First few days with puppy plan

[kimbersmom]

If all continues to go as expected, we'll be bringing our little girl home in 3 weeks, when she's 8 weeks old! Eek! Questions for you:

1) What kind of schedule did you have for the first few days? Luckily DH works from home so he can let her out often, but we'll need to use the crate so he can get work done. Does the suggested puppy schedule jibe with y'alls experience: Setting Schedules And Developing A Routine For Your New Puppy American Kennel Club

2) Playtime with puppy. My Kimber memory is that she didn't develop fetch skills until she was 6 months old, so tiring her out was a bit of a challenge. Any toys or games you found especially useful for young pups?

And to repeat: Eek!

[Labradorks]

Do you know what methods the breeder is using for potty training? Crating? Presto is my first puppy with any kind of bladder control. My others had to be taken out on average, every 20 minutes unless they were sleeping. I also had to do a lot more work in the crating area. If you're working from home and have a puppy that hates the crate, that's tough if you have calls to be on. So, a lot of what you do will depend on your puppy!

Presto's schedule as a wee baby (8-10 weeks) was wake up around 7am, carry him out to potty, come in, have breakfast, go back out, potty, play, nap. Lunch. Rinse and repeat. Dinner. Rinse and repeat. Until about 10pm bedtime. The breeder potty trained the litter before I got them and they were used to being crated, so I did not have to put too much effort into that. I worked from home the first two weeks. He complained about the crate for just a couple minutes the first few times I used crates and that lasted a couple days. Nothing like I've experienced in the past. I used baby gates to keep Presto nearby when he was out and about (I do live in a small house, which makes it easy) and then left the back door open so he had free access to a potty area. Like I said, he was potty-trained, but not used to waiting to be let to the potty area as it was always available. Leaving the door open resolved the issue of waiting. At 8 weeks, he wasn't old enough to do too much damage if he was outside on his own (fence is secure, no neighbor dogs to bug him, no poison plants, no compost, etc.) so I didn't worry too much, but I'd follow him out anyway, to keep an eye on things and reward him for going outside. When he seemed to be getting tired, either because he was getting ornry or over the top, I'd crate him and let him sleep for a bit. I basically told my colleagues I was working off and on and really only was able to work part-time during this time, so took some PTO hours.

Week three, I still worked from home, but would go into the office for a couple hours some days during the time that I knew he slept the hardest in order to get Presto used to being on his own. At this point, I started to shut the back door so he had to wait for me to let him out. Because he was potty trained and already had great bladder control, I rarely needed to remind him to go. When he had to go, he sat by the door. And, at this point, he was starting to be able to do damage, so I wrapped his favorite plants in wire fencing and continued to go outside with him. I did not use a leash outside because he already knew "business first", but you might want to, depending on your puppy. Because I take him to so many places, we get lots of practice going potty on a leash and on command.

Presto is probably the least crated puppy I've had but I heavily utilize the baby gates. I also keep containers of charlie bears or kibble in pretty much every room and wear sweatshirts so I can have them in pockets, too, so that I can praise, train or redirect him at any time. I'd get him out at least once every other day. We went on a lot of puppy hikes where we practiced recalls and worked on his fitness going over and under trees and different terrain. We train at least once every other day for a few minutes at a time and he trains in my Open/Utility class, during lessons, during my agility class and when I train with friends.

Exercise-wise, I really like the puppy hikes if you can get out there safely. I have the two other dogs, which helps. Tug and playing together with toys, chasing and being chased, buy or make a flirtpole with a lunge-whip (make sure you only drag it on the ground, no jumping!), use food puzzles and Kongs for meals, train (sit, down, stand, spin, etc.), allow the puppy to get in and on things in the backyard (clothes baskets, wobble boards, short tables, rocks, logs, branches, tarps, etc.). It gets harder as they get older!

[MightyThor]

Husband and I both work from home so the puppy schedule was pretty straightforward and easy for Barley's first few weeks.

Early wake up (5 am). Feed dog(s), take them out. Play time with the puppy. Not so much fetching games but just encouraging the general wigglies and interaction with toys. Teaching him what was appropriate to put in his mouth, etc. Wait for the 'signal' and take him out once more.

