New pup - is this normal?

[dustyflipflop]

We just brought home a goldendoodle puppy (yesterday).
She was part of a really big litter and shes 11 weeks old.
She's lovely and very chilled. She slept all night last night from around 10pm until 7am apart from one toilet break at 4am.

She has played with my DCs this morning in the garden and last night as well, she's really taken to my eldest.
She has eaten ok and is drinking plenty of water.
Not had an accident in the house yet (I'm sure it's coming), I try to take her out regularly.

So my concerns are below - and let me preface it with the fact she has been in the car for just over an hour yesterday and obviously just got separated from her family so I am aware it might impact things, the breeder also advised me she was wormed yesterday.

• She sleeps , a lot, she played with my DCs before school this morning for a bit then went to sleep for a good couple of hours, she had a little play with some chew toys, then some food and a trip outside and slept for another hour or so on my feet as I was WFH, then I gave her a quick bath because she was a bit smelly, which she loved. She then went outside for a few mins and took herself off to bed and is currently sleeping again.
• She's quite drooly but I noticed it was a LOT in the car, all down her chin/neck.
• her poos are currently soft/liquid
• she was sick earlier but then went back to playing and then sleep

Is all this fairly normal for a pup her age? Should I be worried or should I just keep an eye on things?

Apologies it's been a very long time since I last had a puppy on my hands.

Our vets encourage you to take them in for check over the first day or two after you get them home. Maybe this would put your mind at rest?

Sleep is good. The more the better at that age.

The rest needs a vet check up, which they will provide when you register her.

The sleeping is normal, puppies sleep a lot.

The drooling, pops and sick aren’t though but may be a symptom of her settling in.

*poos

I am certainly no expert and your pup may just be settling in but when I got my puppy (who is now 12 and a half years old) he started off like this but gradually became worse. He would sleep through the night and made the effort to play but was very lethargic and he kept being sick and his stools were soft and pudding like. The vet the breeder used kept fobbing me off, telling me he was just settling in. I took him to another vet who immediacy diagnosed giardia? a parasite he must have picked up at the breeders. He was soon cured with tablets and has been OK since. Just keep an eye on your pup and no harm in getting the vet to check her over.

That doesn’t sound quite right to me and would get her checked over. Puppies do sleep a lot, but not as much as yours is. Ours had to be persuaded to sleep.

She sleeps , a lot, she played with my DCs before school this morning for a bit then went to sleep for a good couple of hours, she had a little play with some chew toys, then some food and a trip outside and slept for another hour or so on my feet as I was WFH, then I gave her a quick bath because she was a bit smelly, which she loved. She then went outside for a few mins and took herself off to bed and is currently sleeping again.

Puppies need lots of sleep so her having lots of sleep isn't necessarily a bad thing. Mine slept loads at that age - mostly voluntarily - it didn't last though

She's quite drooly but I noticed it was a LOT in the car, all down her chin/neck.

Drooling and dribbling in the car could be a sign of motion sickness. Not all dogs who suffer are actually sick when they travel, many often just drool instead. May be worth checking with the vet to make sure, though.

her poos are currently soft/liquid

This could be a sign of settling in, but it could also be an underlying illness. Combined with this: she was sick earlier but then went back to playing and then sleep I would want her checking out at the vets.

She's very young and puppies go downhill very quickly at that age. Sickness and loose poo could result in her quickly becoming dehydrated. Please get her checked over.

Thank you.
I just collected DCs from school, she was asleep when we came in but ran to greet them and tried playing. We took her in the garden and she had another runny poo.

She's just chewing her chew toy and trying to engage with DCs every now and then at the moment.

I have her booked in for next week as the vet said since I just got her yesterday to give her a week to settle in and then I can flag up anything I think is not normal or anything I want them to check when I take her in.

Is she insured? (Please say yes!) She needs to see a very, but if she's not insured they'll likely exclude anything gastrointestinal when you do try to insure her.

@warmfluffytowels Yes my puppy went downhill quickly due to dehydration. The parasite infection cleared up quickly with meds and he was never bothered by it again but I'm so glad we got it treated quickly, as you say, pups can go downhill quickly.

I have her booked in for next week as the vet said since I just got her yesterday to give her a week to settle in and then I can flag up anything I think is not normal or anything I want them to check when I take her in.

I really would not be happy with this, I have to say. A vet should be happy to see a new puppy as soon as possible - especially if you have concerns about her health. Please get her looked over.

[quote Callywalls]@warmfluffytowels Yes my puppy went downhill quickly due to dehydration. The parasite infection cleared up quickly with meds and he was never bothered by it again but I'm so glad we got it treated quickly, as you say, pups can go downhill quickly. [/quote]
Yep, it can be really worrying!

I would always encourage new puppy owners to be safe rather than sorry - it may well be nerves and settling in symptoms, but equally, it may not be.

OP, has your puppy had her vaccinations and is she insured?

I would always consult a vet about vomiting in a puppy that young, and loose poo that lasts over 24 hours. Chances are that it's something and nothing, but puppies can deteriorate very quickly and I'd rather be safe than sorry

The sleeping sounds pretty normal. And the drool might just be (bad) luck of the draw. Mention them to the vet, though.

She was chasing youngest DC around the kitchen a min ago trying to nip him on the bum.
She went outside and had another loose poo and came back in to play, finished the food in her bowl, had a drink and is currently snoozing under the kitchen table.

It's not been quite 24hrs yet we got home with her around 7pm last night.

She was treated for worms last night, would that be a factor as well?

