9/28/08
Preparing for your puppy
GETTING READY
Hi. This is a new page we are working on. We will continue to update it
regularly. Here you will find useful information for all puppy owners. This
might not be your first puppy but maybe it's your first one being shipped.
What ever your situation, maybe you can find some of this information useful.
regularly. Here you will find useful information for all puppy owners. This
might not be your first puppy but maybe it's your first one being shipped.
What ever your situation, maybe you can find some of this information useful.
Planning for your new puppy.
Things you should purchase prior to getting your puppy home.
1. Danes need a raised feeder. The best kind are adjustable for growing. We recommend you
buy a small washable rug to place under your feeder. When Danes drink water they make a
huge mess on your floor. Never place it on a floor that can be damaged by water. (wood, carpet)
2. A large comfortable bed. Lhasa's tend to take over ours.
3. If you plan to crate train you will need a crate with a divider. Danes grow fast. It is best to buy
a very large one with a divider as to avoid buying a larger one every couple of months. A giant
sized crate can run you about $200. Lhasa's can use a plastic carrier crate. You do not want too
big.
4. Food and water bowls that hook on to the side of the crate. Never lock a puppy in a crate
without water.
5. An adjustable collar and a leash. Start CHEAP! Yep cheap. For a Great Dane you will go
through 3 or 4 collars before they are full grown. Start cheap but safe. I try to deter people from
buying the ones that buckle like a sandal. Buy the snap clip kind. We send home our Lhasas
and Danes with their first collar and leash. If you plan to keep a Lhasa in a full coat you will not
use a collar all the time on them.
6. Toys. Lot's of chew toys. I do not like stuffed animals. Danes shred them quickly and the
stuffing can be difficult to pass sometimes. Stuffed animals for children have eye's and other
small parts that can make your puppy sick if ingested. Try investing in Kong toys and other
tough made toys and ropes for Danes. Lhasas like soft plush dog toys. Understand that as your
puppy grows you will need to purchase larger toys as to prevent them from choking. NO
TENNIS BALLS for larger dogs! I have seen cases were larger dogs have gotten them lodged
in their throat. I can honestly say that we spend about $15 a month just maintaining our toy
selection. Oh yeah before I forget, DO NOT give your puppy shoes, knotted socks, etc. Your
puppy will not be able to tell the difference between the shoe that is OK to chew and the one
that is not.
7. Food. You need to check with your breeder to see what food they feed. If you plan to change
the food once you get your puppy home you will still need to buy a small bag of it. You must
transition your puppy slowly to avoid upsetting their tummy. Read the bag of your food to learn
how to transition.
8. Shampoo. OK, most people forget this one. Don't spend tons of money on expensive
shampoo. Puppies skin is sensitive. Do not get the perfume ones. Get a gentle puppy
shampoo or even regular baby shampoo.
9. Toe nail clippers. Yep, unless you plan to take your dog to the Vet or groomers every 2
weeks you need to learn to clip their nails. It is not hard. Have your Vets office teach you the
technique. As Great Danes get older it becomes harder to clip the nails. We have to use a tool
to grind them shorter. You can get one at any hardware store or pet supply store. You must
teach the dog early to not be fearful of these. My dogs enjoy getting their nails done! They
actually get excited when they hear the grinder. The key is to make it fun and rewarding.
10. A brush. For Lhasa's you will need a comb and a brush. For Danes a soft bristle brush is all
you need. Brush your Dane once a week to keep their coat healthy and shiny. Lhasa's with
longer coats need to be brushed daily if showing them only weekly. Shorter cut Lhasa's need a
brushing once a week. Your Groomer can teach you the proper technique for brushing and
grooming your dog at home.
11. Do you feel overwhelmed yet? Keep reading.
12. Cotton balls and an ear cleaner. You need to wipe out your puppies ears every couple of
weeks. Teach this early. Natural eared Danes and Lhasa's are prone to ear infections if they
are not kept clean and dry. If you ever find black/sticky, red or smelly stuff in your dogs ear
STOP and seek medical advise.
