Cockerpoo Puppy arriving in 10 days - help

[ShallallalAa]

Posting for traffic and advice thanking you all ever so much - we put our names down for a cockapoo puppy from a registered breeder months ago and the puppy will be ready for collection in 2 weeks. We are confident the breeder is reputable and have had personal recommendations for them which we trust. I work from home 80 percent of the time now so confident we can look after the puppy properly long term.
I have never owned a dog before but DP has always had dogs and I am feeling very out of my depth, especially with the arrival during lockdown.
We have visited the breeder and met the parents before the lockdown but we have not met the puppy before lockdown. We have been sent regular videos and all looks lovely and I trust that that the puppy is well and healthy.
DP will pick up puppy by physically distancing from the breeder at handover, taking all the precautions and the breeder is about 5 miles away - I think this would be classed as essential travel wouldnt it?
We are going to pick up essentials from Pets At Home in the next couple of days - crate, toys, bed, pads, food. Anything else? The puppy is on a raw meat diet I understand should we continue this?

What are your top puppy /cockerpoo puppy tips?

What will we do about puppy socialisation?

The puppy arrives microchipped (breeder does it) with first vaccines but we do the next ones - need to find a vet we like I am guessing?

I don't like the sound of crating though - is rhis really the only way?

Our house is quite small - where should the puppy have its own space ideally?

Should I get a shark pet hoover to deal with the hairs?

Thank you!!

I'm a little concerned that you're this close to getting a dog and still have this many questions.

If you are on Facebook there are lots of doodle pages with great advice. I have a poo and they are great family pets, good luck and have fun!

What @wolfiefan said.

You sound well meaning, but clearly very new to dog owning, which of course everyone is at sometime. However, lots of flags stand out for me in your postings.Each taken alone is not insurmountable, but taken as a collective this sounds a huge challenge. I want you to be fully aware of this.

You are getting a dog you haven’t met, you don’t really know for sure who the parents are, it is not a pedigree so you don’t have any papers.

Well bred cocker spaniels and poodles are each tested for several genetic diseases, but this rarely, if ever, happens with cockerxpoodles.

You haven’t been involved with this pups early socialisation, you’ve not seen the litter, seen how they play, seen your pups personality.

Cockapoos often have difficult coats to manage and need regular grooming by someone who knows what they are doing or they get matted underneath. Pups need exposing to the groomer for short sessions from a young age to build up a positive association.

Cockapoos can inherit a variety of traits from the 2 breeds they come from. They are prone to resource guarding and separation anxiety. I have worked with some extremely neurotic cockapoos and they have had experienced owners. 5 year old children vary in how they respond to puppies and can be very impulsive and make a lot of noise which is sure to send puppy into chasing and biting mode! Make sure puppy has it’s own safe space and gets enough sleep, especially as you are all at home.

You are getting a dog at a time when many vets aren’t doing routine work, you are putting yourself and others at risk of covid every time you pop to a pet shop to buy supplies or pop to the vets if they will do a vaccine for you. Your dogs first experiences of vets aren’t going to be with you cuddling and reassuring it but with someone coming to collect it from your car and taking it into the practice alone.

All pups benefit from appropriate training with owners who sensitive to their age and any fear periods. This usually includes working with a professional trainer, socialising with different people and calm adult dogs. This isn’t an option at the moment obviously. Experienced dog owners would find this a challenge at the moment, novice dog owners it could be an absolute disaster. Please be careful taking advice from forums on behaviour which may give you incorrect and outdated advice. Look for a trainer who is positve and experienced, APDT and IMDT are good organisations to start.

I urge you to think hard about what you are doing and wish you well.

Aside from that the majority of cockapoos I interact with (in my job I interact with a lot) are poorly trained and full of energy. Both cocker spaniels and poodles are working breeds. They need an outlet
So much is down to the character of the parents on this point ^^. So always good to have researched both parents pre-purchase. Show-type cocker cross poos are less ‘busy’ than working cocker cross for sure. The poodle sire does make the hybrid calmer for sure. They can be expansive characters and do need firm handling for sure, sign up to a class for later in Spring post lock down.

@Booboostwo I did state to go back quickly and not allow the dog to get anxious so start with tiny amounts of time. Re the crate we intend to get one that we will leave open with pups bed in so she can go there for quiet time - a safe haven. If you look on amazon they have portable mesh stair gates that might be worth investing in incase you want the stairs blocked off or the bathroom for instance. We're in a main door flat so are getting one for the top of the stairs that lead outside as they are steep.
My sister has 2 cockapoos and they are fab. They look like they'd come in and knock everything over but they are actually light as air, like little fluffy clouds. They are very adorable and spend lots of time sleeping when not out for walks. They are great with my dc too. At your DC's age I should think they will be fine - just make sure you teach them about gentle handling although my girls are used to puppies and it's always come instinctively to them to be quiet and gentle when handling even from a young age.

