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  1. #1
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    Puppy Diaries: Day 2

    In which we learn rain is not good for housetraining...

    DH survived his first day working at home with Stormy, although he learned we could have used more insulation between rooms; her barking during "nap times" was heard throughout the house.

    I left work a little early so we could take Stormy for her first vet visit. Clean bill of health! And 14.1 lbs! Stormy was a bit shy so the vet broke out the cheese in a can and some broken up cookies, which the puppy happily ate. I liked that the vet spent quite a bit of time with us going over puppy basics. She has Golden Retrievers so she tailored it to retriever specifics, particularly stressing constant vigilance to avoid obstruction surgery. She tends to be more cautious when it comes to exposure and said we should wait until 16-18 weeks to take her to places with strange dogs, like Petsmart or Petco. (Back in 2005, 12 weeks was the magic threshold.) We then brainstormed ways to get the puppy socialized in safe ways; the vet encouraged us to set up play dates with our fur nephew Magnus, even though he's so much bigger than her. I think our biggest challenge will be Thanksgiving; most people are out of town or too busy to set up play dates next week. We're new to the area so we don't have many people to tap; suggestions welcome!

    Another question: How do people in cars transport puppies solo? Right now, one of us drives while the other is in the backseat with Stormy. She's too young for the hammock we used with Kimber, and I hate to buy a harness she'll outgrow in a week. I have a sedan so her crate won't fit. But if I want to take her to someplace without DH along, what do I do?

    After a long, dark, rainy drive home (sleep deprivation impairs my navigational skills, apparently), we took her outside to potty. But all that rain had turned our yard into a puppy water park. She refused to pee, but lapped up lots of running water and splashed in puddles. Gutters are the best, mom! It was pouring and cold, so we finally went inside. About 10 minutes later, in the middle of playing, Stormy squatted and pee'd. Oops! Outside she went with DH while I Nature Miracle'd the spot. She then ate dinner and romped around a bit- and 25 minutes after the first accident, she peed again, on the other side of the room! I mention the 25 minutes because I had her on a schedule of going out every 30 minutes. We should've dropped it to 20 last night, with all that rain water yumminess.

    And with a belly full of cookies and dinner (vet said to offer her the full amount and take it up if she seemed hesitant- ha ha ha), she fell fast asleep. I woke her up at 8:30 to try and engage her in play and all I got was some side eye and a return to slumber. Sweet puppy:
    -d434ddea-ce95-457e-a46b-d98c8794c08e-jpg

    On to our biggest challenge so far- the crate. At bedtime, I put her in and the crying commenced. I put my pillow down in front of the crate so she could see me and I could touch her. She didn't want comfort, she WANTED OUT. So I swiveled the crate so I had a better view of her within the crate and settled in to ignore the crying. And OMG, you guys, I made a video because I couldn't believe the "NO CAGE CAN CONTAIN STORMY" theatrics I got. Way beyond just crying, it involved her jumping on the door and trying to tug it open with her teeth: 8F5E2509 0A14 4C25 863A 7281C1E10530 - YouTube

    Another lesson= Be very careful that we close the crate door correctly so she can't jar it loose with her antics. Also, we need to get her comfortable in the crate before she's big enough to hurt herself.

    She actually cried herself to sleep within 20 or so minutes (hurray) and was quiet until 12:30. I took her out to potty, but then when she returned to her crate she went into full barking mode. For THREE HOURS. Friends, I couldn't take it. We went out for another successful potty outing (all that food makes for a full puppy), and then I brought her into my bed. Where she curled up with her nose in my armpit, and went right to sleep. At some point, she climbed up and snuggled on my chest. I've heard of such things but never got it from Kimber, so my heart just about burst with emotion. Or from lack of sleep. maybe both. But I was able to doze with puppy in the bed, and feel much better:

    -a8fb816a-5c25-4044-a477-ef016844523d-jpg-64539bb3-7545-4117-a32c-010cc087be8b-jpg

    I'm staying home tomorrow and I'll begin working on crate desensitization with her. Stay tuned!

    So another lengthy post, but I hope it might be useful for new owners. It's definitely easier this time around, but there are details about having a brand new puppy that I just forgot. I appreciate a place to record all our lessons- with the accompanying tax of puppy photos, of course.

    Recap
    # of accidents: 2
    # of cookies: as many as vet would give her
    # of puppy owner bucket list items achieved: 1 (puppy sleeps on chest)
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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    Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts



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  3. #2
    Senior Dog Blackboy98's Avatar
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    -a8fb816a-5c25-4044-a477-ef016844523d-2-jpgNow that's where a puppy belongs, as close to Mom as possible. I can tell you are enjoying this puppyhood.
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    CRACKER-My Heart Dog FOREVER 6/10/2005-7/9/2011

    Mike and Gabe--GOTCHA 7/25/2011

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  5. #3
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    In which we learn rain is not good for housetraining...