13. We find it nice to store all these grooming items in a tool box. You can get one at your local
Wal-mart or Kmart for about $10. This way everything is in one place when you need it.
14. If you plan to have your Danes ears cropped there is a long list of items you must have. Ask
us for links to websites that discuss ear taping.
15. Child gates. Take a good look at your home. Is there rooms that you do not want your
puppy to have free run in. House breaking is more successful if the puppy is not allowed to
roam free. If needed purchase tall child gates and learn how to operate them.
16. Training treats. This is a learning process. Some dogs like some better than others. Some
dogs get the runs with some treats. We make our own. We dehydrate fresh beef liver and fresh
chicken breast for our dogs. All natural and bad stuff.
17. A book about the breed of dog you are getting. If you have never owned this breed of dog
get a good book and read it. Learn as much as you can. Learning about the breed is SO
important. You should know the behavior traits, what they were originally bred for, health and
genetic issues. Most books will all so tell you the best method of training to use.
18. A book about training. Even if you plan to take your puppy to obedience school
(recommended) get a book and read it. You usually do not take your puppy to school until 4
months of age. You can start training your puppy at home right away.
Does this list seem long......well I am sure I have left off some things. I recommend that as soon
as you find a breeder and decide to buy a puppy that you start purchasing some of these items.
Set up for a new puppy could go well over $300.
Things to do before bringing home your new puppy.
1. Find a Vet. If you do not have one you need to find one. Do not just open the phone book and
start dialing. Ask around. Talk to other pet owners. Get some referrals. When you talk to your
Vet make sure they understand the Great Dane or Lhasa Breed. Danes need special surgical
requirements. Those can be found on www.gdca.org website.
2. Find a groomer and a trainer. Talk to them early and make sure they will meet your needs.
3. Prepare your home: this is so important. Please read it carefully.
A. Check your fence. Is it in good condition. Is there holes underneath it. Do your gates latch
securely. Danes can learn to unlatch a gate. Lhasa's can squeeze through small openings.
B. Look around your yard. Know what kind of plants you have. Check with your nursery or Vet to
see if they are safe for pets. Puppies will enjoy chewing on them and some can be poisonous.
Remove any that are dangerous.
C. In your home. Get on the floor and crawl around. Crazy, not really. You need to be on your
puppies level to see hidden dangers. Is there wires and plugs your puppy may get a hold of. I
have witnessed puppies unplugging electronics. That is so dangerous. Conceal your wires and
plugs from the puppy. Lamps, if you have the tall floor lamps make sure they are stable. A
frolicking puppy can knock one over.
D. House plants. There are poisonous house plants out there. Check to make sure yours are
safe to puppies.
E. Your antique furniture. People often forget that puppies chew. It is natural and healthy. They
usually do it when cutting teeth. Although we try and teach the puppy the right things to chew on,
once in a while we turn our backs and UH OH. Grandma's antique trunk or table leg gets teeth
marks. Until your puppy is completely trained and has finished teething pack up, move, or block
off your valuables. It is YOUR fault not your puppies if they get a hold of something special.
F. Take time off from work. Plan a short vacation from work for when your puppy arrives. You
will need to be home and bond with your new puppy. Your puppy will be scared and leaving
them home alone right away is terrible. If you can not stay home get a friend to stay with him/her.
Besides the simple fact that the first week or so you will not get much sleep. A new puppy is like
a new baby. They cry most of the night and need to potty frequently. Most puppies can not hold
their potty for more than a couple of hours until they are 4 to 6 months old.
4. Put some cash aside for Vet bills and anything else that might come up. We recommend that
after you get your pet home you purchase pet insurance. However you should keep at least
$100 set aside for Vet bills. Some people recommend putting $20 a month in your puppy piggy
bank. It really comes in handy.
Training tips:
1. Potty breaks need to be given every couple of hours. Puppies usually need to potty within 15
minutes of eating/drinking. They usually will stop in the middle of a play session to potty as well.
