Any first night home tips with new puppy?

[golfgal]

We are going to pick up our new puppy tomorrow afternoon. Any good first night home tips? We will crate train her and I got a microwavable heat pad and we have a clock that ticks that I will put near the crate, any other tips? I am so excited to see the looks on the kids' faces when we bring her home! .

 

[stinkerbelle]

Any good first night home tips?

Whatever you do.
No matter how much that adorable puppy whines and cries.
Do not.
Under any circumstances.
Let the puppy sleep in your bed with you.

We caved the first night...and ever since, have had the dog in the bed with us. It was fine with she was 8lbs...even when she peed on our pillows.

now she's over 50lbs and takes up ALOT of space. hehehe (she'll be 6 years old on the 30th!)

It will be rough, bring a sleeping bag down to her crate and sleep NEAR her, not with her. That might help. Also, since you are crate training, put a sheet/blanket over most of the crate, so she can only see out through the front...makes her feel like that's her "little cave"...so she feels secure.

I'd LOVE to get another puppy...but oh, "puppy training" is...well...enjoy it!

 

[Shannon G]

Be prepared to not sleep! We used to have a yellow lab - the first night at home, he cried all night!! It got so bad that I actually (please don't laugh too hard) took my blanket & pillow & went out and slept in my car!!!! I knew I couldn't take him out of the crate, because he needed to get used to it, but he was SOOOOO loud! The good news is, sticking to it that one night was all it took - after that, he was fine in his crate at night.

 

[amid chaos]

If you are picking puppy up from a breeder...bring a towel along and rub the towel on the mom or other dogs there, so puppy can have the familiar smell in his new home...don't wash the towel for awhile.

 

[Tinijocaro]

For some good news, we got our Bichon on the 2nd of Dec. For three nights in a row, he woke once during the night, I let him out to pee, then right back to bed. Ever since, he's been sleeping through the night. He only whines in his crate if he needs to go out. He waits patiently for us to come get him. It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Jackie

 

[agotta]

When we first brought our puppy home, we went straight to crate training her. The first night she cried and cried, so Dh slept next to her crate. We were so afraid of waking the neighboors. He did this for 2 weeks, easily. BAD IDEA!!! We had such a hard time weaning her off him It took us almost a year before she would sleep in her crate the entire night.

 

[KathyFP]

I understand the bed sleeping. My 90 lb lab and 25 lb blue heeler both sleep in the bed (they wait until DH falls asleep). Both are rescued dogs.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Yep. Don't let him sleep with you.

 

[Crankyshank]

wrap a towel or something that smells like her old home around a hot water bottle so she'll snuggle up to it and think it's her littermates while she gets used to the new home.

 

[kaylajr]

When we brought both or pups home
I said Don't let him do anything now that you won't want him to do at 50lbs

DH laughed with the first
our 110lb lab now sleeps with us and steals DH's chair all the time

our new lab came home and DH reminded everyone of the rule

 

[marydmjj]

If you are picking puppy up from a breeder...bring a towel along and rub the towel on the mom or other dogs there, so puppy can have the familiar smell in his new home...don't wash the towel for awhile.

That is a great idea! I would have never thought of that.

We lost our dog Kellie last week to bone cancer. We all miss her so much, especially my oldest DS. So, what did we do? We bought the boys a puppy for Christmas. I'm not sure how we are going to manage the surprise. I'm picking her up on Christmas Eve and our neighbor is going to keep her with her until the boys go to sleep that night. Hopefully she won't cry all night and wake them up at 3am! I'm going to try the towel thing in her crate.

 

[golfgal]

She will NOT sleep with us. I have a hard enough time letting DH sleep with me, I like my space when I sleep . I considered letting her sleep with DD who would LOVE that but then when she goes off to college in 8 years the dog will have to sleep with us and that isn't going to happen. Good idea about the towel. I will take one and rub down her mom.

DD is going to want to sleep on the floor by her crate, not a good idea, huh.

 

[damo]

DD is going to want to sleep on the floor by her crate, not a good idea, huh.

Actually, that is a good idea. That's what we've always done the first couple of days and it worked very well.

 

[minkydog]

Whatever you do.
No matter how much that adorable puppy whines and cries.
Do not.
Under any circumstances.
Let the puppy sleep in your bed with you.

We caved the first night...and ever since, have had the dog in the bed with us. It was fine with she was 8lbs...even when she peed on our pillows.

now she's over 50lbs and takes up ALOT of space. hehehe (she'll be 6 years old on the 30th!)

It will be rough, bring a sleeping bag down to her crate and sleep NEAR her, not with her. That might help. Also, since you are crate training, put a sheet/blanket over most of the crate, so she can only see out through the front...makes her feel like that's her "little cave"...so she feels secure.

I'd LOVE to get another puppy...but oh, "puppy training" is...well...enjoy it!

You read my mind! We did that too...once. We found out sleeping with a full grown Doberman left a lot to be desired, though.

I would add this to the crate-training--cover the whole thing at night, so the puppy begins to associate night-time with calming. It's okay if you want to camp out with her, but cover her up. Keeps her warm and provides less distraction. Oh, the joys of puppyhood...

 

[chrissyk]

For some good news, we got our Bichon on the 2nd of Dec. For three nights in a row, he woke once during the night, I let him out to pee, then right back to bed. Ever since, he's been sleeping through the night. He only whines in his crate if he needs to go out. He waits patiently for us to come get him. It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Jackie

You are lucky...you have one easy Bichon I do not recall the first weeks after my "niece" the Bichon's arrival home as nearly so peaceful at night

I would recommend plugging in a night light for safety. When we puppy-sat for my sister, I tripped over the dog gate when I got up to take the dog out at night. I just wasn't used to having it there, so I forgot about it. I was carrying the puppy when I did this, and I was soooo scared that I hurt her. She was fine, luckily. A night light would have prevented that accident.

 

[DarkSideMoon]

She will NOT sleep with us. I have a hard enough time letting DH sleep with me, I like my space when I sleep . I considered letting her sleep with DD who would LOVE that but then when she goes off to college in 8 years the dog will have to sleep with us and that isn't going to happen. Good idea about the towel. I will take one and rub down her mom.

DD is going to want to sleep on the floor by her crate, not a good idea, huh.

Great idea. the dog will be scared as heck when you get it and having your daughter sleep next to it will calm it down. we did it when we brought our dog home. he cried and howled until I slept next to him, then he stopped.

 

[LEO_Magic]

Whatever you do.
No matter how much that adorable puppy whines and cries.
Do not.
Under any circumstances.
Let the puppy sleep in your bed with you.


I'm with ya! We have two dogs & the first weekend, it was a nightmare. We let them cry all night. I suggest you take a Tylenol pm. It worked for us. Good luck

 

[sissybells]

When we brought our baby home we had a teddy bear about his size for him to snuggle up to. We also put a tick tock clock in the room or close to his bed. We made the mistake of taking him out of his crate and letting him sleep with us, I just couldn't take it. My heart was breaking. Now he is a Great Dane that is about 115 lbs. He is a runt, but room on the bed runs out the bigger he got. He has his own bed now, actually he has a bunk bed, and 2 floor beds. So he hasn't slept with us for years. I hope this helps.

 

[elgerber]

I don't have any tips that you haven't been given, but I am just wishing you good luck! And I can't wait to see pics of your little baby, to show my MN rat terrier!

And you are lucky, it's so nice and warm now so he won't be so cold in the car when you pick him up!

 

[golfgal]

Whatever you do.
No matter how much that adorable puppy whines and cries.
Do not.
Under any circumstances.
Let the puppy sleep in your bed with you.


I'm with ya! We have two dogs & the first weekend, it was a nightmare. We let them cry all night. I suggest you take a Tylenol pm. It worked for us. Good luck

I will be fine with her whining because I won't hear it. Hearing loss can be a good thing, Dh will be the one up all night .