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New Pup!Lots of questions!
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18-06-2012 1:31pm#1Hello everyone!
After much deliberation and organisation, I've arranged a new pup for our home. It won't be able to be homed just yet, it still has a few weeks left with its mother, so now I have the ample time to get everything in place for its arrival.
What I would like to know is what should I buy in doing this preparation? It has been quite a while since I've had pups and I've since moved out of my home where those dogs reside now, so although I'm very good with dogs in general, I've no clue what the "essential" purchases for a pup are
Ok, so some obvious ones are:
Bedding
- Should this be the waterproof kind, given that it'll be being house trained? Something like http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/waterproof_beds/137134 ?
Bowls for food/water
- Two of these should be sufficient http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_bowls_feeders/stainless_steel_bowls/steel_bowls/199186 ?
What else?
What kind of toys are recommended for pups?
It'll be by itself for 3-4 hour periods a few times during the week, I've read Kong toys stuffed with food are supposed to be good to keep them entertained and give them something to do. What do you stuff this with? Is this on top of its meals or replacements for meals?
With regards to toilet training, traditionally I just put down toilet paper and eventually moved it toward the door and then outside, which worked rather quickly on all the dogs I've owned. Is anything else recommended these days? Is there anything good to assist with it?
For teaching it to walk on a leash, what is recommended these days? I've never had a problem with a normal collar and leash before, but I've read (and seen) a lot of harnesses, head harnesses etc, "halti" harnesses etc. Which is a good buy for a pup?
I plan on having it stay out in the back garden when I'm not in the house (post vaccinations, obviously), so intend on getting a good, comfortable, insulated and weatherproof kennel for it. Any recommendations on this aspect?
What about teaching it recall, what would you recommend for this?
I'm planning on getting Jan Fennell's "The Seven Ages of Your Dog". It has good reviews. Good idea? Is there better out there?
All and any advice appreciated. I'm great with dogs and could certainly do it ad-lib as previously, but I'd love some tips on making the process more efficient and fun for all involved.
In order to pre-empt some questions/answers:
The dog has been sourced through a club recommended breeder. The relevant eye/hip/elbow scores for the sire and dam have been sorted.
No e-collars, prong collars, choke collars will be used on the dog so pleease don't recommend these. Similarly, I don't subscribe to dominance theory or the well disproven theory of pack behaviour.
Thanks boardsies!0
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Congrats on the pup..what breed is he/she and any photos?!
I would recommend crate training, I got my crate from jebtools based in Cork. Ordered online, great prices. Have the crate over a year and no problems. Personally I would line the base of the crate with vet beds and cheap penneys blankets as puppies like to rip beds! My 2 year old staff still does but no problem with vet bed. You can buy it in Pet world but it is expensive. I got ours at the pet expo last year.
Those bowls look fine. Kongs are great, we have about 5 of them for three dogs so never any fighting over them. rarely fill them with food anymore but they are great chew toys as well.
Collar needed anyway for everyday/to put tag on. I use a harness for walking, one that has a removable seat belt clip so it can be used as travel harness too. got that in petworld too! I have a halti too but rarely use it. As my dog is a restricted breed she has to be muzzled in public so I use the halti when I have to.
What food are you planning on feeding? If the food the breeder has the pup on isnt great, make sure to change over to a better quality food very slowly ie over 2 weeks.
Best of luck
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Thanks for the reply! He's a golden retriever, no pics yet, soon though!
That's a great suggestion about the bedding, will look into sourcing some vet bedding and blankets so!
I might just get a normal collar and lead so and if there's issues in teaching it to walk, get a halti?
I'm not sure which food the breeder currently has it on but of its good, which I expect it would be, I'll keep him on it if it's affordable or phase him onto another recommended bran that's a little cheaper. Not supermarket brands anyway!
Another question I have is regarding socialisation, I grew up on a road with lots of other dogs for mine to interact with. Now, however, none of my friends have dogs. What's the best way to get it social experience? Im planning on going to classes, mainly for the interaction and mingling I suppose. What about dog parks? I've read very mixed views on them due to the attitudes of other dog owners on display, from either being overprotective of their dog to being too blasé when their dog is being aggressive.
Thanks for the reply!
