new pup - at a small gathering?

[popa]

I am trying to work out if would be possible to bring a new pup with us to have xmas dinner at a family member's house.

We would only have had our new puppy with us for about a week... so I won't know their real needs/routines etc, but I'm assuming weeing every 30 mins!

The only children would be our own (youngest 11); there would be 12 people altogether.

I was thinking we'd bring our crate and find a quieter corner... She would hopefully stay there for most of the time, but we'd take her out for regular toileting, and a few play sessions.

I know it's not ideal/a slightly mad idea - but I wanted to ask experienced puppy owners if you think it could be do-able and if so, what would help to make it work, from pup's point of view.

Could we make it a positive rather than overwhelming socialising experience? Eg. We could take the pup to their house for 30 mins a couple of days before? Any other practical tips/suggestions/cautions?

(Whether we will still be invited when we say we'll need to do puppy toileting every 30 mins is another matter!)

They are your puppy's family too!! And it needs socialising so what's the quandry??
Oh and it surely needs a Christmas outfit?!

Depends on the pup. Mine would still have been leaving puddles, unable to be left or crated and overwhelmed by that.

I would take the pup. My sister got a puppy for the kids last Christmas and she had a whale of a time. She alternated between running round meeting new people and then flaking out in a crate!

They need to learn how to cope with different situations.

PS - take some cleaning spray and cloths with you, just in case of accidents!

Thanks for replies - Wolfie that's what I'm worried about!
But great to hear some positive stories too. Cleaning products - yes, bit rude to just plunder theirs!

Any other thoughts / suggestions?

Will the house be puppy proofed? It would be very easy for the puppy to be in full zoomie mood (tearing about) and chewing and nipping things it shouldn't do especially if people are busy/Merry and not watching.

Ah yes the chewing!

Is there a resident dog? Might be a problem if your pup hasn’t had all it’s innoculations

It will be fine. Just take crate, cleaning materials and change of bedding. Put in crate upstairs for some of the time so pup doesn't get overwhelmed.

With my sister's pup, there was a never-ending line of people who wanted to watch the puppy, pick up the puppy, cuddle the puppy, take it out for a wee, let the puppy sleep on them (a great priviledge!!). So I don't think you will have much problem with it getting up to mischief, all eyes will be on the puppy!!!

Thanks all, lots to think about, and good advice.

If we go for it, I guess we'd need to set a timer to keep taking the pup out (especially if it's upstairs for some of the time).

I'm hoping if we have a good play and social time earlier in the day she'll have a good sleep for a bit of it!

(this is taking me back to all that planning you do with a new baby!)

Just remembered something else. Make sure everyone knows that lots of human foods can be toxic to dogs (chocolate, grapes etc). Often people either don't know or have been lucky in the past feeding those things to their dog (some depend on content and weight of dog and some are just pot luck on whether the dog will react or not). It's very tempting for people to feed 'nibbles' to dogs especially cute inquisitive puppies at Christmas when food is plenty.

Yup, good point, I'm going to insist on on no-one feeding it at all except us (with either the regular puppy food or puppy treats).

I wouldn't do it. Some puppies might cope (I know DDog2 would have) but many would be completely overwhelmed. It's pretty much be a full time job watching the puppy, making sure they're not getting into mischief, taking them out very regularly (as it'll be exciting they'll need to go out even more regularly than normal), keeping them safe from all the Christmas related hazards (pup eats a bit of dropped mine pie = emergency vet trip), making sure people aren't pestering them too much (it's amazing how many otherwise intelligent and sensible adults lose all common sense in the presence of a puppy), etc., etc.

A week also may not be long enough to crate train the pup sufficiently for them to be shut in there, especially if you're planning on having the crate away from you and everything that's going on.

At that age socialisation is very important but it needs to be positive, not just exposing them to loads of people/stuff/situations regardless of how they feel about it. Socialisation is about quality not quantity and at that age a single negative experience can have lasting consequences. Presuming you're getting the pup at eight weeks they're going to be right in the middle of the puppy fear period which makes avoiding scary experiences even more important.
This is a very good blog post on the subject.

