Can I ask some questions about puppies please?

[suburbandream]

We are hoping to get a puppy soon, he is 4 weeks old at the moment, from a KC registered breeder. We are going to meet him soon, v.excited!

Can I ask some silly questions though?
1 Am I right in thinking he won't have had all his injections if we get him at 9 wks old?

2 I think I read somewhere that the final injections are at 12 weeks. Does that mean I can't take him out until he's 12 weeks?
3 At what age should I start training classes?
4 I am a SAHM so I'll be able to be with him pretty much all the time. The only problem is that my DS has a docs appointment every Friday, which means I'll be out of the house between about 9.30am and 1pm. I'm a bit worried that it's too long to leave a puppy but I can't take him with me. Is it too long - should I arrange a dog sitter? Any advice appreciated!!
5 Can anyone recommend a really good puppy book?

I've been lurking about The Doghouse for ages and I've found all the puppy threads really helpful so I hope I know what I'm letting myself in for (although the DCs and DH will help of course I know it'll be me that does most of the walking and the poop-scooping!!) Thanks for all your help

Hi suburbandream
We have a puppy who will be 9 weeks old tomorrow.

1. He did not have his injection when we picked him up at 7.5 weeks but we vaccinated him at 8 weeks. I would suspect not but ask the breeder.
2. He can't be taken out until 5-7 days after his 2nd vaccination which happens 4 weeks after his first (at our vets, but different vets may do things differently).
3. We have a trainer who comes to ours once a week. I think the earlier the better but if you are going to classes with other dogs, you may have to wait till he is vaccinated fully. Not sure?
4. My guess is you'll need a dog sitter because puppies need to be taken out at least once an hour to go to the toilet.
5. Perfect Puppy by Gwendolen Bailey.

However, I am a complete rookie so hopefully one of the experienced guys will come and answer your questions shortly

What kind of puppy is he?

Thanks! How did you find your trainer? I am going to call the vets to ask them if they can recommend sitters/training classes etc. How are you finding life with your puppy? I imagine it will be very much like starting again with a new baby/toddler - eek!
Thanks also for the book recommendation, will have a look for it.
He is a Welsh Terrier by the way

1. Some breeders have the puppy injected with their first vaccination before going to their new home. I have I. The past insisted that the puppy comes to me unvaccinated. The reason is that not all gets use the same brand of vaccination. If your preferred vet uses a different brand them the first vaccination will have to be repeated to ensure that it works correctly in conjunction with the secon vaccination. I worry about the effect if overloading a young puppy's immune system by having to repeat vaccinations at this early stage. I therefore prefer to have my own vey check the puppy over within a few days of arrival and start the vaccination course.

1. It is advised to feel the puppy away from places where there are other dogs until 10-14 days after the second vaccination. However, you can take him out if you carry him in your arms. It is very important to socialise puppies and not taking them out at all until almost 14 weeks of age means they would miss out on a huge chunk of the most crucial window for socialisation. I have in the past taken puppies and just stood outside a busy supermarket for an hour, or into town and sat on a bench with him on my lap. This way they get to meet people, get used to traffic padding etc with minimal risk from contact with other dogs.

1. Most training classes will permit puppies to take part once they've completed their vaccinations. So, 13-14 weeks.

1. Leaving him for 3 hours or so once a week is fine. Just ensure that he's had food and a play in the garden etc before you settle him down. Crating would probably be the way to go in terms of enduring that he stays safe while you're out. Leave him with a toy or a food filled treat dispenser to occupy himself with. However you'll probably find he'll sleep. Because you're at home most of the time, you should start getting him used to being left for short periods of time right from the outset do that he's less likely to suffer separation anxiety when left. Start with leaving hi

For just a few seconds and very gradually increase the time. The trick is to make them confident that you will always return.

1. I second the recommendation for Gwen Bailey's book The Perfect Puppy.

Good luck with your pup!

Geez...apologies for the typos. iPhone and fat fingers to blame!

Can I join in? I collect my puppy (cavalier king charles) at the weekend and am excited though slightly nervous about the impending disruption to our lives for a while!

I've read The Perfect Puppy cover to cover!

