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Welcome to our Puppy Care Page!
Puppy Bill of Rights
We have the right to be full members of your family. We thrive on social interaction, praise, and love.
We have the right to stimulation. We need new games, new toys, new experiences, and new smells to be happy.
We have the right to regular exercise. Without it, we could become hyper, sluggish…or fat.
We have the right to have fun. We enjoy acting like clowns now and then; don't expect us to be predictable all the time.
We have the right to quality health care. Please stay good friends with our vet!
We have the right to a good diet. Like some people, we don't know what's best for us.
We depend on you.
We have the right not to be rejected because of your expectations that we be great show dogs or show cats, watchdogs, hunters, or baby-sitters.
We have the right to receive proper training. Other wise, our good relationship could be marred by confusion and strife---and we could become dangerous to others and ourselves.
We have the right to guidance and correction based on understanding and compassion, rather than abuse.
We have the right to live with dignity…and die with dignity. When the time comes.
Author Unknown
Puppy Care
This is just like baby-proofing! Start by getting down on your hands and knees and looking around your home at the puppy's level. Make sure that anything your puppy could chew, ruin, swallow, choke on, get hurt on, get poisoned by, get into, make a mess with, or use and a climbing aid to access things that he/she could chew, ruin, swallow, choke on, get hurt on, get poisoned by, get into, make a mess with are removed, properly barricaded, or relocated to a safer area where the puppy cannot get at them.
Do not store dog treats or food in cabinets or closets with chemicals or cleaning supplies. Puppies quickly learn where you store their 'treats' and may decide to 'treat' themselves when you are not looking. For information on poison proofing your home, including poisonous plants and foods information, click here: Poison-Proof Your Pet's Home
Make sure that your windows and screens work properly. Puppies can push screens out of their frames and get outside. Yards and homes must be checked for poisonous plants. Click here for a List of Toxic Plants Click here for a List of Non-Toxic Plants
Click here for What To Do For A Poisoned Animal This page has the list of what should be kept on hand in a Poison Safety Kit.
Check outdoors for holes near fences, loose boards or gates on fences so that your puppy will not be able to get outside of the yard. Some dogs can learn to climb chain link fences rather quickly and proficiently!
We feed CANIDAE® All Life Stage formula because it is exceptional in quality and keeps our dogs looking great because they love the taste and don't have to be bribed to eat it! Canidae is all natural, naturally preserved, balanced in omega 6 and 3 fatty acids, and contains necessary beneficial probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidant vitamins, chelated minerals, and natural skin and coat conditioners. It is made with antibiotic and hormone free meats as the main ingredients, and uses no corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions, fillers or by products. We feed nothing but dry feed as it maintains healthier teeth. We recommend feeding the same food your puppy has been eating here, as it keeps our Min Pins healthy, happy and keeps their coats shiny too. Canidae is a much better quality feed than what can be found on most shelves. Suppliers may not have it on the shelves but can and will usually order it for you at no extra cost. And... surprisingly, it costs the same or less than some of those foods who spend more on advertising but put less quality ingredients in their food. Your puppy deserves the best quality food, not the food that's advertised the most! We will send some of the food that your puppy has been eating home with you. You can visit the Canidae website to locate a dealer near you.
If you choose to feed a different diet: Please please please visit this website: The Dog Food Project, Mordanna has done all the leg work for you. She has compiled the most comprehensive website on dog foods that I have ever seen. She explains how to read the ingredients and know what's best and why. Also, please change the feed over slowly, as changing feed abruptly can cause digestive problems such as vomiting and or diarrhea. If you do need to change the feed, you should gradually begin to mix in the new feed with the old feed, increasing the ratio slowly over a period of about 1 to 1 1/2 weeks. Your puppy should be fed 3-4 times a day enough that he gets full and stays healthy and growing properly without becoming overweight. If you are feeding a brand that has both puppy and adult formulas: Puppies should continue puppy formula until 9-12 months of age. Your puppy should switch to an adult maintenance feed around 9-12 months, and his feedings will decrease to 2 times a day. Adults should be fed enough to maintain them in a physically fit condition, but not be overweight. Make sure that your pet has fresh clean water at all times. Pets can pick up bacteria from water just like humans can. Their water should be emptied and freshened as often as you would want yours to be;) When traveling, take water from home, or use bottled water. Pets can become sick from strange water just like humans can. Nylabone makes a 'puppy' version for 'new' puppy teeth. When they start to cut in their second set of teeth, I keep them stocked up on lots of safe chew things. I find that my dogs like carrot and ham & cheese flavors of Nylabones the best. They are safe and wonderful for teething. I also give them kneecaps and basted pigs ears. There is also a hard rubber toy called a Kong that you can put a milkbone or p-nut butter in to keep those chewers busy. Kongs and Nylabones can be found at most pet stores or your local Walmart.
