Getting a Pup

missdeise

Hey Guys,
We are getting a Pup for the first time, maybe a collie.
We have no idea where to start when it comes to getting the house/garden and ourselves ready for a pup.
Please help?
JD

**Vai**

You're going to get people leaving u long posts on this with very good advice. All Ill say is make sure the garden is well enclosed (nice high walls/fences) and that any plant life out there is expendable. Good luck with it.

Toulouse

Make sure that you thoroughly research the breed of dog best suited to your lifestyle before you go out and get one. Collies are extremely intelligent and need lots of mental stimulation as well as physical. They like things like agility and flyball and if you get a particualry worky one you could have your hands full.

Here's something worth reading before you go out and get your pup.
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/digital-dog-training-textbook

also http://www.wiccaweys.co.uk/start.html I know you won't be getting a Wiccaweys collie but it applies to every collie

tk123

**Vai** wrote: »

and that any plant life out there is expendable.

+1 :pac: I remember getting a txt last year "he's just pulled up my last plant!" We ended up getting patio slabs instead of the grass. Make sure you have a torch and fleece, shoes/boots etc by the back door for early morning poopoo patrol since we're coming into winter! OMG the joy when our guy could last until 7:00am! :pac::pac::pac:

It's hard work OP but it's worth it - the more you put in the more you'll get back. My baby is 14 months old now and I'd be lost without him!!

For getting the house ready it's the same as a toddler - keep everything out of reach! Also find a puppy class for socialization - this is really important for the puppy. If you're in Dublin Dog Training Ireland gets our recommendation - our guy LOVES it there.


And buy some extra socks - you'll know why soon enough!;)

astra2000

Hi the best bit of advice I can give you is to buy an electronic dog collar. This is basically a length of wire you run around the boundaries of your house and around any particular areas in your garden you dont want your dog ruining. The wire is attached to a control unit that sends a small shock to a collar your dog wears. As the dog approaches the boundary wire a signal goes off to warn warn him should he go any further it emits a small shock through the collar. It works really well and our dog learned quickly.
We live in the countryside and our dog had began to go into neighbouring fields chasing animals and also jump up on anyone walking by the house. Had we not got the collar we would have to have given him away he is half beagle and there was just no stopping him when he got a scent!
They are on sale in Ireland got our first one two years ago from a kennel around e200 it is not not working and have just ordered one from ebay brand new e40! well worth every penny can go off for a few hours and dont have to lock/tie dog up.

HelenT

We just got our puppy 3 weeks ago. It is going amazingly well (did I just jinx myself!)

We have spent about €200 + the price of the pup so far.

Some costs:

Securing the garden (ours was mostly there thankfully!)
Hot water bottle and classical music CD for first few nights to help keep pup calm
We bought a blanket a week before collecting pup and asked the breeder to put the blankie with the bitch and litter.
This wrapped in the hot water bottle meant sleepful and fret free nights for all concerned.
We spent a good chunk on grooming tools. You might not have to do this depending on the breed you choose. We got a cocker spaniel so their coats need some taking care of.
A good dog food. We spent €27 on our first bag of food. It will last for ages but we learned that the brands we were most familiar with are not the best to give puppy. Some have very low meat content and are full of crap.

Other things that are free but important: (Phew I hear you say!!)
Socialising puppy with other dogs in local parks etc
Socialising puppy with local kids
Securing of anything that can be chewed. Our pup has a love of socks and shoes from the females in the house so they are kept out of bounds.
Time!! The pup is taking alot of time. Toilet training, walking nicely on lead etc all takes time and patience.

Benefits:
If Carlsberg did pets .............. it would be a pup! :-) We are all in total love with her already!