Ecumenical: as regards leaving pup for up to 3 hours in the crate, would he not need to go to the loo? I guess not if sleeping but I thought young pups had to be taken out very regularly and would it not cause distress if pup is in crate and needs the loo (since he won't want to soil his crate)? Sorry to appear such a novice.

Suburban: a Welsh terrier sounds fab!

Yes, a young pup may need the loo whole crated although you should try, as far as possible to ensure they have pee'd and poo'd before leaving him. Generally, it is best to buy a crate slightly larger than recommended for the breed and put a little area of newspaper or a puppy pad so that he can toilet away from his bedding...the setup in a whelping pen will usually be very similar so should be a familiar concept to young puppies who have been carefully reared. This can also be useful at night if you are not of the school that gets up to take te puppy outside at night. Personally I always have for up in the night but I prefer summer puppies for that reason...not sure I'd be so keen to stand in the garden persuading a puppy to wee in January!

Obviously, as bladder control and housetraining progresses, you can remove the newspaper/pad when yours confident that he can hold himself til morning or ask to get out. But leaving them periodically for a few short hours should not set housetraining back significantly as long as you are consistent with it the rest of the time. Leaving them daily for prolonged periods would be another matter altogether.

Suburban, the trainer was recommended by my vet - his name is Ken Cockram.

Life with the puppy is great but he is definitely my forth child. He needs taking out into the garden every hour but doing that, we have a couple of accidents each day in the house only. I try hard not to treat him as a baby but if he were allowed to he would sit on my lap all day long.

I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old and an 18 month old. Most of the day, they all live well together however, between 6 am and 8 am the puppy is full of energy and he bounces on them nipping at them, wanting them to play. I find in these two hours, I have been carrying the kids from the breakfast table to the playroom (which is now stair-gated) so that the kids and the puppy do not meet! We are trying to deal with that.

I read all the puppy threads and I only focused on the bad stuff. What it did not tell me was how much I would love him and how much he would love us. Gorgeous.

Thanks for the replies. Ecumenica, thanks for the tips, I hadn't even thought that the vacination brands would matter! Shouty - great to hear that your puppy is so loveable, and I admire your courage what with 3 DCs too

Yes , thanks, Ecumenia, I hadn't realised that about brands of vaccination. Too late for me as my pup has had her first jabs, so I will just hope that my vet uses the same or complimentary brand.

Also thanks for the advice on crate training. I really don't fancy getting up in the middle of the night to take my pup outside (in January) so I was planning to leave newspaper down overnight and make sure I take her out last thing (say midnight) and first thing (say 6). I hope in that way I will not set her toilet training back too much. With a summer puppy I would be more inclined to do the night time thing, admittedly.

Suburban, great to hear you are loving your pup despite the logistics! My kids are much older so I'm hoping they will help (emphasis on 'hoping'!)

Another silly question - will the puppy sleep through the night or will I have to get up and let it out in the middle of the night?

my first dog slept through from day 1, pup 2 was awake all night every night for about 3 weeks, it was like having a newborn again. so really depends on the dog. another recommendation for gwen bailey book.

Dita, I keep telling DH it will be like having a newborn but he doesn't believe me! We both had dogs when we were growing up but that was a looong time ago and I think he's forgotten what it'll be like!!

None of mine have ever slept through the night from the start. As I said above, that's why I like summer puppies...not so arduous to get up to take them outside. I also keep them in the bedroom with me at the beginning so that I can get them outside as soon as I hear them stir*. It really helps with the housetraining. However, some people prefer them to sleep downstairs/in the kitchen or wherever from the beginning, leave them all night and just deal with any mess when they get up in the morning. Horses for courses.

*This can backfire. Last pup is still in the bedroom with us as we've not yet managed to successfully move her downstairs. She'll be 7 in a few months

Oh, and can't tell you if it's like having a newborn...I have no children yet. Ask me again in June

aaaw, Ecumenical, congrats

Congratulations Ecumenical, they are nearly as nice as puppies .

Just stopping to say hello, we have our first puppy, he's a 9 week old whippet and we've had him for just over a week. I love him more than I ever thought I would but, as I feared, it is like having a new baby again except I can't take him to Tesco in his basket! He has a crate at night but I can't leave down a puppy pad or newspaper as they are the best toy in the world to him and he cannot rest until they have been subdued and taken to his cave (kitchen sofa) with all the other beasts he has vanquished (my shoe, chew toy, teddy bear). He has been good but last night did a giant poo which he appears to have attempted to distribute as evenly as possible throughout his crate, thank goodness I can hose it down outside. He's getting nippy as well, I have hustled over to amazon and ordered the Gwen Bailey book. Roll on second jabs and the opportunity to let him run some energy of down the beach.

lostinwales - do you mind me asking what type of crate you have? I've been looking on Amazon etc but some of the reviews said puppies can escape from under the crates if they don't have fixed bottoms so that doesn't sound ideal!! Seems sensible to have one with a base anyway so that the kitchen floor doesn't get messed on, but I can't seem to find many with bases. Thanks! PS: had a sneek peek on your profile - are those photos of your puppy? Soooo cute

Yup that's my whippet, or 'cuddle hound' as we have now renamed him as all he wants to do is snuggle on my knee! He was in one like this but chewed through the mesh in one evening so he could make himself a nest on the sofa. We got one of these from 'dog food Dave' in the next village for about £30, I think you can find them in pet shops etc, the bottom actually slides out to make it easy to clean (thank goodness this morning). I hadn't seen any without a bottom, maybe I wasn't paying any attention!

Crates should come with a plastic tray in the bottom on which you can put pup's bedding.

Make sure if possible that the breeder gives you a scrap of towel or blanket with mum dog's scent on it. Place it in the bed with pup and the familiar smell does settle them. If you do have to get up in the night then make it as boring as possible. Don't look or speak to the pup, let him do his business then back in the crate. Because puppies want to play and cuddle and it is very tempting but a bad idea to do so!

I've been puppy walking for Guide Dogs for a few years and it helps to start training from the start. Every time the wee bum hits the floor just say "sit" for example and by training class time the word will already be there.

Before your pup is allowed out you can carry him about outside.

Lostinwales I saw the soft crates on line and thought they didn't look very strong, thanks for confirming that! The things I came up with when I googled "puppy pens" where more like guinea-pig runs, hexagonal metal with no base, so I guess they could be used outside two. The metal one you suggested was more what I was thinking of, but maybe a bit bigger with room for puppy to move about and a toilet area.
TwoIfBySea thanks for the tip about mum's scent, that is a great idea. I've been reading a book called Before and After Getting your Puppy by Ian Dunbar which seems v.strict on training, but I can see that if you are going to do it right you have to start early

I second the suggestion of taking him out and about from very early on, as long as you are carrying him, or have him poking out of the top of your bad . Half the fun of a little puppy is the admiration and fussing of passers-by.

I don't think you have to be very strict just thorough. I've always worked on toilet training first and foremost and it can be done, to a point, within a short amount of time given you spend the time on establishing where you want them to do their business and if you have a set word like "busy busy" or "be quick" then they know, on hearing that command, that it's time to have a wee/poo! Praising is always the way to go.

I also found that when those sharp puppy teeth sink into your skin if you yelp like their litter mates did or give them a very gentle tug on the fold of skin at their jawline like their mum would then they quickly learn that is not to be done.

I say this as someone who now owns their last guide dog puppy who went on to further training only to return after developing a problem with his back legs. A problem that hasn't surfaced once since he came home. They're not stupid, despite what cats think!

There is nothing as sweet as puppy breath and their little fat tummies! Like our dcs give a dog love and a safe home and you'll be fine.

I'd resist the temptation to get a big crate so there's a toilet area, just takes longer for training to be established- a crate should be big enough to turn around in and lay down in.
I've got a small pup sized one hanging around the garage if you are local to the North East! (my dog grew really quick, he's now 16inch to the shoulder, I thing his crate is a 32inch one??

Thanks everyone for the replies, inthepotty thanks for the tip about the crate - I was hoping that a toilet area might save me getting up in the night . also thanks for the kind offer but we are in south east!!