I wouldn't use a crate, but then I didn't do controlled crying with my baby either, so it depends on your outlook and how you feel. Yes, I'd have the puppy up in your room. They house train quickly. Have fun. You will absolutely love it!

midnightstar66 I was not referring to your post but other posters who seem to think that the lockdown and being with the pup 24/7 will cause separation anxiety. This worry has been doing the rounds but there is absolutely no evidence to support it. In fact the opposite is evidenced, i.e. the more time the owner spends with the puppy, the more secure the puppy feels.

Having said all that the OP couldn't be getting a pup under worse circumstances if she tried. You are really stacking the odds against you here OP, see BrokenBrit's detailed post.

I wouldn't use a crate, but then I didn't do controlled crying with my baby either, You have misunderstood how crates work, they are the complete opposite of leaving your puppy alone to become distressed.

Here is some help for those who want to use crates correctly. If you don't want to use one, that's perfectly fine, no one is obliged to, but don't say silly things about crates.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3777555-Crate-training

make sure you give her time alone.it will feel like an advantage that your all there all the time.IT IS NOT.because one day you will all be going ouit and off on your lives again to work etc.this is causing many worries for vets as the risk of seperation anxiety for the dog is then very real.so make sure at time throughout the day you "act" on the going out or seperating from them.so being in a different room.and pretending your going out.dont thnk its a great thing to be with them all the time.it will bite you in the bum later.
many vets are not doing vaccines and simply asking you to keep the anmioals indoors then until such time you can get them their ingections.

strong one sylibal names.
firm commands.
let them see the crate or their bed isnt a place they go when punished.this will then make it easier to send them there if they need to.
can you imagine if every time you were told off or felt bad someone would send you into a corner.you would never want to go into that corner again!so make it its safe space.
we gradually weened onto dry and wet food mix,and then adult to completely dry.
dont leave food out all day.they need to understand food is for particular times.this also helps with bejaviour and training and strucutre.
dont overhwlem them with love.they will be VERY scared the first few days.go down to their level and stand outside their personal space and reach out your hand until they feel ok tio come to you.
always always give reasruacne and praise.keep talking and having little conversations like you do with babies.so they can hear your voice.

Thank yiu very much, food for thought

Brushes. Lots of them. I’m a dog groomer and these mixed breeds come into my salon in awful states because owner won’t brush them. Poor pups are in agony. Especially in a lockdown where no groomers are open

Go online and order a copy of Gwen Bailey's "The Perfect Puppy". It tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

Learn the signs when he/she needs to wee/poo (sniffing, circling etc) and the times he/she tends to go (on waking and after eating are pretty much dead certs, and they often need to go when they've been playing). Take the puppy out to the garden at these signs and times, and every time it wees/poos outside, give it loads of praise and fuss, and a treat if you happen to have one to hand (pockets full of dog treats are also a good move - you can reinforce every bit of positive behaviour that way). I housetrained my last puppy in 3 days this way.

Be rigid about toys left around on the floor, especially things like Lego that have little bits. Like babies, puppies put everything in their mouths and they choke really easily.

Never tell the puppy off for chewing something it shouldn't. Tell off the person who left it where the puppy can get it, it's their fault.

Yes to a crate, for the kitchen and for the car. The first will give the puppy a safe space to retreat to and the latter is essential for safety.

Your biggest problem is going to be socialisation. A vet told me that by the time a dog is 16 weeks old, it should ideally have encountered everything it's likely to come across. During lockdown, that's going to be tricky.

I took all mine on trains, buses, walked busy roads, went to farmers' markets and boot fairs where they would meet children and other dogs, went to my friend's stables so they could get used to horses*, went for walks that took us through farmyards so they got used to cattle, sheep etc and took them out in boats, even if it's only a boating lake in the park.

Puppies nip. Don't tell it off when it does this, but make a whimpering noise, like a hurt puppy would. It'll soon learn not to. Make sure the rest of the family do the same.

And when the puppy is tired, don't let the children or anyone disturb it.

*My dogs have been complimented for their steadiness around horses by the master of the hunt, a mounted police sergeant and the lads who train the racehorses at the yard just up the hill. You may not come across horses often, but a dog who barks at or runs around them is an absolute menace and can be very dangerous.

plus dont feel pressure dor scared op.dogs are better than babies at picking up on your modds!just be glad shes there.she will feel that.