    DH survived his first day working at home with Stormy, although he learned we could have used more insulation between rooms; her barking during "nap times" was heard throughout the house.

    I left work a little early so we could take Stormy for her first vet visit. Clean bill of health! And 14.1 lbs! Stormy was a bit shy so the vet broke out the cheese in a can and some broken up cookies, which the puppy happily ate. I liked that the vet spent quite a bit of time with us going over puppy basics. She has Golden Retrievers so she tailored it to retriever specifics, particularly stressing constant vigilance to avoid obstruction surgery. She tends to be more cautious when it comes to exposure and said we should wait until 16-18 weeks to take her to places with strange dogs, like Petsmart or Petco. (Back in 2005, 12 weeks was the magic threshold.) We then brainstormed ways to get the puppy socialized in safe ways; the vet encouraged us to set up play dates with our fur nephew Magnus, even though he's so much bigger than her. I think our biggest challenge will be Thanksgiving; most people are out of town or too busy to set up play dates next week. We're new to the area so we don't have many people to tap; suggestions welcome!

    Another question: How do people in cars transport puppies solo? Right now, one of us drives while the other is in the backseat with Stormy. She's too young for the hammock we used with Kimber, and I hate to buy a harness she'll outgrow in a week. I have a sedan so her crate won't fit. But if I want to take her to someplace without DH along, what do I do?

    After a long, dark, rainy drive home (sleep deprivation impairs my navigational skills, apparently), we took her outside to potty. But all that rain had turned our yard into a puppy water park. She refused to pee, but lapped up lots of running water and splashed in puddles. Gutters are the best, mom! It was pouring and cold, so we finally went inside. About 10 minutes later, in the middle of playing, Stormy squatted and pee'd. Oops! Outside she went with DH while I Nature Miracle'd the spot. She then ate dinner and romped around a bit- and 25 minutes after the first accident, she peed again, on the other side of the room! I mention the 25 minutes because I had her on a schedule of going out every 30 minutes. We should've dropped it to 20 last night, with all that rain water yumminess.

    And with a belly full of cookies and dinner (vet said to offer her the full amount and take it up if she seemed hesitant- ha ha ha), she fell fast asleep. I woke her up at 8:30 to try and engage her in play and all I got was some side eye and a return to slumber. Sweet puppy:
    -d434ddea-ce95-457e-a46b-d98c8794c08e-jpg

    On to our biggest challenge so far- the crate. At bedtime, I put her in and the crying commenced. I put my pillow down in front of the crate so she could see me and I could touch her. She didn't want comfort, she WANTED OUT. So I swiveled the crate so I had a better view of her within the crate and settled in to ignore the crying. And OMG, you guys, I made a video because I couldn't believe the "NO CAGE CAN CONTAIN STORMY" theatrics I got. Way beyond just crying, it involved her jumping on the door and trying to tug it open with her teeth: 8F5E2509 0A14 4C25 863A 7281C1E10530 - YouTube

    Another lesson= Be very careful that we close the crate door correctly so she can't jar it loose with her antics. Also, we need to get her comfortable in the crate before she's big enough to hurt herself.

    She actually cried herself to sleep within 20 or so minutes (hurray) and was quiet until 12:30. I took her out to potty, but then when she returned to her crate she went into full barking mode. For THREE HOURS. Friends, I couldn't take it. We went out for another successful potty outing (all that food makes for a full puppy), and then I brought her into my bed. Where she curled up with her nose in my armpit, and went right to sleep. At some point, she climbed up and snuggled on my chest. I've heard of such things but never got it from Kimber, so my heart just about burst with emotion. Or from lack of sleep. maybe both. But I was able to doze with puppy in the bed, and feel much better:

    -a8fb816a-5c25-4044-a477-ef016844523d-jpg-64539bb3-7545-4117-a32c-010cc087be8b-jpg

    I'm staying home tomorrow and I'll begin working on crate desensitization with her. Stay tuned!

    So another lengthy post, but I hope it might be useful for new owners. It's definitely easier this time around, but there are details about having a brand new puppy that I just forgot. I appreciate a place to record all our lessons- with the accompanying tax of puppy photos, of course.

    Recap
    # of accidents: 2
    # of cookies: as many as vet would give her
    # of puppy owner bucket list items achieved: 1 (puppy sleeps on chest)
    Do you have an issue with Parvo in your area that your vet can link to? I cannot even imagine waiting that long to get my puppy out into the world. My suggestions would be woods walks, off leash, as much as possible in a safe area (safe from other dogs, cliffs, etc.), outdoor restaurants (though might be too cold now), puppy class started by 10 weeks of age, puppy romps as long as they are supervised by well-educated staff, quiet-ish parks (on leash). I don't really take my dogs to PetCo or PetSmart, regardless of vaccines. Too many clueless folks in my area that want every dog to visit and I don't let my dogs visit on leash with strange dogs. Home Depot and Lowes might be better. Cabelas allows dogs. Tractor Supply or Coastal Farm and Ranch might be good options. The AVMA's stance on socialization is quite different than your vet's. https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/081001c.aspx

