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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Puppy coming home

44 replies

GRCP · 09/03/2025 16:00

Hello, we are collecting our puppy in just under 3 weeks. Please hit me with your tips and advice!

Thanks!

OP posts:

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Original poster

GRCP · 12/03/2025 19:56

Amuseaboosh · 10/03/2025 12:40

Lots of super advice already.

We have a now 7 month Cockapoo, and she's a joy. Sleeps through, she has done from about 10 weeks, think we've been very lucky with her, but I also got a heartbeat to mimic the sound of her Mum to soothe her.

I'm attaching the one we have, and honestly, it's was wonderful the first few weeks. She'd rest her head on it and snooze. Now she tries to destroy it as a 'toy', but I really think it helped.

Her first night, she cried, so she slept in my arms on the sofa. From her second night, we settled her in her crate, heartbeat going, and a blackout cover over over the crate. We took her out for her wees during the night, and she's settled very well.

Enjoy your new addition. It all goes so fast! ❤️

Pictures attached.

Gorgeous!! Very similar to my boy

OP posts:

TinyMouseTheatre · 12/03/2025 20:40

GRCP · 12/03/2025 19:54

He's a Cavapoo! Will absolutely post pictures .

Thanks to this helpful thread I have registered with the vet, booked his 2nd vaccinations for when he is 10 weeks, booked the whole family onto a 5 week puppy training course from when he is 11 weeks (vet advised on immunity), sorted insurance and pet plan for preventative healthcare, and booked his first groom for end of May. We're going to sit down as a family at the weekend to agree ground rules and command words and I'm listening to a puppy training podcast.

Well all of that sounds really good.

We found these training videos from The Dog's Trust helpful, especially DD who loved watching them and train in g our DDog

Arran2024 · 12/03/2025 20:50

Think about where he will travel in the car (if you have one). You can buy dog seat belts for example.

Get some waterproof pads/sheets for the car until he is toilet trained. You can also sit them on your lap when you hold him.

Original poster

GRCP · 14/03/2025 17:05

@TinyMouseTheatrethanks for those videos - DD will love this

OP posts:

Fraaances · 14/03/2025 17:10

Charity shops are full of discarded cuddly toys. He will probably wreck them all for a while, but that’s the place to go.

Check out Will Atherton’s training videos on YouTube. Lots of useful puppy training there.

oakleaffy · 14/03/2025 17:46

LandSharksAnonymous · 09/03/2025 16:15

Register with your local vet - my local vets are turning down anyone with a new pet who isn't already registered with them
Puppy-proof your home - remove loose wiring, extension cables, toxic plants. Basically anything a puppy will chew
Have a designated 'safe' space where the puppy can go and be left alone for a few moments at a time. This does not need to be a crate - and ideally isn't - but can be somewhere the puppy cannot get to children or other pets.
Decide, amongst your family, who is pulling what night shift with the puppy. It's very rare to have a puppy that sleeps straight through the night. I do 'sleep training' as part of my work with the puppies before they go when I breed. But, most pups will be up 2/3 times a night and/or cry a lot their first few nights - and you cannot just leave them to cry it out and you cannot constantly give them attention either. You need to find a happy middle.
Get your puppy in the car from day 1 - pre-second vaccination, take the puppy out in your arms to see the world. Do not let it greet other dogs. Do not put it on the ground. But socialise it with the world as much as possible - too many people do not do this and their puppy suffers as a result.
Take your puppy straight to it's toilet spot the moment you can home, and reward it instantly with food as soon as it wees or poos. Do not rely on puppy pads - be proactive in house training. Many dogs can, and do, pick up toilet training in a few weeks or less.
If you have children, get them to understand now that dogs are not toys. The last thing you want is your children harassing, being rough with, or bothering a puppy on it's first day home.

Basically, start as you mean to go on and accept that for the first few months that your life will revolve around the puppy - and if it doesn't, then you're setting yourself up for failure 😄

@GRCP OPENED windows are risky.
My puppy flew out of an upstairs window in an old house one hot summer while I was hoovering.

I saw her streak across the floor and fly in a fawn arc out of the window, My scream brought both neighbours out of their houses.

Miraculously Pup landed on the wisteria vine {young and springy}which snapped and broke her fall. {Pic}

Vet was astounded she wasn't injured.

Pups are like toddlers..you need eyes on the back of your head!

She's Three yrs now, and very calm..
But this was her puppy face....

Remember: Grapes and raisins are also toxic to dogs...as is xylitol.