Hope this info helps. If you want to shoot any questions my way feel free!

andreac

astra2000 wrote: »

Hi the best bit of advice I can give you is to buy an electronic dog collar. This is basically a length of wire you run around the boundaries of your house and around any particular areas in your garden you dont want your dog ruining. The wire is attached to a control unit that sends a small shock to a collar your dog wears. As the dog approaches the boundary wire a signal goes off to warn warn him should he go any further it emits a small shock through the collar. It works really well and our dog learned quickly.
We live in the countryside and our dog had began to go into neighbouring fields chasing animals and also jump up on anyone walking by the house. Had we not got the collar we would have to have given him away he is half beagle and there was just no stopping him when he got a scent!
They are on sale in Ireland got our first one two years ago from a kennel around e200 it is not not working and have just ordered one from ebay brand new e40! well worth every penny can go off for a few hours and dont have to lock/tie dog up.

I wouldnt recommend one of these at all. They are not reliable or safe so i deffo wouldnt recommend one.

Theres a whole thread on these collars in this section why you shouldnt get them so its not something i or a lot of people would ever recommend to get.

mymo

Good fencing or a wall are best investment.
Move anything you don't want damaged, you will have to learn not to leave things within reach. Find out what the pup is being fed and get a bag of the food, if you want to change it do it gradually.
Crate training is great, my two were both crate trained and I never had a problem at night with messing or chewing etc, although it means getting up maybe 3 times a night at the start, its only for a few weeks and well worth it.
Stainless steel bowls are great, easy to clean, chew toys, bed, and collar and lead. Thats pretty much it, well apart from the walking boots(waterproof), and rain gear, a well walked dog is a well behaved dog. Just remember that a young pup should only walk about 5 mins per month of age, thats a good guide, and realistically it will take ages to get anywhere at first.
Good luck!

Forgot to ad, Kongs are a must, keeps them busy for ages, there's lots of threads on here about them, just use the search function.

boomerang

Hi OP,

Have fun looking for/looking into your new dog! The best bit of advice I can give you both as someone who rescues and rehomes dogs, and as an owner of two collies myself -

They are not a dog for a first-time owner. I genuinely hope you will reconsider.

Yes, they are affectionate and intelligent, but they are also workaholics who need to be always on the go. They have strong working instincts including chasing, stalking, eyeing and nipping, which don't go well with young children. They have endless energy and it takes not only physical exercise but mental stimulation too, to keep them relaxed. An hour's walk is nothing to them. They go stir-crazy if they have to lie around the house or garden all day.

They are a herding breed, and if given the opportunity they will chase cars, bicycles, and livestock. A properly enclosed garden is a must with walls at least five foot high - they are canine athletes and will easily clear your average garden wall.

I hope for the sake of the dog that you go for a more easy-going type of dog for your family.

**Vai**

Which reminds me, please dont buy a dog. There are plenty of dogs (collies and otherwise) in pounds and homes where they are unwanted all over the country. I have a lovely terrier and a purebred german shepherd and I didnt spend a penny on either of them.

astra2000

andreac wrote: »

I wouldnt recommend one of these at all. They are not reliable or safe so i deffo wouldnt recommend one.

Theres a whole thread on these collars in this section why you shouldnt get them so its not something i or a lot of people would ever recommend to get.

Ours has completly changed our dogs behaviour, I can completly understand peoples hesitance in using something that gives your pet a shock but it is just a small shock I did test it to be sure As our dog is part beagle they are extremely hard to control once they get a scent. Our dog learned within a couple of days what its boundaries are and never attempts to cross over line now. To be honest I do not know what we would have done had we not gotten this, all the hours of training went out the window as soon as he spotted an animal in ajoining field and anyone walking past was subjected to been jumped up, on not too bad for adults but I felt it was really unfair when my daughter told me some of the neighbouring kids were afraid of him. I dont know what our options would have been, return him to the pound we rescued him from where I presume he would eventually have been put down? I thinkthe collar was a better option. Next time we get a dog it will be a very very small one!:)

andreac

astra2000 wrote: »

Ours has completly changed our dogs behaviour, I can completly understand peoples hesitance in using something that gives your pet a shock but it is just a small shock I did test it to be sure As our dog is part beagle they are extremely hard to control once they get a scent. Our dog learned within a couple of days what its boundaries are and never attempts to cross over line now. To be honest I do not know what we would have done had we not gotten this, all the hours of training went out the window as soon as he spotted an animal in ajoining field and anyone walking past was subjected to been jumped up, on not too bad for adults but I felt it was really unfair when my daughter told me some of the neighbouring kids were afraid of him. I dont know what our options would have been, return him to the pound we rescued him from where I presume he would eventually have been put down? I thinkthe collar was a better option. Next time we get a dog it will be a very very small one!:)

Your options would have been to fence off an area or get a secure dog run.

astra2000

andreac wrote: »

Your options would have been to fence off an area or get a secure dog run.

