new puppy!!

[Haylaraine]

I'm very excited to announce we are adding a new addition to our family, a baby boy!!



He is a Yorkie X Shih Tzu (Shorkie) and he is 8 weeks old. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for bringing home a new puppy, I have 2 girls 5 and 3 who just adore animals. I just want to make the transition into our home as easy as possible for the little pup as this is out first family pet. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[FallenPixels]

Cute!

[VeeVee]

OMG heheh he reminds me of my puppy who I brought home 2 months ago...a Yorkie Bichon mix hehehe SO CUTE!

You will be so happy with him...they are so cute...just watch out they love to be at your feet and I have tripped over Sacha a few times lol

If you have any questions feel free to PM me

OH and he will be into chewing ..so get chew toys we got Sacha a few of the nylabones and he adores them!

[Dee09]

Ooooooooh what a cutie!!!

[Natalka]

Congrats! He's so very sweet! Name?

[Haylaraine]

I have no names picked out, I have no idea, we dont get him untill Sunday so i suppose once i see him it might be easier to name him! I'm not sure if I will let my daughters pick the name because we might end up with Diego or Bob the builder or elmo LOL

[Natalka]

Oh, for sure, you need to see what his personality is like!

[McKitty]

My goodness, he is a cutie!
He looks kind of like a "Teddy" to me, and you're right about little girls choosing pet names-when I was 7 and got my first pet cat, I named him Kitty. People still ask what his actual name is when I tell Kitty stories! :D
My tips are:
-Have the girls help you make a list of puppy care activities. This way, they will know all the things the puppy needs for happiness and will feel more involved when puppy needs walks, play time, or special resting time so he can grow up big (medium? hehe) and strong
-Put all of the puppy's indoor items in one place (preferably a room he can left in when you are out or sleeping) that has some privacy. This would be his sleeping bed or blanket, toys, food, water, and some puppy pads (like Arm & Hammer's). Puppy will feel secure knowing where to find all the things he needs, and will have a quiet place to go if he's done playing and ready to sleep. Later the food and water can be moved to a central location like the kitchen.
-Move all newspapers, paper towel, kids books, and kids toys that puppy may want to disassemble when you are not looking. The girls could help with this too. Good puppies also get less opportunities to be bad
-Lastly, encourage the girls to invite puppy to cuddle during movies or reading time, and play any time he is up and about! This equals a lot of love for the whole family.

Enjoy, and do let us know his name!

[Haylaraine]

My goodness, he is a cutie!
He looks kind of like a "Teddy" to me, and you're right about little girls choosing pet names-when I was 7 and got my first pet cat, I named him Kitty. People still ask what his actual name is when I tell Kitty stories! :D
My tips are:
-Have the girls help you make a list of puppy care activities. This way, they will know all the things the puppy needs for happiness and will feel more involved when puppy needs walks, play time, or special resting time so he can grow up big (medium? hehe) and strong
-Put all of the puppy's indoor items in one place (preferably a room he can left in when you are out or sleeping) that has some privacy. This would be his sleeping bed or blanket, toys, food, water, and some puppy pads (like Arm & Hammer's). Puppy will feel secure knowing where to find all the things he needs, and will have a quiet place to go if he's done playing and ready to sleep. Later the food and water can be moved to a central location like the kitchen.
-Move all newspapers, paper towel, kids books, and kids toys that puppy may want to disassemble when you are not looking. The girls could help with this too. Good puppies also get less opportunities to be bad
-Lastly, encourage the girls to invite puppy to cuddle during movies or reading time, and play any time he is up and about! This equals a lot of love for the whole family.

Enjoy, and do let us know his name!

Thank you so much, these are some great ideas!! My girls are going to be so surprised!! I really like your idea of coming up with a list of puppy care things together so that they know and understand everything!! Thanks so much, and I will post the name as soon as we decide

[Crochetlady]

He`s adorable. Looks just like the Shih Tzu we babysit. His name is Bear...short for Teddy Bear.

[Lynn49]

And please remind the girls that it IS a baby and as such, will require much sleep and very little mauling. Although now that our Jenny is almost a year old, she's quite accustomed to being mauled by me.

Put him in his own crate (he's safe there and will feel like it's his home) for his many naps, put a nice snuggly blanket in the bottom..one that will take lots of washings in case he has some accidents there.)

The best method we've used to potty train our dogs was to use disposable paper pads on the floor, (best price and quality, in the yellow PC pac!) in the same place all the time, and to keep a "little piddle" on them so that the scent was still there the next time he ventured over. Never ever scold for having an accident! When you see him sniffing around by himself, just pick him up gently to the pads and wait until he piddles. If he keeps wandering off, just place him back on it. Do this after every play-time, feeding, waking...etc..lol...lots! To be precise!
And be patient...he won't get it for a while, but one day you'll see him wander over to the paper and attempt to piddle on it and your heart will swell with Motherly pride! He'll probably miss, of course, but his heart was in the right place.

Feed QUALITY puppy food, not something from Walmart. Expensive foods mean you feed less, so the cost sorts itself out and you'll be happier with his poopages. (fewer and less stinky) Use warm water (you never know if he has an allergy to milk) to soften his kibble.

OMG, even tho it hasn't been that long since we brought our wee Jenny home (see her baby pic on my home page), I miss that puppy-smell! That chubby, kissy tummy! Not so much those baby teeth, though...lol.

And as Vee said, lots of different types of chewies until you know what he prefers...this is good for his teeth, and for your furniture. Dogs love squeaky toys, so at least one of them should be soft enough for him to get a squeak from it.

SO JEALOUS!!!
If you ever need any tips, or have questions, please feel free to ask any time!

Oh. I almost forgot!

Give lots of kisses and tummy-rubs, and squeezes and whispers in his ear...you'll have an adorable a pup as our Jenny.
Who now insists on all of the above!

[3kids2jobs1mom]

He's absolutely adorable!!!

Some tips..make sure he knows to only eat from his food bowl. And he has his own access to outside place to go potty regularly. Keep the floor clear of things, cause he might choke on the small toys or whatnot.

You can start training him,but don't expect him to learn how to sit or do tricks. Maybe just basic house rules, like off the furniture, stay in the house, just set some basic limits.

Have a schedule and try to stick to it!!!!
Only buy necessary things for him, food, a few toys, and treats. Don't spoil him too much

Just give him plenty of love!

[miztia]

Id get a little alarm clock for the first little while. One that you can hear the ticking, and put it near it's bed at night. It comforts them. Like their mothers heartbeat.
Have a little puppy leash and collar ready, and take it outside about 15 minutes after eating to do its business. Never too young to teach it where to go. If you take it to the same spot all the time, they will continue there. Makes for easier poo pickups later on.
Borrow a baby gate if you dont have one. We kept our pup confined to the puppy proof kitchen until we were sure she wouldnt chew, pee ect.
It is her comfort zone. Her bed is tucked away in a corner, and she likes her quiet time in the kitchen away from all the ruckus. She goes there to sulk too because she thinks she can rule the roost with her big brown eyes. LOL

Find out what she is currently eating, and get some of that. If you want to change to a new brand, (anything you buy at walmart is crap) incorporate it slowly over the course of a few weeks to get her adjusted to it.

Your pup is adorable!!! Congrats on the new boy.
First night with our new pup nearly tore my heart out hearing the tiny little wimpers. I ended up sleeping in the kitchen with her. LOL

[idonovan]

awww look at that tinny tiny cute little face

[Deanc]

Oh!! He is absolutely adorable!