New Puppy!

[aluebcke]

He's so adorable! We have a 2 year old Shih-zu, and took him to puppy training as soon as the vet said it was okay. He learned to sit, down, stay (although he's never been very good at that one), and walk properly on a leash.

Most importantly for puppy kindergarten, he socialized with other people and dogs. It's really important to socialize puppies with many different kinds of people and animals.

I did a ton of research before we got him (I'm OCD), and socialization was stressed in all the books.

We had ours neutered at between 4 and 5 months (don't recall exactly). The vet said it depended on their size as well as their age. He's a good dog...loves everyone but won't stay off the furniture.

[organic_smallhome]

Thanks, Jane and Aluebcke! The vet gave the go-ahead, so I signed him up for a puppy kindergarten class. Next Monday is first class! I agree that socialization is absolutely crucial. I didn't know that when I brought home my first dog and I'm still paying the price: he's very fear-aggressive, but is now elderly--14--mostly blind and arthritic. Still, he has his good days. I hate to think about his passing: he's my heart, and will always be special.

[organic_smallhome]

Okay, dog people: Care to chime in with advice? 4.4 lbs. of separation anxiety (what we came home to):