Help just bought a maltese puppy 13 weeks old coming home with us on friday

[Deereemer]

Help! This is a much wanted pet and will be very much in the family forever, bought from a reputable registered breeder, met mum and all the pups it was great. Hes coming home in 2 or 3 days, any advice on a new puppy welcomed. Do i wear him in a doggy sling to bond? Buy a crate? Got the food ordered. He has already had his second vaccination so can we start going on day trips with him? Thank you!!

Doggy sling?????? Sweet mother of Jesus.

Isn't that what people do 😬

Bring him to visit me!!! I have a Maltese - we got him at 14 weeks! I slept on the floor by his bed for about a week…then he was happy in his bed in a crate for a bit…now he sleeps on dd’s bed. So not a lot of help
I’m afraid!

But very jealous! Love the puppy time! We did take him everywhere to meet people from day one so he’s very chilled about being adored.

Aww dorothea thats so lovely to hear!! We have quite a territorial rescue cat so thought crate would be best at first. Would a day trip about 90 mins away be ok from next week?

13 weeks is quite late to get him socialised.

Please don’t use a sling, wtaf! It’s a dog, not a baby.

Yes to a crate, lovely safe space for him to go when he’s tired/doesn’t want to interact.

Don’t go to puppy class, it just teaches him that he can run up to other dogs to play. Ideally, you want him dog neutral.

Get lots of interesting toys for him.

@Deereemer

Aww dorothea thats so lovely to hear!! We have quite a territorial rescue cat so thought crate would be best at first. Would a day trip about 90 mins away be ok from next week?

Be prepared for a filthy crate/sick if he’s not used to travelling. He won’t be toilet trained yet.

@Deereemer

Isn't that what people do 😬

... No.

Have a look in The Doghouse topic. Maybe get your thread moved there? Lots of good puppy advice.

Never heard of anyone using a sling for a dog?! I wouldn't recommend 90 minute car journeys for a 13 week old puppy either.

And no to the 90 minute car trip. More like 10 mins to start with.

You'd need a sling if you wanted to socialise him before vaccines but he's fine to go on the floor so you needn't bother. You can't walk them much when so young though - five minutes for every month they are old. He's three months so 15 minutes once or twice a day. Hardly anyone seems to know and/or take note of this.

You need a collar and tag with all the right info. A lead.

Transfer ownership and chip.

Pet insurance.

A crate and bedding, food and water bowls. Chew toys. Chew stopper spray. Pet cleaner spray! Lots of kitchen roll. Puzzles. Soft toys to play tug and rough play. Puppy treats for training.

We crate trained our puppy from day one. First night basically ignoring him was hell but he's been perfect ever since.

And puppy classes have been great - don't know what a pp is talking about. Our class teacher specifically says no dogs playing together before class - they're there to work nor play.

I found the Perfect Puppy book really helpful.

Where did you get that idea about puppy slings?

I’ve known one person wear her dog in a sling but it was an elderly shih tzu who could barely walk.

Oh dear, have you done any research on the realities of owning a puppy? 😬

If you take him in the car he must, by law, be secured somehow - either in the boot, in a crate, or wearing a harness and seatbelt on the back seat.

However a 13 week old puppy won't be able to hold its bladder for a 90 minute car ride and will probably pee, poo and vomit at least once in that time.

You certainly can't take a 13 week old on a day trip either! What about sleep and the four meals a day it needs? How are you going to stop it getting scared and overwhelmed? How will you carry it around? You can't walk a 13 week old all day long!

I carried my small dog in a special sling type bag for long walks, he would have got too tired otherwise ! He’s an absolute baby now though, he actually enjoys being carried and sleeping in your arms, so I created a monster clearly. A tip I’d give you is take them everywhere - if you want a dog you take camping, to pubs, people’s houses, etc etc you need to actually do it. Ours goes all over the place and has been on road trips, goes watching cricket at our local club, he can behave anywhere really.

I highly recommend this Facebook group, dog training advice and support - www.facebook.com/groups/dogtrainingadviceandsupport/?ref=share

They have a separate puppy group (for a small monthly fee which goes to charity) which was a lifesaver for any questions and great morale support at 4am when DPup wouldn't sleep. I'm still in touch with a lot of owners from my "cohort" 18 months on! The guides are free to access on the main group though and have kit of info.

We didn't buy a special bag or sling - I used an old tote bag with a towel or blanket in the bottom to raise pup up, fir taking pup out to see the world before he was fully vaccinated. He could go for a walk a week or two after the second vaccine though.

Food - use whatever the breeder currently feeds and swap over really gradually if you are changing it. Sudden changes can upset their stomachs.

We bought a PerfectFit harness which he is still wearing now as they are adjustable. It washes really well, really recommend them.

We do have a crate but found he was better just having the run of the kitchen behind a baby gate. Some people swear by crate training though, just decide what works for you.

Get a feliway plug on for the cat & don't force the introductions. We still use a baby gate on the stairs so the cats have somewhere to get away from bouncy adolescent dog if they've had enough.

DTAS Facebook site has excellent free guides for all of this

Have you owned a puppy before, it doesn't sound like you have done any research.

90 mins will be too long. You'll need to do lots of very short journeys for a few weeks to begin with.

I think the sling thing is for socialising puppies before they've had their jabs but as your puppy will be fully jabbed you won't need a sling.

Good luck!

@Deereemer

Isn't that what people do 😬

Sure, if you want to set your poor dog up for a lifetime of separation anxiety! "Wearing him in a sling for bonding" is ALL about the owner's selfish desire to 'baby' a living creature and nothing whatsoever to do with the needs of the dog.

He's a 16 year commitment. A sentient animal. A companion. Not an accessory!

Also ours has always been in a travel crate in the back seat, it’s safe for them and they feel safe in there. you have to build it up though - 10 mins then 20 etc - they will be sick at first bless them if it’s too long. Now he is 2 he goes all over the show in it but we try not to do more than 2 hrs without stopping. Also have a window down for air. And talk to them when they’re in there. Also dogs trust puppy classes we really liked, they do not allow or encourage dogs to play together or really meet, in fact they’re kept in separate ‘bays’ for learning. We got the basic sit, stay, come, wait, lie down, in about 4 or 5 classes

This is what we use in car

Get puppy mats! And take up any rugs you are fond of, until toilet training is sorted. Take pup to the park, not necessarily for the walks, but to mingle with other dogs. Socialising him is very important. Good luck 💕🐾

Sling - definitely not
Crate - yes
Day trips - much, much later. Start with 5-10 minutes once or twice a day. For the first few weeks they might refuse to move at all once you step outside the house.

13 weeks is very late for a puppy to go. Doesn’t sound like a reputable breeder to me.

We crate trained our puppy from day one. First night basically ignoring him was hell but he's been perfect ever since. Please don't leave your puppy to cry. If you do, you increase the chances that he'll grow into an anxious dog.

And don’t worry about bonding. Dogs bond with whoever feeds them.