What do you wish you'd known before getting a puppy?

[Cardell27]

We bring home our first puppy next week, a little rescue terrier. We've done plenty of research and feel pretty prepared, but I thought I'd tap into the collective wisdom of mumsnet. What do you wish you'd known?

It's really not!!!

Make sure that everyone in the house knows the food stuffs that are toxic to dogs - many are really not what you'd expect.

I would just add to my pps that having a pup never made me depressed! Even though there were times when I wondered if she’d ever be housetrained…

But of course she was, eventually.

Get lifetime insurance. Take lots of photos and videos because they grow even more quickly than newborns.

That dogs are bloody lovely creatures and are so much more than "just a dog".

I got a dog because I wanted a pet, I ended up with a best friend, a therapist, and a motivation coach.

I like her more than most people I know.

Border Collies are half human!

Sorry that you have this, but my dogs have never been like this and I don’t believe it’s common. My adult dogs have only ever had accidents in the house if they have been ill, really ill or I haven’t noticed in time the desperate attempts to tell me they need to be out. When an accident has occurred (very rarely indeed), the dog themselves has been really down about it! My dogs all learn to do as they’re told and they don’t react to bikes, buggies, mobility scooters, or other bits and bobs. They do react to other dogs (in a friendly way), but that’s normal.

I agree that the puppy stage lasts longer than expected, but my lab hasn’t had a poo inside for several months. The number of wees he’s done inside can be counted on one hand since he was about eight months (probably as much our adult as his).

Mine will quite happily walk past buggies, people in high viz, bikes, dogs, etc. sounds like you have a particularly reactive dog (small terrier or toy dog?)

You lose the ability to be spontaneous. You can’t just decided to go out after work or stay out longer when you are having a lovely time.
Being woken in the night or early morning.
cleaning upset tummy dog poo off the carpet (gag).
having to take the dog out even when your sick.

That their teeth fall out (creepy).
That sometimes they swallow grass whole and when they do a poo it can swing on the end of the grass that’s stuck in their bum and you have to pull it out (gross).
That ketchup is great for killing the fox poo scent.
Edited to add a very important one. That if you don’t have lifetime insurance and your dog gets something (like a growth) you won’t find cover for the same issue for the rest of their life from another company.

Nicole1111
So you too have ‘pulled the grass’ !
But this only happened to 1 dog I’ve had. I’m inclined to think it’s only large males that do this .

Umm, no, it definitely isn't only the large males.

If it's a rescue is it actually a very young puppy like an 8weeker or older? Obviously different ages present different challenges.

There's a doghouse board on here that's full of good advice.

Use the Puppy Potty app
Watch lots of Kikopup on YouTube, puppy training section especially.
Take at least a couple of weeks off work.
Clicker train, and in the first few weeks hand feed meals as part of training... My puppy was having four small meals a day, and it really reinforced a solid sit/wait/heel/come from very very early... She was reliable in the house and garden before 9 weeks of age. Some commands are going to be harder to train though, her 'give' command wasn't reliable until 12 months.

I am an absolutely crazy dog woman but puppies are little shits! And I say that with a whole lot of love for them. But the reason they are so cute is that you have to forgive them a million times over and that cuteness makes that a whole lot easier!

Be prepared. Puppy proof within an inch of your life. Anything that you do not want that puppy to touch aka destroy... and terriers really will destroy, they are very big chewers. Keep away from the pup. Let the dog get plenty of rest in a quiet place. They really become the devil in disguise when they are overtired! Lots of puppy friendly chews. Little bits of training at home. Lots of socialisation. Take them everywhere you can think of once fully vaccinated. But also gradually build it up. They get overstimulated very quickly and then overtired and life becomes shit again!

Remembers the rule of walking 5 min for each month of their life. Protect those legs and joints that will remain cartiledge until they are 1. No jumping. No stairs.

And finally the puppy blues are very real!

This is true, but...especially when you get a rescue, it's tempered by the fact that you gave them the best life they could possibly have had.

We've always taken the difficult cases, the ones that are basically unadoptable and almost nobody else would give a chance, and while they're often somewhat restricted in what we can do with them compared to other dogs...when they've lives 15 happy years versus the alternative of a life spent in kennels (or worse, shortened), it helps us get through it.

@Devilshands Couldn't agree more.
Training and socialisation starts from day one.

Carry them about til vaccines are completed.

Every day is a training day-

Ive only ever had “ Easy” dogs because they suit our lifestyle and Temperaments are well matched.

