We give each buyer a healthy happy pup, a medical record showing its shots and worming, a sample of the puppy food the pup has been eating and the AKC registration papers. If the pup is shipped, it will also come with a health certificate and an FAA-approved carrier. Early Training - I highly recommend that my buyers train their pups early. You can attend classes at a local pet store such as PetSmart or Petco. The cost is reasonable – I think it is $119 for 8 weeks of classes. The whole family can go if that works for them. The dogs learn to come, to sit, to down, to leave it, to heel, to stop, to shake hands, to roll over and to give a high five, etc. Buyers would need to check with their local pet shop to see if they teach the same things there. If you prefer a professional trainer, then I recommend Allie Keaton who helped train my dogs, and also trains service dogs for the disabled. Check out Allie’s website at: www.myservicedog.com. God bless her for all the help she is to the disabled. Allie will also help my buyers with any questions they have by phone or email. Make sure to check out her website on a regular basis as she is putting together free training videos. She will have directions on her website telling you how to find her free training videos. Wheatens are eager to please and learn quickly. Every time I have taken my pups for training, they have been the smartest in the class and that is the honest truth. You start out rewarding them with treats in training and they love a lot of praise as well. Crate Training – I know that some people believe that it is mean to ‘cage’ dogs, but that is not true. Dogs are ‘den animals’ and they learn to love their ‘den’ as their ‘safe place.’ The crate should be just big enough for the pup to stand up, turn around, and lay down in. Any bigger and they can go potty in it and get out of the mess. You can purchase a crate that will fit them when they are grown but put the divider in it initially. No food or drink should be in the crate or anything the pup can chew up and choke on. This also means that you should not leave them unattended with pillows, blankets, stuffed toys, towels, rawhide, or anything they can choke on. Crates are the best way to potty train a dog and keep it safe from harm while unattended. Puppies should not have the run of the house or even of one room. If kept in a small confined place at first, they will learn to potty outside much quicker. Do not give rawhide to your pup or dog. Rawhide is the number one cause of death in dogs. Take a piece of rawhide and place it in a glass of water to see how it swells up when it is moistened. Many dogs have choked on rawhide or swallow too large a piece and surgery is required to save the pet. Feeding and House Training – I also do not 'free feed' by leaving the food and water available at all times. In the beginning, and if your schedule allows it, they need to be fed three times a day, then two times a day once they are older. Put them in a sitting position and place the food bowl in front of them, then tell them to 'eat'. Give them time to eat, then if they do not eat it all, put the food up and take them outside to 'go potty'. If they don’t potty, then take them back inside and keep them on a leash or crated and then go out again in fifteen to 30 minutes. In a short period of time you will learn how long your pup needs after he eats to go potty. Also, if your pup goes potty as soon as you let it out of its crate, then carry the puppy outside the door or to the potty area and put him down to go. They will get the message very soon and you will not have potty smells inside. Puppies need to go out often to potty in the beginning but be careful not to take them out too often or they won’t learn to hold their bladder. As a general rule, puppies/dogs need to go out when they wake up, eat and drink, after playing, or when stressed. Sometimes pups do not eat at all the day you take them home. That is because they become stressed being in the new environment and they miss their little siblings and their momma. Do not change the brand of puppy food right away. If you choose another brand, that is fine but do it gradually by adding some of the new to the puppy food your pup is accustomed to. I send some puppy food home with the buyer. If you do it gradually, the puppy can adjust – do not change its diet completely overnight. Grooming Your Wheaten - Wheatens need to be combed regularly. Many books say they need to be combed daily but I do not think that is necessary, unless you have the time and enjoy doing it. Do start combing your pup as soon as you get it. The pup needs to become accustomed to the combing right from the start. I comb each of our dogs thoroughly on a weekly basis. The dogs do not shed but, if left without combing, their coat will get knots and tangles. ALWAYS be sure and comb your dog thoroughly before bathing it. NEVER USE HUMAN SHAMPOO ON YOUR PET. I like the oatmeal shampoos or the medicated shampoos because they have aloe vera which is so good for the Wheaten. They say when a person buys a home the three most important things to consider are location, location and location. That is true. However, when you bathe your Wheaten, the three most important things are RINSE, RINSE, and RINSE. I use a metal comb with fine, strong pointed teeth on my dogs. The SCWTCA (Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America) recommends the 'Greyhound' brand comb. You can find them at any pet store. I also have a detangler which I sometimes have to use for a knot. The detangler (also called a mat rake) is razor sharp inside and cuts right through a knot. The detangler can also be bought at any pet shop. If you keep your Wheaten from becoming badly matted, the grooming experience will be a happy one for both of you. Most Wheaten owners do the combing on a regular basis and then take the dog to a groomer for its haircut, etc. Your Wheaten will also need its nails trimmed regularly and will also need to have its ears cleaned regularly. Each time we bathe and groom our Wheatens, I use tweezers to remove the hair inside the ear and then I use an ear wash solution which I get from my vet and it can also be bought at the various pet stores. If you do not plan on doing all of your dog’s grooming yourself, take it to a reputable dog groomer for its grooming which should also include the nails and the cleaning of the ears. Safe Travel With Your Pet I highly recommend that my buyers purchase a harness type car restraint for the pup to wear while travelling in a car. The harness type car restraint attaches to the seat belt in the vehicle. It prevents the pup or dog from roaming around the car when you are travelling. It secures the pup or dog so that it cannot go flying through the air in the event of an accident or a sudden stop. This is for the protection of both the pet and the passengers in the vehicle. These harness type car restraints are not expensive and can be purchased at all the pet shops. They come in different sizes. The grown Wheaten fits well into the Medium Size. |
