New puppy thread, where new puppy owners can come for help and advice and hopefully clever people like minimu, midori et al will check regularly (please) to help us...

[Happymm]

Exactly what it says on the tin really. Kings idea, that we have a thread where we can all come and ask for help, advice, support or just to vent and that the much more experienced people will come and help us out :)

Oh yes a tag (must must do this still )

tooearly oh and get him something he can chew. Legitimately. Otherwise he'll pick his own from your shoe cupboard,

Thanks both, that's great! I don't mind if it only fits for a week or two, as long as it's Ok for when I pick him up.

I've just realised the stair gate I have is too small and wont fit, so I'll have to get another, along with puppy pads, dog treats and a pooper scooper. It's like shopping for a new baby lol

Re: ticking clock, I think it's to emulate their mother's heartbeat, and the hot water bottle her warmth. Perhaps wrap them all in a blanket in his crate????
Dunno, that was next on our list to try but then he stopped fussing and we didn't need to. Part of me wondered if he might chew the waterbottle ....

If the poo is indoors and quite firm, we pick it up with loo roll and flush it straight down the loo. I got one of those poop scoops from Pets@Home, thinking they looked a good idea. But one use and they're vile to clean! You might be better off with poobags, as you would on a walk.

That was my concern with the clock, the only ticking ones I have here are a small Minnie Mouse one belonging to my daughter, which I daren't take, and a quite expensive one my mum gave me as a gift...

Think I'd better add 'clock' to the shopping list

Pooper Scooper removed from list

Anyway, I'd get yourself off to bed now. Could be your last night's sleep in a while!

There's a good selection of ID tags on eBay, I must order one too. Ours cried and howled for ages on the first night, we didn't go to him. the next night he cried, but for a shorter amout of time. The third night and there after it lasted about ten minutes. I think if you can bare to leave him he'll 'sleep through' quicker. I'm not good at sleepless nights and was fortunate in that my three dcs are all good sleepers.

I made another attempt at getting him to walk on the lead that was a slight improvement in that he moved a bit before stopping and refusing to move and then peeing on the carpet.

I have to have mine on a lead around the house at the moment, Dogmatic, so good job he's prepared to walk on it. Actually, he mostly chews it, which I'm sure I should prevent before we start walking outside, but don't know how. I do try swapping it for chewtoys, but he often shows little interest in them. Currently licking the tiniest smear of marmite from inside a kong though.

Well, was hoping to use my 2 year old's birthday party for puppy socialisation yesterday. He slept through the entire thing! Admittedly in his crate inside his playpen, but they were playing right next to it, eating their tea in the same room, running around with balloons! Occasionally he'd open an eye or sit up, but never a whimper. I made sure all the adults gave him a fuss. He definitely didn't seem miserable, but I expected harder work!

Pouring with rain today. Been out once in my pyjamas and raincoat. Better get used to it!!

tooearly, how exciting. you sound like you have got everything. for tags love these cherry has the red stars and it looks fantastic. just trying to decide which to get eric.

On cherrys first night we just put her in crate and left her, ot much crying and she soon settled. we put the clock on top of the crate. also split the crate so she had room to sleep (a tray with vet bed on it) and the rest was covered in paper so we could clean up ny accidents, decided I was not getting up in the night unless absolutly neccasary. I am hoping eric will settle better because cherry will be in the room with him.
belinda rose, impressed with sleeping through kids party.
we looked at springers as well, love them.

my friends lab puppy was very bity, they called him the crocodile, I dont think it lasted too long. with cherry we just ignored, she used to hang off the end of dhs trousers.

Ooh Dita! These are lovely! Pup has just got a red collar and lead so a red tag is going to be perfect

cherry ha everything red for obvious reasons, have got this lead and collar for eric here but am worried the collar will be too big, I got the medium. cant decide which tag though.

Happymm - yep choc lab.

Have just read the Ian Dunbar bit on puppy biting. Think I'm gonna read a bit more of him.

Too early - exciting stuff. :o

Ian Dunbar's book is available for kindle if you have one. I'm reading it in peace in a cafe right now! I think he's brilliant, but wonder if it is as easy as he makes it sound! We need LOTS of lead practice in the garden, I think!

Food seems to be the way of getting our pup to do anything. I've got one of those treat bags that clip on to your belt a la 90s phone holsters......I think 'I might look like a tit now but when I have a well behaved dog it'll be worth it' I also have a purple whistle for recall....... Full on dog walking tit uniform

Has visions of a walking tit need to get a grip. :o

I have kibble smelling pockets. Mmn nice. Pup loves food. Must be a lab thing.

If you are buying a dog tag in the UK make sure you get all the relevant info on it:

"The Control of Dogs Order 1992 mandates that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. Your telephone number is optional (but advisable)."

We were told off at our first puppy class and had to get a new tag as we didn't have our name or full address on it.

Doesn't it worry you that you put you full address on it?

What about microchipping? Do they still need it all then?

Well I suppose it did worry me at first that our full address is on it, but as one of the trainers pointed out, if our dog was found wandering near our house anyone reading the tag would be more likely to bring him round to return him rather than phoning the authorities.

Microchipping is necessary as the chip cannot be lost or discarded by thieves.....

Pippi sunny Brittany is where I'm at too.

I've just been ringing around for pet insurance and for the basic cover which doesn't even cover illness it's 23 euros a month and the most comprehensive cover which does actually cover yearly vaccinations and neutering is 60 euros a month! So I searched for a similar quote in UK companies and the most expensive one I got was £14 a month and that was with overseas cover. We have a house in the UK and I'm seriously considering just getting the insurance cover at the UK address - even 23 euros for not very much cover is extortionate.

Our vet advised us to put our surname, house number and postcode and phone number. Said not to put dogs name on it as easy for thieves to call her and she'd go, she's so flipping daft soppy. Said you don't need full address as easy to look up with above details anyway.
We have the girlie pink butterfly

aliciaflorrick where did you find the £14 a month insurance in the UK? I'm currently looking for pet insurance too.

Sparkling blue - try Argos and use code TMTF - I have just insured a springer pup for £14/month with them on the highest level they offer - £7k vet fees renewed each year.

sparkling I did a long email and then Mumsnet said it was broke. The quote I got for £14 was actually for the dog and the cat, the quote for the dog alone was just £9.60 with Direct Line. This covers for £4,000 per condition and overseas travel which is what I would use.

I've also found another company called Vetplan.eu - does anyone have any experience of them? 23 euros but cover here in France.