I have also taken a 20 oz soda bottle, removed the wrapper, cut 3-4 holes just large enough for kibble to fall out but not rapidly, and that makes a good cheap toy for a busy-body;) My Min Pins love soda bottles. For an extra treat you can put a few pieces of a more aromatic treat inside that your dog likes, but I don't recommend commercial packaged treats for puppies as they can upset their tiny tummies. When the dog is over a year old and his digestive tract is more developed he can handle packaged treats.
*Potty Training;)
Mostly, your puppy needs lots of love and understanding. He/she is just a baby and needs to be trained with patience, repetition, and lots of positive reinforcement. They may not get it right the first couple of times, but with your persistence they will amaze you at how quickly they learn. By the time your puppy is ready to go home with you, he/she is already pretty good at going on the puppy training pads we use here for paper training. We keep the puppies confined in an x-pen where they have plenty of room to play, their bed in one corner, food in another, and their pee pad in another corner. Did you know that as soon as a puppy's eyes open and he can wobble a few steps away from where he sleeps, he begins a pattern of waddling away from where he sleeps to go potty! That's pretty amazing for a 2 week old baby, don't you think!
When you bring your puppy home, you should show him/her where the potty paper is often so that they can find it when they need to. You should confine the areas they can explore to a minimum so that training is easier. You should confine the puppy to a small area with access to the potty paper when you cannot watch their every move.
These little fellas are pretty predictable, so knowing when to try to get them to potty is pretty simple. When they eat and drink they get their tummies all full and then they feel all warm and cozy. Their little tummies start to process all this good food and pretty soon, like 10-15 minutes, maybe 20 and he's gotta go potty. The younger they are, the less time you have, so you have to kinda watch closely for those telltale signs: walking in circles or figure eight's, sniffing, whining or whimpering, squatting (this is hard to tell with tiny puppies because they are so short;), that funny face- some dogs just stare at you like you should know? After a while the puppy will get to know that special place, especially if you are using pee-pads or training papers, and they will just go there.
Your puppy will learn much faster is he/she walks to the potty place on their own! Walk the puppy on his leash to his paper or to his outdoor spot and keep him there until he goes. This needs to happen before he is in the midst of elimination. Don't pick the puppy up and carry them to the potty area, or he will never learn to go there on his own. Dogs learn by repetition, by doing, being led with the leash by you, and then on their own. If you wait until the puppy is in the midst of going, and then hurriedly scoop them up and wisk them away to the potty area, this only scares the puppy and makes it harder for him to know what's going on. Accidents happen. Clean it up, quietly... and try to catch them in time next time.
All my dogs are paper trained. I take them outside in the morning, and before bed, or if they ask. Otherwise, they use the pee-pads, and it works quite well because we are always having younger dogs in training and the older ones using the papers helps train the puppies.
If you are crate training, you will have to limit food and water for several hours before bed and take the puppy out before bed. You may have to get up in the middle of the night and take him/her outside until they can learn to hold it all night. First thing in the morning, the puppy will have to have enough time to eliminate, eat and eliminate before going back in the crate if he has to go into a crate before you leave for work, and he will need to be left out as soon as possible when you return.
