Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 34
  1. #1
    Puppy rdnjelmwood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmwood park, NJ
    Posts
    18
    Thanked: 6

    New puppy planning

    Even though it will be a while before a puppy comes home I have been reading and thinking about that first week. I have seen some YouTube videos of puppies coming home and we want to make sure that the first days are the best for the pup and us.

    I now know the important points are:>
    Socializing
    House training (crate training)
    Letting the pup settle in and meet the new family

    Training:
    Learning the new name
    Not sure if I missed any of the first week items that are critical.

    Question on crate training

    I’m going to be using the large plastic enclosed (airline certified) crate from my passed dogs. I will block the backoff. Is this the correct crate? I do see lots of folks using the wired crates.

    Socializing – we want to have the pup experience lots of things during the next few weeks. Do I need to be concerned on where I let the pup walk due to the vaccines it may not have gotten yet?

    Playing with the pup. We will have items for the pup to play with and chew. But how much rough playing should we engage with. Tug of war, rough fun playing, etc… I guess I’m trying to plan out what we should and shouldn’t be doing with the pup during its first week with us.

    Training – Outside of house training, what can we really start with that is realistic? Teaching the pup its name seems number one. Biting maybe number two?

    I’ve also read that we should not give the pup that much run of the house until they start to show control with the house training, would you all agree? I’m thinking of have alarger pen that we would play in when the pup is not in the crate.

    Well as you can see, we will have lots of questions. This is just the start of a journey.

    Thanks,

    rich

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    2,603
    Thanked: 2277
    I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can:

    Your plastic crate should be fine, especially if you block off the back. We’ve always used wire crates, both because they are less expensive and provide better air circulation, but many people have successfully used (and even prefer) the plastic airline kind. Definitely start out with what you already have.

    Socializing is always a balance between avoiding unnecessary exposure to germs while exposing the puppy to life experiences. I wouldn’t let the puppy roam around on the ground where there are likely to have been unvaccinated dogs in the area, but you can (for example) take them to Petsmart and keep them in the shopping cart so they can see but not touch. We’ve always walked ours in our neighborhood (never seen any strays and people take care of their animals) but not in the park where who knows who’s been there. Just use common sense, and carry them into the vet - that’s where they are most likely to be exposed.

    As far as playing, I would say don’t do anything now that you wouldn’t want them to think is ok as an adult ... so even if it’s cute that they are mouthing your hands now, you probably don’t want to encourage that. Other than that, we let the puppies be the guide - if something is getting them so wound up that they seem to lose control, we back off a bit, but we have always gotten down on the ground and rolled around with our pups. We also do play tug but only with designated toys.

    You can start training pretty much anything you like. Their name (and to pay attention to you when they hear it) is definitely a good first step, but at 8 weeks old, mine already knew (we raised them from birth so had a head start) sit, down, spin, twist, come, and touch (with their nose to our hand). They are little sponges at this age ... it’s actually easier to teach them stuff when they are little than when they are older. Just don’t do too much at once, their attention spans are quite limited.

    As far as run of the house, the key is whether or not you are supervising them. If you are right there watching (and I mean actively watching, not just in the room doing something else), then it is fine to let them explore, but be ready to grab them and rush them outside if they start to circle, sniff and/or squat. If you aren’t able to supervise, then in the crate. Once they get a handle on the whole house-training thing, then you can gradually expand the area they can roam in, but be sure to puppy proof it well if you won’t be right there on top of them. We use baby gates (open floor plan so few doors on the 1st floor) to mark out proofed areas they can run around in, although we don’t leave them completely unsupervised for quite some time.

    Hope this helps ...

    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Annette47 For This Useful Post:

    Abulafia (03-21-2016)

  4. #3
    Puppy jaclyn.bailey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    13
    Thanked: 5
    Morning!

    For my puppy, I use a wire crate and I bought the largest one so I don't have to keep spending money on them as she gets bigger. I used pegboard to block off sections and secured it with 4 zip ties (2 on each side). I also have a fleece crate mat and a blanket to make it more comfy with some stuffy's and a few chew toys. I have a plastic crate for use in the car and other travel needs.

    Because your pup won't be able to walk that far and long, I would suggest just letting her walk on the sidewalk which is what I did with Bailey. If we saw other dogs approaching, I wouldn't let them meet because she only had her first set of vaccinations when she came home at 8 weeks. I waited until she at least had her second set of vaccinations before I let her meet other dogs on our walks. However, I did let her meet dogs of my family members and friends who I knew had vaccinated dogs when she still only had her first set. It's just a precaution but you should probably be fine. You can still socialize your pup to different smells and sounds which will help them during their 'fear' stages.

    We would play tug-o-war with Bailey and let her chase balls on the grass in the backyard but nothing extreme. They will get physically and mentally tired quite quickly being so young and you don't want them running too hard on their young joints and bones. Mental stimulation with a stuff Kong would be good too so they have to work to get their treat and also helps with her not biting people or items around your house. As your pup gets older, you'll be able to do more things!

    With Bailey, I started off training her to somewhat respond to her name and to 'sit' which she mastered. Don't get too overwhelmed if your pup doesn't learn his/her name right away because they don't have the greatest memory that young but always reward when they respond. Bailey didn't quite know 'Bailey' was her name until she was around 3 months old. I would highly suggest doing some puppy training classes and make your way up from there into other training classes as your pup gets older. We started a puppy class when she hit 12 weeks old and now we are doing puppy agility and she is also in daycare where they spend time training her the basic commands, etc.

