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First ever puppy! Best advice please!

79 replies

Happyinheels · 06/06/2022 10:35

Hi! I've been trawling this board trying to pick up tips and advice.
We pick up our new puppy on Friday. I'm a little nervous, I can't lie! He is an 8 week old black lab. The breeder said she feeds him raw food so I'm trying to suss that out. He will be chipped but no injections. Please share your top tips and advice. I bought a book to help but if he's anything like my kids when they were babies then the book will be very little help!
So far all we've got is a crate! Desperately need to puppy proof my house and go gather bits for him!
All advice greatly appreciated as I've never owned a dog before. Thank you 🐶

OP posts:
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SarahSissions · 06/06/2022 10:42

Training classes with a good trainer. Most people do a puppy course and then leave- you need to persevere when they are older- because that’s when they test their boundaries.
lots of things they are allowed to chew- and even if they don’t seem interested in something at one time as they go through stages different things will hit the spot.
I leave chews out, but not toys. Toys come from me. Chews mine get given and they soon learn that that is there’s and go to that.
the more effort you put in with toilet training in the early days the quicker they ‘get it’
how ever many photos you take it won’t be enough, they change so fast.
if you don’t want an adult dog doing something, don’t let a puppy.

LizzieBet14 · 06/06/2022 10:47

Happyinheels · 06/06/2022 10:35

Hi! I've been trawling this board trying to pick up tips and advice.
We pick up our new puppy on Friday. I'm a little nervous, I can't lie! He is an 8 week old black lab. The breeder said she feeds him raw food so I'm trying to suss that out. He will be chipped but no injections. Please share your top tips and advice. I bought a book to help but if he's anything like my kids when they were babies then the book will be very little help!
So far all we've got is a crate! Desperately need to puppy proof my house and go gather bits for him!
All advice greatly appreciated as I've never owned a dog before. Thank you 🐶

Us too! Due to pick up our Labradoodle at the weekend & will be spending the rest of the week puppy-proofing the house!!
I'll be reading this thread with great interest....

Lizzieismagic · 06/06/2022 10:53

Don't do it!!

longtompot · 06/06/2022 10:53

Exciting times! I remember getting my very first dog and she is 10 now.

Is there any reason why he won't have had his first jabs? Do you know if he will have been wormed?

I'm trying to remember what we had to start with. Crate, bed, food and water bowls, some toys both soft and chew ones, a thin collar and lead just for going out into the garden for toileting. I did get puppy pads but they went under her bed in the crate to try and save the carpet (her bed crate was one we built into an alcove under a desk so no floor like in a crate)

Her favourite toys were cardboard tubes, socks people were still wearing, toes when she got the socks off.

One thing to be prepared for is the upset from being separated from his litter mates and lack of sleep. There are usually zoomies around 7-9pm before bed which I never knew happened. I think the thing with a puppy is start training straight away, play with them lots and recognise when they need alone time. Teach your kids, if you have them or visitors, when puppy is in his bed or crate to leave him alone. It's his safe space. And enjoy! It does go fast

DeanStockwelll · 06/06/2022 11:10

Once pup has had its jabs , get them out socialising , get the use to traveling in car / bus / train ( however you get about )
Don't allow pupils to do anything you wouldn't want the adult dog to do , ie jumping up is cute when they are a few pounds and 10 inches tall , no fun when ther are 6 stone and 2 foot tall .
The same goes for allowing them on furniture, beds , upstairs and begging for food.
Get a feed / walk / sleep routine in place as soon as possible
Get them to use there mind and nose when training, mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation a bored dog with nothing to think about will result in a destructive one.

Toys shouldn't be left out all the time , the dog will get bored with them , use them as a reward or distraction.

Treats , high value when training, lower value when getting them to hunt for them ( hunting for them keeps the nose and mind occupied )

Don't talk to it like a baby , short firm comads

Don't say aww who's a good doggy sit down please .
do say dogs name - sit .
Then reward the second his bum touches the floor

When getting ready to go for a walk Don't let him get giddy and over excited. He needs to be calm before you go out of the front door or he will end up pulling all the time .

Training is a ongoing thing , once a week for a hr will not do , be consistent and make sure the rest of the family follow the same patten , it's not fair on dog if one allows it to pull / be on the sofa / beg and others don't.
Set family ground rules and stick to them .

someadvice20 · 06/06/2022 11:17

We got a puppy recently. I've trained her too sit within a week.
Definitely a lot to do but she's getting there!

