For The Love of Schnauzers

Puppy Training

Riley now has his own trainer.  Based on a recommendation from The Barkery, we asked Tony Littral  of the K-9 Character School to come out and do an evaluation on Riley.  He does one-on-one in-home dog training.  He has over thirty years experience in dog training and it shows.  We were really impressed with how Riley responded to him after just a few minutes.  So, Riley will get a visit from Tony each week for the next 5 or 6 weeks.  Of course, not only does Riley have a lot to learn, so do his owners!

Should We Buy TWO Puppies?

What's better than one Mini Schnauzer?  TWO Mini Schnauzers! 

Heather and I could easily convince ourselves to get Riley and one of his puppy friends.  We had actually set our minds to do that very thing when we started down this road to get a new puppy.  After we'd had Zack for a number of years, we felt a little bad that he was always "solo" and never had another Schnauzer friend to play with and get in trouble with.  So, we determined we'd do things differently this time.

Our first step was to explore how much more money a second puppy would cost just so we could make sure our budget could handle the additional expense.  Heather talked to our beloved groomer and she let us in on a little secret we didn't know - two puppies purchased together will bond with each other and not as much with their adult family.  That wasn't news we wanted to hear.

Not being one who is easily deterred, I contacted our veterinarian and told them of our plans.  Unfortunately, they told us the exact same thing:  two puppies will bond to each other.  We also learned that it's more difficult to potty train two versus one and training in general will be more challenging.  They recommended we wait a few months before purchasing a second puppy.  Good advice.

With all of that said, I suppose we're going to take the advice of our groomer and vet.  For now, Riley will be flying solo but I have a feeling he'll get plenty of love any way!

Poochie Bells & Your Miniature Schnauzer

Heather and I took a trip to our favorite pet shop, the Barkery, on Saturday.  It's a locally owned business and we love patronizing small businesses.  While there perusing all the dog products, we saw a display of Poochie Bells. 

Poochie Bells are a great communication tool between pet owner and pet.  Several years ago, while visiting a friend's home, we first noticed bells being used.  It's a simple idea.  When the dog needs to go outside to take care of his "business," they nudge the bells with their nose.  As many of you know, sometimes it's difficult to know when a dog needs to go out and this tool provides a simple way to make this need known.  We plan to use these with Riley next month.

Made in the USA
After reading the information that came with Poochie Bells, I appreciated the fact that it is a product made in the USA.  It's nice to buy something locally made.  The quality of the product seems wonderful and their website indicates that they are made from heavy quality metal and are a much higher quality than craft bells you might see in stores.

Easy to Hang and Adjust
Poochie Bells are designed to hang over any door knob and are specifically designed for any breed to be able to reach them.  If you don't want to hang them on the door knob for whatever reason, they can easily be placed on a hanger beside the door.

Instructions Included
Poochie Bells come with complete instructions on  how to train your dog to use the bells.  Their website contains training information as well.  The training method is pretty simple and requires only consistent behavior from the owner to see results.

Are you ready to purchase Poochie Bells for your dog?  You can find a listing of Signature Stores on their website.  If you've used Poochie Bells, I'd love to hear from you!  Share your thoughts and insights with the rest of us!  I plan to do a review of this product again in a few months to let you know how Riley is adjusting to this concept.  Thanks for reading!

**Although the photo shows the instruction tag attached to Poochie Bells, it should be removed before use.