Puppies first few nights

Any

Hi everyone,

It is long time since I had a new puppy so I need few pointers about it's first few nights. Obviously being taken away from mum and put into new home with new people must be very frustrating for it, so I am wondering whether there is anything I can do to lower the impact?

I was thinking that I could take a blanket that I have for it's bed and leave it in a bed with it's mum while I am sorting out things with it's breeders. The blanket might retain some of mum's smell and having that in it's bed might make the puppy a little more comfortable. What do you think?

Also I have a bed buddy dog that I use for warming up my bed - maybe if I warm it up a bit and hide it in puppie's bed it will feel like mummy and the puppy will be again more comfortable?

Don't take me wrong - the puppy has been weaned from mummy and everything, but obviously until the moment it has been taken to it's new home it has never slept by itself in a room, there was always other dog around..

Please let me know your thoughts.

Please refrain from leaving comments like "why do you have puppy and not rescue dog", that has already been discussed and we decided for puppy. I am not here for discussion about getting a dog, I am here for advice on how to make the puppy most comfortable in it's new home.

Thank you

Minxy_Bella

I'm in the same boat, Any - I'm picking up a puppy tonight and would be grateful for any handy tips anyone might have.

PS My puppy has been rehomed due to his first owner's marriage splitting up so as far as I'm concerned, he is a rescue dog!

Any

Minxy_Bella wrote: »

I'm in the same boat, Any - I'm picking up a puppy tonight and would be grateful for any handy tips anyone might have.

PS My puppy has been rehomed due to his first owner's marriage splitting up so as far as I'm concerned, he is a rescue dog!

We are going to have a look at one tonight and he is ready to go home with us if we bond. :T
I am getting very nervous!

Minxy_Bella

Any wrote: »

We are going to have a look at one tonight and he is ready to go home with us if we bond. :T
I am getting very nervous!

Me too!!

I've seen his sister who has been homed with my friend. It's her brother who has the mother and father of my puppy and I'll be able to see them tonight, just to make sure they're not complete nutters :rotfl:

If the puppy is a savage little beast, then I won't take him but all feedback so far is that he's a sweet little thing, so fingers crossed.

I hope you fall in love with your pup too!

I feel sick with nerves!

Any

Minxy_Bella wrote: »

Me too!!

I've seen his sister who has been homed with my friend. It's her brother who has the mother and father of my puppy and I'll be able to see them tonight, just to make sure they're not complete nutters :rotfl:

If the puppy is a savage little beast, then I won't take him but all feedback so far is that he's a sweet little thing, so fingers crossed.

I hope you fall in love with your pup too!

I feel sick with nerves!

I haven't seen the puppie at all yet, there wasn't even a picture on the advert... But they had 3 on Wednesday when they advertised and on Thursday morning when we finally got through they only had one left so they must be fine.
Unless we bond we won't take it either, but I am getting ready anyway just in case.

Can't concentrate on anything else but the puppy thoughts!

foreign_correspondent

Any wrote: »

I haven't seen the puppie at all yet, there wasn't even a picture on the advert... But they had 3 on Wednesday when they advertised and on Thursday morning when we finally got through they only had one left so they must be fine.

Please do be aware - just because the others have gone does not mean they are fine - buying a pup should be preceded by a lot of research, not just spotting an ad.

What sort of pup is it?

I take it you have read up on puppy behaviour already and that someone is at home enough to deal with a pup? (New pups need someone attention and training, pretty much 24/7 if they are to learn the basics like toilet training)

Here are some things to check out:

Buying a new puppy

Buying a puppy from a breeder can be a real hit and miss affair if you don’t know what to look for and what questions to ask. If you don’t get it right you could end up with a sick or dying puppy that if survives may be plagued with behaviour and health problems for the rest of his life.

