Time for Training

Cautious at first, Caesar now loves agility equipment!

Many people ask me how much time I take to train Caesar.  Well, it’s small amounts of time (5-15 minutes) per DAY.  Yup, I don’t think that dogs enjoy learning new tricks or tasks over long periods of time at once, but they do respond well to a regular frequency of training time.  Since Caesar is very food-motivated, he looks forward to this time because of the reward he knows is attached to training, but he can still get frustrated if we train for longer periods of time or if he knows he’s somehow not understanding the task at hand.  Always remember to end any training sessions with something your dog finds easy (may have learned earlier) so that your training session “ends on a high note”.  You want your dog to look forward to this time so that it’s a pleasure for both you and your dog.  I like to look at dog-training books and videos to get ideas for tricks/tasks that I would like to teach Caesar.  I will also add some personal training videos here soon.  For now, start with simple commands — the basics like sit, down, stay are the best to start with.  Then progress to things like catch, roll-over, play dead, etc.  Again, remember to end your training sessions with a successful and positive conclusion.  If your dog is having a lot of difficulty with a new command, go back to something familiar so that your dog feels proud of his/her accomplishment, then re-introduce the new command with enthusiasm and encouragement.  Your dog will always pick up on your own energy so do not train when you are tired, frustrated or ill-tempered.  When the energy around your dog is calm, loving and positive, you will achieve the best results from your dog.  Happy training everyone — again, I will post some training videos soon.  For now, here are some links to some of Caesar’s best trick videos:

Fun Tricks Video

Sneaky Caesar

Caesar Gets “Shot” and Plays Dead

Playing Basketball

Playing With Rings and Colours

Lots of Tricks

Some New Moves

You know that even the simple commands that you have taught your dog are huge accomplishments for both of you.  Don’t forget to praise your dog for these accomplishments regularly, and know that you have achieved something wonderful together!!

Remember: “Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.”– H. Jackson Brown

More to come soon,

Dr. Menen

Wag Bags — why you and your dog will love them

Ever think about how your dog’s nutrition may prevent either acute or chronic illnesses?  It’s not just the daily meals going into him/her that matter.  Treats can promote good health just as much as daily meals.  The ingredients I’m listing here might be what you need to add to your dog’s daily intake either through meals or treats.  Let’s see why:

These are my “I Yam what I Yam” Chips made from Sweet Potatoes (not the same as yams) but the terms are often mixed and the yam suited this Wag Bag name best, I thought   Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre, Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene, and Potassium among several other vitamin and mineral nutrients in smaller quantities.  This means that they can help improve heart health, skin health, muscle cramps and even the prevention of diabetes!

“Can’t Beet This“ Chips: Red beets are a low-calorie food, and also a good dietary fibre. Fibre plays an important role in digestive tract health, helping to prevent constipation and facilitating the movement of food through the intestines.  Red beets provide a good source of folic acid which is an essential vitamin that helps in the development and maintenance of new cells in the body.  They also contain beta-carotene, a precursor molecule to vitamin A that boosts eye health. The phytochemicals that give beets their red color belong to a group called betalains. Betalains act as antioxidants, destroying free radicals that could damage cells when consumed and lead to chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer.  And since these are just some of the benefits of beets, how could I possibly not include them in Caesar’s diet?!

Finally, my “Kookoo for Kale“ Chips

Kale is beneficial for eyesight because they are also a great source of beta carotene as well as lutein and zeaxathin which helps to reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.  Kale chips contain a variety of other important nutrients including vitamin C which supports healthy immune function and skin health,  as well as vitamin K for proper blood clotting. The olive oil I use to make these chips also contains vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties.

As many of you might suspect, these chips are edible by humans due to their natural ingredients!  Anyone can make these treats but many people might not like to take the time to do so.  If you would like to get some Wag Bags for your own dog or for a friend with a dog, just contact me through DogtorCaesar@hotmail.com — Wag Bags are $5 per bag and I believe they would make a great gift for any dog!

Available through this holiday season until January 5th, 2013.

“Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.”- Hippocrates

Dr. Menen

Healthy Dog Treats

“You have got to get some healthy treats into your diet!”