I would either forgo dinner there this year or ask if the breeder will keep the puppy for an extra week for you.

We've had our pup a week today.

He doesn't want to be left at all, nights are not much fun atm and I'm exhausted.
I wouldn't be planning to take him somewhere and stick him in a crate away from everyone with just toilet trips.

He is in no way shape or form toilet trained - I'm getting there with wee by taking him out regularly, telling him to go and praising him when he does. And he is starting to indicate that he wants to go by going to the door (although sometimes he just takes me to his food place). Poo is another matter.

But, I left him and ds2 (11) at my parents on Sunday as I needed to take ds1 somewhere for the day, then stayed for tea on our return. He was there from about 9am - 7.30pm. He was fine. And my parents know he would wee/poo on the floor.

I think it depends on the owners of the house you are going to, the house itself, the people you will be with, how your christmas day usually is (ours is low key but there would be 7 or 8 of us max).

I took my pup to a girlie afternoon/evening at 10 weeks old. It's doable but hard work and don't expect to be able to relax and enjoy yourself. He'll need keeping an eye on and running after especially if there are children there. They will probably be a mixed blessing - far too rough and overwhelming for him.

I’ve always taken mine out and about as much as possible to similar situations before they can go ‘out out’ and it’s been fine. They’ve all grown up well socialised and totally bombproof. Obviously there WILL be poo and wee everywhere and you have to keep your eye on everything but it’s been fine.

My pup would have screamed blue murder at that stage being left in a crate most of the day even though he happily sleeps in there all night. There is no rhyme nor reason to their toileting requirements at that age either. I lived solely in my kitchen and garden for the first two or three weeks and dpup was super glued to me in between eating, sleeping and pooping. By week two I was a sobbing mess!

Not ideal for all but the day after we picked up our GR puppy we went to a friend’s house for Sunday lunch. He was as good as gold, not stressed in the slightest, met her two (fully inoculated) dogs, cuddled by her teenagers and fell fast asleep on the long bench seat where my husband was sitting. I took him out regularly to toilet him and it went perfectly. He had come from a lively home with small children and was used to all the huddle and bustle of daily life. Your pup will be fine I’m sure and there will be plenty of people around to care for him.

I took mine everywhere with me as a baby and she was fine however my last dog would have hated it even as a young puppy so I think it would depend on the personality.

Oh and how forgiving your family member would be about hair/accidents/potential damage. Mine could shred something within 5 seconds flat!

Mine had to spend the afternoon with my parents when he was this small while I took eldest DS to a hospital appointment and he was fine but my parents were ready for any mess and on board with very frequent trips into the garden.

I also had to go into work for a couple of hours (worked for home mostly when he was tiny) and I was dreading it. However, after a 20 mins dashing around saying hello to everyone he fell fast asleep in his travel crate for 2 hours.

Are the people you are visiting fond of dogs and puppies? Because they will really need to be to have one round on Xmas day. Your pup will likely be hugely overexcited and prone to jumping up at everyone (especially kids) and as you say need a lot of trips outside to the toilet and most likely have a few accidents as well, especially if overwhelmed/excited.
I have a 15 week old pup and to be totally honest would not have taken her anywhere after just the first week - we didn’t even have anyone else round to the house for the first two weeks as it was so intense!
Sorry to be the voice of doom and gloom, it might be totally fine for you, as you say the pup might sleep most of the day but I guess it’s the uncertainty that would put me off.

I have a 16 week puppy and we have been taking her to similar gatherings since we got her. As long as you know the people reasonably well and they don't hate dogs then I don't really see the quandary.

Mine would have wee'd everywhere.

Can you take puppy pads and a crate with you? I'm sure no one will mind. Everyone loves puppies.

What's the alternative? You can't leave the pup at home all afternoon so you'll have to take it.

Just be prepared that you won't be able to relax and enjoy the day. The pup will need to be monitored at all times in someone else's house.