Then crate for a couple of hours. Barley would pass back out around 6 am and wake around 8:30. Take him out. Followed by another short play/train time. On and off for most of the day, on a 2-3 hour cycle of nap/playtime/outside. Barley was/is very good at crying the moment he wakes up from a nap so we could get him outside right away. He was almost entirely potty trained when we picked him up so we just watched for the signals.

He usually had an extended play period in the evening after dinner. That's usually when he terrorizes Thor (I mean, biteyface time). We go to bed early, so in the crate again around 9 pm. The first few nights he screamed like a banshee at the night time crating so I would lay down next to the crate until he fell asleep. He needed one trip outside at night for the first week or so, but slept through the night by 10 weeks old.

Some of the 2-3 hour mid-day nap blocks were spent in my office. I had a leash tied off to my desk that was short enough to keep him from getting to things to chew on, and he'd mostly just nap. I liked to keep him there instead of the crate when I could keep an eye on him, but whenever he can't be supervised he's in the crate.

He's 7.5 months and that last statement still stands - whenever he can't be supervised he's crated. He hasn't earned the privilege yet. Thor was very different - he was alone for short periods without the crate at 6 months old. Barley is too bold and curious!

[kimbersmom]

The breeder uses the Misty Method; a Google search revealed a thread here about it! Misty Method

Last time we visited, the 3 week old pups had been introduced to the Misty Method just two days prior but were already waddling out of the welping box to do their business. We were impressed. The breeder also puts out crates in the puppy area so they wander in and out, and get used to the idea of them. Hopefully that will make her less crate shy than Kimber, who took a good long while to love her crate.

The second week we have her will be Thanksgiving week, so I went ahead and took the days we're open off. Now if we can just get through the first week!

[Labradorks]

The breeder uses the Misty Method; a Google search revealed a thread here about it! Misty Method

Last time we visited, the 3 week old pups had been introduced to the Misty Method just two days prior but were already waddling out of the welping box to do their business. We were impressed. The breeder also puts out crates in the puppy area so they wander in and out, and get used to the idea of them. Hopefully that will make her less crate shy than Kimber, who took a good long while to love her crate.

The second week we have her will be Thanksgiving week, so I went ahead and took the days we're open off. Now if we can just get through the first week!

Hopefully The Misty Method will cross over well for you! I'd never heard of it. Presto was raised strictly AviDog, not just AviDog methods. The owners of AviDog co-raised his litter with their litter. I don't think potty training and crate training are a huge deal and people will say, it doesn't matter that their puppies have to be trained when they get them. And, I would agree, because it is just part of puppyhood, but now that I've had a puppy like this, I disagree. It is SO NICE to be able to focus time and energy on other things and one less stressor, especially when you are single and have a full time job, home to care for, etc.

I find the first week is easy because they sleep so much. When they hit 11 weeks is when it gets hard, in my opinion! I chose to crate Presto less than my other puppies and utilized the baby gates much more. I provide him with a lot of options for playing and chewing and redirect his attention to other things quite a bit. And, I taught him to bring me contraband. He is food motivated and smart so this works well for him. I mean, it's exhausting because he's smart, confident, bold, energetic, etc. I mean, he was bred to excel in ALL THE THINGS so he would be, but I'd rather channel that energy to good versus socking him in a crate. I keep the house well-baby proofed, but there is the occasional remote or bra that he drags over to trade for a cookie. Obviously, there are certain times I'll crate him - when I'm showering (though he would prefer to shower with me, so it's not like he's not supervised!), sleeping, doing something that could be dangerous to him or the occasional time when I need a little me-time.

[Jeff]

I remember Hemi's First schedule and second.

