tulpe, and other very recently acquired puppy owners

[Slubberdegullion]

I pick up my puppy on thursday. Am everso slightly over excited about it.

Can you tell me what stuff has been excellent and well worth buying, and what has not. I'm off to PAH tomorrow for the final bits and bobs.

So far I have:
crate
1 bit of vet bed stuff from Ikea (I'm going to buy some more tomorrow, how much will I need?)
2 bowls
ginormous sack of puppy food
a huge pile of puppy books
a clicker

so what else?

toys?
a kong? is she too young for one yet, she'll be 8 weeks on Thursday
a collar (iirc there was a thread about collars, what did you get in the end?)
a lead of some sort

tia

Milk cartons (the big plastic ones) are the most exciting thing apparently. Although our pup sometimes can get a bit too interested in full ones too!

yes Millie

She was an absolute dream last night. No crying at all (but then I did kip on the sofa bed in the kitchen with her). She slept in her crate - albeit with the door open (I may try and close it tonight) and just got up and sat by the door, made a little whimper, I got up and let her out for a wee.

No accidents so far .

Not only is she the most beautiful puppy in the history of the whole world ever, she is also massively clever and brilliant.
[slightly biased]

I may enrol her with mensa

no plastic milk bottles here sadly nooka, she has had a whale of a time with the kongs today. We may have an empty cereal box tomorrow morning...

She sounds fantastic Slubberdegullion! Such fun too.

We're supposed to be getting ours in 3 weeks - note, I said 'supposed'. We brought our old lab home last weekend and almost 2 yr old DTs are scared of her to the point they will not go outside unless she's locked up. Trying to spend time getting them used to her ... progressed to them throwing her biscuits and patting her today but only as long as they were in my arms. Truly don't know what to do. Wise 'old' DS1 (aged 8) pointed out that they probably would be much less scared of pup which isn't twice their size, 5 times their weight, isn't deaf as a post and doesn't grunt all the time . He might have a point but it would be too late to find this isn't the case when we bring the puppy home. Am so confused and browned off - don't want to let the breeder down at such short notice besides which I spent months trying to get a pup with same pedigree as our own dog. Going to give the girls a few more days to see what happens. Grrrr.

Sorry - this was supposed to be about your puppy .... just off-loading!

oh dear Millie, gosh that is a hard one. How old are your dts?

My two (4 and 6) are warming up to her slowly. I think I may have gone overboard with warning them about all the chewing/mouthing/sharp little teeth etc and they were very reluctant to touch her initially. Today has seen a bit of a break through with lots of stroking while she is sleeping, and a few games.

She does have some serious manic moments though with lots of jumping up and TEETH all over everything. I'd imagine that would be pretty scary for little ones if they are already scared of a bigger (and presumably less bonkers dog). Poor you.

sorry. i see they are nearly 2.

hmmm. Have you paid a deposit for your puppy?

Millie - I've been thinking about your dilemma. I hope you don't mind if I'm honest but I'm not sure given your situation that getting a puppy in a few weeks would be such a good idea.

I knew I'd be in for lots of work but the reality has been quite eye opening.

Just with trying to get on top of the housetraining I have to keep an eye on her pretty much all the time. We are in and out of the garden constantly, I'm not sure quite how I would do this with 2 little ones even if they were absolutely fine with the puppy.

She mouths EVERYTHING CONSTANTLY (when she's awake) and boy those teeth are sharp . I'm trying to picture dealing with this and two little toddlers.

It's a hard one. I'm sure any breeder worth their salt won't mind if you phone to explain. You can presumably stay on their list and when your dts are a bit bigger/less scared you could get a puppy from another litter.

best of luck deciding

I'm glad she's settling in Slubber, she sound delightful. It is hard work though isn't it and we didn't get ours until 16 weeks so missed the toilet training bit. You know it will be but nothing anyone tells you can prepare you for it. The good thing is that is passes quickly. We've had ours for 6 months now and she is so much easier. DS is 6 and was very wary about the jumping at first but she's stopped that now and they both looked very sweet together when he joined her on the floor for a spot of basking in the sun yesterday. Plus training classes are getting more fun, we've just started doing scent work to get them sniffing things out things which is good fun. DD who is 11, has really enjoyed helping with the training and has been very good at it, the clicker training makes it so much easier though (we use a word rather than a clicker).