There are so many treats available for dogs but of course I look for what I believe are the healthier choices.  I like to stick to things that have only a few, natural ingredients in them and ones that are made in Canada if possible (since we know how much controversy surrounds some imported foods).  Some time ago I came across some “chicken jerky”-like treats which contained only chicken in them and had a wonderful “Canadian quality checked certified laboratories” stamp on them and of course Caesar loved them… but soon after, he got significant itching of his skin.  I thought maybe it was just a coincidence (although I only give him one “new” food or treat over a few days), so I decided to continue with these treats.  The itching got worse.  So I stopped the new jerky treats and wouldn’t you know it, the itching improved and then was gone in just a few days.  I looked more carefully at the package I had bought and saw that although there was only chicken in the ingredients, the food had been irradiated so humans were advised to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water after giving them to their dogs.  What?!  If my hands are vulnerable to this irradiation how could my dog not be?  I used to buy sweet potato chews for him but have noticed the same itching reaction. Perhaps they were also irradiated…

So I did a search on irradiated dog treats and found quite the controversy surrounding this issue.  I even came across this NBC news article which is worth reading: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/14/13865945-pet-jerky-treat-death-toll-360-dogs-1-cat-fda-says?lite

I have since that time made my own chicken-bites and sweet potato treats for Caesar although I will still buy some non-irradiated cookies or yogurt treats for him too.

But I don’t want Caesar to be getting too many cookies.  I like him to get fruits and veggies into his diet regularly and even though I do use a lot of veggies in the meals that I prepare for him, I decided it’s time to create healthier treats for my fur-baby.   So I have started making chips-for-dogs, or as I like to call them “Wag Bags” — because Caesar does do a happy-wag for them (of course he loves most treats)!  I am making 3 varieties at this time: sweet potato, kale and beet chips.  No additives, no preservatives and of course, no irratiation!

These crunchy/chewy snacks are antioxidant-rich, good for his teeth because of their texture, and good for my soul in knowing that he’s getting some great sources of vitamins and minerals from treats that he loves so much.

In my next post, I will share with you the benefits of these treats on the canine body so that you can look for similar nutrients to get into your dog!  Pictures to come soon of my own treats — $5/bag — what a tasty gift of health for your dog!!  Happy Holidays everyone!

“We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare, and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It’s the best deal man has ever made.” –Author: M. Acklam

Dr. Menen

Dog Training 101

A lot of people think that training differs for small vs. big dogs but this has not been my experience. I think habits differ from small to big dogs. For example, I remember our trainer mentioning that it was a little easier to get a small dog to roll over than a big dog because it’s a bit more work for a big dog to move his/her whole body; but the training technique for both was exactly the same.

Some people believe that they need to prove they are the “alpha” in the relationship with their dogs to ensure the dog always remembers who is “master.” This can be towards small or large dogs, but the thinking is the same: “don’t let the dog have the control; he/she must know that the master/owner is in charge and has the control.”

With the old-school type of training, the master can control his/her dog to do the desired behavior largely from instilling a sense of fear response in the dog (“my master won’t be happy if I don’t do this; I may get a yank on my collar if I don’t do this; I could get yelled at if I don’t do this….”). And the dog does the behavior. These dogs are trained to follow commands beautifully, gracefully and easily. But I don’t think the dogs are really happy. And if our favourite furry companion brings us so much joy, shouldn’t we be striving to do the same for them?

From everything I’ve read and researched, the “alpha”/master/control type of training seems to be an old-school style of training. The new school of thought is to create a relationship with your dog that makes your dog want to do what you ask him/her. I am all about individualizing treatment according to my individual patient needs, so I love the thought of individualizing my training for my dog’s needs.

And that is what I do. I know that Caesar understands my desire for him to learn new things and I understand his desire for the rewards! We also both thoroughly enjoy the time spent together for this training, so it’s a win-win situation!

I must point out that the positive-reinforcement-conditioning (gentler training, shall we say?) takes more time. It requires more patience, and doesn’t result in the almost-immediate results of aversive-conditioning (yanking on leash, shock collars, sprays, etc.). But I believe that it does produce a stronger bond with your dog and happier dog overall. I think most of us don’t need to have a dog in our lives, we WANT to have one in our lives. So let’s take the responsibility to nurture the life we have brought into our homes.

