Thursday, May 14, 2009

puppydoodle!

Riley and I are getting a puppy!!
This will be the first for both of us so this will be a little adventure!
We went to see the schnoodle (Schnauzer/poodle mix) puppies yesterday for an hour or so. (We are both allergic to dogs so we had to go for one that is perfect for allergies!)
I won't bore you with details but we first observed them; watched how they responded to each other and loud sounds, then we picked them up, cradled them like babies to see if they would fight it (stubborn) or go with the flow. I put my favorite one down and walked to the side and he followed me, my favorite one wagged his tail really fast when Riley picked him up. He was a charmer. And he was the only one that didn't go to sleep with the others and watched us the whole time.
He will be ready to come home with us next Friday (May 22)!! I can't wait!!!
His name will be Dexter.


(sorry you can't see him clearly! We forgot to bring our camera so we had to rely on our phones)

Any advice on our very first pet? What was getting your first dog like?


*also, Riley and I work from home so we'll have plenty of time for Dexter! Oooh I can't wait!

21 comments:

  1. Awwwwww! My advice is to be consistent with discipline. Make sure to take a new puppy outside to pee and poop constantly, especially after meals. It gets them into the routine and also prevents accidents. Food moves right through them! Don't overfeed them either -- read the package for servings. I like to buy high-quality food, too, from Whole Foods. You don't want to feed him anything with too much corn. It's not all that good for dogs.

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  2. How exciting! We got our first almost two years ago and he's totally our child now. Our 80 lb child that is ;) My advice is to make sure that you are the 'pack leader' as the Dog Whisper says! You should train them, don't let them train you! Have fun with Dexter!

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  3. Yay puppy! Dexter is really cute. I don't have much advice, Bella is pretty spoiled and runs the house. I'm guessing you don't want that ;)

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  4. COngrats! Before I brought my puppy home, i bought a plush dog toy and rubbed it all over her mama's fur, so it had her scent. It was my Lucy's favorite thing for the longest time and helped her sleep through the night and was comforting during her transition out of 'the nest'. Good luck! :)

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  5. if you want him to stay healthy do NOT feed him any table scraps...ever. It leads to a bad habit of doing so. Then he will be overweight and have back problems, like my Husky (Dakota)

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  6. Wow! Dexter is so very cute! I like his harriness! :)

    I haven't had a dog since I was a kiddo and then I wasn't actually taking care of him!

    I think puppies are a great way to start a 'family'! I want one myself but we need a better location!!

    Good luck! That is very exciting!

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  7. SUPER cute!!! *love*
    I have an 8 month old Chihuahua/Schipperke. he's about 7-8 lbs. The sweetest EVER, but a big challenge to potty train. We tried letting him sleep with us in our bed but he started getting down in the night and poo'in on the floor! So we crate him at night. He doesn't mind... it was the only way! Now because of that he's finally doing better. We also hung jingle bells off of the door knob. Every time we took him out side for potty, we would take his paw and make him hit the bell! Now he does it on his own when he has to go!

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  8. Oh, I am so excited for you!!

    My advice would be to reward Dexter when he's doing behavior you want to encourage more of it. :)

    I also advice snuggling with him as often as possible, but I think you're already planning on that.

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  9. I'm so excited for you!!! My hubbs and I are hoping to embark on puppy parenthood soon, too! And we are looking at the same kind of pups! (I am the one with allergies) Can't wait to see all your blog posts about it!

    Oh, and my best advice is train good when they are young and don't over spoil-I have been told by lots of puppy parents that is how to determine a good pup.

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  10. a schnoodle!!! schnoodle wooodle oodle how CUTE! Never had a dog, I'm allergic to poodles too, boohoo :-(

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  11. oh yayyyyyy! dexter is such a cute little fluff! i'm so happy you two are getting a puppy...it really seemed like you wanted one. that's so cool you both work from home. it will make things much easier.

    my advice would be to research the breed (multiple breeds in your case) as much as possible. seriously. i won't go into my beagle owning horror story, but just be glad you guys didn't decide on a beagle. (they are great and oh so adorable and sweet, but they require A LOT of time and attention.) anyway, just start training him right away. crates are great for potty training. don't feel mean about putting him in there. in fact, don't feel mean about any of the training you give him. it's like having a child - he won't like every method you use, but it's for his own good.

    i can't wait for all the dexter loving goodness to come!!!!!

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  12. How adorable!! What a good choice. I'd say - have lots of little chewy treats / toys bc they are teething too! We only lost one shoe to the puppy-chewing process. AND Arm and hammer pee pads....we started with it in one place, then continued to move to the door to get her to associate with having to go outside. MANY treats and hugs when he/she goes outside!! I'm so envious - can't wait for more pics....

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  13. hehehehee SOOOOOO cute!!!!! Can't wait for more pics on the adorableness!
    Can I put in a request for photoshoot pics of puppy with yettis or owls?? :)

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  14. Congrats on the new puppy, he's a cutie! Advice: play with him everyday. I don't get to do that enough with my dog.

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  15. Oh boy! Congrats on the puppy! I am jealous that you work from home, I am a full time teller! I wish I could play with my doggie and paint all day! Dexter looks like a cutie, I can't wait to see more photos! :)

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  16. Yeah! Cute puppy! I agree with ost of the advise already. Discipline and patience will solve All of you puppy problems. Dogs love Discipline ( I'm NOT suggesting you kick or bea the dog!) Just a routine life with little curbs here and there to discourage bad behaviour, Scold, Don't hit! But mostly time. Your dog WANTs to please you. Give him time and attention and he will repay it byt doing as you ask
    . Bad dogs are ones where there is no owner to tell them what to and not to do. (Not bragging, but if I can train a CAT, Then it should work on a dog)

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  17. I can't wait to play with him! Lots of love, reward based training... Team him to catch things in his mouth ;)

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  18. He is sooo adorable! Love puppies! My advice...never leave your headphones within reach! For some reason my dog, Jack Henry, still likes to chew and destroy mine! I have been through 5 pairs! Good luck, you and Riley will be wonderful doggie owners:)

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  19. How adorable! Don't be surprised if you feel like you have a newborn baby. Chomper cried all night for about a week when we got him, but once I got him a crate and he realized he wasn't being abandoned he was fine. The crate was also awesome for potty training - he never had an accident in it. Good luck! He looks so sweet!

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  20. exciting!!

    Great name choice too!

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