Labrador puppy coming home tomorrow, any advice?

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We will be bringing home our Lab pup tomorrow morning. He is 8 weeks old. Think we’ve got everything and we’re as prepared as we can be but any last minute tips or pearls of wisdom? My husband has had dogs before but it’s my first time.

Oh how lovely. Our lab was very much a chewy bitey puppy so plenty of different toys to redirect etc. She has always been partial to a cold raw carrot since the puppy teething days so they might be good for once pup is teething.
we also found she got overtired easily so we sometimes had to try and encourage her to sleep else she would get extra bitey.

Please post some pics of pup once home ☺️

Be prepared for the nipping, they have puppy teeth and they’re sharp but they will grow out of it once their adult teeth come in. There will be moments when you wonder what on earth you’ve done but don’t worry, have patience and they’ll be the best friend you’ve ever had.

Its truly amazing having a lab in your life, you’ll love them completely but remember everything is edible to them, and I mean everything!

Joint the Puppy Survival thread for tips and advice.

Make you house dog proof - remove or cover loose leads, put valuable stuff, remote controls etc out of reach.

Get a good nights sleep tonight.

Get a torch and some easy slip on shoes for nocturnal visits to the garden for pup to do his business.

Be prepared for your life to be turned upside down. Our pup was like the Duracell bunny on speed crossed with a toddler.

Never throw balls for a lab. The acceleration and braking is so hard on their paws and they're prone to arthritis. Avoid stairs too.

So many hugs and cuddles for your new lab. Amazing dogs.

Yes, be B prepared for puppy blues. There’ll be a wtf moment followed by a ‘aww, how cute’ moment straight afterwards.

I would join the Facebook group 'Dog Training Advice and Support' I would also read the stuff on www.thelabradorsite.com . With our lab I wished I had realised that 'socialisation' does not mean letting your puppy play with every dog going.

Our lab chewed absolutely everything and we did have 'the puppy blues' (did not realise it was an actual thing!) but he was worth it!

Oh lucky you ! My boy was very easy to settle and house train . We did start off with a crate but it didn’t last long,
We house trained by gradually extending the night - so pee at 11 ish, then up
again around 2 am, then 5 am and gradually extended the 2 am time slot until he made it to 5 am - I think
it took a couple of weeks. We used puppy pads until
he started running back indoors to the pad to pee🤦🏻‍♀️so not sure I would bother.
Get him used to handling, in our case I did not handle his feet enough and he hates them being touched. Trimming his nails is a bit scary. I also did not groom him enough and it took a lot of work and treats to get him relaxed with that as an adolescent.
I did hug him a lot and he’s a total cuddle monster as a result 😍

How exciting for you, o don't have a lab but got
A puppy last year. Be prepared for not getting much sleep. My dog was a really wanted dog but 4 days after we got him I was sitting in the garden crying cos I felt like I made a mistake getting him. Once we got his sleeping sorted it was much better. Be prepared to be bitten lots . He's very much loved and wouldn't be without him now

They're great. All the things others have said above, plus get a hoover for when he gets older and starts shedding.

As others have said be prepared for the ‘puppy blues’ it’s a real thing! I was so excited to finally get our spaniel puppy home only to find myself crying the first week thinking omg what have I done. It’s a crazy time of excitement, worry that you’re doing it wrong, and the huge responsibility of having this little bitey furry thing that relies on you 24/7. But the puppy phase doesn’t last long relatively speaking. Just ensure you start training straight away, set boundries and they quickly become part of the family. My boy is 3 now and looking back I miss those puppies days, a bit like children they grow up too fast. Good luck!

Labs are the best! Make sure your puppy gets lots and lots of naps. They need their sleep! Get a good night's sleep yourself tonight. The next week/ few weeks will be tough if you are getting up in the night to let him out for a nighttime wee. Be prepared for waves of regret/ panic where you think "what on earth have we done!" Be ready for the bitey months when he will go for everything especially your feet with his needle teeth and you will think about giving him back. Take loads of photos. They grow and change so fast! Watch the Bluecross training videos. As a novice puppy owner I found them very helpful. Join the puppy support thread. I've graduated from it now, but it was so useful to get advice from dog owners a few steps ahead of me. Enjoy having a fabulous, adorable, loyal and loving addition to your house.

Thank you for all the advice and taking the time to reply!

@SnowSnow I will definitely post some photos!

With labs… a bit of patience and a sense of humour about how mouthy they can be as puppies. It will pass! They are lovey as adults

We have a lab. We hung some of those bells on the outdoor door and rung them every time we took her out for a wee. She could quickly tell us when she needed to go and she got hugely rewarded when she did!

Also buy the happy puppy book by pippa mattison and trust her advice! She also runs Labrador.com so although the book is for any breed, she is a Labrador person.

Drink a glass of wine. Enjoy your last night of uninterrupted sleep for a while. Make sure you're caught up on the laundry and the fridge is full of food you can grab without thinking.

Supposedly they sleep 20 hours a day. It may even be true. But you still won't be able to get anything useful done for the next few weeks.

"Brace yourself" is my advice 😂

Our lab has just turned 5 months and she's still feral full of life!

Wouldn't be without her for all the world but my god... she's hard work at times. Here she is today with my slipper. Anything that can be reached is fair game 🙄😂

@NormaLouiseBates such a cutie! She is beautiful.

@samenamebutdifferent I will have a look for that book.

thanks again everyone.

Don't scrimp on treats, make sure they are real treats as they are so helpful for training. There again labs eat anything!

Have agreed rules and all members of the family stick to them!

Hide the furniture 🙈😁

Agree rules and how to enforce them, be consistent! Walk away from the bites. Use bitter apple spray to deter the eating of everything in the house🫣. Let go of liking your house because it’ll be wrecked by next week. Bear with the puppy blues, they are real and can be overwhelming🥺you have made the right decision. Best friend incoming!!! What colour is your new Lab..names?

Watch the corners of any decent wooden furniture, they tend to ignore the plethora of puppy chewy teething toys and make significant imprints on favourite furniture.

labs are great, enjoy the experience

Decent slippers, labs aren’t called land sharks for nothing.
Don’t throw balls.
Runners/rugs on slippery flooring once house trained. Mine needed knee surgery age 5 …£7.5k later.
Decent insurance allowing up to £12k a year payout is the max I think.
Don’t leave underwear, tights or socks around, colleagues Lab pup pinched, swallowed and sadly died, another needed surgery.
Hide anything you value.

Our boy is over 3 now and we are just coming up for air. Good luck.

Buy a good vacuum cleaner. The hair! No one told me it would be this bad.....