Some of my Tips for Training:

1. Understand whether your dog is food or play/toy motivated. I think most dogs fall into the food motivated group, but I have heard of a few exceptions of dogs who are very fussy eaters and who enjoy playing with a new (or familiar) toy more than food offerings. If your dog is food-motivated, do look for a few different types of training treats that are easily carried in a pouch/bag, and try to keep the different treats separate so that smells are unique to each – remember that dogs use the sense of smell very well and will be motivated by being surprised with the reward offered for their work. Think about getting some smelly but healthy treats

2. Use small sizes of treats to progressively reinforce good behavior or attempts. Remember that treats count as part of a dog’s daily food intake so if you’re giving a meal-sized portion of treats through the day, you should be giving your dog one less meal per day. I have read that for a tea-cup sized dog, treats should be about the size of the head of a pin, while a Golden Retriever can handle something like a berry-sized treat. For Caesar we use tiny treats about the size of a pea (or less) each. I remember our trainer mentioning that for training a treat should be small enough for the dog to ingest immediately (melt-in-your-mouth treats like dried liver will be better than cookies that require crunching for this purpose). Of course, if the treat is small enough, you know that many dogs will just swallow the food in anticipation for the next treat! Why use such small treats? Clearly for weight and health purposes (a well-trained dog that is overweight and suffering from consequences that may result from this like joint pain or poor digestion will not make either the dog or doggy-parent happy). And the other reason for small treats is that your dog should be able to relate what he/she just did to get the treat. If the dog is chewing for 5 minutes after rolling over, he/she may think that sitting (the position that they got the treat in) is the reason they got a treat. The treat should not deter from the dog’s own mental connections between behavior and reward.

3. Make training sessions short!! Going to a dog-training class for one hour makes sense since much of the class is about educating the doggy-parents. But try to train a dog for an hour… this will likely result in frustration for the trainer and the dog. 5 to 10-minute sessions of training with your dog can keep you both happy and motivated to achieve results together.

4. Remember that you (doggy-parent) are learning about your dog just as your dog is learning about you. You will see what they’re excited to do, what they dislike doing, whether they talk back (as ours does to let us know his displeasure in doing a particular trick until he truly masters it), and you’ll get to know his/her energy levels which can tell you whether this is a good training time or not. If your dog is exhausted after a day out in hot weather it’s not likely the time to train him/her. Wait for your dog to be a bit more energetic to create a positive association with your training time. Similarly, your dog will know when your energy/mood is not at its best. You may be tired, you may have had a long workday or you may have just had an argument with a friend – your dog will know. Training in this time is not ideal for you or your dog. You will force your “positivity” towards the dog, but I’m convinced that dogs are extra-sensitive to human emotions (as many trainers and writers have discussed at length). You can’t fake a positive energy to a dog and your training time will likely make one or both of you frustrated. Use such a time to just bond peacefully with your dog. Who else can give you such an unconditional love and endless attention? Take some time to enjoy this unique gift. Your bonding time will only make your next training session even better.

5. Remember that different dogs learn at different speeds and in different styles (even from the same breed/litter). Try to understand your own dog’s unique abilities/skills and work to develop them. Some dogs learn fast – but this also means that you need to watch your own behavior very carefully since they are learning about you fast. Funny example: sometimes we stop Caesar from sniffing at every grassy location to mark it and try to limit him to certain “sniff-spots” only; of course, if he needs to have a bowel movement, we recognize the familiar crouch and let him continue with his business. Recently, he realized this loop-hole in our style and started to, let’s call it “fake-crouch” when he was just interested in sniffing and marking!! Well we caught on to him and now even bowel movements are limited to specific spots if at all possible – and Caesar is adapting wonderfully! If you’ve got a smarty-pants dog like we do, you’d better stay on your toes to keep up with him/her! So then it also follows that a slow-learning dog will also think less about what he/she can get away with. They will truly want to please their doggy-parents (this is a dog’s inherent nature) and we need to understand that wrong behavior from these dogs is likely not mischief but rather misunderstanding of rules. The best part about slower learners in my opinion, is that they are content to please their doggy-parents and have little desire for other sources of entertainment/amusement. Fast learners can be easily bored which can produce a host of other challenges!

6. Enjoy your training time! If you aren’t enjoying the process, neither will your dog and if this is the case, what’s the point?

