# First dog, but I'm just in high school



## bambronzo (Feb 10, 2011)

It's my first time here so please bare with me.

I recently received a dog over the course of my first year high school. I wake up at 5 am in the morning to get ready for school. I come home at about 4 pm. 

I don't know how to feed it over the hours I am away from home.

but here are some of my questions:
1. they say a dog will like you if you're the one who feeds them. so i want to feed them myself.
2. the problem is i don't know if I have to give it in the morning or at late in the afternoon. during weekdays that is.
3. what can be a schedule when feeding and bathing it?

I'm sorry if my questions is for beginners but it really is my first time.

And if your opinion is me not owning the dog well I won't accept it. because this dog is given to me by my parents so really want to take care of it and to prove i am responsible, also, i can do something for my spare time instaed on just going to the internet and playing video games.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Welcome to dog ownership! Lots of high school age people do well with dogs as long as they recognize the responsibility, which you seem to do. We have several forum members that are highschool and college age! Most of us though, like me, are old fogeys.

A few questions:
What time do you actually leave for the day? How old is the dog? What times does the dog go out for potty? How long have you had the dog? (name? breed? sex?)
What sort of exercise and training do you do and when?

I normally recommend twice daily feedings..as I personally find once a day to be an awful long time to go before eating and Cracker would get empty stomach upset if I didn't. I would organize your schedule like this : up and outside for pee, a meal, then twenty minutes or so later, outside for pee and poo and a walk if possible.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

I feed twice a day when they are puppies but when they get done growing I change to once a day in the evening. Izze will not eat in the morning no matter what I do, but she does eat really well in the evening, so she gets her rations in the evening. 

I'm not suggesting to do that with your dogs, but its what works for us.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Age of the puppy makes a difference. For puppies under 4 months, I'd feed 3 meals a day. Over 4 months, 2 meals a day, once in am once in pm.

Could you post the puppies age?


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## pitbullfriends (Oct 28, 2010)

Dogs only need to eat twice a day, and realistically once a day would work if it had too. Dogs descended from wolves who only eat once or twice a week and they binge eat when they get a kill. If you feed your dog in the morning before school and then again in the evening your dog will be just great.


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## bambronzo (Feb 10, 2011)

It's only a month old and it is with its brothers and sisters (5 of them) because the mother is staying in our house.

My mom feeds the puppies with milk every 2-3 hours so I can't do that since I have a tight schedule.
My schedule goes as:
1. 5am wake up
2. 6-6:30 am I leave for school
3. 4 pm I return home.

As for your question for the potty I haven't really known that yet since my mom is the one taking care of the puppies at first.

The dogs name is Frodo (like the one from LOTR) a male dog and he is a Shih Poo puppy.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Well, the pup is too young to be away from it's mother and littermates for very long right now, so for the next few weeks let mama dog take care of things for you  . At this point just handle the puppies gently every day, and get them used to having people touch their ears, paws, mouth, etc. I don't know how long the mother dog and pups will be staying at your house, but don't remove the puppy from the litter until AT LEAST 8 weeks, 10 weeks would be better.

Will your mother be helping with the puppy even after he's older? Someone needs to let him out to go potty while you're at school (arrangements could be made if that's impossible, but it's better to have someone let the puppy out), and, until he's older, to feed him midday. As long as you spend lots of time with your puppy, it won't matter if your mom gives him lunch for a while.


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## Horseshoe (Nov 10, 2010)

At this age they should be starting to cut back the nursing (per mom) because of the teeth, so feeding a puppy gruel a couple times a day is what I do. I use a coffee grinder to crumble up the food and mix with a little water to make an oatmeal consistency paste NOT milk. I make sure the mom can NOT get to the pups while I feed this because if I don't take mom out she will eat it. Depending on the size of the bred is what I feed, sm (2t) med (3t) large(4t)...3 weeks, go up a teaspoon each week, at 6 weeks they can start crunching on a little dry kibble. I will also add less water each week to the gruel. I offer water to the pups several times a day as well when I start feeding so by the time they are 5/6 weeks they know what everything is about. I will use a large rabbit water bottle so there are no bowls to spill. I do the water bottle and offer by bowl so when they are weaned and ready to go they are not weird about drinking out of either. Weaning age is when ever the mom is sick of them and leaving each other is min. 8 wks. I like to get the pups gone by 8 or 9 but some people prefer longer. It is very very important that they stay with their litter mates the ENTIRE 8 weeks, they will teach and learn important skills from each other and mom.

I feed 3x a day, I also feel its a really long time between meals to feed only once but everybody does what works for them but for the most part people feed 2 or 3 x day.


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## MusherChic (Nov 6, 2010)

Hey fellow high schooler here!
I feed my dogs 2x a day. Once at around 9am and again at around 6pm. I am homeschooled though so I have a pretty relaxed and short school schedule. You could feed once a day in the evening after you get home from school if thats all you have time for. I have always like feeding my dogs twice a day though...just so they aren't getting their whole entire meal for a day all in one feeding. 
As for bathing you should only have to bath the dog when it gets dirty. With a Shih Poo you will want to brush out its coat daily though say like after you get home from school. Their coats can get tangled quickly when they play and then they can get matted if they aren't taken care of.
I agree with Willowy though, let momma take care of the pups for now and in the mean time spend lots of time here (when schedule allows it of course) and learn all you can until the pup is ready to be weaned from its mother.


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