badboyz

Ooh! I am going to print this out and add it to my puppy info pack! Thanks Hesapanda

Thoughts and prayers for the whole family. Makes me so sad to read this. Thanks for the updates Ambervale.

I have always had success using their mothers as an example when teaching puppies not to bite. If the puppy annoys its mother she will stand very still and give a low menacing growl. Most puppies will back off quick smart and all goes on as normal. If not the next step would be for the mother to grab puppy by the scruff and growl again then move away and ignore the puppy. So you do the same. I find "uh uh" to be a bit soft and high pitched whereas a low growl is much more menacing. I also use the stand still and ignore method when my young dogs are jumping up for attention. I will fold my arms and look away - if necessary moving my body away also. When they back off (mine will usually sit as they are taught to sit for a treat/meals) then they get the reward of my attention. Hope this helps - I know it is a very annoying habit.

Lovely looking puppy!

Beagles are delightfully naughty for most of their lives. Try to see the funny side - I hope you have a sense of humour. Don't worry too much - my beagles would eat anything and everything - especially kids toys and never had a problem. Great way to teach kids not to leave their stuff lying around. Oh and be careful at christmas time - they just love those presents under the tree! Ahhh, Shar Pei puppies - what a relief!!!!!!!!!

If you make sure you feed you cats high quality foods than you should get alot less poo. Mine only uses the litter tray every second day and is small and hard and not too smelly. quick and easy to clean up. Much better than when fed on cheaper products. (Eukanuba hairball formula and raw mince at night, works best for my girl).

Ker do you like the look of a shar pei (rolly). I believe they fit all your criteria. I have 3 kids, a cat, and they are great with those, if raised with them. They are not usually overactive or destructive. Generally layabout when nothing else is on offer. They love to go for a good walk. They make an effective guard dog. They only grow to knee height. I used to have beagles, but have converted to shar pei as I find them much easier dogs to live with. Require very little grooming.

MiaF&HW, have posted a reply in your own introduction thread as did not want to hijack Paulaq's!

Have they had skin scrapes for mites? How old are they? What do you feed them? Also have you spoken to the breeder? I love the names by the way - did you choose them or are they registered names?

As an owner/breeder of wrinkly dogs - I would recommend using malaseb twice weekly for a couple of weeks and make sure the dog is on a high quality diet. I would not recommend weekly bathing on a regular basis - too much washing would decrease the natural oils in the coat. Mine are washed about every 2/3 mnths (more for the show dogs - I can't bear to show a dirty dog!) though I have been in trouble with other show breeders who will only wash their dogs twice a year! Wiping the face with a damp washer is a good idea if you only have the one dog - my dogs tend to clean each other after every meal so not a problem here. Regular brushing is important. None of mine have skin problems and they spend much of the time outdoors.

Lowchens are gorgeous little ragamuffins, or perhaps a Bedlington Terrier - worth a look also. They are more mini poodle size though. Pet shop puppies are notorious for being hard to toilet train - much better to stick to a well reared pup from a breeder. Edited to add - a Bichon Frise is stunning as well!

Might also help to make sure she has a pillow to put her head up on while she sleeps. She may well grow out of it but do talk to her breeder.

If you are uncomfortable asking the breeder questions than do not buy a puppy from her/him. Much better to wait for a breeder you are more comfortable with. You need to be able to ask the simplest questions and not feel foolish. A good breeder will be happy to answer all your questions and pleased that you are comfortable asking them. If I were you I would contact as many breeders as possible - even interstate if necessary - with a new litter/pregnant female/planned breeding and put my name down on a waiting list. That way you can plan for your new puppy, which in turn will make it easier for you to cope. Good luck in your search.

Poor girls - so young too! Makes my heart break. Thanks for caring for them peibe. Edited to add - going out to give my pei's another hug!

As a breeder there is nothing that angers me more than when my puppy buyers do not contact me when they have a problem. I ask them to call me at any time, and send them home with heaps of info that they obviously do not read. Then off they go to the vet who looks for problems that are not even there, and sends them home with all sorts of unnecessary cures that often make puppy more sick. With my breed vets expect problems even if there are none. When I finally contact the owners and they say well this and this happened but it's ok now - I get very cross that they did not call me for advice first. Please call your breeder now!

"docile & unsocialized for show" - When I pick a show puppy I want the most outgoing, pushy, look-at-me puppy in the litter! Does the breeder of this litter actually show dogs her/himself? I've never heard of such a thing! Edited to add: that when choosing a puppy for the ring the amount of wrinkles has very low priority. For me good eyes are a very high priority, as are fabulous movement and attitude.

I tend to soak my puppies food when they are still feeding in a litter situation. This is because they tend to scoff so quickly without chewing that the food can get caught in their throats and cause them to choke. Once I am down to one or two pups and the competition is less fierce, I start to reduce amount of soaking time until they slow down and start to chew properly. Also if you are mixing chicken mince or other moist food to the dinner that will also slow them down and encourage them to chew more. A lot depends on if you have a pup that eats slowly or like a vacuum cleaner.

Second everything that Peibe said! Although I have just changed to Nutro Lamb & Rice dry food. I was not keen on the Advance.

Hi Marica, Look up dog crate on ebay. All sorts available on there for reasonable prices.

I've just bought my first bag of Nutro Lamb & Rice today (Strathpine Vet on northside if that helps wajoma!). Have been feeding Eukanuba so looking forward to seeing how my shar pei respond!

I would drop the lunchtime meal and only give him 2 good meals a day. I do not set strict timetables for puppy buyers as every pup has different needs according to its energy levels. I recommend that when puppy starts to get picky - drop to 2. I like good eaters - can't bear it when they are slow and the other dogs all hang around and try to steal it.

As well as the above suggestions, I also agree about using Captar as well as the Advantage. I fostered some infested kittens once and it took a while to rid the place of fleas again. But with the double whammy on the dog and spraying, especially where animals sleep, we eventually got them under control again.

I also have learnt to avoid the sloppy milk products and go straight to soaked puppy food. Much easier to clean - also shar pei have short coats so easier. My pups are 3 weeks and just starting at the moment. They lick the food off each others faces (this is before mum comes in to hoover). It's so cute.

For puppy school contact Pine Rivers Dog Obedience Ph. 0410638212 or0418719180. They have a puppy preschool program on Wednesday evenings - its great and not expensive. I think from 12 weeks on.

I usually let mum in after a meal to clean them up. The bitches are always so hungary by the time pups are 3 weeks that they gladly clean off evey leftover bit in the bowl, on the floor and on the pups. Problem solved!