HELP...we are getting a new puppy today!!!!!

[princess lovers mom]

We are picking up a new puppy today as a surprise for my daughters...it is 5 weeks old and a cocker spaniel/ lab mix - girl. I have had dogs as a child, but never a puppy. What do i need to know to get through the next few weeks.....

Thanks
denise

 

[fklhou]

Have fun.

 

[Dodie]

Five weeks old?!!!! That's very young. Much younger than the typical recommendation for separating a puppy from its mother. Are you sure it's fully weaned? (You don't want to be hand-raising an infant dog on top of everything else!)

Buy a crate!!! Crate train your dog by keeping it in the crate at night and whenever it is not supervised. The crate becomes their little safe haven and they will housebreak much easier this way.

Good luck!

 

[princess lovers mom]

She said 5 weeks..??..the are on puppy food

do I put papers in the crate to continue her paper training which is already going well??

How ofter do they eat at that age???

I am a family nurse practitioner and know just about everything about humans, but this puppy thing is freakin me...LOL

 

[AspiringCindy]

You may want to purchase a book called "Mother knows best" at your local pet store. It has some great info about raising a puppy. Remember to be very patient with your new pup with frequent walks(even in the middle of the night) and puppy-proofing your house. Good luck! Nothing compares to the unconditional love you'll be given from your furry friend!

 

[Pebblszzz]

The first year, they generally chew everything they can.

Before leaving for work each day, I would always "puppy-proof" the house (I personally don't believe in using a crate, but that's just me - I got a thing about caging an animal).

My lab loved eating my most expensive shoes (so close all closet doors), anything made of wicker, and all stuffed toys.

She would put all the things she "destroyed" in a neat little pile just inside the front door so I could see what she'd been up to all day. I finally figured out that if she had enough of her OWN stuff to chew up, she'd leave mine alone.

So I got her a "toybox" (large flower pot was all it was), and kept lots of chewie toys made of rubber, leather, rawhide and stuffed animals in it for her. I dumped it on the floor inside the door before leaving each day, and she finally figured out that those were HER things to destroy.

Never ate anything else of mine!

We also bought "puppy-gates" and limited her access around the house when we weren't around to babysit. She was limited to areas without carpet (i.e., kitchen and laundry room). Make sure your puppy has a place to call their own (corner, or whatever) with a nice cushy bed and a few toys.

If you survive the first year - just know that by their 1st birthday, they start to calm down. The first year is just nothing but pure uncontrollable energy! (lots of long walks helps)

Congratulations and good luck!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Puppy-proof before you pick up your new family member. Check for plants that are near the floor that she might try to sample. Pick up any small toys or shoes that she might chew on. Puppies are like babies. They put everything in their mouths and some things could be choking hazards.

Ask what brand of puppy food they have been feeding her. It's best not to change the food, or do it gradually, because it could upset her tummy.

Have fun and post a picture when you can. Your daughters will be so happy.

 

[DVC Daisy]

Sorry, duplicate post!

 

[princess lovers mom]

you are all so great...thanks for the advise...I am getting so excited...i am seeing pts today so I am asking everyone their opinions too...

The crate thing has got me thinking...our house is full of antiques/furniture...so probably the crate would be a good idea, I am sure that my DD's will sleep next to her for several days, but during our time at work it might save my marriage to have her in a big crate...we are going to the local pet store this afternoon to pick up our supplies...lots of chewy things i guess and i will look for the books...

should i keep food out for her al the time like the cat or just at certain feding times...are they babies and eat every 2-4 hours??

denise

 

[DVC Daisy]

Denise,

How exciting - enjoy!

I would try to read as much as possible on new puppies. We got a new puppy about a year ago - knew nothing about puppies - and have had the BEST experience so I will share a bit of what we did.

I too was worried about crate training. I read a lot about it, talked to a lot of people and was finally convienced it was the way to go. Tried it and it was the very best thing you can imagine. Puppies learn to LIKE their crate. Just watch a crate trained dog run to his crate the second they get scared and you will beleive. It becomes their "safe place."

I had to adjust my thinking about puppies when we first had ours, just imagine it is a baby and you NEVER leave them unattended unless they are crated. Works wonders and the puppy (and your things) stay safe. Use gates and a safe room for play time. Gradually expand their free roam area as they grow. You can put the crate away eventually.

Our puppy was able to gain free roam of the house, all day, unattended by 4 months old. Quite an acomplishment!