“I’ve always said money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.”  — K. Friedman

One of my favourite authorities on positive training and bonding with dogs is Zak George.  Do visit his youtube channel here:   http://www.youtube.com/zakgeorge

Natural Supplements

So of course everyone wants to know what kinds of natural supplements might be best for their dogs (whether miniature schnauzers or not).  Remember that from a Naturopathic perspective, foods would be the best sources for nutrition (vitamins and minerals) but these days, our foods do not contain as high levels of these essential nutrients as they once did.  With more and more produce being mass-produced and genetically-modified for quicker growth and longer shelf-lives, we also lose some good nutrition as the fruits and vegetables most easily available are often nutrient-poor.  So I work with supplements with our miniature schnauzer.  If you read one of my earlier posts you will also remember that our Caesar had some skin and eye issue that I wanted to resolve through natural treatments.  After I noticed the benefit to his health, I have kept up with a regular supplement regime with Caesar.

I must warn you here though, that just like for humans, it takes time and consistency of getting these supplements into a dog’s diet to see the benefits (and of course my goal with Caesar at this point is health maintenance and disease prevention).  This takes time and effort on a pet-parent’s part.  I know many people would think I’m crazy (I think I’m crazy sometimes!) to be putting so much effort in taking care of Caesar in this manner, but at least I feel that I am doing everything I can to keep his system as healthy as possible.

***please remember the I am not a Veterinarian — I am a Naturopathic Doctor working with my dog from a Naturopathic perspective***

So what kinds of supplements do I work with?  Here is my list:

Vitamin C: a useful antioxidant for healthy skin and immune system

Vitamin E: a useful antioxidant for heart health and skin health

Missing Link Canine Formula: freeze-dried superfood formula providing omega-3 fatty acids in dried-food form

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: liquid formula — omega-3 fatty acids are good for skin, hair, brain health, immune system and cardiovascular health

Digestive Enzymes: good for decreasing strain on digestive system in breaking down nutrients from food/supplements and improving digestion of these nutrients.  Note: this supplement has been very effective for even our human patients working with chronic pancreatitis and/or acute flares of pancreatitis.  I believe and hope that it will be a good supplement to prevent this concern in our dog through his life.

Turmeric: an antioxidant-rich herb/spice which is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and liver-detoxifying effects.We work with this herb quite regularly in our treatment of patients with chronic concerns of arthritis to various cancers and I will add this mustard-coloured spice to many of the meals I make for Caesar.

Note: turmeric has a very yellow colour — don’t wear white while you’re using this, and if your dog has a white muzzle (like Caesar’s) get ready for some yellow stains if there’s too much turmeric in the dog food you might give your dog!!  Luckily, this herb/spice is not “spicy” — it has very little flavour, but does enhance the flavour of foods that are cooked with it (meat, veggies, fish).  Caesar loves it but I do try to “dry it out” in the foods I make for him to prevent the staining of his fur (usually successful but not always)!

See: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/turmeric-000277.htm for some info (human-related) for more info about turmeric.

That’s a lot!  Remember that miniature schnauzers are pretty small dogs and don’t need too much of each of these nutrients.  I use about 1/4 of a human dose of the nutrients for Caesar, and I give him the supplements on a rotational basis.  So I will give him 2 or 3 of the supplements daily for a month, then rotate to another 2 or 3 the next month. Most of the supplements I only use once a day; however, I use the powdered “Missing Link” formula spread out over 2 meals in a day to also improve his absorption of the nutrients.

Many people feed their adult dogs only once or twice a day; we feed Caesar 3 times a day (smaller meals are easier to digest, and luckily, our schedule permits us to do this); on our very long working days, we’re able to give Caesar his first meal while we’re home, then I make sure to fill a Kong with a meal-size portion of food to serve as his “lunch” while we are at work and then a regular 3rd meal when we get home.

For supplements, there are canine/pet-specific supplements available at health food stores which are convenient since they usually contain amounts that are dog-specific. I do find many of these supplements overpriced however, and prefer to stick with human-grade supplements from health food stores where I am aware of companies that produce quality products.  The only challenge is that this requires opening individual capsules or modifying liquid doses to Caesar’s requirements rather than using the “suggested doses”.  Veterinarians will often carry various supplements too and may be able to guide individuals to those that are best suited to their own dog’s needs.