Millie, I think maybe a lot of it comes down to how experienced you are with dogs, it is such a steep learning curve. I personally would not have been able to cope with a puppy and twins the age of yours as it would have been much too full on but I am quite rubbish and new at the whole dog thing and if you are more used to dogs and puppies so that you know what to expect it would be easier, but that doesn't really address the bit about your DT's being scared. My gut feeling is to leave it for a couple of years until they are taller and more confident around dogs.

She is delightful Wynken, I'm making an effort to really enjoy her now and not wish away the time. I am looking forward to starting classes with her though.

I've been trying to 'charge up the clicker' or whatever the correct phrase is. She has totally 'got' click means treat. I wish I could work out a method of delivering the treat without my fingers being constantly munched. They were bleeding this morning after a little session [ouch]

millie, I'm totally the same as Wynken. I could never have done this with little ones, but if you are a confident dog owner already you might find it less overwhelming.

Ow Slubber, that sounds very painful, you poor thing. I don't know how to do it as mine was a little older and a sharp 'ow' did the job if she was over enthusiastic.

You need Minmu who will know. Until she gets here google 'training the gentle command for dogs' which hopefully will help then maybe you can have some seperate sessions focusing on that and maybe meanwhile whilst clicker charging get her to take the treat off something other than your hand or maybe the floor, but I think the floor may cause too much of a delay whilst you are clicker charging her. So something like a small saucer that you can produce straight away.

As time goes on you will be able to get a longer gap between clicking and giving the treat and she will have learned to be more gentle so it gets easier.

I've just had to come back as am doubting my saucer advice having told DH and him collapsing with laugher. When pushed (and prodded for laughing) he has confessed he can't see why it's a terrible idea but I don't want to give you duff advice. And I should add that he has been to only one training session and he is the only person in the house that the dog jumps up at.

LOL

I have an picture of 'CLICK' and whipping out the saucer with teeny tiny treat in the middle, elsie lunging for the treat AND the saucer, mouth full of saucer, treat flies off into the air, I retrieve treat from under the sofa, elsie munches my hair, show treat to elsie, elsie has run off with the clicker...

ho hum

I'm doing (without needing to actually fake it) the OUCH!! when she bites me too hard, but I can't combine OUCH with click and treat (mixed messages and all).

maybe I can just drop the treat RIGHT in front of her nose as I click?

another session of bleeding fingers and I'll call on minimu

Slubber, how lovely! Our golden retriever pup has been with us for 3 weeks and is 10 1/2 weeks old. She is lovely but I know what you mean about being in and out of the garden constantly and the nipping!! I have found that empty plastic coke bottles have been the biggest hit out of the huge array of toys we tried. Also cardboard boxes, esp cereal sized ones and empty toilet roll/kitchen roll tubes . Hardbacked books have gone down quite well as have cheap soft toys that they kids had outgrown.

Dogs are fab, aren't they?

Oh and I have bought a fab book recommended on here called The Perfect Puppy and have become obsessed with the Cesar, Dog Whisperer. There was a whole evening of the DW on National Geographic on Friday night!!

No, agree you want the ouch bit training at seperate time when not doing the clicker training. Saucer is rubbish idea, think you are dead right with your image of what will happen!

I immediately thought of dropping it on the floor then worried that it would be too long a gap but she's very close to the floor already isn't she being all tiny, so if you just bend down and put it in front of you (being careful she doesn't try to lick your eyeballs as mine used to be prone to trying ), then that should do the trick I reckon.

Why I think I can possibly help with training I gave no idea, shall be very pleased when Minimu turns up to give proper, sane advice! If you'd seen the state we were getting in with 5 scent cones, 2 DC's, one mad dog and a slippery floor earlier you would definitely ignore my advice.

Oxo, sorry didn't see you there, congratulations! Perfect puppy was glued to my side for the first few weeks apart from when I lent it to my friend overnight when she brought her retriever pup home, at which point K felt completely bereft without it.

Its great isn't it Wynken? I have it to hand constantly!! I'm not doing clicker but am doing lots of 'ouch' which works well. Phoebe (my pup) can now sit, give a paw and is learning to retrieve but the 'drop' is a bit harder unless I have food in my hand.

yup, Perfect Puppy is out open on the kitchen table and the Culture Clash is open by the loo .

ooh I love the sound of the scent and cones thing Wynken.

oxocube - thanks for the bottle tip. Why are all the 'specially designed for puppies' chew toys studiously ignored while my slippers (feet in situ) are just THE most exciting thing in the world ever? Poor old slippers. I fear they will not last long.

