Ruffly Speaking: Railing against idiocy since 2004

Puppy Handbook

This page is designed for new puppy owners and our puppy buyers; I’m going to try to keep the articles here on the short-and-sweet side. 

Puppy care shorts: A few hundred words on common topics.

Vaccines

Flea/Tick/Heartworm

Crate training and housetraining

Miscellaneous care and health

Ear taping

Socialization

Recommended reading

On the dog: fleas, skin issues, shampoos and other grooming products, grooming tools, etc.

My dog smells bad

Smelly, dirty dog ears

Getting rid of fleas

On the floor: housebreaking, carpet cleaning, flooring, and anything around the house

Minimizing allergies to dogs

On the table: diets

Choosing and using a grain-free diet (NOT SUITABLE FOR PUPPIES but great for adults)

Raw diet

On the case: solving problems having to do with behavior or health

Dogs and kids 1

Haltis, Gentle Leaders, Snoot Loops, and other “halters” for dogs

Bitch wars: defining normal behavior

Timing corrections: when no means yes

Catching a stray dog

My dog bites the mailman: why dogs hate delivery people

How to find a trainer or behaviorist

Fixing the issues of an outside dog

Dogs and babies 2

“Trade Game” for dogs

The issue of aggression

Adults and puppies playing together

More on socialization

Temperament testing

On the soapbox: buying a puppy

How much puppies cost  (and also this post)

Buying a puppy: Breeder etiquette

Buying a puppy: Buyer etiquette (and part 2)

Returning a dog to its breeder

On the shutter release: photos and photo posts

Canine Body Language: the punishment bite


1 Comment »

  1. Hello,
    I’ve truly enjoyed reading your blog. I am also very interested in animal behavior. I grew up in a “doggy” household- my mother breeds golden retrievers, and I did conformation, obedience, and juniors when I was young.

    I thought I knew a lot about dogs, until I rescued a 3 year old doberman. Greta was a terror when I got her- she had severe separation anxiety and destroyed everything in her path when left alone. She learned to be happy in her crate, was housebroken, and was the ideal companion for the next five years.

    To make a long story short, Greta always had a high level of anxiety. When I had a baby last January, she became even more insecure. She began guarding my son, and she’d only let me or my husband near him. I tried to work with a behaviorist, but was unable to handle the problem. We gave her to Doberman Rescue, where she was rehomed.

    A year and a half later, I still miss my dog. We are thinking about getting a puppy from a breeder, but are unsure which breeds might be suited for us. We need a dog that is excellent around kids.

    Do you have a list of recommended dog breeds for families with young kids? Could you refer me to some good books, websites, articles etc?

    I apologize for the long-winded post…
    Thank you in advance,
    Allison

    Comment by Allison Fisher — March 19, 2009 @ 9:49 pm | Reply


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