Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Dachshund owners please come and speak to me!

107 replies

Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 05:16

So I bitten the bullet and will be bringing pup home next month! Super excited but also a little anxious. I grew up around dogs but it will be my first one. I have a list of things the breeder said I will need but can anyone recommend what I should get and things not to? Any tips???

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 16:23

Hang on. They have a pup available now and guarantee pups available in the summer.
No way is that a reputable breeder. How did you find them?
@Justtrying you don’t need to be a pack leader. That’s rubbish. Pack theory is outdated and disproven.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 16:25

She was on KC and was recommended. It wasn’t ‘guaranteed’ ones would be ready in summer, just hopeful. That would be a different mum. I knew she would have a litter around now that roughly as I have been on her list for a while.

OP posts:
LizzieMacQueen · 12/03/2019 16:26

Haven't you got 2 weeks Easter holidays coming up OP?

Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 16:27

KC doesn’t mean much. Recommended by who? Unless it was the breed club then I would be very suspicious. This is a breed prone to health issues and I would want to be sure I had done all I could to avoid commercial or backyard breeders or puppy farmers.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 16:31

I do have 2 weeks but pups won’t be 8 weeks and ready to go until the second week.

The breeder was recommended by a fiend plus a couple of other people on A Dixie FB group.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 16:34

TBH I wouldn’t go through anyone other than the breed club. Just because your friend is happy doesn’t mean they breed responsibly.
What health tests have parents had done prior to breeding?
Good breeders don’t breed very often.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 16:38

She only has 2 litters a year, 2 different bitches. Both parents are there and are both pra clear as are all the pups. Something else they were tested for but can’t find the email at mo. Have been health checked too....

She vetted me ALOT before she would let me go on her list which was quite a while ago. I’ve spoken to her ALOT!

OP posts:
CardiganB · 12/03/2019 16:44

Long-backed breeds and stairs aren't a good combination, even after dogs are fully grown - I'd get a stairgate and let 'upstairs' remain a theoretical concept for your dog from the start...

Nettleskeins · 12/03/2019 16:44

I have a puppy (toy breed) which is 14 weeks and there is no way I could leave him longer than an hour, and that is having spent most of the rest of the day responding to his cues, toilet training. I have had him two and half weeks now, and it is like having a toddler on speed, no way can you leave them to entertain themselves for 3 hours. Night time he is happy to go 8 hours now without needing a wee, but that is only after some time responding to cues, crate training etc. You are going to be up in the night too and quite sleep deprived one way or another over the first 3 weeks.

Crates are also quite heavy to move around the house. You could have a travel crate (large size, but not big enough for toilet area, but roomy enough for play) in your bedroom and a heavy duty one downstairs. But if you lock him in a crate and you are not there to make it a welcoming place over the first few weeks, he might see it as a prison where he is locked up when you leave him, and be miserable.

Taking the pup at 7 weeks isn;t going to help solve the problem, it is a developmental thing.

Nesssie · 12/03/2019 16:47

Inbedbynine Sounds like you did the sensible thing and it sounds like this is a responsible breeder - the 'start as you mean to go on' is good advice in terms of routine, where the dog will be allowed to go, what she will be allowed to do (sofa, upstairs etc). However toilet training will definitely take longer than a week to crack, so be prepared for accidents.

Seeing as you are going to have to leave the puppy when you go back to work, you'll probably have to accelerate the separation training, and hope you have a laid back pup! Crate training will be a must in this case.

Nettleskeins · 12/03/2019 16:47

My pup naps A LOT, and has 3 long naps in the day (in his crate) but that doesn't mean it didnt take a lot of management. It doesn;t just happen because I "leave" him. There's lots of settling and in between "stuff".

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 16:49

I will 100% be crate training, that’s a definite. I work about 5 hours a day for 3 days.... what if I came back hourly?

OP posts:
adaline · 12/03/2019 17:31

What kind of job do you have that you can come home every hour? Surely your employer won't be happy with that? Plus it's not just coming home - you'll need to let the dog out, stand with it while it goes, clean up (if it pooed) get it back indoors, re-settle and then go. It'll take at least 10 minutes if not more.