I treated my dog with wormers (a different brand from the vets) a few weeks ago and her poo was vile within 6 hours for about a day.
Having said that, everyone is right that a vet should want to see a new pup within a few days so I would want that appointment bringing forward for peace of mind.

She was treated for worms last night, would that be a factor as well?

It could be, but the vomiting would concern me.

Honestly, I would get her seen. She needs to be seen as a new puppy anyway, there's no harm in doing it tomorrow rather than in a week.

I got my puppy last weekend and it's taken til yesterday to get his poos to semi solid and brown! I did have concerns and had him booked in with the vets anyways to put my mind at rest. However if he had vomited I would have been more concerned, definitely try and get the consult moved up.

How many times has she been sick?

Sleeping is perfectly normal

Drooling in the car on the first car journey home is perfectly normal

Loose poos due to excitement and stress of a new home is perfectly normal. However keep your eye on this are her gums nice and pink and healthy is she eating and drinking ok. Are you using the same food that the breeder gave her?

Worming on the day she comes home is not normal - the breeder should have done this a few days before or advised you to do it a few days after she had been in your home.

Sometimes it’s a bit of stress but with young puppies vomiting and very liquid poops should be a vet visit.

Puppies sleep from 18/20 hours a day this is when they process life and experiences and it’s normal except when you can’t rouse them/they are too sleepy. My 11 month old loves to sleep still. Have somewhere quiet away from kids you can let him settle mine went in pen with crate attached for peace and quiet to settle.

Don’t allow chasing and nipping with your kids. Puppy doesn’t know any better but the more pup practises this behaviour the more he will do it. Practise calm. Don’t give him opportunities to practise negative behaviours. Reward nothing. So when he’s settled doing nothing reward him with his kibble preferably we weigh it out and use some for meals and some for rewards we also have high value treats for things I really want from him (recall).

Have you changed his food? It could be it’s just the change and excitement that’s making his little tummy sore. Some dogs - mine is intolerant to chicken/poultry so we avoid all treats and food with that in it. We’ve been to the vets a few times with upset tummy’s and it’s not uncommon as a few pp have said. I have a golden retriever and he’s lovely, you enjoy your lovely pup, def sign up to training classes have fun

It's all fairly normal. They are only babies so they do need plenty of rest, and can often be drooly because of anxiety being somewhere new (this can also cause runny poos).

She should settle down pretty quickly but try not to do too much - it's tempting with a puppy to have loads of visitors and take them out and about a lot but they need time to settle in to their new home. Speak to the vet if the upset tummy carries on.

Is she vaccinated?
Has the breeder regularly dewormed her?

If so I'd second the advice of your vets. She's had a stressful 24 hours her first car journey and lots of changes plus just been dewormed.

I'd give her some time to settle as long as she remains bright and well in herself

A vet check early on is useful for lots of things (so checking for any congenital issues) but I'd weigh that against the potential for further stressing her/overwhelming her with new experiences.

Sleeping a lot, drooling, upset tummy and being sick are all symptoms of stress.

The poor dog has just had everything she'd ever known ripped away from her, had an hour in a big noisy smelly wobbly machine where she would have had to try to balance herself in ways she has likely never experienced before, and before her joints and co-ordination are up to the job, she likely felt motion sick, and has been put into a completely new environment, with not only a new human but multiple children, who interact and play with her in ways that likely nobody has played with her before, she's had new foods, and she's homesick, missing her mum and her siblings and on top of that she's had a bath for likely the first time ever which even if it was fun was likely stressful on some level, and now she smells weird too.

It's no wonder she feels stressed. those breeds of dogs are really good at shielding when they feel stressed, so of course she will have seemed outwardly happy.

Please, for her sake, take things much more slowly. Lots of gentle contact with you, like you would taking a new baby home from the hospital. Let her approach the children and make sure they don't restrain her when she wants to leave. Maybe keep her to one room for a few days so it's less overwhelming. Give her a "cave" where she can go to where absolutely nobody disturbs her ever if she needs alone time. Expect her to sleep a lot - puppies do, and dogs who have just moved to live with a new family, do too. New experiences are good for her and she's at a developmentally important age for them but but let her have at least a week or two to settle in before introducing anything else new unless it's vital - like a vet check.

Health-wise, a vet check is important. You will need to do this anyway to register her with your vets and for her insurance. The vet should check out the signs of sickness and make a call on if they think it's an illness or stress and treat appropriately.

Find a good dog trainer to help you to learn how to train her. Please find one who uses positive reinforcement only methods. So called "balanced" trainers use some horrendous methods, as do those who are happy to use punishment.

She was only sick once earlier on in the day, brought her food back up not really digested.

I haven't changed the food the breeder gave me some of the kibble - Autarky brand and a few cans of Butchers Puppy Perfect grain free chicken.
I've been advised to do about half a cup of kibble and a third of a can of the wet food mixed in 3 times a day - does that sound right? It comes out a really big portion compared to her size.

She's quite attentive and sometimes sits in the kitchen and just watches me or DH potter around.
She's sleeping at the moment but if I move from the lounge where she's in her bed to the kitchen she follows me and finds a spot there and goes back to snoozing.

I'm teaching DCs to calm down, they are quite excited to see her in the morning and straight after school, she seemed excited to see them too. Then they left her to her own devices after 5-10 mins and only interacted if she approached them. Work in progress I guess.

@dustyflipflop You sound like a really kind, caring owner who is trying to do the best for their pup. I hope she settles down soon.

Was just going to say the drooling in the car will be from car sickness/anxiety so a separate issue. Worming tablets always give my dogs an upset tummy. I would pop dog to the vets as it’s best to get checked ASAP in still sickness overnight-even if everything ok the vet will be happy to give the dog a quick once over