new puppy & a beardie

[ses2682]

Both of my dogs, a pug and a chihuahua like to smell Leroy. My pug is 7 yrs old so he really doesn't care who I bring into the house My chi is only 1 1/2 yrs old and surprisingly very gentle and just likes to watch Leroy and smell him when he gets the chance. I bet if you just let the pup and MJ be in the same room for awhile...until the pup gets a little older and then when he has more of an attention span I would introduce them. Despite pugs being lumpy and lazy as adults they can be pretty ADHD when they are young.

 

[ChellyBeans]

I must be honest, but I have not read anything other than what the OP wrote. Here is my 0.02.

Pugs are high strung dogs and will be pretty hyper most of their lives. They are precious. Just make sure that you stay on top of them with their health. Their most common issues are pretty pricey to fix and the smushed in face is always prone to breathing problems. No need to freak, just be aware.

As for introductions, you can always let them meet. Puppies tend to get extra excited when meeting someone or something new and may bite at it trying to figure out what it is. Just be VERY cautious.

I, too, just got a new puppy. A border collie to be exact. I've been a vet and an dog trainer/handler for many years. Let me tell you that it is a good thing that your puppy follows you around. It is a sign that they will pay attention to you and want to please you. So training should go more smoothly than a puppy that has their own agenda.

Congrats!!! I'm also stoked that you got MJ a friend.

 

[ChellyBeans]

thanks guys for all of the advices! I haven't even tried 'introducing' my puppy and the beardies.. because I'm too afraid . It's like one mintue, he'll be fine, then the next, he'll just strike at me and chew on a sandal or something lol. I'm doing TONS of research on how to get your pup not to chew on things but I'm still too afraid. He's only 3 months... and not that big... but Im scared if I put MJ or Gonzo in front of him... he'll bite them! Even if supervised ! What's a good way to do it??? HELP ! I'm really starting to feel like I"m stuck in the middle.. as if I'm neglecting my babies because of this puppy !!!! I'm DESPERATE of gettng them to know each other !

Okay... I admit. Curiosity got the best of me and I started reading.

The BEST way to keep your puppy in tact is crate training. He will throw a fit and probably hurt your feelings, but you have to be persistent and soon, you will see that there are more benefits than none.

Ie:
Aids in house training.
Keeps your puppy from chewing on things they shouldn't.
Provides for a schedule.

There are more, but you get it.

When owning a hyper breed that is fairly hard to train, the key is in persistence and having a routine. I ALWAYS crate train when they are young. I get those big metal cages and get the food and water bowls that screw on the actual cage. Depending on your routine, you should feed them a little in the morning and a little at night. Allow this feeding to ONLY occur in the crate. When food is in there, it makes the crate seem not so bad. Timing out their potty schedule is pretty easy from there. When the puppy gets older, you should only feed once a day and that feeding should take place around your dinner time. Then take him/her out one last time before bed. You can have them sleep in their crate at night (a comfort thing) or they can sleep wherever. I recommend sleeping in the cage for potty training purposes. That way, when you take them out in the morning, they have a big potty. Feed a SMALL amount of food, enough to hold them over while you are gone and make sure they have water. In the crate, provide a bed and all sorts of things that your puppy can chew on and play with. This really makes the crate desirable to be around. You can even make a game out of going in the crate. You can offer your puppy a treat each time they go in the crate and allow you to close the door. Even if they don't like it, which they won't at first, just ignore them, let them cry and don't pay any attention to them when they cry. Remember... PERSISTANCE! If you let them get away with something while they are younger, it will be an even worse behavior when they get older.

Even MY puppy cries like a fat baby about it, but he is coming around.

That is simply my expert opinion. Best of luck to you!

 

[ses2682]

I just wanted to agree with the previous post about the importance of crate training. It is a great tool to use when you are teaching your pup potty training. Unfortunately, there are people who use it inappropriately as a way of punishment or keep their pups in there for 14+ hrs everyday.
I did want to say as a pug owner of 10+ yrs, as a breed they are not hyper..but of course there are always exceptions. I've owned two pugs personally who have been so laid back they are almost comatose. Of course I have met a few here and there who were extremely excitable their entire lives. I did want to stress that as a breed they are extremely people orientated..they live to be with their people/families and do not do well left alone out in a backyard or left in an apartment for extremely long periods of time.
The most important way to avoid those health problems is to buy from a reputable breeder and avoid puppies from the newspaper or craigslist. My pug has been extremely healthy his entire life with minimal health issues. I also avoid crap dog foods from the grocery store and buy foods that are free of fillers like corn, and by products.

