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Subject: Random health facts or other facts about having a new rat terrier pup?

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Erinj09

Ratastic

04/25/2008 9:18 PM
Im very new to this site and love it! i am getting a pup soon and preparing, i have another forum i started but i wanted to leave this one open to anyone who wants to add their little rattie secret that may help me. any little facts you could throw in would be very appreciated. i want to know everything i can to keep my new baby health and happy as can be!!!ill keep reading through other forums as well, but i would love anyones help, thanx ~Erin

Proud owner of a rat terrier resides here. Kahlua is my new puppy,Olive is my kitty-kat, Oh and 3 fish (Bonnie, Indiana Jones, and Rafiki) lol I love my animals hehe "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take...but by the moments that take our breath away"

pepper

Ratastic

04/26/2008 4:56 PM
Exercise, and short frequent training. These dogs are very smart, but will get almost defiant if you have too long a training session. It will lead to frustration, and you may even want to give up on training altogether. They thrive on mental stimulation. Also, if they have pent up energy, it will be harder to train. You can do things like jumping over your knee, and going over things in the yard, kinda like agility for puppies. It really helps to get exercise, training, and mental stimulation when they are too eager and excited to sit still for things like down-stay.

Kristin ~ Pepper's mommy

Mooses'Mama

Obsessed

04/26/2008 5:07 PM
Moose is a puppy still and we run him AT LEAST an hour a day, and he is extremely mellow in temper. But I agree with the poster above, make sure he doing things that are interesting, but when training keep the lessons short, and end with a game. They learn everything so quickly!

Mother to Moose Jefferson Green Esquire!

k_dmom33

Terrier Terror

04/26/2008 6:50 PM
And to add to the other posts....lots of love. Of course. My ratties cant get enough. They are so loving, they never get sick of hugs and kisses. Also skin allergies seem to be common in this breed. My female has it and I had to switch her food to a premium brand. She was itchy all the time. after I started her on Natural Balance the itching has almost completely gone away and she no longer has a rash on her belly. I learned about that on this site. Great place!!! Oh and when you do get that puppy, pictures are a definite requirement here!! :-)

~~Teresa~~

Erinj09

Ratastic

04/26/2008 7:13 PM
haha pictures are going to be my thing, she'll have her own photo album. i will be flaunting her everywhere! thanks everyone for your imput. i did read a lot about the allergies, i was planning on starting on some sort of natural balance or something, i guess depending on what food she is growing up on haha ~Erin

Proud owner of a rat terrier resides here. Kahlua is my new puppy,Olive is my kitty-kat, Oh and 3 fish (Bonnie, Indiana Jones, and Rafiki) lol I love my animals hehe "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take...but by the moments that take our breath away"

Mitzy's Mom

PAWesome

04/27/2008 2:45 PM
Handle her/his little paws from the start so they get used to nail clipping. Also, the big mistake I made with my Mayfly was not enough socialization when she was a pup, it's taken a long time to undo that! (Meeting new people, she was ok with dogs!)

Mary Beth, mom to the Lollipop Kids Georgia Foster Mom, New Rattitude at www.newrattitude.org Pics of my current fosters: http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/caradoc http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/willow http://imageevent.com/newrattitude/fiona

michelle

Firehouse Big Dog

04/27/2008 3:02 PM
Socialize your pup around people and noises. Start brushing his teeth so he is use to it.

michelle, mom to Sydney (JRT), Sonic (Rattie), Buddy(Jack-Rat) and Proud mom to Army son, Jordan http://www.dogster.com/dogs/893222 Sydney http://www.dogster.com/dogs/893220 Sonic http://www.dogster.com/dogs/901405 Buddy

Noodles n Me

Terrier Terror

04/27/2008 3:53 PM
Pick a 2 syllable name, dogs seem to respond the best to their names if they are 2 syllables. Also be prepared to become Obsessed!!!!! cat

There is no joy greater than being owned by a Rattie!! cat

Cocoabean

Rat Royalty

04/28/2008 10:52 AM
Read, read, read! The Other End of the Leash and For the Love of a Dog both by Patricia McConnell are great books to check out. These are not training books. They are both great reads about dog behavior and understanding canines that will help you tremendously when it comes to training, however. I can't agree more with socialization. Also, as a bicycler, skater, and dog lover, please try to expose your pup (when the time's right) to as many situations as possible with positive reinforcement so he/she doesn't freak out unexpectedly as an adult dog. I don't think off-leash dog parks are a good idea for young pups, either, and not only because of disease, but also because of the lack of control over other dog's behavior. Too much risk for traumatizing and psychologically scarring a pup for life. For dog-dog socialization, a better choice might be a group training class where all the dogs are under control (in theory). If a dog park is all you have, though, be sure you know the dogs and dog owners well. (I'm speaking from personal experience--others may have had better experiences with dog parks.)

Sara Jo Mom to Henry

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