Peanut is a real cutie!! I'm raising a new pup too. Mine is 11 weeks. We have settled into a routine of sleeping, pottying, eating and sleeping again. Mine is also a little breed dog - Havanese - and I am trying to make sure I treat her as a regular dog - not a fragile little baby. She already likes to take walks, although she's not a "straight line" kind of walker. She is all over the place :) But at least I try to keep her moving forward. I also don't want her to become a little tyrant. It's hard, but I try not to give in every time she whines about something. But she is tons of fun and I'm sure Peanut will be for you as well. Congratulations!!!

Thanks! Everyone wants to hold her from family and friends to strangers in the pet store, lol. Peanut is great fun! She's trying to engage the cats to play now that my brother reclaimed his dog. Dustin seems like he's interested, he made the stalking position and butt-wiggle he uses when he plays with Muffin and he was kinda swatting at her from a chair but I supervise all interactions to make sure its a positive experience for all. I'm not worried because the cats haven't stalked her or look at her like the birds or mice they see and when I play with my cats, even if I hand-wrestle a lil bit they never scratch me. Actually I'm surprised because with my first cat and even with ones I come into contact with I'd always have the odd scratch here and there but I have one now and not only can not remember where/how I got it but I can't remember the last scratch I got from them. If I do feel their claws a bit its because they need a trimming. I was kinda worried they'd be jealous since they had all my attention until now but I'm making a point to not treat them any different and give lots of love, play and scratches. Dustin even slept on the bed with me last night (Muffin never sleeps on the bed; she was a barn cat so she her lil spots she likes to nap in).

I have to educate my mom not to treat Peanut like a baby but I can say that if Peanut was a Mastiff mom would still baby her. She said she's leaving the training and discipline to me but she'll try to help if she remembers. I'm more concerned about dad rough-housing with her. He used to play this rough style with his sheppards and there wasn't a problem but now she's nipping at my fingers and toes and I want her to know she can't play that way with everyone and when I say playtime is over, then its over. But I'll go gentle and keep reading up to raise her as best I can.

awww, peanut is adorable!!! i'm sure misty would approve. :)

can't wait for more pics. have fun with her and congrats!

Congrats on the new addition! It's nice having a new little one to love after losing a beloved cat or dog. The new addition doesn't replace the one(s) we've lost, but helps to fill void and helps us share the love for animals that we still have in our hearts.

Best of luck to you and your family!

What a sweet girl Peanut is. I wish your Mom & your family the best wishes for your new addition. My advice is to teach the sit - stay command. I think thats the first thing a pup should learn since it will save her life. Also stock up on wee-wee pads LOL your going to need them.

I was so sad to hear of Misty's passing. She was just a beatiful dog and you could see the intelligence in her eyes. Good luck on the new addition. It's just as important to train a small terrier as a large dog, contrary to what some people think. They're a joy and endless entertainment, and I am a 'terrier person' my entire life. But, they can get Napolean complexes. LOL. I think there is a name like little dog syndrome. IOW they get babied so much with no limits drawn they can become tiny terrors. She's beautiful and wishes for a long and happy life for her.

I think it is great you are willing to train the puppy and all, but your mom really needs to get on board that train as well. Everyone in a dogs life needs to maintain balance or the puppy will take advantage of the person who is not with the program. This can lead to days of frustration and making for a potentially dangerous situation if your mom has the pup and it is not willing to listen to her because she has not contributed to training. Good luck

Peanut is just adorable. Toy breeds are my favorite and I currently have three of them. I don't think the importance of avoiding spoiling and creating "little dog syndrome" can be overemphasized. It makes the difference between having a sweet, lovable, and fun companion and having a snippy, nasty dog that's a pain to deal with. Most toys can be pretty headstrong and it is hard to correct them when they're so little and cute, but it's crucial to do it. I agree that your mom should be involved with her training.

Another thing that's important with toys is dental care. Small dogs have many more problems with their teeth than large dogs and they should be brushed several times a week. I just discovered a great product to brush with called Petzlife Oral Care Gel. It literally breaks down existing plaque on the teeth, so should be terrific if used from the beginning with a puppy.

Housebreaking can be quite a challenge with little dogs, too, and it isn't unusual for them to need a full year to become reliable. I continue to let them out often and praise them when they perform all their lives and my dogs stay in crates at night and when no one is home.

My toy fox terrier is five years old and still very playful. They are known for being playful all their lives and enjoy playing ball and learning tricks. Good luck with Peanut. I'm sure she'll bring you all a lot of joy.

Thank you all for your thoughts for Misty and Peanut!

Not to worry Mazor, my mom will learn to control the pups, she could command Misty and Jessie, but it was dad who did the initial work of training. So I just help her by showing her how to get Peanut to sit, how to use treats, how to distract or block unwanted behaviour (which we are still learning about, lol).

Thanks for the tip on dental care deb 18. It is something we haven't thought of yet so I'll definitely see if I can get Petzlife up here in Canada. Misty had to be under so they could clean her teeth and Dustin is next on the list so preventing this will really help down the line.

We all, in my family, feel that its as important to correct the behaviour of small dogs as it is for large dogs. All dogs should have the same rules no matter what their size. Sadly we are starting to see some signs in Peanut, ok I'm seeing them, that are a bit unsettling. I would love your input since you have three toys and my dad just brought us two Shi-poos so now we have a pack but I think I'll start a new thread for that.

Awesome, good luck with your new charge and keep us posted with cute pics.. your pup is a cutie....