It's home!

[puppypalavas]

Got our puppy today.
Been about 8 hours since we’ve had her and I’ve got puppy blues already!
She’s doing ok toilet wise. Maybe 3 inside, 3 outside and a poo outside.
Got her confined to the kitchen at the mo and she’s got a playpen in here.
We’ve got a deep sided box for her for our room tonight.
We’ve put her in her playpen probably 5 times, for short durations, 15 mins or so.
Then we went to the shop to find a box for her for tonight, so we were out for 40 minutes.
She’s howls and cries and barks solidly in her playpen.
As soon as she’s quiet we go in and praise her. Sometimes getting her out and sometimes leaving her in there.
Every single time though she has barked and howled in her playpen until she’s vomited. She’ll be losing weight at this rate.
Am I doing the playpen thing right?

[puppypalavas]

Also she puked in the car on the way back today.
So no doubt every time I put her in the car for the school run there will be more vomit.

[Costacoffeeplease]

This comes up every time on these puppy threads. Yes people work, but the don’t (or shouldn’t) get a puppy and expect to go about their normal day.

An adult dog of 2+ can be left up to 4 hours a day - not a session, a day, so not 9-1 home for an hour and back to work until 6. I know people do it, but they’re selfish, uncaring, irresponsible idiots

[adaline]

They say that puppies can be left for short periods and you should only go into them when they are calm - this puppy cannot even go 5 minutes without vomiting.

Then you're leaving her far, far too long. She's eight weeks old, she's a baby! Your expectations are far, far too high I'm afraid.

We brought our puppy home at 12 weeks and he followed me everywhere - hell, at nearly 11 months he still follows me everywhere although he can be left alone for an hour or so when necessary.

You need to leave her alone for literally seconds at first, then slowly build it up - if she's distressed, you've left her too long and need to go back a stage. It can take weeks to get a puppy used to staying alone for an hour, let alone three hours. Plus you need to consider toilet training - she'll need to use the toilet in that time and will have no choice but to mess her crate/inside if you leave her too long.

Yes, some puppies can be left from the get go but most need 24/7 care for at least a month. Like @BiteyShark we took a month off work between us when we brought ours home, then he went to daycare.

[Wolfiefan]

She may well puke. Or pee. Or poo. She’s a puppy. It’s what they do.
And no decent book about puppies says let them cry it out.

[Costacoffeeplease]

She’d never been in a car before and you’re surprised she puked?

I think you are on a wind up now, you can’t possibly be for real

[BiteyShark]

puppypalavas you need to think baby puppy steps.

She vomited in the car but you can start to get her used to the car but very very slowly,

You can get her used to being alone but very very slowly,

You need to prepare yourself that whilst you think it's hard now when it's bitey and you are tired and toilet training is two steps forward and one back it will get much harder. Think of it as a marathon and not a sprint. Having a dog is bloody lovely and I have a 2 year old lying snoozing next to me but as a puppy he drove me to tears.

Please join the puppy support thread of you haven't already.

[DoinItForTheKids]

It's insane!

Which 'breeder' did you get your puppy from OP (third time of asking)....

[Wolfiefan]

This close to Christmas it’ll be a cute puppy or a popular from a puppy farm.

[Icklepup]

You've got a lot of research to do.. and she is not an 'it'!!

What breed is she? Wonder what you're in for

[Eatmycheese]

People like you strike me as the reason a dog is for life not just for Christmas phrase came about.

Poor little thing
I have four children. One of them happens to be our dog who at right weeka old was like a baby.
Please step up and look after her properly.
I hope you aren’t taking the piss and writing this gobshite because you are bored

[Costacoffeeplease]

I hope it is a wind up as I can’t bear to think of a tiny pup so distressed that she vomited, while left alone

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

This is my little monster. He is the best thing in my world by a mile and he is the most loving affectionate little thing. He had me in tears of frustration about 10 times a day to start with but I think we’re down to 2-3 times now

[mama1980]

I would not have got a puppy unless I was a SAHM. In my honest opinion anything else is just not fair. Even at 8 years old my girl is never left for more than 4 hours (though she doesn't care at all and likes having the sofa all to herself)
If she's never been in the car she will in all likelihood be carsick. Try very tiny journeys literally 2 minutes with lots of fresh air and keep talking to and touching her if possible.

[puppypalavas]

Oh my goodness.
100% not a puppy farm.
Renowned breeder that a lot of friends have bought puppies from.
Please don’t make me feel worse than I already do.
I’m trying my best.
Friends with pups from the same breeder are giving me advice totally different to your advice.

[LittleLongDog]

They say that puppies can be left for short periods and you should only go into them when they are calm - this puppy cannot even go 5 minutes without vomiting.
A short period isn’t 5minutea in puppy terms - it’s seconds, the. A minute, then a few, then five - built up slowly at your puppy’s pace.

[adaline]

What breed is your dog and what breeder is she from?

[Bunnybigears]

What breed is the dog?

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Friends with pups from the same breeder are giving me advice totally different to your advice

They are saying 2.5 hours on their own on day 2 is ok?

These must be VERY resilient puppies. What breed are they?

[puppypalavas]

Lab from a professional breeder. He breeds them mainly for working dogs.
In the country and a few friends have pups from his litters.

[Costacoffeeplease]

Friends with pups from the same breeder are giving me advice totally different to your advice.

In what way? Are they experienced or qualified in any way?

[puppypalavas]

Friend just said she left hers from the first night in a pen with puppy pads. Got told a sharp “quiet” when it howled and after day 3 no more howling.
What the bloody hell am I meant to do? Puppy Velcro or cry it out?

[BiteyShark]

Please don’t make me feel worse than I already do. I’m trying my best.

I'll say it again in case you missed it. Please join the puppy support thread for ongoing help.

[adaline]

Good luck - labs are easy to train but they're extremely bitey through adolescence. There was a thread on here a year or so ago about a woman who left her teenage lab for ten minutes or so while she had a shower, and she came back and the dog had eaten her sofa.

I've only met one or two calm young labradors, and those are from owners who train dogs for a living. Labradors are energetic and require huge amounts of exercise and stimulation and as teenagers they're notoriously mouthy and bitey.

[Bunnybigears]

Are your friends keeping them as working dogs or family pets? Did they only get one pup or two to keep each other company? Did they have existing dogs in the household?

[JimandPam]

@puppypalavas welcome to the world of puppyhood! I remember ringing my DH on week two in tears that I couldn't do this anymore! It does get better!!

We also read all the puppy books and it couldn't possibly of prepared us for the hard work it was. The good news is the more you put in now, the better the dog you'll get at the end of it!!

Yes, routine is important but it's about building it up. We tried a crate and our dog hated it and puked up so we scrapped that idea and made him a bed in the lounge. Took turns sleeping downstairs and taking him out in the night.

We did leave him but built it up sooop gradually. Set up a routine of how he would be left then shut him in his room for two minutes...back with big fuss and treats. We didn't get to 15 minutes until five days later!

However, we now have the most well behaved, loyal, caring and loving dog ever and I do think it's all about the hard work we put in.

Take a breath...it will get better and I know it's easy to bash on your research but we did SOOOOO much and we're still completely overwhelmed. I also recommend kikopup on YouTube. Great videos

And lastly...can we get a photo of the cutie pie please?? X