Huntingtons Miniature Dachshunds
About your puppy
Dachshunds love to dig. They should have a fenced in yard to explore and to play in.
Dachshunds love to chew... on just about anything! So provide your puppy with chew toys to chew on.
Dachshunds have a life expectancy of 10-15 years or more. He will be around a long time! It's a lifetime commitment much like having a child & your doxie has become part of your family... you wouldn't get tired of taking care of your child and give it up, would you?
Dachshunds are vocal! They see themselves as guard dogs. They are big dogs in little dogs' bodies.
Dachshunds are loyal. He will love you & be loyal to you until he dies if you treat him well.
Dachshunds are excellent companions & provide good therapy when you are sick, sad or just tired.
I AM YOUR PUPPY
I am your puppy, and I will love you until the end of the earth, but please know a few things about me:
- I am a Puppy! This means that my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same as an 8 month old child.
- I am a Puppy! I will chew everything I can get my teeth on. This is how I explore & learn about the world. Even human children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew & what is not.
I am a Puppy! I cannot hold my bladder for longer than 1-2 hours. I cannot "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, & I cannot have "bladder&bowel control" until 6-9 month. Do not punish me if you have not let me out for 3 hrs & I tinkle. It is your fault.
As a puppy, it is wise to remember that I need to go potty after: eating, sleeping, playing, drinking , & every 2-3 hours in addition. If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 8pm. A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, & will avoid you being mad at me.
- I am a Puppy! Accidents will happen, please be patient with me! In time, I will learn.
- I am a Puppy! I like to play. I will run around, & chase imaginary monsters, & chase your feet & your toes & "attack" you, & chase fuzz balls, other pets, & small kids. It is play: it's what I do. Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow & sleep all day. If my high energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider and older rescue from a shelter or rescue group. My play is beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys, & activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me. If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk", by giving a loud yelp, I will usually get the message, as this is how dogs communicate with one another. If I get too rough, simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.
- I am a Puppy! Hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6 month old human infant, so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate, & also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked, or beat. Instead, please guide me with encouragement & wisdom. For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" & hand me a toy I can chew. Better yet, pick up anything that you do not want me to get into. I can't tell the difference between your old sock & your new sock, or an old sneaker & your $200 Nikes.
- I am a Puppy! I am a creature with feelings & drives much like your own, but yet also very different. Although I am not a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim. I truly do want to please you, & be part of your family, & your life. You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner & companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger, do not judge me harshly but instead mold me with gentleness & guidelines & training into the kind of family member you want me to be here.
- I am a Puppy! & I am not perfect, & I know you are not perfect either. I love you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, & puppy behaviors & caring for me from your Vet, books on dog care, & even researching on the computer! Learn about my particular breed & it's "characteristics", it will give you understanding & insight into why I do all the things I do. Please teach me with love, patience, the right way to behave & socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class: we will both have a lot of fun together.
- I am a Puppy! & I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, & to please you.
Won't you please take time to understand how I work We are the same, you & I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet, we are also very different & must work to understand one another's language, body signals, wants & needs. Some day I will be a handsome dog, hopefully, one you can be proud of & one that you will love as much as I love you.
Love, Your Puppy
--- copyright 2000, by J. Ellis - Southern Shadows Rottweilers ---