New puppy owner - questions about when out of the house

peteb2

We got a six week old Lab Cross pup at the weekend. I havent had a puppy since I was kid twenty odd years ago. So I'm unsure on a few things these days.

We are crating her at night when we go to bed and then in the afternoon when my wife goes out for 3 hours.

But what do people do when they go out, like to the pub or something. We were due to go out on Friday but I don't think its fair to leave the dog crated from maybe 8pm to 1am and then come home from being out and let her out to go. And then put her back out in the crate to sleep.

come to think of it I'm even concerned with having to go to the cinema and leave her there.

Am i just going crazy? What do dog owners do?

andreac

Ok firstly, why have you got a pup thats only 6 weeks old, is there a reason why its away from the mother and siblings so young?

Secondly, at 6 weeks, your pup cannot hold it in at all as their bladder is not developed or strong enough yet, so when they need to go, they just will.

You cant leave a pup in a crate for longer than 2/3 hours at this stage as they will need to be let out to go to the toilet.

Is your pup going to the toilet in the crate?

The first few weeks/months of puppyhood can be very challenging and demanding and some things have to be put on hold, like nights out etc, unless you can make arrangements for someone to look after the pup. If its only an hour or two thats fine, but you cant expect a pup of 6 weeks to be able to hold it in that long, they just physically cant.

peteb2

I know you are trying be helpful so I won't have a go! I'm not aware of when a pup should be taken. People are surprised when I say 6 weeks. We bought one off some one who's dog had a litter and they were obviously looking to have them out quick as they had a few kids with them when we met. And to be honest she is probably better off with us as they also had a relations 8 week who was already nipping!

I'm perfectly prepared to put things on hold but I am just asking question to find out. I'm not even talking about just that! Even 6 months down the road . I'm unsure abut everything hence the post!

And no she hasn't peed in the crate. We get her to go before bed and the let her out first thing in the morning.

andreac

Why would you need to have a go at me ?? I asked those questions as they are all very relevent.

Also, you say an 8 week old pup nips, of course it does, all pups of all ages nip, thats what puppies do and its up to you or the owners to train and teach a pup not to nip. Puppies will nip each other with their littermates and mother and thats how they learn to behave around other animals.

A pup shouldnt leave its mother and siblings before 8-10 weeks of age, 6 weeks is far far too young. If you look up any information on buying a pup it will tell you this.

You should not be leaving this pup in a crate all night, you must get up and let it out during the night, as i said their bladders cannot hold it in at this stage so you have to build up the time gradually that they are in the crate.

Bookworm85

Hey OP,

I'm not having a go at you, but the pup is very young to be away from mum and siblings. You mentioned about a relations 8 week old pup nipping - well thats perfectly normal - its what puppies do. However if the pup had been kept with its mother and siblings for another week or two it would have learned some 'manners' from them and would have learned how to 'play' bite without hurting.

Your pup will start nipping too but it will be you and your wife who will have to teach it instead of its Mum.

But back to your OP.

I would say that 3 hours is the max you should leave pup on its own. Think of your pup like a human baby, it still has little or no control over its bladder/bowel movements at this age. Its great that you are crate training her, but I would recommend getting up once or twice during the night to leave her out. I certainly wouldnt be leaving her for more than 3 hours - but as the weeks go by you can gradually increase the time between toilet breaks/ being left alone.

But please bare in mind that accidents are going to happen along the way. Its part and parcel of owning a pup, a little bit of effort and training over the coming weeks and months will be required for toilet/crate training, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Best of luck with your new addition, be sure to post some pics!

peteb2

All I saying guys is that we asked the question at the time was she ready to go. We were none the wiser about it. My wife made a decision and that was it. The owner said yes so we took her the next day. It's a done deal now so there is no point in going about it as I know now but am hardly likely to bring her back at this stage!

So would you take her to other peoples houses when you go?

Toulouse

Good advice from previous posters. Here's a good online resource for puppy training. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/digital-dog-training-textbook

Here's some other training tips I find helpful too http://petcentral.yolasite.com/printables.php

Pointing out that you shouldn't have taken her so young may be too late for you and your pup but no doubt another person about to buy a pup will now read the points andreac and bookworm85 made and hopefully learn from your mistake.

I wouldn't be taking her anywhere at the moment until her vaccinations are completed at about 12 weeks. Parvo will kill a pup really quickly so you need to be careful with her.

Has she seen a vet yet?

Bookworm85

No problem OP, nobody is suggesting that you take the puppy back. Whats done is done and its not the end of the world!

I'd be wary about taking her out and about until she's fully vaccinated ( even if you're taking her somewhere dog free). Now its been a while since ive had a puppy (nearly 10 yrs), but I dont think she'll be due her last vacc for another few weeks yet.

