New puppy at weekend- last minute tips?!

[Juiceey]

This little cutie is coming home to us on Saturday and I can't wait! He's our first dog so we've been very nervous and he's been a long time coming (about two years since we made the yes decision!).

We've had a (terribly expensive) pre-puppy session with a behaviourist, which was great. I've read Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy. I've got insurance, a vet, a puppy check on Monday booked in, a crate, beds, toys, etc etc. And floor cleaning spray and kitchen roll!!

I feel ready, but also terrified. Any last minute advice or survival tips greatly appreciated!!

Thank you.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

Relax, and that will help the pup to chill as well. Lots of lap time, but also an early start to things like recall.

And have fun.

[SharkasticRhymes]

Enjoy it and take loads of videos. They go from cute puppy to teenage bastard in the blink of an eye

[weegiemum]

He's utterly gorgeous! This big version says hello!

Don't stress would be my tip. We'd never had a dog before we got T, just under 4 years ago. The toilet training took longer than it was supposed to I think, but he has always been an excellent dog and is asleep on my feet right now (yes, my feet are boiling!!).

Good luck, may you have many happy doggie years ahead!

[Opoly54]

If he’s a prolific chewer, buy some kau wood-it’s wood that doesn’t splinter, saved all our furniture!

[Dragongirl10]

Child gates, you need child gates everywhere.....

Move everything you don't want chewed over 4 ft high, more importantly everything he could injure himself by swallowing, lego/toys/shoes/etc.

Likewise with garden secure and l mean really secure it, no holes in boundaries he can wriggle through, fix a baby gate by back door so you can control the running in and out.

Teach all family members to not shriek and encourage excitement, this takes some effort, but calling calmly, speaking to him in a calm low tone is much more effective.

Lastly set rules for when he will be fully grown not just a cute puppy,
ie our dogs don't go upstairs from day one, (see baby gate) don't sit on furniture (we sit on the floor with them) and are tought to sit and wait until people come in or out before rushing in from the garden or front door.

It is one thing in summer when the ground is dry and pup is tiny to have him jumping all over people, and sofa and beds, quite another 2 years down the line when you are truly fed up with muddy smelly sofa, beds, carpet etc.

Spend this time making house rules, train your family! and the rest will be so much more fun.

[TokyoSushi]

Beautiful!!! You might have a bit of a 'what have I done?!' moment, like you have when you have a baby, don't panic - it will pass!

Relax, set rules straight away, for example if you don't want them upstairs they never go upstairs.

We love our dog more than life, but the best thing our breeder said is' remember, they are a dog, they have to fit in around you!' This was meant in the nicest possible way, and just meant that they need to know their place and don't start silly things like sleeping in the kitchen with them and the like, start as you mean to go on!

That being said I've just had a 5 minute convo with my dog, about how he's the best boy, the most beautiful boy who mummy loves so much!

[Juiceey]

We've just been frantically doggy proofing for the last hour! Who knew we had so many hazards?!

[Dragongirl10]

Don't worry op he will find many more...you will never have known how fast you can move...!
They are little buggers for finding things they shouldn't but still so very cute....enjoy

[Wolfiefan]

If you’re on FB then check out dog training advice and support. Brilliant files on bringing home a pup, toilet training and crate training. All by positive and force free behaviourists and trainers. Brilliant advice.
Good luck.

[Juiceey]

Thanks Wolfie, I worked my way through the units a few weeks ago.

[Catsrus]

I second baby gates - we still use them, even with adult dogs, they accept being put behind a gate, really useful with exciting visitors etc.

Don't stress over the house training, it will happen, but it does take longer with some dogs, others get it very quickly, it's not necessarily your fault if they are slow. When we got our first dog I thought this dog training lark was a doddle, then we got the second one and I realised that I'd just had a VERY smart dog first time round!

I've had 13 dogs over the past 30 years (got three ATM, one from a pup and 2 rescues), and they have taught me that they are all individuals, but what works with all of them (eventually) is calm consistent clear instructions.

Enjoy your pup he looks gorgeous!

[Vicbarbarkley]

Oh god, that face........sorry, he is going to be so much trouble😂🤣😂

[Wolfiefan]

Brilliant. They are great. Really helped me as a newbie puppy owner.
Hope you have lots of things ready for pup to chew (that aren’t you or the house! ) Frozen carrots are brilliant for teething.

[Juiceey]

Put up the baby gate yesterday. And he promptly squeezed through the bars! Fail!

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

Oh cute! Can you get something like cardboard/chicken wire/wood to reinforce it until he grows?

[DangerCake]

Make sure he sleeps enough, if he's zooming biting being a little sh*t basically - he's probably tired. I wish we'd used a crate in the day to put ours in when tired. But we'd put her on her bed or encourage her to sleep by soothing her when she was very little.

They need a lot more sleep than they think they do.

Try and instill 'four paws on the floor' with all family and visitors. otherwise you'll have scratched legs in the summer and pulled tights in the winter.

Things that you dont' want to be a game...don't make a game (FIL looking at you and letting her play with plant pots, the hose, the floor brush).

Play with him lots. And puppy cuddles are the best.


Teach some basic commands - ours learnt sit, stay and 'watch me' at the only puppy class we got to before lock down and they stuck at 12 weeks.

Let him off the lead early on once he's had his jabs. He'll stick by you, and have sausages to feed him. Also do some lead training as well though.

[DangerCake]

Oh and .... make sure he sleeps! About 19 hours a day at first. Enforce a nap if necessary - I've probably said that enough times now.

[Juiceey]

How do you make them nap, @DangerCake? Ours is often overtired and becomes VERY humpy and bitey, but we don't know how to calm him down and make him nap. He won't stay in the crate for even a second!

[vanillandhoney]

Have you tried putting him on a collar and lead to help him stay calm? Then he can't run about?

[DangerCake]

We used to take it in turns to sit quietly on the sofa or the special dog cuddling chair. She liked being stroked especially along her jaw, that helped.

I used to struggle terribly in the morning as I thought when she got up at 5.30 that was her up. Took weeks to discover that if I popped her back in her crate or on our bed she’d fall asleep again.

The crate...happily sleeps in it from day one. Happily in car. Won’t go near it in the day.

There’s lots of advice about how to get them used to it in the day...wish I’d followed it.

[DangerCake]

Oh and something to chew, lambs tails, chew sticks, frozen carrots, broccoli, egg shells, ours finds that quite calming.