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  1. #21
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SamsonsMom View Post
    I will be welcoming home a new puppy on 1/21. I am trying to figure out how I am going to arrange things when I am gone to work. I have a 4 yr old lab boy Samson. He was crated until he was 2. I am thinking of two options for new puppy. 1. Crate him and leave Samson out like normal, or 2. set up an xpen in the living room attached to crate and keep Samson and puppy together. The crate is in the living room. I have a fabulous pet sitter that will be coming over at the 4 hour mark. I am away from home 9 hours a day (includes my commute). Pet sitter may sneak over more than once a day but right now, it's set at one visit a day. She has been Samson's sitter since he was a pup. She is wonderful.

    My concern with the crate the puppy (Asher) option --- it will stress both of them out by not being able to be together? Then my concern with the xpen is that Samson will get excited when pet sitter arrives and will accidently step on Asher. It's 100% play time when the pet sitter arrives and the boy goes a little wild with pure excitement every time she arrives.

    Looking forward to some advice! I'm super excited to get this boy home.
    You have gotten great advice from others, so I just have one little thing. When I have keep new puppy, I crate them next to a buddy (not their mom) for a week or two, so they feel comforted by another dog close by. This just helps transition from being with the litter and mom, to some independence in the crate, but still have a friend. As you know, I breed, so my older dogs know my puppies really well. Just make sure Asher and Samson are friends, I forget, are you taking a week off when Asher comes home?

  2. #22
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shelley View Post
    You have gotten great advice from others, so I just have one little thing. When I have keep new puppy, I crate them next to a buddy (not their mom) for a week or two, so they feel comforted by another dog close by. This just helps transition from being with the litter and mom, to some independence in the crate, but still have a friend. As you know, I breed, so my older dogs know my puppies really well. Just make sure Asher and Samson are friends, I forget, are you taking a week off when Asher comes home?
    My breeder does something similar. She calls it her puppy den. Once Asher gets home, I've decided to keep him in the crate here in my living room and allow Samson to maintain free roam of the house. He has a big memory foam bed here in the living room as well. I think my 13 yr old kitty will be most impacted because he sleeps in Samson's crate most of the day (even those his comfy bed sits on top of the crate).

    And yes, great advice. I am indeed taking the week off. I get to pick up Asher on 1/14 and I don't have to go back to work until 1/24. I just can't wait!

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    Meeps83 (12-30-2016)

  4. #23
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SamsonsMom View Post
    My breeder does something similar. She calls it her puppy den. Once Asher gets home, I've decided to keep him in the crate here in my living room and allow Samson to maintain free roam of the house. He has a big memory foam bed here in the living room as well. I think my 13 yr old kitty will be most impacted because he sleeps in Samson's crate most of the day (even those his comfy bed sits on top of the crate).

    And yes, great advice. I am indeed taking the week off. I get to pick up Asher on 1/14 and I don't have to go back to work until 1/24. I just can't wait!
    While they are here I start crate training, but I meant after 8 weeks when I am down to my keeper puppy, I crate that puppy next to a buddy for a few weeks. I was suggesting for a week or two you crate Samson next to the puppy to soothe him. I have noticed that it helps my 8 plus week old babies, when they wake up and a (canine) friend is right there, they tend to relax and go back to sleep.
    Just a suggestion to try to make things go easier. :-)

  5. #24
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    I agree with Shelley. Bear is more relaxed and kennels/sleeps better when Mav is crated next to him.

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    SamsonsMom (12-31-2016)

  7. #25
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shelley View Post
    While they are here I start crate training, but I meant after 8 weeks when I am down to my keeper puppy, I crate that puppy next to a buddy for a few weeks. I was suggesting for a week or two you crate Samson next to the puppy to soothe him. I have noticed that it helps my 8 plus week old babies, when they wake up and a (canine) friend is right there, they tend to relax and go back to sleep.
    Just a suggestion to try to make things go easier. :-)
    Ah, gotcha. I wouldn't have room to place another crate next to this xl I have in my living room. Hopefully samson will take the the puppy. I could move Samsons big memory foam bed over by the crate if Samson shows affection toward Asher. I hope he does. But if not, I know it will take time and I will be right here with patience. I have a new kitty as well....he was born in June this year. My 16 yr old passed away in May and I felt my 13 yr old kitty needed a companion. I'm so glad I got Oliver. Anyways, Samson is not used to kitty showing affection toward him and isn't sure how to process it. Oliver tries to climb on Samson and he growls...very deep belly growl. Other times Samson is just licking and sniffing Oliver. I monitor them closely but all is going well. I am very much hoping Oliver and Asher become buddies as well. We shall see. I just want one big happy fur family!

 



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