I'm getting a puppy!!

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

I've always thought that when we got a dog it would be a rescue. I've never been bothered about breed etc. But my cousin, a farmer and very experienced dog owner, has one particular dog at the moment who is so lovely she decided to breed her and get one litter of puppies. She had six gorgeous babies; three are staying on the farm and two are going to another farming family.

After spending the weekend there, it's been decided that the remaining pup is coming to us in a few weeks when he is old enough. My cousin is going to register him with the Kennel Club. There won't be anymore of this line as her dog is going to be spayed when she's ready - they only wanted one litter.

I'm trying to prepare as much as possible. I have ordered two books on puppy/lab training and one on introducing him to my cat. I plan to get a crate (which we will initially line with vet bed that was in his crate with his litter) and lots of things he can chew. My cousin will give me advice and take me to get the right food etc. I've looked up puppy socialisation classes and puppy/dog training courses. DH works from home 3/4 days a week and I work from home every afternoon. We are home bugs who don't go clubbing/travelling etc. We have lots of family who are very keen to dog sit if necessary. We are moving to a rural area soon where there will be lots of space.

I'm very familiar with labs but I've never actually had my own dog before! I'm really anxious to get it right and give the dog the life it deserves.

What else do I need to think about? Oh, and here are some pics

Bolt everything down twice.

As adorable this little munchkin is, he has ate, shit or pissed on everything possible in my house in 6weeks

Aww, lovely, congratulations! Sounds like you've got it covered. You'll have to post pictures when he/she arrives home. This is my bundle of joy, he's called Monty and he's 15 months.

There's loads of lovely posters on here full of advice and experience. They've been a big help to me, both with this munchkin and when we lost our old boy.

Enjoy your new bundle of teeth Angel!

Navy we are calling him Sam It seemed to suit him.

Demented look at that little face! Butter wouldn't melt My boss was like 'my tip is do not leave red wine ANYWHERE IN THE HOUSE no matter how high up '

Adorabelle, how gorgeous is Monty??? Can't wait to be a lab owner too

There is no preparation for the mud obsessed, shit eating nutters!! But there is also nothing else like a dopey lab head in your lap getting major cuddles. Our (my) lollibobs is very much part of the family.
I would second and third bolt everything down. Keep any doors shut at all times unless you're in said room. Mine never got on with being crated. She just has to be near us. She's happy to sleep outside our bedroom door...any further away and its howl-a-rama!!! Start training asap, they love it & it wears their little brains out.

Here's our 12 week old pup - enjoy yours! They grow so quickly!

Things that have helped us in the early days was making sure there was always one of us about to watch for signs of needing the toilet (not always possible but it helps) we use a crate at night and I sleep next to it the first 2 nights then sat by it while he settled for the next week. He will now happily settle in the crate at bedtime. The daytime crate rest is work in progress! Lots of toys, chews, kongs to help with their constant need to have something in their mouths. Most of all just enjoy him

My steam mop has been a godsend since our 5mnth old thinks she's a JCB at the moment. My kitchen resembled the Somme last night when she tried to create a pond in the back garden. I love her loads but she's hard work at the moment.
On the plus side they are so easy to train. She quickly learned that upstairs was out of bounds and doesn't even attempt to climb the stairs now. Unfortunately she can reach the kitchen surfaces and likes to help herself to anything within reach. Teaching them the command 'no' early on is essential.
She is our third lab and we wouldn't have any other breed. Congratulations and have fun.

This is my lovely labby doing what seems to come naturally... wood chipping!

Rick what a gorgeous dog! Can't wait to take mine to tramp around in the woods!

Wonder - that little smiley face!! Thanks for the crating advice :)

Wonderful that pic is hilarious! I will definitely start training on Day 1, and I already have a steam mop!

Worcestershire how gorgeous - you've got quite the carpenter there I think!

Just now realised you are the same person

Congrats - he's a BEAUT!

Definitely, definitely get a crate. Sign up to puppy training classes - labs are very bright and eager to please, the more you can teach them the more engaged and stimulated and less destructive they will be.

YY to the point about red wine, and also, labs are absolute dustbins. They will eat ANYTHING, whether it's food or not. You may want to invest in some of those child proof cupboard locks if you have any low down food storage, and be mindful of things like cosmetics and cleaning products as they look tasty to labs too!

The beginning will be exhausting but it's oh so worth it, congrats!!

This website is excellent for new puppy owners. It breaks down the developmental stages of puppies and gives you a list of things you should be aiming to do during each.

Go along to the puppy classes before signing up to check them out. I've not done this in the past and ended up not going back after the first class because the trainer turned out to be awful despite all the blurb on their website about only using positive methods.

Also check how the puppy socialisation classes are run and don't bother if it's just a free for all with the puppies all turned loose together. Labs can tend to be over friendly with other dogs anyway and a class like that just teaches them that other dogs are there to be jumped all over.

A really good option for socialisation is ringcraft classes. These are classes for learning how to show your dog but even if you're not interested in showing they're brilliant for socialisation as there'll be dogs of all ages and loads of different breeds. Most of the dogs will be used to being around loads of others so won't show that much interest in each other, it's a great environment for getting a puppy used to being around other dogs without constantly interacting with them.

If you don't already have a vet lined up I'd start investigating them now. If you know anybody with dogs then personal recommendations are good. One thing I always check is what they do out of hours. Do they run their own out of hours service? Do they use someone like VetsNow? If they do where is the clinic you'd have to get to in an emergency? I also like to know how quickly they can usually offer appointments, even in non-emergency situations.

I'd also start looking into insurance. Get the absolute best cover you can, especially if either parent isn't fully health tested. They should both have had their hips and elbows scored (with results well inside the breed average for hips and preferably 0:0 for elbows), a current annual eye test and various DNA tests. You can see a list of what they should have had done here. It's also good to check who, if anyone, your chosen vet will deal with directly.

Thanks Fenella - good point about low cupboards and cleaning products!

Lettuce thank you that is a really useful website. The part I have been most confused about is the 8-12 week socialisation when they haven't had their second jab, but that site lays it out quite clearly. I will look into ringcraft! Our vet is great and I will probably stay with the same insurer I have for my cat.

Ooh ooh oh....
Gross but necessary - clean up poops as quick as humanly possible. They are sadly my little bugger's favourite snack (vile)