New OES Owner with a 3-year old Shih Tzu
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| Hi Todd! Congrats on your new puppy and welcome. There is tons of advice under the Getting a Puppy category. Here's one helpful link:
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=3384 My most important advice - if your OES is arriving next Thursday, get lots of sleep between now and then! The first few weeks are tough, she's a baby in a new environment and she can only "hold it" for so long. If you're well rested you'll be more patient for her adjustment period Can't wait to hear all about her, Sue |
I agree with Sue...get some sleep! 
As for the sleeping issue...just keep in mind that they get VERY BIG! That might mean that there is only room for the Shih Tzu and the Sheepie and you might have to sleep else where!
Oh, and get a good digital camera...we will be hounding you for pictures! |
Welcome to the forum 
I allowed Dancer to sleep with me til she was six months old, she is fine with a crate now, but I wonder if I might have over-spoiled her by allowing her to sleep with us.... you may appreciate crate training at night since it usually prevents most accidents and helps housetraining go a lot faster. Plus, having a full coated adult sheepie pounce on the bed covered in mud can be painful and make a huge mess. LOL (Sky did that this morning) |
| What is cute and tiny, becomes huge and heavy...in a blink of an eye. I wouldn't let the sheepie sleep with you, let her have a crate beside your bed, so you can get up every few hours to let her out to pee.
Once she has peed, praise her, and then back to bed (DO NOT PLAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT)...she is out to do business and back to bed. If she crys, say quiet, water squirts help some, covering the crate if it's all metal...and not to give in. After awhile they adjust to the routine and learn when to be quiet and when to play, and you can teach her the command (Go to your bed), point and she goes in. Make going to the crate a good thing, toss a treat inside, leave her inside while you watch tv, do dishes, read, be in other rooms where she can't see you but can hear you...get her use to being alone, or she will develop seperation anxiety. Good luck, and always remember she is a baby, can't hold her bladder, and never punish for accidents...they happen and it's your fault for not watching her well enough. Just clean it up and try better. Have fun, nothing beats the love a sheepie will give you. Your shih-tzu will probably be alpha let that happen, dogs can figure out how to get along pretty quickly, just stay out of it....introduce outside the house, and give them space to smell and check each other out. |
| Thank you very much for the helpful information. I think I am prepared enough. Do all OES bark and stuff at night? Has everyone experience this? The breeder tells me that she feels that my OES will adjust well with the Shih Tzu because she will be around another dog - like she is now wiht her sister. Just wondering.
How do I include a picture on this site? Thanks, Todd |
| Todd, the photo instructions are under the Picture section, here's the link:
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=1119 My dog isn't much of a barker, he only barks when someone comes to the door or is outside the house. It varies from dog to dog. When they're little puppies, though, they tend to get up in the night a bit as mentioned in the earlier posts. What will you be naming your sheepie? |
| I spoke with my Vet today and she has told me that each dog is different in terms of behavior. Although, being a puppy and coming into my home should not be a huge change for her - just an adjustment because I already have a dog so if she is going to miss being around her sister, my Luke will help with that. Luke is very friendly and enjoys the company of anyone who will give him attention.
I think I am going to name her Lucy. I really do enjoy the postings very much. Todd |
| I have one word of advice:
"Neutral meeting location" Ok, 3 words. 
Have them meet at a place where you haven't been with your current dog, or at least very seldom.... Make sure they get to know one another and play with one another and get used to one another, for some amount of time and then you bring them home together.... Just my 2 cents worth. |
| Good name-- I have a Lucy too. She's a Briard mix and sheds like crazy but used to sleep with me. I didn't care about the hair but then my boyfriend moved in and, well, he did. He loves Lucy but it made him crazy itchy!
Clyde, our 1 year old OES, doesn't like to sleep with us. He'll come hang out in bed but as soon as lights out happens, he's out, which is great because he is a bed hog anyway. With a baby though, I think you might be much better off crate training, at least at first to get through housebreaking. It's also helpful if you can't be home all the time or able to watch the puppy at all times-- and boy, will you need to watch! Good luck! |
| How does your dog get along with other dogs? Personally ....for starters, I would not allow the new dog to sleep in the bed. You don't know this dog yet and have to establish who is in charge. You also don't want your current dog to feel that it is being put second or overwhelmed.
I have a maltese and an OES. They get along good, but I think it took longer than another poster (Tasker's mom - also has a maltese) because the smaller dog was already set in her ways. Shih tzu's are stubborn by nature. Hopefully they hit it off right away and you don't experience ANY problems.
My SIL (sister-in-law) has 2 shih tzu's. Both with entirely opposite personality's (one is spunky and friend to all .....and the other is stubborn and loves mom and dad only--and other males). We have brought our OES over SEVERAL times from the time one of the Shih tzu's was a puppy (the spunky one). In fact, both shih tzu's lived with me for over 2 wks. That dog LOVESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS our OES. Pounce, jump, nip, bite real hard (puppy biting/sharp fang teeth) all over the OES. Our OES took it all in without ever reacting. In fact, our OES who was ALSO a puppy when they met probably thought the shih tzu was a pesky fly that wouldn't get off of her. BUT, they could not be playing without supervision. By that I mean, we only allowed them to play if one of us was holding our OES DOWN on the floor. A few minutes at a time we let her go to play, but she doesn't realize how BIG her PAWS are. She knew (instinctively) not to jump on the shih tzu, not to play rough, etc................. so she would just swat at her with her BIG PAWS. One strike with the paw (in the most innocent manner) could have taken an eye out of the shih tzu. Full sprint in the front yard has caused our OES to tumble over small dogs (shih tzu and maltese), so please be careful. haha Also, doing things like feeding your shih tzu FIRST then your new doggie can help your present dog adjust (shows new dog and current dog who is alpha). For us, when it comes to treats, water, getting into the vehicle, etc...I use my legs to block our OES while our little maltese gets hers first. She is aware that the OES has big paws and is silly at times ...so avoids her in small spaces (hallways, when they hear the word TREAT). Without thinking, our excited OES backs up and knocks over anything/one behind it. Good luck. I'm sure the adjustment will go great esp. given some time!
The two playing together. 
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ToddKody wrote: Hello everyone. I have been reading the messages throughout and find them all to be very helpful. My new OES is arrivng on a Thursday flight from Missouri to Washington, D.C. - I am really excited. Any advise for me? I already have a 3-year old Shih Tzu who will be company. The Shih Tzu, Luke sleeps in my bed. Should I allow the OES to sleep there, too? How should I prepared for her? Toys? Etc.? Do you all think that she will cry at night? Any information will be helpful. THank you and I enjoy the site very much. Todd
I have no great advice to add, but I'd like to say good luck and hang in there! Also, who's your breeder in MO? That's where Spike (my dog) is from and a few of the people I've run into on the board have had the same breeder from there. |
Well? How is it going?????? We are waiting for the arrival report~~ 
My "little" dog was the puppy coming into the the house with the existing big dog so in some ways I think that was easier. But now they get along GREAT. Sometimes Ty (the malt) drives Tasker (the OES) to distraction and I have to step in and do a little distracting of my own but for the most part like kids they figure it out on their own. I only intervene when things get too rough. HOWEVER...I NEVER LEAVE THEM ALONE TOGETHER. Tasker is 100 lbs and Ty is 5lbs and no matter how much they love and adore each other accidents happen so when I leave the house Ty goes in the crate til I get back. And when they play I stay close because even in fun things can get out of hand. Ty gets the bed and Tasker get a LOVELY bed on the floor
Good luck and tell us MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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