Waggin' Tails Miniature Dachshunds

 

                          Purchasing a Puppy

I do conduct an in-depth telephone interview, plus another at our home with responsible pet owners and well-behaved children. I will request vet & personal references. The contract we have is a rather strict one - we want to be sure that our puppies will go to responsible pet owners, loved in lifetime-commitment homes and treated as family members; and that they are not kenneled, crated or kept as outside dogs. Our puppies are NOT raised with children. If folks with children wish to purchase one of our tiny puppies, we have to be reassured that their children will treat the puppy gently and with respect.

 

We provide lifetime support for our puppies and want their new owners to love them as much as we do. Please understand that we want the best possible homes and will screen applicants thoroughly.
 

 

   How We Prepare Our Puppies Emotionally

It's extremely traumatic for a puppy to be taken from the only home he's ever known. There are several things that can be done by the breeder and the new owner to help minimize the shock.

 

If a puppy is kept solely in one area his entire puppyhood, it's more difficult for him to adjust to new surroundings.

 

Our puppies are born in our bedroom in a whelping box. Their mother is free to go in and out of the box as she pleases. The puppies live in the whelping box for about 2 weeks, until their eyes begin to open. At that time we place the puppies inside a puppy pen about 4 feet across, still within the bedroom. The gate is kept open so the mother can jump in and out whenever she wants, but the puppies cannot climb out. Their bed is moved twice a day from one side of the pen to the other. Since their mother is almost constantly with them, having the bed in a different place is not very traumatic, and it gets them accustomed to change.

 

When the puppies are 5 weeks old, we change their living area. They are more adventurous at that age, and dislike being confined in a pen. We have a hallway which runs the length of half the house and there is recessive area where it leads to another room. Their new bed is placed the recessive area and they have the entire hallway to run in and play. Being in the hallway allows them to be able to interact constantly with my husband and myself and to see and hear all the other dogs.   A babygate separates them from the other dogs, though soon their curiosity leads them to the babygate and they exchange greetings. At this point, the mother divides her time (as she chooses) between being with the puppies and being back with the rest of the dogs. 

 

When the puppies are 7 weeks old and have had their first vaccinations and a couple wormings, we invite potential new families over to visit with them. If the weather is mild, we attach two puppy pens together into one large one, put a quilt down and let them enjoy the fresh air and sunshine with visitors. If a family decides on a puppy, we encourage them to come back to visit the puppy so he gets used to their scent and accustomed to being handled by them. Also, when the puppies are about 7 weeks old, we open the babygate and they are allowed to mingle with the other dogs. They still sleep in their hallway bed, though, at night.

 

Between 8 and 9 weeks of age, they are ready to be fully integrated with the rest of the family, and they spend their days and nights with the whole family. That is also the time when they will be going to their new homes.  

 

When a puppy leaves with his new family, he:

  • is accustomed to having the location of his sleeping and living area changed
  • is accustomed to using both pee pads and newspapers
  • is familiar with steps (we put small doggy steps next to our furniture so the Dachshunds do not strain their backs jumping up and down)
  • is used to living and interacting with other adult dogs, including large dogs
  • is used to being properly handled, picked up and cuddled by people
  • has a blanket with his mother's & siblings' scent for emotional comfort.
  • has a bag of the puppy food he is used to eating
  • (ideally) has previously met his new family and they are no longer strangers.

The puppy booklet has many other tips for a successful transition.

 

Our puppies are happy and confident because they have only been handled properly and gently by adults. Tiny puppies can be frightened by being mishandled and then become reluctant to be handled at all - ducking down and huddling to the floor in an attempt to avoid being picked up (and this takes a lot of reassurance, confidence-building and re-training to get them to trust people again). Our puppies and dogs are never ever kenneled or crated - they are kept as very real members of our family. Our puppies have never experienced separation anxiety by being isolated in a cage, i.e. "crated". Dogs are social pack animals, and only the ostracized and unhealthy (i.e. unwanted) are kept away from the pack (family group). (Trying to justify crating by claiming that dogs are "den animals" is twisting the truth: in the wild - their "dens" are "family dens" - not "individual dens.") Because our puppies have never known anything else, they EXPECT the best from everyone (adults, children and other dogs) and love to play and interact with all.
 

It's never easy seeing a puppy leave, we held him from the very first moment of his life and watched him grow and develop into sturdy, fun-loving, happy little puppy. But we take comfort in knowing that we have found the best possible family for him; a family that we will enjoy staying in contact with for many years to come.

If you are interested in purchasing a puppy and/or have any questions, please use the "Contact Us" link on the left.

 

 The picture above was taken when puppies were 7 weeks and 2 days old. They are snuggled among the other dogs taking a mid-morning nap beneath my computer desk. 

In the lower left corner is Dazzle, the upper right corner Rusty (black); in between them (from left to right) are: Cammie (mother of pups), Chewy (puppy), Sally (puppy), Sparkie and Rikki. You can just barely see a bit of Lucy (puppy) between Sparkie & Rikki.