Just because a puppy is registered with the Kennel Club isn’t a guarantee that the breeder is responsible. Remember that a good breeder may have a waiting list for puppies; a happy healthy puppy is well worth the wait.
When buying a pedigree dog it is always worth finding out what inherited problems the breed you are considering might have. Many relate to the shape of the dog but there are also many specific diseases as well. The best person from whom to ask advice is your vet, as he will have dealt with most breeds, and have a good idea of the likely problems. Once you have decided which breed you wish to buy, find out what tests are available for the breed. If testing is available, make sure that both parents of your puppy have been tested and that you see the test results. If in any doubt, take copies of the paperwork to your vet and ask for their interpretation of them. Always ask for actual test results rather than just being told they are OK.
Of course looking at the mother and, if possible, the father will help answer questions about the shape of the puppy. Look for the obvious things such as: can they breathe easily without making snoring noises, can they run and jump easily, are there any deep folds of skin around the head and eyes and do they look bright, clean and alert? If the parents look healthy there is a much better chance that your puppy will also grow up to be healthy.

A good breeder will not let a puppy go until he is at least 8 weeks old and some prefer to wait until 12 weeks. They may want to meet you and ask you questions before the puppies are born, or a few weeks after, so that they can be happy that you will be a good owner. This is a good opportunity to meet the mum of your puppy and see the conditions he will have been brought up in. Here are some questions you will need to ask yourself and the breeder.

• Can I see the puppies with their mum?
You need to see the mum to make sure that she is a nice friendly dog because puppies inherit their temperaments from their parents. If the breeder does not let you see them interacting with the mum – it may be that they aren’t really her puppies!

• How old are the puppies?
Puppies must be at least 8 weeks old to leave their mum.

• How old is mum?
She should be over the age of 1 year and not obviously very old.

• How many litters has mum had?
She shouldn’t have had more than 6 in her lifetime.

• Are the puppies weaned?
At 8 weeks they will have been weaned. If they have not been weaned by this time, they may be younger than the breeder says.

• Have the puppies been wormed?
All puppies are born with worms. Worming should start with the breeder and be continued in the new home.

• Has your puppy had any vaccinations? If so, when is the next one due?

• Does the puppy look healthy – clean eyes, ears and bottom?
If the puppy is unwell, collect him another day. If he is still ill, then don’t take him and try another breeder.

• What should I feed my puppy and do you have a diet sheet to take away?

• What sort of socialisation or experiences has my puppy had so far?
Puppies should have preferably been raised in a home environment with all the noises and through-traffic of a normal home. Those raised in kennels away from the house will need a lot more intensive socialisation training to make sure they can cope with every day life. If the puppies have already met other dogs, animals and people they will be happier and more confident than those that have not.

• Can I return the puppy if there are any health problems?
You will need to have the puppy health checked by your vet within 48 hours. A good breeder will offer to take the puppy back at any point should you not be able to keep him.

• Is the puppy Kennel Club registered?
If so, make sure you are given the registration certificate and pedigree when you come to take the puppy home.

• When can I take the puppy home?
It is absolutely essential to see the puppies interacting with the mother. Some unscrupulous people who claim to be breeders may in fact be dealers who have brought in puppies from elsewhere. These are likely to have been poorly bred, may be ill and are usually too young to leave their poor exhausted mothers. These puppies rarely make good pets (if they live into adulthood) and you will be fuelling this cruel trade where money is the priority and the welfare of the dogs is completely ignored. This is also why you should not buy a puppy from a pet shop, and should be suspicious of anywhere advertising more than 3 different breeds of dog.

Do not buy a puppy if you have the slightest doubt about the breeder or situation – even if you feel sorry for it and desperately want to rescue it. Contact your local authority or Trading Standards Office to report your concerns. If there are signs of obvious neglect or cruelty, then contact the RSPCA.



This is from the dogstrust website:http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/information/atozofdogs/p/puppies/buyinganewpuppy/

sarabe

Yes, leaving a blanket with the breeder for you to bring home with the pup is a good idea.

I wouldn't be thinking about leaving the puppy alone to sleep though.

I would have the puppy in a puppy crate beside my bed.

For the first few night you need to conicide bedtime with the puppy being ready to sleep, making sure that he has been outside to the toilet.

During the day to get your puppy happy about being in a crate make sure that you put him in there every time he looks like he wants a nap. Sit with him if necessary until he drops off - then rush around and get all your work done quick!!!!

Same at night to start with put puppy in the crate and sneak into bed when he drops off.

When puppy wakes in the night needing the toilet take him outside and then straight back to bed again. Don't play with him during the night.

All pups are different and some will go through the night relatively quickly and others will still be needing out several weeks on but as the time passes it will take pup a little longer to wake you (due to sleep deprivation) and this is when they are learning to hold on.

