New Puppy due Wednesday

Hughesy84

Hi guys......Well the week is finally here.

Get my new puppy on wednesday (Blue Staffy)....he will be 7 week and 5 days old, he is fully weened and its now up to me to train him etc.

Iv got a crate on order, so that will be here tomorrow hopefully. Iv read everything about house training them (go outside every half hour, after food n drink n when they wake etc & treat).

Couple of questions:
1 - Should I use training pads, or is this just saying its right to go in the house?! Or should I just start with outside from the start?
2 - with the cage...should their be a toiletting area in there or not, or just his bed?
3 - should he have food & drink in his 'safe' cage?!
4 - How long will a puppy sleep for in the night!?

No lectures on rescue dogs....or the fact he is 2 days under the 8 week 'rule'.

Thanks

Raksha

1 - I wouldn't use training pads for precisely that reason - it's telling him it's OK to go in the house. Do you know what his breeder has been doing with regards to toilet training?
2 - two different schools of though on this one - yes, if the dog is going to be in there for extended periods of time (i.e overnight) as this is then set up using the same substrate (surface) as you want the pup to use outside. Then, as the pup gets older, the area in the crate gets smaller until there is no suitable surface left, but pup doesn't need it any more because its bladder capacity is now sufficient. This is called 'errorless crate training' because you are training the pup to only go on that surface.
If you can get the pup outside frequently enough that he doesn't *have* to toilet indoors, then no, you don't need a toilet area in the crate.
3 - Food and drink, I wouldn't leave food down for any dog, a pup should have 4 or 5 meals a day at this stage, but any that's not eaten after 10 mins should be removed. Drink should always be available (plain water is fine, not cows milk)
4 - in the early few days, he probably won't sleep more than a couple of hours at a time, but if you do get up to let him toilet outside his crate, keep it all very low key - low lights etc. You will probably need to be up around 06.00 to give him breakfast.

HTH - have you got him booked into some good puppy training and socialisation classes?

hethmar

Ive found its best to start off with taking them outside every hour or so and letting them learn the "wee" command. Especially take them out after they have been fed. And lots of fussing and cuddling when they have done a poo or wee outside. But Ive also left a bit of newspaper by the back door just in case I havent noticed them wanting to go.

Spudette

Firstly congrats on the new dog, especially a staffie they are wonderful dogs with great temperment

1 - Should I use training pads, or is this just saying its right to go in the house?! Or should I just start with outside from the start?

I would get some training pads so that if there is any accidents etc. Do not however put them in the crate as this will just encourage him to pee in his bedroom etc. You put the pads where your dog is weeing or will wee and then you move them closer and closer to the door until they go outside.

2 - with the cage...should their be a toiletting area in there or not, or just his bed?
Just be his bed.

3 - should he have food & drink in his 'safe' cage?!
No, the crates are only used for a short period of time, keep his food to regular meals when he is out of the crate it will help with his bowel movements

4 - How long will a puppy sleep for in the night!?
Depends on the exercise during the day. They usually sleep through most of the night. Just make sure that you don't play up to his whining too much. This just encourages bad behaviour.

Do you know what food he is on as I think this is the most important thing with new pups.

Very happy for you.

HTH :T

Hughesy84

HTH? What's that mean?

No not sure what food he's on.... il ask on wednesday though... any good ones to recommend?

I cant wait!

sarabe

Hughesy84 wrote: »

Hi guys......Well the week is finally here.

Get my new puppy on wednesday (Blue Staffy)....he will be 7 week and 5 days old, he is fully weened and its now up to me to train him etc.

Iv got a crate on order, so that will be here tomorrow hopefully. Iv read everything about house training them (go outside every half hour, after food n drink n when they wake etc & treat).

Couple of questions:
1 - Should I use training pads, or is this just saying its right to go in the house?! Or should I just start with outside from the start?
2 - with the cage...should their be a toiletting area in there or not, or just his bed?
3 - should he have food & drink in his 'safe' cage?!
4 - How long will a puppy sleep for in the night!?

No lectures on rescue dogs....or the fact he is 2 days under the 8 week 'rule'.

Thanks

Congratulations on your new puppy.

Training pads are a seriously bad idea. They should carry a warning on the packet

"Warning: These will seriously screw up your house training"

Your puppy should go to the toilet outside only. Never in the house and never in his crate. This means that you will be spending most of your life for the next few weeks taking you puppy outside to the toilet at all hours of the day and night but it will be worth it.

He needs water in his crate but food should be given at mealtimes only and during training.

Most pups will sleep for anything from 2 hours at a time to 8 hours overnight. They settle best if they can be with you overnight in the early days.

HTH means hope that helps.

Food wise his breeder should give you at least a weeks supply of what he has been on and then if you want to change it do it over a period of 7 - 10 days.

My recommendations are Naturediet, Burns, Orijen. Only thing that is better is feeding raw but that requires a bit of research first.

Hughesy84

sarabe wrote: »

Congratulations on your new puppy.
They settle best if they can be with you overnight in the early days.

Food wise his breeder should give you at least a weeks supply of what he has been on and then if you want to change it do it over a period of 7 - 10 days.

My recommendations are Naturediet, Burns, Orijen. Only thing that is better is feeding raw but that requires a bit of research first.

Thanks for that.

He will be in the room with us at night, however in his own bed - so thats fine.

Do they sell any of those foods at Pets @ Home?

As for RAW - Will that not be mega expensive? I dont buy much raw meats at the moment - will it not be miles more expensive than dry foods? Do you give them any dry/ wet dog foods at all or is it just raw meats & bones?

Also are bones ok for them?!

UKTigerlily

Bones are ok if raw not cooked, but always supervise. Orijen is sold online & in some stores but not [EMAIL="P@H"]P@H[/EMAIL] , it's a top food. Burns i'm not sure but I don't think they're sold by [EMAIL="P@H"]P@H[/EMAIL] either, feeding raw is best but you need to learn about it & to keep him on whatever he comes on for a good while, not sure on costs of it.

Hughesy84

Iv just read alot of stuff about RAW stuff, and basically it says that its the best for your dog.

Bones are good for them - for digestion, healthy gums & teeth etc.

It suggests RAW, rather than commercial foods, as commercial foods are around 50% cerial, which isnt good for a dog.

So I get the RAW bit....which im considering...however do they get mixed with anything else?

Anyone got experience of it?

sarabe

I feed my 12 dogs raw but I did spend a few months researching it first.

They don't get any dog food other than the odd Bonio.

As for cost, I bought a very large chest freezer at the outset and it had paid for itself within 3 months with the money we saved and that is with me being in the trade and able to buy commercial dog food at wholesale prices.

I scrounge from my butcher as well as having a once a month wholesale order of offal, heart, chicken wings, chicken necks, tripe and minces.

Hughesy84

Another idea...firework time of the year

Would it be a good idea to take him out (In my jacket or something) just so he gets used to the noise for future years? I dont want a dog thats scared of fireworks if possible...