First time mommy tips?

[ChakasMom]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and new to puppies. I just adopted a 7 month old Cairn Terrier, Chaka. We've only known each other a few hours now, but we are very happy and comfortable together. I would love to get some tips on being a first-time parent. I do have a few questions that I thought this group could help me with.

1) How often do I bathe Chaka? I have read 1/month.

2) What kind of hairbrush do I use? I was at Petco and the variety of hairbrushes really threw me for a loop. He is not excessively sheddy, but does shed a little bit. I was thinking of getting the brush with the little pins, for the hairs that come out easily and then have another two-sided brush handy for more everyday brushing.

3) What kind of raw/natural foods are okay for him (for snacks of course)? Cheese? Peanut butter? Any fruits or veggies (like Carrots, etc.)? I may also want to give him some chicken every once in a while, I usually grill it and can limit the flavoring for him, but is it ok?

Thanks everyone, excited to be able to contribute to the forum.

[Idaho Cairns]

Welcome to the forum and welcome to Cairn Ownership. We use a pin brush and a metal comb on our dogs--the comb much more than the brush. We just get all the dead hair out of them--usually builds up on their haunches.

We rarely bathe our dogs unless they roll in something or encounter a skunk--the dogs stay pretty clean overall.

Our treats come from Petco--they have a "natural" alphabet treat made with honey and other ingredients that our dogs just love.

We feed Science Diet regular--plus some "people food" on occasion.

Enjoy.

[Dempsy's Mom]

What a sweet little pooch. He looks happy anticipating his new home. Congratulations. I have only had Dempsy 1 year come October. I have hand stripped him once (to get all his dead hair out) that worked out well and since then I comb him maybe every other day and when his hair get unruly I have used a Mars medium comb and that has worked really well.

Dempsy very rarely takes a bath. We have a little swimming pool that he has enjoyed immensely this summer. He loves his mud puddles and he may get a bath then, but not regularly.

Dempsy doesn't really have a kibble that he enjoys. He loves sweet potatoes, sweet potato snacks, bully bones, nyla bones but then she sneaks in our food. We try not to overdo the snacks. Dempsy has kept in good shape - he stays active.

The only other heads-up: Chaka isn't like every other dog. He probably won't listen very well and when he has something on his little pea brain - that's all there is. Like if he sees a squirrel ... he's gone. So be careful until you get to know the Cairn nature. Dempsy and I wish you many happy years with Chaka.

[ChakasMom]

Thanks so much, I can definitely see his personality come out. He's definitely mishevious. Let's hope that he'll listen maybe a little bit with potty training.

[pkcrossley]

i guess i have one observation for a first-timer, it comes up a bit here. many cairns when newly adopted have a kind of honeymoon period where they seem sweet and mellow all the time. then people write in and say, what happened, my dog changed! chaka may not always be as cooperative as he is now, and i would hate for you to think he had changed. if you know a sweet little fellow now, that is the real guy. but he won't change he will go through changes. partly as a result of getting toward the "terrible twos" (which are very real for cairn terriers), and partly because as he becomes more comfortable and secure in your home he will begin to test where the limits are. it is important that you set fair limits for chaka now and continue to stick to them no matter how charming he is or how much of a challenge he becomes in the short run. and also important that you remember that even if chaka goes through some conventional cairn antics of trying to wear you down and perhaps even bully you if he sees a chance, the real dog is the one you know now. and he will come back to that as he matures.

you might have no problems at all. every once in a while we hear about a cairn who has never given a bit of trouble. we all marvel at that. all the intelligence and independence and passion and bravery we admire in our cairns is inseparable from stubbornness and deviousness and greediness that we see at times. stand up to him and stand by him and he will love you, trust you and be your very best friend. but when those moments come when you see a brat, a devil, a pest, just remember what he is really like.

oh, and just seconding what dempsy's mom is suggesting --never let him off the leash. no matter how he begs or no matter how much you think he can be trusted, most cairns (there area small number of exceptions) are ruled by the prey drive that we have bred into them. if his prey drive is turned on he won't listen --not necessarily because he doesn't want to, but because he literally can't, he will be completely absorbed in what he was bred to do. keep him on the leash, that's the only way to keep him.