So first 2 weeks, I took off work, however I still has classes and stuff to do. Hemi was able to hold it all night, he did wake up and stir a few times but the crate was right by the bed. A calming hand in through the top as it was a top opening crate as well and he would go back to sleep. Important to have premade and ready meals first couple weeks, however there are 2 of you but just me I needed as much time as I could. Other thing, barking in crate doesn't get you out. If really barking in crate, it is usually yip, yip, yip, silence, yip, yip, yip. Well hide and wait for those silence moments. Then come out and praise for be silent. If you reward for yip, yip, yip then well you get bark bark bark for the rest of your life.

Oh this schedule was off here and there first week, second week though it was maintainable.
6:00 a.m. Right out and potty, if I pottied first, he went in his crate. So it was out and potty right away. Then me.
Then breakfast, both of us, with lots of coffee quick.
After that we took a morning walk, they are young so on leash just around the house. Lots of pulling things out of their mouth. This takes a while but good way to wake up, probably going to get your after breakfast poop, they are poop machines now remember, I think Hemi was 6-8 poops a day.
Then we came in and played and played till about 7:30.
7:30 Crate for my quick shower. Then out to potty again. 8:00 back in crate. I would go to another room. But had a camera so I could see him. I would work as quietly as I could till about 10. On Weekends, we learned go back to bed and snuggle at this time. This was a big hit as he was allowed in bed. Resume 10:00 schedule when waking up. This worked great on weekends until Hemi learned to actually just sleep in. But for the first year on weekend we still got up potty, ate then went back to bed for couple more hours.
10:00 Then out to potty, play and small treats, back in crate till noon and me back to work.
12:00-1:30 Potty, lunch for both of us, potty, another walk around the house, potty. Play play play.
1:30-3:30 Work quietly in another room.
3:30 potty, walk around the house.
4:00 Training and socialization. So go for a drive, practice sit. Practice shake, practice, practice. Make appointments with people, firemen. Go to Home depot, buy something.
6:00 Supper, wait for after support poop, then I had a play pen he could play by himself while I ate then.
7:00-9:00 Walk around the house, potty, play, games.
9:00 Whew, finally potty, restrict water. Snuggle time, watching tv. While snuggling play with paws and legs and ears, get them used to touching.
11-12 time for me to go to bed. Out for final potty of the night.

Ok now 10 weeks old and I had to go back to work. Some minor changes.
6:00 a.m. Right out and potty, if I pottied first, he went in his crate. So it was out and potty right away. Then me.
Then breakfast, both of us, with lots of coffee quick.
After that we took a morning walk, now longer, walk around the house and the side walk to end of neighbors yard.
Then we came in and played and played till about 7:30.
7:30 Crate for my quick shower. Then out to potty again. 8:00 back in crate. I would leave for work now luckily I am only 5 minute drive away.
10:30-10:45 Then out to potty, play and small treats, back in crate
1:00-1:45 Potty, lunch for both of us, potty, another walk around the house, potty. Play play play potty..
1:45-5:00 Work
5:00 Training and socialization. So go for a drive, practice sit. Practice shake, practice, practice. Make appointments with people, firemen. Go to Home depot, buy something.
7:00 Supper, wait for after support poop, then I had a play pen he could play by himself while I ate then.
8:00-9:00 Walk around the house, potty, play, games.
9:00 Whew, finally potty, restrict water. Snuggle time, watching tv. While snuggling play with paws and legs and ears, get them used to touching.
11-12 time for me to go to bed. Out for final potty of the night.

ok now 12 weeks old I am now on a normal work schedule, I go to work at 8, come home at 12, back to work 1-5. Hemi is also in formal training classes, 5 star puppy. Getting socialization and play dates with other healthy and vaccinated puppies and dogs. These were set up by his vet with other dogs the vet treated. They had play date weekends, with multiple trainers supervising, playing, bringing their kids in to socialize so dogs got to meet kids. These days were so awesome, look to see if you can find anything like this. He was so tired, I actually got to sit down and enjoy a movie on the weekend and so on. Life was more back to normal about now, still busy, but normal. Walks are now going 3-4 houses down. Every week from now on we add few houses to our walk eventually getting to a mile. then mile and a half, then 2 miles by about 6 months.

Oh yeah and started moving crate away from the bed, at night, about an inch a night for the first week, then 2 inches a night, then about a foot every couple days.