| Choose your Breeder or your Puppy Provider wisely BEFORE . . . you take any Puppy |
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| This is a tough one I know, but you may thank us, and yourself someday... So, you've been looking for a Puppy. Congratulations. You want to bring "baby" home and make him or her part of your stable, loving and safe home, right? Where you are able to safely contain, control and protect this new "baby" inside AND OUTSIDE of the confines of your home - right? Well, before you get that far, we recommend a checklist of sorts, to take with you on your adventures and travels, all while you track down your next family member from all the breeders, kennels, stores, newspaper ads, local postings and referrals that you will soon be visiting or thumbing through. FIRST THINGS FIRST. 1. Why are you getting the Puppy? If it's a "gift" for a special occasion, we urge you to reconsider. If the "gift" is the driving force behind this choice, maybe your mind is not so made up. Not to say a child (older preferably) is not worthy of such an expensive "gift", but remember that long past the party, the presents and such, you (the adult) are still left with the upkeep of that "gift" on 4-legs. Are YOU ready for such a "gift"? Can YOU deal with cleaning up after the "gift"? Will YOU have or make time for the "gift" when your child can't or won't? NEVER EVER get or give a "gift" of a Puppy with the thought in mind, "well, if it don't work out, or we don't like what we got ourselves into, with full knowledge of what will be expected of us (the human courterparts) and the demands of a new baby Puppy, we'll just return "it" - get rid of "it" - make "it" disappear - give "it" to the shelter - donate "it" - take the loss and move on, etc." IT'S NOT THE PUPPY'S FAULT - Don't be an active participant in the "throw-away" society of today. It was YOU that did not plan better or fully understand the ramifications of bringing a new puppy home with you. Don't pass off your responsibility on a baby. 2. NEVER BUY ON IMPULSE. Many times we have said this to people... Think this very important decision through and be SURE that it is what you want to happen. If you answer "yes", then stand by that decision, through the Puppy months, to the toddler months, to the CHEW phase, from the cute and cuddly puppy-phase to the teen into the "grown dog" phase, through potty training and through school, where your new family member learns his/her place in the order of things. HOW TO CHOOSE - WHERE TO START? 1. Obviously, the first thing to do here, once you have decided that a new Puppy is going to work for you, is to decide on what kind of a Miniature Dachshund do you want? Do you have a gender in mind? Females tend to be more costly, but folks choose them for many reasons. Are you looking for the good 'ol stand-by of a Black/Tan, or do you want some "color"? Are you trying to match a dog you once had as a child, or that Grandma, Grandpa or your parents had? Whatever the reason of choice, NEVER get an animal to try and match colors of furniture, carpet or other inert object. We've heard sick stories like this and it's just wrong. If you can't love an animal "as-is", then don't even bother. And, if the color just doesn't matter, and all you are looking for is a good dog/puppy, then let's go... 2. If you have to, are you willing to travel to go pick up your new baby? Are you looking at this as an "inconvenience" rather than standing in a hospital, waiting on the birth of a new child? No, it may not be that far up the ladder of expectation, but if you have reservations about the "bother" of picking up baby - then why do you want the puppy in the first place? Homecoming should be an enjoyable joy filled event - not an inconvenience. 3. Once the above "bridges" have been crossed and you have an idea of what you are looking for, at least one hurdle is behind you. Now the world of choice opens up and you have to be armed as you go out and begin your quest to find your new baby. He or she is out there - somewhere - maybe now, maybe still yet to be born. You just have to find the proverbial needle in the haystack first. Modes of choice will come one of several ways - a personal referral from someone that already purchased a puppy from a reputable breeder (this can be good, but you are still responsible for this purchase - not your friend - do your homework). There will be the newspaper (depending where you live, you may have to travel to see puppies). Then there are those wall-side bulletin board postings at the local laundromat, mega-stores, utility poles, schools, or other public gathering venue, such as Trade-Days, Garage Sales, Side-street trunk vending, etc. We recommend that you stay away from the side of the street trunks. Also, stores with puppies will cost far more, as you are getting them at YOUR convenience just down the street in YOUR town or mall. Why spend an extra $200 for this? It's your baby after all. Aren't you the least bit curious as to how the puppy came to be in that store? Some stores shop price only when supplying their "stock", and some of the only places to get pups by price, is to mass produce them somewhere, maybe even a puppy mill... and we don't endorse this behavior or technique at all. When you buy from a store, you can not see the parents, nor the conditions the puppy or parents were raised in. It's a "clean presentation" for you made possible by the store on purpose. Ask to see the parents and you'll see. A store that charges $600+ for an animal is doing so for "overhead & profit", not quality. Any puppy should come with the same shots, records, worming, etc. from a store or from a reputable breeder (like us - hint, hint). So why overpay? DO NOT PURCHASE FROM A PUPPY MILL OR PUPPY FARM, or from any-one or any store you feel does not measure up to the highest standards with the animal or puppy's best interest in mind. If the litter was an "accident", or they don't care who they sell to, or whatever - we suggest you don't do it. AFTER ALL - IT'S YOUR CHOICE . . . 1. Like you shop for anything, you check the competition, check the stores, check the papers & ads, compare value of product to what you are spending, evaluating the utmost quality of what you are trading your hard earned money for. Why should the breeder of your next "baby" be any different? They shouldn't. Take (make) the time to do a thorough job of investigating and searching for your new "baby". And by all means, DON'T PLACE YOUR CHOICE OF A PUPPY ON PRICE. The Lowest bidder is NOT always going to provide the best animal. 2. What's next is what you consider to be "acceptable behavior". Not from your "baby", but from the Breeder, Kennel, Store or Supplier of your next family member. 3. THAT ALL IMPORTANT CHECKLIST TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE ON YOUR QUEST: NOTE - If a breeder or kennel has a problem with you (the buyer) asking not only these questions, but one's of your own, then you may be receiving a warning sign if not a "red flag" as to the legitimacy of their intentions to provide you with your "baby". <>Where do they whelp (give birth) to puppies, and how? Is it in a cold garage? Is it outside in the heat or cold? What protects the pups from bugs, bites, etc.? Are the puppies on cold concrete? Is the birthing area all-weather or temperature controlled? Are the pups and mom moved "outside" due to puppy noise, whining or smell of the litter, poopies or yuckiness? Or is it like us - inside the home, next to our bed, in our bedroom, where we constantly monitor, watch and listen for any trouble from mom or pup. We have had people in our home to show them where and how we do things. <>Has the mommy been on a high caloric diet, so that the puppies get all the nourishment they can to be as healthy as possible when born? We always feed our mommies properly, plus give calcium supplements and vitamins to them so that the pups have the best chance at developing strong bones and proper and complete development so they go all the way to term. <>Is the area where the pups are to be born have plenty of room? Is this area quiet and secluded from other dogs and away from noise and barking? How sanitary is the whelping area and how often, if ever, is it cleaned? We have always whelped our moms/pups inside next to our bed, away from any commotion outside from our other dogs. The area we use is a very large hard plastic box with high sides and an access side that is set up with clean towels (layered), on top of a big blanket (folded) underneath for cushion, on top of a baby-bed mattress pad (wetness protection), on top of newspaper as back-up. After birth/welping, the bedding is changed daily, if not twice a day during the first week or so. Everything is washed in a washing machine in HOT water to sanitize. The box is then emptied, and sprayed down with a disinfecting agent, allowed to dry, then rebuilt and mom/pups returned. <>After the pups are born, are they just left to fend for themselves? Are they left alone? Is the mother to decide who lives or dies if a pup falls out of the box? Are the pups protected from bugs, mice, rats, other dogs, or other predators? Are the pups kept warm and comfortable, or do they live in an uncontrolled environ- ment where the only warmth is their mom? Nothing breaks our hearts more than to hear stuff like that above go on. It is brought to our attention by you, our customers, and it is truly sad to hear. If someone is going to bring forth puppies into the world, how can they think that happenstance is good enough care - well, it's not. We pride ourselves in the fact that when our pups are born in our room, they stay in our room until they are adopted by a loving family. We don't move them to and froe disturbing them. They stay put - period. Inside our home, air-conditioned or heated, usually with a heating pad set on low placed under the plastic box, not inside the box. This to prevent burns or too much heat in any one place. All through their short life with us, we constantly check, double-check and keep a wary eye out for trouble. They are in our lives and our responsibility. <>How often are the dogs bathed? Not just sprayed down, but washed with soap & water? How often are toenails clipped? Are teeth brushed (don't laugh)? Are there measures in place to remove plaque build-up from teeth? Our dogs (all of them) are bathed at least once every 4-6 weeks, depending upon the season and weather. Mommies that are inside our home are bathed at least once every 10-days or so, if not weekly. After the bath, they are wiped down with baby oil down to their skin and wiped dry. My wife likes to put what is called "froo-froo" (parfume) on the dogs - nice. Each get toenails clipped every 4-6 weeks, or as needed. And yes, everyone gets their teeth brushed with every bath. Plus, my wife also does regular periodontal care to remove plaque from their teeth as well. What a job that is. Baths occur in our home, either in the kitchen sink, or in the bathtub or shower. <>What about space to roam, play and exercise those powerful muscles? Are the dogs all caged up in tiny little pens with no grass? Are the cages off the ground where the cages hurt the dogs feet? What is their "play time" like & where, if any? Do they live in filth, poop and urine? How clean are their cages? What steps are taken to prevent disease, parasites, fleas or ticks? We live in the city and on a 1/2 acre lot. Our dogs have an area that is large and airy, under a shady canopy of pecan trees. There is plenty of room to run, play and frolic. There are plans to move the pen to the side of the yard to make their area even bigger. No cages for us. We built them an Air-Conditioned Dog-House to live in. The neighbor's think we're nuts... We routinely apply insecticide granuals surrounding the pen and our yard to prevent/deter the migration of fleas/ticks and other bugs. The play yard is fertilized to try and keep grass growing as much as possible with so many little feet running around. This area is sprayed with a bleach substance from top to bottom to keep ground parasites (and smell) to a minimum. Poopy patrol occurs regularly along with raking dead grass, twigs, chewed up sqeaker toys, etc. All dogs are on Heart-Guard and Frontline flea and tick control. We don't cut corners. We love and care for our family members. |
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| Any further questions you may have, please Contact Us. And, if you want, get on our FREE waiting list for your next family member. Remember, we can't help you if you don't contact us and let us know you want a puppy. Too many times they are gone before you know it. |
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