# Advice for new puppy



## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie.

My husband and I are getting our new puppy Shelby on July 18th. She'll be around four months old. I've never owned a Havanese before, OR a puppy! My four year old Poodle Sophia was a rescue, so she was already an adult.

Today I'm going to Petsmart to pick up some of the things I'll need. Does anyone have any special recommendations for a four month old Havanese girl?


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Chew toys! Our McGee is 4 1/2 mos. and has lost a few teeth now and he is chewing on everything!


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Are there any in particular that you recommend? I thought about getting a couple nylabones and putting them in the freezer for her when her gums are sore.


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

Kathie said:


> Chew toys! Our McGee is 4 1/2 mos. and has lost a few teeth now and he is chewing on everything!


Roshi is approaching 4 months... and he has been chewing on everything. Counting down the months till his nippy days are over!

But anyways... yes, chew toys and TONS of them. That is if you want to keep your furniture, clothes, anything floor level intact!


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Wow, it sounds like I need to just totally load up on chew toys! I will do just that.

It'll be fun buying toys and chews for Shelby. Sophia has never had any interest really. She only has one nylabone she actually chews on, a really yucky old one that I'm ashamed for people to see! I've bought her tons of other nylabones, but she ignores them. Typical Poodle! :biggrin1:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

My breeder suggested that I cut up some old face clothes, tie them in a knot, soak them, then store them in the freezer. I could take out one at a time for him to chew on, rotating them so there were always frozen ones available. He loved them!


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestion! That sounds like a fabulous idea, and super easy too.


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

I tried that "frozen cloth" thing. However, Roshi was more interested in licking the ice - like he has no worries about having his tongue stuck on it (remember those popsicle days?!)

I also got advice that you can soak rope toys (or old cloths) in chicken broth and freeze it. The chicken flavor might help too (I will try that when his adult teeth comes in).


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## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

a bed or something soft, a crate and an x-pen or two (I have 2 and sometimes wish I had 3). treats, treats and more treats (lol) and most of all the patience with potty training, at 4 mths they will still go about every 20-45 minutes, they are little dogs and it just takes them a lot longer for their bladder to grow and be able to hold it very long. Congratulations on your new puppy and looking forward to seeing more pictures.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

X-pen is invaluable in the early months! and lots and lots of patience!
May I ask where you are getting her from?


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## charley_brown (Mar 6, 2011)

two things that Charley loves (he is 5 months) are his puppy kong which he loves with peanut butter inside.. or just as is (the peanut butter is more for when he has been a good boy and I feel like spoiling him). and he loves ice cubes.. he gets so excited when I go to the freezer to get myself a glass of water with ice and he just sits and waits for me to get him one. He chews on it and licks it. I think it feels good on his sore mouth..  so you can try ice cubes too! 

I also bought him toys without the stuffing inside.. they're light weight so he can drag them around a lot easier. He loves those toys the best.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Petstages Orka toys are great for puppies that age. [Buster was 5 month old when I adopted him from the shelter.] Petsmart carries them, among others. You can probably buy them online, too.

These are durable, and the material is touted as non-toxic. Besides the blue, chewable material, many of the toys have ropes for chewing. Unfortunately for Buster, the ropes are not as durable as the blue material, and I saw lots of rope material in his poops. He did not show any ill effects from it, though.

There is also a bone-shaped one that can be soaked and frozen. He really liked it, especially after he had 2 baby teeth removed because they didn't fall out on their own.


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## dodrop82 (May 21, 2010)

That's so funny Meghan! Boo does the same thing! When anyone gets ice from the fridge ice dispenser, she comes running! Little bits fly and hit the floor and she eats them up. If nothing hits the floor, she sits and looks at us until we give her a piece from our glass. Sooo funny! Yogi never did this before, but now she does it cause Boo does! And Shelby and Sophia's Momma...Bully sticks!!!! Boo just turned 6 months and has finally gotten over all the chewing, but we went thru a whole lotta bully sticks...4 to 6 inch ones. They cost a fortune, but if ya shop around, ya can find them alittle cheaper...Dave had a good web site for them...but I don't have access to it here (Shhhh....I'm at work....)


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## DiegoCF_Boston (Apr 12, 2011)

The treats that Diego loves the most are dehydrated chicken strips...I forget what the brand we buy is though...best part about them? The $15 bag lasts for a good while!! Since he's such a tiny fella, we break the strips into pretty small pieces...Diego runs around and dances and absolutely flips out!


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Forgive me everyone, but what is an x-pen?

To TilliesMom - We're getting her from Shiloh Dreams Havanese in Marionville, MO. I have family in Missouri and we're picking her up on our trip to visit. Shiloh Dreams is a small breeder who does genetic testing and requires spay and neuter. All of their puppies are hand raised in their home and socialized. I'm so excited to be getting my baby from such a lovely family!

The trip to Petsmart went well. She got three Petstages teething toys, a fox toy without stuffing, a stuffed bone and bear, three puppy nylabones, a bag of food, puppy milkbones, and a bag of mini busy bones. Spoiled already!

Still need to get her a crate, a travel carrier, a bed, a collar, ID tags, and a harness. Sheesh!


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

X-pen = exercise pen. Just a series of panels that form into a square/rectangle/hexagon/octogon that lets your pup to have a safe area (wireless, carpet free, etc.) to play and chill. 