Take them out often and keep it fun. Take them to the same spot every time. I prefer to take
them out on a leash. Kill 2 birds with one stone! Leash and potty train at the same time. If you
are like us and use a giant doggy door you must still take them out! Pushing them out the doggy
door is a bad thing. They will learn to potty right outside the door, step in it and track it right
back in your house. Until they have learned the right place to go, they will not properly use a
doggy door.
2. Crate training. Get a book about it. There is so much to learn. I will just say, it is a safe place
for your puppy or adult dog. Do not think though that your dog will be happy being in a crate 10
hours a day while you are at work! We crate train all our dogs. They love their crates and no one
avoids them. Just learn the right way to do it.
3. Talk to your children about caring for your new pet. Teach them before bringing the puppy
home about caring for it. Young children should be taught NOT to pick up a puppy. Children can
seriously hurt a puppy. Teach young children not to RUN around next to a puppy. Children can
trip, fall and land on your new puppy. Teach your children that the food and water bowl is off
limits! Dogs should be taught not to protect their food, but children can still get hurt touching a
dogs bowl while the dog is eating. Teach your children not to ever hit a puppy.
4. Talk to your family about the rules. Set rules and make sure everyone understands them.
Important things to talk about are, who will feed and water the dog (adults only), who will walk
the dog every day, who will bath the dog, will the dog be allowed in bedrooms, will the dog be
allowed on the couch. These are very important decisions to make.
5. Baths. OK we have so much fun at bath time. Yep it can be very fun. We have had puppies
who hated the bath learn to enjoy it. Every one of our dogs by the time they are 7 months will
jump right into the tub. We have one, Kitty, that we have to bribe to get out of the bath. At NO
time should you bathe your dog outside! You can not control the temperature of the water nor
the weather. If you want to make your dog afraid of the bath then bathe them in 40 degree water
with a 30 degree wind-chill! Right from the start we do it this way......Get your shorts and t-shirt
on. Put your puppy in the shower, get in with them! Turn the water on and get the temperature
right before getting them wet. The water should be slightly cooler than you would bath a baby in.
White dogs are more sensitive. Never stand over your puppy. Get down at ground/face level.
Talk to them and play with them while getting them wet. Keep their head dry until the end. Most
dogs do not enjoy getting their face wet. We have learned that it is better to bath half the dog
and have them enjoy it then bath the whole dog and stress them. Keep it quick and fun. You can
bath them again tomorrow if needed. Make it a game. Splash and play with them. It's OK, you
will get dirty bathing your dog. When all is done teach them to stay in the tub while towel drying.
Do not let them jump right out. They can slip and fall and hurt their hips. Most of our Danes love
the towel part. Sugar loves to walk around with the towel draped over her back. Joker likes his
face buried in the towel. Atiya after drying off likes to roll around on the floor with her towel.
Make sure you dry the inside of their ears to avoid fungal infections. Trimming toe nails is often
easier after a bath. Lhasa's should not be bathed if they have any mats. Mats should be
removed first. The water can cause them to tighten up and pull on their skin.
6. Tricks. Fully look at each trick you want to train your puppy. If you do not want you 130 pound
Dane jumping on people do not teach them that when they are babies. If you do not want them
on the couch do not put them in your lap while sitting on the couch. Fetch, Great fun trick, but you
must use the right toy. Don't use a newspaper or you will never have a dry Sunday paper again.
Don't train your Dane to play in the house. It is cute at 30 pounds, not cute at 130 pounds. Do
not teach a Dane to jump over things! If they never learn to jump over things they will generally
not do it. That includes your fence. We have a 4 foot fence on the front half of our property and
no one has ever tried to jump it.
