Is there a new puppy thread?

[FiveHoursSleep]

If not, could this be one, please?
We have just agreed to offer a home to a 6 week old GSD x collie? pup whose mum was rescued from an Irish dog pound.
We pick him up in a couple of weeks. Time to drag out the crate and chew toys...
He's living in a kennel atm with his mum and siblings so we''l be starting from the top when it comes to toilet training too.
Who else has new puppies and what stage are you up to with them?

[feelinghopeful]

Hi all, great to hear about everyone else's experiences. Ullena really feel for you. That must have been a huge shock when you found your dog was pregnant. Good luck with your remaining lovely pup. I'm sure he'll be a very special dog.

I've just started reading The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell. It was recommended by one of the breeders I spoke to and is absolutely fascinating. Has anyone else read it?

As a previous cat owner I feel I have a lot to learn about dogs!

[doublemocha]

Fivehours - giggles!

I haven't read that book feelinghopeful but I am a sucker for books about dogs at the moment and will probably download it now!

We went to see our litter yesterday. We ended up choosing a puppy, which I knew we would!! We took our good friends with their Vizsla so the visit was a little chaotic but I think they have a busy household anyway, with 12 puppies, two small children and 3 adult dogs. In fact their own friends popped round and we all ending having a glass of wine like a bloomin' party!

Neither the puppies (who are only 3 weeks old) or the adult dogs batted an eyelid at 20 people being in the house. I have no qualms about how well socialised these puppies will be! Our breeder let all the kids handle the puppies, who didn't seem to care about being passed from pillar to post (neither did Mum, who wandered around being cuddled) but we settled on the one DH had 'bonded' with who will be called Alfie!

DH also had a long conversation with our breeder about how to work the dogs, so I think that might be a possibility in the future. I also suspect they will let her have one last litter and we might be on the list in the future!!

Stupidly excited now we have a real puppy, rather than one of 12!

[doublemocha]

Sorry, there's a lot of exclamation marks in my post, I am exicted....

[doublemocha]

B**x - excited

[Ullena]

Awwwwww, so cute!!!!!!!

[hennipenni]

Can I join? . Been to see a litter today and picked out one of the boys, we pick him up next weekend

[FiveHoursSleep]

Hennipenni, what kind of puppy are you getting?

[JethroTull]

We've had our Boxer pup for 5 weeks now & it's been a roller coaster! He's 12 weeks now so we took him out for the first time on Friday. The difference in him since then is amazing. He has so much energy so being out on a walk helps to burn it all off.

[JellyTedd]

I am a bit worried about my pup.

She has just slept for 3 hours after only been up for an hour. She may just be really tired as it is the first weekend we were able to take her out. So we have taken her for 2 x 30 min walks each day. Plus we have had a few visitors to see her (we only got her last Sunday) so all in all quite a busy weekend for her.

Also as I mentioned up thread we were worried she may have fleas, so treated her on Friday with frontline and washed all her bedding plus treated the carpets with flea powder and vacuumed frequently since. But she is still really scratching so I am not sure if they have gone as the instructions said they would die after 24 hours. Do the old bites still itch her for a couple of days?

I am sure I once heard of a puppy that died for fleas so that is why am so worried, I am sure I am just being paranoid.

Any advice?

[FiveHoursSleep]

Your pup won't die of a flea infestation unless she's really bad, and as you've frontlined her I'm sure she'll be fine. only 5% of your flea infestation present as fleas on the dog,the rest are in an around the house so I'd probably use something other than some flea powder for the house.
Vetkem, Indorex and staykill are three good ones. Don't bother with bob martin or johnsons anything!
2x 30 mins sounds like a lot of exercise for a pup thats not yet 3 months. My full grown lurcher gets by on that. I'd stick with a couple of 10-20 min walks a day at this stage.

[JellyTedd]

Thanks FiveHours, I think I have prob overdone her walks and activity at weekend. She has only been out for a short walk and I carried her for most of it weather has been so wet here today. I will make sure we take it steady and build up while she is still so young.

She has slept loads but I took her around to play with my parents miniature schnauzer this afternoon and she was very lively then so don't think I have much to worry about.

Feel a bit of a fool now

[doublemocha]

Don't feel like a fool Jelly, we are all learning!

Do you think that her scratching might be indicating she is allergic to something perhaps? I think maybe some breeds are more sensitive than others? Although, I am clearly no expert!