    Only place for a puppy in a car is in a crate! One can fit into your back seat and be teathered. When she's older and you can't get a big enough crate back there, the Sleepypod harnesses are the only crash-tested dog seat belts. Thousands of dogs are killed, maimed, thrown from cars and run over or lost every year by not being crated or safely secured in a vehicle. Worth looking into! Clickit Sport - Sleepypod® | The safest pet company | Dog Carrier | Cat Carrier | Dog Harness

    I'd be careful using the crate too much at this point. There's a fine-line between a pissed puppy and a puppy that is panicking. Any way you can take time off of work for a couple weeks to ease the puppy into your schedule? It's hard to get a pup and then go right into your schedule unless your breeder helped that along in some way. Here's a Sarah Stremming podcast on crating that you might find helpful: https://soundcloud.com/sarah-stremming/happy-crating

  6. #4
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    Clarification: Vet did stress that socialization is essential, she just wants us to avoid higher risk areas like dog parks and petstores and our local farmer's market, which is a huge canine draw. With winter coming, it will just be more challenging to happen upon people in parks and public places.

    I found a puppy class starting in January, hurray! Nobody's starting classes until the holidays are over, but 3 months is still a pretty good age for her first class.
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
    Hidden Content

    Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts



  7. #5
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    Clarification: Vet did stress that socialization is essential, she just wants us to avoid higher risk areas like dog parks and petstores and our local farmer's market, which is a huge canine draw. With winter coming, it will just be more challenging to happen upon people in parks and public places.

    I found a puppy class starting in January, hurray! Nobody's starting classes until the holidays are over, but 3 months is still a pretty good age for her first class.
    Perfect!

    Post office, laundromats, home depot, lowes, christmas tree lots, outside of malls (might be too much for the pup, you could start far, get closer if she's comfortable), dealership, oil change places.

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  9. #6
    Senior Dog Jollymolly's Avatar
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    Im not surprised you gave in. I had Molly in the Laundry room with the crate open and roaming space and a baby gate up. I needed my sleep so newspaper went on the floor. It only took a few nights. And potty training was super quick. Slowly after about 2 months I moved her crate into my room. By this point it was her bed and there where no issues. Have fun with the crate training.

  10. #7
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Hey! I know what you can get your husband for an early holiday gift (not counting Stormy ) Noise cancelling headphones!

    So far, Henry has been riding in my car in a small-ish (28" or 30") Vari-kennel. It won't last for long but it keeps him in one place for now.

    I know how you feel about the socialization business, where to take your puppy that's theoretically safe. Even finding a place to let your pup go to the bathroom if you're driving somewhere a few hours away is challenging. Henry met every dog, every walker, runner, biker that came past our yard that I could get to come over. I thought about taking him to one of the local elementary schools at dismissal time but was a little worried that parents might wonder who that rando with the puppy was hanging out, luring the kids over. So yeah, maybe not your husband if you decide to try that.

    I don't know how everyone feels about what exactly socialization IS. Is it just meeting other people and dogs? Is it more than that? I recently found this checklist that describes a pretty wide variety of experiences that you want to try to introduce your puppy to. There's a lot you can work on in addition to meeting people and other dogs. Having a dog who doesn't freak out about thunder or fireworks or other loud noises is also a worthy goal. https://drsophiayin.com/app/uploads/..._Checklist.pdf

  11. #8
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    aww that whining may have me change back to no-puppy philosphy

  12. #9
    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    I have mixed feelings about early socialization. My breeder highly recommended I not worry about early exposure to health conditions and focus more on taking him everywhere, which I did. But, he got a terrible case of kennel cough (even after getting the vaccine) and then giardia. I'll never know where he picked either of those conditions up because he went everywhere with me. Could have been daycare, the various stores I took him into (including Petco), the vet to get weighed and get used to the place, on the trails where we walk, meeting other dogs in all the various places we walked, training classes. My hope is that now his immunities are super strong and he will resist things he's exposed to later. But, I wonder if I had held back a bit on early socialization that he might not have gotten those conditions. On the plus side, he is a very social dog (which I know has a lot to do with his outgoing and confident personality) and I have done quite a bit of training at his young age.

  13. #10
    Senior Dog MightyThor's Avatar
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    We took Barley a bunch of places with us in the first couple of weeks in a laundry basket lined with a blanket. He wasn't allowed out of the basket except for potty breaks in well-planned safe locations. Luckily for us it was May when all of the local pubs and coffee shops were opening up their outdoor spaces. I would take Barley on an outing almost every day. He'd sit in his little basket on a chair or bench next to me. It kept him off the ground but let him meet a ton of people. Of course everyone wants to say hi to the puppy! Given the time of year, that might be more difficult for you.

 



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