oh i could be SO wrong... but i just grab the hair on the side of her face.. works nicely!

By scruffing, I meant grabbing the skin behind the neck, like how a mama kitty carries her kittens. I don't know if mother dogs do this also?
Teresa

I love this thread. Here is my contribution:
1. When the puppies were little I got a very thick plastic (at least 6 ml) at Home Depot in the paint department. I would cut it to fit the x-pen to protect the floor. You could even put it on top of carpet. Then I put blankets, pee pad in the pen. Now that they are older I just cut a piece the size of the pee pad and put it underneath. It will prevent any leaking underneath. I can cut a whole bunch of them and wipe with those Clorox wipes or just throw away.
2. Use painter masking tape for taping the ears up. It will not pull the hair.
3. I feed and train them with their dinner kibble. That way I work with them everyday and have them sit, laydown ect. They are eager cause all four dogs are paying attention. If I just put the food bowl down no one touches it. I think they like the attention from the other dogs and me.
4. I buy preemie clothes at Walmart and make cute doggie outfits. A lot of times I find stuff on clearence for just a couple dollars. Just cut out and sew for the tail and private area. You can sew in elastic to make more of a custom fit. Cheaper then making it all yourself.
5. I made bandannas with their names on them and put magnetic closures used for jewelry around the neck. This way it will breakaway and not hurt their trachea.
6. I buy people chenille socks and make short little sweaters for my Yorkies. They have a lot of stretch to them and will fit most Yorkies. Just cut holes for the front feet where your heel would go and then cut the toe area out. Sew around the cut holes so it will not fray.
7. For a longer sweater. Use the sleeve of your old sweater to make a Yorkie sweater. Custom make it to fit you yorkie and have it go all the way to the tail. Cut it shorter on the belly side and taper it longer to the tail. Finish the edges so it will not fray.

You are just too clever girl! What great tips, thanks.

Thought I would bump up this thread so that some of our new members could see it. Joey's much older now, and one of the things I wished I had known from the beginning is using hand signals when you are teaching a trick. Joey is so much more observant to every little nuance I do with my hand, than he is with the words I use. He notices a finger slightly pointed easier than the difference between words. Also, when using words, I repeat some in a sing-songy type of fashion, and that helps him remember the words, for example the words, "roll over" I try to say it in a certain way each time, and use my index finger in a whirling fashion. Also, when doing lots of training, use their regular food as "treats" if you don't want them to pack on the pounds. :D

These are all great tips, thanks!

I just stumbled on one myself this weekend. When camping or taking your pup out of town, get the address and phone number to the nearest emergency vet. When I ran into a potential emergency while camping, it took some time to locate a nearby vet. One vet recommended that I drive 200 miles to the nearest vet. Turns out there was one 20 miles away.

Fortunately, I didn't need either, but it got me to thinking that having that information in advance could save some critical time.

Great idea!! This reminded me of when I air travel: before I go, I make sure I have in my purse the phone numbers for my guys' Micro-Chip Companies as well as the Chip Serial Numbers themselves. I also make sure I have my list of at-home remedies and their dosages (benadryl, pepto, etc). And, I always have Childrens Liquid Benadryl and an empty syringe with me (and other things as well, but for sure that).

Thanks everyone for all the great tips, I'm certain they will come in very handy and that i'll be referring back to these - time and time again! :thumbup:

If you have a "runner" like me! I put 2 panels of an ex-pen in front of the front door to block it. This way, if one of my neighbors or family members decides to walk in without knocking, I don't have to worry about Otis bolting out the door.
The only other tip I have is for babies that puke in the car. Oliver pukes when he is in the back seat in his car seat. If we travel longer than 10 minutes, I have to put in in the front in my lap with the air conditioner blowing on him. I know it's not as safe as being back in his car seat..but he doesn't vomit.
Squirt bottle for barking! Thats all I got!!!

If you ever take a trip with your dog....place a collar or harness with TAGS on them. One of those tags should have your cell phone number...afterall you aren't home...so your cell would be the best way for someone to reach you.

Delilah doesn't like the wipes because they are cold, so I had to go and buy a wipe warmer. No more complaints. I'm the same way you are about the wiping.

What is scruff?

This is a great thread and I've picked up lots of tips here. Thanks, Nancy.

Oh and one more thing. Delilah's ears smell terrible. What should I do?
And here is what I am going through at night. She gets these WILD bursts of energy. They last about 45 minutes. Then she crashes. You can't keep her awake. Is this normal? By the way. The tin with the coins REALLY works. My boyfriend and i JUST tried it and she HATES it. The biting has ceased.

From what I've read, any foul smell coming from the ears should be checked by a vet. I think this can mean an infection such as a yeast infection, and it can lead to some serious problems. You might want to do a search on smelly ears. As far as the energy, it sounds very normal. Puppies have so much energy, and need to release it. You can teach them to play fetch, or chase the broom or mop, neither of which requires much energy on your part. A tip for this is to use just one mop for the game, all other sweeping tools are off limits. Joey knows when I get out one special dust mop he can attack. Walks are good, but Joey's all time favorite is the monster game, where I make noises and chase him, he reminds me so much of a little kid when we play this game, I can't play for long, so he doesn't get overexcited. What I'm saying is that you can tire them out before they go to bed, you decide when they will exert all their energy, otherwise, it will be a half an hour after you go to bed. :D