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OhLongJohnson wrote: »Hello everyone!
After much deliberation and organisation, I've arranged a new pup for our home. It won't be able to be homed just yet, it still has a few weeks left with its mother, so now I have the ample time to get everything in place for its arrival.
What I would like to know is what should I buy in doing this preparation? It has been quite a while since I've had pups and I've since moved out of my home where those dogs reside now, so although I'm very good with dogs in general, I've no clue what the "essential" purchases for a pup are
Ok, so some obvious ones are:
Bedding
- Should this be the waterproof kind, given that it'll be being house trained? Something like http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/waterproof_beds/137134 ?
Get yourself a dog crate and a few pieces of vet bed, one in use and one in the wash. You can also get a few cheap fleece blankets for the early days when there might be a few more frequent accidents. I throw the vet bed in the washing machine at 40 degrees and will last forever. If you have the choice, opt not to have the rubber backed version as mine has shrunk a little bit over the washes and a pup is more inclined to try to chew the rubber. I wouldn't plan on getting any sort of dog bed until house training is well established.Bowls for food/water
- Two of these should be sufficient http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_bowls_feeders/stainless_steel_bowls/steel_bowls/199186 ?
Heavy ceramic bowls all the way for me, much harder for a pup to tip over or carry around, my last dog completely refused to eat from a stainless steel bowl she'd had for a while all of a sudden for some reason, I think myself that it was retaining smells or something despite regular washing and the ones with the rubber base get disgusting very quickly!What else?
What kind of toys are recommended for pups?
It'll be by itself for 3-4 hour periods a few times during the week, I've read Kong toys stuffed with food are supposed to be good to keep them entertained and give them something to do. What do you stuff this with? Is this on top of its meals or replacements for meals?
Both my dogs are getting two kongs a day, for a pup you can give them some of their meals in the kong. Once they get the hang of it you can pop them in the freezer and they have to work on them a bit longer which will come in handy for when you go out. I drop a really tasty treat in the bottom, followed by some kibble and put wet dog food in the top third (I use natures harvest as it's good quality and safe for freezing). Don't pack it too tightly until the pup gets the jist of it. To keep things interesting I also got a couple of filled sterilised bones from the pet shop, removed the rubbish that came in it and use those in the same way as the kongs, sealing both ends with wet food. Choose your size and shape very carefully (not something to buy on-line), you don't want it a size that the pup could get either his top or lower jaw stuck in it. As soon as the pup shows any ability in being able to break chunks off or eat the bone you need to abandon these though.
Third thing, get yourself a large sized stag bar, it's the only thing in my house that has been chewed by the resident 4 month old pup
As for toys, get some cheap and cheerful ones from a pound shop until you figure out what sort of things he's interested in, you will know better what toys suit best once you have the pup a few weeks. Try some homemade ones too (empty coke bottle, a gardening glove, old socks tied together or a rag with knots tied in it)With regards to toilet training, traditionally I just put down toilet paper and eventually moved it toward the door and then outside, which worked rather quickly on all the dogs I've owned. Is anything else recommended these days? Is there anything good to assist with it?
This is where your crate comes in, especially for night time, the link DBB posted has loads of info on this.For teaching it to walk on a leash, what is recommended these days? I've never had a problem with a normal collar and leash before, but I've read (and seen) a lot of harnesses, head harnesses etc, "halti" harnesses etc. Which is a good buy for a pup?
!
Straight forward collar and lead, a lot of the alternatives are problem solving tools, it's best to start early with proper lead training, I used a harness on my terrier when she was very small because she wanted to chase everything and didn't seem to care much that she might break her neck, I only used it for a short while untill her neck muscles developed a bit more as I didn't want her hurting herself. A retriever shouldn't have the same problem.I plan on having it stay out in the back garden when I'm not in the house (post vaccinations, obviously), so intend on getting a good, comfortable, insulated and weatherproof kennel for it. Any recommendations on this aspect?
I had one custom made to my own specifications, double insulated with a half wall, can post pics if you wish. It cost less than €200 (my dogs are small) but no way can it be moved without either a forklift of screwing it apart.What about teaching it recall, what would you recommend for this?
