A Few Notes for First-time Puppy Buyers

SOMETHING CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT: Your new puppy should NOT accompany you to public places, such as dog parks, grooming facilities or pet stores until after it has had ALL of its puppy vaccinations. Extreme caution should even be taken during your puppy’s wellness checks at the veterinarian’s office.

First, transport your pup or older dog IN A PLASTIC CRATE, ideally seatbelted into the car seat, so it is protected from harm. You put your baby in a carseat to protect it; your puppy is a new baby, too! Just like a human baby, most puppies feel comforted by the motion of a vehicle, especially when in the dark security of their own "cave," and go right to sleep during the trip. Also, if you're at the vet and a bigger dog happens to be feeling out of sorts and wants to grab a bite of wiener-dog, it's a lot harder to do through the wall of a crate! Be extremely careful with your puppy around other dogs - any dog can be very scrappy at a moment's notice if it is in pain or feels threatened, instigating a dogfight without warning. Puppies, like small children, can throw unbelievable tantrums in a doctor's office because they aren't being held, but "SAFETY FIRST" is the best policy - keep your pup in its crate until the vet is ready to examine it.

Keep the pup on a leash when outside or at the vet, or anywhere around strange animals. Many dachshunds will chase just about anything that walks, runs, crawls, swims or flies, and an unleashed doxie may soon be a dead doxie. Harnesses work better than collars with dachshunds, who will fight the choking feeling of a collar, but not a harness. Many doxies have a neck that is larger in girth than their head, so a collar just slips off over the head; a harness fits around the front legs and the torso, so it won't slip off of most dogs - but there's always the exception to the rule! Some are veritable "greased pigs," sliding out of a harness with amazing ease when you least expect it. WATCH YOUR DOG, and don't ever assume it CAN'T escape! "Animal Control" is more than the local dog-catcher - it's a vitally-important concept to any animal owner. You're not in control if your dog is galloping across the neighbor's yard, chasing a cat or squirrel into the street, or snooping around the vet's rooms while you chat nonchalantly with other owners.

Secondly, while at your veterinarian's office, don't allow your doxie to stand or walk on the floor - the place is full of SICK ANIMALS!!! - and make sure the examination table is sanitized thoroughly before allowing your puppy to be examined on it! Do not take the employee's word for it!!! Ask them to clean the surface prior to placing your puppy on it, with a product that is suitable for veterinary purposes, such as Chlorhexidine. If need be, DO IT YOURSELF! YOU are the person ultimately responsible for the health and well-being of your puppy. You can carry a container of Clorox Wipes or other sanitizing wipes with you - just remember to USE them - your dog's life may depend on it. Chlorhexidine can be purchased online or through your vet or a drugstore.

Parvovirus (parvo) is a common dog disease that can be picked up from the ground (where it never goes away!) or any surface used by other dogs, can even be carried into your house on your shoes or a visitor’s, is extremely difficult to cure in a young puppy, and in most cases is fatal. DO NOT put your new puppy down on the ground in a public place to go potty, but train it to use a housebreaking pad or newspapers and always carry some with you!

Your puppy should not be introduced to other dogs – even your own – until it has completed its puppy vaccinations. Either leave the pup with the breeder until it has received the complete set of vaccines, or keep it in isolation in your home. Too many diseases can be carried by older dogs with no visible signs of illness, and transmitted with disastrous results to a susceptible unvaccinated puppy.

We will be happy to keep your pup until it has had all its puppy shots, typically around its 12th week, for a small maintenance fee for the vaccines, food and any other expenses incurred before it goes home with you. Please ask about this service when you arrange the pick-up date for your puppy; otherwise, pick-up is any time after the puppy reaches eight weeks of age.

FlicKennel Dachshunds begins vaccinating puppies for parvo and several other diseases at six weeks, the day after leaving their mother, as her immunities are naturally transmitted to them through her milk until 24 hours after weaning (being removed from her). Further vaccinations are administered at two or three-week intervals (depending on the brand of vaccine) until three have been given, or until the puppy is sold, at which time the new owner assumes responsibility for seeing that the pup goes to a vet for the rest of its shots.

Heartworm is not a problem where we live, at high altitude in Colorado, so we don't treat for them, but do encourage new owners to do so if heartworms are a problem in their area.

Leptospirosis is another disease we seldom encounter, and since dachshunds are prone to anaphylactic shock upon being vaccinated for it, be sure to warn your vet (many of whom aren't familiar with all "breed-specific" afflictions) to administer Benadryl or epinephrine approximately 10 minutes before giving the lepto shot.

If you have any questions about other canine diseases or problems, your vet is your first line of defense, but we'll be happy to answer as many questions as we can - after 38+ years of raising dachshunds, we've learned a lot! We want all our clients and dogs to be able to spend many joyful years together, and the only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked - so ask away! If we don't know the answer, we'll find someone who does.