If you are lucky enough to be at home with your little fella and be able to take him outside when he needs to go, then make sure to take him to the same spot every time. Whether training outside or on papers, use the same command every time, and praise him well when he does his business. After I get them trained, I use a command for # 1, and a different command for # 2 so that when we are traveling, I can get them to do their business on command a little quicker, and they can let me know if they don't need to do one or the other.
NEVER hit your puppy or push the puppy's face in their waste. This DOES NOT WORK, and only makes the puppy afraid of you. If you need some professional advise on potty training, click here for POTTY TRAINING BASICS by Pam Young LVT, Dog Behavior Consultant & Trainer. She has a lot of good advise that will help you potty train without damaging your dog's sensitive psyche.
*Advanced Potty Training;)for the one who doesn't bark to tell you they want out!
Between 4 and 5 months of age, your puppy should be getting better at house training. If you are having trouble because the puppy does not bark to tell you when he needs to go out, you can train the puppy to ring a bell by the door, either beside the door or tied to the knob. Start by simply showing the puppy a treat, putting the treat on the bell, and when the puppy makes the bell ring, he gets the treat. When he rings the bell, take him outside and treat him again, then when he eliminates, treat him again. Repeat until the puppy associates ringing the bell with going outside. When he rings the bell, say "Good out!" while taking him outside, and give him extra praise for eliminating. You should start this when you are taking him out at his regular times, so that he is set up for success! It take time and consistency for the puppy to learn to tell you when he needs to go outside. Be patient and consistent, and when you see fewer accidents, you'll know it was worthwhile.
Min Pins require very little grooming to stay looking neat and tidy. A bath once every month or so is plenty. A baby wipe or a moistened soft cloth can be used in between for touch-ups. This should be sufficient to remove any dander or loose hairs. Min Pins shed very little. Brushing is more for the dogs enjoyment, and can help make the dog's coat appear shinier.
I start clipping puppies' toenails as soon as they start to get sharp points on them. By the time they are ready to go home, they have been done several times, so that they are comfortable with the process. It is awful for the dog and the owner when a dog has never known clippers and is completely traumatized by the experience every time it is needed. This can be avoided by continuing the training I have started and clipping often. Your vet can show you how to clip toenails properly if you are unsure how to do it safely. A safe rule of thumb is that if you hear them clicking on the tile when they walk, they need trimmed. Here is the best site I have seen with photos of the proper way to hold clippers and where and how to clip the dog's nails. Click here for How to Clip a Dog's Nails.
All our pups have their dewclaws removed and tails docked at about 3 days of age. (Dewclaws are located on the dog's leg slightly higher than their other toes. They would be like a thumb) This toe and claw is completely removed as a matter of safety because it doesn't touch the ground, and therefore the claw never wears down naturally and can grow back into the leg causing pain. They also pose a danger of catching and tearing off.
We feel that it is best to leave ear cropping up to the individual buyer. Natural ears on the Min Pin are more widely accepted in the ring, and some people prefer the look of the Min Pin's natural free-standing ear. (We have both cropped and uncropped dogs in our family;) Also, most vets require that the puppy be a specific age or weight prior to cropping, and the puppy is usually in their new home by that time. Cropping style is also a matter of preference, and there are several styles of crops that can be done. Cropping is somewhat of an art, so you need to be sure that the Vet you choose is capable of giving the puppy the look you desire. A bad crop or poor aftercare can leave the dog with curled ears that do not stand.
By the time a Min Pin is done breaking in their adult teeth, their ears should stand erect, unless the ear is damaged or injured before it has the chance to completely stand. A puppy's ears may be freestanding before all his teeth are in and may droop slightly when he cuts new teeth, this is normal.
I do notice that the dogs I have with cropped ears require less cleaning the ear grooves than the ones with free-standing natural ears.
All of our Min Pins have wonderful temperaments. They are not snippy, they do not bite, they do not bark incessantly, they are very friendly and very loving. Raising a 'Good Citizen' begins at the breeding level. That is why we only breed dogs of good temperament.
