Meet Kahn, a 170 lb Great Dane from Dallas TX! He is 4 years old and comes from the best stock in TX! |
San Antonio Puppies
Our quest to find a puppy in San Antonio TX
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Great Danes in San Antonio
Monday, August 20, 2012
Taking Care of a Puppy
Bulldog Puppy |
Puppy Talk! At 12 weeks, your puppy's focus is still to eat,
drink, sleep, eliminate, and play. Your puppy should be underway to learning
right from wrong and in the process of being housebroken. He should be playful
and curious. You need to make sure your home is puppy proof and safe. This is a
critical time for housetraining and you should carefully support your puppy
with a good housetraining schedule.
The following list will help you know what to expect from your puppy has he develops.
How Big? Most 12-week-old puppies are only a fraction of
their adult length and of weight. Most puppies will gain or grow rapidly
between birth and 6 months of age and how much they grow or gain will depend on
their breed, diet, and ultimate adult size. Growth is generally steady until
they attain their adult size. Some formulas estimate that a puppy's adult
weight will roughly be double of their weight at 14 weeks of age.
Teething - Puppies 12 weeks old will have most of their 28
baby teeth and may have their first 2 to 4 adult front teeth, called the
incisors. Over the next three months, your puppy will be getting in all of his
adult teeth. Because they are entering an active "teething" stage,
they will want to chew. Provide lots of safe chew toys. Begin the first steps
toward brushing their teeth by opening their mouths and looking or gently
touching their teeth. Make each event positive.
Senses - 12-week-old puppies will show fear, pain and excitement.
They can see and hear fairly well. They are learning to differentiate between
smells.
Ability to Hold Urine – 12-week-old puppies can generally
hold their urine for about 4 hours. This means you will need to take them out
at least every 4 hours to get them "housebroken".
Intelligence – 12-week-old puppies are very interested in
their environment. This makes them at higher risk for getting into
"things" as they explore their environment. It is estimated that a
puppies brain is fully developed at this age and this is the ideal time for
them to begin "training". They can begin to understand right from
wrong and remember the consequences (reward!). Get your puppy used to the
collar and leash.
Play & Agility – Most puppies that are 12 weeks old are
still quite clumsy but are getting stronger and more coordinated. They have all
the gaits of the adult dog, just not fine tuned. They can run, play and stop
with better accuracy. You may see bouts of "spurts of energy and
play" when your puppy runs around like crazy. Enjoy this time! If your
puppy is wreaking havoc in your home, redirect this energy toward appropriate
balls and toys.
Sleep – Puppies that are 12 weeks old sleep approximately 18
to 20 hours per day. The rest is spent eating, playing and eliminating.
Physical Appearance & Hair Coat – 12-week-old puppies
have a very soft baby hair coat and do very little shedding. They still have
puppy characteristics but are getting slightly taller, longer and their muzzle
is lengthening.
Cute Puppies |
Tips on Best Ways to Raise Your 12-week-old Puppy
- Continue crate training
- Maintain a housetraining schedule
- Take him out at least every 4 hours
- Feed him 4 times per day
- Get your puppy used to grooming and touching his feet and mouth
- Expose your puppy to different people to minimize fears
- Socialize!
- Never hit your puppy
- Give positive reinforcement for work well done
- Beware of puppy hazards
- Provide safe chew toys
- Play with your puppy daily
- Make sure he gets his vaccines!
- Start/discuss heartworm prevention with your vet
- Make sure he has a good ID tag and microchip!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tips on Raising a New Puppy
How to Raise a New Puppy
Tanker from The Bark Life |
Did you just get a new puppy? When you get a brand new puppy, things that you do, or don't
do, can make a big difference in the development of your new pup. In a sense, they are just like children. Happy and
confident adult dogs (just like humans) don't just happen but are the product of good decisions
and correct treatment of the puppy from birth right up until their juvenile
period (around six months).
A pup's genetic makeup may be out of your control once you
have selected the right breed and individual for you, but you can sculpt or
distort the raw clay of the pup's genetic legacy by how you look after him and
act toward him. If you do the right things –
and, most importantly, don't do the wrong things - the pup
will turn out to be (as the US Army jingle goes) "all that he can
be."
The so-called sensitive period of development for puppies is
between 3 and 12 weeks of age. The sensitive period has been defined as a time
during development when the puppy is dependant upon (the correct) environmental
influences for its development to continue normally.
This is a time when primary social relationships and
emotional attachments develop between dogs and people and between dogs and
other dogs. Note that only half of this sensitive period has elapsed at the
usual time for adoption, which is why it is so important for owners to get a
grasp of the essential features of proper puppy socialization and training.
How to raise a good puppy has been discussed almost ad nauseam
by numerous authorities though the message has still not penetrated to all new
puppy owners. In essence, for training a new puppy, new owners need to
concentrate on being patient and considerate while using primarily positive
reinforcement with, if necessary, negative punishment (withholding benefits) as
a consequence for any deliberate, unacceptable behavior. But even informed
owners sometimes fail to appreciate the absolute no-no's of puppy raising.
True, some of the biggest of them are simply the converse of what should be
done, but it doesn't hurt to include these items in the list for even greater
clarity.
No Yelling, Threatening, Or Physical Punishment.
