Tips from other dog owners?

[SwiftStar84]

So last week my partner and I decided to make a random trip to the local pound. And during this random trip we adopted a dog. A very sweet loving Chihuahua mix that they named Paco, which we named Champ was there waiting for us. So far so good. He's learned where he is supposed to go potty(outside or on the peepee pad during the evening). He thankfully ignores my ponies and most of the rest of our things. We just bought him a rope toy which he loves.  Anyways this is my first dog and I'm just wanting some advice from fellow dog owners. So any advice or tips to give would be greatly appreciated.  One thing I would like him to do is lick less. I come home from work and he's right there waiting at the door and when he jumps in my lap he goes non stop licking for minutes and while I don't mind affection, it's just too much. So is anyone can provide advice on that or just on dealing with dogs in general I would greatly appreciate it.

[northstar3184]

The best way to stop that behavior would be to teach him to sit on command. Say the word, gently show him with his body what that word means, and give him a treat & attention when he does it successfully. Make sure you use the same command each time because if you switch between words saying "Sit" on one occasion and "Down" on the next, then you'll confuse him. Consistency and patience are key.

[Tak]

If you don't want it to be a command. If you want him to stop altogether and just not do it. What works for me is gently taking their nose and pushing it away. Every time. It helps if you let them lick your hand at first. My dog started as a licker, but I can't stand having my face licked. He's eight months old and hasn't been licking me since three months old. The only exception is when he needs to go outside in the night and I'm asleep he'll lick my ear. With champ using potty pads that's not an issue for you. If you do go with a command. I suggest stop. Make sure you always have a little treat ready for when he does it right. How old is he? Over 8 and can need more time to change. Otherwise, congratulations! Dogs give you so much back. Good luck!

[Trinity]

Some dogs love to lick, and they can't help it. It's soothing to them.

If your dog is doing something you don't like, say "No" or "Aa" at them. Don't yell, don't hit. Just say "no" with meaning - you are the pack leader.

Spray bottles are an okay discipline tool, which won't hurt the dog.

[kaoskat]

Put him down. It's really as simple as that. If you don't want him to hop in your lap and overwhelm you with kisses, when he starts say no and plop him back on the floor. Let him back up after a few minutes and if he starts to lick, repeat. He wants your attention, so taking it away when he's licking you will get him to stop. Chihuahuas tend to be bright but a bit stubborn and willful so it shouldn't take him long to understand, but it may take him a bit to relent.

Of course, this will only work for licking you. It won't stop him from licking other things. That will require a different method. But you only mentioned the licking of you. My girl Nori licks EVERYTHING...... All the time........ Even the air. She has..... Issues......

[prancingstag]

One of my dogs has always been a licker too. He's 18 months old and the best remedy I've found is to gently but firmly turn his face away from mine. When he sits on my lap, I turn him so that his back is facing me, and if he tries to turn around and lick, I firmly place my hand on top of his head and don't let him look up at me. I just keep him facing away and give his head a pat between pressuring it away when he struggles, and eventually he understands that it's not happening and settles down. He does take it out on us in other ways though - sometimes he "high fives" me repeatedly or digs/wrestles at my hands when I try to turn his head away, he loves to walk up behind people and lick the back of their calves, and if you bend down to give a pat, he likes to dart forwards, lick your face once and run away before you can catch him. Cheeky! I guess it's just the kind of dog he is, that's how he shows affection and comfort.

[SwiftStar84]

Thank you all for the advice on the licking. He's about 18 months from what the pound told us. After he got the toy he's managed to mellow out a little with the licking. He still does it but he can be distracted with his toy.  So licking aside  we kinda got a feeding schedule for him.  In the morning we give him a small can of Cesar's dog food and then we keep his bowl filled with dry dog food for him to munch during the day. He only gets a scoop of the dry dog food and the wet dog food. Is that enough for him?

[Tak]

Dogs don't need very much food. Especially after they're full grown. It depends on size. I would ask your vet what they think is the correct amount. The dog food bags/containers always advise too much.

[CoonhoundBetty]

I think it depends on what a "scoop" is. As a small dog, he's not going to need much. I prefer to feed my dogs at set times rather than leave food out so that I know exactly how much they ate and when, and the cats aren't stealing their food   The side of the bag will tell you what that brand advises per poundage of dog, but you should place a call into your vet anyway to see what they say, especially since you're doing both wet and dry food. Also, you should really pay attention to what is IN the food you are feeding. Pet Food Advisor and Pet Food Project are really helpful sites in narrowing down brands. You end up feeding (and paying) less on a better food, and better food equals less poop (although, with a Chi, you're not picking up much poop anyway LOL). If you really want to get out of scooping poop, you can always do a prey model raw diet--the poop turns to dust in a few days!

edited to add: You can also look to his body condition to see if he's getting too much or too little food, it's what I do with my hounds. My girls need a nice taper in from ribs to hips for good condition. You want to be able to feel the ribs. Here's a diagram that you see in most vet offices for body condition
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[ringwraith10]

Take your dog to a vet right away for a check-up and for a real age estimate. Animal Shelters are TERRIBLE at guessing pets' ages, so make sure you get an estimate from an actual expert. Also talk to your vet about what type of food to feed the dog. One of the worst things you can do is feed your dog cheap food. Don't buy any treats or bones that were manufactured in China (make sure the packaging says made in USA and not just distributed in USA), because China and some other countries have very low standards and lots of dogs have died from eating food from those countries. Make sure you do your research on any product you use on your dog (shampoo, flea control, etc.) as there are a lot of products out there that are actually dangerous for dogs. When in doubt, ask a vet. Oh, and never, EVER give your dog grapes. That's an insta-kill for dogs. Chocolate is toxic, as everyone knows, but grapes are deadly. Generally, just don't let your dog eat any "people food", just to be safe.

[northstar3184]

With flea medications avoid the generics at Walmart, etc... They frequently prove to be less effective. Also, avoid buying flea medications through Ebay, etc.... There's a whole market for very convincing counterfeit flea medications (I think I may have been a victim of that myself recently). Your best bet is getting the flea treatment directly from your vet.

Also avoid rawhide treats. They can splinter in your dog's digestive tract. We won't give rawhide to dogs at our shelter for that reason and I had a friend  go through it with his own dog a couple years ago.

If you live in an area with a lot of ticks, talk to your vet about giving your dog a lyme disease vaccination. That's a major concern with dogs.