We recommend that you take advantage of your puppy's 'socialization window' (typically between 4 & 6 months of age) when your puppy is most capable of learning proper social behaviors. This is the critical time to keep your puppy used to meeting people and behaving in an apropriate way. Signing up for Puppy Kindergarten at your local Dog Training Club is an excellent way to keep your puppy socialized and to help strengthen the bond between you and your puppy. A well trained and well socialized puppy grows into an adult that anyone would take great pleasure in owning and loving. Puppies who go to their new home and are not taken out often to meet new people and animals can develop bad habits when company comes or when you have to take the pup to the vet.
I get the puppies off to a good start by handling the babies and talking to them as soon as they are born. They are exposed from day one to all the sights, sounds, and smells that they will live with in their new homes, because I raise them right in the middle of the family room, where we spend most of our time. We also use the US Military's 'Super Puppy' program of early stimulation to give our puppies the chance to be all that they can be in their life! Our puppies are praised for good behavior (such as making it to the pee pad;). We discourage obnoxious or rude behavior such as barking, biting, mouthing or chewing fingers, chewing other puppies' ears, and anything else that is not desirable. A firm 'NO' or a short vocal sound that mimics their momma's 'no' command, along with an abrupt hand clap (on your own hands, NEVER hit your puppy!) usually does the trick, followed by redirecting the pup to chew an acceptable chew toy, or just redirecting their attention to other acceptable behavior and then praising them for the acceptable behavior.
The best thing you can do to continue his/her development is to be consistent and be your dog's leader. Dogs are pack animals. They feel happier when the pack has a leader. Both you and your dog will be much happier if YOU are the leader. DO NOT use a rolled up paper, your hand, or anything else to hit your puppy. All that will do is make him afraid of you. NEVER scold a puppy for something you don't catch him right in the act of. Dogs have a very short attention span and are not capable of knowing that the scolding is for eating a shoe an hour or even a minute ago. The puppy will think he is being scolded for whatever he is doing at that exact time. (If he eats your shoe, it's your fault for leaving it where he could eat it.) You can pick up some very good books on how to understand dog language;)
We recomend the TV show, The Dog Whisperer. The Dog Whisperer can be seen on The National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan shows by doing... how to understand your dog and how to communicate with your dog to get results. He has a website with books and videos to help with how to be an effective pack leader (not your basic heel, sit, etc training) Dog Psychology Center
Here is a link to some very good training information that covers almost everything from potty training to basic commands: Puppy Training
Never leave your Min Pin in a vehicle. Min Pins are escape artists for one. If you leave the windows down so they can get air, they could get out, or someone could take them. Two: vehicles heat up very quickly and dogs do not sweat like humans do. Because of their small size, a Min Pin can be overcome with the heat and become ill very quickly. It's just not worth the risk. If you cannot take them in with you where you travel, or wait with them inside the vehicle, they will be much safer at home waiting for you to return.
I have a travel purse that can be buckled into a seatbelt that several of my Min Pins love to use, they snuggle down inside and are so quiet that when I shop, no one knows they are inside. I also have a soft gym-bag style travel crate for each dog that buckles into a seatbelt that we used when we went on vacation. We had 6 bags strapped into the rear seat of my pickup. The dogs were right at home, and they were safe. Each had their own private space with a blanket and a brand new Nylabone.
*Taking Your Min Pin Outdoors
Always keep your Min Pin on a leash. Min Pins are very small and very quick. They are also known for clowning around by darting about with quick little bursts of energy. When they are in that mode, they could get out onto a roadway and get hurt before they, or you know what's happening. Keep your Min Pin safe and use a leash at all times, also, be sure to make sure that the collar or harness fits properly. If they can wriggle out of it then it isn't properly fitted and won't keep them safe!
I recommend a full body harness over a collar because there is less danger of the dog being hurt by a harness, and it is harder for the dog to wriggle out of. You can read up on collar/leash training at PUPPY'S FIRST COLLAR AND LEASH by Pam Young LVT, Dog Behavior Consultant & Trainer.