I really think you need to consider getting someone else in to look after the dog while you work, even if it's just while you crack toilet training. Mine had to go out every 20 minutes or so at that age - and he wasn't a small breed. You're not going to be able to toilet train if you're not around to look for the signs.

BiteyShark · 12/03/2019 17:41

I agree with adaline that popping back every hour isn't going to be practical. Remembering back to the early days mine wouldn't do anything to my schedule and I was at home with him. Even talking him out for a pee or poo was hit and miss as he wouldn't go then when you bring them in he would pee and poo which would involve lots of cleaning up. Then he would be all bitey as a typical puppy is or hyper until he wore himself out.

During that first month I realised I needed to have a plan B. We were going to use dog walkers popping in when I went back to the office but soon realised that was not going to be practical and ended up sourcing daycare (which happened to be the best thing we did).

You must think we are all being pessimistic but honestly we are just trying to be practical. Have a read of some of the puppy survival threads on here to see some of the issues and challenges of getting a puppy let alone trying to juggle work.

BiteyShark · 12/03/2019 17:43

But on the optimistic side they do grow up quickly so your plan B doesn't have to be forever, just long enough until he is toilet trained and happy to be left alone.

Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 17:48

You need a short term plan. Two litters a year? One from every bitch every year? Poor bitches. There is a limit how many litters each bitch should have. Do find out how many litters each has had. Any more than three in their whole lifetime is a huge red flag. One or two would be preferable.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 18:17

I will do wolfie.

I’m clutching at straws but do you think the breeder would hold onto her for another month?? I brought her home at my half term.... she would be another 4-6 weeks older, slightly bigger... or is that ridiculous?

OP posts:
TheLastNigel · 12/03/2019 18:20

Going against the grain-I was home with our dog when it was little but sometimes had to pop out for a few hours for work and it was fine. He was mainly asleep tbh. Dont panic!

Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 18:22

Could ask. Or you could come and live next to me so I can cuddle the puppy! Grin
The thing is that your pup may be completely fine. Some may. Mine was a bloody nightmare with separation anxiety and couldn’t be left. At all. It was hard. So I tend to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
No chance pup can come to work?!
If the breeder keeps the pup would it come toilet trained? I would guess not so same issue. There is also the issue of vaccinations and socialisation. Pup needs to get used to household noises, people, children, traffic etc etc. I doubt a breeder will take your dog out in their arms.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 18:27

Wish I could take it to work! I’m in the south wolfie, we’ve passed on the boards before (Iv NC) you’re up north aren’t you?? Grin

The breeder doesn’t have children but it would get used to her house.....?? Again clutching at straws......

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 12/03/2019 18:42

Not North. GLOS.
Don’t panic! Any neighbours or friends who could pop in? Any local students on study leave? Dog walkers may do house visits. Your pup may well be absolutely fine. Just worth thinking what you can do in case it’s not happy.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 18:47

I guess I could try to google but how do you know who you can trust? I don’t want to leave my keys with a stranger.... all friends work ... don’t have any local family (not that they would help anyway!) everyone I know with dogs leave them and go home at lunch .....

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 12/03/2019 18:49

Plan for the worst but hope for the best. Then if you need to use plan B it's not in a panic.

I think your main worry was someone having your house key regarding someone popping in. You could try and find a reputable dog walker who has all the checks and insurance who does puppy visits. If they pop in and then you come back a bit after you might be able to muddle through for a few weeks. Maybe ask your vet that you plan to use for recommendations.

Original poster
Inbedbynine · 12/03/2019 18:51

So if I did use someone, how often would I get them to come? I work 9am- 215... would probably be able to pop back hourly for a week or two...

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 12/03/2019 18:53

Cross posted again Grin.

Check their insurance and references regarding keys.

everyone I know with dogs leave them and go home at lunch same here but their dogs are an adult rather than a new puppy who hasn't had time to settle in.