Facebook group - Dog Training Advice and Support.

make sure you give her time alone.it will feel like an advantage that your all there all the time.IT IS NOT.because one day you will all be going ouit and off on your lives again to work etc.this is causing many worries for vets as the risk of seperation anxiety for the dog is then very real.

Unless you can link to studies that show this, please stop spreading misinformation. Everything we know about separation anxiety says that it is made worse by forcing the puppy to spend time alone. The vast majority of puppies will have no problem adjusting to being left alone as they become more independent. For the few that have separation anxiety tendencies, leaving them alone purposefully, while they become distressed, risks making things a lot worse.

I’ve had dogs all my life and for our most recent puppy we used a crate. I am now a massive fan. What you have to do is look at crate training differently. The tendency is to see it as keeping a dog in a cage!

Your puppy sees it as their safe place. It’s their cosy bed, it’s where they sleep, it’s where they go to rest and get away from everyone. That’s how a puppy sees it.

A crate also gives you a rest from your puppy. Puppies are relentlessly hard work. You have to watch them constantly, especially in the housetraining phase. Puppies are trained by their mothers not to toilet in their beds, so puppies will not go in the crate.

That is provided you take them outside regularly, including at night. You need to set your alarm.

Make the crate as comfy and cosy as you can. Put your puppy in there at night and during the day, when they need a nap.

During this time, make sure you you leave your puppy during the day otherwise you won’t be able to later on.

I’ve never used a clicker. I want my dog to sit, wait, stay and come to me. You don’t need a clicker for that. Start training your puppy immediately and also get them used to everything such as the car.

Our Jack Russell loves his crate. We took the door off so hes never been locked in and he can use it as he pleases. He sleep there at night and uses it as a quiet place when the house is busy, Christmas, Parties etc or when he is very tired. Cover the crate in blankets and put in nice bedding to make a cosy den. I like that he can have his own space when needed but that he's still close by and can choose to be part of things when he -hears the fridge opening- chooses.
Now is the best time to get your pups recall training started, he will naturally stay close by you or keep an eye where you are when hes young, so reinforcing that now is easy. Recall is the most important "command" IMO.
Enjoy your new addition to the family.

Oh and drop it and no are also essential.

Socialisation will be the main issue. I wonder if you could find neighbours who have dogs that the dogs could meet whilst you keep your distance

OP I think you asked about stairs/bed/gates. I understand the gate and stairs issue is that going down stairs isn't good for a young dog's joints, rather than to keep them off the bed (the bed is a personal preference).

Has anyone mentioned gradually increasing the length of walks by a factor relating to the age?

I see lakielady has mentioned that socialisation is more than encountering other dogs, rather about encountering situations/experiences (beach, transport and so on).

Try not to worry.

Good luck.

Yes to crating - our spaniels used theirs in the day with the door open too. Get some vet bed to put in the bottom. We have a soft crate for the car (that collapses flat) and they travel happily in that.

Raw meat diets are associated with dogs becoming carriers of pathogenic bacteria and shedding them into the environment. They aren't recommended on public health grounds and have been linked to infection and even death in humans due to E. coli and salmonella infection. Commercially produced raw food in cats has recently been associated with an outbreak of TB.

They're also difficult to balance in a growing puppy so I'd strongly suggest moving to a more conventional diet for both health and human safety reasons

You’ll get a mixture of decent and terrible advice on here. Everyone’s an expert.

I would recommend The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey, I found it invaluable when we first got our girl.

I used a crate but never shut the door, I didnt like the idea of her being locked in. If you want her upstairs with you that is fine. Make sure your children are fully aware that when pup is in her safe place or sleeping they need to leave her alone.

Good luck and post some puppy pics when you can.

@Booboostwo

You're confusing the advice given to train calmness whilst alone in a puppy with advice given to a dog already suffering separation anxiety.

Yes if you have a dog that is already anxious you don't just leave them, but it is a necessary part of puppy socialisation to get them used to being left alone - starting with very short periods of time whilst they're occupied with a kong or similar, and gradually building this up, all the while ensuring they aren't upset by it. Its normal habituation and teaches them that being left alone is nothing to worry about.

It's totally different to counter-conditioning a dog that has developed anxiety and is recommended by clinical animal behaviourists including the APBC

www.apbc.org.uk/pet-owner-article/socialising-a-litter/

So please do some research before criticising others advice.