For the next few weeks you and your wife will need to stay close to home to make sure she is ok, doesn't need toilet breaks, water or food. Again, taking on a puppy is like having a baby in certain ways. They need an awful lot of attention and supervision, but if you put in the effort over the coming weeks and get her house/toilet trained you'll soon reap the benefits and she'll be able to spend more time on her own.

Darkginger

Until your dog has had all her vaccinations, I probably wouldn't be taking her anywhere - especially anywhere that has other dogs. We have a 3 month old collie/lab cross bitch - she had her second set of vaccinations last week (we got her on Dec 22nd), and just yesterday was her first time meeting any strange dogs or people (we have one other, year old dog here).

TBH, I put my social life on hold for the first couple of months of having a new puppy - I'm probably a bit extreme, but I just can't leave her alone for any length of time. We're lucky in that neither of us work outside the home, and there are two of us, so if the husband wants to go to the pub, I can stay home with the pup, and vice versa (though somehow vice versa never actually seems to happen!).

It'll be a short enough time before she can be left alone for a while, and then you can gradually build up the time she's by herself so you can get back to having a bit of a life. Maybe time to invite friends round for dinner, to save you having to go out?

She's very young to be away from her Mum, but as you say, you've got her now, and it's good that you're putting her needs ahead of your own re going to the pub Just get her to the vets now for her parvovirus vaccination (if you haven't already) then she needs to go back at 8 weeks or so for her first multi-vacc, then again sometime after 10 weeks for her final vaccinations. After that, I don't see why you can't take her out with you - so long as you're aware that housetraining will be an ongoing issue, and you have tolerant friends

Good luck!

andreac

No you cannot bring her anywhere until shes finished her course of vaccinations and that wont be for at least another month now.

Has she had any vaccinations yet? You need to make sure shes wormed regularly too as worms can be quite serious of not treated right in puppies.

Yes she was taken far too young, but this is why getting a puppy shouldnt be a quick and easy decision. People need to realise that you need to research into getting a pup. If the breeder was happy to give the pups away at this age then they are not responsible breeders at all.

Did you get info on worming/vaccinations etc off the breeder?

peteb2

Wife had her down the vet this morning for first sets of shots. So not due back for 4 weeks! I've no intention of letting her out anywhere beyond the back garden to do her business.

But we are away in two weeks for one night and she will have to stay with my sister. But she won't be going near anything else!

peteb2

andreac wrote: »

No you cannot bring her anywhere until shes finished her course of vaccinations and that wont be for at least another month now.

Has she had any vaccinations yet? You need to make sure shes wormed regularly too as worms can be quite serious of not treated right in puppies.

Yes she was taken far too young, but this is why getting a puppy shouldnt be a quick and easy decision. People need to realise that you need to research into getting a pup. If the breeder was happy to give the pups away at this age then they are not responsible breeders at all.

Did you get info on worming/vaccinations etc off the breeder?

See my post above. She was wormed two weeks ago and again this morning at the vets .

I didn't enter lightly into this. And I gave strong consideration to the matter and the time that was involved. As I said i wouldn't thing this person was a breeder per se more a person who had a dog that wasn't spayed and ended up with a litter! They actually went as far to say that if she was too difficult as people sometimes take them and don't think, they would take her back! So I'm sure they only had the dogs interests in mind!

As said by some one else what is done is done !

DBB

I'm going to throw a spanner in the works here re the advice not to bring pup anywhere til her vaccines are finished.
Merial, who manufacture vaccines, recommend getting pre-vax pups out and about, albeit with caution, because they acknowledge that not exposing your pre-vax pup to the world causes big problems down the line.
For instance, you can carry her outside to watch traffic, kids playing, and general outdoor life. It is also really important that she mixes with other dogs, as pups taken off the mother too early are more likely to develop problems with dogs later.
Again, the advice is to let pup meet other dogs with caution; let her meet other dogs that are vaccinated and good with pups.
I for one am thrilled that merial have published this info, because the risk of behavioural problems arising from inadequate early experience and socialization is far, far higher than the risk of contracting a disease. Again, I stress, your pup's exposure to the world should be done with care, but it must be done!

SpyderCats

Hi OP

I also Mistakenly got my new puppy at six weeks old, my little shih tzu (Harvey) and I adore him but if you can at all help it, I wouldn't leave him on his own for long periods of time until he gets bigger.

When Harvey was seven and a half weeks old he became sick with a stomach upset, a small amount of Diarrhea but he was still eating and drinking and in great form. It was when the Diarrhea stopped and his bowel movements returned to normal that the problem started. Within a few hours my pup went from a happy, playful and bouncing puppy to almost lifeless. He simply wouldn't get up and had no interest in food or water.

We rushed him down to the vets and he was put on a drip and was kept over night. He had become dehydrated and even though he wasn't sick as such, it nearly killed him. The vet said that it was because he was to young to be away from his mother.

