cailleach

Thanks, RT. I'll try the treats while touching the collar. He loves chicken, so that's a great idea. Yeah, I'm doing the rest, but it didn't occur to me to associate the [u][b]collar[/b][/u] w/treats. Housetraining is going great, he's a smart little guy. And, he's caught on to "sit" and "come" quickly. He's also smart enough to make mommy feel guilty, lol. Shel.

40, in 3 weeks. Shel.

Well, my little guy decided a couple days ago that he didn't want to go potty if he was on the leash, and I was holding it. Problem is, he's just too curious and the yard isn't fenced in all the way, yet. I got a nylon tie-out, and started putting him on that yesterday. He goes potty, but when I go to put it on him, he yelps, cries, and acts like I'm killing him. I feel horrid, but obviously I'd rather he was mad at me than getting hurt. Any suggestions on how to convince him it's not the end of the world, or is it just something he'll get used to eventually? Shel.

Duh! Found the info and links at TDG's site. Once again, thanks TDG for all your hard work. Shel

OK, so I've been reading a LOT, and I'm more confused than ever. I knew there were tons of dog foods out there, and that they were not all created equal, but WOW! Between my location, and my newly-discovered fear of ever-changing ingredients, I think homemade is the way to go. I see a few of you do this, and I have the time. Sorry if this is already on here somewhere, but can someone direct me to a site, or discussion, that will help get me started? When my children were babies, they were fed homemade babyfood, and thrived, so this isn't a whim. Unfortunately, I believed a lot of the propaganda about ONLY feeding commercial dog food until I came here. Thanks, Shel. Edited bc my brain is on hiatus

I guess I should have realized that. Thanks for the heads up, rotten two. I'll check that out. Shel.

Wow, TDG! That's a full-time job you have there! That site of yours is incredible. I'll be reading for days, lol. Thanks for all your hard work. It will definitely make my job easier. Pyrless, thanks. He's such a smart little shitzu, I had to give him a name to match. Shel.

Thanks, all. Yeah, I've been looking around online, and found out about all the great foods out there, but Iams and Purina are basically it in this area. I'll visit your link, TDG, and then talk to his vet when we go in. See if he has any samples I can try before making the 50 mile drive and picking up something great that he won't eat. If not, I'll still make the drive, just probably pick up 2 or 3. That way, if the first one doesn't work for him, I don't have to drive up there again right away. Irena, I'll get some pics up as soon as I figure out how to work my webcam, lol. I don't have a digital camera, and my scanner is kaput. I've already started checking into classes, and think that should go well. Socrates is very smart, and is picking up on his training extremely fast. The second day we had him (yesterday) there were no accidents at all, and he wasn't housebroke at all when we got him! Love this board, btw. I found it while looking for info on my little guy, and everyone seems to really love their pets, and know a lot. I'll be spending a lot of time here. Shel.

Hello, all. I just brought home a Shih Tzu/ Lhasa Apso mix yesterday. Now, we had been talking about getting a small dog for a bit, but had planned to do some research first. This little guy, however, fell in our laps. He needed a new home now, so we jumped in. I have had dogs before, and they were always well cared for and well behaved. They were also large mutts. Socrates is going to have different needs and concerns. Any advice is welcome. He is 4 months old, and housebreaking is going very well. I have made an appointment with the vet, and am currently feeding him Iams puppy food (dry). Grooming will be a big concern, esp. which products to use for his coat and skin. Also, any little idiosyncrasies that are normal, and shouldn't be cause for worry, or anything that wouldn't cause me to blink with a larger dog that should be cause for concern. basically anything. Thanks in advance. As I said, we had planned to do some research beforehand, and I want to make sure I give Socrates everything he needs. Shel.