Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The doghouse

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

Flip

Original poster

Nevermind Kate's baby a more important delivery is happening in a week or so

23 replies

sweetkitty · 12/07/2013 17:12

That's it never mind the royal baby, we've met a breeder who is lovely, met Mum and she is due the 21st of July, we have our name on her list and are hoping there's a little girl just for us

Cannot wait until the puppies are born and we can go chose our puppy. The DC are so excited they have started playing games with "the dog" and do things like open the boot of the car to let her out

She will be our first dog since I was a teenager been wanting a dog forever I know how much hard work it'll be but am up for it.

OP posts:

frogletpoglet · 12/07/2013 18:54

what an exciting time! what breed are you getting?

Original poster

sweetkitty · 12/07/2013 20:28

A ridgeback big big dog

OP posts:

Cheddars · 12/07/2013 21:04

Wow very jealous.

They are a LOT of work, they seriously don't calm down until they're about 3 but they are also the most fun you can have in a dog.

Original poster

sweetkitty · 12/07/2013 21:35

I've had a lot of advice thankfully

I know it will be like having another child for a while I'm prepared for the worst

OP posts:

SallyBear · 14/07/2013 08:04

I'm off to see Labrador puppies on Wednesday. Very excited. We lost our old lady 3 weeks ago and the house is odd without her furry presence. It's been 14 years since we had a puppy! Looking up pet insurance costs etc. crates, puppy classes etc.

Original poster

sweetkitty · 14/07/2013 14:51

Sallybear same here looking at crates/beds etc

OP posts:

SallyBear · 14/07/2013 14:56

A friend has a crate, hoping that it will be big enough. Never crate trained before so I'm unsure about how to do it. You can get piddle pads which you encourage the pup to use moving it closer to the back door until they get the message apparently. It's been 14 years since we had a puppy so we are a bit rusty.
What pet insurance are you looking at getting Sweetkitty?
Have you picked out your puppy yet? We are going for a Labrador.

SallyBear · 14/07/2013 14:57

Yes sorry you said. Rhodesian Ridgeback. Very handsome and loyal dogs.

Original poster

sweetkitty · 15/07/2013 00:25

Sally - the mother is due this week, were on the waiting list, she had 12 last time so am hoping there's a little girl for us this time

Haven't decided about insurance will wait until we definitely know which dog we are getting. Going to see if I can get a crate second hand then just get a new bed for her

What colour is your lab? Have you chosen a puppy yet?

OP posts:

SallyBear · 15/07/2013 07:01

They're three weeks old, from a working line. So they will be fine boned and long limbed with slim long muzzles. Mum is pale yellow and Dad is a field trial champion who is a deep fox red. Puppies look quite gingery. So she had five pups, and there are 3 bitches and 2 dogs. We would like a bitch as I feel quite outnumbered with the amount of males in my house and because they're calmer ultimately.

GetYourMoneyBackAtTheDoor · 15/07/2013 07:06

So exciting. I love the sound of your labs, working labs are great dogs.

We are also getting a RR, pups due early next month. Can't wait!

topbannana · 15/07/2013 07:56

No no no sweetkitty!!!
Whatever you do don't get her a bed yet! A large pile of old towels, fleecy blankets etc is what is needed- a proper bed will be trashed in hours
And take heart, the LandShark is nearly 19 weeks now and we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel now. It's been a while since we had a pup as well and it was quite a culture shock. I think it's a little like newborns in that you quickly forget what it was like, otherwise we would be a nation of only children :o

SallyBear · 15/07/2013 08:08

Yes I remember bed trashing only too well, and don't be tempted to buy a beanie type bed even when they're 6mos old..... 14 years on and I can still remember coming home to a sea of polystyrene beads and a puppy nowhere to be seen!!!!

Original poster

sweetkitty · 15/07/2013 09:06

Sallybear - they sound gorgeous, our RR mum is a lovely deep ginger red.

Cantmoney - fabulous your getting a RR too, bitch or dog? I've done so much research on them, the breeder is fantastic, she's now camping out in her living room next to the whelping box.

I was planning to get one of those big plastic beds and filling it full of old towels etc her crate will be large and I thought a large plastic bed would fill it up then loads of cosies on top of it???

OP posts:

GetYourMoneyBackAtTheDoor · 15/07/2013 14:36

Where abouts are you sweetkitty? I am south coast. Do you have a cat? I am wondering what mine will make of a RR puppy! He's very used to dogs but not so much large breed, boisterous puppies (What he will make of adolescence I don't know!).

We are getting a dog, so likely to be bigger than your bitch. As a breed they are much smaller now than the old fashioned ones. Some of the bitches are not much bigger than Viszlas, really athletic looking.

Original poster

sweetkitty · 15/07/2013 16:08

Getyourmoney - I'm far from you in central Scotland. The boys are lovely so muscly. Yes we have a cat so I don't know what he'll make of a pup actually I do he'll probably hiss and spit at it and it'll be scared of him forever which is usually what happens, the pup will be raised around a few cats with the breeder too.

The mother is still quite a big dog, beautiful temperament really sweet with the DC.

OP posts:

Original poster

sweetkitty · 20/07/2013 22:34

They arrived on Thursday 5 girls and 5 boys (2 sadly were still born) all and Mum doing well.

We're going to be getting a little girl

OP posts:

SallyBear · 21/07/2013 06:40

Oooh!! How exciting! We are going tomorrow with the children to make "our" selection. The breeder sent me some pictures yesterday just to add to my torment! I think that realistically we will be getting a girl too. I've then spent ages reading puppy books. Taking an old pram blanket to give to the puppy tomorrow for when we get it home in a month.

Original poster

sweetkitty · 21/07/2013 18:40

Oh sallybear that is exciting, what age are they? It's a choc lab your getting isn't it? I don't know how you "chose" when they are all so lovely. Our breeder had said we can come for a visit in about a week and the kids can handle them from 3 weeks she very keen for the puppies to be really socialised with children. She's so keen for the puppies to go to good family homes with children.

OP posts:

SallyBear · 21/07/2013 19:11

They're 4 weeks old. We are getting a yellow (foxy) lab which we will choose tomorrow. The breeder will hang on to it until its 9 weeks as we have a holiday and a surgery to get through first. They all looked quite confident last week, wagging their tails and coming up to you, a little bit of bundling each other or sleeping on top of each other. Very cute. So I'm taking the kids tomorrow with me and we will decide which one its going to be!

Original poster

sweetkitty · 21/07/2013 19:19

That is really exciting ours are only 3 days old

OP posts:

SallyBear · 21/07/2013 19:40

Sweeeeeeet!!!

Original poster

sweetkitty · 21/07/2013 20:18

I know photos are adorable, will we still be saying it in 6 months time when they are tearing up our houses though :)

I think we will need a Puppy Support Thread

OP posts:

Flip