Argh new puppy!!

[dm86]

Well it's only two sleeps until we pick up our new baby! She's a black working Labrador and will be 9 weeks old. Anyone got any tips on best ways to help her settle in/toilet train etc.

I have bought the biggest crate I can find with a lovely cover on and a bed. I think with 3dcs, the youngest is 1 so she'll need her own space! She comes with a blanket that will smell of mum/siblings. I've bought the same food she's on now. I've got millions of toys and some teddies lol.

Someone suggested you should give them filtered water. Is there anything to this and why is filtered water better? She is booked in the vet the day after we get her and we're doing puppy training at the end of July for 10 weeks.

I'm panicking now about if she'll be ok and how she'll settle in so any tips would be great!
Thanks :-)

Never heard of the filtered water thing and as my dog drinks out of ponds, puddles etc I don't see the point - mind you I suppose your puppy won't be going out yet.
Prepare your children, my dc really wanted our pup but they had an idealised idea of what it would involve ( I suppose we all did) but the bitey reality of it was very different and even animal lover DD didn't/doesn't like him at times.
It is fun but far more hard work than I realised.

I would find a way of dividing up the crate so he has a small den to snuggle up in. A big crate might be a bit large for a while.

Be prepared for the puppy madness. Normally in the early evening, all young dogs - and some not so young - will run around and be crazy for anything up to 30 mins. He might not do it at 9 weeks, but by 3 months it's a given.

Carrots are a great treat.

I use a halti body harness for my Labrador. I don't like the face harnesses and a collar and lead or slip lead are too harsh on the neck. This is what I mean.

Have lots of fun and cuddles.

I think that Halti harness would interfere with their gate and on a young pup that is a huge no no.

Dog Games Perfect Fit are the way ahead. They come in three parts so you only need to replace one bit at a time as they grow.

Sorry, that should say 'gait'.

I use a Mekuti harness on my dog because she's got a history of being reinforced for pulling. Entirely my own lazy fault. A case of finding training loose lead walking extremely boring... it's pretty fab now though. Back clip = you can mooch about within the lead length and even pull a bit (handy when puffing uphill), front clip = walk nicely on my left.

It's taken a long time though.

With next pup I plan to use a nice soft back clip harness and start properly so he never learns to pull in the first place :)