First ever puppy! Best advice please!
First ever puppy! Best advice please!
BadAtMaths2 · 06/06/2022 11:19

Buy the Happy Puppy Handbook and read it before you get the puppy. Work out now what your boundaries are. There's good reasons for having a dog not allowed upstairs or on furniture. Cute when they are a puppy - not when they are huge and run in from a muddy walk.

Get them used to checking ears, feet, nails, bottom from the very beginning.

Toilet training happens at some point

Don't crate...except maybe at night.

TerrierOrTerror · 06/06/2022 11:30

How exciting!

Get a vets appointment booked in (ring today) for their first injection so you can get it started asap. It's definitely not a bad thing your pup won't have had it as you can make sure brand/batch is consistent (we chose for our breeder not to start vaccinations).

Socialisation is about gradual exposure and being neutral, not saying hello to everyone and everything. Think about what is important to you when your dog is grown and focus on that e.g. if you want your dog to be comfortable eating out with you there is no reason not to take them to dog friendly cafes immediately if they are carried or kept on a blanket/away from unvaccinated dogs.

Toilet training be consistent, but also don't beat yourself up if it doesn't go perfectly. I felt awful reading threads on here as we had accidents for a year as my pup just couldn't hold it. She'd always, always ask but if we couldn't get to the door within five seconds it would be too late. It took her a long time to develop bladder control!

We also tend to keep toys away, although we have one or two out all the time which she generally cuddles rather than plays with. Natural chews are your friend, we use them lots.

I would also say start learning loose lead walking asap, even in the house. And also learning to settle. Far more valuable that sit in my opinion!

sleepymum50 · 06/06/2022 11:34

I recommend the Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey.

Lizzieismagic · 06/06/2022 11:43

Remember when buying any book your dpuppy can't read... And if it could being on The Same Page would never happen anyway..

tizwozliz · 06/06/2022 12:18

Don't underestimate how much they should sleep, should be 18-20 hours when they first come home.

caringcarer · 06/06/2022 12:25

Get vet to give it a check over day after you get it. Book vaccines too at same time. A pup needs to wee every 2 hours. You need to get pup used to eating, waiting 5 mins then taking it outside to wee. Give it 5-10 mins then take back in. Give it a puppy pad to wee on in one end of its crate. Don't leave it in crate more than a couple of hours at a time. You will have to get up in night to take it out to wee at least twice. The more effort you put in now the quicker pup will be house trained. Never shout at pup if they have an accident.

Make sure it is warm and has blankets to snuggle into as it will miss litter mates and dam. Ask breeder for a scent blanket to take home with pup and don't wash it for a few weeks.

You won't be able to do walks outside until after second injections. You could put pup into a harness lead and walk around the house a few days before going outside to get it used to harness. Always stop at a pavement and make pup sit before you move on. Carry little training treats. As soon as it sits praise and give treat.

mintbiscuit · 06/06/2022 12:57

We feed raw. It’s a doddle. We use nutriment puppy raw food. It’s more expensive than kibble but pops are less and don’t stink as much. Also no farting!

remember to smell his biscuity paws. I love puppies paws!!

pumpkinpie01 · 06/06/2022 13:00

Start training immediately ( ours is a lab x they are very clever ) . Just because they can't go for walks yet do not miss any early socialising time . If you live on a busy road stand at the end of your drive and talk positively about everything going on around you . Motorbike goes past - no reaction - treat & praise . That way you will be able to walk your dog anywhere with no issues . Toilet training - so much praise and treat when they go outside

muddyford · 06/06/2022 18:49

I recommend The Happy Puppy by Pippa Mattinson. And he needs so much sleep. If he gets silly and bitey in the evening, he's tired. And the puppy blues a week or two in are real, normal but they pass. My boy (third black Labrador) is six months old now but the early days were desperate.

