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

129 replies

Cardell27 · 16/02/2024 21:39

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?

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Mumof2NDers · 17/02/2024 17:50

That he would steal my husband 😂😂

Tilllly · 17/02/2024 23:11

Cardell27 · 17/02/2024 08:59

Thank you everyone! I've read every post, and feel both very excited and slightly terrified. It does sound a lot like having a toddler, and I've survived that twice so hopefully we'll be OK! I promise to come back and post a picture when we bring him home.

Totally worth it

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

GinJeanie · 18/02/2024 09:24

We did know this beforehand, but only because a family friend is a dog trainer and we did lots of research. It works.
Remember that you're in charge. Dogs want that and can get highly anxious/confused without clear and calm training.
Use simple, consistent language and don't shout e.g. "shut up" or "get down" over and over if it's not working. Sometimes, turning away and removing attention from the behaviour is helpful, then rewarding the correct response (this helps with jumping up, for example).
We trained our dog to wait and let the human walk out/in the door first when going out. She also has to wait for the humans to eat before she's fed. She's been a really calm and wonderful dog (nearly 12 now!) Good luck 😊

Chocladore · 18/02/2024 10:01

whyhere · 17/02/2024 13:04

From my experience of training five dogs (mainly rescues; wide variety of ages)...

Always crate train, whatever others upthread have said. This gives the dog their own safe space, and means that you can shut them in when you have visitors they mustn't mix with, or tradesmen who seem unable to shut doors behind them. It also helps with toilet training as dogs don't like to soil their beds. And, if ever you need someone else to look after them in an emergency, it's way easier for everyone.

Make 'stop/wait!' and recall the most important things that you train: they can save lives.

From my experience of having my first dog run over and killed, and having just seen exactly the same thing happen to someone else's dog on the walk from which I've just returned.....

Do not let your dog off the lead, ever, unless you are in a completely safe, enclosed space. Just don't. They are animals. My first dog was a velcro dog, a border collie, who was trained to respond to the flicker of an eyebrow, but he still lost control one day and chased a fox across a main road. It was the worst day of my life (and I've had some awful experiences!). Don't let that happen to you..... please.

That’s utterly heartbreaking 😢

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