Puppy during lockdown easing - July time

[Desperateseeking]

Hi, we have wanted to get a dog for many years but worried about puppy settling in time as we both work outside the home. In covid times my job is now going to be home working for at least the next 6 months. So we thought this might be an ideal time to do this. We are on a reputable breeders list for a lab. We wouldn’t get until 10 weeks ideally so vets etc should be open for vaccinations by then (July?). And we’d get a pet courier if need be if driving not allowed.
Would the fact we will be at home constantly for 6 months cause a problem when inevitably I go back to work in office (for at least some of the time?). We’d use reputable all day day care for those days and the puppy would be 6 months by then so not tiny (but still young ish). Just trying to think of all the angles to make sure its fair on the dog.

[thereinmadnesslies]

I think it will create some issues - I got a puppy when I was off work for 6months and he definitely found it hard to adjust to not having me around all the time. He also bonded very strongly to me and not to the rest of the family who were at work/school during the day.

[Dreamersandwishers]

I think you need to practise leaving him from early days. Even if that’s just in another room behind a closed door.
I have 2 adult labs who are generally fine being left but I have noticed that one in particular has started to whine if left alone. So I have made a point of leaving the house & sitting in the car for a while each day, while I read or chat on the phone to remind her that it’s fine to be left. Dare say the neighbours think I am up to no good, sitting in my car on the drive, but the whining has stopped.😁

[Dreamersandwishers]

And enjoy your puppy. Labs are hard work at first but oh so worth it.

[RubieRose]

Usually when people ask "Can I leave my puppy alone while I go to watch my DC's assembly" people all scream at them that this is awful and you can't leave a puppy alone.

Also the general advice is that a 6 month sabbatical from work is the only acceptable way to settle a puppy.

But since CV19, all I've read is how damaging it will be if people have a puppy and spend too much time with it during lockdown

[jinxpixie]

I think I have gone against MN view on lockdown and puppies . Personally I think it is a great time for some people to get puppies.

Social distancing is just perfect for socialising dogs - they can see, watch, smell and observe with no pressure at all.

Make sure during the day that the puppy has time alone - after a walk pop into their beds and leave them quietly for a short time each day.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

so vets etc should be open for vaccinations by then (July?)
Vets are open for puppy vaccs now.

Socialisation is as much to do with exposure as anything else: getting the puppy used to new smells, sights, sounds and places. Parks are busy, so lots of different dogs and people to see. You have more time, so you have the chance to let the puppy out on different surfaces (cellar gratings, cobbles, wooden footbridges, gravel paths - whatever your area offers). It's all about building up the puppy's resilience and teaching it that it can't just barrel up to children and other dogs. I'd just make sure that the puppy is left alone in the house for ten minutes, then twenty, then half an hour, then an hour, just to give it the idea of normal life.

[Desperateseeking]

Thanks all! Def good points re leaving the puppy, will make sure we do all those.

Great news re vets - not sure why I thought they were not doing these yet, but good to know!

[Desperateseeking]

And also re socialisation. If puppy classes are running, what age should I enroll puppy at?

[Desperateseeking]

And if anyone could recommend a puppy book (basic but sensible) I’d be v grateful. Is there anything that anyone bought that was essential for the puppy (or equally a waste of money?). I was looking at crates (to give puppy safe space away from kids - would a full size lab one be too big for a puppy to cope with? Or should I buy a smaller one then just get bigger ones as he grows?

[Desperateseeking]

Sorry lots of questions! Keen to do all this right

[RolandBark]

I’ve been reading Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy, which is great - very straightforward and practical and focuses on the dog’s welfare. I’ve also enjoyed Simpawtico dog training videos on YouTube, and their website has lots of free resources. The Dog Training Advice and Support UK FB group also has brilliant resources. All of these follow similar principles in their training approaches, which is helpful.