Start as soon as you get the pup home and get your commands established while the pup is still in the stages where your the centre of it's world, give the command every time you see the pup already making it's way towards you. Establishing whistle training early will also be a huge benefit later on when your out in all weather and your voice doesn't carry as well..I'm planning on getting Jan Fennell's "The Seven Ages of Your Dog". It has good reviews. Good idea? Is there better out there?
Same thing I recommend to everyone, look into golden retriever breed specific books, I find it much easier to know the breed inside out, and get to know what motivates your dog as an individual. This is what I base all my training on, makey-upy stuff using the internet to fill in the gaps. Some people think I'm quite mad though, currently teaching my pup to herd foot-balls and my terrier to crawl under furniture on her belly 
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OhLongJohnson wrote: »Another question I have is regarding socialisation, I grew up on a road with lots of other dogs for mine to interact with. Now, however, none of my friends have dogs. What's the best way to get it social experience? Im planning on going to classes, mainly for the interaction and mingling I suppose. What about dog parks? I've read very mixed views on them due to the attitudes of other dog owners on display, from either being overprotective of their dog to being too blasé when their dog is being aggressive.
Thanks for the reply!
Don't be shy about it If you are confident enough in understanding canine body language, approach people and ask if they would mind letting your pup introduce itself to their dog (after making sure it's friendly), choose your times eg. early mornings people are probably rushing to get the next thing done etc. There are usually loads of local agriculture shows and charity dog shows over summer months in most areas so keep your eyes open for these. Agricultural shows are great because there is plenty of space and it's easy to move to a quieter place if the commotion is just a little bit too much for the pup. 0 -
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adrenalinjunkie wrote: »Don't be shy about it If you are confident enough in understanding canine body language, approach people and ask if they would mind letting your pup introduce itself to their dog (after making sure it's friendly), choose your times eg. early mornings people are probably rushing to get the next thing done etc. There are usually loads of local agriculture shows and charity dog shows over summer months in most areas so keep your eyes open for these. Agricultural shows are great because there is plenty of space and it's easy to move to a quieter place if the commotion is just a little bit too much for the pup.
To add to what AJ says here, early mornings are often when people with badly behaved dogs walk them, so they can avoid other dogs
Another thing that is really worth knowing is that Merial, the vaccination makers, have issued a brochure to vets (though I don't know have these reached Irish vets yet) to advise them to advise puppy owners to bring their pups out and about, with judiciousness (is that a word?) before their vaccination program has finished.
They quite correctly say that the damage done by lack of early socialisation due to waiting for vaccinations to finish is a far greater problem than the risk of pup picking up a disease. However, there are some terms and conditions attached which are VITAL to know:
The owner must be very careful about where they bring their new pup, e.g. it's fine to carry your pup out and about in public places so that they can watch other dogs, kids, traffic, bikes, planes etc, and it's fine to let your pup mingle with nicely behaved vaccinated adults etc in secure back gardens.
Here's a pdf for the brochure, well worth a read, and well worth printing a few off for your vet in case they don't have them yet!
http://uk.merial.com/pet_owners/dogs/pdf/puppy_guide/120103_Merial_Puppy_leaflet_final.pdf
OP, you also mentioned not allowing new pup out into your garden until the shots are done: unless you've had a dog in your garden with suspected doggy diseases in the past year, there is nothing to be worried about letting pup out the back from Day 1.0 -
On my phone so can't multi-quote replies so will try my best to format this well!
@DBB:
I haven't read here stuff admittedly, only know that she has come highly recommended. However, I'm certainly not one to believe that dogs either try to spend grit time trying to dominate their owners nor are they on a bid to take I've the world, so it would appear my views and her's are incompatible!
Thanks for that link, it's choc full of good stuff! It's going to be a productive day in work today
@adrenalinejunkie:
I'm planning on getting a crate, what size should I get though? I'be read that it shouldn't be too big as pups won't want to go to the toilet where they sleep, but if you turn the inside of it into a bed entirely, would that make the size irrelevant?
With regards to vet bed, where would you recommend getting it? I've found a "super gold vet bedding" from bronteglen for £17 for 1mx75cm, or €35 from dog training Ireland, so there's a bit of a difference in terms of the prices I'm finding for it. The latter appears to be made by a company called VetBed, is this just more expensive due to the brand name or ...? K9comforts seem to do a meter for €17 also...