[Malcolm's Dad]

hmmmm, new to Cairns and new to puppies?????

My advice..... grab your cell phone, grab your credit cards, grab your purse and run as fast as you can.

As previously mentioned, keep Chaka on a leash outside in an open area.

Good luck and welcome to the group.

[dianer]

He is very cute. Your life will be richer for it, having him there I mean. I learned so much when Max came to live with me. They do not shed very much at all. More hair comes off the cat than my two cairns.

[ChakasMom]

I have already noticed that eats EVERYthing in site, whether its grass or a grasshopper. This kid has no restraint. I'm hoping that keep remembering he is not that mellow, but we'll see what happens once he gets comfortable. I'm just happy for now that we get along and found a match. He's a naughty brat, we found that out immediately, sticking his face in every little nook and corner. I found it so funny that his attention span is so low, especially since I'm kind of the same way at times. But I guess that most parents find pups with similar characteristics. I'll keep you posted and I appreciate everyone's insight on the changes he will go through, its definitely nice to have the support and tips, so I know what to expect. Thank you so much!

Now if I can just get him to stop biting his male bits so much...lol

[Zekey's Mom]

Tips? Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! You are both so lucky to have found each other!

Since Chaka has that one track mind regarding food, keep in mind that he will NEVER forget where the food is at all times. Zekey has surprised me once or twice, when I've gotten up from my chair in the living room or the patio. I expected him to follow me, like always, but no, he was there licking the plate that I left behind.

As for snacks, he'll let you know what he likes and doesn't like. The only important thing is to stay away from the foods that are poisonous to all dogs, such as chocolate, onions, and grapes. Here is a link that lists them: Foods dangerous to dogs. Some of them are real dangers, others are not recommended due to obesity.

[MegsMom]

Guess I'm the cheapo, I buy brushes at Walmart, people section, they're cheaper and minimal loss if 'anybody' chews on them Plus, I can get sizes that are comfortable for my hand.

I'm with Idaho, not big on bathing here either; we just use a freshening spray of 50/50 gold Listerine (generic, fine) & water. Run your fingers backwards through the coat to fluff it and get the spray closer to the roots, towel rub, comb/brush, & let dry. Or, thoroughly dampen a small towel with the spray & do a good rub in, if your dog objects to being sprayed. Here's a doc on cairn grooming you may find helpful--do take a look at the other page mentioned at the bottom: http://jerrier.tripod.com/grooming1.html

I already like your thoughts regarding food/treats, as I think our furkids should have plenty of variety, with regards to what their systems can handle and avoiding what's bad for them. Everything you've listed is good--as long as you keep it small, so as not to end up with an overweight dog. I think giving them a variety may prevent having a picky eater or an overly sensitive system. I consider this site: http://dogaware.com/ one of the best for dog feeding guidelines. Just click the Diet section> Commercial Foods> Adding Fresh Foods for more info on feeding 'additions', vegs, fruits, etc. I see Mary explains about avocadoes [i'm too greedy re: avocadoes, so there's no question here--they're not shared:)] although she doesn't specifically say tomatoes are Ok, some lists say they're not- not true- it's any part of the plant that is toxic, not the fruit. Sometimes it's a matter of further research as to 'which part of the plant' is really problematic. Like, no parts of potatoes/yams that have ANY green on them, and no skins. Most frozen vegetables don't need further cooking to be acceptable, the freezing process naturally begins the cellulose breakdown that dogs can't do for lack of the digestive enzyme that handles that--(if you further cook any, it's OK). Canned vegs are OK, too, just rinse thoroughly, dogs shouldn't have the extra salt. I don't feed apple skin, since it's usually waxed. [so far, I have one that will eat anything I give/drop (excellent reason for "leave it" training!) & one whose only exception is raw celery, but cooked is fine.]

