need to complete the puppy series of vaccinations with boosters given at 10 weeks, 13 weeks, and 16 weeks. Please note, your puppy will not be fully protected until after the series has been completed. Your puppy will also need to be vaccinated for Rabies, so please discuss the timing of this with your veterinarian. After that, your puppy should be seen by your veterinarian on an annual basis for a physical, lab work, and immunization boosters. He/She has also been dewormed with Panacur for intestinal parasites at 3, 5, and 7 weeks of age. The veterinarian also did a stool exam and a copy of those results will also be provided to you. Because your puppy will not be fully protected until after the puppy vaccination series has been completed, I strongly recommend that the puppy be restricted to your home and yard. Parvo, in particular, is a deadly intestinal virus that is prevalent especially during the Spring months. I know that you want to show off your baby, but instead of taking your puppy out, invite people to come over to visit him. To help with socialization and to help him be happy when strangers come knocking, have your guest give him a cookie or small bone. Puppy classes, going to the pet store or the dog park, should wait until after he gets his Rabies, Bordetella, and the puppy vaccination series is complete. SPAYING / NEUTERING
Your veterinarian will discuss with you the importance of neutering your puppy and at what age it should be done. There are many health benefits related to neutering/spaying your puppy. Spaying your female puppy will greatly reduce the chance of your dog developing mammary gland tumors and it will also eliminate the possibility of uterine infections or unplanned pregnancies. Neutering your male puppy will make for a calmer, less aggressive dog; it will also mean that your male puppy will stay cleaner around his ge****ls and the urge to "hike his leg" will be greatly reduced. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Your puppy will also need to be started on heartworm prevention and flea control. Heartworms are transmitted via a mosquito bite and the adult worms, which are 6 - 9 inches long, live in the dog's heart. Since you can't see them, I know it can be hard to understand how devastating heartworms are to a dog, so picture this: a handful of spaghetti shoved into your dog's heart. Yes, dog's die from heartworms. I have witnessed this firsthand and it is why I was able to provide the above visual to you. Outdoor dogs, and indoor dogs, need to be on heartworm prevention. There are many options available for these parasites, so please discuss with your veterinarian the best option for the age and weight of your puppy. There are actually a few products that take care of all three: heartworms, fleas, and intestinal worms. WHAT TO FEED
There are many puppy foods available, but for your puppy I recommend that he/she be on a puppy food specific to small breeds. Science Diet, Iams, Blue Buffalo, and Eukanuba all make great puppy foods for small breeds, but you will definitely want to get your veterinarian's input on this, as well. Your puppy is currently on Science Diet dry puppy food for small breeds, which has a nice small kibble for small breed puppies to chew. A high quality puppy and dog food will set your dog up for a better quality of life as your puppy ages. Not only does a high quality diet keep your pet's skin and coat in good condition, a high quality diet also takes care of vital internal organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Your puppy and his/her health is well-worth this investment. POTTY TRAINING and CRATE TRAINING
Your puppies have only been potty pad trained at this point since I did not want them going outdoors just yet; it is still a work in progress.. For potty pads I recommend using bladder control pads or washable bed bads, at least 34" x 36", since they are durable and reusable - just wash them with some bleach/laundry detergent and you are set to use again. These pads are heavier and allow the puppy more room to take care of business; I think they are also more absorbent. Should you train your puppy to go inside or outside to potty? I think there are many factors to consider when deciding what will be best for your puppy. Will you be staying at home with your puppy? or going to the office and coming home for lunch to check on your pup? Perhaps you'll be able to arrange for a neighbor or friend to stop by a couple times each day to walk your puppy. A young puppy will need to potty frequently and it is up to you to learn your puppy's signs on when they are looking to go take care of business: sniffing, circling, acting a little antsy, walking away, etc. What do you do when you notice these signs of needing to go potty? First of all, you need to be consistent. Use the same phrasing, ie " Let's go potty", every time you pick him up to potty on the pad or go outside. For a potty pad, keep it in the same location , so choose this location wisely. A puppy pen with a gate may be a good idea so that you can set him in the pen and he can go without distraction. Still keep a close eye on him, because the very moment that he/she potties, they should be told "potty" and be highly praised. Then the pen door can be opened again for the puppy to rejoin the family. If you are going to train your puppy to go outside, have your leash and collection baggies at the door. Say the same phrase and use the same door each time. When outside, take them to the same potty spot outside. As they go potty consistently in the same spot, the scents that are left on the ground will help remind your puppy that it is potty time. Don't really interact or play with your puppy until after he has pottied. Again, be sure to tell him "potty" the moment he goes and then high praise the moment he is finished. If training your puppy to go in a designated spot indoors is how you want to train your puppy, that's a very valid approach. Many people have even puppy proofed their balcony and successfully trained their puppy to go on a pad, tray, artificial grass tray, etc. , out on the balcony. Consistency and rewarding in the moment are the key factors in successfully training your puppy. By saying "potty" when your pup is actually going, your puppy will learn what that word relates to and what he is expected to do. By consistently using the same door, your puppy will learn where to go to signal to you that he has to go outside to go potty. Many people have very successfully trained their puppy/dog to ring a bell to let their owner know that they need to go outside. Your puppy should be taken to their potty spot first thing in the morning, whenever they come out of their crate, after eating, after play time (and sometimes during - watch for those signs), after napping, before going into their crate, and just before bedtime. Do not let your puppy have full access to the house, at least not until they are able to notify you that they need to go potty. They will train much better if they are never given the opportunity to sneak away and have an accident. As they get older they will not need to go as frequently, but as a puppy and to successfully train them on where you want them to go potty, this frequency and consistency is vital for successfully training your puppy. Socialization and loving family time is so important for our pets. These puppies are intended to be companions and family members, not to be kept outdoors, in a pen or crate, or shut in a room. Crates and pens are tools that can be used to train your puppy or to keep him/her safe when you are not able to directly supervise your young puppy, but they should never be used as a punishment. The goal is for your puppy to live with you and become an active member of your family. Training a puppy is hard work, but so rewarding. Usually, between 4 and 6 months, they should be pretty well housetrained. The puppy trained to go inside on a pad will just go to the pad to do their business. The puppy trained to go outside should be signaling when they need to go potty by going to that door and possibly even by ringing a bell to let you know they need to go outside. I encourage the use of crate-training, especially for the house-training process. Even after that, crates provide a "safe place" for your puppy when he is left home alone, at bedtime, to nap, or travel. I leave the crate doors open during the day and my dogs will actually, of their own accord, go sleep in their crates. When it is bedtime, I'll often find that they have put themselves to bed. They also get fed in their crates and get a treat whenever they have to stay in their crate. As a young puppy, it is important that the crate be just large enough for the puppy to be able to stand up and turn around. By nature, puppies really don't want to potty where they are going to sleep, eat, or play. So, by initially limiting the amount of space available to the puppy inside the crate, they will start to learn to "hold it" because they don't want to potty where they are sleeping. If they are allowed too much space, they will go potty in a back corner of their crate and probably shove their blanket over it, too. So, limit the space initially, stay consistent, and pay attention to the frequency of taking them to their potty spot. Again, I hope that you will enjoy your puppy. I welcome your questions and appreciate learning of any concerns you may have. I love, love, love getting updates and pictures of the puppies. Please feel free to text me. Sincerely,
Linda J. Henning
980-621-8906