With regards to the bowls, yes! I recall how filthy the steel ones get now that you mention it! We have ceramic bowls for th cat which are great so good suggestion, I'll just go for ceramic for the dog too.
Do your dogs get their breakfast/dinner on top of their kongs? What kind of high value/ tasty training treats would you recommend yourself?
Thanks for the stag bar recommendation, added to the list:)
Will look into a GR specific book today. That's very impressive training I think personally
Will reply to the rest shortly, thanks for all the very helpful advice so far!0 -
OhLongJohnson wrote: »@adrenalinejunkie:
I'm planning on getting a crate, what size should I get though? I'be read that it shouldn't be too big as pups won't want to go to the toilet where they sleep, but if you turn the inside of it into a bed entirely, would that make the size irrelevant?
If your getting a big crate you'll need some sort of barrier to make the space smaller, if the pup has enough space, it will use one end as a toilet and the other as it's bed which is what you don't want. It's a tougher call with bigger dogs as you need to decide if want to start with a smaller crate and upgrade later on (it's hard to tell in advance if you will keep using the crate after house training is finished, depends on the individual dog mostly). A smaller crate is easier to move from room to room and you can always sell it on.With regards to vet bed, where would you recommend getting it? I've found a "super gold vet bedding" from bronteglen for £17 for 1mx75cm, or €35 from dog training Ireland, so there's a bit of a difference in terms of the prices I'm finding for it. The latter appears to be made by a company called VetBed, is this just more expensive due to the brand name or ...? K9comforts seem to do a meter for €17 also...
Super gold vet bed should be the more expensive as it has some sort of thermal self-heating going on, is antibacterial for dogs with allergies and has some sort of metal (or something) in it for arthritic/senior dogs. I'd just go with whatever/where ever is cheapest.Do your dogs get their breakfast/dinner on top of their kongs? What kind of high value/ tasty training treats would you recommend yourself?
They both get kibble first thing in the morning, the pup gets a kong in his crate at lunch time, they both go outside then after 3 with one each, both get kibble at 6:30 and the pup gets a small amount of wet food at around 10:30 as I take his water up at around nine, the wet food also seems to encourage him to go to the toilet better before bedtime. I just use any treats I normally use for the kongs as long its small enough to fit at the bottom and can come out easily, you can use little pieces of cooked meat from the fridge or anything tasty that's an added incentive to reach the end of the kong.Will look into a GR specific book today. That's very impressive training I think personally
I find it better stimulation for the dogs asking them to do things that involve multiple tasks once they have learned the basics, and you find ways to get them to focus their natural behaviours on non-destructive activities but still let them just be dogs. It stops things getting too boring also but I'll be running out of ideas pretty soon!0 -
adrenalinjunkie wrote: »Don't be shy about it If you are confident enough in understanding canine body language, approach people and ask if they would mind letting your pup introduce itself to their dog (after making sure it's friendly), choose your times eg. early mornings people are probably rushing to get the next thing done etc. There are usually loads of local agriculture shows and charity dog shows over summer months in most areas so keep your eyes open for these. Agricultural shows are great because there is plenty of space and it's easy to move to a quieter place if the commotion is just a little bit too much for the pup.
That's a great tip, thanks!To add to what AJ says here, early mornings are often when people with badly behaved dogs walk them, so they can avoid other dogs
Another thing that is really worth knowing is that Merial, the vaccination makers, have issued a brochure to vets (though I don't know have these reached Irish vets yet) to advise them to advise puppy owners to bring their pups out and about, with judiciousness (is that a word?) before their vaccination program has finished.
They quite correctly say that the damage done by lack of early socialisation due to waiting for vaccinations to finish is a far greater problem than the risk of pup picking up a disease. However, there are some terms and conditions attached which are VITAL to know:
The owner must be very careful about where they bring their new pup, e.g. it's fine to carry your pup out and about in public places so that they can watch other dogs, kids, traffic, bikes, planes etc, and it's fine to let your pup mingle with nicely behaved vaccinated adults etc in secure back gardens.