Watch anything like gum, breath mints, sugar-free candies, that you might use, Xylitol is often in those and it's very toxic to pets. If you suspect ingestion, call your vet ASAP or get to an emergency vet--even if he's showing no symptoms!

[Sue G]

I'm one of the odd-balls here. I bathe Ozzy about once a month, usuallly before I put flea preventative on him. He doesn't have some of the dry skin issues that others have though. Just be careful of bathing too much and causing dry skin. All dogs are different, and you will learn how often through trial and error after you have him for awhile. I use one of the pin brushes you refered to. Ozzy is fed Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul (dry food). Stupid name, but if you look at the ingredients it's a higher quality food that doesn't cost a fortune like some of the others. He gets some crappy quality dog treats I have to admit, but he doesn't get treats a lot, so I don't worry too much about it. One of the higher quality treats I give him is dried sweet potato wrapped with dried chicken. I can't think of the brand name, but I get them at Pet Supply Plus, along with his food. He gets basted rawhides to chew. He loves bully sticks, but I only buy them once in awhile because they are so expensive. My number one piece of advice is that when you want to kill him for chewing 3 pairs of sandals while you're on an hour long shopping trip, wait 15 minutes, because he will do something incredibly sweet within 15 minutes that will make you remember why you adopted him.

[ChakasMom]

So glad for all this advice. Thank you so much. Wal-mart does have a pretty good pets section and saving money that is always great. He has smelly breathe and really likes the Greenies, so I give him those and carrots now, after several suggestions. We haven't gotten to peanut butter yet, but I'm sure we will when get his Kong. He is starting to go to the bathroom and eat more regularly, so I feel a little more at ease. He learns so quickly. I'm a proud mom.

Thanks for the tips to fight his smelliness. I really appreciate it. I'm also thinking about grooming him ourselves in the long run. I was planning to get his haircut the first time by a groomer and then getting all the supplies I need to clip his hairs, any advice on grooming would be great (clipper brands, good websites, etc.). I think that the foster dog parents did a great job in giving him physical attention, because he doesn't mind me wiping him, brushing him, opening his mouth, playing with his paws or any of that. He loves humans so much that when we went to the small dog park today, he found humans to cuddle up with instead of playing with the other dogs, making their pets jealous. I'm hoping over the next week or so, he will get used to playing with the other dogs. I think he's just a bit intimidated. I found him hopping on the bench just to bark at them (keeping himself at a safe distance and 'taller' than them).

He seems very happy and high-spirited today. My job has a small group of dog owners and we all bring our pups to work, so he's got some 'office mates'. If only he knew he was getting snipped next week. Shhhhh.

[cairnrescueleague]

Careful with the greenies. Many dogs have ingested them and needed surgery for an obstruction. This can also happen with rawhide.

[sanford]

Chaka looks very sweet in the photo. Is his color as red as it appears there? As you point out, he may be intimidated by the other dogs in the dog park, but my experience has shown that this passes within a week or so. After that, he'll probably be rough-housing with all the rest and won't want to leave!

[ChakasMom]

I give him the bigger greenies and cut them in half. He's usually chewing under my supervision, but it's a great tip. He generally likes objects that are bigger than he can handle for some reason, which is great for me. He's warmed up a little at the dog park, but my little napolean still has his first five minutes where he's feeling things out.

One of the things I've come to appreciate about him, is he cases out the house when we get home from work. Its pretty adorable, then he'll come and hang out next to me. This guy is so full of energy that I feel bad when I can't always play with him. Ahhh! The life of a pup, must be nice.

Yesterday Chaka has the most innocent accident. He had to pee bad and his dad was upstairs, he went into the downstairs bathroom, saw the green carpet and commenced peeing, like he was on grass. I can't help but love this guy. Today, it's snip snip snip, I can't imagine he'll be up for too much playing tonight.

[Mama Kim]

Chaka is very cute.