DeanStockwelll · 06/06/2022 19:53

I think we may of scared @Happyinheels off 😮

Happyinheels · 07/06/2022 08:38

Wow! Thank you so much everyone. Sorry I didn't get chance to come back to the thread yesterday - I had a very tricky day at work!
So much advice there, thank you, I really do appreciate it.
The book I bought is Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy by Steve Mann. It's very easy to read.
I'll look into local puppy trainers. Should I be taking him as soon as he's had his injections and able to go out?
Also a great point about toys not being out all the time - it hadn't crossed my mind. I just thought they needed access to toys all the time. So should I be buying things like cows ears for them to have access to all the time.
I'm not sure why the breeder isn't giving him his first jabs. She said for me to wait for a week for him to get settled in and then take him.
I'm actually scared of dogs that are jumpy and barking all the time. I was bitten by a dog when I was little and it's never really left me. My daughter has wanted a puppy for years. I've finally relented and figured I could hopefully grow in confidence as the puppy gets bigger.
We have bought a crate. I know someone said not to crate but I need a safe space that the puppy can go to when he wants time away as I am a childminder and have lots of little ones here. The puppy needs his own space. Do I put his bed, food and water and a puppy pad in there? The breeder recommended a 'vet bed' but all I seem to see is that they're a blanket - do I put a blanket inside his bed?
And wow - had absolutely no idea that the puppy would need 18-20 hours sleep to start with!
Also, did you put the puppy in your room to sleep? What is the best way to deal with night times and sleep and separation and toileting?
Sorry for the essay and so many questions!

OP posts:
Edderkop · 07/06/2022 09:00

I know someone said not to crate but I need a safe space that the puppy can go to when he wants time away as I am a childminder and have lots of little ones here.

Are you going to be attempting to work as a childminder with a lab puppy???

Indoctro · 07/06/2022 09:05

Training every single day from day

I have a 16 month old staffy who behaves impeccable.

From day 1 I watched you tube videos and I trained him every single day and it really has paid off.

He literally never puts a good wrong and I can take him anywhere.

He had 1 poo accident and was toilet trained by 10 weeks using the bell method.

He was out of his crate by 5 months old day and night.

He does everything I ask of him. I spent 10 minutes at a time 3/4 times a day following these YouTube videos and honestly it was so worth the investment

I still do stuff with him most days , as obviously the training never stops

But for me that's the biggest thing, invest your time in training and you will feel the rewards.

Indoctro · 07/06/2022 09:07

I should of said in the first few weeks before he could go outside I carried him everywhere, so he seen lots from 8 weeks old

I also played lots of noises through speakers at home on stereo again from your tube

Door bells, fireworks, dogs barking, kids shouting etc. loads of puppy socialisation noise videos on you tube.

JMPB · 07/06/2022 09:09

Everyone’s given great advice so I won’t touch on that.

but I did want to say that the puppy blues are a real thing and the first few months can be really tough. But persevere, do everything right and don’t cut corners and it will make life easier in the long run. & it does pass and will be worth it in the long run!!

enjoy your new puppy (:

Happyinheels · 07/06/2022 09:23

Edderkop · 07/06/2022 09:00

I know someone said not to crate but I need a safe space that the puppy can go to when he wants time away as I am a childminder and have lots of little ones here.

Are you going to be attempting to work as a childminder with a lab puppy???

Yes I will be working from home, here all day 😊 I'm under no illusion that it will be a steep learning curve. Fortunately I'm not on my own, I have staff that work alongside me and I have a 16 yr old and 19 yr old who will be around and my partner who is able to take the puppy to work. Also my house is set up really well to accommodate a puppy. I have a playroom that can have a stair gate across it and the kitchen adjoins it so the puppy can be with us or not depending on him. I also have a gigantic garden so the puppy can have his own space too.
As I say, I'm under no illusions and I do worry about my sanity 😬🤣

OP posts:
Happyinheels · 07/06/2022 09:30

@Indoctro I'm trying to soak up as much info as possible! I'll check out YouTube, I didn't think of there!

@JMPB I've seen that quite a bit as I've been scrolling back through the posts on here. I'm sure I'll be back on here crying, laughing and everything in between 🤣

OP posts:
Happyinheels · 07/06/2022 09:30

@Indoctro I'm trying to soak up as much info as possible! I'll check out YouTube, I didn't think of there!

@JMPB I've seen that quite a bit as I've been scrolling back through the posts on here. I'm sure I'll be back on here crying, laughing and everything in between 🤣

OP posts:
SheSaysShush · 07/06/2022 09:40

Get the toileting cracked. Out for 'wee wee's' every 15-20 mins. Choose an associated word or sound then reward as soon as it's done it. Even during the night, but less frequently. It's hard but they really are easy to train with consistency on your part.

I've had three labradors over the years (still got two) first one I did the newspaper all over the floor truck. Not once did she toilet on any of the osier, but in the tiniest corner without paper. So obvious when I look back. As soon as they learn to go outside the better, with no mixed messages.

Hope you have a good hoover. Pack away your white clothes.

Have fun, so so cute and prepare to fall head over heels in love.

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