    I block Bailey off in the kitchen with a metal pet/baby gate that has a little doorway through it for the humans! We did this since day one and she's only had a few mistakes in the house. We made sure to take her outside after every nap, meal, drink of water and playtime and now she is 6 months old and totally housetrained! We also let her roam around the house now when someone is home so we can still keep an eye on her and we crate her when we're all out of the house.

    Bailey was my first pup and I got her in December 2015. They grow up so fast so make sure to spend the time and money on training them now and your pup will grow up into a mature, well-behaved adult before you know it!

  5. #4
    Puppy rdnjelmwood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmwood park, NJ
    Posts
    18
    Thanked: 6
    Great info. Thank you. I'll continue to read and ask questions. but keep these great experiences coming. I'll be putting them to good use.

  6. #5
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    SE, PA
    Posts
    4,406
    Thanked: 1992
    Look for a puppy k class now that you can start shortly after bringing your baby home! Best thing I did!
    Hidden Content

    Tammy
    Maxx and Emma Jean

    Ozzy - 10/2002 - 06/2011 - Rest well my sweet boy. You are forever remembered, forever missed, forever in my heart.

  7. #6
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    Free ebook: Before You Get Your Puppy

    And then, also free: After You Get Your Puppy

    Read those. Follow them. Most of what people ask and all of what you are asking about is covered in these free ebooks written by a professional and real (as opposed to someone like Cesar Milan) dog trainer. His methods are pretty universal, nothing extreme or weird or controversial.

    Also, Puppies for Dummies is an excellent book to get you started.

    This is also an excellent write-up and something to fall back on when you are getting frustrated at any point: It's a Puppy, Not a Problem

    Another good book because nearly everyone's puppies and dogs are geniuses in the living room and monsters in public is Beyond the Backyard: Train Your Dog to Listen Anytime, Anywhere

    Enroll in Puppy K (I like STAR Puppy) as soon as your puppy has his second set of vaccinations and is healthy.

    Then, enroll in Basic Obedience.

    Food? Stick with what your breeder feeds for at least a year after getting your pup unless you are running into problems. The food roller-coaster is NO FUN. If you don't trust your breeder to choose the best food for your pup, it's a red flag and you should find a new breeder.

    Above all, have fun, be consistent and remember, if what he is doing won't be cute when he is 80 lbs then NEVER let him do it.

  8. #7
    House Broken mhb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    88
    Thanked: 43
    Experience has spoken (above), excellent advise given.

    I prefer wire crates. The pup can see you and even though they are crated, ours tend to be more content when they easily know youre around (when youre around). Kong now makes a very tough crate bed that is easy to wash.

    Totally agree with having to follow them around every second they are out of the crate, at least at first. As much for avoiding accidents as it is to keep them from chewing things they shouldnt. Pups move very fast.

    I prefer not to play tug with the pup (I have an older lab who is happy to take on that job), but I do provide a lot of chew toys. rope toys seem to work well, as does a large split elk antler. The latter keeps him engaged for quite a while and with those little teeth he cant really get very far.

    Talk to your pup. A lot. And use consistent words and phrases. They will surprise you on what they pick up just in the course of talking to them. Best of luck, i love training a new pup but it is tiring...

  9. #8
    Senior Dog doubledip1's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    1,944
    Thanked: 1711
    Make sure to bleach the crate just in case. Puppies have very fickle and delicate immune systems, and there is a tiny possibility that your passed dogs may have had some kind of something that puppy doesn't have the antibodies for yet. It takes less than 5 minutes, and is well worth the piece of mind.

    Everyone is pretty right on with advice, and we have tons of threads about new puppies coming home, but my 2 cents are to BUY PET INSURANCE. My 6 month old puppy nearly died (seriously, like a day away from death) from a 1 in a million condition no one knows how he got called liver torsion. I spent over 10k in 2 weeks. Without insurance, I would have had to put him down. A ton of us here have Pet Plan and love it, others have VPI, Embrance, Trupanion, etc. Do your research. It's generally around $25 a month if you get it for an 8 week old puppy.

    The other thing about plastic crates is that Comet literally ate through his, so make sure to check the inside daily. I think I'm the only person on this board that has such a destructive Labrador, but something to keep in mind. They chew. A lot. Make sure to buy antlers and bones now, and buy 3x as many as you think you will need
    Hidden Content
    Sarah, human
    Luna, born 6/14/13, gotcha 8/18/13 and TDI certified 5/12/2015
    Comet, born 4/3/15, gotcha 6/9/15
    Double Dip, 25 y/o Draft/Welsh pony
    Gracie, 17 y/o DSH cat
    Hidden Content
    Hidden Content

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to doubledip1 For This Useful Post:

    Maxx&Emma (06-02-2016)

  11. #9
    Puppy rdnjelmwood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmwood park, NJ
    Posts
    18
    Thanked: 6
    House training. We live in a apt. So is training to go outside right away realistic? I live on the forth floor. So I have to get into the elevator go down and then walk about 100 feet to get outside of building. If I carry the pup will she be able to hold herself until I get outside?

    or some have suggested using pads in Apt until pup gets a little older and can hold themselves. What do you folks think

  12. #10
    Puppy rdnjelmwood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmwood park, NJ
    Posts
    18
    Thanked: 6
    Here is a pic of pups, not sure which one will be ours yet. Will be seeing for first time this weekend.

    -image-jpg

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •