Getting a puppy - any top tips for the first few weeks please?

[WorrySighWorrySigh]

We will be collecting our puppy in a couple of weeks.

This will be our first dog, a labrador border collie cross.

So any top tips to help us settle our puppy quickly into our home please?

Lots of newspaper and deodorising spray for the little accidents.

We read loads about bringing puppy home, we were prepared for endless sleepless nights, mess on the floor all the time, crying/pining and it never really happened. Not a peep out of him the first night. Get into crate training early though if you can. Ours has his crate in a play pen in the kitchen and he's quite happy in there if we have to leave him.

Is crate training necessary? We have a utility room which was planned as the puppy's retreat.

It's useful long term if you want them sleep elsewhere. It's also good for them to have a little den, it's a safe retreat for them. I've read that too much space can intimidate them or something similar. It's also useful when you need a breather as they can be hard work. If you have the crate somewhere central they can still see what's going on but are safely tucked out of harms way.

I'd definitely recommend a crate. My pup slept in hers all night every night without a whimper, cos she felt safe. She still chooses to go in now (10 months) most nights even though we leave the door open and she has another bed in the room. It also helps immensely with house training as they are very reluctant to mess their bed.
Keep him/her on whatever food the breeder uses to start with, even if it isn't what you want long term. Moving home and leaving the litter is stressful and digestive changes will only compound it. Get a stuffed toy or blanket to the mum and pups a few days before and ask for it to be out in their bed with them. The smell will be a familiar comfort to pup in the first few nights.
Take pup out in the garden after waking, playing, eating and regularly every half hour or so and stay with them until they wee/poop. They won't stay outside on their own at first as they need the security of you being close. Give treats and enthusiastic praise whenever they go. I would steer well clear of puppy pads or newspaper as giving the pup an allowed place in the house just confuses them.
There's probably loads more but watch as many of the YouTube videos by Kikopup as you can. If you follow her advice, you won't go wrong!

Oh and enjoy it! They grow up very fast

Our puppy is four months old now and those first two months with him have whizzed past in a blur so take lots and lots of photos and videos so you can see how much he changes

A crate isn't essential but makes housetraining south quicker and easier - we've not used newspaper at all and have had very few accidents considering - pet odour eliminator spray is good

Puppy kongs are also fantastic and if you're feeding your puppy kibble then make a game out of meal times by putting it in a treat dispensing toy

Clicker training is fun and easy - check out kikopup's YouTube videos

Take your puppy out (carrying him until he's had all his jabs) to get him socialised

Make sure your dc know not to disturb him when he's in his crate and don't be surprised by how much sleep he'll need

One of us slept on the sofa next to his crate for the first few nights our pup was here which helped him get used to his new home - after that he slept right through without a peep and now sleeps from about 9pm to 7am (plus naps in the day)

Oh and don't be too hard on yourself if everything's not perfect to begin with - having a new puppy for the first time can be really tricky on occasion and you won't always get things right

Many thanks for all the tips. We will look into getting a crate.

Plenty of sleep beforehand? Labrador collie cross sounds like he/she will be an adorable bundle of energy with a very good appetite!

Yes, we are working on the theory that we got 3 DCs to teenage years with sanity intact. It will be interesting to see who has the bigger appetite, labrador/collie puppy or 15 year old son!

We didn't use a crate (dh really hated the idea) and our pup slept in a room on his own instead (next to ours) we just took him out a lot in the night in the first few weeks. It was tiring, but not that big a deal (it passes much quicker than with babies!). The most stressful time with him I think was the nipping stage, when he whizzed around pretty much with his mouth open, and sharp sharp baby teeth. dh even said he wanted to take him back at one point!