I suggest to hold up on the bed... because my Roshi is having a blast chewing up his bed. Stuffing = bad for puppy tummy. You can use a folded towel to soften the surface, but I really don't think the puppy really cares. Roshi just collapses wherever (hard or soft surface) and passes out! ound:


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Congratulations on your new pup. Love the name.


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Uh oh! The hubby just bought an $80 bed from LLBean for our Poodle Sophia and Shelby. I wonder if the puppy would be inclined to tear it up? I may have to put it up for when Shelby is older.

I haven't really thought about an exercise pen. She'll mostly be in the room in our house with hardwood floors, I know I needed a baby gate. The most she could do in here is have an accident on the futon. I'll definitely look into one, though! Do you have any suggestions as to where to buy them? I've never seen exercise pens here where I live, we just have a Petsmart and really nothing else.

Thanks irnfit! It's actually from the movie Steel Magnolias, lol.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

*Too Cute*

Congratulations on the coming fun! I think one 'must' is a halter that can be adjusted to fit correctly. Small breeds are very prone to thorax injury if they pull and most puppies do. Keeper doesn't own a collar.

Excellent suggestion on the frozen wash cloths. Socks tied together (not frozen) are a favorite too. For treats, one of the rubber 'fruit' treat things are great--Keeper has a strawberry which he loves and will hunt for if you mention it. Chew toys, per our vet, are rawhide only and made in the U.S.--no third-world country products.

As far as potty training, I laugh that our vet is right when he says 'don't take your eyes off them for five months' and I've successfully trained a few puppies. Just lots of attention. Puppies learn what they 'do', so if they are constantly allowed to have accidents, it's a tough go. If they are carefully watched and praised and treated for doing it correctly, half the battle is won.
Yes, it's burdensome for a time, but the 100% success in the long run is worth it.

Have fun!

Shirley


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## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

I got both x-pens at the same time off Amazon- there was a HUGE difference in price compared to Petsmart and a ton more options to choose from, only thing is I bought the taller ones (was still in big dog world at the time I guess) and wish I would have gotten the 24 inch high ones.....
Shirley I completely agree with you about the harness. Kipper didn't even start wearing a normal collar until recently and that was only because the puppy class required him to walk on leash with that instead of his harness, I would also start looking now for a groomer, who I was going to use is not the same person that I am using now


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

I've found a great site for a harness, they have so many styles it's mind boggling, and free shipping to boot. I'm debating whether to get a padded one or not. I wouldn't want the puppy to get too hot.

I have a fabulous groomer for my poodle, but we're going to be moving soon, so I'm nervous about finding someone else. I'm going to take them both to Jo, the wonderful lady who now does my poodle, before we move. What kind of cut would be best for a four month old puppy? Should I just have her even out her face? There's a lot of hair in her eyes at the moment.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

*Harness*

Fight back on the harness in puppy class. I did, explaining the problem with a collar. He wore his halter and did just fine.

Shirley


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ShirleyH said:


> Fight back on the harness in puppy class. I did, explaining the problem with a collar. He wore his halter and did just fine.
> 
> Shirley


I have to disagree on this one. IN CLASS I think dogs should be learning to walk CORRECTLY, on a loose lead. Most harnesses (not halters... halters go on the head, and attach to a collar... I think you're talking about a harness?) cause the dog to pull even more. They might not hurt themselves as easily, but you make it much harder to teach them a very important life skill.

If you feel you MUST use a harness, make sure it's a no-pull harness, where the leash attaches to the front of the harness, on the breast, NOT to the back or shoulders.

But IMO, most harnesses are used because people don't want to put in the considerable time needed to teach their dog to walk nicely on a leash.


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## ShelbysMama (Jun 15, 2011)

krandall, do you have any advice on how to start a puppy walking on a leash?


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Karen [krandell] posted a link to a YouTube video on another thread, Leash Training. It's very informative.

Your best bet may be to simply enroll in a positive training puppy or beginner class starting shortly after you bring your pup home. That way you can get the trainer's feedback.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

Sorry for the error--I did mean harness, not halter. Keeper learned to walk on a loose lead with the harness--no problem. Just not willing to use a collar on a small dog.

Shirley


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

I had Roshi on a collar ever since I got him at 2 months. He was one of the bigger pups in the litter and I kept the collar looser than the "rule of thumb" of fitting 2 fingers. He made a major dash and let out a choke but was fine and off to play again - weirdo. The vet checked him out and said his thorax was fine, and stronger than typical small dogs. 
I think if there is a huge concern, ask your vet about his thorax. I did the harness thing afterward and find him dashing and pulling way more. I think we only made it 3 steps out the door after 10 minutes! So I prefer the collar - and now we can walk (or more like he can focus) for 5 minutes. I think the few chokes had also taught him not to dash! 
I read somewhere on this forum that some ppl have the pup on both: collar for the tags, and harness for the walk. You can also try that!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ShirleyH said:


> Sorry for the error--I did mean harness, not halter. Keeper learned to walk on a loose lead with the harness--no problem. Just not willing to use a collar on a small dog.
> 
> Shirley


Just wanted to clarify, because there ARE halters for dogs, and they are useful for some breeds. I've heard that a lot of dogs with facial hair don't like them, though.

It's great if you were able to do it, but many people are not able to. (at least with a standard harness... the no-pull harnesses are a different story) But if a dog walks properly, without pulling, there is no way they can hurt their throat.

Also, if you have any interest in obedience, agility or conformation, your dog HAS to know how to work properly in a collar... harnesses (of any sort) are not allowed.


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