The advantages of having your pup with you at night are that they never get distressed at being left because you can do alone time training gradually at a pace that they can cope with and thus avoid separation problems in later life.

The housetraining is much more efficient because they never pee indoors not even at night. The pup that is left in the kitchen or the utility room will wake up, walk away from his bed and pee and will continue to do this for much longer because they have no reason to hold on, unlike the pup that is reliant on you taking him out and trusts that you will and is therefore practised at holding on.

And the puppy crate is associated with sleeping so he'll settle wherever you put his crate, whether it be downstairs later on, at a relatives house, in a hotel or on a camping holiday.

suki1964

TBH, in an ideal world you would have found your breeder long before now and have been going to see the pup from about 4 weeks old and a week before bringing pup home you could have dropped blankets and toys in with "mum" to get really nice and stinky

But you dont have that luxury

So, first thing, decide on where pup is going to sleep and in what.

My personal choice is a dog crate in my room. I choose this method so that A - pup doesnt get distressed about being left alone - he can hear us breathing. And B ( more important) he has to cry to be let out for wees so I can get up let him out without too much disturbance

You may want to think about that?

Yes a blanket or toys smelling of mum helps, a water bottle wrapped in towels, some say a ticking clock - all supposed to help. But expect lots of wailing and howling and noise and be grateful if you dont get it

And dont forget a pup that young can not be expected to last all night with out needing the toilet. You have to make some sort of arrangement to let that happen, either a floor area or you get up

Good luck

Any

Hi FC,
The puppy is cross between Cavalier King Charles and Poodle. I don't want pure bred as I am not a dog snob. I just want a dog. I don't agree with all this blood line and pure bred and certificate rubbish. As long as the vet says that the puppy is healthy that is all I care about.
I am not going to find a blue blood prince before I have a baby either so I cannot see why dogs should.
Have a look what it did to people when they bred only between blue blood - most of monarch were mad as a box of frogs.

It is 8 weeks old and it has been weaned.
We will see the mother as well.

I realise that they might not be fine just because the others are gone. That is why I said WE MIGHT TAKE IT.

Thank you for the advice on what to ask, your advice is very appreciated. I will make sure I will check it's alertness and cleanliness and interaction with mother.

Any

suki1964 wrote: »

TBH, in an ideal world you would have found your breeder long before now and have been going to see the pup from about 4 weeks old and a week before bringing pup home you could have dropped blankets and toys in with "mum" to get really nice and stinky

But you dont have that luxury

So, first thing, decide on where pup is going to sleep and in what.

My personal choice is a dog crate in my room. I choose this method so that A - pup doesnt get distressed about being left alone - he can hear us breathing. And B ( more important) he has to cry to be let out for wees so I can get up let him out without too much disturbance

You may want to think about that?

Yes a blanket or toys smelling of mum helps, a water bottle wrapped in towels, some say a ticking clock - all supposed to help. But expect lots of wailing and howling and noise and be grateful if you dont get it

And dont forget a pup that young can not be expected to last all night with out needing the toilet. You have to make some sort of arrangement to let that happen, either a floor area or you get up

Good luck

Thank you ever so much for your advice.
Will it not be difficult for the puppy to get used to staying alone later though? I am worried that it will get used to sleeping in the room with me and then will not be too happy to sleep in the kitchen.

foreign_correspondent

Hi,

It's not just about pedigrees - I am no dog snob either!! The advice is not about looking for a posh dog, just a healthy one, and not supporting the exploitation of dogs for money. It is very important for people buying pups (purebred or mongrel) to be aware enough not to accidentally support puppy farming, and not to encourage (by buying) unscrupulous people breeding off dogs with hereditary illnesses, as the pups may well suffer later in life if the appropriate health checks have not been done. Lots of people breed dogs unscrupulously, and would not do this if they got no custom.

have a look at this "new puppy factsheet" too for info about how to deal with a new pup, what to expect, training etc etc - may even be worth printing off - http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/VirtualContent/111928/your_new_puppy.pdf

ETA - I dont know much about either of the parents breeds, but people breeding from CKCS should be aware of the risk of Syringomyelia, and I believe breeding dogs should be checked for it, and with poodles there will also be associated health peoblems - if the parents are not health tested, a cross could inherit neither of these traits, or both.