Here's a pdf for the brochure, well worth a read, and well worth printing a few off for your vet in case they don't have them yet!
http://uk.merial.com/pet_owners/dogs/pdf/puppy_guide/120103_Merial_Puppy_leaflet_final.pdf
OP, you also mentioned not allowing new pup out into your garden until the shots are done: unless you've had a dog in your garden with suspected doggy diseases in the past year, there is nothing to be worried about letting pup out the back from Day 1.
Thanks for the info DBB. With regards to the garden, we've a lot of cats in the area, some who may or may not be stray (I'm not sure, there's a few cat hoarders around so it's impossible to tell who owns what!), would this still be safe to let the dog out into given that they pass through it/play in it fairly regularly?
I intend on bringing him everywhere with me anyway, carried until he gets his vaccinations, but that's a good tip about getting vaccinated older dogs over to the house to interact.adrenalinjunkie wrote: »If your getting a big crate you'll need some sort of barrier to make the space smaller, if the pup has enough space, it will use one end as a toilet and the other as it's bed which is what you don't want. It's a tougher call with bigger dogs as you need to decide if want to start with a smaller crate and upgrade later on (it's hard to tell in advance if you will keep using the crate after house training is finished, depends on the individual dog mostly). A smaller crate is easier to move from room to room and you can always sell it on.
Yeah I was thinking I might just buy a small crate and upgrade then if needed? Although personally I was hoping to crate train it and then when it's fully housetrained just let it have its bed in the kitchen (or its "Doggy playroom"/"long term confinement area" as it's now called, after my reading yesterday ).Super gold vet bed should be the more expensive as it has some sort of thermal self-heating going on, is antibacterial for dogs with allergies and has some sort of metal (or something) in it for arthritic/senior dogs. I'd just go with whatever/where ever is cheapest.
Cool, will do!
They both get kibble first thing in the morning, the pup gets a kong in his crate at lunch time, they both go outside then after 3 with one each, both get kibble at 6:30 and the pup gets a small amount of wet food at around 10:30 as I take his water up at around nine, the wet food also seems to encourage him to go to the toilet better before bedtime. I just use any treats I normally use for the kongs as long its small enough to fit at the bottom and can come out easily, you can use little pieces of cooked meat from the fridge or anything tasty that's an added incentive to reach the end of the kong.
Thanks for this. Since asking the question I've read quite a bit of Dr. Ian Dunbar's books and the chewtoy feeding he recommends and lack of bowl feeding, early in its life anyway, makes a lot of sense in terms of giving it something to keep it occupied during the day.
Those books are fantastic I have to say, had a very productive day in work yesterday with them downloaded
I'm trying to play the "doggy playroom" at the moment and have a 130cm gap to fill. I intend on getting a baby gate for the door itself, would a fire guard be sufficient here? It's to keep the pup and the resident cats separate in the house until they get to tolerate each other so it's important that neither can knock the divider over. A fireguard and a few bricks to hold it in place, perhaps?
Open to suggestions!I find it better stimulation for the dogs asking them to do things that involve multiple tasks once they have learned the basics, and you find ways to get them to focus their natural behaviours on non-destructive activities but still let them just be dogs. It stops things getting too boring also but I'll be running out of ideas pretty soon!
Well...you could always try to get them to push the lawnmower or fold clothes 0 -
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That's what I did with mine. I crated them during the day when I had to go out and then at night. Then when they were over a year old, I started to leave the crate door open at night. Sometimes they'd go in or sometimes they'd settle on the couch. Then one night, my mother let them upstairs to sleep (they were a year and a half then) and now that's where they sleep. I don't use the crates anymore, although I still have them in case they're ever needed.
The dogs are fine upstairs but that's a personal choice for us. And there was no way I was letting any of them sleep outside the crate until I was absolutely sure that I wasn't going to come downstairs to poopage and/or destruction!
Yeah I've decided to buy a hard crate for short term confinement and and soft crate for bringing him about with me in public before he can be put on the ground.
Is there anywhere to get pre-3 month pups together to socialize? Admittedly the only people I know with dogs at the moment most likely don't have them vaccinated so despite them being nice dogs, I won't have them socialising with the pup until he's clear to go. It'd be nice to find some other puppy owners though to get them together.0
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