The “Missing Link” formula is specifically designed for dogs (canine formula) and I liked the ingredients and comments I had read through others on the internet, so this is something I definitely pick up from a pet store.

Most people that we meet in clinical practice wait until there is illness in themselves to start working with Natural supplementation.  And this can be very effective. And I didn’t work with supplements with Caesar because I thought he was too young to need “preventative care” — but when I saw the effectiveness of supplements for his skin and eye health, I decided to maintain a healthy supplement regime for him with the intention of preventing future health concerns.

I hope this information is useful to you.  I will write more about different supplements that may be useful for dogs in future posts.

“A good dog deserves a good home.”    -Proverb

Dr. Menen

Nutrition 101

Caesar can’t understand why “cow” doesn’t get more than grains in his diet!

Healthy Treats

There are so many treats available for dogs but of course I look for what I believe are the healthier choices.  I like to stick to things that have only a few, natural ingredients in them and ones that are made in Canada if possible (since we know how much controversy surrounds some imported foods).  Some time ago I came across some “chicken jerky”-like treats which contained only chicken in them and had a wonderful “Canadian quality checked certified laboratories” stamp on them and of course Caesar loved them… but soon after, he got significant itching of his skin.  I thought maybe it was just a coincidence (although I only give him one “new” food or treat over a few days), so I decided to continue with these treats.  The itching got worse.  So I stopped the new jerky treats and wouldn’t you know it, the itching improved and then was gone in just a few days.  I looked more carefully at the package I had bought and saw that although there was only chicken in the ingredients, the food had been irradiated so humans were advised to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water after giving them to their dogs.  What?!  If my hands are vulnerable to this irradiation how could my dog not be?  I used to buy sweet potato chews for him but have noticed the same itching reaction. Perhaps they were also irradiated…

So I did a search on irradiated dog treats and found quite the controversy surrounding this issue.  I even came across this NBC news article which is worth reading: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/14/13865945-pet-jerky-treat-death-toll-360-dogs-1-cat-fda-says?lite

I have since that time made my own chicken-bites and sweet potato treats for Caesar although I will still buy some non-irradiated cookies or yogurt treats for Caesar.

But I don’t want Caesar to be getting too many cookies.  I like him to get fruits and veggies into his diet regularly and even though I do use a lot of veggies in the meals that I prepare for him, I decided it’s time to create healthier treats for my fur-baby.  So I have started making chips-for-dogs, or as I like to call them “Wag Bags” — because Caesar does love them (of course he loves most treats)!  I am making 3 varieties at this time: sweet potato, kale and beet chips.

These crunchy/chewy snacks are antioxidant-rich, good for his teeth because of their texture, and good for my soul in knowing that he’s getting some great sources of vitamins and minerals from treats that he loves so much.

In my next post, I will share with you the benefits of these treats on the canine body so that you can look for similar nutrients to get into your dog!  Pictures to come soon of my own treats — $5/bag — what a tasty gift of health for your dog!!  Happy Holidays everyone!

“We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare, and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It’s the best deal man has ever made.” –Author: M. Acklam

Basic Nutrition

Okay, so you know about some of the potential health risks for miniature schnauzers and you’re wondering what kind of foods to feed your loved puppy or adult dog.

Here is what I have found to be most useful:

1. Protein!!!  Good sources of protein include fish, lamb, chicken, duck and beef.  High quality specific proteins are most important, with some kind of specific “meat” or “specific meat meal” (listed as salmon meal or lamb meal etc) being the first on the list, and not a by-product. So you can look for “lamb” or “lamb meal”, “chicken” or “chicken meal”, etc. listed in the ingredients list. Please note that seeing the words “meat meal” is not a good sign — this could mean anything (yes, anything) — which is too generic to trust as nutritious sources of protein.  Also remember that whole meat (beef, chicken, duck, lamb etc) contains a lot of actual water by weight, so if the first ingredient is whole lamb or duck, and not lamb meal or duck meal, then you need to look for at least one or two other animal proteins early in the ingredients list, with at least one also preferably being a meal such as chicken meal or salmon meal, etc. Remember that ingredients of the highest quantities are listed first and when whole lamb/duck/chicken is used in the food, it’s weighed with the water content included (this is not the same as having the same weight of dry protein).

