Food
Your standard schnauzer puppy is eating 3 meals a day right now and is used to having dry available to them throughout the day. As a puppy, your youngster will be eating about ¼ can of Pedigree puppy food, a small hand full of Bill Jack puppy dry, and for breakfast, a small table spoon of cottage cheese, for lunch nothing added, and for dinner a small ball of hamburger. As your puppy grows you should continue to increase the size of their meals (no more than a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese or a child sized hamburger for those portions). When your puppy begins to refuse 1 meal a day, you can begin to skip their lunch, usually around 5 months it will vary dog to dog. Continue feeding the hamburger and cottage cheese until they are at least 1 year old. This will help the dog to realize its maximum potential. If you decide to switch brands dog food, do so over a period of time (at least 2 weeks if not more) and give the puppy several weeks to adjust to you and their new home before introducing a new brand of food. Add a little of the new food a bit at a time do it very gradually so as not to upset the dogs system.
If you find that you have leftovers, you can add the vegetables to their dinner, but they will just pick out the meat and ignore the rest of their dinner.
Grooming
Your standard schnauzer needs lots of grooming and this should be done weekly to keep them used to being handled and clean. Toe nails need to be clipped or ground weekly, more often if they are fast growing. The hair inside of their ears need pulled bi-month to insure clean healthy ears and should be cleaned out with a cotton swab to get rid of any dirt. The hair between their pads will need cut to keep them from picking up balls of mud, dirt, or ice and to keep their feet healthy. You should brush their furnishings weekly (beard and legs). Teeth should be brushed to insure healthy teeth and gums. A standard toothbrush and a mixture of baking soda and water is fine, you do not need doggy toothpaste.
Grooming your dog will ensure your happiness and it's happiness.
Exercise
Your puppy will be full of energy for a long time (it may be 3 years before they slow/settle down and become adults). At first, a long walk is not the best idea, puppies wear out quickly and too much exercise is as bad as too little. Once they have reached 1 year, you can start mile or longer walks, remember to slowly increase the distance just as you would for yourself. If you are a jogger, don't run your dog on hard surfaces until they are 2 years old, this will cause the bones to wear down. Jog/run on grass.
Try not to let your young puppy start jumping (such as agility training) until their bodies have matured. Wait until the are at least a year, preferably 1 ½ years before starting the jumping training. This will help keep the bones from forming wrong. Puppies will jump! Try to go down to their level to keep their jumping to a minimum.
Training
Your puppy has learned some form of NO, but may not want to listen to you, his/her new family. You must be firm, remember what might seem cute now may not be so cute when your puppy grows up.
Never hit your puppy with an object, but you can throw a metal can with pennies over their head or near them to get their attention. Just shaking it should be enough, but sometimes these guys can be stubborn.
Never encourage your puppy to bite. Grab their muzzle or tap them on top of the nose. They have already been started in this training. If your puppy insists, hold his/her muzzle, tell him/her no bite, he/she may not like it, but too bad!
Rough play leads to puppy being in control and this is not a good thing. However you choose to play with your puppy is your choice, not theirs. Always be in control. Your puppy already knows to go to the bathroom on newspapers. If you want any paper on the floor, you had better pick it up or they may use it for their toilet. Also, they have been outside and all had no problem going anywhere outside, so your training should be fairly easy. Remember, every time he/she gets up from a nap, eats, or is just sniffing around, or have been playing hard, take them outside immediately and every two hours Puppies do not wait long before going to the bathroom. Always use the same door (out and in). At these times, the importance is gong to the bathroom, if you want to play with your puppy make sure business gets done first. Puppies learn by routine. If they know where to go out at, eventually they will tell you by coming to you or going to that door.
Crate training is encouraged. The crate gives the puppy a place of his/her own to fell safe and be alone. Never let the kids into the crate or bother the puppy when they are in their crate. Also, this will save your house while you are away. Even though you may trust your young dog, think twice before leaving them loose in the house unattended until they are at least 2 year old.
With your new puppy, you might want to use the crate for times when you can not keep one eye on him/her. Cords and anything else down at puppy level (which is higher than you might think) are a constant danger until they are taught not to chew them (something not taught by the breeder, I am lucky to get them to stop shredding the papers).
Puppy and basic obedience class are recommended. This gives your youngster the social skills to deal with other people and dogs. It will also teach you a lot as well as bonding you and your standard schnauzer. The main care givers should be the ones to take the puppy to class. But the whole family is encourage to attend and practice at home. This way they will all get to learn and the puppy will respect everyone. However, everyone must use the same words for commands, or the puppy will be confused. Example: If you say off and your kids say down the puppy will be confused.
Please remember that these dogs never forget!! If there is something that you do not want, never praise them, if you do want a certain behavior, always praise it. Kind words always get results.
Play
Take care in choosing toys for your new dog. Make sure any squeakers are the kind that are safe for babies too. The other kind are too easy to remove and swallow. Plush toys are always a favorite along with noisy toys. A 2 liter soda bottle with some food inside makes a great, fun, and cheap toy and they will love it.
By playing tug of war with your puppy you could compromise the position of their mature teeth. If you find yourself in a position to do this, never pull back, just hold, but be careful that the puppy does not win, because you are the one in charge, not the puppy.
Remember, play time should be fun, but can be a good learning experience as well.
Treats
Treats are for good little puppies. Never feed too many to your youngster at one time and make sure they are good healthy treats. Your puppy thinks carrots are a special treat. Table scraps are not a good treat for your pet.
Bones should be American made as foreign products may have toxins in them.
Remember that too many treats will make puppy not want his/her dinner.
Please avoid rawhide they love it, however, they chew big pieces off and they can get trapped in their intestines that will create a blockage and cause problems.
What to do when puppy gets sick
Don't panic, all puppies get sick from time to time, this section just gives you tips to keep you from spending too much money at the vets.
If your puppy/dog is throwing up, a Pepto-Bismol tablet (1/2 for puppies) should settle it right down. Keep in mind most standard schnauzers will eat grass, this does not mean they have a tummy problem, it is perfectly normal. Also, they will come running in and drink a bunch of water then promptly turn around and throw it right back up. This is not a health problem either, it is perfectly normal, they do this when they drink too much cold water after lots of exercise or if it is hot outside.
Never give your dog Tylenol!! If your dog has a fever or is in pain because of a fall, take it to the vet.
Standard schnauzers are well known for jumping and as a puppy, this can sometimes get them into trouble. If your puppy lands wrong or hits something in the process of jumping, give them a couple of minutes and see if they can stand on the injured leg, if so, it is probably not broken, if they continue to limp for 24 hours, take them to the vet.
Teething will happen, just like kids, give the puppy an old wash rag soaked in water and put in the freezer, or refrigerated carrots and lots of ice cubes to chew. Sometimes a tooth will start to come in and the old one will not be loose, so you may have to pull a tooth, just wiggle it until it gets loose and pull it out.
If you ever are in question on any subject or problem with your puppy (but it will always be mine too) call me!!!!!!! Home 724-846-1317 Work 724-444-2300 (324) Cell 412-312-0428 email dinamyt@usaor.net
Please remember that you are adding a loving member to your family. This dog is going to live for a very long time. Everything you do with this puppy will have an impact on both it's and you life. Please keep in mind that no matter how cute this puppy is now you must still be in control of it's life. Therefore, you MAKE it fit into your lifestyle. Don't think you are being admonishing the puppy for behavior that you do not like. Think long term because the puppy will never forget.