We wanted the dog to be able to interact with the family not be sectioned off on his own in a part of our very large garden. He was got as a family pet. it would have taken a 6ft fence all around the garden to have kept him in,unrealistic for our garden.

andreac

astra2000 wrote: »

We wanted the dog to be able to interact with the family not be sectioned off on his own in a part of our very large garden. He was got as a family pet. it would have taken a 6ft fence all around the garden to have kept him in,unrealistic for our garden.

He can interact when you are there and can supervise him in the garden if its not fenced, he only needs to be in a run when you arent there or at work.
I would never leave a dog on his own in a garden with this type of fencing. Its absol unsafe as they can still get out and go beyond the boundries if they want, dogs can wander in and attack them, they are not secure from someone stealing them either so they really arent a very safe and reliable for of fencing in my opinion.

I just would never use one on my dogs.

Zapperzy

astra2000 wrote: »

Ours has completly changed our dogs behaviour, I can completly understand peoples hesitance in using something that gives your pet a shock but it is just a small shock I did test it to be sure As our dog is part beagle they are extremely hard to control once they get a scent. Our dog learned within a couple of days what its boundaries are and never attempts to cross over line now. To be honest I do not know what we would have done had we not gotten this, all the hours of training went out the window as soon as he spotted an animal in ajoining field and anyone walking past was subjected to been jumped up, on not too bad for adults but I felt it was really unfair when my daughter told me some of the neighbouring kids were afraid of him. I dont know what our options would have been, return him to the pound we rescued him from where I presume he would eventually have been put down? I thinkthe collar was a better option. Next time we get a dog it will be a very very small one!

What difference will a small dog make? Regardless of size a dog should be enclosed in a garden.

OP- I would also recommend re-considering your choice of breed, collies are always on the go. An hour on a lead walking along a road and they will be bouncing off the walls when you get home, they really need a home that is dedicated to doing things like agility, flyball or heelwork to music. There is a reason why so many collies end up in pounds and rescues and that is because people get them then realise that their new pup is climbing the walls with energy that they have no outlet for.

Go to a shelter and tell them your first time dog owners and they will be able to recommend which dogs would suit you best.

As for getting the house/garden ready for a new pup. Keep everything that you don't want chewed out of reach. Set rules from day 1 and stick to them, for example if you don't want a muddy fully grown dog jumping up on you then don't allow it up as a pup, while it may be cute when they are tiny pups it is not cute when they run at you full pelt and then launch themselves at you to greet you as fully grown adults! Make sure your garden is fully enclosed with a high fence all the way around with no gaps, if you cannot have a fence then build/buy a large secure run. If you like your garden and have loads of nice plants and flowers then say goodbye to them!

Can't think of anything else but if you post specific questions we could help you.

missdeise

Hey guys,
thanks for all the replies. We have chosen our pup, she is chocolate brown labrador. We decided not to go with the collie. We are getting her on sunday and she will be 7 weeks old.

andreac

missdeise wrote: »

Hey guys,
thanks for all the replies. We have chosen our pup, she is chocolate brown labrador. We decided not to go with the collie. We are getting her on sunday and she will be 7 weeks old.