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this blog, I do make most of Caesar’s food now.  From meals to treats; however, for meals I also include dry kibble with ingredients that I am happy with to encourage healthy teeth and gums.  Many holistic brands are good to use even as complete food for miniature schnauzers (I like to see 20 – 30% protein in a dog food and fat from 7 – 12% — since we also supplement with additional essential fatty acids which I will explain in a later post).

2.  Grains that I have found useful/acceptable for Caesar are brown rice, oats and barley.  Wheat is often an allergen in humans and can be for dogs too.

3.  Fats that are best to work with (in my opinion) are: salmon oil, flaxseed oil, flaxseed meal and/or  coconut oil.  Again, these are oils that we also know are healthy for humans.

4. FRUIT: Caesar absolutely loves fruit and we love the additional vitamins that he acquires from fruit.  We like to give him blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, watermelon, papaya, and his all-time favourite — mangos (see picture on nutrition page)!  What’s important to remember is that fruit contains sugars and excess sugars contribute to diseases like diabetes (which is also related to pancreatic health) so it’s best to give small quantities of fruit for the best digestion of it.  If your miniature schnauzer is anything like Caesar, he/she will love these treats and they can be used fresh or dried for great training treats too

What to AVOID:

Equally important in mini schnauzer health (maybe all dogs) is what to avoid to encourage good health for your dog.

The most important things to avoid are: meat by-products, poultry by-products,  “meat meal” in the ingredient list (remember that meat meal could potentially contain anything such as diseased or dead/dying animals, including the possibility of euthenised pets as well as a legally-acceptable or allowable percentage of various chemicals and toxins.  Soy and corn (both are often the cause of various food sensitivities) and cancers from estrogenic-compounds in soy are very common in humans.  Of course it’s good to also avoid artificial flavours, artificial colors, BHA, and BHT.

Unacceptable foods:

Onions, garlic,chocolate, any kind of alcohol and caffeine, chocolate, and raisins and grapes are all unacceptable foods to feed dogs — some more toxic than others but all of these are unhealthy (sometimes life-threatening) for your dog! If you are reading this, you know that the internet is a wonderful resource — if you are wanting to try/share a new food with your dog, look it up first to see if it’s safe or not — when in doubt, just don’t feed it!  The short-term satisfaction to both you and your dog is not worth any health problems and grief that can arise from unsafe food choices.

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
~ Mark Twain

Hope this info is helpful to you — more to come soon,

Dr. Menen

Finding the Right Breeder

Are you thinking of getting a puppy?  Perhaps, at this point, you have taken the time to  research the breed of dog that is right for you and your family since this is the first step I would recommend to anyone.  You have searched the net and read a ton of information. Now, you need to find a breeder. When you are interviewing breeders, what should you look for?

First of all, you should never feel uncomfortable speaking to a breeder — you ask questions, the breeder asks questions, and it should feel comfortable. The first conversation should be to get to know each other. The breeder is, of course, concerned with where their babies are being placed. And a good breeder can tell if you are the right home without being short or harsh. You may be asked questions like:  “Tell me a little about your home.” “Do you have children or grandchildren?” “Do you have other pets?” You may even have a discussion of what you envision having a dog in your life to be like. In this, and in future discussions you should find that a good breeder does not mind sharing their knowledge, and enjoys guiding people to ensure that they are happy — which means making sure you understand the needs of their breed of dog, and the abilities of you and your family to meet these needs.  This is to ensure happiness for both your family and your new puppy.

Your breeder should keep you involved throughout any conversations. You’ll think of questions as you go along, and you should not be afraid to ask. Even if you think it is a dumb question, you should feel comfortable enough with your breeder to know that they will not get annoyed or mad because you do not know something. If you are treated poorly for lack of knowledge about dogs or dog behaviour and needs, this may be a sign for you to look for a new breeder.

So — what should you ask? Good breeders will tell you about their breeding programs, and they will tell you about how the babies are raised, and when they let them go to their new homes. But, if they miss something, here are a few questions you can ask:

1. Do you require that the puppy be spayed or neutered? You want them to say yes and your registration papers should be marked for limited registration. This simply means that the puppy can never be bred and have registered offspring.