Harvey made a quick and full recovery but if we hadn't got to the vets when we did the vet told us he wouldn't have lasted the night.

Like you I was unaware that a six week puppy was two young to be away from his mother.

peteb2

One of the links above says that you should feed your pup their daily food by a chew toy instead of the bowl. Anyone any feelings on this?

andreac

peteb2 wrote: »

One of the links above says that you should feed your pup their daily food by a chew toy instead of the bowl. Anyone any feelings on this?

Whta do you mean by a chew toy? Do you mean a Kong? Putting the food into the kong?

peteb2

Yep. Putting it into a kong. Actually said moistening the kibble, spoon it into the kong and freeze over night was another way!

andreac

Yes its a good way to keep a pup occupied if you have to go out for a while. It just keeps them from getting bored and gives them something to do while they are on their own.

You should be feeding your pup 4 times a day at the moment.

peteb2

Currently feeding her twice a day as per the food supplier, pet store and vet didn't say to the contrary !

andreac

peteb2 wrote: »

Currently feeding her twice a day as per the food supplier, pet store and vet didn't say to the contrary !

Twice a day?? Your pup is only 6 weeks old and MUST be fed at least 4 times a day. Please please do some more research about your puppy as you clearly havent done enough.

andreac

Please have a read of this:

http://www.royalcanin.co.uk/your-dog/living-with-your-dog/your-puppy/feeding-your-new-puppy

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/feeding.htm

I can try and find more, but they all recommend 3-4 times daily at that age.

peteb2

I'll hold back here because I like using forums and dont intend to get banned. But the self righteous attitude in certain forums here is irritating. If I knew 100% what I was doing I wouldnt bother asking !! The vet weighed her and was told when she was fed and made no mention!

Research differs in every case with different answers . So if I believed everything I read I would not be here !!!

ShaShaBear

Im sorry but it is sorta common sense that a puppy that young would need more feeding than twice a day. They poop like bejaysus, they're hungry again in a matter of hours, exactly the same as a baby. Two bottles a day wouldn't be enough for a 6 week old baby, two feeds are definitely not enough nutrition for a 6-week old puppy who should still be with its mother (Im aware this has been addressed, I'm trying to point out that, because of this, the pup needs more, not less).
People are shocked at the advice you have been given by professionals in the interests of animal safety. You shouldn't be getting narky with them.

peteb2

Sorta common sense? How so? The Royal Canin actual product package is clear as mud!
All that is being said her is that I should feed her the same amount I currently do but in four portions instead of two.

I resent the implied accusations that I amn't taking sufficient care of my dog. If I had no intention of making sure i was doing everything right I wouldnt be posting here.

so whilst I appreciate and accept the advice given, less of the personal judgment please!

reeta

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Im sorry but it is sorta common sense that a puppy that young would need more feeding than twice a day. They poop like bejaysus, they're hungry again in a matter of hours, exactly the same as a baby. Two bottles a day wouldn't be enough for a 6 week old baby, two feeds are definitely not enough nutrition for a 6-week old puppy who should still be with its mother (Im aware this has been addressed, I'm trying to point out that, because of this, the pup needs more, not less).
People are shocked at the advice you have been given by professionals in the interests of animal safety. You shouldn't be getting narky with them.

I am stunned at the level of abuse this guy is getting when he is clearly looking for info for his puppy. Yes six weeks is too early for the pup to be
away from his mother, the OP now knows that, albeit too late. But would people just answer his questions instead of attacking him at every opportunity. Explaining a pup need 4 feeds a day is fine, accusing him of not "researching enough" is disgraceful.

ShaShaBear

peteb2 wrote: »

Sorta common sense? How so? The Royal Canin actual product package is clear as mud!
All that is being said her is that I should feed her the same amount I currently do but in four portions instead of two.

I resent the implied accusations that I amn't taking sufficient care of my dog. If I had no intention of making sure i was doing everything right I wouldnt be posting here.

so whilst I appreciate and accept the advice given, less of the personal judgment please!

I only speak for myself of course, but I think the main problem here with people is that they see you are asking the right questions, but after you've gotten the dog, rather than in research beforehand. You've already got her, so there's no going back on that, but had you asked advice beforehand the general answer would have been to leave her with her mother until she is about ten weeks old at least. You would also have been told about feeding and the toilet training issue. It's good that you are concerned and trying to find out whats best for puppy, but Im sure you can appreciate that most people here believe you should ask the questions beforehand, not after. Im sure it's not the case with you, but in many cases, this makes the difference between a happy lifetime pet, and a nasty surprise that sends a dog back to a shelter.

peteb2

Yet again - it is implied that i didnt research this enough and will end up getting rid of the dog! And I am absolutely disgusted by that.