[JellyTedd]

I have booked her into the vets tomorrow, she needs micro chipping now she is going out, so I will ask about the scratching then. I am sure it is just the old flea bites, I can not think what she would've allergic to as we haven't bathed her and she is on the same food the breeder gave us.

[tabulahrasa]

Flea allergies make them all itchy even if there's only been one or two bites - and that's without random weird allergies that there could be.

Don't worry about being paranoid, I quite often go to the vets for random normal things (I have a cat with a long term illness and stress about her something rotten) The vet says she'd rather see a healthy pet for no reason than have someone come in for something they could have treated if only it had been earlier...of course it probably helps that I think I'm actually paying her mortgage rofl

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

At risk of outing myself if anyone from rl is here but here goes!

Due to pick pup up tomorrow and it is a 60 mile round trip and the sodding car had died on us whilst dh was on his way home tonight. He had to stand at side of the motorway for nearly an hour in the rain waiting for it to be towed away. Looks like the timing belt has gone so we are awaiting the worst tomorrow now but potentially looking at a new engine.
My dad is coming round 1st thing to try and put dh on his insurance so we can still at least go for the puppy. But I am stressed beyond all belief and just feel ill tonight. I tend to suffer badly with insomnia when I'm stressed and have a day at work to get through too. This really isn't the start I was hoping for before our arrival!

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

And I hope your itchy pup gets some relief soon JellyTedd.

[tabulahrasa]

I am not in a good mood with my puppy today...I'm beginning to suspect he's actually a cat as he's taken against both rain and wind. He's refusing point blank to do anything outside other than stand there looking miserable, which means he's got loads of unused energy and even though I'm perfectly willing to play with him he's decided it's much more fun to run round 'killing' household objects.

He's also managed to work out jumping on the couch and apparently being punted back down is highly amusing.

He's asleep now, but I'm still annoyed, lol

[feelinghopeful]

Tabula - I feel your pain. I had to give my puppy my top premium treats (ham!) to get her to even set foot outside yesterday and she spent the whole time cowering under a bush looking at me as if I was deliberately torturing her. Of course when we finally went inside, she happily did her poos and wees she'd been hanging onto. Lol.

This morning though she Asked to go outside and did her business In The Garden. This is a first and I was totally thrilled with her!! It's a real case of one step forward two steps back isn't it.

Fan - I hope today goes ok for you and isn't too stressful. Most of all enjoy your new puppy! What breed are you getting?

[JellyTedd]

Fan did you manage to sort out the travel arrangements? What sort of pup are you getting?

Tabula & feeling I am in a similar position, I had to carry pup on her walk yesterday. Today not much better and any house training has gone out of the window. She was doing so well but last 2 days she will nip out to do the quickest of wees put doesn't want to hang around for the other so comes back in and does it in the house - aaaaahhhhhhhh

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

We've paid £44 and added dh to my dad's policy so he has been able to take his car today. He's leaving work early this afternoon to pick him up.

The puppy is a Border Terrier. I'm just going with the excitement today and trying not to worry about the final garage bill!

[JellyTedd]

I am excited for you, glad you managed to get it sorted out.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Aww cute puppy Border Terrier. I've always been quite tempted by these but we decided a few dogs ago to only rescue from now on, and you don't tend to get many in rescue.

[poobum5]

can I just pop on to make a little squeal of excitement and to say we have just reserved few day old red merle border collie.
We already have a 3 yr old rescue dog who is a 3 yr old colliexstaffiexlabx???? We got her when she was 6 months so have never done the very little puppy thing so this will bring new challenges!
Cant go and see them for another 2 1/2 weeks.....and then would be another 4 before we could bring one home....not sure I'll be able to stand the waiting!!

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Puppy has arrived! He's so sweet and so tiny it's going to be hard to remember to be careful where we're standing for a while, especially ds.

He was a little shy on arrival but we waited for him and once he found his confidence there was no stopping him. It's tipping it down here so I didn't have heart to put him outside tonight. He has pee'd everywhere but I just keep moving him onto a puppy pad and we've caught the odd one! He has now worn himself out and is snoozing.

[doublemocha]

Glad it's worked out for you then FOTIM, our firend has a border terrier and she's adorable.

poobum5 - busy life you will have then! Same as you, I am highly excited!

Mmmm - hopefully a pick up in the weather today. I ordered a new coat yesterday, given my old crappy cheap puffa lasted all of 45 seconds before leaking on Monday. One benefit of being 5ft and 7 stone is the joy of being able to find a North Face Coat in the sale, age 11/12 for £50, LOL. Essential for the puppy I will tell DH!