Arran2024 · 14/03/2025 17:51

Always make sure that duvet covers are buttoned up. I knew a family whose dog got inside the cover and turned and turned, got stuck, and suffocated.

Also I would only use toys designed for pets.

oakleaffy · 14/03/2025 17:59

@GRCP Teeth...Get pup used to having teeth brushed daily with veterinary toothpaste. {Virbac} The baby teeth will fall out, but the earlier the better so they accept it easily.

Get the brush right to the back teeth, Pay attention to gumline.

Many dogs have significant tartar , gum inflammation and poor teeth past the age of two yrs old.

Daily brushing from puppy age is well tolerated, and really keeps their breath sweet, and saves money and stress at the vets.

Many cavaliers and poodles {like Whippets} can have poor teeth, so well worth doing daily brushing.

oakleaffy · 14/03/2025 18:05

Arran2024 · 14/03/2025 17:51

Always make sure that duvet covers are buttoned up. I knew a family whose dog got inside the cover and turned and turned, got stuck, and suffocated.

Also I would only use toys designed for pets.

Very good points.

Also Cereal inner bags.

I knew of someone whose dog {adult} suffocated in a cereal bag {Crisp packets &c are equally dangerous}

The owner came home and found the poor dog in the kitchen with the empty left out for recycling empty cereal bag loosely over her head.
She'd gone to eat the crumbs from inside.

Vet says they just quietly die due to lack of oxygen.

Really alarming.

PrettayGood · 14/03/2025 18:12

We didn’t use a crate. My son slept downstairs with our pup for the first week, and after that, he was left downstairs on his own with no issues.

I’d advise you make toileting opportunities frequent - every 20 mins at first in the day. We didn’t take our pup outside at night once and he had no accidents.

I think we’ve been lucky we our puppy. He’s very calm and has not chewed anything. His predecessor was the same. I think they thrive on a bit of benign neglect and it’s important to give them lots of downtime - they sleep a lot!

oakleaffy · 14/03/2025 18:13

stayathomer · 10/03/2025 12:19

my biggest one is from easy peasy puppy squeezy and it’s basically any time they go to mouth, hand a toy or teddy. Always have one with you and have them easy access in the house. Within weeks our dog would grab for it instead of a hand! Get EVERYONE in the house involved in training and looking after. Remember they’re exhausting but they’re just little babies who want to love and explore. Go to training classes as soon as possible

I love seeing their wonder at the World when young and exploring..Ours would lie on her back looking at clouds floating by in the garden..and look for spiders and blow bubbles with her nose in the pond {Ponds can be a risk, so always supervise when outside in garden or cover pond with a strong net}

Original poster

GRCP · 15/03/2025 08:25

Arran2024 · 14/03/2025 17:51

Always make sure that duvet covers are buttoned up. I knew a family whose dog got inside the cover and turned and turned, got stuck, and suffocated.

Also I would only use toys designed for pets.

Oh my goodness that’s awful!!

OP posts:

TheSandgroper · 15/03/2025 12:36

Decide where in your back yard is going to be the toileting spot. I bought a cheap garden trowel and fork and just stuck them in the ground under a bush for easy pick up.

Routine. Dogs like routine. It’s how they know their place in the world. Do you work to one meal per day or will you have two?

Will dog eat before you or after? We ate first then Sandy Dog ate.

Some treats were regular. If I served peas for dinner, a few frozen ones would roll across the floor for chasing. We would take small bags of crisps when going on long journeys. Sandy Dog would have an almost empty packet scattered over her bed once we had eaten. Because she knew her time would come, there was no begging. Once the sausages went onto the bbq, the tray went onto the ground for licking out.

After her normal walk near the house, there was no drink. When we walked further away, she had a drink before getting into the car for home.

All this was routine.

This is really interesting. https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/a-dogs-garden/9431012 Sandy Dog would patrol our fence line at 100kph so the theories worked for us.

A Dog's Garden - Gardening Australia

Jane Edmanson discovers a garden designed as much for the dogs as the owners.

https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/a-dogs-garden/9431012

Dolambslikemintsauce · 15/03/2025 12:50

Omg a look a like...

Original poster

GRCP · 30/03/2025 07:02

As promised

OP posts:

Gundogday · 30/03/2025 08:59

Adorable. What beautiful markings. Thank you for updating.

TheSandgroper · 30/03/2025 09:07

Tax paid very nicely.

Original poster

GRCP · 31/03/2025 21:27

Thank you. Best decision we could have made - he’s a little star.

OP posts:

BunnyRuddington · 01/04/2025 20:42

Thank you for the photo tax

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