 

[ChellyBeans]

The above poster made a great point. The better quality of food, the better your pup is. Keep away from anything that has grain in it. Those things aren't natural to a dogs diet and is known to cause digestive and skin issues.

I agree that you come across a very well bred pug and they will be calm and collective, but with me not knowing your puppy's parents, it's hard to gauge. Proper breeding makes all the difference and I have seen more high strung pugs than calm in my day. (Not meaning to argue)

 

[ses2682]

I agree..you are totally correct about the backyard bred pugs being way different in temperment. Pugs have been extremely popular for some time now..milo&otis and men in black made them so popular everyone is breeding them. I see many pugs who are tall with longer legs, small heads and HUGE googly eyes. These newspaper pugs are so popular I often have people come up to me and my dog at the dog park and they comment how different he looks from most..he is short, square with a very prominent head and large eyes..but not bugy eyes. It really is amazing what can happen to any dog breed when it becomes in such high demand.

 

[ChellyBeans]

You're right. Those long legged things throw me off. They are supposed to be stocky with a deep chest with legs that are proportional to their size. A nice round head with ears that lay to the shape of their head with large non-bugling eyes. The face should be mostly flat but not interfering too much with breathing. Another trait is the shovel tongue. A nice little rolled up tongue is so freaking precious!

 

[ses2682]

I'd post a picture of Waldo if I knew how to.

 

[ChellyBeans]

Upload your image at photobucket.com and copy and paste the image code on here.

 

[nicolemarie117]

I have a min pin. (I had my beardie first) When my min pin was little he didnt think too much of my beardie, when he started getting older, he would notice her more. So I would get my beardie out of her tank and hold her while my min pin checked her out. At first he just wanted to play, so I was scared that he would jump on her, also he would kinda wanna bite at her tail, So I just told him "No Bite!" and he knew that word from when he used to bit our hands playing. Now he doesnt mess with her at all. If shes out having free roam time, he goes over and sniffs her then walks away, then sometimes my beardie will take off running after him. lol.

 

[ChellyBeans]

My sister shows Min Pins. I just love them. They sure are some amusing little beasts. I swear they think they are King Kong. Lol

 

[Aznrainbowdime]

Hey guys !

Ok im at work so I must be honest, I just sort off glanced through the posts I have missed for the past couple of days. Few things I want to point out..

Crate Training.

I do have a crate, HOWEVER, I cannot use it... due to my work hours. I leave work at 430 am, and don't come home until about 3 or 4 pm. When I do get home, that is when I walk him, take him out, give him all of my attention... then at around 9 to 10 pm, we go to sleep. Putting him in crate that long, is just unfair. So I don't know if I will ever get him to be crate trained . I work far enough that I can't leave work for lunch.

I've been doing my reserach before I bought him, I finally found a reputable breeder close by, whom I met first, met my puppy's parents, etc. I even asked to see where they slept in ! lol. He is still very hyper, although I can't complain since I've only had him for 2 weeks now.

I'm still training the word 'NO' and 'DOWN' . Some times he'd act as if he totally understood and listened.. then a minute later acts as if I'm speaking a foreign language :shock: !

Yesterday I got home, I was able to give my MJ & prince a bath , which was very nice. I miss them so much eventhough we're in the same house lol.

Ok let me finish work, tell me your input on my crate training issue.. and I"ll respond when I get off work later

 

[ses2682]

Here is a pic of Waldo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27791975@N08/2586733938/

 

[puppydude30]

I do have puppies too so I can tell you guys that my puppies are really lovable. Your puppy seems to be really nice too. I would love to ask then what is your routine in giving your pets a groom.

 

[TheDeac]

Ok first off id like to say that I've had dogs since the day I was born and will always have dogs I've found that the easiest and funnest way to train is using a leash keeping the puppy on a leash at all times keeps from having to crate as far as potie training it makes it easy. Bc the dog is right next to you I've crate trained and this seems far easier and less stressful I used a leash to introduce my dog to my beadire and it really depends on tje dog I have five dogs and 3 of them could care less including my pug but 2 of them would eat him in a heartbeat but the leash gives I control I would introduce them as a puppy it'll help quite a bit in the future