Bringing a new puppy home is exciting and a little stressful all at the same time! Where will they sleep? What do they eat? How do I even begin the potty training process? Many thoughts can race through your mind as a new dog owner. If this is your first time getting a puppy, or if it’s been a while since you had one, we’ve taken some time to outline a few of the questions you might have and what you will need based on our experience. These brands/items are just some of our personal favorites; we are not paid to promote any of these.
1. Where should my puppy sleep?
Many people (including us) choose not to sleep with our pets and instead get them a crate where they can cozy up and have their very own nest. However, bringing your puppy to bed with you might be the easiest way to help them adjust to being away from home those first couple of nights. There is no right answer, just what works for your family. We have found a playpen to be a useful tool for potty training and sleeping. Especially early on, you don’t want to leave your puppy free to roam the house while you’re gone. We also recommend crate training after 4 months old. The crate should be of sufficient size to allow them space to move around a bit but not so large that it encourages accidents. This crate has been our favorite, the size is 24″ x 18″ x 19″. A smaller crate might be useful for the first 6-9 months, however. This one fits in the back of a small 4-door car for road trips too. It also comes apart and folds flat for easy storage, and has a removable plastic bottom for easy cleaning (see pictures below). You can get all fancy with their crate bedding or choose to keep it simple, like a couple blankets or a simple crate bed. It’s important to note that a dog shouldn’t be kept cooped up in a crate for hours on end. Doggies need a regular restroom break and most of all lots of love and attention!
2. What should my puppy eat?
We have had a great experience with Orijen Six Fish for adults and Orijen Puppy for puppies. It’s great for even our pickiest eaters. Acana also has some great options, it is made by the same company (Champion Pet Foods). Our dogs absolutely love this food (seriously we don’t even need to use treats, they will do every trick in the book for a taste of this food!) and its very healthy. It’s free of those filler ingredients (grains, potatoes) and is GMO free. Unless we let you know otherwise your new puppy will be eating Acana puppy food.
3. Do you give your dogs vitamins?
Yes, we use NuVet Plus wafers for all our girls and boys and new puppies, and have been very happy with the product. NuVet Plus is a synergistic combination of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals known to boost immune system function. All of NuVet Labs’ ingredients are sourced in the United States, manufactured in a human-grade U.S. FDA registered pharmaceutical laboratory, and cold processed to maximize the potency of the nutrients. NuVet Labs has been in business since 1997 and has never had a product recall. By including NuVet Plus® into your puppy’s daily diet, you can be confident that you are providing the nutrients required for optimal immune system performance. Our puppies are protected with a 1 year health guarantee if you decide to use this product as well, contact us for more information on our health guarantee. To order go to www.nuvet.com and use order code: 48029
4. How do I potty train my puppy?
The first thing you need to realize is, potty training is a process. A very. long. process. When we first became dachshund owners, we both expected our puppy to catch on in the first couple weeks. Then a month went by. And two. Accidents became less and less frequent but we still couldn’t fully trust our dog even at 6 months old! This isn’t a whole expose on potty training, that’s for another time and place. (Feel free to google the topic, there are some really great resources out there!) However, something to keep in mind when you’re choosing how to potty train is that these particular type of dachshunds have very sweet, mild personalities and as such can be more sensitive to discipline. Spanking is not advised, as they can become very timid and begin to piddle when they get nervous or excited. Our words of advice on this topic are, be patient, be consistent, and use positive reinforcement. And get yourself a large bottle of this stuff, it’s literally a lifesaver for cleaning all those little accidents in the early goings. We’ve even used it on existing tough carpet stains successfully, and it’s very safe for use around dogs and kids. You can find this almost anywhere (Petsmart, Walmart etc)
5. How often should I bathe my puppy?
Feel free to bathe as often as needed. Puppies tend to get into things that make more frequent baths a necessity at times. Bathing a puppy can be hard on their skin and can throw the oils on their coat off, so don’t over do it. We have tried several brands, but our dogs reacted poorly to alot of them. We love this kind, there are several other brands out there that are high quality ingredients as well. It has a clean (not very strong) smell and is fairly inexpensive.
6. What kind of collar does my dog need?
We recommend using a harness vs a regular collar, because of the unique nature of a dachshunds back. There are all kinds of styles to choose from, really cute almost vest-like harnesses to more simple ones as pictured below. We also like using the Flex leashes (see below), where you have the option to pick a longer or shorter leash length with the click of a button. Great for when you’re first leash-training your puppy.
7. How should I care for my puppies teeth?
Regular teeth brushing is important, but we also love Greenies! Or I should say our dogs love them haha. You can find these at Costco or online as well. They are great for just everyday treats or when they need some help with their puppy breath 🙂