We give him Nylabones the chew and he DO NOT, EVER chew our stuff. He has his stuff to chew. I would try this. At first, always leave one in the crate. When your puppy is bored she will chew her bone and teach herself to become what they call a recreational chewer. Worked wonders for us. Then as she gets older, when she is home alone bored she will find her bone and chew that to amuse herself.

Enjoy you new puppy. Take LOTS of picures as they grow so very fast.

 

[delikado]

Five weeks old does sound a little young... Regardless, I agree with all of the advice given by previous posters. I got a Cockapoo puppy last spring (he was about 4 months old), and he really got into chewing everything in sight! And naturally, he would pick the most expensive shoes in my closet! Definitely make sure there is NOTHING on the floor except his chewables.

I kept him in a crate for a few months (when I wasn't around to baby-sit), and he never seemed upset or depressed about being there. It definitely helped with potty training. He turned a year old last February, but he's still as hyper as he ever was, so don't assume that dogs calm down after a year!

Good luck, and be patient

 

[damo]

Cocker/labs are great mixes. We crate trained our cockers as well. They definitely do like to go in there to sleep. Make sure you put some kind of bedding in because they like to snuggle up against things. See what the dog is used to sleeping with and try to go with that.

Remember, at the beginning, you don't train the puppy, but the puppy trains you.

Have fun.

ps: cockers don't like to get their feet wet so watch out for those rainy days when the dog doesn't want to go outside. If you are lucky, the lab part will cancel out this dominant cocker trait!

 

[princess lovers mom]

thanks, love your cocker pictures...we are expecting a wet Memorial Day weekend here in the northeast so i guess that will be found out soon enough...

 

[Curly Q]

Make sure you have lots of carpet cleaner!! Crate training works very well, just make sure the crate is not too big. If they have room to "go" at one end and then go to the other end away from it they will "go" in the crate and not wait to hold it. Labs are chewers so make sure you have a lot of safe things for her to chew! If she goes potty inside DON"T let her see you clean it up, or she will think you're her maid. Just take her outside immediately. HAVE FUN!!

 

[Karel]

We have a three month old puppy. I feed him twice a day, first thing in the morning and late afternoon. When we first got him, I fed him at lunch too but I found that I'm not around enough in the afternoon to get him outside. Late afternoon gives him enough time for lots of potty breaks before bedtime.

If you work fulltime, maybe you can find someone to come in at lunch and take her for a walk. That's a long time for a baby so young to spend in her cage.

Take lots of pictures too. I can't believe how mine has changed in the month since we got him.

 

[princess lovers mom]

I have 2 afternoons off a week and my mother and MIL watch my DD 3 at our house 2 days a week and my DH can pop home several times a day to take her out when needed so I think she will be well attended, which actually makes me feel a little better about the crate thing...she won't be locked in for long periods of time....

I am off now to pick up the girls...we are going to the pet store to "buy some gifts for a friend at work who is getting a new puppy soon". I am going to have them buy all the chewy things, books leash, collar etc thinking it is for someone else, then later this afternoon we are goin to "another friends house to drop of a pie" this is where the puppies are and then we will tell them that they get to bring her home.....get it ...

my DD 7 is going to freak out!!! I am all about the surprise thing...

I will let you know how it goes....

thanks
denise

 

[MerryPoppins]

How fun. Wish I could see their faces.

By the way, my girls love their crate too. They get into it whenever we are away. All I have to do is put on my shoes and get my purse and they get excited. They get a "cookie" when they get in the crate, and they love their treats.

 

[airhead]

Sorry,that's way too young to take a pup from its mother. There are things that need to be taught to a puppy that only a mother
dog can teach. A well adjusted pup is one that has been with its mum for atleast 8 weeks. You might want to think that one over...


CJ

 

[zurgswife]

I agree you should double check the age...5 weeks is much too young....7 weeks is a minimum of most breeders with some waiting until 10 weeks....

From this website...

http://www.101-dog-training-tips.com/Puppy_Training/index.shtml

It is suggested that a person should not get a puppy under 7 weeks. Although getting a puppy as young as 6 weeks is often acceptable, getting a puppy under 6 weeks can lead to problems. If there is no choice, such as the mother dying, then the young puppy needs extensive socialization with the new owner and will need to learn how to interact with other dogs. The biggest problems associated with separating a puppy from its mother and litter mates too early is related to insecurity, which translates to fear.

 

[Pin Wizard]

The next few WEEKS? It's going to be a LOT longer than that! I just got a puppy last month...Boxer/Lab mix. He was 8 weeks when I got him, and he's now almost 14 weeks. At his vet's appointment a couple weeks ago, she said that it will be "A WHILE" until he's housebroken! Booooooooooo hooooooooooo! Good luck!