what will my 8 wk old puppy need?

[charlieowner]

Hi in 3 weeks our cavalier king charles puppy will be with us

I have been reading on here the last few days and was wondering about a few things

The aim is for the puppy to sleep in DS room, do I start with him there or move him in later?

I have a cat, who is fairly indifferent to us most of the time but i assume he wont be too impressed

I have never heard of crating before?

I grew up always having a dog and would know a bit about training dogs but would like to know the best ways please

I have recently stopped working so will be here pretty much all the time the dog needs and we have a large secure garden although he could not be left if we were out as he would be stolen

Any tips or advice very welcome

Puppies are like newborns at first, I wouldn't start him sleeping in your sons room as there's likely to be a bit of whining, early waking, playing at inappropriate times etc, till pup settles in.

I would think very carefully about having a dog sleep in DS room.

Crating really is great. Get a crate and feed the pup in the crate make all associations with the crate fun. Pop treats in to the crate during the day so when the puppy goes to the crate there is always something yummy in there. If the puppy walks into the crate on his own praise like mad. The puppy likes to have it owns little secure den so will learn to like it.

At night put the puppy in the crate and shut the door. The pup is less likely to poo in his bed and house training will be much quicker.

Being lazy is the reason I would not like a dog in the bedroom and this is based on my DS yours is probably angelic! Puppies do chew so if they go into the kids bedrooms the rooms have to be very tidy to prevent the puppy from chewing the lego or precious models the DS have made. Also if you come back from a muddy walk it is easier to pop the dog into the crate rather than have to wash your DS bed as they bound into the bedroom!

Two books to get The perfect Puppy Gwen Bailey and The idiots guide to positive dog training.

Both talk about positive reinforcement training and clicker training a must for a happy and well trained dog.

Get some Feliway to help settle your cat. Plug it in the week before pup's arrival and keep it going for around 4 - 6 weeks.

I'd personally think twice about buying a cavalier, but besides that, crating is a useful tool in housetraining. It basically teaches the dog to go all night without going to the toilet as generally dogs won't soil their own beds.

Thanks very much for the replies

I understand crating a bit more now, it sounds great

I will look into Feliway too thanks

What is the best way to introduce the puppy to the cat? Ive read online its best to keep them apart for about a week - is this true?

Countrygirl - why not a cavalier?

Sorry for all the questions but I really want to do this right