Congrats on your pup, but to be honest, pups should not leave the litter and the mother until at least 8 weeks at a minimum.

astra2000

Zapperzy wrote: »

What difference will a small dog make? Regardless of size a dog should be enclosed in a garden.
[/QUOTE
The reason I would choose a smaller dog is nothing to do with keeping him enclosed your are right we would have to do that anyway. Its more to do with the fact that he jumps up on everyon grand for my own kids who love him but I have smaller neices and nephews who this can be a bit frightening for and indeed for adults who are not dog lovers. Also we let him inside and he is able to reach the table/worktop when my back is turned and help himself! And any damage he does is on a larger scale however as he is nearly two he is losing some of the initial puppy behaviour. In saying that I do prefer larger dogs dont know if I am right or wrong but I do think larger breeds of dogs can be more placid than terriers.Hopefuly we will have many more years with this dog and not have to consider the next type for a long time to come!:)

Jelly2

It's great that you have chosen your dog, and I wish you years of enjoyment with her. My friend has a choc lab and she is a lovely dog; she was easy to train, and is very placid and good-tempered with humans and other dogs.
One thing though - she is awfully young to be leaving her mother. Could you leave her for a few more weeks and then collect her? A pup ideally shouldn't leave its mother until twelve weeks old, but even nine or ten would be better than seven. This is for health and socialisation reasons, and she will be a better dog for it. One of my dogs was taken from her mother for ISPCA welfare reasons at six weeks, and I think that this has affected her in the long term - not in terms of physcial health really, but in terms of her attitude to security, routine and independence.

astra2000

andreac wrote: »

He can interact when you are there and can supervise him in the garden if its not fenced, he only needs to be in a run when you arent there or at work.
I would never leave a dog on his own in a garden with this type of fencing. Its absol unsafe as they can still get out and go beyond the boundries if they want, dogs can wander in and attack them, they are not secure from someone stealing them either so they really arent a very safe and reliable for of fencing in my opinion.

I just would never use one on my dogs.

You missed the part when I said if he gets a scent he will go regardless of wheather we are with him and he will go like a shot no getting him back,unfortunatly that is the beagles nature.This has worked perfectly for us and I am speaking from personal experience not hearsay. We are in a rural setting family are neighbours there is always someone around so have no fears of him been taken,and to be honest much as we love him he is a mixed breed so a mongrel so not the type of dog who is been stolen.
As for dogs wandering in hasnt happened yet.
He has much more freedom this way than in a dog run which sounds like a poor option for a dog his size.

HelenT

missdeise wrote: »

Hey guys,
thanks for all the replies. We have chosen our pup, she is chocolate brown labrador. We decided not to go with the collie. We are getting her on sunday and she will be 7 weeks old.

Congrats on your choice! I had a choc lab in the past and she was great! I have had pups from as young as 6 weeks and they had neither health or psychological issues.

Looking forward to seeing some pics.

Shanao

Congratulations on getting a pup, choc labs are fantastic dogs. But like some have already said here, is there any way you could leave her for another week at least? The bitch teaches her pups an awful lot of things between six to eight weeks and if the pup is taken away too young it can result in behavioural issues. As Jelly2 said, they shouldn't be seperated before twelve weeks ideally because of a fear period between five and twelve weeks as they become more aware of their surroundings, but most breeders want to rehome them before then. Eight weeks should be the minimum though

missdeise

Hey guys, we've been thinking and we are going to ask the breeder to hold on to her for another two weeks, so she will be nine weeks old. It will be hard to wait another two weeks but it sounds like it will be worth. The breeder only lives a mile away so we can go and see her.

i-digress

I have a chocolate labrador! I love her to bits, great dog. Roxie is six months old now. They're a great first dog, easy to train. She just likes nothing better than affection and curling up with me and my husband on the couch.

I found a crate and a baby gate invaluable when we got Roxie. The crate is used for training, when I go out, when I'm doing something dangerous like lifting things out of the oven, and at night time. The baby gate is put on the stairs, so she can't get up.

With a labrador nutrition is really important. They grow fast, and if they don't get a properly balanced dog food it can cause problems with their joints later on. www.zooplus.co.uk is really good for dog food. I recommend Hills Science. I fed Roxie Royal Canin, but she got skin flakes. It just didn't agree with my particular dog.

I bulk buy 24kg of food at a time, shipping is free, and it works out at 5.70 per week to feed my dog, which is fairly good going.

I'll post some pictures when my husband comes home.