Don’t get an active breed if one is a lazy ass.
I feel that right dog/ right person is crucial.

Too many people have out of control dogs that leap up and are just brats.

@Cardell27 8 weeks from a rescue centre is desperately young.
Where are the siblings?
If he/ she was taken from mother/siblings too young, that could spell trouble.

9 weeks is more usual when siblings and mother is there.

I did a ton of research before we got our puppy (now 7 months) but it’s still been eye opening.

crate training - some love it some hate it. My pup lives his crate and takes himself in it when it’s bedtime. I can then not worry that he’s getting into mischief when we are sleeping

dont leave shoes or socks lying around - mine is a complete sock thief and will run off with them

pupoy biting - the teething stage is no fun. Those teeth are needle sharp. Offer a toy that they can chew on instead of your fingers/feet!! I can’t tell you how many times I cried thinking he hated me (he doesn’t)

sleep - lots of sleep and naps is so
important and mine used to get bitey when he was tired or overstimulated (crate for calm time massively helped with this for us)

toilet training - some pick it up quicker than others - ours took only a couple of weeks (he was 11 weeks when we got him so
around 13 weeks). I used to take him out into the garden every half an hour or so during the day and say “toilet” and he just picked it up. He now just goes to the back door and waits to be let out

Expect to have the puppy blues. I love him to bits but there have been more than one occasion when I have told DH that I’m sending him back to the breeder!!!

enjoy your new pup

Separation anxiety is normal in little puppies - do NOT listen to outdated advice telling you to ignore a crying puppy. Set things up so your puppy does not experience distress in the first place.

Build security and confidence first, independence will follow when these are in place. That means not leaving your puppy alone beyond their ability to handle that (which may mean not at all in the first days/weeks).

It absolutely IS possible to transition a dog from by your bed in a crate to own bed on floor to own bed down the hall etc etc, and raise a puppy who eventually sleeps where you want, but has free access to where you sleep.

This means your puppy won't cry, won't have a poonami incident in the night, you won't wake up to a shit filled or piss filled crate, you won't wake up to find your puppy hurt themselves or were ill at night, or that there was a gas leak in the kitchen etc etc, because they can come and find you if they need to (and if they're confidence and secure, they will only bother you if they need to).

This only goes wrong when people try to do it too soon, before the puppy has the requisite skills.

The old advice 'start as you mean to go on' is not strictly true either - a puppy has needs an adult dog does not. A puppy is not capable of things an adult dog is capable of. Treating a puppy as if they have the capacity and skill of an adult dog will lead to problems.

I recommend all my puppy clients now get the ZigZag Puppy Training App on their phones and follow the lessons within and use the expert coach chat if they can't get hold of me. It gives access to a real trainer, 24/7, for a very low annual subscription (when I ran in person puppy classes it was part of the course fee!) and sets out reasonable expectations so you avoid duff, outdated advice and have someone to turn to when the puppy blues strike!

Let your dog succeed e.g. don't leave shoes lying around and then moan when you have a dog that chews shoes. Get crate, baby gates, good treats, a friendly non judgemental trainer. Reward every good thing they do when they are little.

I should have caveated that by saying crate train and don't use as a punishment. Don't let pup get too tired.

No, it isn't. Don't ask me how I know, I just know.

Nope, Border Collie. But she's weird. Hates leaving the house and hides from the lead. Doesn't eat much, rejects most treats. Refuses to sleep in any sort of dog bed, and has us up at least twice in the night every night. Often alot more, as she needs to check out every sound, decides she needs a snack after all or wants to look at the stars (but not planets, they're scary and mean she can't go outside).

Still cute though and fetches me when the air fryer beeps to show it's finished.

I’m not a fan of excessive crating. Some owners do it far too much. Our girl (a big OTT Weimaraner) has always been with us at night, but it has been a God send when she has been overtired and manic, to ensure she rested. It is in the sitting room with us, so it just made her settle near us. On occasion, we put her in it if she starts being grumpy and too rough with one of our Toy Poodles for their protection. She is on the cusp of coming into season, so she’s a bit moody. We also put her in there if she has to be left unsupervised, never for more than 2/3 of hours and only once or twice a week. Otherwise, she is only in it when she chooses to be and she does sometimes choose to go inside it herself.

Our other two dogs are Toys and there was no need to use a crate with them because they are so small and easy to manage. It all really depends on the dog and the circumstances.

I used a timer for house training i found it much easier than using my phone or watch.