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  1. #11
    House Broken Itstangy's Avatar
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    thanks all! Out of the litter 3 boys, 3 girls, one of those 3 boys will be ours...we don't know which one yet as it is too early to tell.
    Does anyone know around what week the pups personality will start to show? I didn't get the chance to ask the breeder when she will be able to access which one will be the "Mr. Sensible".
    will post pics soon!

  2. #12
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Itstangy View Post
    thanks all! Out of the litter 3 boys, 3 girls, one of those 3 boys will be ours...we don't know which one yet as it is too early to tell.
    Does anyone know around what week the pups personality will start to show? I didn't get the chance to ask the breeder when she will be able to access which one will be the "Mr. Sensible".
    will post pics soon!
    Welcome!
    I think the personalities start to show around 5 weeks or so, but every litter is a bit different.

    What I do know is that the 8 week wait takes FOREVER! Just be sure to make the most of those 8 weeks and puppy proof your home

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  4. #13
    House Broken Itstangy's Avatar
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    6 more weeks! We are going to get the last vacation in for the year before the pup comes home. So we will be away for 8 days the week before the pup comes.
    A dilemma I have now is:
    We have a kitchen island that is open (meaning no cupboards or drawers, just open shelves). How to go about puppy proofing that? I use the shelves to put metal pots and pans in, and also a plastic tub of snacks...would I have to clear the shelves? What about window curtains? I have glass sliding doors to the backyard, would I have to remove or tie up the curtains covering the doors? What about my dining set? I'm afraid the table legs and chairs will get chewed on...does that happen? Hubbs and I work full time and don't plan on crating him for the full day, will leave the door open for him and I also have a 12 yr old pup that is very good that will be with him. He will be gated to the kitchen/dining area only. Should I also get a play pen to put him and his crate in so that he doesn't have access to anything?
    Thanks so much! I'm still trying to figure out what to do when we go to work...we took off a week from work when the pup comes home and plan to do lots of house training...but when we go back to work I know I can't expect the pup to hold his #1 or #2, so I will put out newspaper and weewee pads...
    On some days my sister can come by to let him out and play w. him during the day (she is an RN and she works nights, she also lives next door to us). But her schedule changes every wk, so I have to be prepared for days when she isn't able to come over because she sleeps during the day.

  5. #14
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    Pots and pans should be mostly safe and if he does knock them over the noise may be enough to keep him from going back. Food items you definitely need to remove.

    I have never had a puppy bother drapes, see how it goes. As for chewing on furniture, SUPERVISE! Tether puppy to you, use an ex pen or crate as you need it. I can't imagine giving puppy free run of a house for at the very least the first 6 months.

    Can you find a dog walker that can take puppy out during the day? Using pee pads can confuse a puppy causing potty training delays. I would definitely confine puppy to a combo ex pen with crate while you are at work.
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  7. #15
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    I highly recommend crate training, and maybe a crate within an ex-pen VS the kitchen. Crate training can be useful for so many things even if you don't end up crating the dog all day. at least have one around and start making it a nice great wonderful place for the puppy from day 1 so if you need to crate him later on for health issues, emergency, travel, other, the dog already knows it's a great safe place.

    yes it's possible the dog chews the cupboards, walls and floor. they may or they may not, not much you can do on that front other than use a solid x-pen with a false bottom (slip something between the puppies feet and your real floors)

    If you use an ex-pen, make sure it's big enough and solid, lab puppies are big and can easily start getting over/toppling it over pretty quick.

    what door will be open?

    some pups will chew pee pads so if you go that route I hope for the best. generally it's best to have someone come adn let the puppy out. Some people make "litter boxes" for their pups wich may work a better than news paper (though they can make a mess of anything haha).

    Remember to practice leaving the puppy alone that first week. It will be hard for the puppy ifyou are home 24 hours a day for the first seven days then suddenly go to work for long hours. Practice short sessions of leaving the puppy alone from day 1 (run errands). it's hard cuz you took the time off but VERY important to start workign up to full days.

    I agree with finding a dog walker or other friend for the days your sister can't come by at least the first month or so.

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  9. #16
    House Broken Itstangy's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone! I got a 48" tall xpen and will fit it (tie it somehow) to the crate so that he can go into his crate to rest and play inside the xpen. Just need to work on the configuration and also make sure the xpen is stable. I know there will be lots of crying when he is in there esp. since he will see my 12 yr old outside of the xpen. =(

    I will def. leave him home alone and gradually extend the duration so that it won't be a shock to him once we start work.

    Are bitter apple sprays worth buying? Should I start to spray my table/chair legs, kitchen cabinets and stuff? Does it work or is there something better?

  10. #17
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    We did that too, open door crate in a big pen. The OH built the pen so it was very sturdy. Make sure a rambunctious puppy can't knock over your pen and collapse the crate with it. Fastening the pen to a door frame might be more secure. You can patch up holes later. Though I must say, I find the gates are still on our kitchen and we still use them to either shut the dog, now 7 years old, either in or out. For us this is due to dietary concerns with the dog and an elderly cat.

    Bitter apple spray, worth a try. Some dogs find it tasty. You have to reapply it often. Vinegar might work just as well. Personally I would not use it till I saw an indication it was needed and then not count on it to work for long. We never needed either and Oban was gated in our kitchen. Lucky us, he never chewed a thing. My sister's canon ball leg kitchen table was partially emasculated by her pup.

    Oh, and we didn't have lots of crying. Whether in the pen, for one, or in the kitchen for Oban, they just seemed to know that was their place.

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  12. #18
    House Broken Itstangy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    We did that too, open door crate in a big pen. The OH built the pen so it was very sturdy. Make sure a rambunctious puppy can't knock over your pen and collapse the crate with it. Fastening the pen to a door frame might be more secure. You can patch up holes later. Though I must say, I find the gates are still on our kitchen and we still use them to either shut the dog, now 7 years old, either in or out. For us this is due to dietary concerns with the dog and an elderly cat.

    Bitter apple spray, worth a try. Some dogs find it tasty. You have to reapply it often. Vinegar might work just as well. Personally I would not use it till I saw an indication it was needed and then not count on it to work for long. We never needed either and Oban was gated in our kitchen. Lucky us, he never chewed a thing. My sister's canon ball leg kitchen table was partially emasculated by her pup.

    Oh, and we didn't have lots of crying. Whether in the pen, for one, or in the kitchen for Oban, they just seemed to know that was their place.

    What good pups you have! I'm hoping Spot will be a good boy!!!! =)

  13. #19
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    I still have my kitchen and laundry room doorway gates on also. Maxx and Emma follow me everywhere and if I am in the kitchen it is not always handy to have an 80+ lb dog sitting on my feet. (Which happens whenever I stand still long enough for them to get comfortable.)

    Maxx and Emma were not chew and destroy puppies but Ozzy made up for both of them and a few others. Anything and everything you can imagine he destroyed, including a leather sofa and love seat. He didn't do it constantly and would go months without an issue. Every once in a while, up until 3 weeks before he died at age 8, he would find something to chew. My Labs before Ozzy never were chewers either. I think I am fortunate to have only had issues with one, lol!
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  15. #20
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    welcome! hope to see your puppy pics soon

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