7. Table scraps. OK this is a topic of debate. My rule is, if you don't want them to think it's OK
then don't teach them to do it. Period! If you feed them off your plate then do not complain when
you set your plate down and they help themselves. One big no-no is bones. Never give a Dane
or Lhasa a cooked bone. Research raw bones if you want. The other big no-no is that some
foods are deadly to dogs. You need to research and make sure what you are giving them will
not kill them. Grapes, Onions, Chocolate are all off limits.
8. Training collars. We do not use harnesses. They will not control your dog. They are fine for
toy breeds, not large breeds. Try your best to use a regular collar. We do however use choke
collars when out in public. Make sure you know what you are doing before using one. Get
advice from a trainer.
9. Socialize. This is very important. Please know that you should make sure your puppy is
vaccinated before taking them to dog parks. All puppies need to be exposed to different
environments and situations.
Puppies being shipped
Shipping can be very scary for puppies. We do everything we can to prepare them before
leaving. This includes getting them used to being in crate. Separating them from the rest of the
litter for short periods every day. Taking them for car rides. However nothing is like the flight.
We will try and put comfortable bedding in the crate. We will put a cheap rubber backed rug in
the bottom of the crate. This helps with their footing. We do not vaccinate within 2 days of the
flight. We will place water in their crate. We prefer not to put food in if we can help it. Puppies
can vomit and choke on their food. Some airlines are no longer allowing toys in the crates. If we
can we will put something in there to keep them company. Your puppy will not have their collar
on. It is not allowed by the airlines. This prevents them from being strangled. Make sure when
you open the crate your puppy can not run off. We will tape a packet to the top of the crate. It
should arrive intact but you never know. It should include paperwork, food and a collar. If these
items can not be shipped with the puppy we will mail them to you a few days before we ship.
The airlines change their policies all the time.
What you need to do:
The day before the flight make sure you have had contact with us to confirm the flight and time. If
we do not have contact with you within 24 hours of the flight we will not ship out your puppy.
Contact the airlines and get information on where you will pick your puppy up. I have picked
them up at the Cargo facility and I have picked them up at the baggage claim counter. You need
to call and check this information out. Most airlines will tell you that you can pick your puppy up
30 minutes to a hour after arrival. We ask that you be at the airport and check in with them by
the flight arrival time. It is better that you sit there and wait, not the puppy. You must take picture
ID to get your puppy. Only the person I list on the paperwork with the airlines can pick the puppy
up.
Depending on how far you live from the airport you should probably take the following items to
the airport with you.
Food, water, a trash bag to dispose of the soiled material in their crate. Clean dry towels to
place back in the crate. Some wet wipes to wipe out the inside of the crate. It could be very
messy and smelly. Never wear something nice. We have made that mistake. It will get dirty,
especially if your puppy throws up on you. For smaller puppies take some sugar or Karo syrup.
If your puppy seems weak or lethargic they could be suffering from Hypoglycemia. A little sugar
water or syrup on the tongue can help. However you need to take them to a Vet and have them
checked over.
Your puppy might be smelly for a couple of days. We do not recommend bathing them right
away as to avoid the stress. Instead just wipe them off with a warm wet cloth. The crate might
smell badly as well. We suggest you take it outside and hose it down and scrub with dish soap
once home. I suggest letting it sit outside for 24 hours to air out after cleaning.
Please note: We try very hard to ship your puppy on the shortest flight at the most reasonable
time. We do need to ship as many puppies from a litter the same day. This may lead to you
picking your puppy up at an bad time, we apologize. We will try our very best to make it easy for
you. If you need to reschedule the flight for a different time or day you may have to pay an
additional fee to cover our travel expenses.
The next few days will be trying for you and your puppy. Please allow your puppy plenty of rest,
food and water. Over stimulating them the first few days can make them very sick. They are cute
and you will want to play with them, just take it easy. Most important. Get them their first Vet
exam. This is very important. Your Vet will make sure they handled the flight alright and can
make any suggestions to their care and schedule follow ups. If you are ever in doubt about their
health contact your Vet.
We are always here for you. Feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns.
I am sure there is so much more I could write and probably will with time. If you
have any suggestions please email them to me. Thanks and check back often.
