New puppy mummies

[PuppyMummy2014]

Hi all, I couldn't find the last puppy mummies thread so thought I'd create a new one!

First time puppy owner and getting my yellow lab pup on the weekend! I'm sure I'm mad!! Very nervous and excited at the same time!

Anyone else collecting their new puppies in the next week or so?

[Shia]

Congratulations!

We've got ours already. He will be ten weeks next Monday.

He's a very good boy. If I could, I would kiss and cuddle him all day!

[Ninjamouse]

Us! We pick up our fox red lab girl on Sunday! She will be our first family dog! We've been thinking about it for a long while, but it's ended up happening very fast, so I need to get very organised very quickly (we only paid our deposit last night!)
What have you done/bought to prepare?

[PeonyStick]

New puppy mummy here . We are two weeks in - but totally in a spin with trying to do the right thing . It's a whirlwind ! We have 11 week old fox red lab boy and it's totally full on ! ddx3 ( youngest aged 4) . He us called Todd - but ' shark' mostly as he is soooooo very bitey !
Advice - get a crate ..... Ours has been house trained already . And the 'happy puppy' book is a must - along with a kong / poo bags and lots of kitchen roll !

[PuppyMummy2014]

What beautiful pups you all have!

We are doing crate training too & I think I've got everything I need! I've been reading perfect puppy, total recall & lots of useful online blogs/guides/advice!

Anyone doing clicker training? I'm going to give it a go!

Also are you going to do proper socialisation straight after the second vaccination or do you have to wait a week or two? I'm just going to walk around the town with him in my arms until the vaccs

P.s got lots of kitchen roll ready!

[PeonyStick]

We haven't really got going with training yet - I think we will do a whistle for recalls and yes think a clicker is a good idea . I am so in the whirlwind of clearing up poop/wee / chewed items .....and squealing Dd3 ...... I haven't really had a minute to decide on a strategy !
2nd injections on Monday - so we will be finally out and about next weekend - hurray !

[Ninjamouse]

PuppyMummy-which blogs etc are you reading? I need to get some serious reading done in the next 24hrs! We want to start training as soon as we get her home, as I read (especially with toilet training) the more accidents they have the harder/longer it takes to get it right, so ideally right from day one we need to get it right (we're planning on training her to go in one place in the garden-I'd never thought of this before but a couple of people I know have done this and it makes so much sense!)
I'm getting very excited now, but equally a bit scared of the massive commitment for the next 12+ years!

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Picking up our new puppy on Wednesday; watching with interest!

[PeonyStick]

We've got ExDH's lurcher for the weekend ...... It's carnage ! PeonyPup won't leave him alone ! As for shitting liquid ..... PeonyPup can eat snail , leaves , sticks , stones , spiders and all manner of small plastic items of I don't sprint like usain Bolt that dog can swallow things faster than ......

And no poo change ..... One crafty gulp of lurchers food ...... Projectile poops this am

Think it's ok if it settles and they are still eating / drinking / happy in themselves .

[Castlelough]

Baby, puppy, hens....in which order for happy household?

So, we are due our first baby in January and moving into our new house on our farm in September, hopefully!

I have wanted a dog all my life (now 35!) but as we are in a rented house (and landlady is already tolerating two cats) we have been putting off getting a dog until we are in the new house. Ditto with hens.

So I'm wondering whether it would be best to wait until baby arrives and get a puppy in the spring, so that puppy grows up around a baby and won't be jealous of the new arrival? Or would it be best to get puppy before baby?

And for those who keep hens - would it be best to also have hens established before puppy arrives, so that he grows up with them? Or get hens later on...?

When baby arrives I will have 8 months off work, which I was thinking would be good for also settling a puppy in. When I go back to work I would be home by 4, and have school holidays off, and DH would probably have him around the farm with him most days while I'm working.

I was thinking of a golden retriever. Do you think our lifestyle would suit? I've heard they are very sociable and need lots of interaction...

[Castlelough]

Oh dear, sorry. I meant to start a new post - not land in on top of this one.

[Castlelough]

And I can't cut and paste on phone. Will do later. Sorry about that.

[PeonyStick]

Am sure many more wise words will come along .... But all I can say is I have an 11 wk old pup and my youngest Dd is now 4 ..... I wouldn't have wanted a dog any earlier - it's full in and difficult to split yourself in two ....

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Hens are easy ... as long as you have a good high fence around it and, preferably, a roof, you don't even need to lock them up at night ... DD has loved playing with ours, esp chicks, since she was about 2 and is just growing out of it at 8, when she is moving into thoughts of making money by rearing chicks to sell ... flying lessons for pullets from her tree house were a particular feature ...
Hens can thrive with a bit of neglect when you have a small baby, but I still remember the first night I brought DD home from hospital and the dog whined all night at the bedroom door and I make long plans to give her away ... I didn't, of course, and they are now best friends, but it was hard and not fair on the dog. So I would say, puppy later rather than earlier.

[PuppyMummy2014]

Wow what a whirlwind week I've had! Little pup come last weekend and he's been fairly well behaved considering! Likes his crate, doesn't mind household noises and is getting used to the car. Have had hardly any pee or pooh accidents but that's because I'm super vigilant!

Started clicker training too - he knows his name, sit and down more or less.

castle decision I made was puppy first because I don't know how long it would take to conceive etc, plus now I have atleast a year to put all my attention on little pup. But if I was already pregnant I wouldn't get a puppy yet - the idea is lovely but I know I would really struggle. However I know people who have & are fine so it depends on how you think you'd cope (I'm a weakling!!)

Congrats all the new puppy mummies!! Xx

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

How old is puppy learning sit with clicker? Ours is 8 1/2 weeks which I assumed was too young?

[PuppyMummy2014]

Aw cute pic!

He learnt it when he was 8.5 weeks. He's 9 weeks now.

I remember watching this labrador puppy on YouTube who done all sorts of tricks and thought it was pretty amazing! I don't know how to link it but type labrador tricks in YouTube and it's 2nd in list. Not clicker though, he uses hand signals.

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Need to get started then!

[PuppyMummy2014]

You'll be surprised at how quickly they pick it up!

[KiwiJude]

Love the baby pics but gosh our little boxer boy looks like a midget compared to these other babies :) Here he is at five weeks. We pick him up on 9 August when he'll be just over eight weeks - busy making plans and so excited!

[PeonyStick]

ok - I have a question.......

our 12 week old puppy has just been getting used to going for walks , post imms. We are doing really well with lead work, heel commands etc ( when no distractions at all) BUt he just hangs on and hangs on until we get home and then he does an immediate wee and poop on the lawn........

Any ideas ?

[soddinghormones]

Our pup did this for the first couple of weeks he was able to go out - he soon got over it! (Still doesn't like pooing on anything other than grass though ...)

[Castlelough]

Thanks PuppyMummy2014 .

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

PuppyMummy ... I am amazed ... it took about 5 minutes for her to 'get' come and sit! Not sure how to introduce other commands or when there is time inbetween rushing her out onto the grass every 10 minutes or so, coping with jealous sad older dog and continuing normal school holiday life ...