Punishment teaches a dog nothing, except how to avoid the
punishment. It is far better, and far more humane, to teach the pup what to do
rather than punish it for something it is doing. Also note, that punishment
after the fact is not only inappropriate; it is pointless. The only type of
positive (direct) punishment that might, on occasion be acceptable is that
delivered remotely by some anonymous contraption. E.g. some kind of booby trap
arrangement to discourage pups from "counter surfing."
Setting one's standards high is one thing but a puppy cannot
do what it is physically incapable of or doesn't understand. For example, young
pups cannot hold their urine for long periods of time. They are like children
and need frequent opportunities to empty their bladder.
The general rule is that pups can hold their urine for a
number of hours ("N" hours) equal to their age in months
("A") plus 1 (up to about 9 months of age). [I.e. N = A + 1] To
punish a pup of 3-months old for urinating on the floor when you have not taken
it out for 5 hours is not fair. To instruct a pup to come to you from a distance, and
then get angry with him for not coming is unfair if you have not practiced
and honed off-lead recalls at a distance. Temper your expectations. Think.
Do Not Keep Your Pup Shut In A Crate For More than 15-20 Minutes!
Some folk who acquire new puppies really don't have the time
to take care of them properly. There's no getting around it, raising a puppy
properly takes time. If you haven't got time, don't get a puppy. As a solution
to their puppy's ... well, puppy behavior, they lock it in a crate for hours on
end. It is shut up while they are out, while they are busy, and while they are
asleep. Some pups are crated for almost 20 hours a day for this reason. Of
course, when the pup is let out, it goes ballistic and the owner is horrified.
The Catch-22 solution, to put the puppy back in the crate: This is all horribly
wrong.
Most puppies do benefit from having a crate, a place of
comfort and security where they can engage in occasional self-imposed
time-outs. A crate can come to be viewed by the pup as a den, of sorts, but
note: Dens don't have doors. It is not bad to use the crate for house training,
confining the pup in the crate for 15-20 minutes between "bathroom
breaks" to ensure to requisite deposition of urine outside but long
periods of confinement are counterproductive, leading to a type of kennel dog
syndrome of hyperactivity, excessive reactivity, compulsivity, and
introversion.
If a pup cries for attention at night, whether crated or
not, provide it this attention, as you would a child. Do NOT ignore its
separation cries. You don't have to pick it up or pet it, just let it know you
are there for it and everything's okay. The less attention you give a pup
growing up the more needy it becomes when mature (this accounts for separation
anxiety being prevalent in shelter dogs and dogs from abusive backgrounds).
Conversely, the more attention you can give a pup as it is growing up, the more
independent it will become. It sounds like a paradox, but its true.
For the very best of reasons, veterinarians often tell new
puppy owners "keep your puppy in until his vaccinations are
complete." But what they are not factoring in is the terrible price of
failure to properly socialize puppies within the sensitive period of learning
window.
Half the puppies born in this country (US) fail to see their
second birthday and that (unacceptable) behavior is the primary reason for this
continuing holocaust. Proper early socialization would go a long way toward
addressing this problem and is as life-saving as vaccinations. It should not be
a matter of vaccination or socialization: Both are equally important and can be
dove-tailed.
Work with your vet to see what is acceptable in terms of
your puppy's possible exposure to infection. Perhaps the veterinarian might
agree that some limited contact with "safe" vaccinated dogs and
unfamiliar people in safe locations might be acceptable.
Puppy parties at home are one way of socializing pups to
people. The idea is that people unfamiliar to the pup come and visit your home
arranging themselves around, say, your family room. The strangers are
encouraged to interact positively with the pup and then pass it on until all
have handled the pup at least once. These gatherings should be held at least
once a week (preferably 2 or 3 times weekly) from the time of the pup's
acquisition until it is 14 weeks of age. It is a good idea to select people of
all shapes and sizes, sexes and colors, and wearing various forms of garb
(hats, fake beards, uniforms, even scuba gear) for these exercises. And don't
forget to take pictures for the family photograph album!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Cutest Puppy in San Antonio!
I am on a mission to find the cutest puppy in San Antonio.
This is my soon to be puppy, Tanker. He is a Snorkie.
Snorkies are a unique hybrid breed of a toy yorkie and mini schnauzer. He will come home this Friday! This fantastic breeder can be found in Texas. Info - soon to come. This adorable breeder family of 3, take extra care and love for their puppies. Handling them like they are a big happy family!
Email us your puppies info and pictures!!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tanker the Puppy
This is Tanker! He just might be our puppy! (Fingers Crossed!) What do you think about this cute little guy?
Tanker |
Labels:
san antonio puppy,
tanker the puppy
Location:
San Antonio, TX, USA
Sunday, July 8, 2012
San Antonio Puppies
Searching for Puppies in San Antonio
Are you looking for a puppy? We are too. And we are having the hardest time finding the right breed and an ethical breeder. We already own two rescue pups. But we want to add one more 'mascot' for our two older dogs to look after and protect. So we are looking for a teacup sized breed with a laid-back demeanor that doesn't have any health problems. Right now, this blog is dedicated to our search for a cute, healthy puppy in San Antonio. But who knows, maybe we will keep maintaining it if it seems fun!
Keep checking back for more. In the meantime, here are a few puppy candidates. What do you think San Antonio?
Location:
San Antonio, TX, USA
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