Things you should purchase prior to getting your puppy home.
1. Danes need a raised feeder. The best kind are adjustable for growing. We recommend you
buy a small washable rug to place under your feeder. When Danes drink water they make a
huge mess on your floor. Never place it on a floor that can be damaged by water. (wood, carpet)
2. A large comfortable bed. Lhasa's tend to take over ours.
3. If you plan to crate train you will need a crate with a divider. Danes grow fast. It is best to buy
a very large one with a divider as to avoid buying a larger one every couple of months. A giant
sized crate can run you about $200. Lhasa's can use a plastic carrier crate. You do not want too
big.
4. Food and water bowls that hook on to the side of the crate. Never lock a puppy in a crate
without water.
5. An adjustable collar and a leash. Start CHEAP! Yep cheap. For a Great Dane you will go
through 3 or 4 collars before they are full grown. Start cheap but safe. I try to deter people from
buying the ones that buckle like a sandal. Buy the snap clip kind. We send home our Lhasas
and Danes with their first collar and leash. If you plan to keep a Lhasa in a full coat you will not
use a collar all the time on them.
6. Toys. Lot's of chew toys. I do not like stuffed animals. Danes shred them quickly and the
stuffing can be difficult to pass sometimes. Stuffed animals for children have eye's and other
small parts that can make your puppy sick if ingested. Try investing in Kong toys and other
tough made toys and ropes for Danes. Lhasas like soft plush dog toys. Understand that as your
puppy grows you will need to purchase larger toys as to prevent them from choking. NO
TENNIS BALLS for larger dogs! I have seen cases were larger dogs have gotten them lodged
in their throat. I can honestly say that we spend about $15 a month just maintaining our toy
selection. Oh yeah before I forget, DO NOT give your puppy shoes, knotted socks, etc. Your
puppy will not be able to tell the difference between the shoe that is OK to chew and the one
that is not.
7. Food. You need to check with your breeder to see what food they feed. If you plan to change
the food once you get your puppy home you will still need to buy a small bag of it. You must
transition your puppy slowly to avoid upsetting their tummy. Read the bag of your food to learn
how to transition.
8. Shampoo. OK, most people forget this one. Don't spend tons of money on expensive
shampoo. Puppies skin is sensitive. Do not get the perfume ones. Get a gentle puppy
shampoo or even regular baby shampoo.
9. Toe nail clippers. Yep, unless you plan to take your dog to the Vet or groomers every 2
weeks you need to learn to clip their nails. It is not hard. Have your Vets office teach you the
technique. As Great Danes get older it becomes harder to clip the nails. We have to use a tool
to grind them shorter. You can get one at any hardware store or pet supply store. You must
teach the dog early to not be fearful of these. My dogs enjoy getting their nails done! They
actually get excited when they hear the grinder. The key is to make it fun and rewarding.
10. A brush. For Lhasa's you will need a comb and a brush. For Danes a soft bristle brush is all
you need. Brush your Dane once a week to keep their coat healthy and shiny. Lhasa's with
longer coats need to be brushed daily if showing them only weekly. Shorter cut Lhasa's need a
brushing once a week. Your Groomer can teach you the proper technique for brushing and
grooming your dog at home.
11. Do you feel overwhelmed yet? Keep reading.
12. Cotton balls and an ear cleaner. You need to wipe out your puppies ears every couple of
weeks. Teach this early. Natural eared Danes and Lhasa's are prone to ear infections if they
are not kept clean and dry. If you ever find black/sticky, red or smelly stuff in your dogs ear
STOP and seek medical advise.
13. We find it nice to store all these grooming items in a tool box. You can get one at your local
Wal-mart or Kmart for about $10. This way everything is in one place when you need it.
14. If you plan to have your Danes ears cropped there is a long list of items you must have. Ask
us for links to websites that discuss ear taping.
