Always keep in mind you are dealing with a baby with a super short attention span. For potty training, take her out every times she wakes up, eats, or sniffs the ground, and as Sarah (doubledip) said, throw a party every pee or poo. If you she has an accident, don't make a big deal of it, just take her out side. Remember, accidents are your fault not hers!! I also gave them a "good wee wee" or "good poo" as they went.
If you can get some towels to your breeder and have her put them in with the pups for a day before you pick her up. This way you will have something with a familiar scent for her. If she whines in the crate just ignore it. I know it's hard, but she will settle pretty quick, and if she figures out whining gets her attention, and she will, it will make it pretty tough on you.
Lab puppies are generally pretty horrible, which is why they are so stinkin' cute, it keeps you from killing them!! All I can say is raising a Lab puppy is a journey, not a destination. Always be patient with her, and if you are starting to feel frustrated or angry while working with her (and you will), stop what you are doing, take a deep breath and move onto something else.
I hope this week goes by quickly for you, and you have a quiet first weekend with Lacy. Enjoy the time while she's little, because it only lasts the blink of an eye. Have fun, take a lot of pictures, and enjoy the journey.
Designate a few pieces of clothing as "dog clothes" and save the good clothes for when puppy's in the crate. lol
Sophie: Born July 28, 2014
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Be easy on yourself. I thought I was SO prepared, and was going to train the perfect puppy. Archie had other plans. Eventually, if you're consistent, it all falls into place. And I mean EVENTUALLY lol.
Just have fun, get some rest, be prepared to be chasing puppy around pulling things out of her mouth constantly, and take lots of photos!!
Oh, and snuggle with her while she's sleeping. It's the best
Laura, Archie & Quinn
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Tillysmom (04-04-2015)
#1 be a member of this site - OK you are sorted, I didn't find it until 6 years after Tilly came to join us...my bad
# 2 enrol in puppy classes, books are brill and I found the classes to be even better, if you trust them, they can be a great resource to do one to one training at home
# camera is your best friend, they grow so fast. I cannot recall who has suggested in the past (apologies!) take a pic every month until 12 months and then yearly in the same spot to record their journey
# As Barry says ... It's about the journey...enjoy it...it is a truly great ride..whatever the stage..it makes you a better human being
hope this helps, Kim and Tilly
barry581 (01-27-2015), Jollymolly (01-28-2015), Lori-1134 (01-27-2015)
Find a training school or 2 and sign up for class/es, definitely helps build a good bond working relationship early on and tires them out and gives you something to work on with them 5 minutes at a time a few times a day.
Buy plenty of toys and if they end up with something they shouldnt in their mouth switch it out for a toy. Get durable toys, go to a better smaller pet store and ask for brands that are suitable for labs ... they are tough on toys. Make sure you get a couple of Kongs as well ... and stuff hard to get out treats and peanut butter in there.
Lori-1134 (01-27-2015)
Furry little chainsaws! So true. Some of the things Mocha chewed: Bluetooth ear piece, cherry drawer, coffee table, peeled wall paper, ear buds, shredded a whole roll of paper towel... All these indiscretions occurred when we weren't paying close attention when he was young(8weeks to 6 months).
Its been said but bears repeating, patients & persistence is the key. Enjoy the fun & love of one of the best friends you'll ever have.
I Gotta Button is a great training tool. We tried the bells on the door but they were just a pull toy to Mocha. We started every time we took him out to TT/poopoo we would put his paw on the button. At first his eye-paw coordination was lacking but he caught on really fast. You can find it on Amazon for $14.00
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Mocha:Born 7/13/14 Gottcha 9/13/14 Latte: Born 7/15/16 Gottcha 9/9/16
Labs- "Hearts of gold, heads of stone, cast iron stomachs"
Lori-1134 (01-27-2015)
Thanks!! This has been so helpful!! I ordered the natures miracle, the gallon like suggested LOL, a couple kong toys, a kong, toothbrush and nail clippers, wasn't sure which clippers to buy, what's the best to use for a puppy just to get her used to it? I got an extra soft zoom groom brush, I have a crate but no divider, can those be bought separately?
Thanks again everyone for all your help!
Lori
Any time you leave the room, even just to go to the bathroom for 1 min. put the pup in the crate. This is for the pups safety so it can not grab electric wires etc.
If you have small children never allow them to pic up the pup or leave them in the room alone with the pup. One drop on the floor can cause serious injury or death. I don't even want small kids with a pup on their lap on the couch. A fall from the couch can be serious too.
Patty
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