Caring For Your Puppy

On this page you will find puppy care tips that I found very useful when I got my first Schnauzer.  Some of these tips are very basic...some may be new to you.  I hope this information is a help to you and I encourage you to read up on the Miniature Schnauzer breed.  There are several good books you can purchase.  The book I started with is "A New Owner's Guide to Miniature Schnauzers" by Charlotte Schwartz. 

Your puppy's first night(s): Chances are that the first night your puppy is in his new home, both of you may not get a full nights sleep.  Dogs are creatures of routine and habits so you can hardly blame him for having trouble sleeping.  Your puppy will miss his mother and littermates and will feel uncomfortable in his new surroundings until he forms a bond with you. Like little children your puppy has little control over his emotions and scolding him will only cause him to fear you and make the situation worse.  The best thing to do is make him as comfortable as possible and not come running with each whimper, as this will only teach him that you will come each time he calls.  This is called your puppy training you.....  This transition time will soon pass. 

Making your puppy feel safe and comfortable: It is important that your puppy have a safe place to sleep, free of drafts and harm.  Like their ancestors (the wolf), dogs feel safe in a den like atmosphere.  I use a medium sized dog crate that is made of heavy-duty plastic (PetMate is the brand I use and is available at your local Wal Mart store). Use the crate at night and when you are away for short periods of time. Your Puppy will come to feel very safe and comfortable in the crate and will probably even sleep in it willingly with the door open. Once your puppy is older, out of the chewing stage  and completely house broken you may have him/her sleep somewhere else in your home. Miniature Schnauzers are house dogs and should always be kept as an inside dog. A few other things that may help your puppy feel more comfortable are: a hot water bottle (filled with hot water from the tap not boiling water) with a washable cover of some sort over it. A soft toy or cloth with the puppy's littermates & mothers scent on it. A dim light so the puppy can see it's water/food bowls, if you choose to leave food and water in overnight. A pillow case over the door of the crate, leaving the side air holes open, will give him a nightly cue that it is time to settle down to sleep for the night. If you choose to let your puppy sleep with you in your bed, be sure that this is what you plan to always do, as it will soon become a habit that isn't broken easily. (If you have a determined puppy that doesn't settle down easily you may choose to place him in another room, away from your bedroom, after making sure he will be safe from harm.)

 Housebreaking tips: First thing, is to be patient with your puppy, this is something , that when done properly, should only take a week or even less. Miniature Schnauzers are very easily housebroken. You need to choose a place that you want your puppy to use for 'potty time'. You will want to decide on a command, such as "Do you want to go pee" (or whatever your chosen words are) before you take him out. This will later help you determine if he does need to go out just by asking. You may also choose to train your puppy with a bell. You can hang a bell by the door you will be taking him out of and each time you take him out ring the bell with him watching. He will soon relate the bell with his need to relieve himself and will ring the bell to be let out. It is important that you take him out, preferably on a leash, and give him the command to "Go pee" or "Go poop". As soon as he does his duties you should praise him and take him directly back inside. If you just let your puppy out for a long period of time (say 10-15 minutes), he will not get the idea of what you are trying to teach him. He will not realize that he is to go out and relieve himself rather than play, and it could take much longer to housebreak him. If you want to take him out to play and "go potty" you can first take him out to relieve himself and then back inside for a couple minutes and then ask if he wants to go play or go for a walk. This will only be needed until your puppy gets the idea of your housetraining and is fully housebroken. Take your puppy out at least every two hours at first and slowly let the time in between to get longer. (Any dog should be let out, at the absolute least, 4 times a day when full grown.) 

Feeding your puppy: I feed my puppies IAMS Smart Puppy dry food softened in warm water...and they may even be on dry food only by the time they go to their new homes. I leave dry food out at all times and will continue to do so unless she turns out to be a gluttonous dog and becomes overweight. It is not healthy to let your dog eat table food, even when she is an adult. I would encourage you to keep your puppy on IAMS dry puppy food for the first year of her life, switching to an IAMS adult formula of dry food after that. Each time you change your puppy/dog's brand of food, she will most likely experience gastric upset and have the diarrhea (which will only cause more clean up for you). Fresh water should always be available to your puppy, with the exception of restricting a lot of water late in the evening and none during the night. This will prevent nightly 'accidents'  or getting up during the night to let her out. Again, dogs are animals of habit and routine and it is best to feed on a regular schedule. ( If you decide to feed canned dog food you will want to be sure and brush your dogs teeth daily. Dry food is better for her teeth. You can buy toys and chew treats that are good for her teeth as well.)