15. Child gates. Take a good look at your home. Is there rooms that you do not want your
puppy to have free run in. House breaking is more successful if the puppy is not allowed to
roam free. If needed purchase tall child gates and learn how to operate them.
16. Training treats. This is a learning process. Some dogs like some better than others. Some
dogs get the runs with some treats. We make our own. We dehydrate fresh beef liver and fresh
chicken breast for our dogs. All natural and bad stuff.
17. A book about the breed of dog you are getting. If you have never owned this breed of dog
get a good book and read it. Learn as much as you can. Learning about the breed is SO
important. You should know the behavior traits, what they were originally bred for, health and
genetic issues. Most books will all so tell you the best method of training to use.
18. A book about training. Even if you plan to take your puppy to obedience school
(recommended) get a book and read it. You usually do not take your puppy to school until 4
months of age. You can start training your puppy at home right away.
Does this list seem long......well I am sure I have left off some things. I recommend that as soon
as you find a breeder and decide to buy a puppy that you start purchasing some of these items.
Set up for a new puppy could go well over $300.
Things to do before bringing home your new puppy.
1. Find a Vet. If you do not have one you need to find one. Do not just open the phone book and
start dialing. Ask around. Talk to other pet owners. Get some referrals. When you talk to your
Vet make sure they understand the Great Dane or Lhasa Breed. Danes need special surgical
requirements. Those can be found on www.gdca.org website.
2. Find a groomer and a trainer. Talk to them early and make sure they will meet your needs.
3. Prepare your home: this is so important. Please read it carefully.
A. Check your fence. Is it in good condition. Is there holes underneath it. Do your gates latch
securely. Danes can learn to unlatch a gate. Lhasa's can squeeze through small openings.
B. Look around your yard. Know what kind of plants you have. Check with your nursery or Vet to
see if they are safe for pets. Puppies will enjoy chewing on them and some can be poisonous.
Remove any that are dangerous.
C. In your home. Get on the floor and crawl around. Crazy, not really. You need to be on your
puppies level to see hidden dangers. Is there wires and plugs your puppy may get a hold of. I
have witnessed puppies unplugging electronics. That is so dangerous. Conceal your wires and
plugs from the puppy. Lamps, if you have the tall floor lamps make sure they are stable. A
frolicking puppy can knock one over.
D. House plants. There are poisonous house plants out there. Check to make sure yours are
safe to puppies.
E. Your antique furniture. People often forget that puppies chew. It is natural and healthy. They
usually do it when cutting teeth. Although we try and teach the puppy the right things to chew on,
once in a while we turn our backs and UH OH. Grandma's antique trunk or table leg gets teeth
marks. Until your puppy is completely trained and has finished teething pack up, move, or block
off your valuables. It is YOUR fault not your puppies if they get a hold of something special.
F. Take time off from work. Plan a short vacation from work for when your puppy arrives. You
will need to be home and bond with your new puppy. Your puppy will be scared and leaving
them home alone right away is terrible. If you can not stay home get a friend to stay with him/her.
Besides the simple fact that the first week or so you will not get much sleep. A new puppy is like
a new baby. They cry most of the night and need to potty frequently. Most puppies can not hold
their potty for more than a couple of hours until they are 4 to 6 months old.
4. Put some cash aside for Vet bills and anything else that might come up. We recommend that
after you get your pet home you purchase pet insurance. However you should keep at least
$100 set aside for Vet bills. Some people recommend putting $20 a month in your puppy piggy
bank. It really comes in handy.
Training tips:
1. Potty breaks need to be given every couple of hours. Puppies usually need to potty within 15
minutes of eating/drinking. They usually will stop in the middle of a play session to potty as well.
Take them out often and keep it fun. Take them to the same spot every time. I prefer to take
them out on a leash. Kill 2 birds with one stone! Leash and potty train at the same time. If you
are like us and use a giant doggy door you must still take them out! Pushing them out the doggy
door is a bad thing. They will learn to potty right outside the door, step in it and track it right
back in your house. Until they have learned the right place to go, they will not properly use a
doggy door.