2. Do you vaccinate your puppies, and when do you do it? Also, ask what diseases and viruses they vaccinate for. Handling the vaccinations is very important. Many breeders will do this through their Vet, but you can ask for where the puppies are being vaccinated.  Certain vaccinations are needed prior to joining any puppy-training classes, required by law (e.g., rabies), or necessary for traveling outside of the country with your dog.

3. When do you wean your puppies?

4. What kind of food do you feed the puppies after weaning? (so you know what to feed your puppy at home — less challenging to their digestive systems if you can stay on the same food for a while — you don’t want too many changes in the puppy’s life too soon!).

Now that you have decided to adopt the puppy from a particular breeder, the work of choosing your puppy begins. You and your breeder will work together to pick the puppy whether it be through a visit to the breeder, through pictures, possibly video, or talking on the phone or via the Internet. A good breeder will make sure you are fully informed and has your best interest—and the puppy’s—in mind and will do everything possible to make a good match.

When you do get your puppy home, good breeders are often happy to hear from you and if you need help, well, a good breeder will be happy to help you.  Of course, loving breeders also enjoy hearing about how well their babies are doing in your home (or seeing them if you send pictures/videos)!  We know that ours does.

Finally, but perhaps most important to me: find a breeder that the raises the puppies and adults in a clean, roomy home environment. The puppy should not be raised in a cage. After all, he/she is going to live with the family, not in a cage. You want to choose a breeder that is raising a puppy that is being socialized properly to go into a someone’s home, your home. You want a breeder that breeds for the whole dog: health, temperament, longevity, conformation, good skin, good eyes, etc.

Good luck. Follow your instincts and you will find the puppy that is right for you and your family from a breeder you know is working for you and has you and your puppy’s best interests in mind.

I know that we loved our breeder from her website, the regular and easy communication we had with her on the phone, her honest answering about any questions we had, and finally, the cleanliness of her home

Wishing you a successful search for the right breeder for you!

“Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human has to choose a relative.” –Mordecai Siegal

Dr. Menen

I’m in Love With my Schnauzer

I have had a miniature schnauzer for one and a half years now and I never knew I could love a dog as much as I love this new furry addition to our home.  If you have a dog, you will probably understand this wonderful feeling.  We love our breeder’s work with her dogs and were thrilled to get a beautiful and intelligent dog from her healthy line.  Now I have to tell you, I am really quite intrigued with all things schnauzer.  For example, Caesar had a skin infection last year and I didn’t want to use steroid creams on him so I had to look for natural and safe treatment options for him.  No more skin infection.  Our Vet had found the beginning of a cataract in his eyes (which she believed was possibly from birth since he was only a year old when she discovered it),and I used natural supplementation to treat it (on last check, she no longer saw the cataract!).  Oh — I should tell you that I am also a Naturopathic Doctor.  I am not a Vet nor do I claim to have the expertise and animal-specific training that Veterinarians do.  But I do love my dog.  And I have found natural treatments can work as effectively on dogs as they can on humans.   I  have learned not only through my experiences so far with Caesar, but from research that I love to do in my spare time.  Yes, I actually enjoy using my spare time to do such reading!  So if you’d like to learn a little about miniature schnauzer health and natural tips for raising a healthy dog, do visit often!

My love for all things schnauzer is not limited to health even though that is certainly one of my priorities.  I am also interested in the miniature schnauzer brain.  These dogs are a true delight to train.  I find myself challenging Caesar to do more and learn more every day.  I find that my bond grows stronger with Caesar with each new task or trick that he learns.  I am sure he feels my excitement and pleasure from his achievements, but I also feel his excitement about mastering something new.  Here, I plan to share some ideas/videos for training with you and hope you can enjoy creating a stronger bond with your own dog through them.

In this blog, I want to inspire you to create loving and positive experiences with your dog(s).  I have certainly learned that this breed is intelligent, sensitive and incredibly loving (which may describe all dogs in general, but I can only speak from my own personal experience with miniature schnauzers).  I will be writing from a miniature schnauzer-specific perspective, but I hope that “parents” of all types of breeds of dogs can learn something about dog care, training and nurturing from this blog.

“Be the person your dog thinks you are”

Dr. Menen