Puppy pen! I didn't have a crate as I couldn't bear the idea of putting my dog in a cage.

The puppy pen worked brilliantly for us and it folds away completely. I also used it when I needed to temporarily fence off an are indoors ( varnishing floors etc).

I have just bought a whistle and would suggest using that for recall as it works a treat.

Enjoy!

ooh, might look into the whistle. Puppy sticks pretty close when off the lead at the minute but as she gains confidence, I can see that changing!!

slubber, wear leather gloves, but keep doing the 'ouch' thing anyway. My pup has almost stopped biting/nipping and is 6 months old. I say almost because from time to time he still chomps down when he gets excited. He has massive teeth now, so I'm very severe about it.

oxo Cesar is hated on mn, so beware. You will get a severe talking to when Bella arrives. Put it in the bin and get "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson instead. "The Complete Idiot's guide to Positive Dog Training" and "Don't shoot the dog" are also reading essentials imo.

My pup is at dogsitter's as I thought I was going to NY yesterday, but now I'm not. But dh is stranded in the States, and I'm alone with 3 dcs, one of whom is ill. I think I may leave him at sitter for a couple of days until things calm down, though feel a bit lonely without that massive party welcome every single time I walk down the stairs

Romanarama, I did loads of mumsnet research re Cesar last night and was pretty horrified. What can I say - you live and learn. Have just 'ouched' at my pup as she bit my bare toes - she has now taken herself off to the rug with a chew toy instead

Romanara, did you ouch when you were clicker charging? I am probaby way overthinking this but at the very early stage I am a bit worried that introducing an ouch element into what is a two way transaction ie. Sound = treat might slightly fudge the issue. Once the clicker association is made I can see that ouch is fine but early on I was thinking better to do ouch as a seperate exercise. Leather gloves is a very good idea. Slubber you will be amazed how effectine clicker training is, like dog training magic. It took hardly any time at all to whistle train dog using it, none of this having to feed them for a week and blow the whistle each time, she was reliable with it in two days. Which made the fact I slunk into our local gun shop more palatable. Each whistle has a number on the back you need to make a note of in case you lose it as that is the frequency your dog will be trained to.

With the slippers keep doing a firm 'no' and offer a chew toy or something consistently as a replacement. If you don't have a coke bottle a milk carton goes
down well. Are your DC's back at school today? If so
don't be surprised if she is a little out of sorts as things will seem a bit different to her.

Does your vet have pupy parties Slubber, I've heard they are very good for early socialisation if they do have them and gets you meeting others in the same boat.

My dog has been in season and for the last week not been into going for walks and been fine with playing in the garden and training. That is definitely wearing off and she is decidedly loopy this morning so am going to have to get her out somewhere today or we will all go mad. Hopefully she will be finished in a couple of days then definitely booked in to be speyed in three months.

I so want a gun shop whistle with its own frequency. How cool does that sound? We do have a gun shop in chester (the seedy part). I will have to slip in and enquire.

Well new tactics with the clicker this morning. It is definitely charged as the moment I took it out of the box she started leaping around, maxing out with joy swiftly preceded by shark jaws munching of my hand (treats within).

So that was not on.

I decided I would only click and treat the moment she stopped biting my hands. Totally inadvertantly I seem to have taught her to sit, as whenever she stopped biting she also sat down. She was 'throwing sits' at me by the end

I hope I'm not doing this all wrong and back to front.

At least my hands weren't bleeding after this morning's mini session.

Romanarama, have just changed my Amazon order from the CM book to the Donaldson one you recommended. Are there any good books/websites about clicker training? Lots of people here rave about it if done properly

Oh she's so clever Slubber, I'm feeling quite proud on your behalf here. Now she is charged if you do chuck in ouch I'm sure it is absolutely fine but I think only getting treats when gentle is also a good way of doing it. What are you planning on doing next, does she know her name at all, that's the first one we were taught in training. The point to click is when you call their name and the second they turn their head to look at you. It's for getting attention rather than to get them to come.

DS (inset day) has just surprised me, he's just had her doing sit, stay, he walks off then chucks soft toy at her and tells her to catch. Catch is a new one on her, big incentive though, he wasn't breaking up training treats. Dog was in training heaven.

Gunshop was certainly an experience, I was met by 3 very well trained dogs. Got told 3 times that I must remember to write down the number on the back of the whistle and I got the distinct impression he felt sorry for my dog having me train her. If you want to bypass the gun shop experience you can get them online.