2. Crate training. Get a book about it. There is so much to learn. I will just say, it is a safe place
for your puppy or adult dog. Do not think though that your dog will be happy being in a crate 10
hours a day while you are at work! We crate train all our dogs. They love their crates and no one
avoids them. Just learn the right way to do it.
3. Talk to your children about caring for your new pet. Teach them before bringing the puppy
home about caring for it. Young children should be taught NOT to pick up a puppy. Children can
seriously hurt a puppy. Teach young children not to RUN around next to a puppy. Children can
trip, fall and land on your new puppy. Teach your children that the food and water bowl is off
limits! Dogs should be taught not to protect their food, but children can still get hurt touching a
dogs bowl while the dog is eating. Teach your children not to ever hit a puppy.
4. Talk to your family about the rules. Set rules and make sure everyone understands them.
Important things to talk about are, who will feed and water the dog (adults only), who will walk
the dog every day, who will bath the dog, will the dog be allowed in bedrooms, will the dog be
allowed on the couch. These are very important decisions to make.
5. Baths. OK we have so much fun at bath time. Yep it can be very fun. We have had puppies
who hated the bath learn to enjoy it. Every one of our dogs by the time they are 7 months will
jump right into the tub. We have one, Kitty, that we have to bribe to get out of the bath. At NO
time should you bathe your dog outside! You can not control the temperature of the water nor
the weather. If you want to make your dog afraid of the bath then bathe them in 40 degree water
with a 30 degree wind-chill! Right from the start we do it this way......Get your shorts and t-shirt
on. Put your puppy in the shower, get in with them! Turn the water on and get the temperature
right before getting them wet. The water should be slightly cooler than you would bath a baby in.
White dogs are more sensitive. Never stand over your puppy. Get down at ground/face level.
Talk to them and play with them while getting them wet. Keep their head dry until the end. Most
dogs do not enjoy getting their face wet. We have learned that it is better to bath half the dog
and have them enjoy it then bath the whole dog and stress them. Keep it quick and fun. You can
bath them again tomorrow if needed. Make it a game. Splash and play with them. It's OK, you
will get dirty bathing your dog. When all is done teach them to stay in the tub while towel drying.
Do not let them jump right out. They can slip and fall and hurt their hips. Most of our Danes love
the towel part. Sugar loves to walk around with the towel draped over her back. Joker likes his
face buried in the towel. Atiya after drying off likes to roll around on the floor with her towel.
Make sure you dry the inside of their ears to avoid fungal infections. Trimming toe nails is often
easier after a bath. Lhasa's should not be bathed if they have any mats. Mats should be
removed first. The water can cause them to tighten up and pull on their skin.
6. Tricks. Fully look at each trick you want to train your puppy. If you do not want you 130 pound
Dane jumping on people do not teach them that when they are babies. If you do not want them
on the couch do not put them in your lap while sitting on the couch. Fetch, Great fun trick, but you
must use the right toy. Don't use a newspaper or you will never have a dry Sunday paper again.
Don't train your Dane to play in the house. It is cute at 30 pounds, not cute at 130 pounds. Do
not teach a Dane to jump over things! If they never learn to jump over things they will generally
not do it. That includes your fence. We have a 4 foot fence on the front half of our property and
no one has ever tried to jump it.
7. Table scraps. OK this is a topic of debate. My rule is, if you don't want them to think it's OK
then don't teach them to do it. Period! If you feed them off your plate then do not complain when
you set your plate down and they help themselves. One big no-no is bones. Never give a Dane
or Lhasa a cooked bone. Research raw bones if you want. The other big no-no is that some
foods are deadly to dogs. You need to research and make sure what you are giving them will
not kill them. Grapes, Onions, Chocolate are all off limits.
8. Training collars. We do not use harnesses. They will not control your dog. They are fine for
toy breeds, not large breeds. Try your best to use a regular collar. We do however use choke
collars when out in public. Make sure you know what you are doing before using one. Get
advice from a trainer.