Our Vet recommends that you make the appointment for your puppy to be spayed/neutered on his/her 6 month birthday. By this time, the puppy should be big enough for anesthesia. This is also just prior to the puppy's sexual maturity. Spay/Neuter prior to sexual maturity helps prevent certain types of cancers, eliminates the risk of accidental pregnancy, makes your puppy more relaxed and less distracted by dogs of the opposite sex, and can help with housetraining by removing the dog's urge to lift his leg and mark, or the female's accidental marking of your furniture.
*Shots and Vet CarePuppies are not fully protected from diseases until they have SEVERAL rounds of shots! We recommend that you DO NOT take your infant puppy to pet or pet supply stores where they could contract diseases from other dogs! We also recommend that the supplies that you purchase for your new puppy be washed to avoid passing diseases to them from toys or other items that may have come in contact with sick animals at the pet supply store before you purchased them!
Your puppy has received his/her first set of shots along with deworming by their veterinarian at about 6 to 8 weeks of age. The exact date will be listed in your puppy's 'Health Record' folder, along with their veterinarian's follow up appointment recommendation.
*DO NOT USE LEPTOSPOROSIS VACCINES ON YOUR MIN PIN! Min pins are susceptible to reactions from Lepto vaccines that can be much worse than contracting the Lepto.
You should schedule your initial vet exam and your follow up puppy shots well before it is time to pick up your new puppy. Some vets are so busy that you may not be able to get an appointment for a week or so. DO NOT get your puppy shots sooner than 3 weeks from the date of the last set of shots, and DO NOT wait longer than 4 weeks to get them. Getting a round of shots too soon can cause the rounds of shots to cancel out the protective antibodies already built up and actually cause them to be ineffective leaving your puppy vulnerable to those diseases, waiting too long can cause the antibodies to dwindle too low to offer adequate protection.
There is no advantage to getting shots early just because you are having an exam. Most vets will charge for the initial exam, and return visits for puppy shots are charged for the shots only, so it is best to have the health check within a day or 2 of bringing the puppy home, and to return later when the shots are due. You should schedule the appointments for your puppy's 2nd shots to be given 3 weeks from the date of the first set of shots. You should schedule your puppy's 3rd set of shots to be given 2 weeks after the date of the 2nd set of shots. Be sure to take your puppy's 'Health Record' folder along with you to your veterinarian so that the proper schedule of vaccinations and health care can be resumed and followed. (Puppies need 3 sets of shots within the first few months of age to be fully protected.) They then need a 1 year booster, and then every 3 years.
Rabies first shot should be given around the time of the last set of puppy shots. It is better to give it on a different day if your pup showed any signs of reactions to the previous shots. Rabies will be due again at 1 year, and then every 3 years.
***VETERINARY SCHOOLS HAVE ALL, WITHIN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, ADOPTED NEW VACCINE PROTOCOLS THAT RECOMEND REGULAR BOOSTERS BE GIVEN EVERY THREE YEARS NOW......NOT EVERY YEAR......THIS IS NOT NEW, YET SOME VETS ARE HESITANT TO FOLLOW THIS PROTOCOL BECAUSE THE DOG SHOULD STILL HAVE A YEARLY EXAM TO HELP PREVENT SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES FROM GOING UNTREATED FOR SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DIAGNOSED.
WE RECOMEND GETTING YOUR DOG'S YEARLY EXAM, AND ONLY GETTING THE BOOSTERS AS BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE NATION'S VETERINARY COLLEGES. There is a lot of research being done to see if there is a connection between over vaccination and certain health issues that appear to be more prevelant in animals who have been given yearly boosters.
You will receive a copy of the 'Facts For Purchasers' pamphlet as mandated by the state of Pennsylvania's 'Dog purchaser Protection Act.' You will also receive the 'Facts For A Veterinarian' pamphlet that contains the 'Veterinarian's Health Certification' signed by the puppy's veterinarian to certify that the dog is apparently free of any contagious or infectious illness, free from any defect which is congenital or hereditary and diagnosable with reasonable accuracy, and that the dog does not appear to be clinically ill from parasitic infestation at the time of physical examination. You should read both 'Dog Purchaser Protection Act' pamphlets so that you are familiar with your rights and responsibilities.
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