If I were to come out here and say that i found a 6 week old pup by the side of the road and took her home to take care of her and wanted to ask the questions I'm sure I wouldnt be getting attacked for not having done sufficient research so why am I getting it now??!

Let's all just start afresh here now that we have it out of our systems. We have established so far:
1. The pup should have stayed longer with her mother - fait du complit now, accept and move on
2. The pup should be getting fed 3 or 4 times a day - accepted. But Royal Canin's packaging is as clear as mud
3. The dog is let out every hour to eliminate - been doing this from the start so no issue here.

Now that's out of the way if anyone has any advice please feel free. But don't tell me to research because there is just too many conflicting online resources. Which is why I am here asking genuine owners who have a dog.

ShaShaBear

peteb2 wrote: »

Yet again - it is implied that i didnt research this enough and will end up getting rid of the dog! And I am absolutely disgusted by that.

If I were to come out here and say that i found a 6 week old pup by the side of the road and took her home to take care of her and wanted to ask the questions I'm sure I wouldnt be getting attacked for not having done sufficient research so why am I getting it now??!

Let's all just start afresh here now that we have it out of our systems. We have established so far:
1. The pup should have stayed longer with her mother - fait du complit now, accept and move on
2. The pup should be getting fed 3 or 4 times a day - accepted. But Royal Canin's packaging is as clear as mud
3. The dog is let out every hour to eliminate - been doing this from the start so no issue here.

Now that's out of the way if anyone has any advice please feel free. But don't tell me to research because there is just too many conflicting online resources. Which is why I am here asking genuine owners who have a dog.

Under no circumstances did I imply you would get rid of the dog, I actually stated that I am sure this is not the case with you. But there have been posts in the past where people have gotten dogs and not done the relevant research and as a result have ended up rehoming the dog they realised they couldnt care for. THIS is cause for other dog lovers to become stressed and agitated when they hear of situations like this. In fact, there was such a situation very recently where a puppy ended up back in a rescue centre because one of the owners wasn't as prepared as she thought she was.

On these Boards, especially the Animals forum, you need to learn to take the good with the bad. Animals are under-appreciated and under-represented in many cases and a lot of people will very bravely demonstrate this over these threads.

You are reading the worst out of every post, my own included, since I was actually commending you on asking questions at all (seems you missed that). You've been given some excellent advice and have learned some new things in relation to caring for your puppy.

People here on the boards are ironically like our beloved furry friends. Some will let you know what you need to do, and some will let you know what you need to do

Pics by the way?

andreac

What food are you feeding the pup at the moment and what are the feeding guidelines saying on the package?

It is recommended to feed a pup of that age up to at least 5-6 months 3-4 times a day. Twice isnt enough as they need to be fed little and often.

I feed my adults dogs twice daily but this is not enough for a pup of that age.

No one is attacking you at all and i really wish people would stop saying that. We are all very surprised at some of the advice you have been given away from this forum, hence why we are giving you the correct advice to go forward.

Vets are not qualified nutritionists so they usually know very little when it comes to your dogs diet. Most of the just recommend the food that they sell in their practice as they get commission for doing so.

All of the people giving you advice here are very, very experienced dog owners and breeders and have years and years of experience in owning and breeding dogs so that is why we are giving you the correct advice for you and your pup.

As i said,if more research was done on owning a puppy, a lot of the stuff that we are posting is actually readily available there whether in books or online on different dog sites etc.

az2wp0sye65487

peteb2 wrote: »

Sorta common sense? How so? The Royal Canin actual product package is clear as mud!
All that is being said her is that I should feed her the same amount I currently do but in four portions instead of two.

I resent the implied accusations that I amn't taking sufficient care of my dog. If I had no intention of making sure i was doing everything right I wouldnt be posting here.

so whilst I appreciate and accept the advice given, less of the personal judgment please!

reeta wrote: »

I am stunned at the level of abuse this guy is getting when he is clearly looking for info for his puppy. Yes six weeks is too early for the pup to be
away from his mother, the OP now knows that, albeit too late. But would people just answer his questions instead of attacking him at every opportunity. Explaining a pup need 4 feeds a day is fine, accusing him of not "researching enough" is disgraceful.

I don't post very often in this forum as I've been put off by some of the attitudes. I just wanted to offer my support to peteb2 and say I agree with reeta.

The OP obviously didn't realise that the pup was too young when he got it. Fair enough - we all all make mistakes. He's trying to be a responsible dog owner. He is looking for advice here in order to look after his dog properly.

Attitudes like some of the ones above will just alienate new posters from this forum.

peteb2

I have no intention of abandoning my puppy. I had a King Charles Cavalier when I was younger so this isn't my first time but it has been a while. Hence the questions.

Anyways I dont know how to upload photos. It just says to enter the URL ?? But theyre not on a website.