9. Socialize. This is very important. Please know that you should make sure your puppy is
vaccinated before taking them to dog parks. All puppies need to be exposed to different
environments and situations.
Puppies being shipped
Shipping can be very scary for puppies. We do everything we can to prepare them before
leaving. This includes getting them used to being in crate. Separating them from the rest of the
litter for short periods every day. Taking them for car rides. However nothing is like the flight.
We will try and put comfortable bedding in the crate. We will put a cheap rubber backed rug in
the bottom of the crate. This helps with their footing. We do not vaccinate within 2 days of the
flight. We will place water in their crate. We prefer not to put food in if we can help it. Puppies
can vomit and choke on their food. Some airlines are no longer allowing toys in the crates. If we
can we will put something in there to keep them company. Your puppy will not have their collar
on. It is not allowed by the airlines. This prevents them from being strangled. Make sure when
you open the crate your puppy can not run off. We will tape a packet to the top of the crate. It
should arrive intact but you never know. It should include paperwork, food and a collar. If these
items can not be shipped with the puppy we will mail them to you a few days before we ship.
The airlines change their policies all the time.
What you need to do:
The day before the flight make sure you have had contact with us to confirm the flight and time. If
we do not have contact with you within 24 hours of the flight we will not ship out your puppy.
Contact the airlines and get information on where you will pick your puppy up. I have picked
them up at the Cargo facility and I have picked them up at the baggage claim counter. You need
to call and check this information out. Most airlines will tell you that you can pick your puppy up
30 minutes to a hour after arrival. We ask that you be at the airport and check in with them by
the flight arrival time. It is better that you sit there and wait, not the puppy. You must take picture
ID to get your puppy. Only the person I list on the paperwork with the airlines can pick the puppy
up.
Depending on how far you live from the airport you should probably take the following items to
the airport with you.
Food, water, a trash bag to dispose of the soiled material in their crate. Clean dry towels to
place back in the crate. Some wet wipes to wipe out the inside of the crate. It could be very
messy and smelly. Never wear something nice. We have made that mistake. It will get dirty,
especially if your puppy throws up on you. For smaller puppies take some sugar or Karo syrup.
If your puppy seems weak or lethargic they could be suffering from Hypoglycemia. A little sugar
water or syrup on the tongue can help. However you need to take them to a Vet and have them
checked over.
Your puppy might be smelly for a couple of days. We do not recommend bathing them right
away as to avoid the stress. Instead just wipe them off with a warm wet cloth. The crate might
smell badly as well. We suggest you take it outside and hose it down and scrub with dish soap
once home. I suggest letting it sit outside for 24 hours to air out after cleaning.
Please note: We try very hard to ship your puppy on the shortest flight at the most reasonable
time. We do need to ship as many puppies from a litter the same day. This may lead to you
picking your puppy up at an bad time, we apologize. We will try our very best to make it easy for
you. If you need to reschedule the flight for a different time or day you may have to pay an
additional fee to cover our travel expenses.
The next few days will be trying for you and your puppy. Please allow your puppy plenty of rest,
food and water. Over stimulating them the first few days can make them very sick. They are cute
and you will want to play with them, just take it easy. Most important. Get them their first Vet
exam. This is very important. Your Vet will make sure they handled the flight alright and can
make any suggestions to their care and schedule follow ups. If you are ever in doubt about their
health contact your Vet.
We are always here for you. Feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns.
I am sure there is so much more I could write and probably will with time. If you
have any suggestions please email them to me. Thanks and check back often.
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| The very first thing you should do is, be sure and informed about the purchase you are about to make. A puppy is no quick decision. There are hundreds of puppies placed in shelters daily because people did not think about the commitment prior to getting the dog. Research the breed, cost of care over it's lifetime and the breeder. We breed for our show hobby. We do not breed to make money, really if you do it right you don't make any money at all. All money we do make goes right back in to the dogs to help us improve the breed. |