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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Labrador Puppy

307 replies

revolutionconfirmed · 29/03/2012 18:15

Hi all. I'm a long time lurker but first time joiner and poster.

I have three young children (ages from 16 months to 4 years) and we've just purchased a gorgeous gold pedigree labrador bitch. She is arriving on Monday and at the moment she is six weeks old. The breeders told us that she has been eating puppy food and drinking whole milk as well as feeding from her mother.

I've had dogs before but this is the first time I've had a labrador and the first time I've had a puppy of my own. What do I need to know? I thought I'd ask here as you all seem to be the most experienced I've read.

Thanks for any answers.

OP posts:
multipoodles · 14/04/2012 16:18

It's easy to ignore the odd whimper and fuss, then falling to sleep after a few minutes but if this is going on all night then pup is not happy. I can not have a pup suffer loneliness and unhappiness. I would bring pup & crate up to bed with me :) but then I am a big softie who lets dogs sleep on my bed most nights :)

daisydotandgertie · 14/04/2012 16:28

It is safe place to be - but nowhere is absolutely safe for a pup. One of mine broke her foot while she was in her crate!

Do you have a play pen perhaps? Just for night time? Or an area in your bedroom you can fence her into?

She was probably used to a large, open whelping box before she came to you with a big space for a pile of puppies to sleep in and an attached place for toileting. Perhaps the change is more than she can manage. It certainly was for one of mine (not the one who broke her foot though!). She was just fine out of a crate from the second night we had her. We shut off an area for her which I knew had nothing dangerous or precious in and left her to it.

Your pup may need a bit more flexibility to start with?

Flatbread · 14/04/2012 19:40

I agree with Daisy, what is the problem with her being not crated at night? My pup slept under my bed, not in a crate. She was fine, actually she loved it! Made her feel very secure . Never had problems with her whining or hurting herself. Nothing will happen to the critter if you don't have any yawning holes in your bedroom.

All the puppies my dog recently had, slept by themselves in a big room (mum slept with us). Some chose the crate, some under the sofa and others slept as sentinels by the door, waiting for us to open the door so they could rush out and explore the world Smile. Never had any issues of whining at night, and there were nine of them.

I would not make where and what she sleeps in, an issue. If you have a really good reason why she needs to sleep in her crate, that is one thing. Otherwise no point being rigid about it, imo.

Flatbread · 14/04/2012 20:32

To add, the nine puppies slept in our study. It had a tv, DVD player, phone charger on the floor, books lying around, a working fireplace with fiddly bits. Nothing was damaged, except they pulled one throw, and it got a bit torn on a side. That is it.

We used our energy teaching the pups what was acceptable to chew and what was out of bounds. When they are young they learn so quickly.

Gillybobs · 14/04/2012 21:55

Thanks all, some really interesting points. We will definitely keep an open mind about the crate

AllergicToNutters · 14/04/2012 22:24

flatbread when I get my puppy I want to refer to you Smile

Jajas · 14/04/2012 23:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 15/04/2012 01:08

I'm a very bad puppy owner tonight. Since we were up until now and she was asleep on the sofa next to me I've felt sorry for her and now she's asleep in bed next to me. Definitepy not her normal behaviour but DP is asleep and I'm needy. Am I making a rod for my own back with one night?

Gilly No problem! I'm learning a lot through other people's replies to your posts.

OP posts:
Gillybobs · 15/04/2012 07:17

Friends!!!!!! A night in the crate with minimal fuss, one trip out for wee wee......
I daren't assume we've cracked it but it's a start!!

AllergicToNutters · 15/04/2012 09:51

wooo hoo Gillybobs! Long may it continue. What did you do differntly?

Gillybobs · 15/04/2012 10:11

Nothing really, I suspect she is just settling in (crosses fingers, toes and eyes).
Please please please.......

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 15/04/2012 13:11

Yay Gilly! :D

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Flatbread · 15/04/2012 17:31

Great, Gilly! Must be wonderful to get a good night's sleep Smile

Gillybobs · 15/04/2012 18:05

You're not kidding. I had a spring in my step today. My washing was out at 7.30am and I even managed some lippy Grin A little glimpse of normality

I now have butterflies about tonight of course....