Exercise: It is important to your puppy's health to get exercise. At first your puppy may not be able to tolerate a lot of exercise, but as he grows, he will need regular daily exercise. Regular play time not only builds muscle and coordination skills, but is fun for your puppy and helps him to learn and to bond with you.

Grooming: All dogs require regular grooming, and Schnauzers are no exception. It is very important to groom your puppy at an early age and to brush her frequently! If you start with brushing, trimming toenails, and even clipping with electric clippers at an early age, she will be much more receptive and comfortable to the whole grooming process. Again...I cannot stress enough how important regular brushing is. If your puppy tries to get you to stop brushing her by growling or nipping , you must not let her get the upper hand. Just be patient with her and reassure her; be firm and tell her "No" if she tries to intimidate you. This should not be a problem if you groom her regularly from the beginning. (You should never strike your dog.) If you use a 'slicker brush' you will need to take extra care to be gentle. this type of brush is often used for Schnauzer grooming and can be harsh on your puppy/dog's skin. You should never brush one area more than 5 strokes at a time; if need be, you can always come back to a matted area later. It is important to pluck the hairs out of your Schnauzer's ear canal, as it can cause ear infections or other ear problems if you don't. If you plan to groom your Schnauzer yourself, you should first read up on the proper technique. It isn't a bad idea to let a professional do the first grooming, that way you can follow the pattern already started. Toenails should be trimmed regularly as well (about every other week). You can have your groomer or your Vet show you how this is done. That way you can keep your dogs toenails at a good length between professional groomings. If cut too short, you can have bleeding occur. Use a "styptic" pen, powder or pad to stop the bleeding.

Be patient with the beard when it is growing out...it will get long enough to lay flat down and this looks best. Some groomers and pet owners prefer to clipper down the bridge of the nose...this is okay but it doesn't look as nice as letting the beard lay natural. It is best to part it in the middle and comb it down trimming with scissors just at the bottom. This is just my opinion and yours may be different :-) However once you do clipper down the bridge of the nose it is harder to get the beard to grow in and lay flat later. I learned this the hard way :-(

**Grooming Do's and Don'ts**: Do brush often...Do handle your puppy's paws and ears when she is laying on your lap relaxing, this will allow her to get used to being handled and make the grooming process smoother...Do pluck ear hair each time she is clippered...Do have her clipped (by a professional or yourself) at least every other month............Do Not bathe your dog without first brushing her thoroughly and removing all mats (bathing a dog with mats will only tighten the mats and make them harder to remove)...Do Not leave her unattended on a grooming table, this may result in hanging your dog to death!...Do Not cut nails to short as this will cause bleeding and will only make your dog shy of getting her nails done in the future (If the nails get too long, you can cut them weekly and get them down to a good length in a short time or you can file them with a large nail file while holding her on your lap)...Do Not let your dog intimidate you to stop brushing her, if she tries to bully you, be firm and tell her "NO!"...you should never strike your dog.

           As you may have already noticed, my Schnauzers all have a natural ear. Cropping the ear is not mandatory for pets and is only required for showing. Some Veterinarians no longer even do this procedure. This is completely your choice. I like the looks of both as long as the Schnauzer has a nice natural ear. If you do decide to have this done, I would recommend you check into a Vet that has experience with this procedure. It is not easily corrected if a poor job is done. Microchipping is also available and I have had this done on my three girls. It is not a painful procedure, and it may pay off for you and your dog someday. You can also have your dog 'Lifetime Licensed' with the microchip #.

           Again, I hope this information is of help to you and your new puppy. Please, email me anytime you have a question or comment.

          Thanks!

         ~Tammy~