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 15/04/2012 18:24

I hope tonight goes just as well for you Gilly. It's such a great feeling to feel rested :o

OP posts:
Gillybobs · 15/04/2012 19:31

Its been hard going back to this, its 10 years since my kids were up during the night! Took them both to age 23 months to sleep through so I am praying with all my might that Amber doesnt follow suit....

She is currently having her mad half hour, I believe they call it the Doodle Dash, each night around 7 she goes bonkers crazy for a while. Hilarious to watch!
She looks very like Sadie btw, very lab-like! Although her coat will probably be much longer and shaggier when she is older

How are your kids with Sadie? Does she try to nip them much? I think my 10yo is a bit freaked by the nipping! Wondered how your little ones were with it!?

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 15/04/2012 20:24

She does nip a lot. DD1 is talking well and says ?Sadie, OFF? which she responds well to. DD2 just brushes her away or tries to run. It's not been a huge problem but it's an area we're still working on. DP is a chew toy according to Sadie.

I hope Amber settles in at night properly for you. Will you be crating her tonight?

OP posts:
Gillybobs · 15/04/2012 20:36

Well, we will def be trying. Can't believe how nervous I am about bedtime!! Mental. Watching Marley and me with the kids!

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 15/04/2012 21:33

Don't do it. It breaks my heart!

OP posts:
Gillybobs · 16/04/2012 08:11

Oh I know, I put it off before the end its too upsetting! I could watch that movie every week

Struggled to settle Amber at midnight until I hit upon the idea of putting the tumble dryer on for a while. Worked like magic. Slept til 6.45!

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 16/04/2012 11:39

Tumble drier? I need to try this with my children!

OP posts:
Gillybobs · 16/04/2012 17:14

Don't put them in it though.......

Warlin · 17/04/2012 14:42

Hi All

My first time posting on this thread. Have just been reading your puppy discussion with interest. I have a one year old black labrador who I got from a well known gundog trainer and breeder..the reason being that my last labrador had not been elbow scored (though she had been hip scored) and it broke my heart to watch her with arthritis from the age of 6 in her elbows.

I think the key things to bringing up a well balanced, happy and confident dog are;

  • routine
  • consistency
  • exercise

Whilst I wouldn't exercise a young lab for more than 15- 20 mins at a time until they are about 6 months (then 30 mins), only increasing to more than hour once they are 18 months, you can take them out several times a day and it's really important to provide mental stimulation. Games like hiding a treat and letting them sniff it out are great and inexpensive.

It's also vital to socialise them as early as possible so a good training course is a must. My dog goes to doggy daycare one day a week as she loves the interaction and learns a lot from the other dogs.

I agree with the crate training. Other than shoes we have nothing chewed in the house as we used the crate overnight when she was a young pup. Now we have a big one that we can take if away on hold though she is really good in the house and doesn't touch anything. It does make her feel safe though.

One thing I learnt from my forst lab was never to feed them human food. They are really greedy and will get fat easily. We only give our dog Maggie dog food and the very occasional meat treat so she doesn't beg for food of us. Much easier to start as you mean to continue!!

Hope you are having lots of fin with your new puppy. They are adorable at that age. Everything a dog learns is by association, she remember to reward the good and ignore the bad, rather than shout at or punish. They respond much better to positive re-enforcement.

Good luck!!

Warlin · 17/04/2012 14:44

ps, I have a baby on the way (due in 8 weeks) so really hoping Maggie responds well. I need to make sure she feels involved and doesn't get any less attention but she is my baby at the minute so hope she's not put out!!

Original poster
revolutionconfirmed · 17/04/2012 17:30

Thank you Warlin that was very informative. I have a few questions, if you don't mind?

  1. While we try not to let Sadie go up and down the stairs too much she inevitably finds her way up (and down). She's 9 weeks old. Will this affect her too much? It's not more than once or twice a day.
  1. She runs around a lot with the children whether it's just out the garden or in the house. I imagine it would amount to a little more than 15 minutes. She gets a lot of socialisation and socialises outside with strangers when we carry her out for a walk to get used to general noises but she doesn't walk outside for another two weeks. Is this too much for her? I keep worrying about the potential health problems but she seems like such a happy, energetic pup I don't want to curb it too much.
OP posts: